Bonnie checked her watch. It was 10 o'clock. Bess should be up by now. She knocked on the door and then entered. "Bess, you up?"
"Yeah," Bess answered, "in the kitchen."
Bonnie entered the kitchen to find Bess seated at the table, sipping on a cup of hot tea. She was wearing a silk robe, loosely tied. The 5 hundred-dollar bills were stacked in the center of the table.
"Well?" Bonnie asked.
"Well what?"
"Well what," Bonnie said as she sat down. "How did it go last night?"
Bess put down her cup. "It went very well. I was a little nervous but as the evening went on, I relaxed. I did enjoy myself and I'm pretty sure Tony did too."
"I know he did. He texted me saying to thank you. What did he pick?"
"The harem girl," Bess said.
Bonnie sensed something was wrong. There was no feeling in Bess's voice. She placed her hand on Bess's. "What's wrong?"
Bess picked up the money. "I finally realized this morning that I'm a whore."
"Does that bother you?" Bonnie asked.
"Surprisingly, yes. A little."
"Look," Bonnie began. "All women are whores. Some do it for money, some for security, and some for something else."
Bess looked at Bonnie with disbelief. "Wow, I can't believe you said that. How cynical."
"It's true, even your dear Aunt Deidre. You don't think that she looked at Scott and thought this man can provide for her and her 2 sons. That she was alone and here was an answer. Sex is part of the deal. How else could she keep him? Her first husband left her over sex, didn't he?"
"How can you say that? My aunt truly loves him. You can tell just by the way she looks at him. And Scott, her."
"Maybe she just rationalizes it."
"I can't believe that." Bess got up and walked to the window.
"Bess, I'm willing to wager a night's fee that if offered to Deidre, she would entertain the idea of being like us. Not actually do it but seriously think about it. Willing to take my bet? Do you believe what you feel about her?"
"Okay, you're on," Bess said turning around.
"One other thing, Bess. Why did you make Scott your 'fuck buddy'?"
Bess thought for a moment. "Because I wanted to make him feel good and because I knew I could."
Bonnie put her hand on Bess's shoulder. "What do you think you did for Mr. Martin last night?"
Bess didn't have an answer.
Bess was so mad at Bonnie. The only night she had to herself, no news, no game, no 'friends'. Bess had been busy and Bonnie had sent a good number of men her way but this was the first night she had to herself and now she had to stay at the condo because the plumber was coming over to fix a leak. Bonnie had a special dinner she was going to so she couldn't be home. She said the plumber would be there around 7. Bess thought it was an odd time but who was she to ask.
Bess decided that after the plumber left she could do what she wanted so she dressed in white denim pants and tight plum-colored polo shirt. She didn't wear a bra because she didn't care if the plumber saw her or not.
When the doorbell rang, she opened the door and faced a muscular, if slightly overweight, man of medium height. He wore a pair of stained coveralls and carried a toolbox. "I'm Max," he said, "and I'm here to fix your kitchen faucet. Tony Martin recommended me."
"I understand the kitchen sink is the problem," she said.
"Let's check it out." Gene followed her to the kitchen. As he headed down the hallway, he dropped an envelope with 5 hundred-dollar bills on the table. He went over to the sink and dismantled the faucet as she watched. "Okay, lady," he said, "I'm going to need some help here."
"What can I do?"
He looked Bess over. "Most things, I'd imagine," he said, grinning. He had disconnected the faucet and fastened a huge pipe wrench around some connection at the back of the sink. "But right now I need you to hold this wrench."
Bess replaced his hairy hands on the wrench with her own.
"Now pull hard," he said, "and hold tight. If you let go, we'll have water everywhere!"
Knowing nothing about plumbing, Bess had no idea what this man had done, so she pulled on the wrench with both hands.
"Don't let go," he warned again. As he stood up, he brushed against Bess's breasts which, since she was bent over the sink, were hanging heavily against her shirt. "Nice melons, lady," he said, squeezing one.
"Hey!" she said, "cut it out!"