I applied my make-up heavy, as I always did when working at Blue Hades. It wasn’t my dream job. It’s not like I grew up thinking I hope one day I work in a brothel. No, this job was one of necessity. That’s all it was, a job. It didn’t define me, or make me any worse than anyone else on this earth.
I stared into my brown eyes in the mirror as I applied mascara like a pro. I curled my long, brown hair and sprayed it into place before running my fingers through the curls to give it that sexy, messy look. I never wore it this way except for when I was working at Blue Hades.
I blew out a breath as I examined myself in the mirror. I tugged down on my tiny mini skirt and adjusted my slinky red top. The guys always loved red. I put a swipe of bright, red lipstick across my lips. I ran my fingers through my hair once more, trying to get as much volume as I could.
I strutted down to the main living space of the house where myself and the three other women working this Friday night gathered. I sat down on the oversized couch. Here we would sit as the gentlemen callers would enter and choose the woman he wanted to spend his evening with. After payment with Jaxon we would disappear to do whatever activity the man had paid for. Surprisingly, not all men came for the sex. Some, though rare, would simply be looking for a female companion to talk to. Most would prefer an activity such as dinner, a massage, or a dip in the hot tub before moving to the bedroom for sex. Sex with strangers was never easy for me. I had cried the first few times. Then I started to get regulars, I learned to detach, and I convinced myself this was nothing more than a job to survive. There was nothing wrong with sex.
I struck my best pose, sticking my chest out and keeping my stomach tight as the first man entered. He slowly walked through the room but chose Melanie, a voluptuous blonde. The blondes always got picked. Maybe I should dye my hair? I let out a slow breath as Ace sauntered into the room.
It wasn’t unusual for him to be here.He worked security. It was the way he was slowly walking through the room, looking at each woman as though he was a prospective client, which caught my attention. He always made it a point to not interact much with the working women. I watched him curiously as he made his way over to me.
“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever had the privilege of laying eyes upon,” Ace smiled down upon me as he stopped in front of me.
I smiled involuntarily up at him. “What are you up to?”
He put his hand down to me and I curiously placed mine into his open palm. He pulled me onto my feet and against him.
“I do believe I paid for an evening with a beautiful woman,” he smiled as he leaned in closer to whisper in my ear. “And I do believe I found her.”
I pulled my face back to look at him as his hands slid around my waist. “What are you talking about?”
He shrugged innocently. “I did some odd jobs this week. Made a few extra bucks. So I’m buying my sexy woman tonight.”
The gesture was sweet. Him being the John’ for the night saved me from a stranger, but I couldn’t help my mind wandering to the odd jobs he had done. They usually always involved Jaxon, illegal activity, and drugs.
“So how about you and I go upstairs,” he whispered into my ear, “and I get what I paid for?”
I giggled, his breath sending shivers down my spine, as I grabbed his hand and with my best strut, led him upstairs to one of the bedrooms.
I worked my afternoon shift at Kiki’s Saturday, mentally debating if I should go to the boxing match Alaric had invited me. The idea had crept its way into my thoughts every opportunity it got. Friday and Saturday nights were my only working days at the brothel, and going to see the match meant missing Saturday night, the busiest and most lucrative time.
There was something about him that latched its way in my brain and refused to let go. I saw those green eyes every night in my sleep. It’s as though they haunted my dreams. Perhaps it was just guilt I was feeling. Like I owed him this because he had saved my life. I rolled my eyes in annoyance at my own thoughts. Maybe if I went to this boxing match, I would be free of whatever this stupid feeling was. I finally made the decision and took Saturday off, lied to Ace about feeling ill, and caught a bus to the address Alaric had given me.
I had to walk three blocks from the bus stop to Weston’s Boxing Club. Several people stood outside, smoking cigarettes as their loud voice carried throughout the dark night.
I watched them carefully as I approached. I had taken better care of my appearance tonight, styling my hair, applying make-up, and dressing in my best jeans and tank top. I didn’t even know if I would see Alaric or talk to him. I had never been to a boxing match before.
I showed my ID at the door. Apparently, you had to be eighteen or over to gain admittance. There was also a small cover charge, which thankfully I had on me.
I made my way into the building as the smell of sweat attacked my nostrils. A hollering crowd surrounded a square boxing ring in the middle of the room.
I headed toward it, holding my purse closer as approached. Two large men fought in the ring, their fists pounding against each other in savage hits as the crowd cheered and taunted them on. Neither man was Alaric, and I wondered where he was.
I glanced around the crowd, but his face was nowhere to be found. I did notice I was one of the few women here.
A loud bell rang out over the ruckus and I turned toward it. The referee yelled over the crowd, declaring a winner and raising one of the men’s hands into the air. The crowd broke into cheers as the fighters slowly made their way from the ring.
I stood toward the back, simply observing the commotion. Two new men entered the ring wrapped in robes with their hoods up. The referee again managed to yell over the crowd as he introduced Lance Draman. One of the men opened his robe and, with the assistance of another man, pulled it off and raised his gloved hands to the sky before making the sign of the cross upon himself as a Catholic follower would.
