Power Sabotaged : A New Life For Sheila
Part 7 : Sheila's Brave Adventure
The next night Sheila bravely returned alone, full of anticipation and much trepidation, eager to have this experience while it presented itself. Sheila stood on the side of the street, warm summer air blowing pleasantly through her hair. It did not seem so busy for some reason tonight, but maybe it was still early. Another woman stood nearby. She had been here before Sheila. As nothing much seemed to be happening Sheila decided to make conversation.
"Hi there! Have you been out here a lot?" She wondered at herself for attempting to reveal more of her new 'sordid' identity to another woman, but she did not know the woman from previous normal times.
"Not a lot." The woman glanced at her, but seemed not to offer more in conversation. Probably she was ashamed of what she did, or was concerned at being recognised by too many people.
Ordinarily Sheila would not have wished to encroach further upon the veil of remoteness or privacy which this woman seemed to want to hide behind, but there was something about the excitement of what she was doing that made her want to intrude further. "It doesn't seem very busy here tonight?" she offered.
"There aren't many clients left!" said the woman, unable to avoid showing her frustration.
"Is that so?" said Sheila. "That's a shame. I suppose everyone is running out of food now, or even money."
"But what am I going to do if there are no clients," said the woman, showing her frustration at the worsening conditions for the women who had resorted to offering themselves. "I need the food or the money. You are new here aren't you? I haven't seen you on this street before."
"Yes that's true. Normally, like yourself I don't doubt, I would never have contemplated doing anything like this. But as most of us are short of food we've been driven to it. I have a man who's been good to me with food, but I feel the need to explore this adventure, of earning food or money this way. He may well be running short of food soon, I am sure, so I need to find out where I can earn more."
The woman, who was dark haired, regarded her strangely at first, but the look passed. "It was busy here over the last couple of weeks," the dark haired woman explained. "More women were coming here to offer themselves and more rich or food rich men were hearing about what they could get here. Clients were turning up in larger numbers.
"I started doing this about three weeks ago, because I had nothing in the fridge. All those wonderful neighbours of mine! They wouldn't give me bread, vegetables or anything. I suppose you could understand everyone's fear of running out of food. But I was out of food before any of them, and no one was very helpful.
"So I was desperate. One neighbour, the husband of a friend, did make a suggestion to me. He would give me some food in return for sex. But I wouldn't cheat on my friend in that way, and I was annoyed with him. If he wanted to give me food he could have given it without exacting a price.
"I started to feel ill from lack of nourishment and I knew I had to do something. So I went to visit another close friend. She took pity on me and shared some of her food with me. She told me about rumours she'd heard, of women earning food from men who wanted sex. There was a place where women, normal women, office workers, professionals, housewives, whoever, could sell their charms for food or money. She said she didn't think there was anything very wrong in doing this. In today's unusual circumstances women had to do something to keep their heads above water. Besides it might well be an exciting experience.
"Of course many of us women these days have fantasies about sexual promiscuity, prostitution and so on. Most of us don't do too much about these fantasies because we're too tied up with worries and responsibilities; our careers, our husbands, children, babies. We worry about what our neighbours and peers might think. But then again most of us have experienced a few different boyfriends before we settled down and maybe have changed partners from time to time.
"So I thought, 'What the hell! I might as well give it a go.' Of course when I came down here it was getting quite busy, but I've certainly earned quite a lot of food from it, and sometimes other things. And I have found it quite exciting, sexually. The only trouble is this week, particularly tonight, we're lucky to see a client. All the foodstocks are down, and the men can't afford to pay us any more."
"Oh dear!" said Sheila, feeling very disappointed. She had built herself up for this excitement and felt let down, although she was interested to hear this woman's experiences, not dissimilar from her own. "I was so looking forward to some sexual adventure, as well as the food! Have there been no clients at all?"
"Few. That's why most of the other ladies have gone home now. But there has still been a steady trickle. Last night I had two different men, which is fine. Tonight I have only been on for half an hour before you came. Another woman found a client, but there's been nothing else yet. I'll see how it goes for another hour or two, but if nothing happens I'll be leaving."
The woman had dark good looks, and she was slim. Sheila imagined most men would find her attractive. It was not long before a mature man, of strong build and large stomach, came upon them, eyeing both with interest as he approached.
"Are you looking for business?" he addressed them, politely enough, although his guise told her he knew they could be his if he willed it.
"Yes if you have food or money," said the dark haired woman.
"I do of course! Plenty. Do you like rice? Vegetables - and a fresh steak?"
Sheila felt graced by the man's gaze. She was conscious she could not compare with the dark haired woman, who was quite elegantly built and had a pretty face. And yet this man was weighing them both up. She felt exhilaration that she was still in the running. Perhaps her blonde brown hair and her smiley face were as attractive to this man as to Bob.
The man made up his mind. "I'll take you lady," he addressed the brunette. "No less respect to you lady," he nodded to Sheila. "If I could take two in one night I'd take you too. Perhaps I'll try you out another night lady."
Sheila felt some disappointment, but she had expected the dark lady to win that contest. She had been here first. It was only right that she should acquire the first customer. In truth she was relieved. Although she would have liked to be picked, that was for her ego, to satisfy her desire to be adored by all men. She did not really fancy the man much. He was strong looking, but rather too plump around the waist for her tastes, and he was getting a little too old to be very attractive.
For her at this moment, this was not about food or survival. She still had Bob, although she did not know how long for, because she suspected he was running short of food.
So she was not downhearted. The man had paid her a compliment. She only hoped there would be another along soon, one who wanted her, and hopefully whom she could find attractive. After the bad tidings the brunette had told, she feared that the evening would not be busy. If no one else came, or if whoever came decided not to part with their precious food, then she would be more than disappointed with a failed adventure. She told herself there was plenty of reason for hope.
She watched as the elegant brunette led her customer down the road and disappeared into a side road with him. Sheila faced the empty street alone.
She wondered if anyone else would appear on this dark street tonight. Luckily the moon was bright and there was light from the generators in some nearby buildings, office blocks. It seemed strange that the lights should be on here when nobody was at work. They cast a strong enough light onto the road to facilitate the business which had recently been plied here. The minutes clicked by, and she wondered whether she had been worth coming here after all, if the illicit trade was in such decline.
She heard footsteps. Almost before she was aware a man walked briskly up the street towards her. Slim and angular, he wore a broad rimmed hat, like a black cowboy hat, probably to cover his features, in case anyone he knew would find out about his activities after dark. He surveyed her coolly as he passed her. Without stopping or hesitating for a moment he continued on up the street, probably in search of more choice, she thought. She felt the pang of failure. A potential customer did not find her attractive enough and was continuing on, up the street, looking for a more suitable woman. Sheila did not know whether she could have found him attractive. She could not have told his age or seen his face. She realised cruelly that if she were to succeed at all in this game she would have to accept her opinions were irrelevant. If she wanted to earn the groceries or money she needed she would have to accept the judgements of men. To be worthy of men's food or value might be difficult as shortages became severe. A man would have to prize a woman very much to be willing to part with his precious commodities.
Another man approached from further down the road. This one walked slowly and seemed to have spied her from a distance. As he approached he looked very directly at her. The man was small in height, well built and thickset. In contrast to the slim and tall man he wore nothing on his head and sported a tidily groomed head of hair. She judged he might still be in his thirties or perhaps older.
"Are you feeling lonely tonight?" he joked to her, perhaps testing her to see whether he might desire her.
She laughed, understanding the joke. "Yes, there aren't many out tonight, of men or women."
"If you'd like some vegetables you can show me to your rooms," he offered cheerily.
