Ellie felt so good about her success in the escort business that she decided to call home.
Her mother answered on the second ring. "Hello?"
"Mom?"
"Ellie ... is that you?"
"Yes."
"My god, Ellie, is it really you? I thought..."
"I'm fine, Mom, really, I'm fine."
"Where are you?"
"At the moment I'm in Atlanta, but I'm headed to the airport."
"Where ... where are you going? Are you coming home?"
"No, Mom, I'm not ready to come home ... just yet."
"Oh..."
"Mom, I'm fine. How are you?"
"I'm well. I do miss you so much, Ellie."
"Have you seen any of my friends?"
"Yes, Donny has stopped by. He always asks if I've heard from you," her mother said, not mentioning that he was now her lover.
Ellie felt a thrill in her loins at the mention of Donny's name.
"How is he?"
"Fine ... he misses you. You should call him."
"Maybe I will," Ellie said, gnawing at a fingernail.
"Look, Ellie, if you're not coming home ... at least call me once a week."
"Sure Mom. I'll do it, so until next week, okay?"
"I love you, Sweetheart/"
"I love you, too Mom."
________________________________________
Ellie's newest client was something of a mystery man to Ava Gardena. All she knew was that he was a powerful man and broached no mistakes from the women he paid for. They did his bidding with no questions asked. That wasn't something all her girls were equipped to do, and so, with some trepidation, she approached Ellie in hopes that she would be able to carry it off.
"I don't know ... I never know beforehand, what he's going to demand of my girls."
"Ava, I..."
Ava interrupted Ellie.
"I know you're good, Ellie. I know that. But this guy..."
"I can handle him, I know I can," Ellie was quick to say, perhaps to quick.
"All right," Ava replied. "Here's the address. Remember, if things get out of hand, leave. I won't hold it against you. This guy might be all right. But he might be dangerous. I had a guy like him once, years ago. He killed the girl and got away with it. The cops never even talked to him about the murder."
"Jeez," Ellie said. "Didn't even talk to him?"
"He had paid someone off, someone high up. This guy is like that, he's connected. No one's going to bother him. So be careful, understand?"
"I will, and thanks for the tip."
________________________________________
Hot gusts of air puffed through the hole in the rusted fire wall separating Ellie from the engine and swirled up under her short skirt, bringing with it heat and the stink of burning oil. She had cajoled Melody into buying the Junker for her after cashing her first decent sized check.
The hot blasts warmed the insides of her bare thighs, touched the crotch of her panties as she drove toward the home of her mystery client.
Ellie thought about how she would react to him ... and his demands.
In front of the impressive door of the house, Ellie squared her shoulders, took a deep breath, and pressed the doorbell. She nibbled nervously on her lower lip as she waited. The facade of the house was blank and uninformative - not formidable or frightening, just unhelpful. The windows were like mirrors - reflecting images of the immaculate lawns and shrubs.
The house was modern, long and low, all on one floor. The color was a spotless white. The entrance where Ellie waited was set exactly in the center of the front of the house. The door was a huge slab of wood, some four feet wide. The fixtures were brass, simple, well polished, and expensive.
The wait for her ring to be answered increased Ellie's nervousness. She wished she was certain of the time. Her watch had quit working, and she hadn't gotten around to having it repaired, or replacing it.
Reluctantly, she pressed the rectangular ivory button a second time. There was a sound, and Ellie fought the urge to step back another pace. Determinedly, she held her ground as the door swung open.
"Good morning. It's Ellie, isn't it?"
Ellie took in the man's robe, his dark hair plastered flat on his head with water.
Had he just been in the shower?
"I'm sorry," she stuttered, "I thought you said..."
"I did," he assured her calmly, his voice, a baritone, giving the impression of restrained power. "Please, come in, Rachel."
"If it's inconvenient, Mr. Jones, I could always come back later?" she timidly suggested, mentally berating herself for her shyness, and for getting off to such a bad beginning.