A One-Time Thing Only

I reread the letter again, for the fifth time. I looked closely for any word or phrase I missed that would indicate what I thought I read wasn't true. Again, though, I saw the same message. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT had accepted my application for the following fall semester. My dream school had accepted me.

I applied to them right away when the date for receiving applications was opened in August. This was right when I was starting my senior year in high school. I was expecting to end up applying to many backup schools and not hearing back from MIT for months. It was only early October, but my future was set. Well, almost set. There was the whole issue of the cost.

"I'm really proud of you, Emma, but maybe you should apply to some of your backup schools anyway. You know, in case the funds aren't there for MIT," my mom told me after reading the letter.

In addition to the applications, I had been going crazy applying for scholarships since the beginning of last summer. The result of hours of essay writing and filling out forms was a grand total of 500 dollars. That was from a single scholarship my church gave me for a 'demonstration of high moral values.' My parents were modestly middle class and could not fund an MIT education on their own.

What worried me most was I didn't even see a path to fund my education at the backup schools. I was on track to be the school's valedictorian but could end up in a trade school. I jokingly thought I should strip instead. But that did give me a crazy idea. Not stripping or anything close to that, but I was a very attractive and popular girl in school. A lot of guys in my class were not good with girls and had few, if any, interactions with them. I could offer myself as a date for hire. Get them some experience and confidence talking with women in their last year of school. I would insist on nothing sexual happening during these dates. It would be hanging out, talking, holding hands. Very innocent stuff but way beyond what these guys have done.

"You're going to whore yourself out at the school?" That is what Thomas said when I presented this idea to my friends.

"It's not whoring out, and I wouldn't be doing anything at school. There would be no sex of any kind," I tried to better explain.

"Thomas, you just don't like the idea of anyone dating your ex," Liam said, throwing a ball of paper at Thomas's head. It was true. Thomas and I dated for a month in our junior year, but I broke it off. We worked hard to stay friends after that.

"But guys will expect more than just talking if they pay you for the date," Ethan interjected. Sitting next to Ethan was the last member of our friend group and the only other girl, Megan.

"Not everyone is as perverted-minded as you, Ethan." Megan and Ethan had an on-again, off-again relationship. They frequently dated while not being exclusive, but they never dated other people. "But he's right, Emma. Guys will think you are going to put out," she added.

"So you're going to cuck James," a wide-eyed Liam asked.

"What? No! Guys, I'm not going to fuck anyone. I haven't even slept with James. And, of course, I will talk to James about this before doing it. He will understand that nothing fishy will happen and is still my boyfriend. I'm basically just making new friends. That's all I'm doing."

"No one has ever paid someone to be their friend without the words' with benefits' being thrown somewhere in that agreement," Thomas said, looking somewhat agitated.

"You guys are not being supportive. I'm going to go find James, and he will understand." I got my stuff together and left, heading off to where my boyfriend often hangs out at this time.

James was lovely and would understand. The idea that I would let guys in the school that I barely know do anything improper with me for money was infuriating. That's not what this is. I have yet to get sexual with any guy beyond making out. I never told anybody this, but that was one reason I left Thomas. I could tell he was pushing for more, and I didn't want that. Not then.

I found James with a couple of friends. I pulled him away and gave him a quick kiss before bringing up my idea. "You expect me to be cool with you cheating on me with guys that pay you for it?" James was not initially open to the idea.

"No. It wouldn't be cheating. There would be no physical contact beyond holding hands and maybe a hug. It's mainly about these guys getting experience talking with a girl one-on-one."

"But you would be going on dates with these guys. How am I supposed to act when everyone tells me they saw you alone with five different guys over the last week? Everyone will think I'm a cuck."

"I won't let that happen. I will make it clear that it's a 'friend' date to everyone. And I will make sure I always have time for you. I'll make you feel more loved than ever." James didn't immediately object but looked very conflicted. "I know this is a weird ask I have. But the truth is I need money for school. Scholarships are coming up way short, and my parents aren't able to provide much either. If I don't raise the money, my dream of an MIT education will dry up."

