When my wife brought home her new friend I was pleased. We had just moved there and she knew no one. Her friend was named Cheryl, but she said to call her Cheri. I asked what she did, the old question about occupation, and she smiled and said she was an independent contractor. I asked what she contracted in and without pause she said, "Pleasure."
Naively, I assumed she meant travel agency, or cosmetics, or something to do with good food, or even fine clothing. Claire and 'Cheri' went everywhere together and I was happy to see it, relieved that she would have a friend to hang with, to help her adjust to the new area.
When I asked my wife about Cheri's work hours, since she seemed to always have time during the day, my wife seemed allusive and unsure. After all, Claire did not work as yet, so she was not tied up during the day. It seemed anytime she wanted Cheri to go any place with her she was available. It didn't even dawn on me that she had time during the day because she worked only nights.
In our second week, Cheri asked Claire to go on a two day trip with her to Reno, and I thought that would be a good chance for her to get to know people and maybe make contacts. They were gone for three days and when they got back there seemed to a big change in my wife. She seemed to be a little more confident of herself, and she seemed to be a bit more worldly, somewhat more sophisticated and assertive. It seemed good for her and I was happy she had found someone to help her grow and experience interesting things.
I know as you read this you're thinking you know what is coming. Sure, call me stupid for not seeing the handwriting on the wall in such big and colorful letters. Cheri was independent all right, if it was okay with her pimp, although at this time I actually don't know if she had one.
It is true, Cheri works the streets, that is to say she makes her living on her back, or her knees, or whatever position her 'John' wants her in. So my wife's best friend is a whore. Of course the big question is, how long until my sweet little, demure and innocent wife wants to go into the profession.
Finally, I asked Claire what Cheri really did for a living. She didn't bat an eye, saying, "She works the clubs."
"And what does she do for the clubs?" I asked.
"She entertains the customers," she said, seemingly without a bit of understanding.
"So you have any idea what she does to 'entertain' these customers?" I asked with a grin.
"She fucks them," she said, blowing my naΓ―vetΓ© theory all to hell.
"Your friend is a whore," I said.
"A paid companion," she objected. "She likes to be called an escort."
"Escort!" I said. "She's a body guard?"
"People pay her to 'be' with them," she said, totally believing in the credibility of the concept.
"To fuck them," I said. "To give them blow jobs," I said. "Right?"
She said, "If that is their pleasure."
"So you're okay with what she does?" I asked.
"I wasn't at first," she explained, "but I am now. It's a service. Don't you think it should be legal?" she asked with her hands out to her sides. I admitted I did, but pointed out that it wasn't yet legal. "So that doesn't mean what she does is really wrong. She is a contractor. You want what she has to sell, you pay her to give it to you. Like anything else."
Of course, this was the argument I had used for years to argue for legal prostitution. My words were coming back to haunt me. Everything my wife was saying I had said to someone else to support the idea of prostitution being a legitimate business option.
"So, would you consider it for yourself?" I asked, putting the big question on the table.
"Cheri has offered to me get started," she said, not a bit of equivocation in her voice. "I am thinking about it. She has suggested certain contacts, proposals, things to help me get started. She makes three to four hundred thousand dollars a year tax free." she said getting my attention really quick.
I was out of words. Those figures kept repeating in my head. Twice what I made, tax free? That's two Bentleys and a Mercedes or two. In one year. That's a condo in Tahoe, a hideout in Vail, a beach house on Maui, or a bungalow in Scottsdale. My wife was thinking about whoring and I was adding up the loot. It was making me crazy.