untitled

She smiled to herself as she reached for the money on the bedside table. The light from the lamp illuminated the red letter 'A' tattooed between her thumb and index finger on her left hand. She had never read the book, but she figured that she knew what the letter stood for and that she deserved to wear it. The proof was the naked man laying beside her and the wad of cash in her hand. Seeing the tattoo always made her smile. It was ironic, she thought. She quickly counted the money, making sure it was all there. Then she got out of bed, pulled on her jeans and tank top and headed for the door.  "That was great...when can I see you again?" The man mumbled, already mostly asleep. "You know how it works. Call the number on the card and we'll set something up."  She was almost at the door when he spoke again. ''What was your name?" She closed her eyes and put her hand on the door knob. ''Call me Annie.'' She said and left before he could say anything else.       

        She practically ran down the stairs to the bustling street below. That's what she loved about New York City. It was always bustling. There was something comforting about blending into a crowd. Becoming completely anonymous. She could look around her at all of the strangers there and feel confident that she would never see these people again. That even if she did, they wouldn't recognize her and she wouldn't recognize them. None of these people knew where she was coming from or where she was going and that was how she liked it. That was why she didn't have any close friends, and why she'd cut off contact with her family so long ago. If she had people in her life, they were just people to let down.        

        She stuck her hands in her pockets and hunched her shoulders against the cool October breeze. She felt her cell phone begin to buzz, and pulled it out to look at the display. The number was blocked. She answered it anyway. "Hey...this is Jared..." The male voice on the phone said. "Hi sweetie, what can I do for you?"  She waited for him to say what she knew he would. He wanted to see her again. That wasn't surprising. Jared was a man who was way too committed to his job to form a real relationship with anyone, so he got what he needed from people like her. Jared knew her as Alex.  "Would you be able to see me tonight? Around 7?''  She looked at her watch, it was only 3:00. ''Sure, Jared. I can do that. Where should I meet you?"  He gave her the address and told her he'd leave a key for her at the front desk.  He hung up. She looked at her watch again. She hadn't planned on seeing anyone else today so she had to hurry home to shower and change.  Jared wasn't like most of her other clients. It wasn't just 'wham bam thank you ma'am' with him. He wanted romance. The kind of romance you get when you're with someone you love. He didn't have time to cultivate that in a real relationship so he wanted it from her. Even if it was only for one night. She shook her head as scenes from their last session ran through her mind. In some ways she hated seeing Jared. It was much easier to see the men who only wanted her for her body. Men who didn't want to pretend, men who just wanted to fulfill their pure carnal desires. The men who took what they wanted from her quickly, either out of greed or guilt. Seeing Jared was different. Very different and she wasn't sure she liked it.        

        It took her nearly half an hour to get home.  She walked up 3 flights of rickety wooden stairs to her apartment. Once inside she realized that she hadn't eaten anything since noon yesterday. She walked over to the fridge and pulled open the door. There wasn't much to choose from, just a bottle of orange juice, a carton of milk that had long since expired and a few apples, miraculously fresh. She grabbed one and took a hungry bite. She looked around the small apartment she'd come to love. It wasn't anything extravagant by any means, just a living area attached to a small kitchen with a bedroom and bathroom leading off. But it was home. There were no pictures of family on the walls, nothing at all to really personalize the place.  The living area and kitchen were exactly as they had been when she moved in 3 years ago. Just an average looking sofa and chair, a small but functional TV, and all of the old dilapidated appliances that came with the apartment. She carried her apple into the bedroom. Her bed was the one thing she owned that was worth any money. She had splurged shortly after entering this new profession. She spent most of her days in strange beds with strange men, so when she came home, she wanted something that was completely hers. Something that she could collapse into and just be alone. No one had ever shared this bed with her and she doubted that anyone ever would.       

        The clock on the wall chimed, letting her know that it was now 4:00. She finished her apple and threw the core into the small woven trash basket under her bedside table. She quickly peeled off her tank top and jeans and threw them into the clothes hamper beside the dresser. She headed for the bathroom, which was off of her bedroom. As she passed the full length mirror hanging on the back of her bedroom door, she stopped to look at herself. She was only 22, but she knew men had been noticing her for years. She had started developing when she was very young. As she matured she became more and more attractive. At least that's what she assumed. She never had trouble acquiring clients, and the ones she had constantly told her how attractive she was. She tilted her head to the side and tried to see herself the way her clients did. She had long, shapely legs. Her stomach was flat and tight. Her breasts were firm and perky, and she had curves in all of the right places. She trailed her fingers from her breasts, down her stomach, to just below her belly button. A shiver ran down her spine as she looked up and met her own gaze in the mirror. Her green eyes were encircled by thick dark lashes. She brushed aside a strand of long auburn hair and sighed. She knew that she didn't have a lot in the way of skills and talent, so she was glad that men found her attractive. It made her job much easier, and she did have one talent that she had perfected. Men weren't hard to please when it came to sex. Not most men anyway. With that thought, her mind turned back to Jared. She shook her head again and turned from the mirror. She needed to get ready.    

