The Girlfriend Experience Ch. 07

That week cannot come soon enough.

"Call Viva la Vegan and put an order in for takeout," Colt reminded her as he stowed the groceries. "By the time we arrive, the food should be ready."

"Thank you, honeybuns." Pamela was beaming. "You're always thinking of me and what I want and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it." Her phone beeped with a notification. "Oh, lookie here." She tilted her head to the right, then the left. "E-mail number ten from Charlie."

Colt froze. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous. I'm not jealous. Never once had it bothered him that his wife was a working girl and had sex with other men and women. Such a thought rarely entered his mind. I was at peace with that before I married her. Colt grew up in this industry and, aside from the occasional tiny twinge, harbored no animosity when Pamela was with someone else. It was second nature to him by now. Just business, right?

Besides, long before he met Pamela, Colt figured if he were to get married one day, it would be to a working girl. It had to be a working girl. What other option did he have? It wasn't like he could go on a blind date with a typical woman and expect any success.

"Hi. I'm Sara."

"I'm Colt."

"A pleasure to meet you, Colt. What do you do for a living?"

"I run the brothel in town."

Yeah. That wasn't ever going to work out.

I'm not jealous. He clenched both fists together and trembled. While Colt did his best to convince himself that he wasn't jealous of the way Charlie monopolized Pamela and her time in recent days, there was one thing he couldn't deny. Something about that guy irks the hell out of me and I hope he never comes back.

"Oh, how sweet!" Pamela had a joyous smile as she read the latest message on her smartphone. "Charlie wants me to send him a list of gift ideas, like an Amazon Wish List, and then he's going to purchase some of them and have them shipped to the house."

Colt's pulse was speeding. You know, I should just sell the damn brothel to my billionaire cousin from Vegas who keeps offering to buy it and start a new business back home in Maryland. ...

<> <> <> <> <>

"Hey, what's wrong?" Kenzie stepped out of her bedroom at four o'clock and happened upon Lindsay creaking down the hallway like she'd aged sixty years. Arms at her sides and body listless, Lindsay clutched her chest and cried uncontrollably. "You okay, hon?"

Drooping her shoulders, she regarded Kenzie. "I just got a royal ass-whipping from Colt."

"What? Huh? An ass-whipping? You mean he yelled at you?" Dazed and confused, Kenzie pulled Lindsay into her room and closed the door for privacy. "What happened? Talk to me, hon. Here, sit down."

"I got called into Colt's office and he obliterated me for forty-five minutes straight. I ... I've never received an ass-whipping like that before." Seeking comfort, Lindsay grabbed one of Kenzie's teddy bears and hugged it.

"What happened? Why?" Kenzie took a seat and placed an arm around Lindsay's shoulder.

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "First, it was about my attitude since I've arrived. I guess some other girls - led by Aaliyah - complained about me. She doesn't like the way I act before, during, and after lineups. Colt said no matter if I'm chosen or not, I'm supposed to have a smile and always present a positive impression. If I'm not chosen, I'm supposed to keep smiling, politely leave the lap dance room, and silently wish my fellow working girl the best of luck." More tears broke free. "Aaliyah, I guess, said I act like a whiny little brat if I don't get chosen."

Kenzie released a knowing groan. "I saw you crying downstairs the other night with Pamela after you were passed over for your first lineup. Right before Sammy showed up. That's a no-no." Lindsay covered her face with both hands as Kenzie squeezed her wrist. "Was Pamela in the office with you and Colt too?"

"Yes!" Lindsay glanced back up and her eyes were redder, her face puffier. "Pamela didn't say a word the whole time either. All she did was ... sit there."

"Oh, wow." Kenzie gulped her throat. "That's unusual and doesn't sound like Pamela at all." Colt must've been super angry at Kayleigh. According to rumors, he and Pamela first learned about all the drama on the drive back to the ranch from Oakfall. "What did Colt say? You're not in trouble, are you? I mean, serious trouble?"

"He told me this was my only chance and I need to support all my fellow employees from now on." Sadness slammed into Lindsay. "Else, I'll get fired next time." Without this job, what hope did she have for the future? "And he ... he ..." Lindsay's stomach twisted into knots as she said, "he suspended me! Says I can't work tonight or all day tomorrow. I need to stay out of sight from all customers and if one sees me, I'll be in more trouble."