James took a deep breath. "Okay. We can try it out. But nothing physical, and if I become uncomfortable with it later, you will stop, okay?" I jumped up and down and kissed him again. "Agreed! Thank you!"

I walked away quickly, excited to get my new business venture going. I had in mind exactly who I wanted to approach first. There was a group of three guys that hung out exclusively with themselves. They were bullied a lot when we were all younger, but that finally stopped a couple of years ago. You would never see them with anyone but themselves. If anyone could benefit from my 'date offer,' it was these guys. They were also nice and harmless. These guys wouldn't try anything weird, I was sure of it.

I approached the three of them and started the conversation. "Hey guys, how are you doing today?" They stared and looked around, likely thinking this could be a prank. Finally, one of them responded. "Ummm, hi?" I smiled and tried to be as engaging with them as possible. Giving them a taste of what female attention can feel like.

"I see you guys over here hanging out, just the three of you all the time. It's really cool that you are all such good friends, but I wonder if you would ever like to broaden your horizons. Socially, I mean."

"We're happy, just the three of us. It's okay that people don't like us. I don't know what you're trying to say, though."

I put my hand on the shoulder of one of them. "Please tell me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing you haven't had much attention from girls in our class." They didn't respond, which told me enough. "I don't think that's because of anything about you. I'll bet plenty of girls are interested in the same things as you and would find you very intriguing if they got to know you. But you have no idea how to act around them to even give them the chance to get to know you." Again, they didn't say anything back to me and continued to look nervous.

I decided to lay it all out. "What I'm offering, for a fee, is that I will go on a date with you. You'll learn how to talk to a girl and get used to having them show interest in you. I'll flirt and give you pointers on flirting back. We can hold hands. When we are done, you will feel like you can approach any girl in the school."

The eyes of the guys started showing some understanding. "If we pay you, you'll go on a date with one of us?" "That's right!" "Will you..." I interrupted the question I knew was coming. "To be very clear, this does not include anything sexual. Not even kissing. I'll hold hands and happily hug, but this isn't about sex."

The guys were quiet for a few moments, and I thought my first sales attempt was a bust, but then, together, they accepted. We agreed upon a price ($20 each, and they pay for the date), marked off times on the calendar, and I was off to races. I kept it to these three for the start and didn't seek out further students. I knew 60 dollars a week would only amount to a little before college came due, but it was a good start. I could expand once I got things established with these boys.

That weekend, the dates went very well. All three of them involved dinner and a movie. The movie was a problem as I saw the same movie each time with them, but that's what they wanted to see. I felt I did a good job getting them out of their shells. The dates started with me driving the conversation, but slowly, with enough questions, they got more talkative. I laughed at their jokes, listened intently to stories, and acted genuinely interested in what they had to tell me. I would also throw in a lot of flirty touches on the shoulder and a soft finger on the cheek here and there. Towards the end, we would go for a walk holding hands and end the date with a hug and me telling them I genuinely had a good time. Back at school, they indicated they all immensely enjoyed it and felt it was worth the cost.

My friends and my boyfriend James all wanted to know every detail of each date, which I freely gave. I did exactly what I said I would do and nothing more. When I completed the story to my four friends, Ethan spoke up. "And then you gave them all hand jobs."

"Seriously, I didn't do anything sexual with them." I was tired of being accused of this, even though I knew they were joking.

But I needed to extend my offer to more guys in the school. However, after my initial success, I came up short. When I approached other guys with the same deal, they were not interested. "Twenty bucks for a date, and all we do is hug? Why would I do that?" I tried with ten separate guys and got nowhere. Desperate to keep at least a small amount of money coming in, I went back to my original three guys and offered them second dates.

"Thanks, Emma. We enjoyed the date but don't see much value in doing it again. We're not really dating after all." I was facing the end of my business venture and possibly my college education before they even really started.

