Page 19 of The Dance

“I mean, you can, but I would wait until you’ve been dating a guy for a while to show him who you really are. Don’t tell them where you live, where you go to school, your last name, stuff like that.”

“So, it’s dangerous?” I challenged since she hadn’t answered me.

“It can be, but I’m talking about scammers. There are some guys out there who want to steal your money.”

My head was spinning, and I balked. “But I don’t have any money.”

“Right.” She waved my statement off. “We’ll get into that later. I think we should just set up a profile for you and go from there.”

“I don’t know.” I stood and started to pace. “This is all so crazy.”

“I know but sleep on it. You’ll make a lot of money if you decide to do this, but you can’t use a picture of you that haseverbeen posted on social media.”

“Why?” I furrowed my brow.

“Because they can do a reverse image search and find your actual identity.”

I took a deep breath. “You know, you’re not really selling me on this whole sugar baby thing.”

“I’m just telling you like it is. But know this, I get paid five hundred dollars per date. Plus, expensive dinners, gifts, nights in lavish hotels, vacations.”

“Vacations?” I asked. “I don’t remember you taking vacations.”

“Because I told you I was going home to visit my parents when really I went off to Cabo for the three-day weekend.”

I let what she had dropped sink in. “I don’t know. I’ve never thought about being an escort before. This is all so crazy.”

“It’s an easy way to make money, and honestly, not that bad.”

“I don’t know,” I repeated.

“Think about it. Do you really want to be on your feet longer than you already are?”

My feet hurt every day because of dance, but I wasn’t sure if I could date for money.

* * *

The next day,I couldn’t stop thinking about my conversation with Molly. I looked up the app, read some reviews, and almost created a profile. I was so close that I entered my name but stopped because Molly had told me I needed a sugar identity, and I didn’t know what that meant.

The more I thought about Sweethearts, the more I realized it was better than taking off my clothes on a stage for strangers to throw money at me, and it was better than standing on a corner and getting paidthatway for sex. It was better than taking my clothes off on a webcam and getting paid tips to do whatever an anonymous person asked me to do. It was better than all the options I could think of to make enough money for rent and still be able to go to school. Except, of course, getting anormaljob.

When I got home from class, I decided I was going to do it. I would listen to all the advice from Molly and see what happened. I didn’t have an alternative because I hadn’t heard from any of the bars I’d applied to.

Molly was in her room doing her makeup when I got home. “Have a date?” I stuck my head into her room.

She looked at me through the reflection of the mirror on her dresser. “I’m so happy I don’t need to hide this from you anymore.”

I moved to sit on her bed. “Why did you think you needed to hide it from me to begin with? I knew you were going on dates.”

“I know, but you didn’t know with who and the circumstances. I didn’t want you to think I was a whore or something.”

“Are you?” I asked with a smile. If she considered herself one, then what was I if I started dating for money?

She turned and put the cap on her mascara as she shook her head. “No, bitch.”

We both snickered, and I questioned, “Then why would you think I would think that?”

“Because what I do is unconventional.”