        She arrived at the address Jared had given her at exactly 7:00. It wasn't like most of the places she met her Johns. This place was fancy. A high end hotel with a doorman and valet. She nodded to the doorman and he tipped his hat to her. She had a few outfits that she kept just for these types of clients. The ones that were further up the social ladder. She was dressed in a black cocktail dress that emphasized her breasts with it's deep neckline and clung to her, accentuating her curvy figure. It stopped just above the knee, giving the the doorman a nice view of her legs as well. She could feel him watching her and it made her smile. She had her hair pulled back into a loose bun with a few tendrils left out to frame her face. She didn't feel at all out of place walking up to the front desk and asking for the key that Jared had left for her.  "Your name miss?" the clerk asked. "Alex." She said with a warm, charming smile. Jared had been a client of hers for nearly 6 months now. At first she saw him only a couple of times a month, lately though she'd been seeing him once a week. She knew that he enjoyed the roll playing as much as the sex, so she'd learned to really get into character when meeting with him. From the time she left her apartment to the time she left his hotel room she was Alexandra Davis(Alex for short), girlfriend of Jared Miles.  

        Keycard in hand, she headed for the elevators. She pushed the correct number and waited with her hands clasped in front of her. She wasn't alone on the elevator. There was a young couple and one other man on the elevator with her. She noticed both men looking at her. The man with his wife more subtly than the single man, but looking at her nonetheless. She looked down at her tattoo again. It didn't surprise her that this married man was checking her out. Many of her clients were married. It was when she was with these clients in particular that she felt she deserved that red letter on her hand. So much so that on occasion it almost seemed to burn her skin. The elevator stopped to let the couple off. She looked up and gave the man a wink and a smile and watched  turn an amusing shade of crimson.   

        The next stop was hers. The doors opened and she headed in the direction of the room where Jared was waiting for her. The purse she carried slipped off of her shoulder and she caught in on her forearm. She wasn't used to carrying a purse, but it seemed necessary with the role she was playing and the outfit she had on. She arrived at the room she was looking for and stood in front of the door. She pulled her purse back into place, squared her shoulders, and  put on her most dazzling smile. She slid the keycard into the slot, watched the light on the lock turn green, and pushed open the door.  

        The scene that met her was exactly what she'd been expecting. Candles were lit, the lights dimmed, and a bottle of Champaign sat chilling in a bucket beside the bed. Jared came out of the bathroom when he heard the door open. "Alex, honey, I've missed you!" He said closing the distance between them and kissing her on the cheek. ''I've missed you too, Jared. How are you?'' She asked giving him a warm hug. This act had become so routine for her that it almost felt real. Almost. He pulled away, held her at arms length and just looked at her for a second. ''I'm great. You look beautiful tonight, sweetie. You always look beautiful.'' She smiled at the complement. She was told that she was hot or sexy by almost all of her clients, but she wasn't called beautiful very often. In fact, as she thought about it, Jared was the only one who used that particular word when referring to her. She set her purse on a chair and watched as he picked up two  flute shaped crystal glasses and poured them some champagne. He handed her one and she took a delicate sip. The bubbles tickled her upper lip. ''What do you think, Alex, should we order some room service?" He had gone over to the small desk in one corner of the room and was looking through what appeared to be a menu. "That might be a good idea." She replied. "We'll need all of the energy we can get for what's happening later!'' He looked up and arched an eyebrow at her. Jared was a good looking man, but this made him look ridiculous.  She laughed at him. She was relieved to see that this was what he was aiming for. Her laughter made him smile and he pulled her close kissing her forehead affectionately. Despite herself this made her blush. This was why she hated seeing Jared. She knew that none of this was real. Sometimes though, she found herself getting caught up in the fantasy. She'd never had anything even close to this in real life. With her other Johns, it was so easy for her to separate herself from the experience. So easy to just do the job and be done with it until next time. With Jared though, she found herself thinking about their time together for days after seeing him.  And every time she left him, and went back to her regular clients, she felt bad about what she was doing. She had no reason to feel bad, she knew this. She was doing what was needed to get by. She was good at what she did. And despite all of the acting that happened on nights like these, she knew that they weren't at all different. She slept with Jared and was paid for her services just like with any other John. She used the time that Jared was ordering food to escape to the bathroom and regroup. 

