“Stop fucking yelling! Stop, stop, stop. I answered your call, quit yelling.” Tension tightening her voice, Lindsay sat on the edge of the bed with her cell phone pressed to her face and ear. “Okay, yeah, better. That’s right. I moved to Las Vegas and started a new life. I’m a waitress. What? No way, I’m not telling you where. It’s none of your business. No, forget it … fuck you. What is it you really want, Zack? We broke up five weeks ago. Why do you keep calling me?“What? You want the necklace back?” Lindsay covered her aching forehead. “You’re calling me ten times a day over a necklace you gave me as a Christmas gift some seven, eight months ago?”She tilted her face skyward and blew out a breath. “You know what? No. I’m not giving it back to you. Why? Because we were dating when you gave it to me, and it was a gift. Tell me, why do you want it back?” Her face hardened. “So you can give it to your next girlfriend as you screw and fuck over her life too? Like you did mine? No, fuck you!” Answering Zack’s call promised to be a mistake, but Lindsay finally gave in and did it regardless. “I don’t care if it cost over a hundred bucks or not. It belongs to me!” Lindsay let out a bitter laugh. “It’s somewhere in my bag, but believe me, it will be in the garbage by the end of the night. No, no way. You broke up with me, Zack, not the other way around!“You know what? I’m through with you. I’m blocking your number. That’s right, I’m ghosting your ass. Yeah? You do that. Go ahead and try. Good luck finding me. Vegas is a huge town and you’ll never do it. You can ask Evie all you want, but she doesn’t know where I am either. And even if she did, she’d never sell me out to the likes of you. Evie knows I hate your guts and what an asshole you are. You heard what I said!” Lindsay’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide as saucers. “You broke up with me, you piece of shit!” Rage replaced the expression of shock. “No! Fuck you and your necklace. It’s my necklace now! I don’t care! Get the fuck outta here with that dumb shit. Fuck you, Zack … you’re blocked. Goodbye.”She ended the conversation and blocked her ex-boyfriend’s cell and home telephone numbers.“Hey, honey. Knock, knock. Mind if I come in?” Pamela’s head was inclined, her lower lip protruding, as she peeked around the corner of the door. “Problems with your boyfriend back home? Your former boyfriend, I mean?” Poor thing. Lindsay didn’t deserve all this drama.“Oh, hey.” Lindsay forced a smile but tried to make it look genuine. But what was the point in that? After what Pamela witnessed firsthand, Lindsay’s posture slouched, and she frowned instead. “Yeah, yeah, come in. I’m sorry you had to hear that.” She glanced away for an instant, collected her bearings, and placed the phone on her lap. “Zack is one of the few people in the world, probably the only person, who can lure out Evil Lindsay.” Her hands fisted. “That boy gets under my skin so damn much.”“It’s okay, honey. Don’t feel guilty about keeping the necklace either.” Pamela sipped her Grey Goose and nibbled on a plain cracker. “It’s yours. He broke up with you, right? If I were you, I’d tell him to go suck a fat dick. Or ask for your pussy back in exchange for the necklace and hang up the phone.” Her smile was soft and courteous and burned a hole through the negativity swirling in the room. “It’s very rude to demand for gifts to be returned after a breakup.”Lindsay hung her head. “I’ve had a bad day. Zack won’t stop calling or texting and I’m waiting on an important message from someone else but haven’t received it yet. I’m getting antsy about it.”“Can’t you call them?”Lindsay fidgeted on the bed. “No, I can’t.”Pamela’s eyes drifted toward the flat-screen television mounted high on the wall. “You’re watching cartoons?”Lindsay straightened. “I love cartoons. Tom and Jerry here, they’re my favorite.” A faint blush spread across her cheeks. “Cartoons help me destress after a bad day.”“Oh!” Pamela’s right hand flew toward her mouth as she motioned toward the stainless-steel dildo laying atop the bed. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I’ll leave if I am.”“No, not at all. Of course not.” Red-faced, Lindsay shoved the dildo off the far side of the mattress. “I was just, umm, relaxing before Zack called.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.“Relaxing?” Pamela’s skin heated and warmth radiated outward. “Relaxing … okay.”Lindsay forced back a grin and nodded.Pamela set her beverage down on a coaster and put her smartphone beside it. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you all day, honey, but have had a rough go of things myself. A lot of unnecessary drama.” Getting roasted by Scarlett over Charlie and defending him to Colt before that. “How are you doing after what went down yesterday?” She took a seat next to Lindsay and patted her knee. “Any better? Remember, I’m always here to talk if you need me.”Lindsay folded both arms across her chest and again made two anxious fists. “I know you’re the boss and everything, along with Colt, so I don’t know if I should say anything. Because, you know, I’m really salty about this whole situation and the way Colt treated me. And Aliyah? You don’t want to hear what my opinion is of her.”