Kris, a friend of Gail, my daughter, had got married a couple of months ago. Up until the wedding she'd shared a unit with Gail, the rent for which was heavily subsidised by yours truly. Not that I minded. I could afford it and the company was good for Gail and I liked Kris. Another friend was now sharing the unit and my contribution was somewhat less as the new friend had a job and was better able to contribute.
Gail approached me one day and explained that she had some of Kris's stuff that she wanted to have taken over to Kris's new house. Go ahead and take it, I suggested, only to be given a look that suggested that I was to be pitied. (I'm used to looks like that from my daughters.)
"There's a couple of heavy items and I wouldn't want to drop and break them. I thought that you might like to take the things over."
I had two options here. Flatly refuse and take the stuff over after a long argument or capitulate right from the word go. Being a natural coward I capitulated immediately.
I picked up the stuff from my daughter one evening with the understanding that I'd drop them off at Kris's place sometime in the next couple of days. If Kris wasn't home I'd just leave them on the veranda I warned but Gail wasn't worried.
"That won't be a problem," she assured me. "Kris is always at home. Mick doesn't want her having to go out to work."
A fine life if you can afford it but a bit boring it seemed to me. Still, the boring part would come to an abrupt halt as soon as the first kid arrived. Nothing like a baby to make things unboring.
I had Thursday afternoon and all Friday off. The work that was there could easily be handled by my staff. If they couldn't I wouldn't have hired them. I decided that Thursday afternoon would be the best time to drop off Kris's stuff and then I had the long weekend ahead of me.
I rolled up just after lunch and Kris was home and very pleased to see me. She also seemed pleased to see her things but I assumed that the warmth of her greeting was for me, personally, rather than her junk. (Arrogant, aren't I.)
I lugged the stuff inside and dumped it where she told me to and then graciously accepted a mug of coffee as a thank you for my efforts.
"Nice place you have here, Kris. You've got it looking very comfortable and relaxing."
She had, too. A man could relax in that house. Some places are so immaculate you're scared to sit down in case you dent a cushion.
"Thanks," she said, but didn't sound too enthused about it Now that I thought about it she seemed just a trifle down.
"So how's married life treating you?" I asked carefully.
"Fine," she said, sounding a little grumpier.
I waited silently sensing she had something else she wanted to say. She did. After a few moments of silence she sighed.
"I'm bored," she complained. "I mean, you can only do so much housework and gardening and then it's done. I don't want to spend all day watching stupid soap operas. I want to get a job but Mick doesn't want me to go out and work. It's not fair and it's boring."
"Have you thought of doing some sort of work that you could do from home? You know, use the internet to find and do a job. One job that immediately pops to mind is tele-marketing, ringing people up and selling them stuff."
Kris perked up a little at the thought and I gave her the details for a firm that did that sort of work. I didn't know if they were currently hiring but it wouldn't hurt her to ask.
"That's a great idea," she enthused. "I'll call them first thing Monday morning. Calling first thing in the week will make me seem a go-getter type. Any more suggestions?"
We kicked around a few more ideas, none of them really striking a spark. Then I had another thought.
"How easily do you get embarrassed?" I asked her.
"Not very," she said with a giggle. "Why?"
"Well a rather well paid online at-home job is to be a cam-girl. An attractive cam-girl can make up to ten thousand a month."
"What's a cam-girl?"
"They have live cameras on them at home. The amount of skin you show would directly impact the amount of money you earn. The viewers tend to pay by the minute. There are also surcharges if a viewer wants to have a private chat with you."
Apparently Kris could get embarrassed as she blushed.
"But what if someone recognises me?" she whispered.
"Take a few precautions. Arrange to get a good wig that suits you. The change to hair colour and style would throw most people off. Possible add a pair of glasses for the sexy librarian look. Also, if you have a tattoo cover it with makeup. Alternatively, add a suggestive tattoo where you don't currently have one. Stick-on and peel-off tattoos are easy to get."
"Do you really think I could make a go of it?"
"If memory serves me correctly, and I'm sure it does, you're tall and slender. You have very good hair and you'd have to look hard to find a wig that good. Figure wise you have all the correct curves in all the correct places. Would I be out of line to say you have a very appealing bust line? Men would be falling over themselves to get a legitimate look at those beauties."
