Dean hadn't meant for it to sound quite like that; though he couldn't figure out a way to express that to Lauren now. "Lauren, I didn't mean that I thought you expected me to sleep with you because you paid that money." He sighed, knowing that he still wasn't making this better. "When I said, 'You paid all that money'; Aw hell! I'm not making this better am I?" Jon felt like an ass; he was sure Lauren thought that of him right now. "I shouldn't have brought up the money at all; I guess I'm just feeling like dinner and everything wasn't enough, like I'm not holding up my end of the deal." He rested his head back on the sofa.
"Christ; we really are too much alike, you know that don't you? Neither of us feel like we're worth much. Not that you really want to hear a story about my professional life; but I'm going to tell you anyways. I had been escorting for a year; I got set up on a date with a man named Lorenzo. Most of the girls in the service knew him; he had gone through several of them. Some of the girls figured he wouldn't ever have a 'regular' girl. Meaning, he wouldn't request the same girl on a regular basis. Some of the men did that; got attached to one particular girl and would only ask for them. He hadn't done that with any of them. Lorenzo sent a limo to the service to pick me up; then the limo brought me to this restrurant, I'm talking four-star and very expensive. I was so nervous; new clients are always the worst because you don't know anything about them. The driver took me in and brought me to the bar; Lorenzo was already sitting there. When he looked up at me; he just smiled, and it was like the nerves just went away. We had an amazing dinner, he was easy to talk to; so we spent the whole time talking. After dinner was finished; he escorted me back to the limo and he took me back to the service. I honestly thought I had done something wrong; I couldn't figure out why he would drop me back off at the service before taking me somewhere to have sex first. When we got to the doorstep of the service; he handed me $12,000, to give you an idea that is about what the clients would pay for the evening if they included a tip for us. I was shocked! I told him I couldn't possibly take that much money just for eating a meal with him. You know what he said back to me?" Dean shook his head 'No'. "He smiled, looked me in the eye and said 'You are beautiful, clearly intelligent, a wonderful conversationalist and you had every man in the restrurant jealous that they weren't me. In my opinion; I'm getting off cheap by paying you $12,000, You are worth a lot more than that. However, no one will ever give you what you're worth; if you yourself think you're worth less than you are.' Two days later; he called the service again, he asked for me. He was seeing me twice, sometimes three times a week; depending on his work schedule. It was two months before he asked if I would sleep with him. He asked me; he didn't expect or demand it. He was constantly paying me more than any of the other clients did; bought me just amazing gifts. Each time I would try to argue with him about him giving me things or paying too much. He just kept repeating what he had told me that first date. He was the client who made me realize that I didn't have to be that hooker anymore; I deserved better and could expect to be treated better , because I was worth it. Guess what? So are you. I would have paid double or triple what I did to get to spend this time with you. You having been my only safety when we were growing up; I never would be able to spend enough to repay you for that. You held up 'your end' long ago; I'm just a little slow to pay you back for it." Lauren grinned.
"So what happened to that guy; Lorenzo?" Dean asked her curiously.
"Lorenzo? Well, Lorenzo is my ex-husband." Lauren chuckled. "After Elaine gave me the service; he proposed to me. He had planned to do it regardless; he was going to ask me to quit the service and marry him, and he would just 'take care of me'. When I took over the service; he didn't have to anymore, I could take care of myself. We got married; the only problem we had was that both of our businesses kept us way too busy to spend enough time together. He was always travelling on business or I was travelling for business. Two years of doing that and we agreed that it wasn't working. We are still very good friends, we talk occasionally; the divorce wasn't a bitter one. In fact, as usual he was probably way too generous to me. I imagine his lawyers must have had a coronary when he told them what he was giving me. I know my lawyers couldn't believe it. We both wish each other nothing but good things; who knows, if he ever marries again, I would probably go to their wedding." Lauren smiled.
"Wow! So he is ok with you moving on to? I mean it sounds like things didn't end because there was any big issue; other than being apart so much." Dean said.
"That was it; just being apart so much ended things, however it was mutual. We both understood that the other had goals and ambitions. I honestly think, he was just so proud that I was finally seeing that I could in fact, want things for myself; that he would have hated himself if I stopped doing that for him." Lauren said. "If you're wondering if the two of us would ever get back together; we wouldn't. He is a wonderful person; but he's not the person I see myself with." Lauren answered before the question could be asked.
"Who do you see yourself with; well I mean, what type of person do you see yourself with?" Dean suddenly felt a little flustered, but he couldn't put his finger on why.
"Well; it would have to be someone who understood the business I run and wouldn't judge me for that or my past. He would have to have a career of his own; a man who had a soft side, but could also handle himself if he needed to. Someone who would love every part of me and want to be with me to." Lauren said grinning.
"That sounds like quite a guy. I wonder if you'll find a man like that." Dean responded.
Lauren smiled at him; moved to straddle his lap, "Oh…I think I found that man a long time ago." She leaned in and kissed him. Dean returning her kiss, placing one of his hands on her back. He wrapped her other arm around his neck and stood up off the sofa; Lauren wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Bedroom?" He managed to pant out, as he started walking down the first hallway he spotted.
"Third door on the right" she answered while kissing his neck. Dean carried her into her bedroom and lay her down on the bed. Lauren chuckled at the expression on his face; clearly he wasn't used to such a large bed, and satin sheets. "We've come a long way from towels on the floor and a blanket, haven't we?"
"I guess so; though I have to admit, I have never slept in a bed this size and I definitely don't have satin sheets on my bed." He laughed. The two of them helped each other out of their clothes. Dean and Lauren picked up where they had left off all those years ago. It was like no time had passed at all; except for the fact that both of them had become much better in bed and had a lot more life experience behind them. Lauren and Dean lay in each other's arms and held each other. "Are you sure you want to deal with me travelling so much?" Dean asked her as he kissed her bare shoulders.
"I have a good team in place; it frees me up to do some travelling, obviously I couldn't travel with you all the time. I could get away sometimes though to see you on the road. Are you going to feel comfortable if your friends, bosses and co-workers found out what I did for a living? I can't be with someone who will be ashamed or embarrassed by me." Lauren asked.
"I honestly don't care what anyone thinks of you. Will they think it's scandalous or a big deal; maybe, but we can deal with that together. You know I've never thought poorly of you because of what you did; that hasn't changed, I mean I guess I'm glad you aren't still sleeping with other men. However, I've never looked down on you. The only thing I ever wanted was to get you out of that god awful place."
"We both got out and now maybe I'll get to see what it's like to live that life you always talked about. The two of us together, out of that place." Lauren kissed Dean passionately.