“We’ll figure it out,” Jayden mutters, grabbing my hand. I look from our joined hands to her gray eyes. She’s been hooked. I can’t resist this offer. What will I do if Jayden or I get sick, or hurt? We can’t afford a hospital.
Our worries of surviving are over if we accept.
“Like you didn’t use me? You took that money without any problem.”
“You’ve already whored yourself out. Why fight who you are?”
Chasen’s words echo in my head. This is what I do. I have sex with men, then take their money. There’s no better path for me. I can’t bail on Jayden. She needs me. We need each other.
“Fine,” I mumble softly.
“Excellent. You start now. Margo, dirty these girls up,” Mick instructs, not taking his eyes off his cigar as he twirls it between his fingers.
“You got it, baby,” Margo coos, opening the office door.
“Oh, and ladies,” Mick stops us. Jayden and I turn, waiting for him to continue. “You try and stiff me on my money, you won’t like the consequences.” His nostrils flare with rage, his eyebrows narrowed with promise. I swallow hard and nod.
“Okay,” Jayden mutters, her voice cracking.
TEN
CHARLIE
Following Margo, I notice the blue paint is chipped along the motel, and the concrete beneath our feet is cracked. Looking across the way, I see half-naked girls – prostitutes – waiting outside their doors, smoking a cigarette and eyeing Jayden and me.
“This is us.” Margo points to an off-white door with the number 1 on it.
Inside the room, there’s a bed with nothing but white sheets and a shitty air conditioner under the window blowing warm air into the room that smells of stale cigarettes. A black fridge, dresser, and chair are the only pieces of furniture apart from the bed.
“Seems Daddy Mick just loves you, huh?” Margo props her hands on her hips and glares at Jayden.
“I, uh,” Jayden stutters.
“Strip,” Margo instructs, kicking her heels off. “I need to see what I have to work with,” she clarifies, heading toward the closet.
“Do you always dress Mick’s new girls?” Jayden sasses, taking her top off.
“I do whatever Daddy Mick asks of me, as you should, too. He’s saving you, ya know?” She turns her head, looking over her shoulder, her tone snarky.
“How so?” Jayden laughs.
“No man who knows you’re with Mick will touch you out of anger. You won’t go hungry ever again. You need air in your apartment? Mick will get it. You need clothes? Mick will take you shopping. He is your savior,” she explains, throwing out a slew of dresses. She makes Mick sound like a god rather than a pimp.
I give a tight-lipped smile and glance around. Jeez, it’s as if I just walked into a dress shop with all the clothes, shoes, and makeup displayed everywhere.
I spot a bright red dress on the bed and smirk. “Hand me that red dress,” I instruct Jayden, my fist clenching with anxiety. She grabs the dress and hands it to me while smiling. She’s happy. She feels safe, knowing our worries of surviving are over, and that makes me happy.
“Oh, you’ll need these.” Margo turns and opens a dresser drawer, pulling out something and tossing it on the bed.
“Fishnets? Isn’t that a little cliché?” I giggle, looking at Jayden who’s laughing, too.
“Embrace ya’ stereotypes, baby. These men, they want that taboo feeling of being with a prostitute. The back of cars, dirty motel rooms, that’s what sells around here,” Margo advises, tossing Jayden a pair of stockings.
“Let’s do it then.” Jayden nods, undoing the tangled stockings.
“Rules,” Margo starts, sitting on the bed while Jayden and I dress. “If your trick is fat, you compliment him on his hair. If he took the time to brush his teeth before seeing you, you tell him how sexy he is. If a man reeks of body odor, you ignore it. You don’t ever say anything about it. If a man has greasy hair or dresses lousy, you never say anything. If they say they love you, you tell them you love them back,” Margo rambles, talking as if she’s reading from a handbook.
“Why?” Jayden shrugs.
“Because we’re the trick’s escape from the nagging wife, the bitchy boss, and every other judgmental person in their life. It’s why they keep coming back. You get repeat customers, you get praise from Mick.” Margo looks at Jayden with narrowed brows as she explains. I can tell Margo is head over heels for Mick. He is the sun to her world. “It’s all about acting, really. Make the trick feel like a king.”
“So, what do we do if they smell to the point we can’t—”
“Pretend he smells of roses, hold your breath, and suffer through it,” Margo states matter-of-factly.
I snort, then laugh. I can’t help it.
“That funny?” Margo asks with laughter of her own.
“A little. Especially when I think of Jayden stuck under some smelly guy,” I respond. Margo rolls her eyes at my humor. What a bitch.
“You’ll always wear a Jimmie,” she continues, her tone on the edge of irritated.
“A what?” I question, shifting in my dress. This thing is way too short. If I bend over, my ass will show. It dips between my breasts, and there’s a cut-out right around my belly button. Lots of skin shows, and I can’t help but feel self-conscious. I guess I don’t have to worry about the dress giving me a wedgie, considering I don’t think it has enough material to reach the crack of my ass.
“A Jimmie, you know, a condom. Always use one, and make sure it’s from your stash. I’ve seen some desperate men out there looking for a reason out of marriage.” Margo shakes her head, digging in her purse.
“What do you mean?” Jayden asks, running her hands down her gray dress. It covers her breasts and her crotch with the entire middle and back open.
“Men will poke holes, or say they don’t have one,” Margo responds, lighting a cigarette.
“Jesus,” I mutter, pulling on a stocking, my toes getting caught in the holes.
“No, baby, Jesus isn’t with you. Not in this game.” Margo puffs on her cigarette, looking at me to disagree.
I sigh and sit on the bed to put on some fuck-me heels.
“What do we do if a guy doesn’t pay? I ask.
Margo lifts a brow. “I suggest you don’t let that happen. Hit the fucker over the head with a lamp if need be.” I flinch from her harsh tone. “You follow those rules, you’ll be fine, babe,” Margo comforts, rubbing my back.
“Why did Mick split us up?” Jayden asks, sitting next to me.
“Probably because he knows we’re trouble together,” I tease.
“Does it matter? What – you two seeing each other? Because if so, Daddy Mick will charge double for that kind of show.” Margo throws her head back and laughs. Jayden glances my way, her lip curled in disgust.
“No, we aren’t gay,” I spit. “I don’t like being away from her is all,” I continue, my forehead wrinkling with concern.
Margo puffs on her cigarette, squinting with the rolling smoke clouding her face.
“Daddy Mick can tell your girl needs to be broken in slowly.” She points to me, and I roll my eyes and look at the gray curtains in my line of sight.
“I suggest you get your shit together quickly,” Margo snaps.
“Fuck you,” I sneer, standing up. Jayden stands with me, her fists rolled tightly.
“Honey, you better sit your little ass down.” Margo doesn’t even flinch at my harsh tone. “Coming in here acting like you’re too good, that your pussy is made of gold or some shit.” She licks her bottom lip and levels us with a death glare.
“You don’t know shit about either of us, so shut your mouth, bitch.” I step up to the bed, Margo standing on the other side.