“His challenger this week” the referee bellowed out as he pointed toward the other man in the ring in a black robe. “Alaric Carter!”
My heart skipped as Alaric stepped forward with another man with the ends of his dark hair dyed blonde. The man helped Alaric pull his robe off and my jaw dropped. His bare chest was hard and toned. Tattoos spotted all along his bare chest and arms. His long hair was pulled back into a messy man bun.
He smiled, the one that took over his entire face, as he bounced around the ring in his black trunks and waved to the crowd. He played upon their enthusiasm perfectly and the crowd loved it. He seemed to be a favorite based upon the roar given for him. It was the loudest I had heard so far. I stood on my tip toes, trying to see better.
A bell rang and Alaric’s antics stopped. He strutted over to a corner of the ring and spoke to the man with blonde highlights. A moment later, another bell rang and Alaric spun around. He bounced around, showing off his quick footwork as he made his way to the middle of the ring where his competitor, Lance, waited for him.
I felt myself on edge, nerves pumping through my veins as Lance threw the first punch. Alaric dodged it and threw one of his own which made contact with Lance’s face. Alaric quickly sprung toward him, landing a couple more punches before Lance was able to land one of his own.
I cringed as I watched the fight progress, each man swinging and punching the other. It was such a barbaric, savage sport. Thankfully, it wasn’t near as ugly as I had feared.
Alaric and Lance exchanged punches, but nothing as massive or as destructive as I had envisioned. My mind wandered to my past, and the vicious beatings I had seen. They had always been one-sided though, the weaker side never having a chance. My body began to tremble as fear began pumping through my veins. I took a couple deep breaths, reminding myself I was no longer there. I was safe.
After Lance fell a couple times, he finally stayed down, and the referee rushed over to Alaric. He grabbed his gloved hand, raising it up into the air. I drew in a deep breath. It was over.
“The winner tonight” he hollered as the crowd went wild. “Alaric Carter!”
The crowd threw their hands into the air, cheering and hollering for Alaric. I smiled, proud of his achievement as my heart began to hammer in my chest with the thought I may be able to see him now.
I began moving forward, trying to squeeze my way through the enthusiastic crowd toward the ring. I was only separated from it by a couple people as I looked up toward Alaric. I wondered if he would see me from here. Maybe I could call his name?
I opened my mouth just as a thin, young blonde woman slipped between the ropes of the ring and ran over to Alaric. He smiled warmly at her as she approached him. He wrapped his arms around her tiny physique and leaned down to give her a long kiss in front of everyone. The crowd cheered, and the people in front of me banged excitedly upon the side of the ring but my heart plummeted.
The blonde always got the guy.
I very clearly had read his interactions with me completely wrong. And just what did I really want anyway? I had a boyfriend, I was happy. I didn’t want anything with Alaric besides to say thank you. I quickly spun around, rushing back through the crowd before I chanced Alaric seeing me. I ran out of the club, leaving it and Alaric behind.
Clear from the mayhem and noise inside, I pulled my phone out and tried calling Ace. I got his voicemail and hung up. I blew out a breath, praying he wasn’t getting high again.
I walked back to the bus stop as loneliness crept in upon me. I really needed a car. Ace handled all of our finances, and there never seemed to be enough to afford more than just his car.
My phone dinged on my ride on the public transit bus. I looked at the screen and shook my head at Alaric's message.
I thought you were coming tonight?
I closed the message without responding and laid my head backwards. I had thanked him, and now I needed to end it before it got any further.
I picked up a couple extra shifts at Kiki’s the next week, trying to make up for the loss of money on Saturday night. Alaric never text me any further and I had pushed him and his green eyes out of my mind. I rushed around, taking care of my tables in the middle of the week over the lunch hour when Ace came in. My smile at his appearance faded as I approached him and saw his dark shades on despite being indoors. “Why do you have sunglasses on indoors?” I jokingly asked him as I reached over to take them off. He swatted my hand away. “I came here to eat, not for fashion advice.” My stomach dropped as I took in the sight of him. His hair which he normally straightened and styled was curly and unkept. His jaw was set and his hands twitching slightly. He shifted on his feet as though he couldn’t stand still. His clothes were baggy and he was far from the nicely dressed appearance he normally gave out. He was on drugs again. “What do you want?” I asked him softly. He laughed at me as
I slowly sauntered toward the firehouse, internally debating if this was a brilliant idea or a completely stupid one. I placed Alaric’s forgotten hat atop my head as I approached the firehouse and hoped he was actually here. As I got closer, I could see him standing outside the firehouse speaking with a couple other men. One of the men had been with him at the restaurant and slapped his arm and pointed toward me. Alaric turned around, a broad smile spreading across his face as his eyes looked me up and down. “That hat’s never looked so good,” he hollered at me in his delicious accent. “Like it?” I asked as I tipped the brim slightly. “It’s new.” He said his goodbyes to the men he had been talking to and walked over to me. He slid his hands across my stomach and onto my hips as he lowered his lips to my ear. “I’d like to see you in just that hat.” His warm breath tickled my ear as my insides tingled at his words, my skin aflame at his touch. A fire ignited deep within me, my entir