She waited until she heard him hang up the phone, and then slowly counted to 50. She wanted to take as much time as she could to get her head straight without making him worry that something might be wrong with her. She opened the bathroom door and saw him waiting for her on the bed with his back against the head board, flipping through tv channels. He looked over at her as soon as he heard the knob turn.  ''Everything okay, Alex?" He asked. ''Of course, just freshening up.'' She told him with a smile. He returned it with one of his own. He had an amazing smile and she was struck again by how good looking Jared really was. If he could only make  a little time in his busy life, he would make some woman very happy. She crossed the room and hopped up onto the bed beside him. He put out his arm and she curled up under it, with her head resting on his shoulder. He squeezed her tight and gently kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She loved the cologne he wore. She knew that it didn't matter how many times she told herself not to fall for this fantasy. She was going to. She always did. 

        There was a knock on the door. ''Room service.'' A voice from the other side announced. ''That was fast.'' Jared said, removing his arm from around her shoulders and grabbing his wallet so that he could tip the man who brought them their food. Jared was not a cheap man. He pulled out a twenty dollar bill as a short man with a name tag reading 'Phil' wheeled in a cart carrying three covered plates and a bottle of what was no doubt very expensive wine. The man looked over and gave her a polite smile and nod. She returned the smile and slid to the edge of the bed.  As she did, she felt her dress slide further up her legs and noticed the mans eyes drop to them as if drawn by some invisible but very powerful force. Jared also noticed the man staring and pointedly cleared his throat. The busboy looked back to Jared, obviously embarrassed. He accepted the tip he was offered and thanked Jared profusely when he realized how big it was. ''Not at all. Thank you for the great service.'' He replied, all the while ushering Phil toward the door.  

        Once Phil was gone, the door tightly shut and locked behind him, Jared turned back to the cart, rubbing his hands together eagerly. He removed the silver covers from two of the plates and set them aside, revealing a steaming steak and baked potato for himself and a chicken ceasar salad for her. She eyed the third, plate which was still hidden and raised an inquisitive eyebrow. He laughed. ''That'll have to wait until after.'' He told her. ''It's a surprise.''  He took both plates over to the small table at the far end of the room and pulled out a chair for her. She joined him, spreading her napkin over her lap as she sat down. She marveled at how natural it felt, acting as if she belonged in this room, eating this expensive dinner and drinking this over priced bottle of Chateau Margaux. These nights were tough for her because she never knew how to feel. She liked being able to escape for a while, and live like a queen. But in the back of her mind, she knew that when morning came, she'd be leaving alone and going back to her small apartment and the nameless, faceless men who were all the same. How she felt didn't really matter though. All that mattered was giving the client what he (or she) wanted. So she shook her head and vowed to do just that. To focus on pleasing Jared. She'd deal with her own issues tomorrow.

As they ate, they discussed their day. He told her about some big account that was very nearly a done deal, and how he was planning on taking the CEO of the company they were trying to buy out to lunch the next day to go over the final details. She made up a story about shopping and how even though she'd come home with five bags worth of new purchases, she'd forgotten the one thing she'd actually gone out to get. He laughed good-naturedly at this, even though he knew that none of it was true. When they finished their meal, Jared collected their empty plates and took them back to the cart, returning with the mystery plate. He smiled, and with an exaggerated flourish, he removed the cover.  On the plate was a pyramid of strawberries drizzled with chocolate sauce. In front of the pyramid, was a long rectangular box with a bow on it. She looked from the box to Jared, then back again. ''Go on, open it.'' He told her. She reached for it, but didn't open it immediately. For a few seconds, she just stared at it. When she finally did open it, she could barely believe her eyes. Inside was a diamond bracelet set in platinum. She shook her head. ''I can't accept this.'' She told him. ''Sure you can sweetheart, I saw it and immediately thought of you. It's perfect!'' He set down the plate of strawberries and took the box from her. He removed the bracelet and motioned for her to give him her hand. Numbly she did what he wanted. When he released her, all she could do was stare. She'd never seen anything glimmer that brightly. Her wrist didn't look like her own with something so beautiful on it. ''I....I don't know what to say. Thank you, Jared...'' She said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. He smiled, apparently pleased by her reaction. ''I'm so glad you like it, my love.'' She looked at him and with genuine emotion said, ''I love it, no one has ever done anything so sweet for me before.'' He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately on the lips. ''Well then,'' He said, ''shall we have some dessert?'' She nodded, reached for one of the strawberries and watched as the candle light twinkled in the diamonds on her wrist.