"What if I kiss you at the end of the date? Will you agree then?" After I said it, I immediately wanted to take it back. But they bit.

"Really? Sure! I'll pay for that." In fact, all three agreed to it and I had clients again.

Walking away, I was struck with guilt. This is exactly what I promised I wouldn't do to my boyfriend. Was I going to betray James and kiss these three guys for money? This is a one-time thing, I told myself. Or a three-times thing. But I was establishing my business. If word gets around that these three are very happy repeat customers, that will convince others to take on my service, minus the kissing.

I turned around and went back to the three guys again. "Don't tell anyone about the kissing thing, okay? That's special only for you guys being my first clients." They agreed, and I felt I had things covered.

The dates went well... enough. The guys seemed more distracted and less interested in talking. One suggested we skip the movie, while the second asked multiple times when we would be kissing. They were very eager for the kiss, which I tried to give as innocently as possible. A quick kiss on the lips. Very likely, I was the first kiss for all three of these guys. Sometimes, when I think about it, it's sweet. But other times, it feels weird. I asked the guys to please spread the word about how happy they were with my service but keep the kiss a secret.

The day after the last of my second dates, I was approached by another male classmate named Ted. "Hey Emma, I heard you will go on a date with someone in exchange for money. Is that true?" I turned to him and smiled.

"Yes Ted. I offer a service for guys in our school with limited experience courting women to practice and learn in a safe environment."

"And you'll make out with them, too? The guys told me you do that as well." Damn it, guys. I had explicitly told them not to mention the kissing. And making out? Nothing we did was close to making out.

"No, making out is not part of this. This isn't about kissing but building confidence."

"Oh, okay. Never mind. Thanks, Emma." Ted turned around and was walking away. If the first guy recommended to me gets turned away disappointed, that could kill the momentum. Also, unlike the other three guys, I knew this classmate had a more extensive friend base to tap into if he enjoyed my service. Again, this is a one-time thing for the good of my future.

"Wait! If you promise to be quiet about the kissing part and tell your friends about my dating service, I'll agree to ten seconds of making out at the end of the date. But it will cost you 40 dollars." He countered. "Thirty seconds of making out." I bit my lip. That's a long time to kiss someone I didn't know well.

"You have to agree to two dates in that case." "Agreed," he declared. We arranged the details, and I had my biggest payday yet. It was only afterward I realized that in response to my being worried about making out with this guy for thirty seconds, I agreed to it twice.

The night of the first date started off better than I hoped. Ted seemed to have no trouble talking to me or women in general. I felt terrible as I thought he didn't need any practice getting dates with women, and I had convinced him to pay for two practice dates with me. This would be a waste of his time, but he was in good spirits and seemed to be enjoying himself at least. The end of the date came, and we were parked on the side of a road.

He spoke up first. "Okay, we agreed on thirty seconds. Do you want to use a timer or something?" "I'll set a timer on my phone. Again, don't tell anyone about us kissing, okay?" He nodded and then scooted in once I started the timer. He was a good kisser and knew what he was doing, confirming my fear that he didn't need these dates for practice. This was the fifth guy I had kissed in the last week, which was not something I aimed to accomplish with this business.

About halfway done with the timer, his hand came to rest on my thigh. It didn't move from there, so he wasn't pressing his luck, but it was something I hadn't expected. Nearly done, I felt his tongue enter my mouth. In the shock of the moment, my tongue contacted his. The timer went off, and I backed away from him and said, "Okay. Thank you for the very nice date. I look forward to the next one." I worried that implied I was looking forward to making out again.

Back at school, my boyfriend continued to ask a lot of questions. "These guys didn't try anything funny with you, right? No kissing or other inappropriate stuff?" I felt like my cheeks were hot, so I looked away when I answered. "No, these guys are just trying to be able to talk to a woman without being nervous. They are light years away from even thinking about making a move."

James nodded his head as my argument made logical sense to him. From where we were talking, I could see Ted walking, the guy whose tongue was inside my mouth just a day earlier and would be again soon. I felt like I was on the edge of a cliff about to fall off by continuing these paid dates.

