Stimulus Bill Ch. 01

Chapter 1 Foreclosure

All characters are of legal age(18), this is a work of fiction after all, right?

*

I looked at, Cathy, my beautiful wife of twenty years and could see she was heart broken. We were loosing our home and there was nothing we could do about it. We had worked so hard to achieve the American Dream and because of our choice of a Adjustable Rate Mortgage we were loosing the entire amount of our investment, well that and other circumstances beyond our control. She slid into my arms and sobbed, we would be 'Homeless' in just a few months.

We had both lost our jobs do to the economy and no one was hiring, especially at our level of experience, training and education. Cathy was an Executive Secretary, whose Executive had been retired early and due to cutbacks had been released from her company. That had been eleven months ago. I had been Director of Marketing for a National Advertising Corporation, and due to the 'Slow Down' had been terminated, with no hope of a rehire, they were having trouble staying solvent. Some of our investments had been stocks that had taken a big hit leaving us without the nest egg that would have, should have helped us thru this, our most difficult hour. Our oldest daughter, Catline who is twenty, had moved back into our home because she had also lost her job. Though she was considering moving to the East Coast with her boyfriend when he could find work and a stable place to live, that had been five months ago. The only one of us who was working was our youngest daughter, Kelli, eighteen, who was working at the Mall for a clothing store, but it seemed she was spending her paycheck on merchandize and owed more than she was making.

"What are we going to do, Bill?" Cathy sobbed against my chest. I felt like a complete failure, me Bill McLeod, unable to provide for the first time in my life for the three people I loved and cared for more than anything in the world, 'My Girls'.

"Well, we won't starve, at least right away." I tried to make lite, but Cathy punched me in the gut, a sharp poke with the point of her finger.

"Sorry.' I said. Chastised sufficiently, I tried to keep it on track and show my concern.

'We will loose the house in two months, three at the latest. We have enough money in our IRA's, and savings to continue to make our bills for the next two months, and house payment for three, but that's with absolutely no, and I mean No extraneous spending. No extras of any kind! Christmas is out, unless me make our presents, out of stuff we already have!'

'If we don't pay our bills and just move out we may find a place that rents cheaper than the payment on the home, and exist till we can find work but it means we will have to start all over. That's face it, we'll have to start all over no matter what happens." I finished. I felt spent, I'd been over and over the numbers, but then so had Cathy. We had two months to come up with something and it had better be good enough to pull our asses out of this wringer.

The back door burst open and in stormed Kelli. The moment she saw us, Cathy sitting on my lap and me holding her close she latched onto us, like lighting to a lighting rod.

"You wouldn't believe what just happened! That little weasel of a manager Stan tried to come on to me! After he had Fired me!"

She was on a roll, her temper was legendary, passionate and fiery she was the most outspoken of my girls.

"Can you believe, first he says he has to let certain of us go, and then he proceeds to call us into his office to interview us so he can decide who will go! When he got to me he sat me down and told me how much I owed for the clothes I bought there and then proceeded to tell me he could over look the amount if I would consider a payment plan.'

'One that included having sex with him to repay the debt! And I could keep the sucky job!"

I not sure about the next few seconds because it was at that moment that Cathy burst into tears, howling, and burying her head into my chest. The look on Kelli's face was priceless!

"Mom! I didn't fuck him!'

She didn't even seem to realize what she had said she was so concerned about how her mom was reacting.

"I told him to fuck off, and he could send me a bill!"

Cathy howled even louder, shaking her head against my chest.

"Mom?" Kelli came closer to her mom and me a look of concern on her face. Her gaze shifted to me, she looked at me questioning. I just shook my head and motioned her to go on.

"She'll be okay, honey. She's just gotten some bad news, I'll explain later. Run along." I said as kindly as I could, and Kelli left the kitchen.

After a few moments, Cathy calmed down and finally came up for air.

"You wouldn't believe what got to me!" She said sniffling, her eyes all red and puffy from crying.

"Huh?" I said hugging her close, waiting her out.

"I...' She began a quiver in her lip, 'I was just thinking, How easy it would be if I could just fuck in order to pay the bills, then Kel comes in outraged because someone suggested she do just that! Aren't I terrible?" She sniffled into a tissue I didn't even know she had.

"No sweetheart you're not terrible!' I tried to encourage her, I wasn't sure about her logic of fucking to pay the bills so I just played along, 'I'm sure this kind of situation has happened to others, we're just in a tight spot, we'll get thru!"

"Bill! Don't patronize me! I'm not your little girl, I'm your wife and a grown woman, we're in dire straits, and if we don't do something, Now! We're going to loose our home, the money we've invested for all these years, and our savings! I'm not ending up on the street, and neither are my daughters! Damn It!"

I was rather shocked by her outburst but I didn't know what to say!

"Well?" She looked at me expectantly.

"Well, what?" I asked, not sure what she was getting at.

She got up from my lap and began pacing the floor between the sink and the breakfast nook. She was rubbing her hands together and the look of complete concentration on her face was stern.

