weekend?”
I agreed on both accounts.
Kim called back a little while later
to tell me she had managed to get me a table at a new club
downtown. Everyone seemed eager to make a fun night out of the
evening.
As we were leaving the restaurant to
head to the club, Andrew pulled me aside and said, “Isabelle,
Stephen really likes you. He’s our largest client. It’s in our best
interest if you’re nice to him and do everything he
asks.”
“ What do you mean? I am nice
to him.” His comments seemed very sudden.
“ I’m not saying you have to
sleep with him. I mean, you can if you want…” Andrew smiled at me.
I walked away before he had a chance to continue.
Sleep with
him ? I wondered if I’d misheard his
implication. “Jerk,” I said under my breath.
I walked over to Carin, lost
in thought. What kind of job was it that I
was really hired for ?
“ You okay, girl?” Carin
asked.
I looked at her. “Yeah. Just…nothing.
No big deal.” I started to tell Carin my thoughts but held
back.
Who was that monster that
looked like Andrew ? I wondered.
We all headed to a new club called
Hue, in the West Village where guests sat on beds. I dropped the
name Kim had told me to mention, and we were able to get in with
unaffected ease. Those behind the velvet ropes complained of our
effortless entrance. I reveled in their complaints, wondering if
Stephen was impressed at my ability.
Stephen managed to secure a station
with his credit card. The young MAW looked up at him and smiled.
Her demeanor changed suddenly by the mere presence of his black
American Express card. I had seen one only once, with Zach, Kim’s
friend.
I clawed my way through the
fashionistas and made it to the bathroom. I sniffed through the
various perfumes provided and sprayed myself, then refreshed my
face with blush and another coat of mascara. Smiling in the mirror
to see if there was any food caught between my teeth, I felt
confident. I was enjoying the attention from Stephen.
I returned to find Carin lying down,
sandwiched between two men at our bed. Her head rested on Andrew’s
thighs and her legs were draped across Stan, a young, recently
married client whose business Andrew was after.
Andrew stroked Carin’s hair. I felt a
lump develop in my throat and pressure in my chest. The more I saw
Andrew, the more I was beginning to see that he was a lecherous
lout. I looked at Carin hoping she was able to read my mind. Don’t
let him lure you in, Carin, I said in my head. Fight him off Carin.
But she didn’t. On the contrary, she seemed to be enjoying his
attention.
I approached the table and attempted a
smile.
“ Well, well… it seems like
you’re having a good time, Carin,” I said, slightly annoyed. Her
lids were only half open. She was drunk. I walked over to the
bottles of Grey Goose at the foot of the bed and poured myself a
drink.
I kept sneaking peeks at Carin and
Andrew, wondering just how far both would take their flirting. I
had no idea what had gotten into both of them, but I didn’t
approve. I couldn’t help but think Andrew was a fraud. Were those
pictures of his wife and kids on his desk, the ones I stared at
nearly every day, just a cover for his true self?
The hostess came in with two more
bottles of champagne. I stacked the glasses, arranged the straws,
and placed the napkins to one side. Then, suddenly aware of my
neurotic habit, I decided to walk around.
I looked around for Stephen and found
him dancing with a tall, skinny blonde. A pang of jealousy hit my
body as I watched Stephen bury his face into the girl’s
hair.
This is
ridiculous , I thought. I decided I couldn’t
stand it any longer. It was best to leave.
“ Carin, I think you’ve had
too much to drink.” I peeled her away from Andrew’s groping
hands.
“ Noooo. Don’t leave! Have
one more drink!”
I ignored her and dragged her outside,
nearly carrying her. I put her in a cab and gave the driver ample
fare.
“ Eightieth and
I agreed on both accounts.
Kim called back a little while later
to tell me she had managed to get me a table at a new club
downtown. Everyone seemed eager to make a fun night out of the
evening.
As we were leaving the restaurant to
head to the club, Andrew pulled me aside and said, “Isabelle,
Stephen really likes you. He’s our largest client. It’s in our best
interest if you’re nice to him and do everything he
asks.”
“ What do you mean? I am nice
to him.” His comments seemed very sudden.
“ I’m not saying you have to
sleep with him. I mean, you can if you want…” Andrew smiled at me.
I walked away before he had a chance to continue.
Sleep with
him ? I wondered if I’d misheard his
implication. “Jerk,” I said under my breath.
I walked over to Carin, lost
in thought. What kind of job was it that I
was really hired for ?
“ You okay, girl?” Carin
asked.
I looked at her. “Yeah. Just…nothing.
No big deal.” I started to tell Carin my thoughts but held
back.
Who was that monster that
looked like Andrew ? I wondered.
We all headed to a new club called
Hue, in the West Village where guests sat on beds. I dropped the
name Kim had told me to mention, and we were able to get in with
unaffected ease. Those behind the velvet ropes complained of our
effortless entrance. I reveled in their complaints, wondering if
Stephen was impressed at my ability.
Stephen managed to secure a station
with his credit card. The young MAW looked up at him and smiled.
Her demeanor changed suddenly by the mere presence of his black
American Express card. I had seen one only once, with Zach, Kim’s
friend.
I clawed my way through the
fashionistas and made it to the bathroom. I sniffed through the
various perfumes provided and sprayed myself, then refreshed my
face with blush and another coat of mascara. Smiling in the mirror
to see if there was any food caught between my teeth, I felt
confident. I was enjoying the attention from Stephen.
I returned to find Carin lying down,
sandwiched between two men at our bed. Her head rested on Andrew’s
thighs and her legs were draped across Stan, a young, recently
married client whose business Andrew was after.
Andrew stroked Carin’s hair. I felt a
lump develop in my throat and pressure in my chest. The more I saw
Andrew, the more I was beginning to see that he was a lecherous
lout. I looked at Carin hoping she was able to read my mind. Don’t
let him lure you in, Carin, I said in my head. Fight him off Carin.
But she didn’t. On the contrary, she seemed to be enjoying his
attention.
I approached the table and attempted a
smile.
“ Well, well… it seems like
you’re having a good time, Carin,” I said, slightly annoyed. Her
lids were only half open. She was drunk. I walked over to the
bottles of Grey Goose at the foot of the bed and poured myself a
drink.
I kept sneaking peeks at Carin and
Andrew, wondering just how far both would take their flirting. I
had no idea what had gotten into both of them, but I didn’t
approve. I couldn’t help but think Andrew was a fraud. Were those
pictures of his wife and kids on his desk, the ones I stared at
nearly every day, just a cover for his true self?
The hostess came in with two more
bottles of champagne. I stacked the glasses, arranged the straws,
and placed the napkins to one side. Then, suddenly aware of my
neurotic habit, I decided to walk around.
I looked around for Stephen and found
him dancing with a tall, skinny blonde. A pang of jealousy hit my
body as I watched Stephen bury his face into the girl’s
hair.
This is
ridiculous , I thought. I decided I couldn’t
stand it any longer. It was best to leave.
“ Carin, I think you’ve had
too much to drink.” I peeled her away from Andrew’s groping
hands.
“ Noooo. Don’t leave! Have
one more drink!”
I ignored her and dragged her outside,
nearly carrying her. I put her in a cab and gave the driver ample
fare.
“ Eightieth and
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