“That doesn’t sound so odd.”

“Vixens aren’t hot women. They’re female foxes.”

“Oh Christ.” Pete looked green.

“Exactly. They’re not all as bad as that, and sometimes if you explain to them that you’re unwilling to play out a certain scenario, they’ll pick something else, but you have to be firm. These guys call thirty PSOs a day in the hopes of finding one who will agree to do the scene with them. Plus, even if you do get them to pick something else, the alternative isn’t always better. I have a regular who likes for me to listen while he has sex with various baked goods.” Zack snorted. “Once, he didn’t wait long enough for this pastry to cool, and when he stuck his dick in—”

“I get the picture,” Pete said. His color had mostly returned, but he still looked skittish.

Zack felt a stab of guilt. “Look, you’re going to get requests for unconventional things. That’s just part of the job. Your clients aren’t trying to upset you, though. Most of them are lonely or horny or experiencing some perfectly human need to talk to another person. In that sense, what we do is kind of noble, right? You get to help people. And hey, if the sex happens to be hot, it’s win-win.”

Alexa smirked. “Look at you, passing on words of wisdom to the probie.” She took one last drag on her cigarette before dropping it to the concrete and grinding it out beneath her heel. “Going soft on me, Hall?”

“Not a chance, Nichols.”

“Well, thanks for the advice.” Pete flicked his cigarette butt into the bushes. “Though I could have lived a long, happy life never knowing any of that.”

“You would have learned eventually. I was just speeding up the process.”

Just then, the door to the building opened, and a familiar blonde head popped out.

Shit. Busted.

“Why am I not surprised?” the woman said as she approached. Despite her youthful good looks, she had the scathing glare of a middle-aged mother, which she turned full force on Zack and Alexa. Her designer clothes and tasteful makeup suggested money and class. “There’s only half an hour left in your shifts, so of course you decided it was time for a break.” Pete tried to edge away, but she snapped her head toward him. “I expect these two to slack off, but you’re new. Shouldn’t you be on your best behavior?”

Pete stammered out an apology and scuttled back into the building, slamming the door behind him.

“Colette!” Zack gushed. “You look particularly stunning this evening. Did you do something new with your hair?”

“Yes, but I doubt you actually noticed the difference. If you’d be so kind as to escort me inside, I need to have a word with you.”

A frisson of anxiety rattled up Zack’s spine. He didn’t think Colette would fire him, but then he’d also thought smartphones were just a fad. He glanced at Alexa, and she gave him an almost imperceptible shrug. Colette was holding the door open for him and tapping her foot. He had no choice but to follow her inside.