February 25th
The night was young as Chloe slipped out the front door of a supposed "rager" that really only consisted of a few awkward guys standing about while dubstep played. She happened to stumble upon an invitation a week ago that made it out to be much more than what it was, walking in she expected bright lights, fog machines, the smell of booze, and plenty of people. Although the party was supposed to entertain her for the whole night, she found herself walking down the street towards a few bars in the area. The house she had just left was in a nice enough neighborhood on the outskirts of downtown Newsborough which left her close to a 20 minute walk to find any other signs of nightlife.
The sky stretched shades of dark purple and blue with specks of faint stars an eternity away. The moon was mostly shrouded by clouds, leaving the streets she walked quite dark aside from the streetlamps dotting the curb. The night was quiet, Chloe heard crickets here and there and dog barks at an even more sparse interval. The world itself was still, almost rejecting any idea of partying or excitement. Nevertheless, she was determined to have a good time tonight, it was either that or going to bed just to wake up and do nothing in the morning. In preparation for the initial party, she wore a tight black shirt that kept her warm outside, and hugged her chest enough to catch a few eyes inside.
Below that she wore plain jeans and a pair of tall boots that almost looked suited for winter with fur brimmed tops. All in all she found herself comfortable on her walk outside. The relative quiet gave her brain time to run free. She thought about all the job applications she put in recently, bills she had to pay, and just about anything her subconscious thought important. Being so absolved in her thoughts she had hardly paid any attention to a man straight ahead walking towards her. As he grew closer she clocked him to be harmless and went back to her idle thoughts. The man finally walked passed her, oddly close Chloe thought as he had brushed her arm. She had only just began turning to apologize for bumping into him when she spotted him eyeballing her ass. "Hardly anything to see in these jeans," she thought to herself before shooting him a nasty glance and continuing on.
The interaction had barely phased her and before Chloe knew it she had reached an intersection large enough to signify that she was entering downtown. The area ahead of her was not anything extravagant, hardly a New York City but for where she lived it was the best she got, and so she proceeded. Reaching a cross walk she surveyed the streets for any possible bars or clubs, seeing what looked like one far away across the street she bumped the button at the crosswalk and waited her turn. As she waited, a small brown car with tinted windows slowed itself to a stop in front of her. Confused as ever Chloe pretended like nothing was amiss and acted as if she were on her phone. The car's window rolled down. Inside sat a man who looked to be in their mid to late 30s, maybe 12 or 13 years older than herself Chloe thought. She tried not to study him too hard as she faced away and ignored the whole ordeal. Out of the car she heard the man bark, "Hey girl, how much for some head?"
Immediately, Chloe turned in a rage and shouted back "I am NOT a prostitute, how dare you heckle a random woman on the street to suck your dick. You're fucking disgusting and pathetic." Her face glowed bright red and heat rushed throughout her body. She knew it probably wasn't the best idea to shout at someone potentially dangerous but the intersection had enough cameras where she knew at the very least, she would be found. Still, it was best to be cautious she thought as she began to calm down. "I'm not interested, thank you," Chloe said sternly and calmy.
"Oh I'm so sorry ma'am I didn't mean any offense by it," replied the driver in a completely different tone; one which was calm and almost caring. "I just found you so beautiful and I jumped to conclusions."
Chloe waited a moment, testing to see if the car would move, seeing as it was practically in the middle of the intersection. Unfortunately for her, no other cars came to pressure the man away. "Thank you, but again, I'm not interested."
"I understand darling. Let me ask you this then: How does $300 sound? Just for some head keep in mind."
Chloe paused to think a moment too long for her own liking, very briefly pondering to herself, "I do need the money." The man noticed the hesitation and smiled to himself. Chloe responded, "I'm not in that line of business."
"You don't have to be. Money is money."
Still, Chloe thought, hating herself for even giving the man time of day but considering his offer regardless. In an instant she thought of all the money she was going to owe soon: utilities cut off, possible asset repossession, at worst even being evicted from her apartment. "The $300 would help," she thought.
"Fine. But don't put your hands on me."
The man sneered widely, "You have my word ma'am."
"And half up front, half afterwards."
"Smart lady," replied the man as he unlocked his car and began digging through his wallet. Chloe stood still as a stone, her mind racing a million miles an hour, "Was she really doing this?" Before she could even answer that for herself the man held in his hand $150 in cash. Like a moth to flame she opened the car door and sat down in the passenger seat, taking the cash and stuffing it into her back jean pocket. Immediately she noticed the car smell of black ice air freshener with a hint of cigarette smoke. The man put the car into gear and began to drive away, not saying a word. Chloe took this time to further analyze him and his car. First and foremost he was white, maybe 6 feet on the dot. He had short hair and a well-trimmed brown beard. The car was nicer on the inside than she would have expected, no trash anywhere and expensive looking leather seating. As for attire the man wore jeans, similar to hers, and a plain black tee. In another setting they might have even remarked at each other's similar clothing. Here though, they sat in silence.
Minutes passed by, the man drove into an area unfamiliar to Chloe and bluntly stated, "Almost there." Chloe took a deep breath to try and calm her nerves. The man noticed and smiled to himself, "Here, play some music, your pick." He hit the Bluetooth button on his car's front panel and gestured for Chloe to connect. She took it as a token of kindness, connected, and played her go to song in stressful times, "Happier Than Ever". The man continued the drive without another word. Soon, the car pulled into a parking garage.
"Is it private here?" Chloe asked in a softspoken manner.