. 01

Chapter 21: Danella On The Streets

Part 1: Marie

Later in the evening Marie came down to the bar again to help with the late evening customers. To Danella's estimation she looked tired and her eyes held a trace of darkness, as if there had been tears. "Has Gorge threatened you? Do you want to talk to me about it?" Danella asked, concerned that the boss man Gorge had threatened more than anger.

"No," said Marie with an attitude of disinterest, "It's nothing I can't deal with!"

Danella removed herself tactfully. The young lady obviously had no wish to speak to her about the matter. Danella was pained inside that the young woman she thought was her friend could treat her so distantly. She was warm and friendly sometimes, at others distant and cold. She was typical of many of the folk of the area. They could be most charming when they wished to be, but their defences were strong. When they wished to hide something or to face someone down they could be brutally withdrawn, even cruel.

Later, after serving the regulars for another hour or so, Danella sat by the fire in the back room of the bar with young Marie. "I'm sorry if I was a bit short with you earlier," said Marie. "You know you're very patient. More patient than anyone I know!"

"Am I?" Danella said. She had not expected an apology from the young woman, did not really need one. But it was good to hear anyway. She had presumed Marie had the coarse manners of many of the people around here. She guessed that underneath the hard exterior this young woman needed a friend, perhaps an older, more mature friend. Someone she could look up to and even hear advice from, whether she took it or not.

"When you asked me was I in trouble you were not far wrong," said Marie, "but its nothing I haven't had before. It will calm down. I'll handle it, I always do."

"You seemed to be having trouble with that man Gorge. He looked as if he was going to hit you when he found you, before I calmed him down! Why was he angry like that?" She suspected or pretty much knew by now that Marie was a prostitute as well as a bar maid, and Gorge was, or had been, her boss or pimp, but she wanted to hear it from Marie so she could understand.

Having lived that life herself, even if by another name and involving a wider range of tasks and functions, before and after the conquest of Dalos, she ought to understand Marie's life well. She could recognise the familiar domination the man Gorge believed was his right. He reminded her of an exaggerated and far more dangerous version of Gerald. She guessed that he had been no ordinary customer. He had held a poise which denoted the ownership he believed he held over Marie. He reminded her of some soldiers, but unlike them he had shown no respect for any other's authority. She had judged he was a simple kind of man, one for whom violence was always a possibility, and control by the exercise of fear was the way he conducted his affairs.

Marie's Night

A few nights later Marie re-entered the bar in the deepest dark of the night. Danella awoke as she heard her come in. Marie was in foul mood, Danella could tell, as she took no trouble to be silent. Chairs banged and cutlery rattled as she helped herself to food in the kitchen.

Danella did not know that Marie had had only two customers all that long night, but she could be sure it had been a bad night. The second chap had been rough with her, pulling her about and bruising her bosom. He was so excited that she had asked him not to be so rough with her. She had prayed for the man to come quickly and spill his seed so that she could be on her way from his alcoholic breath with her money. Her complaint had upset him so much he had lost his strength. She tried to raise it for five minutes, stroking it, but he would not pay extra for her to take it in her mouth. When she told him that she had done all she could for him he had become angry and rougher still. She had become frightened of him and decided she had better try to humour the horrid wretch for her own safety. She had taken his flaccid penis into her mouth after that. Quickly it had become hardened and he had pushed it into her pussy again. The end had come fairly soon but he pushed her again when she demanded more money than he had given her for the extra time.

The first man tonight had not been nearly so difficult! He was a real gentleman she thought at first, but a little tongue tied. But like most of her customers he was not too much of a man without his clothes. She had him at her mercy. He had walked past her twice, sizing up the choice of girls on this dark evening. She knew he had liked the look of her the first time by the way he looked properly at her and didn't pretend to ignore her. She had called out to him across the road. "D'you want business love? You look like you could do with some."

