Chapter 8

As I approached the cafe table, I studied the woman waiting for me. She was dressed in a cream silk blouse and a tailored black skirt and looked exactly like a professional from the CBD, perhaps a consultant, a lawyer, or a high-level analyst. Her corporate elegance blended seamlessly into the local area.

She had olive skin and shoulder-length brunette hair which gave her a distinct Mediterranean air. As she rose to greet me, her silhouette was highlighted the window behind her. While slim, her figure leaned decisively toward an hourglass; the silk of her blouse draped over breasts that were much larger than average, contrasting sharply with a narrow waist. She looked at me with calm composure.

“Hi, Jack. I’m Elena,” she said, her voice friendly, but noncommittal. She offered a genuine smile as she held out her hand to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Elena,” I said, returning the smile as I gestured toward the velvet bench. “Please, sit.”

As we sat down, it felt like we were two people meeting for a business consultation. At first, I kept the atmosphere professional; the last time I had trusted a woman’s “composed” exterior, it had been a carefully constructed mask that lasted for a decade of infidelity.

“How about we order first, and then we can introduce ourselves?” I suggested, sliding the menu toward her. “Conversation flows better when there’s something to eat.”

We spent a few moments in a comfortable silence, scanning the menu. Once we had waved over the waitress and placed our lunch orders, I leaned back in the chair, the leather creaking under my weight, and looked at her steadily.

“How about I tell you about myself first?” I asked. “And then we can discuss whether we are mutually interested in the arrangement.”

Elena leaned in, her expression one of focused attention.

“I’ve recently separated from my wife,” I began. “I’m currently pursuing a divorce. I recently discovered that my wife was a serial cheater, consisting of many affairs spanning twenty years. I live in Boston, and this trip to Australia ... it’s about refreshing my life. A restart. I need to assess what I’m going to do with the rest of my life while being as far away from my wife as possible. I have cut all ties with her. As I mentioned, the divorce process has already started, but what I really need to do is restart my own life.”

I paused, wondering if the level of honesty was too much for a first meeting with a paid companion. But I had spent twenty years in a marriage based on lies; the idea of starting this new chapter with anything other than the truth felt important, even if it was slightly jarring.

Elena simply nodded, as if I were describing a common travel itinerary rather than the wreckage of my personal life. The lack of judgment was an unexpected luxury; for the first time in a week, I didn’t feel like a victim.

“So, here is the proposal for the trip,” I continued, tracing the rim of my coffee cup. “I plan on meandering up the east coast, stopping at the beaches and national parks. Once we reach Sydney, we can spend about a full week touring the city, maybe seeing a show or two. After that, I’ll drive north, pushing all the way to Cairns. The final destination is the Great Barrier Reef; I want to spend at least a week snorkeling among the coral and fish.”