Rachel looked down at her best friend, Staci, and wondered just what could have happened to have reduced her to this gibbering emotional wreck. She placed the two cups of tea down on the table and then sat beside her on the sofa, wanting to console her but not knowing where to begin.
"Staci, calm down will ya! Tell me what's wrong."
"Everything! Fucking everything!" sobbed Staci.
Rachel put a consoling arm around Staci's shoulders and allowed her friend to bury her tear streaked face into her cashmere sweater, immediately hating herself for worrying whether or not Staci's make-up would ruin one of her favourite tops. "Staci, unless you tell me exactly what's wrong there is nothing I can do to help you."
It seemed as though Rachel and Staci had been friends forever. They went to the same school as kids, had gone to the same college, and both had made career moves to live in the city. True, they did not 'hang out' with each other as much as they used to, but they had remained close and had always been able to confide in each other without any fear of recrimination. They might as well have been sisters.
Staci had moved to be with her now ex-boyfriend, Mike, and had the benefit of having had a job lined up when she had moved. Staci's bubbly personality had ensured that she was a perfect fit for the job Mike secured for her as a receptionist for a large marketing firm. It was just a shame that Mike turned out to be such an ass-hole (Rachel's opinion) to live with and their relationship finally collapsed a little over a year ago. Nevertheless, Staci, with the moral support of Rachel, had moved on, and had even found herself a nice apartment to live in, just off from the business district - a perfect locale for work and the social butterfly Staci had become.
Rachel, however, had moved to the city on a whim, egged on by Staci. They had missed each other terribly after Staci had moved, however, with the assurance that the big city streets were paved with gold, Rachel had moved in with Staci & Mike until she could find a job and her own place. It was not as easy as the then 22 year old thought it would be and Rachel felt awful about the burden she perceived she was placing on her friend and Rachel took any and all work she could find. Waitressing, tele-marketing, and even the odd cleaning job just to earn some money. Not what this college graduate had envisaged. Nevertheless, after some 8 months, Rachel was able to move out and had gone from strength to strength ever since.
It was during this reverie that Staci lifted her face up from Rachel's now tear and make-up stained sweater only for Staci to see the distant look and small, wry smile on the face of Rachel. "What the fuck is there to smile about?" demanded an incredulous Staci.
"Oh," said Rachel, almost dreamily, "I was just remembering the last time you cried this deeply. Remember? We were still in school. Fourth or Fifth Form I think, and you were worried you were going to get pregnant after giving that boy, Chris, a blow-job and swallowing his cum."
Staci's eyes widened and, as the memory of that day hit her, she burst out laughing. Staci barely spluttered out the words, "What a dumb shit!" and they both laughed hard and long.
The pair hugged each other as they relived the memory. Their connection helping Staci to clear her head, and making it easier to compose herself for what she had to confess to her friend. They finished drinking their tea and then Rachel turned to her friend and simply said, "Well?"
Staci regaled Rachel with what amounted to a sordid tale of fiscal imprudence and attempted cover ups. Staci was four months behind on her rent, had been unemployed for over 6 months and had begged and borrowed her way into as deep a hole as one could imagine. Staci found herself slumped back on the sofa sheepishly looking up at her friend and bracing herself for what she expected would be a lecture worse than anything her parents could throw at her.
Rachel remained remarkably impassive to Staci's revelations as she considered her response. She had to remain calm and avoid appearing judgmental because she knew that Staci's pride was, at least in part, probably the cause of her own demise. She knew from her own observations that, certainly over the past 6 months, Staci had not curtailed any of her spending and partying habits. She also figured that Staci would never let go of that fancy apartment of hers so there was no point suggesting a down-size there, and then there was the realization that she should probably write off the money Staci owed her. So it was that, after what seemed like an interminable pause, Rachel formulated and then delivered her response.
"Staci, you're like a sister to me, so, from this point on, no bull-shitting. Okay?" Staci nodded.
"What I don't understand is why am I only hearing this now?"
"I was embarrassed. I thought I'd be able to get by until I found another job, but the recession and everything messed things up." Staci went on to inform her that her ex-boyfriend, Mike, was the architect of her black-balling and subsequent dismissal from her job. She conceded to her weakness to give up her flamboyant lifestyle that had precluded any effort to put aside money for a 'rainy day', but her reluctance to take on jobs she deemed 'below' her incensed Rachel.
"I don't know what you expect from me Staci, but, knowing what we now know, what would YOU do if our roles were reversed?"
Staci hadn't expected that. She tried to think of something, anything as a way out, instead, realization dawned. "Oh god, Rachel. I'm sorry. I don't know." Tears welled up in Staci's eyes.
"Staci, listen to me very carefully and do not speak until I am finished. Understand?" Staci nodded her assent. Rachel stood up and motioned for Staci to follow her to her computer desk and both sat down in front of the monitors screen as Rachel went through the motions of powering up her machine and logging onto the internet.
"Staci, all I can do is show you a way out. It is your choice as to what you do, but I'm going to ask that you keep an open mind and do not be too judgmental." Staci's face reflected her confusion as a web-site called "Helena" filled the screen. Rachel then told Staci her darkest secret.
"Staci, when I moved out of your place you need to know that I was at the end of my tether. I hated the crappy jobs I was doing to get by, I was always tired, always broke, and was really jealous of the life you had with Mike. I couldn't seem to get a break in the job market and didn't have the guts to admit I'd failed and just go home to my Mom and Dad.
I knew I didn't have to move out, but I felt like a leech and thought the best thing was to force myself to stand on my own two feet. One of the waitresses I knew had put me in touch with someone who had a studio apartment for rent and, after I had told her of my dire circumstances, she took me into her confidence and showed me this web-site." Rachel indicated the screen and clicked on the "About Me" link as she continued to speak.
"No one seems to know who set up the site, but the story behind it makes sense in an ironic way. Ownership and maintenance is passed on from girl to girl based on the need of the individual. The girl who gave it to me felt that my need was greater than hers, and in that vein I now want to offer it on to you....if you want it. It was set up on a whim by a girl who fell on genuine hard times and wanted to make some discrete money without being managed by the wrong sort. She set some basic rules, which work by the way, and set about hiring her services out as an escort. Once on her feet she was going to close the site down, however, she befriended a girl in a similar situation as to what she had been in and passed the site on to her, which is how it eventually came into my possession.
The description of 'Helena' is fairly generic and matches either one of us. Early to mid-20's, blonde haired, slim, you get the drift. None of the pictures of 'Helena' show her face, which is just as well considering none of them are of me. In fact, these pictures haven't changed since I got the site. My predecessor obviously gave me some guidance and mentoring to begin with, as I would with you and, as 'Helena', you can change whatever you want. Rates per hour, the services you'll provide. Whatever. All you need do for now is read the site contents then we'll talk some more."
A wide eyed, incredulous Staci barely uttered the words, "You're a whore?" before Rachel's hand whipped viciously across Staci's accusatory face. Staci was knocked clean off her seat and onto the floor as Rachel stood up, face full of rage, and glared down at her friend.
"Don't you dare judge me," glowered Rachel. "I did what I thought I had to do at the time. Let me ask you, are you any better for letting some unknown fuck shag you just because he bought you a few glasses of wine? It's not like you're some fucking saint you know!"