She didn't know what to think. Jared had always treated her differently than her other Johns did, but he'd never done anything like this before. This was way over the top. She knew that she couldn't keep the bracelet. She'd have to slip it off in the morning and leave it for him, maybe in his jacket pocket, or in his suit case. The fact that he'd spent so much money on a gift like that was something she just couldn't understand. She knew that he liked to play out the whole romance/girlfriend angle, but the hotel and the dinner and the wine was more than enough to accomplish that. Or it had been in the past. She assumed that accepting the gift, and wearing it tonight, while they were together would satisfy whatever desire had driven him to purchase the gift for her. No, not for her. For Alexandra, his girlfriend. 

She didn't have much time to think about this though. They ate what they could of their dessert without stuffing themselves, then made their way to the bed. He lay with his arm extended and her beside him. With Jared, there was no mad dash to what most of her clients considered the 'main event'. Jared was content to take his time and enjoy her company. She lay on her side, facing him with her leg draped over his and her head resting on his arm. She trailed her fingers lightly along his cheek and jaw line as he looked at her. He reached over and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. He let his hand rest on her cheek as their gazes met. She could see a slight spark in his eye as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She returned the kiss, and inched her body closer to his.

She awoke to the noises of him in the shower. She wore nothing but her panties and the slip she'd had on under her dress the night before.  She rolled onto her back, stretched and realized that she was still wearing the bracelet. She quickly undid the clasp, rolled to the edge of the bed and carefully put the gift into one of the many front compartments of Jared's suit case. He'd find it there eventually. Hopefully before it was too late for him to return it. Maybe I should put a note in his jacket pocket letting him know where it is she thought to herself. She was just pulling herself out of bed to do that when she heard the shower shut off. Jared always was the first to leave after their nights together. She guessed it helped him complete the fantasy. She always waited for him to go before counting the money he left hidden in the drawer of the night stand on her side of the bed. She finished scribbling down the note and just had time to slip it into his pocket before the bathroom door opened. He stood there in the doorway for a few seconds, towel wrapped around his waist, smiling at her. He did that a lot. ''Good morning honey, sleep well?'' He asked closing the distance between them as he spoke. ''Very well! Would you like some coffee?'' She replied. She already knew the answer without having to hear it. ''No thanks. I don't have time this morning. I'll grab one on my way to the office.''  For as eager as Jared was to spend as much time as possible with her on the nights they were together, he was equally eager to keep their mornings short. She assumed it was because the night was over and it was harder for him to keep the fantasy going in the harsh light of day. He hid the money, and he left first so that he wouldn't have to see her take it and count it and stuff it into her pocket like she did with the money she got from every other client of hers.  The fact remained, though, that once he was gone, she would do just that. And he knew it. ''Will you have a very busy day at work today dear?'' she asked as she poured herself a cup from the pot he'd started before taking his shower. ''No more than usual. You know how it is.'' He replied. He was now in the process of getting dressed. She sat at the table, warming her hands on the hot mug she held. Seemingly content to just sit and watch him get ready. As if she hadn't a care in the world, and no where else to be.  Once he was dressed, he headed back into the bathroom to comb his hair and brush his teeth. Then he was ready to go. He gathered his suitcase, jacket and brief case and set them by the door, then made his way to her to say goodbye. ''Last night was great Alex. I love the nights we get to spend together. I'm sorry they're so infrequent.'' She smiled up at him, ''It's alright Jared, I know you're a busy man. I had a wonderful time too. We'll see each other again soon. I promise.'' She didn't know how true this was, but she said it anyway, because that's what a good girl friend is supposed to say to her boy friend. ''I love you.'' He said. He didn't wait for her to reply, just kissed her sweetly, grabbed his things, and left.  

        She stood there for a few seconds, watching the back of the door he'd just left through. Then she sighed and shook her head. Alright, back to reality she thought as she headed toward the night stand on her side of the bed. She pulled open the drawer and was surprised to see that he'd left her almost double her regular fee. She counted it twice. As she was slipping the cash into her purse, she wondered just how real this fantasy was to Jared. For him to spend so much money, on the hotel, and the food and wine, the bracelet..and now this? She decided that the next time he called, she would have a talk with him before agreeing to meet again. She could always use the extra cash, but she was starting to feel guilty about everything he did for her. Even if it was only for a night. She slipped on her dress from the night before, grabbed her purse and headed for the door.  She knew that she was doing what was considered 'the walk of shame', but she didn't feel shameful. She was doing what she had to to get by. There was nothing wrong about that and she knew it.

Author's Note

Not finished...far from finished.