Terry flipped through a psychology text, trying to concentrate on the pretentious jargon. The dorm suite was quiet. For once, she couldn't blame her roommates for distracting her; they were all out for the evening. She would have gone with them β they'd invited her β but they always ended up at an expensive restaurant or a club with a steep cover charge. Payday for her cafeteria job was still three days away. She needed to conserve her pocket money.
After a few more minutes Terry slammed her book shut. It was useless; she just wasn't going to get any work done. She pushed her chair back and stood up. There had to be somebody around to talk to. She was only wearing panties and a bra, so she pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt and headed down the hall. Her first stop was a bust. The suite next door was as empty as hers. Come on, she thought, it's a Tuesday night. Where is everybody? But she knew the answer. They all had social lives. She amended that thought. They could all
afford
social lives. Still, it was a big dorm. Someone had to be around. She tried a single at the end of the hall. Its occupant, Vanessa, was a senior who Terry knew from a couple of dorm parties.
To her surprise, Vanessa opened the door right away. Vanessa was wearing what could only be described as a naughty schoolgirl outfit: a short plaid skirt, knee socks, and a white blouse open way down in front revealing a deep cleavage. Vanessa looked... grown up. A striking woman with lush curves, meticulously groomed from her long dark hair to her pink manicured nails and subtle eye shadow. Terry had usually seen her surrounded by male admirers, and no wonder. She wondered idly what level of time commitment looks like Vanessa's required.
"Oh, hi, Terry," she said pleasantly. "I was just on my way out. What's up?"
Her, too? Terry must have looked as distressed as she felt.
"What's the matter?" Vanessa asked.
"Oh, nothing, really. I was looking for an excuse not to study, but everyone seems to have something else going on this evening."
Vanessa smiled sympathetically. "Why don't you come with me? I have an appointment, but it won't take more than 45 minutes or so. Then we can get coffee somewhere."
Terry smiled. Coffee was still in her price range. "Sure. I'd love to." And it was true. She felt a little privileged to be riding around with Vanessa in her racy Audi, hanging out with such a sophisticated and glamorous senior.
"Where do you need to go?"
"Oh, just a motel." The answer was casual, but something in Vanessa's voice told Terry not to ask for more details.
The motel was a few minutes away from school, and Vanessa parked in the back. She seemed to be familiar with the layout.
"You can wait in the lobby. I'll be back to collect you in a bit."
Terry sat in a plush chair and leafed through tourist brochures, then moved on to a real-estate magazine with its brightly-colored images of impossibly expensive homes near lakes and golf courses. She computed that she'd have to work 8,400 cafeteria shifts before she could buy one of them.
Eventually, Vanessa returned and they headed for a Starbucks. Vanessa was telling Terry about her vacation plans in Cancun when her cell phone rang.
"Oh, hi Jeff," Vanessa said cheerily. "Tonight?" She looked towards Terry. "Well, I'm kind of tied up."
Terry whispered: "Don't worry about me. If you need to go somewhere..."
Vanessa mouthed: "Are you sure?" Terry nodded emphatically. "Okay, I can do it. The suites place? What number? 114? Okay, see you at nine."
Terry sat silently, not knowing what to say. Was this what she thought it was? She wasn't naΓ―ve, but it came as a surprise to her that girls she knew went around meeting guys named Jeff in motel rooms late at night. But she was probably jumping to a totally unwarranted conclusion. She looked over at Vanessa, who had put her phone away.
"Ah, look, Vanessa, I don't mean to pry, but, um, what was that about?"
Vanessa smiled, totally at ease. "Well, I don't advertise the fact around school, but I do erotic massages to earn a little extra money. I don't usually do two guys right after one another, but Jeff's a regular and I try to accommodate him."
Terry didn't know what to say. She looked down at her lap, embarrassed.
"So I should probably drive you back. We can go out tomorrow night instead if you'd like."
"Oh, I don't want you to go out of your way."
Vanessa gave that some thought. "Well, you could wait again and we could find some place that's open late afterwards."
"Sure. That'd be fine."
Vanessa looked thoughtfully at Terry for a moment. "Or you could come in with me. I'm sure Jeff wouldn't mind."
Terry was stunned into silence. Was she joking? No, apparently not. It was obviously crazy; she couldn't even imagine being part of a scene like that. It was... she wasn't quite sure what it was. Sordid? Demeaning? Something along those lines. Or maybe not. She had to admit to just the slightest bit of curiosity. What exactly was it that Vanessa did?
"Ah, Terry?"
She wondered if this was how other girls she knew got their cars and their nice clothes. Some of them had well-to-do parents, but most were like Terry's, able to cover their daughters' tuition, but not much more. Her curiosity nagged at her. When would she get another opportunity like this? Probably never. She could think of it as research for her psychology course, get some homework done tonight after all. And who would know? Vanessa wasn't likely to tell anyone.