s tailored trousers, the sharp lines of his jaw tight. He let out a short, sharp laugh that held no humor. Eugina. Gina. That was her name. And she'd given him a fake number. How

ck to that irritating subject. "Uh, yeah, it was... good," he said, a slight hesitation in his voice. He decided to share the detail about the number, needing to voice the absurdity of it to someone. "She gave me a fake number though, man. Seriously. Tried calling this morning, dead end." Benson burst out laughing on the other end, a loud, booming sound that made Jerry pull the phone slightly away from his ear. "Oh man, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!" Benson gasped between laughs. "You didn't actually think... ha! That's classic Gina!" Jerry frowned. "Classic? What do you mean, classic?" "It wasn't a mistake, dude," Benson said, his laughter subsiding into a knowing chuckle. "She did that on purpose. That's her thing. Getting Gina's real number? Down here? That's like... divine intervention, man. A miracle." Jerry felt a prickle of annoyance mixed with a strange fascination. So it wasn't just him. This was her modus operandi. "So you're saying she just... runs a business?" "Runs a thriving business, my friend," Benson corrected, his voice dropping slightly, as if sharing a well-known secret Jerry was late to the party on. "She's... popular. Very popular." Jerry shifted on the sofa, a knot tightening in his stomach. Popular in that way. He'd known, of course. That's what the money was for. But hearing it framed like this, a deliberate strategy, a recognized reputation... it felt different. Colder. More calculated. Benson's voice cut through his thoughts again. "So? Hope she rode you good, man?" Jerry's face flushed hot. The question, so blunt and crude, hit him unexpectedly. He remembered the night, the way she'd been... skilled wasn't even the word. She'd been present, focused, almost... generous in her attention, despite the clear transactional nature of their arrangement. It had been genuinely enjoyable, a strange mix of discomfort knowing why she was there and a reluctant admission that she was incredibly good at what she did. He let out a short, embarrassed laugh. "Man... she was... yeah. She was damn good. Like... really good." He paused, then, unable to resist asking, "How do you know? You...?" Benson laughed again, sounding self-satisfied. "Come on, man, where have you been? Still lagging behind on the city gossip? Every guy who's been with her knows she's good. It's like... common knowledge among the boys. And yeah, I know personally. Spent a couple of nights with her myself a few months back." The air seemed to thicken in the luxurious room. Jerry felt the blood drain from his