Calling Maggie May by Anonymous Read Free Book Online Page A

it, and she immediately texted back asking for the hotel room. And said she was on her way over. I thought she just wanted to hear all about it, but when she got here, she was in a terrible mood.
    She kept saying it was supposed to be just a date, a regular, normal date. She told him no sex, which I thought was really confusing. I mean, how is it her job to decide if I have sex or not? I thought only my mom was that controlling. Then she asked me if I was a virgin. I mean, if I had been. I was like, well, obviously. At that she groaned and put her head in her hands.
    â€œI am so fucked,” she said. I had no idea what she was talking about. “I told him you were probably a virgin and he was not to have sex with you,” she went on. “I’m such an idiot. I should never have told him that. It’s like telling a kid that there’s candy hidden in the closet that he’s not allowed to eat. God, that bastard. He’s going to get me into so much trouble.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?” I said, still totally clueless. “What trouble?”
    â€œDamon knows better than to scam a freebie off Irma’s girls,” she went on, but she didn’t seem to be talking to me. “And now Irma is going to think I made off with the cash.”
    â€œCash?” I said. “What cash?”
    â€œThat’s just it. There wasn’t any! It was supposed to be a favor. I asked if he’d take a friend on a date, show her a nice time. As a friend.”
    Suddenly some things clicked into place.
    â€œWait. You mean Damon only took me out because you made him? He didn’t even want to?” My chest felt hollow, but Ada just laughed.
    â€œBelieve me,” she said. “He got what he wanted. It wasn’t just a favor to me. It was . . . mutual. Damon likes girls the wrong side of legal, but he doesn’t like to feel like a sleaze. His thing is to be Prince Charming, do a whole fancy date. And his fantasy is to deflower a virgin. So I told him I had a virgin for him, just like he wanted—for free. The only catch was, he couldn’t sleep with you. No money changing hands—just a fun evening for everyone involved. All I wanted was to give your self-confidence a little boost, show you that you can do better than assholes like Tyler Adams.”
    I was trying to follow her explanation, but one detail kept tripping me up.
    â€œWhy do you keep talking about money?” I asked. “And who is Irma?”
    Ada looked up at me with a guilty expression. “Irma is my boss.” She took a deep breath and seemed to brace herself. “I turn tricks for a living,” she said. “Damon is one of my old clients.”
    For a long time, I couldn’t speak.
    â€œTurn tricks,” I said at last. “You mean you’re a . . . a prostitute?”
    I had to sit down on the bed. On the one hand, I felt like I’d never been so shocked in my life. But on the other, I felt like an idiot that I hadn’t figured it out earlier. So many things about Ada suddenly made sense now. How she always seemed to have so much money even though her family didn’t. Why she was on her phone constantly, even though she didn’t have any friends. Why she looked so sophisticated and adult even though she was still in high school. Why she left school so often during the day. And why she knew guys like Damon she could fix me up on dates with.
    Damon! I had a sudden fear that last night meant something very different from what I had thought.
    â€œDid I just have sex with Damon for money?”
    â€œNo,” said Ada. “That’s what I’ve been trying to explain. I’ve known Damon for a long time now. I’d even call him a friend. I just wanted him to make you feel better about yourself, and I can’t believe he dicked me over like this.”
    â€œOh,” I said, and suddenly felt washed in a wave of guilt.