"Look Bill, when I worked for Charlie, I had certain duties.' her eyes cut at me daring me to speak, 'I don't mean I slept with him! I provided certain entertainment for clients of his, escorts, girls for his clients, who were mostly from out of town. I payed the services very well for the few hours the girls worked. It was a business expense for us and it helped to sell a lot of our clients who otherwise would have gone to our competition."

I didn't interrupt, I was to shocked to hear where this was going.

"There was one woman, Bella, whose service I used almost exclusively, that I got to know.' she hesitated, 'Well, we had lunch a couple of times, to discuss business."

She paced back to the table.

"Well, she hinted that I could make a lot more money working for her than I ever could working for Charlie. When I asked how much? She said, thousands a week. It would depend on how much I wanted to work. I was just curious, you know? I never thought I would consider it."

She paced back into the kitchen and turned looking at me.

"I think we should consider it."

I wasn't angry, she had done nothing to be angry about. I was I think, in a state of shock. My inability to provide for my family had brought my beautiful wife to this conclusion, 'She needed to sell her body in order to provide for our family.' I shook my head to clear the ringing in my ears. I looked up at her and I was certain she saw the confusion in my eyes, and the hurt on my face. She marched up to me and slapped me harder than anyone has ever slapped me before in my life!

"Damn it, Bill! The damn government stimulus is not coming our way! We have to do this ourselves or loose everything! It's not your fault, and it's not mine, but if we don't want to become victims of this economy we need to be proactive, and Do something about our situation. We could make a lot of money, Bill. Our problems would be solved, until we could get on our feet, and get jobs that pay like our old jobs. ' Her voice had gotten a little loud as she continued,

"This is not about sex, or not being satisfied with you as a man,' She looked at me tenderly before she went on, 'you are more man than I've ever been able to handle. It's just pure and simple, about money. Do you remember that joke I told you about the little girl and boy on the play ground, and the little boy asks to see her privates, and when they showed each other she says, she can get as many of those with one of these.' she touched her crotch. 'Well, I have one of these, and I can get a lot of money with one of these."

"Okay.' I said rubbing my jaw, the sting still burning my cheek, 'I just have one question? Did you have to slap me so damn hard?"

"You don't want to think about it?" She asked, a tickle of fear in her voice.

At that moment our daughters burst thru the swinging door from the living room, Cat, looking subdued and teary, and Kelli, looking fiery and feisty. Of course Kelli was the first to speak,

"Daddy! How could you?" She said, her eyes flashing her accusation. Both girls taking up stations beside their mom as if siding with her, showing their solidarity.

"How could I what?" I asked quietly, knowing they would come to the understanding that it was their mom who had suggested this turn in events.

"How could you ask mom to pimp herself out for money?" Kelli asked, her passionate feelings evident in her body language.

I looked toward their mother, my beautiful wife, and silently asked her if this wasn't her doing. I continued to rub the reddened hand print on my cheek.

"Girls,' Cathy interjected quietly but firmly,'girls, this is not your father's doing, but it is something I, we have to consider as an alternative to the hard and glaring facts. We will be homeless in just a few months if we don't do something now."

"But mom?' Cat said, imploringly,'This?"

"I don't have John's lined up outside the door! It is something I'm considering."

"Yeah!' Kelli interjected, her fiery eyes flashing at her mother now 'But You Are considering It!"

"Yes, I am." Cathy stated flatly.

The girls looked at each other Cat looked to Kelli for guidance, even though she was the elder. She knew if anyone would stand up for 'what was right' it would be her. Kelli just had a thoughtful look on her face, but made no move to judgement.

"Why don't we all sit and discuss our options, and keep our emotions checked at the door for a few moments?' Cathy looked around at the girls and me. 'Anyone for coffee?"

I stood and went to the cabinet and reached toward the back and pulled out a small package wrapped in plain brown paper. Cathy looked at me questioningly.

"The last of the Good Stuff!" I said, and began fixing coffee for the four of us. Lately we had sunk to using an off, off, off, store brand that tasted like roasted bark from a tree in our yard. Everyone had complained but no one had volunteered to buy a better brand. It was just a symbol of the way things had come down to this discussion of my wife 'pimping' herself out to save our family.

The awesome aroma of the 'Good Stuff' was heavenly as we embarked on a family business that changed our lives in ways we would never have imagined or dreamed.

The coffee was ready so I gathered four cups, the pot and the condiments. Appreciative smiles, Ooo's, and ah's from the arrival of the 'Good Stuff', signaled the beginning of the confab we were having around the kitchen table.

"God I miss this!" Cathy, my wife, moaned in delight. She continued,

"Well,' looking at each one of us squarely, 'I'm not sure how this came to be a family decision, but I'm sure it's for the best."

"We haven't actually made a decision, yet? Have we?" Kelli interjected.

"Well, no,' Cathy explained, 'but if we don't want to be homeless we have to come up with a plan to make money, and lots of it! Soon."

"I don't mean to be harsh, but mom this idea of being "an Escort", is a little lame." Kelli stated mater of factly. Cat and Kelli shared a mutual look of understanding and chuckled.

