Tim Purdy balanced on his right (and only) leg and fished a pair of crutches out of the back seat of the Veteran's Administration transport van. The sun was scorching on this late July morning just outside Atlanta. "Thanks for the ride, Mike," he called.
"No problem, Tim. Same time tomorrow, right?"
"I'll be ready."
Tim slid the van's door closed and checked the area. Since coming back from Afghanistan, he was much more aware of his physical surroundings than the ordinary American. He knew the hyper-awareness was unnecessary, but it was a part of the moderate PTSD he was learning to deal with. Tim almost never spotted anything worth his attention, but this time he noticed a young woman sitting behind the wheel of a car, idling across the street from his house. Not only was she watching him, she was talking on a cell phone and to his somewhat paranoid eye it sure looked as if she was talking about him. Tim kept an eye on her as he hobbled up the walk to his front door.
Once inside, Tim immediately made his way to a small wall safe. He punched a combination into the digital lock and the door swung open. Tim reached in and pulled out a compact 9mm pistol. He checked to be sure it was loaded, tucked it into the waistband of his sweat pants, peeked out a front window and saw that the woman was no longer in the car. Just then his doorbell rang. Through the peephole, Tim could see the woman from the car. She was small, maybe 5' 3" and was wearing a flower-print sundress. She was holding a leather binder and had a purse slung over her shoulder. Tim covered the gun with his shirt tail, opened the door a foot and looked out. "Can I help you?"
"Corporal Purdy?"
"That's me."
"I'm Ivy, from Special Services. Could I come in and talk to you?" Now that Tim had a chance to get a better look, he could see that this was a very attractive woman. She had a vaguely Hawaiian or possibly Japanese look, with long black hair and a slim body. If he had to guess, he'd say she was in her middle to late twenties.
"Are you from the VA?"
"No, I'm not from any government agency and I'm not here to sell you anything. I represent a private agency that provides certain services to wounded veterans."
Tim was suspicious. "What kind of services?"
"Could I explain inside? It's awfully hot out here."
Tim didn't detect any threat from ... what was her name? Ivy? He didn't have any real plans for the rest of the day, other than watching some TV and taking a nap. Talking to a pretty girl would at least give him something to do. "Sure, come on in."
Ivy stood in the entryway for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. "Have a seat in the living room," said Tim politely. "I'll be right with you." As Ivy walked away, Tim noticed that there was no telltale line across her back where a bra strap would show. Tim smiled.
Maybe hyper-awareness has its place
, he thought. He stowed his pistol in the drawer of a table just inside the front door and followed Ivy, using his crutches.
Tim sat on his sofa across from Ivy, who had seated herself in a chair on the opposite side of the coffee table. The binder and her purse were on the table in front of her. "Let me explain the services we provide," she said. "First, we only service male veterans who have been seriously injured, usually amputees like you or men with certain kinds of traumatic brain injuries. Second we only service those men who aren't married or in a serious relationship."
Tim raised an eyebrow, looking confused. "You lost me. Totally."
Ivy smiled. "Sorry, let me finish and I'm sure you'll understand. We know that many wounded vets have problems dealing with mainstream society when they return from combat. In addition to their wounds and the issues they face recovering, they often feel cut off from society. Specifically, they feel they aren't up to dating, much less pursuing a romantic, sexual relationship. They are sexually frustrated and that gets in the way of their recovery. The goal of the organization I represent is to provide a sexual outlet for these men by making a variety of attractive women available." Ivy tapped the binder in front of her. "There are currently 42 women in the program here in the Atlanta area. We are available for two visits per week to veterans who wish to avail themselves of our services."
Tim's jaw dropped. "You mean prostitutes? Seriously?"
Ivy frowned. "That's a word we don't much care for. Some of us used to be escorts or call girls, but most of us lost loved ones in Iraq or Afghanistan. We all do it out of respect and gratitude for the service and sacrifice made by our wounded vets. We do get paid, but that's not the reason we do this."
Tim leaned back. "You keep saying 'we'. Are you one of the women who 'service' veterans?"
Ivy nodded and smiled. "Yes, I am. Part of the reason for my visit today is to find out whether you want to accept our services and, if you do, to show you exactly what we offer. In other words, I'm here to have sex with you, if you want me."
Tim didn't know what to say. He considered several responses and rejected them all.