She meets "John Doe" right on time.

Glimmer sits in the VIP Room. The Pleasure Cube-- Box-- whatever. She stares at the clock as it gets closer and closer to 18:00. Her mind is fixated on the guard, however. Wishing she hadn't snapped at him the way she did. “God damnit, he didn’t deserve that. He was just trying to be kind,” she whispered.

At 18:00 exactly, the door knob opens. She lets out her pent-up frustration in one breath, deflating her chest. “Hello… Hello…” she whispered as it swung open. “I’m Glimmer. I’m Glimmer…”

A tall figure named John Doe stepped in.

The figure with no name…

Glimmer sees a man around her age, maybe a little older than she. He was handsome but a little tired looking. Their eyes meet as he smiles and carefully closes the door behind him.

Glimmer straightens up in the chair, putting on a professional demeanor to her expression. She studies the man before her, noting his tired appearance a little more as he steps into the light. She gestures to the couch with one hand while addressing herself with the other, her voice calm and controlled. “Hello… I’m Glimmer… You must be my new client, John Doe?”

The man laughed a little, his eyes looking down apologetically. "Sorry. That’s not my name.”

She fought the urge not to reply sarcastically when he stated the obvious. She raised her eyebrows instead and smiled her best fake smile. “Oh? Then what’s your name, handsome?”

She watches his hand shoot out. “David… David Warner. But you call me David. You said your name was Glimmer?”

Glimmer looked at his hand and realized she was already shaking it like it was the usual way to greet an escort at a nightclub. She guessed it felt polite…normal, before returning her gaze to his. A playful smile formed on her lips. “Yes. That’s right. It’s a pleasure to meet you, David.”

Glimmer guides him to the plush couch and sits closely beside him. She sits first, followed by David. He clears his throat as he watches her retract her legs elegantly into the cushions as she waits for him to do something.

She notices David’s awkward demeanor and his stiff and unsure movements. She breaks the ice a bit, trying to entice him out of his shell. “So… David… Is this your first time in a place like this, baby?”

David lets out a cute laugh as he ducks his head down. “Is it that obvious?”

Glimmer blinks and smiles a little, watching his reaction to her question. She thought it was adorable. “A little bit, yeah. Don’t worry, though. I won’t bite… unless you ask me to.”

“Phew… Alright… Look… My friends got me etched into this place,” David explains. Glimmer continues to smile, finding his reaction endearing. She tilts her head to one side and studies him as he talks. “So, I’m… not sure what to do.”

“Your friends, huh? They think they’re doing you a favor?” She doesn’t hide her amusement. It’s bright and youthful.

He shrugs and then nods. “Yeah, I’m sure they do. But, if I had to be honest, I feel like you’re out of my league.”

Glimmer’s smile falters slightly as his statement takes her aback. She leans closer as her smile returns, different this time. “You think I’m out of your league?” She walks her fingers up his shoulders and playfully reminds him, "Escorts are in everyone’s league.”

David shivers at Glimmer’s trailing fingers. His breath hitches in his throat. He looks at her with a mix of nervousness and excitement… Clearly, not used to this type of attention. “I mean, you’re gorgeous. You’re in a whole other league than me. I’m just a regular guy… nothing special here.”

“David, darling,” Glimmer sucks in her lips. She’s never had this happen before. “Don’t sell yourself short. You’re not ugly. I’m here with you, aren’t I? And not just anyone walks into my private room.”

“I mean no offense when I say this, Glimmer. But you’re an escort. I bet a lot of people have walked into your private room.”

Glimmer laughs softly, a hint of sadness straightening her smile. She takes his hands and locks her fingers with his, drawing herself closer to him and pressing her chest against his shoulder. “Sure. You’re not wrong. But you’re the first one that’s…”

She looks at him and blushes. The first one that’s looked at me this entire night. “That’s made me feel appreciated,” she says, recovering quickly. “I can tell you’re sweet… kind… and that’s refreshing.”

David snorts a little, the air escaping his nose tickling her cheeks. “Stop,”

She giggles, finding this also endearing. “I’m being honest! You’re a little bit of fresh air in this slut club, David. I won’t deny that.”

He looks at her with an eyebrow lifted. “You’re telling me someone as pretty as you don’t have anyone outside this place?” Despite being playful, he has no idea how much his question borders on a touchy subject… a personal one. But she hides it with a plastered smile and empty laugh as she buries the lonely nights and cold, empty bed.

“Oh, I have my own little life outside this place,” she explains, looking around the room briefly, trying her best to look sexy and desirable so she can just get this over with… She feels like she’s having a panic attack for some reason. “It’s complicated, though. I don’t have time for relationships.”

David nods slowly. “Glad I have something in common with an escort.”

Her brows furrow. “What do you mean?”

“Relationships,” he says softly. “There’s just no time for anything serious…”

Glimmer looks at David, surprised to learn that despite having different titles, lifestyles, and so on, there’s a genuine connection of normality. She grasps softly at the straws of common interest. “No time? Why’s that? Work keeping you busy?”

“I’m going to sound like a piece of shit if I say what I mean,” he laughs, delivering his warning as softly as he can. It makes her smile, though.

“Oh, I’ve heard it all before. You can tell me,” she whispers like a teen staying up past her curfew.

“It’s fake… It’s all fake. You know? Finding someone, I mean… I know you’re just talking to me because I’m a client, and you're paid to listen to me until my timer runs out. I just… I don’t know… It’s stupid.”

Glimmer’s expression softens. Her heart throbs, and she inhales softly. A pang of connection just plucked and she gently reaches to touch him. “It’s not stupid. I get what you’re saying. It’s easy to feel like the way you’re feeling. I promise you, David. I’m here now because I want to be… I’m not pretending.”

“You still going to say that when my time’s up?”

She frowns. “No… I won’t because the timer will drag me away, and we’ll have to go our ways.”

“Do… do we have to have sex? Can we just talk?”

“David,” she thinks for a moment. Another mark of the unexpected has been checked off her list of ‘what do I say now.’

“My job… I mean, this room is made to fulfill desires…but we don’t have to do anything beyond talking if you don’t want to do anything you’re uncomfortable with.”

David is quiet. And then he looks at her. “You won’t get in trouble?”

Glimmer smiles and shakes her head. “We don’t have to have sex. And honestly, I’d like to get to know you more instead of having some overpriced quickie.”