“Say whatever you want to me, sweetheart. Be honest; speak your mind. I’m here to help.” Though sincere with her words, Pamela couldn’t help but istanbul travesti to survey Lindsay’s sweet little breasts nestled so snug and cute in the baby tee. Her hands itched to fondle them. “And don’t worry about Colt spying on us, listening in.” Holy hell, those titties are magnificent. Absolutely perfect! “He only does that if a customer is in the room. He won’t hear a word you say to me, I promise.”Lindsay flailed her right arm about. “Why did Colt suspend me? I did nothing wrong!”“Yes, you did.” Pamela drew Lindsay in for an embrace and her entire being melted. “You can’t be getting upset if you’re not chosen from a lineup. It creates enemies in the house and, worst of all, no customer should be witness to any drama.” I haven’t had a reaction like this to another woman in a long, long time, if ever. Talk about getting under your skin, huh? But in an awesome way, the best way. “Most of our customers have enough drama in their everyday lives as it is. That is why they come here. It’s our job to make them happy.”A crease appeared on Lindsay’s brow and a single tear slid down her cheek.“We’re a business, baby. We’re like a grocery store, a restaurant, whatever.” I need to focus on this discussion and pull my mind out of the gutter. Kayleigh needs me now. “It’s vital we project a positive image to our customers. It’s how we get them to return.“And as for Colt and me, our viewpoint as the owners, we don’t want any drama or underlying issues amongst the employees. No negativity.” Yeah, better. “We all live together, and drama eats away at everything, and customers will pick up on it. We’re together twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Everyone needs to get along.”What would happen if a customer picked Lindsay and Aaliyah for a threesome tomorrow? She couldn’t decline it because they didn’t like each other. You could, but that would be frowned upon big-time. Lindsay and Aaliyah would have to be best friends and lovers and convince the customer everything between them is legitimate. Been there, done that with girls I didn’t like in the past. It sucks, but it’s the way things are here.What’s worse, Lindsay didn’t have the acting chops – at least not yet – to pull something like that off. The customer would probably sense real animosity between Lindsay and Aaliyah, Pamela thought, and it would ruin his or her experience.Worst of all, the customer would probably never return. And then Colt gets angry and starts pointing fingers.“I did nothing wrong!” Lindsay again swallowed hard and had to fight back fresh tears that were waiting at the floodgates. “I never pouted or got upset in front of a customer! I’ve always kept smiling! I may have pouted once I was out of sight, but getting passed over in a lineup, it’s so embarrassing!” She made herself choke out the words. “Humiliating!”“You can never pout, period. It gives off a horrible impression to the customer and your fellow employees.” Tsk, tsk, tsk. Aaliyah was right. This girl has had everything handed to her on a silver platter. Lindsay was undoubtedly the hottest girl while attending high school and had her pick of anyone. People fawned over her as she walked down the street. They worshipped her like she was a Greek goddess and the single greatest thing that little town ever produced.God, it’s not her fault. She’s only eighteen and just needs to grow up. Kayleigh needs some maturity is all, some enlightenment, and to be shown the proper way.I can help her. I want to help her.“Listen to me, Kayleigh. Hey, look at me. Kayleigh?”Those tears had since burst and were coming so fast they streaked down Lindsay’s face one after the other.“Yeah, that’s it. Look at me.” Pamela did her best to dab at those baby blues with a wad of tissues. “I’m trying to help you.” No turnout had ever meant so much to Pamela this quickly. “You’re an emotional girl and need to settle down.” Reminds me of Charlie and the e-mail he sent my way. “Settle down, okay? Don’t cry. I’m telling you this for your own good.”Her breath coming too fast, Lindsay’s vision was blurred with moisture as she nodded.“Emotions and this job, they don’t mix. I really, really like you, and want you to succeed here.” It was instinct on Pamela’s part to pull Lindsay onto her lap, wrap both arms around her, and try to soothe the hurt away with dancing fingertips down her spine. “But you have to think about the bigger picture.” Colt’s right – you need thicker skin.Lindsay fought through her sadness and managed a faint smile. “I like you too.”“This is your job, okay?” Pamela touched Lindsay’s face, her hand delicate and cool. “It’s how you make your living. You don’t want to mess this opportunity up. Look at all the money you’ve made here so far this week. Three hundred and twenty-two dollars after expenses? That’s excluding the six-sixty-three you had to pay back to me for your fees and the day in Oakfall. Kayleigh, honey, you’ve grossed well over a thousand dollars in four days of working here.” Pamela was silent for a moment and relished having Lindsay in her arms. I could get used to this. This girl is way too much temptation. ”Really, just two days since you’ve been suspended for the other two. At your age, you’d be hard-pressed to find another job where you can make that type of money, at least legally.” She leaned in closer, and her voice subsequently istanbul travestileri became edgier. “Do you want to go back to slinging corn dogs in Citronelle for minimum wage and your ex-boyfriend stalking you?”Those words hit Lindsay like a cold splash of water to the face. “No. Never.”