"Not now, I can't afford it," he said, a common excuse. At least he was prepared to answer her. A lot just averted their gaze and walked on, pretending she didn't exist, not wanting to be recognised with the ladies who everybody condemned as the lowest of society. He was keeping his options open perhaps. She liked the look of him, a real gent, quite young and dashing in his business suit. She expected he had plenty of money. It was sometimes surprising how much some of them had after they said they hadn't got enough. Once engaged in the act of their shame they would usually pay up what she thought was due especially if she told them their time was up.

This gentleman had asked her how much she charged.

"That depends on what you want. If you want me to suck you it'll cost you 10. You can have full sex, one position for 20. Two positions costs you 25. If you want me to suck as well the 10 is extra."

"Maybe some time," he said, "you look nice!" She liked the compliment. He was one kind of customer she liked. He came back five minutes later. "I think you will try you after all," he said.

"Thank you mister," she had said, "and what would you like?"

"A suck and sex please - one position but I'll give you the extra if I need another position." He'd done this before she could tell, despite his tongue tied approach, but not too often she guessed. And he probably had some money. She should have set her charges higher but there was always the risk that she charged too high and it scared such a gentleman away, especially if he had been to this part of town and knew the score. It was better to tempt them into the business with a low charge. Once she had them inside her or even once she had their arm they were hers. She prided herself that she didn't usually lose a customer once she'd got them.

"Where do you want to do it?" she asked.

"Where do you usually do it?" he replied.

"Well I can go back to your place if you're not too far but you'll have to pay for carriages. But usually I pick a quiet corner round the back there. If you're willing to pay extra I can take you back to my place. It's not far."

She could see the gentleman thinking. He would have liked she imagined, to go to her place but the idea of extra money would dissuade him. Besides he would be worried that it would take longer to go there and he would be wanting to have his way with her as soon as possible now that he had chosen her. He would not want to lose his opportunity for sex or to be seen walking around the streets by all and sundry with a common little lady of the night such as her. Also he might be concerned that he would be cheated of his money be the presence of a pimp or boyfriend. He wouldn't want to go to the place where he lived because it might be far and he would not wish to be recognised in her company on the way.

"Well if it's quiet and we won't be disturbed we could do it around the back. Are you sure it's safe?"

Marie took him there, up the dark alleyway to a doorway. She had no one watching out for her tonight, having recently managed to escape the clutches of her last pimp. But this man was not dangerous to her. She could tell by his pretty looks and the way he spoke when he opened his mouth. He was an easy customer, the kind she liked. He even asked her name as if she were some respectable acquaintance of his.

They were in the alleyway now. There was just enough light for him to appreciate the parts of her body she was willing to reveal, but not enough to attract attention from passers-by. It was not busy round here, never was.

"I take the money in advance please before I do anything, but if we do anything extra you must pay at the end," she said. He took out his purse nervously and drew out the required 30 in notes, placing it in her outstretched hand.

He waited for her to take the lead. She came forward, took his hands, and put them on her as she unfastened her dress and corset to reveal her flesh. Then reaching to his pants she asked him to unfasten them so she could do her business, and took his soft penis in her mouth. It had risen hard after she licked it for a long time. As soon as her sucking had served its purpose she bade him to enter her, leaning back against the wall and opening her legs wide to allow him in. The break softened him again as it often did.

"Come on," she said. "We haven't got all night. It's not hard enough to go in."

He had placed it against her crotch hoping thereby to make his miserable penis erect again. She had laughed inwardly for she knew it would not on its own.

"Here let me hold it for you. I'll make it hard." Her hands gently massaged his little member. He was a pleasant enough looking bloke so she didn't mind helping him out. It began to form its enlarged shape again. She began to wank it for him faster until she was doing it quite hard. He was partially aroused but not erect enough to push inside her.

"I'll suck it again for you for an extra 5," she said, "you can pay me later."

"Alright," she said quietly, probably full of shame for his poor performance. "I'm sure it will be hard if you give me another suck."

