A Sketch Away From Perfect

Harper“You should totally do it. My sister made loads of money. I think she paid off all her student loans!” McKenzy says, tapping the ‘Apply’ button on the screen insistently.I look at https://atalooseend.com like it’s a snake that’s going to bite me. How did it come to this?!“You’re a poor, starving artist who doesn’t sell enough pieces to cover the rent,” she answers my unspoken question, her tone flat. “You have student loans so far up your ass you can taste the red ink! Trust me, this is your best option.”“But… what if they want sex?” I question, wondering if I have it in me to become an escort. I’ve never done anything like that before, though I’m certainly not a virgin.McKenzy stabs her finger at the bold, red, 64-font words on the ‘About’ page. “‘Dates are NOT required to or encouraged to provide sex or engage in sexual acts’. It’s even in the legalese we read in the sample contract. Big and bold. In fact, if we go to the home page…” She reaches over my shoulder and maneu

HarperOkay. You can do this. I throw my shoulders back and walk on Scott’s arm, exuding confidence. At least, I think I’m exuding confidence. I’ve never been anybody’s fake date before.“You don’t have to smile like that. Your face will break in half,” he whispers to me, his arm shaking with repressed laughter.Okay, so, not so confident then. I’m a little embarrassed, but I think my smile’s genuine now. “I don’t want to screw this up for you,” I confess.“If you do, you can make it up to me by letting me buy you dinner sometime,” he murmurs back.My spirits perk up at that possibility. I mean, the chemistry between us is undeniable. “How about, if I screw up, I buy you dinner, and if I knock it out of the park, you can buy me dinner?”Scott engulfs my hand with his warm, rough palm. “Works for me.”When we enter the church, a gray-haired woman in a floral dress spots us and rushes over. “Scott! Thank heavens. I was almost afraid you’d miss the wedding!”“Mom, I’m still fifteen minut

Harper“You slept with him?!” McKenzy’s jaw goes slack. It’s the next morning, and we’ve finally gotten a chance to talk. When I got home the night before, I took a shower and crashed. Hard.“Announce it to the whole apartment complex, why don’t you?” I hiss. “And yes. I slept with him. It was amazing.”“Amazing? It says on the website you don’t have to do the whole escort thing!” she says. “Did we forget the website?”I snort. “I didn’t do it because I thought I had to. I wanted to. We really hit it off.”“I’ll say. You slept with him on the first date. And it wasn’t even a proper date!” She all but wails.“Dramatic much? You’ve done it before,” I remind her.“Yeah, but you’re not me.” McKenzy paces around me, looking me up and down. She pinches my arm.“Hey!” I gripe.She nods. “Okay, so I’m not dreaming.”“You’re supposed to pinch yourself!” I pinch her back.“Ouch! Fine, fine, okay. We can be super sluts together then. But honestly, Harper, you need to stop copying me. I’m sure yo

HarperThe rest of the evening is a blur. Michael has to circulate, of course, but he comes back to Damien and me frequently to check in. He asks where I’m showing my work. I blush and say, “The Witch’s Brew coffee shop on Lake Street in Minneapolis.”Michael grins at me. “A perfect place to start.”“You’ll have to give some pieces to a proper gallery now, though. People will be wondering where to find your work,” Damien whispers in my ear.“Because you announced it in front of the press!” I reply.Damien gives me an innocent look. “Did I do that?”I squeeze his arm in gratitude, and he laughs.It’s late by the time we leave Michael, Julian and the rest of Damien’s acquaintances at the gallery. I can’t help but note that Damien didn’t call any of them his friends.“Do your friends not attend gallery openings?” I ask.Damien winces at me. “Caught that, did you? I don’t have a lot of friends, Harper. A man like me makes a lot of enemies. I do have one good friend, Laurence Killian, but

HarperOn Thursday, I get another ding on my phone from At a Loose End. I sigh. If it weren’t for the fact I haven’t been paid for my date with Damien yet, I’d have taken down my profile by now. I need that payment to process and hit my bank account!I look at my screen. Tomás. He’s offering less than anyone else I’ve dated for me to go with him to a quinceañera on Saturday. I know I should decline, but a message pings right away, and I feel compelled to read what he has to say.EspanolEsVida1: I know I haven’t offered a lot, but please hear me out @ArtIsMyLife33. My ex-wife is going to be at my niece’s quinceañera this Saturday, and she’s bringing a date. I absolutely, positively have to bring a younger, hotter date. I know that sounds shallow, but this woman destroyed my life. She destroyed me. She cheated, and my niece still wants her at her quinceañera. I’m desperate. Help!Thinking back on what Rafe did to me, I am galvanized into action.ArtIsMyLife33: Please, call me Harper. An