“Me, too,” Josh said, though again, he wasn’t quite sure his answer was appropriate, since he couldn’t exactly remember the last sentence out of Cammie’s mouth. No more drinks for him.

“I don’t usually kiss my clients, but I’m gonna make an exception for you.”

“Thank you.” He smiled. A second later, a distant bell chimed. “Wait. What . . . what did you just say?”

“I’ll make an exception for you, sweetie. Abso-fuckin’-lutely.”

“You called me . . .” What was the word she used? “A client?”

“Sure.” She shrugged. “But I could see us becoming friends, too.”

So nice! “Me, too.” What were they talking about again? “Um . . . the client part.”

She tipped her head, her shiny hair falling to one side. “What about it, hon?”

“Why am I your . . . client?”

She frowned. “Oh. Radley didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Josh asked.

She rolled her eyes, then smiled. “Okay.” She lowered her voice. “I’m a working girl.”

“Sure. You cut hair.”

“And I’m also a working girl.” She laughed a little, a nice sound.

But Josh’s foggy brain couldn’t quite make the . . .

“I’m a member of the oldest profession,” Cammie said, clearly amused.

The riddles weren’t helping. He didn’t quite get it and sensed he didn’t want to.

She leaned forward. “I’m a consensual sex worker,” she whispered.

“Oh.” Josh said. A second later, he remembered to close his mouth. “Radley . . . Radley knows this?”

“Of course! That’s why he called me, Josh.”

“Oh.” He rubbed his hand across his face. “I thought we were on a . . . date.”

“We are, hon. You just pay me afterwards.”

“Oh.” He was saying that a lot.

“I’m my own boss, and I make quite a good living,” she said. “Another year, I’ll have about a hundred grand for Shine.”

“Wow. That’s . . . wow.”

“I like the work,” she said and she gave him a wink. “Do you have a problem with a woman who does this for a living?”

“Is it legal? Like, are you breaking the law right now?”

“Not a hundred percent legal. But I pay taxes. I tell the IRS I’m a consultant. Which, you know, I like to think I am.”

“I see.” Was he breaking the law right now?

“Check, please,” Cammie called, and the waiter came over. Josh felt like he was blinking a lot. He took out his wallet and left a big tip.

“Should we go to your place?” Cammie said.

“Here’s the thing,” Josh said.

“Let’s talk outside,” she whispered. “In case there’s any undercover po-po around here.”

He followed, because he wasn’t sure what else to do. Undercover po-po? That would suck! Was he about to be arrested? Oh, God, what would his mother think? She’d kill him. Jen would never let him see the kids again, and—