Surrender (Audio Script)

Stories

This episode contains verbal degradation between two consenting adults. Please listen at your own discretion.

What am I doing here?

This is crazy.

This is so crazy.

I’m going to go up to this hotel room… and I’m going to hook up with a man I’ve never met before and probably will never see again.

A very hot, kinky man who gets paid to make people feel good.

My heart is racing.

Why do I feel like I’m about to go bungee jumping or something?

Okay.

I’ve got this.

Yeah, I’ve totally got this.

This is going to be good.

Good for me.

I’m finally going to explore all of the things I’ve secretly been wondering about for years.

No more worries, no more hiding.

Just pure, shameless exploration.

I mean, what have I got to lose, really?

I’m a divorced, exhausted millennial working a minimum wage job during a financial crisis, who honestly can’t remember the last time she laughed out loud.

Oh god, can that be right?

I don’t even remember what my own laugh sounds like.

Yeah, I definitely need this.

I’m doing this.

Okay, here we go…

“Hey.

You made it.”

“Hi.”

“C’mon in.”

I just realized I’ve been to this hotel before.

The room looks really familiar.

Was it… New Years?

Or maybe Valentine’s Day with—

No.

Stop.

Don’t think about your ex-husband right now.

“Take a seat.”

You show me to a brown leather sofa near the window overlooking the canal.

I’ve hardly just sat down and you’re handing me an empty wine glass.

“Would you like some wine?”

“Sure, yeah.”

“Red or white?”

“Red, please.”

You’re taking your time opening the bottle.

Maybe you can tell I’m nervous.

Maybe you’re trying to give me a few moments to just… breathe.

You give me a soft encouraging smile as you tip the bottle towards me.

The red liquid splashes around in my glass and the smell of strong wine fills the air around us.

“Thanks.

This is, um… a nice room.”

“Yeah, I like this place.

I do most of my calls here.”

“Sorry, I’m a little nervous.

Or, actually, maybe really nervous.

I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Don’t worry, that’s totally normal.

Let’s just sit and chat for a few minutes.

I’d love to get to know you a little.”

“Yeah, right.

Okay.”

“I can go first, if you’d like.”

“Yeah, that’d be… please.”

“Well, my name is Theo, of course, you already know that.

And I’ve been offering my services for about… five years now.

But I’ve been involved in the intense romance lifestyle for over 15 years.”

“Nice.

But… that doesn’t actually tell me anything about you.”

“Fair.

You’re right.

My absolute favorite movie is Sleepless in Seattle ,

and I’ll stand by that till the day I die.”

Your whole demeanor is so relaxed.

It’s easy to feel comfortable around you.

And your smile is contagious.

You’re not at all what I was expecting.

“What else, what else?

I’m a Taurus, I love to cook.

Oh, and I have a German Sheppard named Axle.

He’s pretty much my best friend.”

“Aw, that’s so sweet.

I have a little pug named Lola.”

“So you’ll be a little forgiving then if you see stray dog hair on my clothes?”

“Yeah, I will.”

“Okay, your turn.

Tell me a bit more about you.

Like, what do you do for work?”

“Well, I’m a receptionist at a hotel, but I have a crafty little side hustle—painting—so I make greeting cards and little signs and things like that.”

“That’s great.

What are you doing when you’re not working?”

“Oh, not much.

Jogging.

I took one of those pole dancing classes last month.

I’m kind of on this ‘trying new things’ kick.

You know, like I mentioned in our messages on the app, I’m just—”

“Looking for something exciting?”

You lean forward and brush a strand of hair out of my face.

I suddenly can’t think of anything else to say.

“Um, yeah.

Exactly.”

“Which is what led you here, to me, right?”

You reposition yourself on the couch and place your hand on my knee.

A wave of heat flushes through me.

My skin is tingling under your hand.

I can’t remember the last time I felt this way.

Light and airy… excited and… honestly turned on.

You touching me like this… it feels good.

Not invasive or… entitled or something… which is surprising since we just met.

Your touch is… reassuring more than anything else.

“Tell me more.

About why you’re here.”

“I… I’m really not sure why.

I’m so new to… this.

I mean, I’ve never even had a one-night stand.

I married my high school sweetheart and that just went up in flames a few years ago when I caught him cheating on me and—”

“Hey.

It’s okay.”

You give my knee a gentle squeeze and take my chin in your hand.

You guide my face towards yours.

I feel breathless all of a sudden like you’re drawing the air out of me.

God, your eyes are so blue.

And you’ve got specks of grey in the stubble that lines your jaw.

You’re beyond hot.