Simmons was drinking alone and waiting for opportunity, which soon arrived in the form of a slim dark-haired beauty who brushed past him \u2013 deliberately he thought \u2013 then sat at a stool one over from his.<\/p>\n
The first thing that struck him was her scent, probably some fancy perfume \u2013 fresh, floral but not heavy. It reminded him of something, but he couldn\u2019t place it. Subtle<\/em>. She looked his way. Their eyes met briefly, and she turned her head.<\/p>\n \u201cCould I buy you a drink?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI suppose,\u201d she said, in a tone that implied surprise at finding herself in a hotel bar in midtown at two in the morning on a weeknight, as though the whole concept was somehow amusing<\/em>.<\/p>\n He took in more of her as the bartender came over. Her dark hair had a hint of auburn, more visible when the light hit it or when she moved her head. She wore it loose, below her shoulders, slightly unkempt, but in a way that seemed deliberate. Bedroom hair, <\/em>he thought. She was leggy, though not exceptionally tall. He didn\u2019t know much about clothes, but sensed her black dress wasn\u2019t cheap. Nothing about her seemed cheap, but he knew she was a whore nevertheless.<\/p>\n \u201cThe lady\u2019ll have \u2026\u201d he looked at her, waiting.<\/p>\n \u201cWhisky,\u201d she said, \u201cdouble, straight up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I\u2019ll have another. What you got on tap.\u201d He was glad he\u2019d ordered the beer. He wanted her to see him as an ordinary guy, a beer drinker, not one of her fancy johns. \u201cWith a whiskey on the side,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m Joe,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cVioletta,\u201d she said, opening her mouth to reveal the most perfect set of teeth he\u2019d ever seen, glistening white against the pink tongue and red lips. She couldn\u2019t have been much older than twenty-one. Maybe she was even younger than that.<\/p>\n \u201cVioletta,\u201d he repeated. He figured it was probably her whore name. Her real one might have been something more prosaic, like Marie.<\/p>\n \u201cVioletta Val\u00e9ry,\u201d she said. Her voice was wispy, soft, girlish. He wondered if she was putting it on.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is that? French or something?\u201d He was staring at her eyes. They were so large and dark it was hard to pick out the pupil from the iris, which made her look at once childlike and mysterious.<\/p>\n She laughed. There was nothing cruel in the sound of it, but he felt like she was laughing at him, and that made him want to grab her by the throat.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n It took him aback she\u2019d read something in his face. He\u2019d been taking too many risks lately. He knew the ride would be over soon, but he didn\u2019t want it to end tonight, not when he had a chance of bagging the prize before him.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you from, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHere, there, everywhere. And you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHave you ever been to,\u201d she hesitated a moment, \u201cSaskatchewan?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s where I\u2019m from, Saskatchewan.\u201d<\/p>\n He smiled. He wanted her to know he was in on the joke. He figured she didn\u2019t think he had enough cash for a girl like her. They were only a block from the UN. Maybe she\u2019d just left some visiting diplomat\u2019s hotel room after giving him a two-grand blowjob. He had a vision of punching in that lovely mouth and taking out all those pretty teeth, smashing them down like bowling pins.<\/p>\n \u201cTourist?\u201d He asked.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, I live here now.\u201d<\/p>\n The bartender put the drinks in front of them. He picked up his glass and nodded towards hers. She caught his cue. The glasses clinked. \u201cTo Monday nights,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n He watched her gulp down her drink. Saw the movement in her thin neck as the liquid went down her pretty throat.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you? An actress? A model. You look like you could be a model.\u201d<\/p>\n She smiled just slightly. She didn\u2019t answer the question.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re really beautiful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n She looked at him in a way women didn\u2019t often look at men, fully appraising his assets. He felt his anger rising, as well as the need to suppress it. There\u2019d be time later.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re not so bad yourself,\u201d she said in that wispy little girl voice. She reached out a hand, leaned over, touched his arm. \u201cSo strong and big. Like a wrestler.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHigh school team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n She smiled again showing off those teeth. He imagined she had them bleached regularly.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew it,\u201d she squealed. \u201cA girl could feel safe with you.\u201d Up close even her breath smelled good.<\/p>\n Joe didn\u2019t think she was lying. He couldn\u2019t have gotten as far as he had if he didn\u2019t look trustworthy, if they didn\u2019t find him attractive. But he also knew she was plying her trade. She\u2019d say anything for a buck. Do anything you paid her to. She might not even like men. But still, she was different from the others. No needle marks on those arms. Though she was pale, there was a rosiness to her complexion \u2013 the bloom of youth. She took care of herself. She was classy. He could see why men would pay a lot to be with her, but in his eyes that didn\u2019t make her any \u201cbetter\u201d than her sisters.<\/p>\n He grabbed her smooth little hand. It felt cold, a sign of nerves. He wondered if there was a pimp, someone who would beat her if she didn\u2019t bring back enough. She might \u201cact\u201d different, but they were all the same. He started to kiss the hand, ran his tongue over the fingertips.<\/p>\n She wriggled slightly, tilted her head back, her mouth half opened as though she were already in ecstasy.<\/p>\n \u201cI got a bottle up in my room,\u201d he said. \u201cImported. The good stuff. We could take the party up there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe could,\u201d she said uncertainly.<\/p>\n \u201cBut?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s late, and uh,\u201d she leaned toward him, \u201cI like you. I really, really like you.\u201d<\/p>\n (If you have any interest in reading the rest, you can see the FREE preview on Goodreads<\/a> OR you can buy the paperback <\/a>for the price of 3 Starbucks’ lattes, or the \u00a0ebook <\/a>for 1 Starbuck latte, or you can find out how you can get a free copy<\/a>, or you can go to the book page<\/a> and learn more)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Simmons was drinking alone and waiting for opportunity, which soon arrived in the form of a slim dark-haired beauty who brushed past him \u2013 deliberately he thought \u2013 then sat at a stool one over from his. The first thing that struck him was her scent, probably some fancy perfume \u2013 fresh, floral but not … Continue reading You See What I Did Here<\/span>