I sat in our apartment alone on the futon the next day. Ace was who knows where. I had come home yesterday after my rendezvous with Alaric to an empty apartment. Ace had never called or text me to tell me his whereabouts, which wasn’t that unusual if he was high on drugs. I was worried about something much deeper than whether Ace was currently high on drugs or not. Had I cheated on him? I shook my head. The thought was ridiculous. I had a job which was a sexual position. I had sex with men for money. It was nothing more than a financial transaction, which was exactly what had happened between Alaric and me. He had paid me for sex, like any other man did. Why did I have this guilt than? Why did I feel as though I had done something wrong? Was it because of how badly I had desired him? Or how about how I had consented to the sex before ever knowing he was a paying customer? I had wanted him before I knew he was paying. I had wanted him on a personal level, not a professional level. I
I took the bus across town to my friend, Catherine’s, apartment. I knocked at her door and she quickly opened it, a smile spreading across her face when she saw me. “Stella!” she squealed as she wrapped me into a tight hug. “Honey, it has been too long” she drew out in her southern accent. “Get in here girl!” She moved her petite frame to the side as she held the door open for me. I stepped into the apartment and out of the hot Florida heat. The cool air conditioning felt heavenly. She closed the door, trapping the heat out of her large apartment as she skipped happily next to me and led me over to the oversized, brown couch with bright white pillows. Her living room was at least twice the size of mine, and beautifully decorated. I never understood why she didn’t go into interior design with the natural talent she had. “So” she drew out as she sat down next to me. Her blonde hair fell in large waves around her tiny face. She looked like a real-life Tinkerbell and had the voice to m
I stood at the stove, cooking myself some scrambled eggs for lunch. I had rose early and Ace had driven me to get some much-needed groceries for our apartment. He had left to head to work as I put the food away and cooked for my rumbling stomach. A quick knock at the door drew my attention away from what I was doing. I walked over and opened the door to find no one there. Confused, I glanced around and noticed the note taped to our door from our landlord. I pulled it off and read the official notice our of impending eviction unless we paid our rent within the next two weeks. I angrily clutched the note in my hand as I stormed inside, throwing the door behind me, and charged toward my phone. I quickly dialed Ace number and he picked up within a couple rings. “Hey baby” he said happily. “Why are we getting an eviction notice?” I shot out immediately. The line went silent for a moment. “What are you talking about?” he finally asked slowly. “An eviction notice for unpaid rent! They
Ace surprised me when I came home and cooked me a delicious Italian pasta dish with homemade breadsticks. We relaxed together on the futon and eventually made-out before moving to the bedroom. I laid beside him in his arms after making love and stared up at the ceiling. For the first time in forever, I felt guilty after having sex. I should have felt guilty for my romp with Alaric. I should feel remorse or shame for taking his money in exchange. Instead, I felt guilty for being with Ace; as if I was somehow cheating on Alaric by having sex with my own boyfriend. It was ridiculous and insane and made no sense at all; but it felt like it should be Alaric’s arms I should be laying in. It should be his bed and his home. His broad smile kept flashing through my mind. The taste of his lips taunted me, growing a constant need inside me for him. The feel of his body on body on mine, of his hands exploring every single inch of me, set my body aflame with desire. I shook my head as I rolle
I stood watching him leave, completely thrown off by him. When I had first met him, he had nearly undressed me the first chance he got. And now he was asking if I wanted a drink? Men were fickle things. I wandered back into the condo and looked around the room. Various landscape photos hung on the wall. There was a bookshelf near the large screen television and I walked over, my fingers skimming over several classic books. I noticed a guitar sitting in a stand over in the corner and strolled over to it. I gently traced my fingers over the strings just as Alaric returned to the room. I turned around toward him as he walked in with two water bottles. “I got one for me, too,” he explained as he held one out to me. “Do you play?” I asked as I took the water bottle. “And thank you.” “Yes” he replied as he opened his and took a long drink. “And you’re welcome.” I grinned at him as I opened my water bottle. “Will you play something for me?” He hesitated and I noticed something flicker a
“Hey”I drew out nervously as I laid in Ace arms in our bed. He turned toward me; his eyes droopy with sleep. His dark hair was messy and curly atop his head making him look rather adorable. “Is it okay if I go dress shopping with Catherine on Saturday?” I had decided the lie would be better than the truth. It shouldn’t matter that I was meeting a client on Saturday. I knew Ace would be thrilled with the news of the payday, and he was the one who initially hooked me up with Alaric. But there was something about the rendezvous that felt wrong. It felt dirty; like I was somehow cheating on Ace to take Alaric as a client. I knew exactly why, though I would never admit it out loud. I had feelings for him, feelings I shouldn’t have. Ace grinned lightly at me, fatigue showing across his face. “Why does she need to go dress shopping?” I mentally smacked myself on the forehead. “Fred proposed! They’re getting married.” “Really?” he remarked in surprise. “What’s so surprising about that?”