Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...
This novel contains examples of the following tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Why Stella is hiring Michael. She wants her Bad Boy coworker, Philip, and wants to be experienced for him.
- Asian Hooker Stereotype: Michael is half Vietnamese and a prostitute.
- Disappeared Dad: Michael's dad left the family, having him be the head of the house as a teenager.
- Elite Man–Courtesan Romance: Stella is a rich woman and Michael a tailor by day and a prostitute by night.
- Fake Relationship: Since nobody knows Michael is a prostitute, he and Stella pretend to be a couple in social situations.
- Friendless Background: Stella doesn't have any friends, or a private life. The only time she talks to people outside of work is when she eats with her parents.
- Hooker with a Heart of Gold: Michael cares a great deal for Stella, even before they started being friends. The only reason he doesn't turn her down as a client for being too naive is that he doesn't want her to get roped in with a colleague who does not have her best interest at heart.
- No Antagonist: This book is purely about Stella's and Michael's relationship. No villains involved.
- Platonic Prostitution: Stella pays Michael to spend time with her, so she can learn what a relationship looks like. For example, they go out to eat ice cream, and have dinner with his family.
- Really Gets Around: Michael and his best friend/cousin, Quan. Michael, because he is a prostitute, Quan, because he likes it.
- Stalker with a Crush:Stella tries not to be this. Being autistic, she fears she can't control herself if she ever gets obsessed with Michael.
- The Topic of Cancer: Michael's mother had cancer, which is why he became a prostitute, to pay the medical bills and his sister's education.
- Unproblematic Prostitution: Michael doesn't seem to have a chip on his shoulder about being a prostitute. He is just a dude, having sex as a job. Stella also doesn't mind.