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean, Kelli? I didn't invent the occupation, but we need to come up with a way to make money somehow, and ..." Cathy started defensively.

"Mom you want to make money, but you are thinking about it all wrong. We need to make more money than screwing five guy's a night will get us, think about this in the "Age of the Internet". We need a web page, then we can screw one guy and a thousand suckers come to watch and we make a thousand times more money with only one moment of indiscretion. See?" Kelli stated smiling, her eyes cut toward me as she almost blushed.

"And fewer STD's." Cat said quietly. "And we control the situation, we choose the guy, and what goes on! It's a lot better solution, don't you think, Mom?"

Cathy looked at her daughters like she was seeing them for the first time. Then her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized them a little more closely.

"You girls wouldn't know more about this kind of thing than you are telling us would you?" Cathy could be much more intuitive than me. So far this whole conversation seemed a little surrealistic to me, I felt I was missing a whole page of the script.

"Well...." Cat wasn't looking directly at anyone and she just briefly glanced at Kelli. Cathy latched onto Kelli and the look she gave her commanded an answer.

"Well?" Cathy said looking a little imperiously at Kelli.

"What? Mom! It was nothing, more like a dare. Anyway, it wasn't me it was Cat!" Kelli said throwing her sister under the bus, so to speak. Cathy's gaze switched back on Cat.

"Well, don't look at me! Mom! It was nothing! Really!' Cat stammered, she was always the conservative one, the 'Good Girl', and Kelli was the adventurous one, but it seemed she was outed by her sister to whom she was giving the harshest looks.

"It was Kelli's idea, I was just kind of the one who took advantage of her idea." Cat finished.

"My idea! I didn't tell you to go to that site, you did that on your own! You said you needed the money, and I just told you about it!" ,Kelli countered. Cathy began to laugh then stopped abruptly.

"Sorry, I just was thinking about what we were discussing and it struck me as funny how I was getting upset about what I think is the very thing I was talking about. Any way I don't think this is the time for recriminations, I think the truth would be the best for this discussion. Truth and honesty, because honestly, I'm scared as hell about doing this, but I don't see any other way out of the fix we seem to be in. So tell me girls, and be honest. We need to all be forthright with each other if we are going to withstand this terrible time together."

Cat looked at Kelli and smiled as if forgiving her, Kelli nodded.

"Well, it's like this.' Kelli started, 'Do you remember Mister Mondragon, my computer teacher in high school? Anyway, we were having a discussion in class about porn on the Internet, and he mentioned something about a site called 'Professional Amateur's dot Com', where regular people could go to make money posting their sex tapes.' Cathy said something under her breath, but waved Kelli to go on, 'We all thought he was just kidding at first then somebody went to the site and sure enough it was a place where you could post video and photo files and whenever anyone looked at them you would get points for the hit, because they charged for anyone looking at your stuff. Anyway, that's how you could make money really easy, without putting your life in danger going out with complete strangers.'

'So anyway, I told Cat because she needed some money when she and Steven wanted to move in together, last fall." Kelli fell silent, looking towards Cat, willing her to continue the narrative.

"Okay!" Cat said a little loudly, her hands coming up a little dramatically, 'As long as we are being completely honest.' She said looking around at each of us, 'So Steven and I made a video. We posted it on the site, and we made some money. Me made a lot, not gobs but enough so he and I didn't have to work the whole semester. I still get a little residual money every now and again, though they tell me I need some new stuff if I want to keep getting the same as we did in the beginning.'

'Steven wanted us to do it again, but I wouldn't even when we were separated. I thought we would see if we could do it legit, and if it didn't work out then we could post another one at least till we could do something other than let complete strangers watch us fucking!"

She finished a little harshly, and you could see it bothered her that other people had seen her being intimate with her boyfriend. We were all quiet while we digested her story, and the implications that it portended of the path we ourselves we on the brink of taking.

"Your just pissed cause you said you were brother and sister!" Kelli teased.

"Kelli! You promised you wouldn't say anything about that!" Cat looked really hurt, her eyes cutting towards me as she almost came out of her chair.

"We are being completely honest, are we not?" Kelli stated knowing she had the upper hand.

"That was just because videos about incest had the highest draw! And you know it!" Cat said defensively.

"Girls, girls. Enough! There is no reason for being mean spirited, Kelli!" I reprimanded her, she looked around sheepishly. "And Cat. There's no reason to be embarrassed or feel any shame. Especially, if we ourselves are considering the very same option. It is a little unconventional, but that doesn't mean that it isn't without it's merits. We just need some time to wrap our heads around this idea, and consider all the consequences."

"I don't think we have that much time, Honey." Cathy said quietly.

I looked at her and knew she had already made up her mind. I knew there was no turning back, though I didn't know where that left any one of us. Or how this would come together as an answer to our problems. I looked at our girls and their mother, and I resigned myself to do whatever it took to keep us together, and to take care of 'My Girls', 'Bill McLeod's Girls'!