"Is this your first time?" She asked as she began taking off her clothes.

"With a woman of your occupation, yes. In general, no." He stumbled as he tried taking his pants off. "Is it that obvious?"

She slightly chuckled as she sat completely nude on the disgusting hotel bed. She leaned back on her elbows as if the two were discussing the weather. "You want me to be honest?" She asked in a professional tone, her legs crossed at the ankle.

"On second thought, I'll just pretend you never asked that." He finally got his foot out of the leg of his pants and flopped down on the bed. "You know, I think I'm having second thoughts on this."

"Don't you mean third?"

He paused for a moment. "I guess you're right. Still, I just don't know if I can do this. I'll pay you for your time anyway!"

She sat up straight and crossed her legs. "What's the problem? Are my scars too much for you?"

Quickly the man interjected. "No! No! It's not that at all!" It wasn't until then that he surveyed her body, actually paying attention to the slight imperfections that weren't really noticeable to begin with. "You're beautiful!"

She laughed again, this time a little more whole heartedly. "That's the first time I've ever heard that. Sexy and hot, but never beautiful! Not that I'm complaining either, I'm just used to getting paid in money alone, not compliments."

The man snickered. "I will pay you with money as well. I'm not lying, by the way. Your body is gorgeous!"

She smiled at him for the first time since they had met thirty minutes before. "Thank you. Still, if you want, I can call someone else to come in and do the job."

He shook his head. "Thank you, but no thank you. If I can't go through with this with you then it's probably not meant to happen."

"That's mighty sweet of you." She said in a kind tone. "I wish I had more clients like you."

"I'm just being honest. Hey, what's your name if you don't mind me asking?"

"I'm sorry, big guy, but I don't do names."

"Oh, okay. Sorry I asked."

"It's not your fault; it's just one of my rules. Do you mind if I ask you a question though?"

"Uh, go ahead I guess."

"What made you want to buy a prostitute?"

He thought about it for a while then stammered, "Low self-esteem. I just experienced a bad break up. My fiancÃe left me for another man." His mood depleted even more than he expected. He sighed and slid across the bed until his back slapped the headboard. Not expecting it, the girl mimicked his movement.

"What happened?" She asked, sounding genuinely curious.

"She just told me one day that she didn't love me anymore. Plain as that. She gave me my ring back and left." He paused after answering and continued to stare forward into the dimly lit room. She was afraid to say anything. After a while, he turned his head and calmly stated. "That was two questions in a row, so I get two as well."

She smiled sweetly at him. "Okay, lover boy, ask away."

He hesitated for a moment, looking down as he twiddled his thumbs. He finally had the nerve to meet her stare, but there was concern in his eyes. "How did you get those scars?"

Her smile only faltered slightly, but she had every intention on answering him. "That's fair of you to ask. When my father and mother divorced back when I was twelve, it broke his heart. I saw my daddy cry and curse at the sky after momma left. I watched as he tried to pick up the pieces, but he was never the same. He began drinking and became abusive. I was the only one around, so of course I had to experience it." She motioned toward the scars. "Eventually the school caught on and called my mother to take me away. She swore to me that I would never have to go back and she swore to herself she would never forget what happened."

He didn't know what to say. The poor woman's story had torn his heart apart. "I'm so sorry! I probably never should have asked you something so personal."

"No, it's okay! I've never told anyone about my past. It seemed to be the right time to finally get it off my chest." She placed her hand on his leg. "Thank you for being a part of my pity party though." She said in a humorous tone.

He grabbed her hand in response and smiled back. "Don't mention it." He joked back. "Now, I guess I'll ask my second question. Do you plan on getting out of prostitution?"

She threw her head back and laughed out loud. "Of course! What woman in her right mind wants to be a whore her whole life?"

"You're right," he said. "So what are your plans for the future?"

She gave him a slight shove and giggled. "I'm not going to answer that because you already had your two questions!"

"Wrong!" He laughed, giving her a light push. "It was a two-part question, which means I only got half an answer!"

"Okay, okay, fine!" She laughed. "I want to be a famous singer."

"Oh really? Good luck there!"

"I don't need luck, just talent and a good banking account. Do you think you'll ever find someone new?"

"I don't know, it's hard to say. Do you think you'll ever sing a love song once you're famous?"

She slightly laughed and smiled. "I don't believe a person should sing a song about fake love, and I don't believe in true love. So to answer your question, no, I won't."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I think everyone is meant to find their one true love." He said as a matter of fact.

"I'm sorry, but you sound even more like a woman than I do."

"It's true! You never know who you will meet and what kind of impact they'll have on your life! And this is coming from the guy who lost his fiancÃe to the guy in B6." He turned to look at her to make his point seem more legitimate. "And let me tell you, this guy is a complete loser!"

"Hm, I'll have to take your word for it. I don't think I need another loser in my life. Do you plan on moving on? Or has the love bug come and gone for you?"

"I don't know. It's tough having to suffer through something like that twice. Do you think if you ever found that special someone you could sing about love then?"

"I can't answer that. I wouldn't be able to give you an accurate response."

"How do you feel about it at this moment?"

"As of now: absolutely not. I know deep down that "love' never lasts."

"It's a shame." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. "I hope you find someone that will change your mind. Now, I'm sorry to say this, but I better get out of here. I'm pretty sure I owe you my entire wallet by now." He said as he turned his back to her and stood from the bed. "Hopefully I'll have enough money to make it through the rest of the month." He laughed as he began putting on his pants. He felt a cool hand on his lower back that made his hesitate.

"Don't worry about it, it's on the house."

He thought about it while he finished getting dressed. When it finally hit him, he was in shock. His head then became lodged in his shirt as he struggled to get it on. "Really? Are you sure?" He asked from the inside of his sleeve.

She laughed as she slipped on her favorite evening gown and prepared to leave. "Yes, I'm sure. I overcharged the last guy anyway. Here," she reached into her purse sitting by the bed and handed him a card. "This is my number. Call me if you ever need to talk again."

The two said their goodbyes and the man made his way to the door. "I will be calling this number soon, so I really hope it's yours." He said with a smile.

"Don't worry, it is." She responded. They stood in the doorway in silence for a moment. "I'll take care of the bill for the room, too. I don't think you can handle me rejecting you like this." The woman joked as she leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.

"Ha ha," he said, "you're too kind. Thank you though." He smiled and turned to walk away. "I hope you learn that there is such a thing as "true love' out there." He called over his shoulder.

"I'm on my way to believing." She whispered as she closed the door behind him.