Flora Rodriguez chewed idly on her pen as she awaited the arrival of her guests at the office. It was a bad habit that popped up whenever she felt nervous, which wasn't often these days. She had really grown into her role as coordinator of the Women Against Sex Work Movement, which in the last few years had managed to become the most prominent and most successful NGO focused on combating prostitution.
The success of the organization was thanks in large part to Flora herself, who made a great spokesperson for the movement. She was young and attractive and Cuban, the opposite of whatever people thought a woman leading an anti-prostitution organization would look like. Though she tended to dress conservatively, she managed to do so while keeping up some sense of style. It also helped that her husband, the State Senator Jorge Perez, also had movie star looks. Together, though they'd keep it strictly PG, they'd let it be known through their public actions that they were in love with each other, and very much enjoyed each other physically.
So, when she was out making speeches decrying the presence of women in the streets selling their flesh, she didn't give off the impression that she was just some dowdy old pearl-clutcher angry at people for enjoying sex.
Flora lent the movement a sense of vivaciousness, and in the three years that she's been heading up the organization, they made great strides in cleaning up the streets of Florida. She had successfully lobbied for laws that shut down websites that advertised sex work. She headed up a campaign that identified massage parlors as dens of illicit activity. She organized group actions that involved shaming hookers on the street.
She was garnering a lot of attention, and she and her husband were becoming superstars among conservative circles. They were living proof that holding on to religious morality and stumping for limited government didn't have to be uncool.
But things have been changing since the last election, and Flora didn't really know why. Suddenly, she was finding it more difficult to assert her influence. Whatever momentum the movement had seemed to dissipate overnight. She was downright shocked when decriminalizing sex work nationally showed up as part of the congressional agenda.
She made all the noise she could, employing every trick in the book to build opposition against the upcoming bill. She went on every TV and radio show, and roiled the waters on social media, laying down the message that any politician that supporting decriminalizing sex work was basically a sex trafficker.
Which led her to this moment, chewing on a pen, nervous for the first time in years. She didn't know why the tides were turning, and she didn't like it. But it appears that it has something to do with this freshman Congressman from Illinois, Phillip Trask. She didn't know exactly what his role was in this, as he's never spoken public about sex work at all. But the remaining sources that she had all pointed to him as being a prime mover of this bill. And so, she attempted to set up a meeting with this Congressman, and to maybe get a handle on his agenda. In her experience, once she got in a room with a politician, she could always find a way to gain some leverage. And a little bit of leverage is all she ever needs.
But she didn't like that she knew so little about this Congressman. And she found it odd that he accepted so easily. She was prepared to cash a bunch of favors to get access, and maybe call him out publicly on television to shame him into a meeting, but he got back to her personally soon after her request, and even offered to fly out to Florida to meet with her. Though it was undeniably a gracious offer, it wasn't how it usually went. And though she was in her territory, she felt like she wasn't really in control.
And so, the pen chewing. The nuns at the Catholic school she attended always chided her for it, drilling into her that it was an improper habit. Flora remembered the sting of a ruler across her knuckles, and the increasingly angry looks of the sisters as she seemed repeated the offense. She was never really able to drop the tic, though it seemed to be less of an issue as she came into her own.
A knock on her door. Flora dropped the pen and composed herself. "Come in," she said.
Her assistant led in the Congressman, who wore a clean white button down shirt with rolled up sleeves and gray suit pants. Behind him was a striking redheaded woman with bright green eyes, wearing a closely tailored black pant suit and black stilettos. Her hair was tied back in a severe bun, and that drew focus to her high cheekbones and harsh expression.
Trask held out a hand. "Ms. Rodriguez, it's a pleasure to meet you."
Flora shook his hand, applying a firmness that she hoped would convey her seriousness. "The pleasure is mine, Congressman."
Trask gestured to his companion. "I hope you don't mind, Ms. Rodriguez. I brought a guest with me. This is Maya Leary. She's a consultant on the bill."
"Ms. Rodriguez," Maya said curtly, offering her hand. Flora took it, and shook firmly as well. Maya returned her firmness, and looked Flora directly in the eyes with a coldness that shook the lobbyist for a moment.
"I'm afraid I'm at a disadvantage here, Congressman," Flora said as she pulled her hand away. "I didn't know you'd be bringing somebody."
"I apologize, Ms. Rodriguez," Trask replied. "But Maya is an expert on the subject of sex work, and I find that conversations tend to be more fruitful if there's someone there who really knows what they're talking about."
"This implies that you don't know what you've been talking about, Congressman," Flora shot back.
Trask smiled. "Maybe so, Ms. Rodriguez. But let's get talking and we'll sort all that out."
The Congressman and Maya took seats in front of Flora's glass desk, on somewhat low, leatherette chairs. Maya sat on her high office chair, and leaned forward on her desk.
"This is a pretty nice office," Trask commented. "Your work rewards you well."
"It's only a reflection of the support that my cause has, Mr. Trask."
"I suppose that's true," Trask said. "Or at the very least, it's an indication that your supporters are of the wealthier sort."
Flora bristled. She wasn't used to politicians being so frank and openly combative. She decided that it might be better for her to take a direct approach as well.
"I'm going to ask you point blank, Mr. Trask," Flora started. "Do you support prostitution?"
"Yes," he said.
This surprised Flora. She was ready to interrupt whatever hedging answer he was going to give, but the terse reply had her stumbling over what to say next.
"How can you..." she began, but didn't know exactly where she was going.
Trask gave her a stony stare. "I could give a more nuanced answer, Ms Rodriguez, but I've seen you on television. You prey on nuance, making it out like people are bad for acknowledging that issues can be complex. So let's cut through all the bullshit, Flora. Yes, I'm in support of prostitution, and I'm happy to let the public know it."
Flora glared back. "I don't think you'll be as happy when we start a campaign against you, highlighting your immoral stance."
"I've never pretended to be moral," Trask replied. "I'm a realist, and for right now, until things change, I think it's a better for society as a whole if we aren't punishing women for trying to make money to survive."
"That's an interesting way of framing the exploitation of women," Flora spat out.
"Like I said, I'm just being realistic. You aren't going to get rid of sex work by cracking down on it. You're just going to drive it deeper underground, where workers will probably end up being less safe."
"Please," Flora said. "You're rehashing old talking points made up by people who just want to live in a loose society."
"Well, I haven't heard anything new from you, either," Maya suddenly interjected, her tone cold and authoritative. "And curiously, I've never heard you advocate for anything that might actually lower the incidence of sex work, like a higher minimum wage, or bridging the pay gap, or debt forgiveness, or better support for single mothers, or anything that might make sex work a less attractive economic option."
Flora didn't look at her. "I thought you said she was an expert, Mr. Trask. Ms. Leary over here is spouting the fantasy that sex work wouldn't happen if people were just a little more comfortable."
The Congressman grimaced. "That was pretty dismissive, Flora. I'd have thought you'd be more open to hearing from one of the women you're supposed to be protecting."
Flora's eyes narrowed. "You mean..."
