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“Hayden, that’s not going to ever happen Close your eyes”

“Why?”

“Just do it”

I closed my eyes

“You invite me to meet your parents They ask ia State University They frown They ask if I’o to school I say, I do both They ask where do you work I reply I’m a stripper The room falls quiet”

My eyes popped open I know her words hold weight “What if I say, I don’t care?”

She chuckled “Then you are lying to yourself You would only be able to defend ht even lose money because of me”

I cupped ether on the table She placed her hands over mine “I wish I could tell you this would work We do make an attractive couple The sex between us would probably be hot I can’t tell you, oh let’s just have sex, because I’ sex with you or any other man”

My eyebrows rose “You’re celibate? For how long?”

“Twenty-two years”

My eyes alin?”

“Yes, I’in stripper” She rolled her eyes

“Just because I haven’t had sex before doesn’t mean I can’t sell the illusion of sex It works doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it works” A smile curled my lips

“Hayden, don’t get excited You are not taking inity” She folded her arms

“I’ myself to my husband later in life once I put my stripper days behind me”

I stared out the

“Why are you upset?”

My blue eyes stared deep into her gray ones “Because you lied”

Her eyebrows scrunched together “I didn’t”

“You said you would give us a chance That is not what you are doing You are trying to convince yourself not to fall in love with ”

Her face turned bright red as she ran her hand along the back of her neck

“It doesn’t matter I can’t fall in love with some rich playboy ill only rip my heart from my chest No, I can’t” Her eyes tore away from mine

I slipped over into the booth next to her “Sex will co to know you”

She continued staring out the

“I know you hear me Lydia”

“Please take me home,” she sniffled