The motel announced itself with a billboard sign three feet above its rooftop that said: DAWN TILL MIDNIGHT PLACE. Everything about the place screamed sleaze, and it was not even midnight. How very appropriate, Jenny clicked her tongue against her upper lip as she eased out of the freeway and drove into the place. She slid her car into an empty parking slot in front of the building and offed her engine and smiled at April.
"Get your game face on, babe. It's party time from here on in."
April puckered her face at her and that got Jenny laughing as they unclasped their seatbelts and alighted from the car. Jenny turned on the alarm before slamming her door and threw her keys into her handbag. This time she did not bother going into the lobby to inquire which room as she led the way towards a flight of stairs to the top floor and walked alongside a barrage of motel room doors. From here, they had a cool view of the freeway; the atrocious noise of traffic was prevalent coming from there.
"Do you know which room it is?" April asked.
"Sure, I do. Just remember to be a good cheer. These aren't my type of customers."
"You certainly don't look scared of anything."
Jenny stopped at a door marked Rm. 23.
"This is it," she indicated. "We're here to fuck and get paid, nothing more. Are you ready?"
"Let's just do this before I lose my shit."
Jenny knocked and waited.
"Who is it?" a man's voice spoke from behind the door.
"It's the woman you requested," Jenny answered. "You know, 1-800-Call-A-Slut. You set up an appointment."
A brief silence, then the door opened a few inches to reveal a broad-chested man in brown pants wearing a wife-beater. His feature was all wrinkles. He had a few day's stubble of beard, and appraised the women with indolent eyes.
"You're a couple minutes late," he said.
"Sorry. There was terrible traffic on the way."
He opened the door further for Jenny and April and then shut the door behind them. April glanced back at the door thinking she had missed her one chance of escaping this surreal dream.
Jenny tapped her arm and April turned to see what she was looking at.
Four other black men occupied the room. Three of them sat on the bed playing dominoes while a third occupied a chair watching something on TV. All four men stopped what they were doing the moment the women entered the room and came to their feet. April felt uneasy but looked at Jenny who beamed a smile at all five of the men and tried to mimic her attitude as she exchanged handshakes with the men and introduced herself as well.
"We're the sluts you boys ordered for your entertainment," Jenny announced. "My friend here is still new at the job, but I hope you boys will go easy on her. As for me, well, I always love my black men hard and strong."
The men were all smiles and grunted responsively as they edged closer. One of them relieved Jenny of her handbag as she fell heartily into the arms of the other men. April stood rooted where she was with a nervous smile as two of the men came at her like hungry lions. She let go of her handbag and gasped as one of the men came at her aggressively. He was about kissing her when she pressed her palm against his lips and looked towards Jenny who already was being groped everywhere by her men.
"You guys are going to wear condoms, right?" April asked.
Her question apparently stopped the proceeding action, but only for a moment before they all burst into laughter, Jenny included.
"Oh yeah, we're gonna bust out the condoms, alright," one of them replied her.