Later that day, Jacob, one of my original three guys, approached me asking if he could pay for another date, his third with me. I agreed, we set a date, and he handed me the money. Walking away, I was putting it away when I noticed it was 50 dollars, not the 20 he had been paying. Was he expecting to make out with me, too?

That night, at the conclusion of my second date with Ted, we were sitting in his car again, with the expectation that we were about to make out. I set my timer, and he leaned in even further to kiss me. This time, his hand immediately went to my leg, a bit higher up, it seemed, as well. His other hand went to my hip, finding the bare skin between my hips and shirt. He started caressing up and down my side, lifting my shirt up slightly while doing so. Again, I felt like he was pushing boundaries. His tongue also made an early appearance in my mouth and found my tongue often. I should have set a boundary of no tongue from the start, but that time had passed, I assumed. The timer went off, and he slowly backed off and slid his hands off my body.

Before leaving, I asked him a question. "Ted, have you been telling anyone about this?"

He looked at me, confused. "Well yeah, you told me to tell people about these dates and how they are worth the price."

"I mean, the kissing part. Have you mentioned that?" He paused before answering longer than I would have liked. "No. I haven't told anyone I paid you to make out with you."

Hearing that made me embarrassed. "You aren't paying me to make out with me! You paid me for practice dates to improve your confidence."

He did a slight roll of his eyes. "But you charged me 20 more dollars because we are making out at the end of the date. Thus, I paid money to..."

I was feeling flustered at that point and tried to get the conversation back on track. "But you haven't told anyone we kissed? Good!"

I started to leave the car, but he spoke up again. "I told a few people we made out but didn't say I paid for it."

"What! You idiot, I have a boyfriend!" I closed the car door, preparing for an argument.

"You said he knew about this and was cool with it. I figured it was a cucking thing."

"No, there's no cucking!"

"So you lied about telling him," he questioned

"No, I did tell him, and he is cool with the dating business."

"So what's the issue?"

"I... wasn't supposed to kiss you," I admitted.

"But I paid you to make out with me." Again, I felt very flustered by that accusation. I opened the door and left the car. Before closing it, I got one last word in. "No telling anyone about us kissing, paid or otherwise. Tell the people you already told that you were lying." I slammed the door and walked home.

The next night, I had my date with Jacob, our third one, as he was part of the original group. I was very nervous about the date as he had paid more than double the normal rate. I'm not supposed to be the nervous one on these dates; the guys are. What was he expecting to happen? Worse, all he asked for was a short walk through the park. Maybe he wants to keep the date short to get to what he really wants, whatever that is.

Things started off fine. We held hands and walked around, making small talk. I wasn't engaging or flirty like I was supposed to be on these dates. Yet he didn't complain, again adding to my fears about why he was really here. Finally, we sat on a bench in a secluded area of the park. I decided to address the issue straight on. "Jacob, you paid me 50 dollars for this date. Was that a mistake? It's only supposed to be 20."

"Yeah, but I wanted to make out with you." I shut my eyes and cursed Ted in my head.

"Who told you I do that?"

"Well, Ted was talking about how he made out with you before later claiming he was mistaken, which was weird. But I put two and two together and figured he must have paid you for it. Or am I wrong, and you made out with him because you think he's hot and you wanted him?"

"I did not want Ted. He is a client, not my boyfriend."

"Right, that's what I figured. He must have paid you for the pleasure of kissing you with his tongue." With that last statement, I opened my eyes and stood up. Things were getting away from me.

"Ted paid me 40 dollars for a practice date with me that ended with kissing. That was an extraordinary case and a one-time thing," I said, knowing it was a lie.

"You kissed me and my two other friends at the end of our dates."

"Again, a very special case. Not happening again," I said, hoping to make that clear.

He got up and looked down. "I'm sorry, Emma, I misunderstood what happened. You can just return my money, and we can go home."

"I'm sorry to disappoint. I give you the 30 dollars back."