Chapter One
Jerilyn stared at the phone as it rang a second time. The caller ID showed her husband's name and since it was almost her bedtime she knew what to expect. When she answered the phone, Antony would start the nightly routine he established almost two years ago and tell her he had to stay at work. Again.
It rang a third time and Jerilyn scowled in resentment. Last night when she lay alone in bed, she made herself a promise to not go another day without someone's touch. In the cold light of day she doubted she could go through with it, but if he ignored her one more night . . .
On the fourth ring her thumb hovered over the answer button. She loved her husband and didn't want her marriage to end but she couldn't bear this corrosive loneliness. When he was around, he lavished her with attention, doted on her, made her feel like the center of the universe. But those occasions were so rare they didn't make up for the endless nights alone.
Her hand trembled on the fifth ring. She had to answer it now. If he let her down again, it was his problem. It wasn't like he was in the military and sent away because of duty. He chose to stay at work. He chose a nearby hotel or his office over their home, and his career over her. So be it.
Jerilyn pushed the answer button. "Hello, Antony."
"Hello, sweetheart." Antony sounded tired but happy. "Did I get you out of the shower?"
"No."
"Good. I hope I didn't interrupt you in the middle of something."
"Nope." Like there was anything for her to do while she wasted her life waiting for him. You could only clean an apartment so much. "It just took me a bit longer than normal to answer." She tried to put some enthusiasm into her voice but couldn't manage it.
"I can tell you're unhappy with me and I don't blame you." That was Antony's segue into his usual apology and explanation but Jerilyn couldn't listen to it again.
"You're not coming home again." It should have been a question but it came out in a depressed monotone. She wanted to weep.
Antony sighed and she pictured him rubbing the bridge of his nose and squeezing his eyes shut. "No, I'm not. I'm sorry, I want to, I really do, but I can't afford the time away from this project, not if I want to make the deadline."
"There's a deadline now?" Jerilyn grasped at this new development. Antony never mentioned a deadline before.
"Sort of." He sounded evasive and her heart sank. "It's complicated."
"Naturally."
"I'm sorry, babe. I want to have this done by our anniversary, that's the deadline I'm shooting for. But I can't force the other parties to move on my time line. All I can do is get my side done as fast as possible."
Jerilyn went to the calendar. What day was it? Friday? No, Tuesday. It seemed like it should be later in the week. Her schedule never changed which made it easy to lose track of the days. She found the date and what little hope she had, vanished. Their anniversary was almost three months away. Even if he finished his precious project he probably had another one lined up.
"I miss you, isn't there any way you can come home, just for the weekend?"
"I want to Jeri, I really do."
"But you can't." Jerilyn wanted to whine and beg but that would only make them both miserable without changing anything.
"I can't." He sounded as unhappy as she felt but it had to be an act. Otherwise, he wouldn't work so much.
"Then take care of yourself. Make sure you get enough exercise and eat right. With all the hours you put in you can afford decent food."
"I love you, sweetheart. You take care of yourself too." Jerilyn believed he loved her, she just didn't believe he loved her enough. At least not enough for her.
"I love you too." She meant it, but she knew she no longer loved him enough either. She ended the call and went to bed. Coming to a decision the night before gave her a measure of peace but she still hadn't been able to sleep. Tonight was shaping up the same way. For the second night in a row, she considered having an affair.
She may not be the most beautiful woman in the world, but she also knew she could find a guy easy enough. But the thought of picking up some random guy to have sex with repulsed her. It made her feel like she didn't respect herself plus there was too much danger of disease and pregnancy. She quit taking the pill over a year ago when it became clear Antony wasn't interested in sex anymore. He tried to give her all the attention she wanted, but he was always too tired. So if she didn't want a guy, that left a woman and she had no idea how to seduce a woman. Or even where to find a woman to seduce. The frustrating predicament got her out of bed and had her pacing the apartment.
What was wrong with her, anyway? Why did Antony pull away from her? She didn't have a body like the woman living downstairs, but she wasn't repulsive. It never seemed to bother Antony that she barely filled and "a" cup. He said he liked her small breasts, especially when she didn't wear a bra and bent over. He looked down her shirt and saw her nipples, something a big breasted woman couldn't do. The woman downstairs could bend over and no matter what she wore, there was no looking down her shirt and seeing anything but cleavage.
What about the woman downstairs? Jerilyn realized she saw people come to her apartment every day, stay for an hour or so then leave. What kind of job did a woman have where men and women came by every day? Perhaps a drug dealer? No, that didn't feel right. All the people coming by looked respectable, not like drug users and the schedule was too consistent. No, it had to be something else.
She closed her eyes and tried to picture the people coming and going. They all looked more relaxed when they left. Jerilyn's face split into a wide grin. There was only one possibility, the woman was a professional sex worker. It fit all the evidence. The fact she serviced women solved all her problems. She could go to a professional and get the contact she needed while avoiding all the pitfalls of an affair. Having sex with an expert wasn't like cheating, it was a business transaction. With no emotions involved there wouldn't be any messy repercussions. If someone gave her the physical attention she craved, it should satisfy her long enough to make Antony see reason and come back to her. When he did, she could stop seeing the prostitute and not have to worry about hurt feelings. If Antony didn't come back, well at least she'd still be sane.
With her plan formed and perfected Jerilyn finally managed to go to sleep.
The next afternoon, after she finished her chores, she took a long bath then took extra time with her make-up and hair. The clothes she picked were easy to get in and out of. No reason to waste time getting undressed. After all, she wanted a service, not a seduction, which is also why she skipped underwear. The point was to get naked and get an orgasm, not to put on a show.
When she finished preparing, she looked in the mirror and liked what she saw. It was time to take care of herself for once instead of waiting on a man who wouldn't come home, even on the weekends. She stuffed money in her purse and marched out the door determined to have a long overdue good time.
Jerilyn rushed down the stairs and knocked on the door before she gave herself a chance to reconsider. The door opened to an incredibly beautiful woman.
"Um, hi." Now that Jerilyn was faced with the reality of her decision, she didn't know what to say. In her fantasies of self gratification she got right to the sex, she had no idea how to initiate this in the real world. "My name is Jerilyn. I'm your upstairs neighbor."
"Hello Jerilyn, I'm Rain." She held out a hand to shake with a wide, friendly smile. "I'm glad to meet you."
Jerilyn shook the hand, taken a bit off guard. "You can call me Jeri." She always pictured sex workers as hard women with cold, suspicious eyes. Rain's face looked like an open book and her large hazel eyes made her look innocent and maybe even naive. "I've never done anything like this before."