She sucked him again and very soon his member was again fully erect. She was pleased at the way she had taken an extra 5 from him, although she didn't like to suck more than once normally. It left a bad taste in your mouth and she got bored easily. She preferred being fucked. This time the transference from mouth to quim was done quicker, and despite a slight softening the man's penis was still hard enough to go in her. He huffed and puffed on her, straining to keep his penis up by making it work. For a while he did well but she began to think this would go on forever and he was no closer to spilling his seed. Then he started to go softer again. She could never understand why this happens with some men. They could be happily fucking away at her one minute and then soft the next. Some men just weren't strong enough she assumed. Some of them just weren't meant to be good at sex.

"Do you want another position?" she asked. When he answered in the affirmative she quickly pushed him out and turned around offering her pert backside for his delectation rucking her clothes up higher so he could see more of her bare back. "But you'll have to be quick. I've got other clients to see." She needed to hurry him up. There were more earnings out there and she preferred her men to perform as quickly as they could. This customer had already taken too long. The man was still hard enough to attempt penetration from behind but in his fumbling it did not go in the first time and began to soften at its failure. He wanked his own member, desperately trying to harden it. She reached back and tickled his balls, trying to produce in him that hardness. She did not wish to lose the extra 5 paid for the 2nd position just because he couldn't get it up her. It was harder again and she took it from behind. Briefly she savoured the feeling of it on her own sex parts and pretended some heavy breathing to make him think she was coming and encourage him to come too. But he was not ready to come and she grew impatient.

"Hurry up," she said. "You've had your half hour. If you can't come perhaps you should finish it yourself."

"Just a bit longer," said the poor man, "I'm nearly finished. Only take a couple more minutes." He was indeed breathless as if he did not wish to speak.

"Oh alright," she said, "I'll try for another 5 minutes but you'll have to pay extra. Another 10 for the extra time. Is that alright?" She knew in fact that they had not had quite the full half hour yet, but he was taking longer than many, and could afford to pay. She wanted to be rid of him and onto her next customer, but if he paid extra she'd give him a bit longer.

"I suppose I'll have to," he said reluctantly. He wasn't the type to argue she knew.

Five minutes later he was still going. He nearly went soft but another tickle on his balls kept him going. But she was losing patience and growing sore down below.

"Look I've given you an extra five minutes. I'm not sure you're going to make it. I'll carry on for a bit longer but only if you give me another 15."

"That's too much," he protested, "Give me a chance. You said 25 and 10 for the suck, then you wanted more for a second suck and 10 for another 5 minutes. This is getting too expensive."

"Well it's up to you. Do you think you're going to make it? Go on another 5 minutes and you'll be there."

But the man had known he wouldn't make it. By now he'd gone completely soft again. "No, you keep putting me off. I'll have to finish myself off. I can't afford any more. Can I see your breasts again?

"Mister if you won't pay for more time I can't let you spunk on me."

"Forget it I've gone soft again anyway." Then thinking that he did not wish to spoil his adventure tried pathetically to make amends for his slight temper. "I didn't mean to criticise. You were lovely really. It was my fault. You're beautiful." He was a gentleman at least as he pulled out his once more flaccid penis and tidied it into his pants

.

"You owe me the extra. That's 10 for the second suck, 5 extra for the second position and another 10 for the extra 10 minutes." With some men she would have got all the extra money upfront. Many of them couldn't be trusted, but she had known this one could so she held out her hand as the gentleman recovered himself and flustered foolishly with his purse and gave the notes she requested to her.

Marie had loved men at one time in her younger days, not so long ago. Her father who had fed and looked after her so well after her mother died. Some of her first customers had been kind and jolly. She and her brother and sisters and father had been poor. Her father in and out of work. She had been quicker and sharper than her older sister and soon she had seen how she might earn a better living than her father which would feed the family better. Her father had been distraught when he found out how she had been earning the money, but in one period of unemployment he had had to be grateful for the money. Her older sister had married as soon as she was able. Disapproving of Marie's profession she had been glad to flee the family home. Marguerite, her young sister was still too young for this career but she looked up to Marie and tried to emulate her in everything. She might well follow in Marie's footsteps despite Marie's more recent warnings.