“This. Is. Your. Job! Don’t blow it.” I can’t always protect you. “And a big part of your job is to always have a smile if a customer is present or not. You should be able to sit at the dinner table when it’s just us employees and joke around, laugh, have a fun time. You shouldn’t have any enemies and no one should think of you as an enemy. My God, Kayleigh. Society looks down on us enough as is. Prostitutes are the dregs of society and we’re all going to Hell! We’re heathens.”Lindsay’s eyes narrowed. “You believe that?”“No, of course not.” This type of life wasn’t fair. Pamela learned that lesson long ago, but she’d made the best of it. “We’re people like everyone else. We have feelings, emotions, desires, and needs like everyone else. Loved ones in our families get sick and die, they pass away. We go through pain and heartaches. I have an uncle, someone close to me all my life, who has Dementia and doesn’t even know who I am anymore. Do you know how painful that is for me? How much it hurts? We’re not immune because we sell sex and fantasy for a living. People think they have the right to talk shit about us, but they don’t.”Not wanting to get sidetracked and go off on a wild, rambling tangent, Pamela forced herself to calm down. Take a chill pill, girl. This isn’t like you.“My point is, the number one rule in working here, and this goes well beyond making the customer happy, is you have to respect your fellow working ladies, your co-employees. Get along with them, support them. In turn, they’ll support you. If one gets chosen over you in a lineup, there’s no reason to get upset. Be happy for them and trust your turn will come next.”Lindsay pulled away and raised an eyebrow. “And what if it doesn’t?” Her upper lip quivered.“Then trust it will be after that.” She’s got the sexiest, tightest, little body I’ve ever seen. I’d give anything to be as young as her again. Kayleigh has her whole life in front of her and can do whatever she wants. “Listen to what I’m about to tell you, honey, because I live by these words. I swear by them. Someone told me a long time ago, a friend, that the universe responds to what you project. It pays no attention to your wants, your needs, your desires. It only understands what you project, or how you’re broadcasting yourself. If you broadcast doubt and negativity, you’ll attract similar vibrations, and they’ll fester. If you want love and goodwill to manifest themselves in your life, you need to project those feelings, those emotions, every day, all day. Others will see it, they’ll notice. The law of attraction works best if you come into resonance with what you want.”“What does that have to do with me working here?”“You stay positive, baby, and positive things will happen to you. We currently have eight girls on duty. That means you have a one out of an eight chance of getting plucked from a lineup. Those odds aren’t favorable – twelve-point-five percent. You need to keep that in mind, okay?”Lindsay sniffled.“Just because some random guy you’ve never met and will never see again doesn’t pick you, it’s not the end of the world. Nothing to be upset about. Maybe said guy doesn’t like little, barely legal blondes.” I’d love for Colt to go to town on this girl. Just fuck her so hard and ruthless that she couldn’t think or see straight. It would be good for both of them, right? Lindsay would enjoy it, no doubt. But that’s not Colt’s style. “Maybe the customer prefers someone older, perhaps a MILF like Nicolette. Or a wild and rambunctious brunette like Sahara or Riley. You know those two chicks are bursting with limitless energy. Or perhaps the john prefers a foreigner like Kenzie? Someone a little older with frayed edges like Aaliyah? Or maybe he – or she – wants the ultimate fantasy and chooses our resident centerfold and porn star lookalike, Scarlett, with the fire engine red hair and awesome, mind-blowing curves. Kayleigh, honey, no matter what, you can’t take it personal.” Your youth and freshness are why we wanted to hire you to begin with. You offer more variety.“Okay.” Lindsay nodded emphatically and tried to convince herself to listen to reason. Pamela was the expert in this line of work. It all made sense. Lindsay wasn’t exactly attracted to every type of guy, right? Why should every single one of them be attracted to her?“I’ll get better. I don’t want to lose this job.” It would be a black mark on her employment record if she did and Lindsay wondered if it would interfere with getting hired at a more well-known brothel in the future. Or a “real job”, say, ten years from now. “I promise to work on my emotions.” Lindsay couldn’t let the disdain she harbored for Colt and Aaliyah ruin her future.Nor could she let it sever the friendship she and Pamela were building together.