Prelude
As Emily sank deeper into the simmering warmth of her tub, the candle on the vanity flickered with almost ghostly reflections in the mirror adding a virtually eerie ambiance to the bathroom. The scents of lavender bath oil beads that had melted in the water earlier coupled with the mulberries of the wafting aromas of the candle. Emily kept her eyes loosely shut as her naked body relaxed in the tub and her mind meandered back several eventful years ago. So much had changed in her life in that time and she found herself reflecting on those memories that will haunt or inspire her for the remainder of her days on this Earth.
Year One
Emily was a thirty year old woman fresh out of a failed marriage. Her husband was a philandering cheat, a reckless spendthrift, and had roaming eyes that no longer seemed to land on her as a source for sexual gratification. After a few years of distanced living bereft of love or compassion, the only real reward of her wedding vows was her one year old daughter. Samantha was the light of her life and desires for her to have a privileged life were the motivations Emily had for finally launching divorce proceedings. She never heard from her deadbeat ex husband again.
Emily had married her husband right out of school. She attended university for her first year, but dropped out when her husband promised to take care of her for the rest of her life. Emily confessed that he did just that for the first few years of their marriage. The seemingly insurmountable challenge emerged now that she was alone to face the obstacles of life without an education, a vocation, or a means to support Samantha.
Emily had become somewhat close friends with her landlady Tara. Tara owned the complex and the two women virtually of the same age had become solid friends. One Saturday night, Tara came by the apartment to find Emily leafing through the want-ads and typing up multiple letters of application to relatively modest entry level positions of employment. After a short discussion over a steaming mug of coffee, Tara offered Emily an opportunity that changed the face of her life for the next few years.
Tara always seemed to have an abundance of disposable income, but Emily had never contemplated for a moment that Tara may have outside sources of income. Tara saw a need to confess and in the next few minutes explained that she had been an "escort" for some years. While Tara started off as a companion for hire, she now exclusively orchestrated dates with men seeking out time and companionship. Tara explained that she earned a substantial income which allowed her to procure this complex several years before they had met.
It didn't take long for Emily to be convinced. Looking over at the rapidly emptying fridge and knowing her purse wasn't in much better shape, Emily knew the time for a revolutionary change was fast approaching. Christmas was coming soon and she didn't want to face Samantha on Christmas morning without a gift for her little girl.
Emily and Tara set up a safety net for her to use for every appointment she made. Tara would call her shortly after the onset of her appointment and Emily would pretend a family member was calling. It was an innocent fib to protect Emily's safety. The code word was Aurora -- Emily's little sister's name.
Tara started to set up appointments for Emily. When Tara told Emily one of the first clients to contact her was a woman, Emily almost refused to meet her. No woman had ever been a candidate for her sexual yearnings. Could she face a woman on a sexual playing field? Tara confided that she had some past lesbian encounters and had enjoyed them each and every time. The few female clients in this business were actually prized.
Emily briefly struggled with the arrangement, but finally decided that her emotions in this business would have to remain impersonal in the long run. She wouldn't grow attached to her clients and they would be gone from her life after a few hours of sacrifice on her part. Emily's curiosity, too, was growing about this mysterious client. In the end, she agreed to the meeting.
The time soon came for Emily's first appointment. She worried all day long as she exercised, showered, and primed herself for her upcoming liaison. Emily borrowed a beautiful dress from Tara. Tara did Emily's makeup and her hairstyle that flattered her sculpted features. Tara agreed to take care of Samantha for the remainder of the evening.
Whenever Emily was stressed out, worried, or otherwise on edge, she found herself pacing methodically if not frantically. It seemed as if she was going to wear a hole through the beaten path of her fading carpet when she heard the knock on the door that broke her haphazard concentration. It's now or never, Emily.
For a skip and a beat of her palpitating heart, she thought about calling off the whole ordeal. Emily took one more scan of the spartanly decorated room, took a deep labored breath, and opened the door.
Standing on the doorstep was a fetching woman very close to her own age. The woman stood a few inches taller than Emily. Her body was athletically built no doubt from countless hours in a gym. Her long tresses of blondish white hair draped down her back. The woman was dressed conservatively and was bundled in a supple leather jacket. She was carrying a poinsettia in her arms.
Woman -- "You must be Linda. I'm Jocelyn."
Linda was the name that Emily had chosen to conceal her identity. She needed to come up with an alias that didn't sound particularly faked, but also didn't closely resemble her own real name. Emily wasn't fond of welcoming strangers into her home, but at the moment this really was her only option.
Jocelyn -- "Can I come in, Linda? You seem a little nervous. We can rebook if another time would be more suitable."
Emily -- "No Jocelyn. Come in. Come in."
Jocelyn -- "Thanks Linda. I brought this plant for you. It's so close to Christmas and one of the youth groups was selling them at the corner."
Emily -- "Thanks Jocelyn. That was very kind of you. Can I take your jacket?"
Jocelyn turned around and Emily hovered in behind her. Emily reached for her waist length leather jacket as Jocelyn shrugged the garment from her arms. Emily caught a whiff of her client's perfume. Emily didn't recognize the scent or the brand, but admired it nonetheless. She hung up Jocelyn's jacket and started to walk into the living room towards the inner rooms of the apartment.
Jocelyn took an eager look around and through the open doors of the hall nearby. After a moment of sizing the place up, she looked back at Emily with a thoughtful smile.
Emily -- "Shall we go to the bedroom?"
Jocelyn crooked her head and peered past Emily. She looked into the living room.
Jocelyn -- "That sofa looks pretty comfortable. How about we sit in there?"
Emily sat down on the somewhat ragged sofa that she inherited from the last tenants that left the forlorn furnishings behind in their haste to avoid eviction. Jocelyn sat a few feet away from her on the edge of the cushions.
Jocelyn -- "This is your first time, isn't it?"
Emily -- "How did you know?"
Jocelyn -- "You seem very nervous. I won't bite. I promise."
Emily -- "That's good to know. I must confess I'm very nervous."
With that, the phone rang and Emily picked it up. Hearing Tara on the other end, the masquerade continued for a minute of small talk allegedly with her little sister. Emily glanced at Jocelyn scanning her for signs of trouble. Detecting nothing out of the ordinary, she said goodbye to her little sister "Aurora".
Jocelyn -- "I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was right here after all. Will you see your sister over the holidays?"
Emily -- "I'm afraid not. She lives a few hours drive away and I don't own a car."
Jocelyn -- "That's a shame. Perhaps she could come this way to visit you?"
