No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

"Cough!"

The man on the other end of the phone seemed taken aback by my playful, sweet voice. Clearing his throat twice, he asked, "What do you need help with?"

"There must be female models at the Sapphire Lounge as well as male models, right? Are you familiar with any of them?" Once I confirmed it was Ernest on the line, I felt free to speak my mind. It's funny, really. I'd been trying so hard to figure out if he was Ernest, and just when I couldn't be sure, a simple mention of meatloaf gave me my answer.

"What are you planning?" the man, still pretending, queried.

I wondered if him cooking fish for me was a deliberate signal to let me know he was indeed Ernest.

Even if he wanted me to know his true identity, since he's played the stranger for so long, I figured I'd play along, "I just want to experience life, see what it's like to be a female model." "What?" Phipps's tone was laced with surprise.

"I want to try being a model, help me get into it," I continued to tease him.

"That's not possible," Phipps flatly refused.

I feigned confusion, "Why not? Am I not pretty enough, or is my figure not up to standard?"

place isn't for you,"

there, aren't you?"

on the other end, and after a few seconds, he finally spoke, "I

this was definitely

long as he didn't admit to being Ernest, I'd

I said, about to hang up

what you want to do, and I'll

I teased further, "I just want

that men can just experience whatever

female models at the Sapphire Lounge do? Do you realize it's easy to get in but hard to leave?" Phipps's voice was heavy, filled with

en FindNovel

Indeed, Deborah hadn't lied to me; it was Allen who was misleading. The role of male and

now Phipps, spending months at the Sapphire Lounge, I couldn't help asking, "How many women have

silent, and my heart grew uneasy, "Why aren't you speaking? Is it because you haven't or

Phipps's answer