She had begun this work younger than she was allowed by the law, but no one, not the police or her father, or the moral people who disapproved had any power to stop women like herself, if they were determined, and the men who often made money out of them, from using their natural talents to their best advantage. Marie had seen the women on the street corners, admired their looks and their rebellious swagger. She wanted to be like them, to have men of all kinds fawning over them, paying the precious money they seemed to have so much of as a mark of their respect for beauty. And so she had talked with them at every opportunity until she had heard enough to join them. She had wanted the money but also the adulation of men and in a difference sense of women too.

For a time mostly her new life had been exciting and even pleasurable. She found she had a taste for strong hard men, but also for other types. Occasionally clients had been abusive or unpleasant but these had been few and had not disturbed her. The pleasure some of the men seemed to find in her and the money they paid her made it all worthwhile. She felt important and wanted for the first time in her life. But the good times had faded. A succession of strong men with whom she had felt closely involved had turned from lovers into violent and uncaring pimps, more concerned with using her to make money for themselves than with her pleasure or wellbeing. And some of the customers had become dangerous. Once or twice she had been bruised by them.

Now when she stood at the roadside she was more careful. Any man who looked dangerous she would avoid. She no longer found much joy in the men she allowed to penetrate her. Men were now boring and to be despised, if they were not dangerous, and the latter she feared. They annoyed her if they were limp. She only wanted them to spill their seed as soon as possible so that she could take their money. She charged as much as she thought the customer would pay and she demanded payment upfront. No longer did many of her customers like her. They liked her body, more than ever as she approached the prime of her beauty. They were willing to overlook her greed and disapproval. Some of them liked her wit and the humour she was sometimes able to display. But she sensed that they could sense that she did not respect them. She knew she used men, but she no longer respected them.

She did it for the money now, but she didn't do it all the time. She did bar work sometimes even though it paid badly. She knew she could no longer work on 'the game' all the time. The money she earned from selling her body was plentiful. She still found she could make far more money from selling herself than from any other occupation. For that reason she would never give it up. Indeed she had become quite wealthy she believed.

She no longer sent much money to her family. Her father was in work now and did not need it. Instead she had opened a bank account. One day she would buy a house of her own, but for the time being she was content to save and to rent a room in the bar where she sometimes worked. She screwed the landlord Hugo once a week instead of having to pay the money. The arrangement suited her well. No longer was she under the control of Gorge and the other pimps. Hugo abused his position, and she did not like him but he was able to give her his protection. He let her keep all her earnings and demanded no cut. She could continue to live like this but she remained troubled for her world had become grey and she found that there were few people who meant anything to her.

"You had a late night last night. I heard you come in," said Danella as they waited behind the bar. Few locals would come in tonight in the midweek. Most of them, that was four, were sitting on tables away from the bar. No loners tonight so far, propping up the bar and attempting to redress their loneliness and their sexual unhappiness by talking and joking with the barmaids. Marie already had private arrangements with one or two of the local customers as well as the landlord, but it did not do to allow her other occupation to be widely known. Her regulars were sworn to secrecy and, although she was regarded as a slightly fallen woman by most of the local men, most, except the most perceptive, would not have regarded her as a prostitute.

A slightly fallen woman, which is not the way they would have put it, was a woman of easy morals, meaning unattached to any permanent man; unmarried and yet sexually active; a woman who exchanged boyfriends from time to time. Not that the men disapproved. They all fancied her quite naturally for her good youthful looks, and the tendency to angry disdain which was a quality they both admired and feared amongst their women. The most sought after or admired women amongst them were the toughest and most beautiful, although many of their women were far meeker than this. Marie was still young and therefore her suspicious habits were not regarded as faults or as being particularly unusual in a young woman in the full bloom of life.