“I’ll help you get better. I like you. I want you to keep working here for a long time.” Pamela leaned forward and kissed Lindsay square on the forehead. “Can I ask you something, sweetheart?” Her face shone with affection. “What is your why?”Lindsay’s travesti istanbul eyes went blank. “Huh?”Pamela laughed gently and stroked Lindsay’s forearm. “What is your why? Your why is what you ultimately want in life, the reason behind all your choices and the path you’ve chosen. Do you know what it is?” Take a chance, dammit. She’s won’t take offense to anything you say or do. “Whether it be stability, growth, financial freedom, a family, adventure, whatever. Make sure your personality is aligned with your why. If you do that, your why will be manifested much more efficiently. For example, if your why is love, make sure you’re lovable. Be open to love, treat others with love, and choose love above fear in every decision, every situation.” Pamela tilted her head back and forth several times, full of zest and energy. “Lovelovelovelove.”Lindsay stared back at her, slack-jawed.“I find it funny how – or, not funny, very sad, actually – people spend a lot of time, energy, money, and focus on their physical body, how they look, but not take care of their mind the same way. In my opinion, your mind, your mindset, is the most important thing you’ve got. If you put effort into your mindset, make it better, healthier, you’ll find everything around you is so much easier.”Pamela exhaled a deep breath. “Cosmetic surgery, fixing yourself, it’s a big issue here, a big thing. With this being a brothel and so much of our success, or failure, riding on our physical appearance. Most of the girls who’ve been here over the years have done something to their look, but I don’t know where the line is drawn. Dying their hair, fixing their eyebrows, wearing extensions on their lashes. Is that in the same category as cosmetic surgery? The same ballpark? In my opinion, they should do whatever they want, but also be aware of the fact it’s not their body that needs fixing, it’s their mentality.”Lindsay sat motionless, not uttering a word, and took in everything about Pamela and her amazing aura. The woman was sensible, wise beyond her years, and unflappable. Pamela was unlike all the other girls in the house. She wasn’t conceited and never belittled anyone.“I think a lot of girls in this business fix their boobs, their ass, their noses, their lips, whatever, because they think it will make them happy. But I don’t know one person who’s had surgery and they’re suddenly happy.” Scarlett comes to mind. She’s about as unhappy as anyone could be. “When girls come to me asking if they should get this done, get that done, I usually tell them they need to work on themselves from the inside out first. It’ll ease their stress. Altering their body is a quick fix and doesn’t lead to any long-term happiness.”Pamela gave Lindsay’s shoulder a gentle massage. “And by that same token, sweet Kayleigh, you need to work on yourself from the inside out too.” She tapped Lindsay’s temple with her index finger. “You’re young and have time. What do you want in life? What is your why? Just be positive. Know it, own it, act it. Shine like the whole universe is yours. Be such a beautiful soul that others crave your vibes. My God, you’re the sweetest, prettiest girl I’ve ever seen come through this place in twelve years. No one else even comes close. Work on your mindset and you’ll be making money hand over fist here in no time flat.”Was that the nicest compliment Lindsay had ever received? She couldn’t think of a better one. But how could she respond to it? And to all that eloquent advice she’d received? Lindsay still found herself tongue-twisted, speechless.Falling in love with another prostitute like this – perhaps even idolizing one – was never part of her grand plan.“I don’t know why you question yourself either, baby.” Yeah, say it. “Are you attractive enough to work here? Wow. You already know how I feel, what I think. Have you looked in the mirror recently?” Say it, be honest. “If I were a customer and came in and saw you, I’d drop as much money as I could and go all-out on your gorgeous little body.” Pamela’s soft eyes scoured Lindsay from head to toe and back up again. “I’d empty out my bank account and eat you alive.”The thirty-year-old swiveled her head toward the television but could see Lindsay literally hyperventilating in response via her peripheral vision. Pamela stifled another laugh. “I admit, I always liked Tom and Jerry when I was growing up. Watched them a ton. The Flintstones and SpongeBob too.” On the screen, Tom was trapped in a pool table with his head sticking out of the corner pocket. Jerry whacked him upside the skull with a cue stick, causing him to scream, and a ball went tumbling down his throat. “Hey! I remember this one! Funny stuff.”When Pamela twisted back around, Lindsay’s blue eyes were fixated on her and twinkling like jewels underneath a bright summertime sky. Need, want, lust, they were all swirling. Pamela had confidence she could give Lindsay what she desired – what she suddenly needed – in a matter of seconds.Unable to resist such a steamy look, Pamela moved her lips dangerously close to Lindsay’s mouth and hovered way too long, only an inch or two from making contact. “How long have you been attracted to other girls, sweetheart?”Lindsay followed the path of Pamela’s left index finger as it trailed sensuous, haphazard circles along her inner thigh. She had to exhale once or twice to corral her senses. “Umm, all my life.”“Me too. Could never resist them. I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl I wasn’t attracted to in some form or another. I love them all.” Pamela grinned and tilted her head. “You’re so pretty when you blush.”