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“Bring me a good deal, and we can talk further,” I tell him, leaving him slightly impressed.
An hour later, I’m in a café, sitting before Lili, who is obviously excited. We are both having grilled salmon with potatoes and lemonade. Lili is quite beautiful today; I can see how she’s been deliberate about her outfit, make-up, and fragrance and it’s not hard to find out why.
“I think Robin is a really great guy. Mama was right,” my sister comments, keeping her eyes on her plate. Her voice is hushed, creating the impression that her utterance is simply an extension of her prevailing thought. She looks up at me, exuding a faint smile.
“Who is Robin?” I ask since his name doesn’t ring a bell.
She drops the half-eaten potato back on the plate and adjusts forward. “The guy I met at Christmas,” she replies, her tone softer than usual. “The doctor Mama wanted to introduce me to. I told you about him. We went ice-skating together.”
“Oh, right,” I mumble, composing a smile. “Good for you. I’m happy to see you’re finally enjoying yourself.” A short silence ensues before I switch topics. “How about Mama? How’s she doing?”
Lili shrugs. “Mama is fine. She’s feeling much better now. She can walk without a problem. She’s even doing aqua gymclasses and helps at the bookshop every few days,” Lili replies, taking a sip of her lemonade.
“Don’t you think it’s too much to let her work at the bookshop? Wouldn’t that be a burden to her?” I ask, an ounce of concern lacing my tone.
“Well, it was her idea. I think she wants to contribute in some way. She doesn’t simply want to be a burden. The most important thing is to make her happy,” Lili replies, before forking the rest of her potato into her mouth.
My eyes return to my plate, and while I’m cutting another bite of salmon, my mind starts wandering toward Andries and his plans for the rest of our lives. His words replay again like a melody, instilling an ineffable sense of happiness inside me. Somehow, it feels like a fantasy. It’s crazy how I hadn’t yet seen myself married to him until the conversation last night. And in some sense, it continues to feel surreal. After all, he’s only nineteen. Does he understand the implications of getting married at such a young age?
Lili taps the table, ripping me from my thoughts. I take a bite from my salmon, masticating without a sound, but Lili has her eyes on me, staring studiously.
“What are you thinking about this time? You seem far away,” she points out. “Let me guess, Andries again?”
“Well, actually…” I realize at this precise moment that Lili knows nothing about my latest conversation with Andries, so I remain silent for a moment pondering the best way to tell her the news. “We are considering getting married. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
All of a sudden, my sister drops her glass of lemonade at the same time as her mouth, and she blinks twice, looking at me with deep astonishment in her gaze. “What? How? When did you guys get back together? And what happened to him? Has hereally decided to overlook your occupation?” Her tone is rushed, and I can see how confused she is.
“No, he still hates it. It’s a bit complicated because of his family. But he has assured me he’d go against them and be with me if I sell the agency,” I tell her. I sneak a sip from my glass of lemonade, capturing the befuddled expression on my sister’s face.
“Really?” she asks, flabbergasted. “So you’re really going to step down?”
I know how much she disapproves of my business, so it comes as no surprise that she’s happy at the news. “Yep, I’m already looking for a buyer. I’m going to do this for him since he’s also sacrificing his relationship with his family to be with me.”
“Wow. This is getting serious,” Lili says, dragging her chair forward. It’s a slightly strange move, but keeping her chair close to the table allows her to adjust her face forward. She pushes away the plate and cup of lemonade before her. Apparently, the conversation has really piqued her interest.
“I’m so proud you’re doing this, Roxie. I thought you’d never walk away from that line of work. If Andries managed to convince you to sell the agency, then he’s truly a blessing in your life.” She pauses, pondering her words for a moment. “And what are you going to do next?” Lili finally asks, her tone filled with curiosity. There’s suddenly no desire left to entertain the meal before her.
“Well, I don’t know what I’d do next. I have never thought about leaving until now. I guess I could focus on my first love and invest in literature,” I say, before finishing the rest of my food.
My sister nods as if thinking something through. “How about a memoir?” she asks out of nowhere, a glint in her eyes. “You can write about your life and reveal the inside-out of what youused to do. Your contribution would likely reduce the number of college students venturing into this trade. Don’t you think?”
Poor Lili… I can almost taste her inching desire to be fully involved in my gravitation toward a more harmonious, moral life.
I take a gulp of lemonade, pondering her words. “Sex work is and will always be linked to poverty and lack of good opportunities. If a college student or someone who just graduated can’t find a job with a decent wage, she’ll find it in escorting. To reduce sex work, other jobs need to stop exploiting people and pay them better. Sadly, I don’t think this is going to happen any time soon,” I tell her as candidly as I can.
“That’s exactly why you should focus on changing things. You have to speak about it. This could be your calling. You could even advise lawmakers.” A smile spreads across my lips at how eager my sister is. “I just feel you’d do a great job if you follow this path. You’re confident. You’re brave. You have experienced this firsthand. There’s no one better placed to change the narrative.”
All of a sudden, my phone beeps—a welcomed distraction from the intense brainstorming we were having. I pick up my phone from the table and thumb on it. It’s a text from Andries, and his question brings a smile to my face:Hey, just wanted to confirm if we are still good for this weekend?
I look from my screen up to Lili and study her face for a moment. There are still perceivable inklings of curiosity in her eyes, and I’m pretty sure she’s yearning for more details about my future plans than what I just gave her.
An idea starts forming in my head, and leaning forward, I ask, “Would you be available Saturday night for dinner with Andries and I? You can bring Robin, if you want.”
“Oh.” Lili can’t hide the astonishment settling on her face. “Yeah, sure, sounds great.”
I turn to my phone, thumbing back a reply to Andries:
Yes, but only if we can go and have dinner Saturday night with my sister and the guy she’s been seeing.
