The Lay of You

Résumé

Jennifer Dupont lives a successful solitary life as crème de la crème of San Francisco's most elite escort service. To clients, she is the Director, an imposing beauty with a fondness for expensive whisky, tailored suits, and uncompromising control. It's a fitting persona even outside work, as old wounds have left her unwilling to risk her heart. That is, until she meets her newest client.

Over a decade has passed since Theodosia "Dosie" Fisher was rescued from an isolated, abusive cult founded by her father, and while years of therapy have earned her an emotional maturity most never acquire, her body remains neglected, riddled with questions she has long been afraid to confront. So, when her two best friends suggest she hire an escort as a pressure-free way to explore, she decides to go for it.

The attraction is immediate, the curiosity and connection even more so. Every exchange is electric. Every touch sparks. Every kiss siphons secrets and edges them nearer a level of intimacy that Dosie has sought all her life. Jennifer, on the other hand, has only ever wanted the opposite.

Content Warning: This novel explores aspects of psychology and mental health and contains occasionally descriptive references to past traumas, including child abuse, physical and mental abuse, cult/religious abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence, and murder. Please read with care.