Chapter Six
Six weeks later
Colleen Grandowski paced around her living room rug, watching anxiously out the window, waiting for the yellow Dodge to leave Tom and Jessica's driveway. She had noticed the patterns that had started to develop over at her neighbor's house. "Yellow Dodge" - Colleen had started to identify Jessica's customers by the cars they drove - was a Thursday night regular. He'd (assuming it was a 'he') arrive at around 6:00pm, conduct his dirty business, and then leave around 6:30pm. Colleen could only imagine what service Jessica was providing him. Cock-sucking, fucking, God knows what. An image of Jessica on her knees, sucking his balls, came into her mind and she felt a twinge between her legs. She purposely let that train of thought go and the feeling passed.
Colleen had booked a 7:00pm appointment with Jessica. When Colleen had called over to the Compton's house two days before, Jessica had answered with a cheerful hello and Colleen had replied in a shaky voice, "I would like to pay for an hour of your time." Jessica had been taken aback. Colleen had not called on her business line (or the 'sex line' as Jessica had come to think of it), but had called on her regular house number.
"Excuse me, who is this?" Jessica had asked, clearly confused.
"It's Colleen, Jessica, you know, your neighbor across the street. The one you don't talk to anymore?"
"Oh Colleen, I thought that was you, I was just surprised by your question. Colleen, I know I've been pretty busy lately but you don't need to pay for my time. I'm still your friend, we can talk anytime. Why would you think you have to pay me?"
"Well, you seem to be running quite a business over there. Seems like the only way to see you is to pay you." Colleen voice was still shaky, because she was holding back all that she wanted to say to Jessica.
"Colleen, don't be silly...just come on over!" Said Jessica, trying to put her neighbor and friend at ease.
"I'm not comfortable just 'coming over' there anymore Jessica. I know what's going on. I've never been to a whorehouse before so excuse me for not wanting to just 'pop' over!" Jessica could hear the shakiness in Colleen's voice being replaced with rising anger. Colleen heard Jessica audibly sigh on the phone.
"Fine Colleen. When would you like to pay to come to my house?"
"Thursday night at 7:00pm would be good for me."
"See you then," said Jessica and hung up.
Red tail-lights caught Colleen's attention and she looked up at her cable-box clock. Sure enough, it was almost exactly 6:30pm. Yellow Dodge had blown his load and was hitting the road. Colleen decided she could not take waiting another 30 minutes - she was just too pent up - and was going to go over to Jessica's early. Just as she was heading for the front door, she paused when she thought
what if Jessica needs time to clean up?
The thought mildly disgusted her. She had an image of Jessica washing out her pussy, or wiping cum off of her face.
Fuck it,
Colleen thought,
I'll make it as uncomfortable for her as this whole business is for me.
She marched down her driveway, conjuring feelings of righteousness and annoyance, crossed the narrow street, and up the Compton's driveway. She rang the bell three times in rapid succession. She was surprised at how quickly Jessica opened her door. She was also half-expecting Jessica to be dressed in some tawdry get-up of her new trade, but found her dressed simply in Jeans and a pink tee-shirt. She did notice she could see the impressions of Jessica's nipples under the thin tee-shirt and assumed she was not wearing a bra.
"Hi Colleen, come on in," said Jessica politely. Colleen walked into Jessica's home without saying a word. Her mind was a mix of emotions and she did not know where to begin.
"Can I get you something to drink?" asked Jessica. "Some coffee or a glass of wine perhaps?"
"I want to see where you do it," snapped Colleen.
"Where I do what?" asked Jessica.
"Where you run your sex business. Is it just here in the living room? You don't take men into your bedroom do you?" Colleen asked this last question with a subtle sneer on her face.
Jessica did not answer. She looked at Colleen and tried to assess what the purpose of this visit was by looking at her neighbor's face. Feeling the need to fill the uncomfortable void in the conversation, Colleen asked, "Oh, and how much do I owe you for this time?"
"That depends Colleen..."
"On what?" Colleen interrupted, her voice rising.
"On what it is you want."
"I want to talk to you. And I want to find out what exactly is going on here. I watch from across the street, people coming and going at all hours of the night... I want to know what is going on in my neighborhood!" Colleen was speaking rapidly now and there was heat in her voice.
"OK, so let's talk. Here have a seat." Jessica pointed Colleen to the sofa.
"I don't want to sit," said Colleen huffily. "Show me where you fuck for money."
Jessica paused before saying, "OK Colleen. If you want to talk like that, I charge $100 an hour for what is called 'companion' time. That's what I charge for people who just 'want to talk'. Follow me into our guest bedroom, you know where it is." Colleen followed Jessica down the short hallway of the Compton's split-level ranch, digging out five twenty's from her purse. As they entered the guest bedroom, Colleen looked around.
"Still looks pretty much the same," said Colleen.
"What did you expect? Whips and chains and dildos hanging off of the walls?"
"I kind of did," said Colleen, relieved that there wasn't.
"Colleen, are we not friends anymore?"
"I don't think so," answered Colleen. "I don't even know you anymore. I can't believe what's happened to you. I know that you're prostituting yourself. Ken told me what happened at this house last month. In a general sense anyway. I asked him to spare me the gory details, but I know that Tom demanded that you become a prostitute and that you agreed to it on that night, and that you, that you...that you had sex with pretty much everyone in your house that night."
Jessica sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Colleen to go on. She had decided that she was not going to volunteer anything that Colleen didn't ask for.
"I see all kinds of strange cars coming and going. I see you leaving the house at various times dressed like a slut. Short skirts, flimsy tops, black nylons, high heels...going off on your dates, all made up, your hair all poofed up. People are talking about you Jessica. All over the neighborhood. About how you're a whore now and you're doing your whoring right here on our street. It's disgusting and unacceptable!" Colleen was not looking at Jessica. She was keeping her eyes trained over Jessica's head.
Jessica held out her hand.
Noticing, Colleen looked down and asked, "What?"
"I'll take that money and count it while you continue to yell at me."
"Oh yeah, here." Colleen stepped toward Jessica, handed her the twenty-dollar bills and stepped back to where she was standing before.
"Go on," said Jess, softly.
Colleen too softened, and said, "Jessica, are you alright? I haven't even asked that, have I? Are you in a situation that you feel trapped in? I mean, Ken told me that you had agreed to begin prostituting willingly - that he asked you if you were alright and were doing what you did on that night on your own will and all, but is it true? Are you really doing this because you want to?"
Jessica didn't hesitate. "Yes, I like it and I enjoy it. I love sex Colleen, is that a problem for you? I like having sex with a variety of people. Does that threaten you? Does that upset or offend you? Is it any of your business really?"
"You make it my business by bringing it into our neighborhood Jessica. You make it everyone's business. You know the kind of people who use whores. I don't want drug addicts, gamblers, perverts and other sketchy people roaming our street...who knows what trouble they may cause."
"Yes, Colleen, I know what kind of people use whores. Being that I am one. None of the guys I've met so far are the kind of 'sketchy' people you're imagining. They're pretty much average ordinary guys who just need to let off some steam. Or their partner doesn't give them what they're looking for. Have you had any trouble with the people who've visited my house?"
"No, but that's not really the point."
"What's the point then?"
"It's illegal! It's immoral! It's dangerous!"
Jessica did not respond.