“We’ll just supervise, Eva. Seems like Cindy’s got it all under control.” Patsy turns to me. “These are Cindy, Tits and Pearl.” She points to each one in turn. “Along with Eva, they’re our club girls.”
Club girls?
Alicia, who’s been standing quiet by my side, asks me quietly, “What are club girls?”
Seeing what they’re wearing, or not as the case may be, it’s fairly obvious. I don’t want it spelled out in front of my daughter. Eva though, she seems so normal, and is dressed conservatively. Surely, she’s not one as well?
“We cook, clean and keep house for the men,” Eva starts, giving the others a warning look, but she’s too late.
Simultaneously, Tits speaks up, “We’re here to service the men. In exchange, we get board and lodging, and a bit extra in our pockets each week.”
“We service the men’s rooms is what she meant to say.” Eva casts a worried eye toward me as she tries to give what they do an innocent slant. But neither I, nor my daughter is stupid.
I’m not sure if the look I’m wearing is more of shock or disgust as I reflect upon just what services these women offer. Does Grumbler partake? My jaw clenches as I say tightly, “Thanks, Patsy, but I think we’ll leave now.” What hit me hardest was how this sensible woman who introduced herself as a nurse is not embarrassed to own herself as one of their number.
Is Patsy the same? I hope not. She did introduce herself as Lost’s old lady, but maybe the men here like to share? Whatever, I have to get my daughter out of here.
It’s Alicia who tries to dissuade me. “Mom, look, Owen and Devon know where we live. I’m scared, Mom. What if they come for me? What if Owen wants to… use me again? He could blackmail me with that video. What would I do?” Her eyes again water, and I have to admit I’m scared of that too. What could two defenceless women do against two determined men?
I don’t even own a gun. For the first time in my life, I think I ought to look into buying one. But could I shoot a man? Send a bullet tearing into flesh? If he was coming to hurt my daughter, the answer is a resounding yes. That thought makes me frown. There’s nothing I won’t do to protect Alicia.
The desire is there, but not the ability. If I insist on taking her home, could I chance Owen wanting more? Even if he didn’t use physical violence, as Alicia had said, he could use the threat of distributing that video to God knows who.
“We’ll go to the cops,” I decide. It’s the only sensible decision.
Alicia looks at me, her eyes wide. She steps closer, and keeping her voice low, hisses, “That’s not your decision. Oh, you can take me there, but I’m not going to say anything. First, that would make matters worse with Owen, and second, I’m not listening to cops telling me I was asking for it. That I went knowing what was going to happen. He didn’t rape me, Mom.”
Patsy interjects, also quietly into my ear, “How could she prove videoing it wasn’t previously agreed to? Cops might say she only withdrew her agreement after she’d spoken to you, or perhaps, just came to have regrets. If Owen maintained it was only for his own private viewing, he’s committed no crime.”
“Statutory rape,” I tell Patsy, equally softly.
Patsy breathes in deeply. “You really want to force Alicia to go through that?”
Do I? Surely that’s the right way to go about it, to give the problem to people who know how to deal with it and get justice for my daughter. Grumbler would say I already have.
“I’m not going to the cops,” Alicia whispers again, with fresh tears glistening. “I wouldn’t trust Owen if I got the law after him.”
She’s made a good point. I didn’t trust him and that was before he’d violated my daughter.
Are we safer to stay on the compound? Are my sensibilities of being alongside women who are open about the fact they are whores clouding my judgement over what’s best for my daughter?
Am I being an old fogey? If they were dressed in everyday clothes, would I have looked at them twice? Am I too judgemental? They seem friendly enough, and if they’re not ashamed of their lifestyle, who am I to judge? I’m worried about them influencing Alicia.
Do I doubt my parenting skills so much? Alicia’s not going to change her life’s ambition to becoming a club girl just from being around them. I brought her up to respect herself better than that.
Perhaps, a niggling doubt assails me, I’m more concerned that these women have, and will, warm Grumbler’s bed. But why should that concern me, it’s not as if I’d want to be there instead?
“You’re overthinking it.” Patsy again speaks into my ear, her tone amused. “I can see from the expressions going over your face. Don’t think I don’t know how you’re feeling, I came here with my son not that long ago. Some club girls can be real bitches. I’ve heard that from the women in other clubs, but the four we have here are pleasant enough, as long as they don’t think you’re going to poach one of the men and take him off the market. Believe you me, they won’t see you as a threat. In the same way as they didn’t think that of me.”
“Because I’m old?” I admit, whispering back.
“Hate to say it, yes. And you’ve caught the eye of Grumbler, who I’m pretty certain doesn’t take advantage of the services they provide. Not that I’ve seen in the months that I’ve been here.”
My heart lifts more than it should to know Grumbler hasn’t, at least recently, been with the girls. But he’s a man, doesn’t mean he hasn’t. To be honest, my stomach twists at the thought. With the exception
