As chance meetings went, this one had turned out pretty good.

Jenny had been walking down Denton Street, keeping an eye out for one of the many lonely men in the city with more money than charm who might be in need of some company, and trying to keep out of the wind and rain without sacrificing that, when she’d met him. Tall, fit, good-looking, nice smile – not her usual sort of client; she’d smiled back, waved, said hello, and started to go on her way.

“Rough night to be out,” he’d said. “Want to duck inside for a coffee or something? My treat.”

She’d been surprised; she’d laughed. “You know, hon, if you’re looking for company you don’t need to go through all that fancy stuff.”

“Oh, I know,” he’d said, and smiled even wider. “That’s not what I’m after. Call it professional courtesy. I won’t keep you long.”

And Nathan had been as good as his word. They’d had some coffee, compared notes, chuckled over a few of each other’s more distinctive johns, and then he’d wished her luck.

From then on, whenever neither of them was with a guy, they’d meet up at that coffee shop for a pick-me-up. With the autumn getting chilly, the warm drink was welcome. Sometimes he’d buy, sometimes they’d split it; it wasn’t often she had enough spare change to really justify buying for both of them, but when she did, he accepted with grace and another winning smile. He treated her like an actual person; it was refreshing.

Refreshing enough for her to have some nonprofessional ideas when, one night they’d both struck out, she asked if he was only into men.

His bachelor flat was small for one person; two, for any great length of time, would get cramped. But it was comfortable enough for a night.

She’d thought she knew about sex, after years in the trade. Apparently there was plenty she didn’t know yet. Ten minutes in, he was only just getting his pants off. And even then it was just to make things more comfortable for his erection; he didn’t seem much inclined to use the thing.

No guy had ever touched her like this – inside the trade or out. He didn’t just go for what he wanted; he explored her, paying close attention to every motion, every sound, she made. He coaxed her through a few quick climaxes with those magical hands alone. She was just about to break down and beg for his cock when he finally slid into her.

She’d got so used to sex being a chore. Having a guy who actually felt right inside her, a guy she never wanted to pull out, was amazing. And that wasn’t the end of it – he knew how to move just right, not just with his hips, but with his mouth and his hands, too.

She was more fulfilled than she’d ever been by the time he arched under her, gasping – and yet, even as he shot into the rubber, she kind of wished he’d been able to hold out a little longer.

Nice as that would have been, though, she was far from disappointed. For the first time she could remember, she enjoyed his shivers as he came down from his climax, relished the sleepiness creeping into his voice.

For tonight, she had someone she could actually like sleeping next to, and that was a wonderful thing.