"Oh, shit. Wow. A two-day suspension? You're lucky he didn't fire you outright." Kenzie's throat was tight, and she needed alcohol to loosen it. "I've seen him fire new girls in the past. He promotes this as being a no-drama house. He's a chill guy but can get angry over any hint of drama. Colt doesn't tolerate it one bit." Kayleigh wasn't fired because of Pamela. Kenzie would bet her bottom dollar, in fact, that Pamela begged Colt to give Lindsay a second chance. I know she did.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, I got yelled at for the party I had last night too."

"What? Colt is upset at you over the guy who was rude?" How is that possible? No way.

"No, not that, I guess. He ... he's upset I ... I agreed to the party at all." Lindsay's own throat ached with the effort it took not to cry. "He says I put myself in danger because of how belligerent the customer was and I can never do that again." She wiped a tear from her cheek. "He even sent Jim home for the day. He's pissed off at Jim, too, because he allowed the party to go on."

"What? Jim? Jim is in trouble too?" Kenzie would refuse to work here if Jim ever got fired. She would quit and never look back. "What happened to Jim?" Jim is an institution here. He'd been at the ranch for thirty-five years and was the face of the business. He interacts with far more customers than Colt.

"Colt sent Jim home for the day," Lindsay reiterated. "It's all my fault! Colt said if he was here last night, he would have kicked Eric out the minute he raised his voice at us during the negotiations. And he got mad at Jim, I guess, because he let the negotiations go on."

Overcome with sudden fear, Kenzie gulped her throat. I let them go on too. I was Kayleigh's Big Sister.

As if on cue, the loudspeaker in the bedroom clicked, and Pamela's voice came through the intercom. "Kenzie, Colt wants to have a word with you in his office. Please, come immediately."

"Oh, shit," Kenzie mouthed.

Knowing Kenzie would get a talking-to of her own, Lindsay again covered her face with both hands and let loose with an ugly, full-on cry, complete with a runny nose and stammering sobs.

"I'll be right there, Pamela." Kenzie pulled Lindsay into a warm hug that came with her signature scents of jasmine and citrus. "It'll be okay, honey." She spoke in a whisper. "Colt won't do anything except give me a warning. Don't worry, I can take it. I should have put an end to the party before it started last night." I was your Big Sister and was supposed to lead you down the right path.

"I didn't want you to!" Lindsay blinked back more tears. "I wanted to make some money. I want to buy a car by the time my first three-week tour is up. I don't even care if it's used. I need a car."

Seconds later, Kenzie scuffed off to Colt's office. Kayleigh shouldn't act the way she does after getting passed over in lineups, but as far as the party thing, she was looking to do her job and ultimately please the customer. Does she really deserve to be suspended?

On the surface, this made Colt appear heinous, but there were two sides to every story. Surely, Kayleigh left some things out in what she told me. There had to be other reasons Colt suspended her, right? I doubt he gave her a royal ass-whipping, too, verbal or otherwise. Kayleigh does tend to overdramatize things. Colt was strict and by-the-book, but Kenzie had never witnessed him be downright cruel toward an employee. He's a fabulous boss to have.

Besides, she knew Pamela would never tolerate him treating any of the girls the wrong way. No way, no how. If he did, Kenzie trusted Colt would receive a royal ass-whipping of his own - courtesy of Pamela.

* * *

Eyes red-rimmed and her nose flushed, and her makeup tracking black streaks down her face, Lindsay retreated to her bedroom and slammed the door. Her emotions were all over the place as she collapsed on the bed and once again questioned her decision to ever apply and accept a job here.

Look at what's happened to you. You're a fucking whore! The boss is mad at you and at least one other girl hates you already, too, and you keep getting passed over in lineups. Lindsay again wondered if she was attractive enough to be working here. You got suspended too. How could she have fucked up so badly? Jim and Kenzie were both in trouble because of her. Worst of all, Pamela was disappointed. You let Pamela down!

I ... I hate it here. I want to go back home!

Lindsay dabbed her eyes with tissues and signed on to the website via her smartphone. She had four e-mails waiting - more interested customers, no doubt - but ignored them for the time being. Instead, she clicked on "compose message" and furiously thumbed out an e-mail to the one person that she wanted to be with right now. It wasn't her mom or dad, any of her sisters, or her best friend, Evie. None of them will want anything to do with me once they find out what's become of me. It wasn't Pamela either. I'm not going to survive here. This place is going to swallow me alive.

Somehow, Lindsay believed, this person could make everything better. Being with him would solve all her problems.

>> ive had a dreadful day & wish i could sit in ur lap & u could brush my hair right now like the other night. that was so nice. wed hug & kiss & then fuck. i miss u so much baby and really need u right now

>> i love u sammy

Lindsay tapped the "send" icon. ...

(End of Chapter Seven - to be continued)