No More Waiting, She Chooses Love
Chapter 702

"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?"

"It's neither, that place isn't for you," Phipps's tone was serious, unmistakably Ernest.

"Why can't I go? You're there, aren't you?" I provocatively asked.

Silence fell on the other end, and after a few seconds, he finally spoke, "I disagree with you going, and I won't refer you."

That settled it, this was definitely Ernest.

But as long as he didn't admit to being Ernest, I'd treat him as Phipps, a man I could playfully flirt with.

"Then I'll replace my own way," I said, about to hang up when he stopped me.

"Just tell me what you want to do, and I'll help you," he still knew me well.

Tapping on the table, I teased further, "I just want to live the life of a female model."

He didn't respond, and I huffed, "Why is it that men can just experience whatever they want, but women can't?"

"Do you even know what the 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 anger I could feel.

en Narugi

My heart skipped a beat. Indeed, Deborah hadn't lied to me; it was Allen who was misleading. The role of male and female models at the Sapphire Lounge wasn't as innocent as they claimed.

Thinking of Ernest, now Phipps, spending months at the Sapphire Lounge, I couldn't help asking, "How many women have you accompanied?"

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

"None," Phipps's answer relieved me somewhat.

But knowing what kind of place the Sapphire Lounge was, as he said easy to enter but hard to leave, mot adhering to their demands likely wasn't simple.

Yet, Phipps wasn't one to frivolously engage with other women, or else how could he face me?

When it comes to fidelity, especially physical, it's something neither men nor women can easily ignore.

But at that moment, I couldn't confront him, only following his narrative, "If you managed to keep to yourself there, so can I."

He took a deep breath, "You're set on this?"

"Yeah, I want to experience the hidden life of the Sapphire Lounge with you," I stubbornly insisted.

"But you can't get in, no matter how much you want," Phipps's voice deepened, "You're currently the darling of Allen and Dustin."

His last remark came out a bit sour, making me chuckle, "So, even if I get in, no one would dare to pick me for a private session, right?" "And you think they'd let you in knowing that?" He made a good point.

I was just teasing him, as he said, it's easy to go in but hard to leave, and I wouldn't gamble with my safety.