Destiny’s Escort

Destiny Robinson is a fifty-five year old shrewd businesswoman who is about to receive an award for being businesswoman of the year. After her husband left her for a younger woman and depleted their savings account, leaving her with little money and a young son to raise, Destiny discovered she had the ability to take a company on the verge of bankruptcy and turn it around into a multi-million pound business on the Fortune 500 list. In the past ten years, she has gone from strength to strength. The only area of her life lacking is her love life. About to become a grandmother for the first time, she has not given up on finding someone to share her life with. On the night of the award ceremony however, her latest boyfriend dumps her via voicemail. After listening to the break-up voicemail, she sees an ad on the side of a bus for Discreet Escorts and decides to give them a call…after all, she doesn’t want to show up alone to the ceremony where she’s the guest of honor. She does not realize that the escort service is owned by Bobby Magee, her son’s best friend since high school, a man who, if she is honest with herself, she has been attracted to for years. When Bobby turns up on her doorstep, rather than the expected escort, she is stunned – even more so when throughout the evening Bobby touches her more intimately than he need do so. The attraction between the two, despite the age difference that can be measured in decades, is very strong – so strong Destiny cannot resist it. The night they spend together is fabulous. But will Destiny’s insecurities, worries, fears and hang-ups stop the pair from achieving the greatest prize of all – love? Just what does Bobby want from Destiny – and is it something he has wanted all along?

Trixie Stilletto is the author of several short stories and a few novel length tales. Having read and enjoyed Ms Stilletto’s work before, she is on my list of authors to keep an eye out for. With this particular story, Ms Stilletto has written a romance where the heroine is significantly older than the male lead character. This occurrence is rather rare in our society, where it is far more acceptable for men to be decades older than their female partners, while the woman who is years older than her male partner is frowned upon. I think it is brilliant that Ms Stilletto has thought ‘outside the box’ and has not been afraid to write this tale. Destiny’s Escort is fairly well written and unafraid of confronting some of society’s ‘traditional’ values. Though I have come across the basic storyline before (older woman entering romance/sexual relationship with offspring’s friend), Ms Stilletto has put her own spin on it, making this story her own and not one that fades into the plethora of tales that are available. This is a great short story, particularly for those older women who fantasize about finding love with a younger man. This story aptly demonstrates that love knows no bounds.

Reviewed by: Elizabeth