Going Broke (12 page)

“What the fuck do you care?”

“Time out, Sarai. I'm actually calling to see how you're doing. I was wondering how things were with you. Did you find a job?”

“No, I still haven't found a job. I can't find shit. I don't speak Spanish, remember? No one wants to hire me. Everybody's too busy laughing at me, just like you said they would. Are you calling to laugh too?”

“You know I'm not happy about that. So how have you been making it?”

“I'm doing just fine.” I tried to sound upbeat.

“We both know that that's a fuckin' lie,” he said.

“I'll be okay.” I sniffled.

“How much money do you have in the bank now?”

“That's none of your business.”

“It is my business.” He continued, “Because I can have two thousand dollars in your pocket by tomorrow night.”

“No.” I sniffled into the phone. “No.”

He said, “Get a pen.”

I didn't have to; I already had one in my hand.

“Write this number down.” He called out a number, and my hand moved accordingly. “Doctor Baker is still waiting on you, but at this point any pussy will do the trick,” he said. “This will be my first and last time calling you. You can sit over there hungry and get evicted if you want to, or you can allow me to welcome you into this establishment. You have one hour to think about it. If I don't hear from you, then it was nice knowing you. I've never begged anyone to let me help them, and I'm not starting with you.” He hung up.

I stared hard at the phone and began thinking about Daddy, his monthly expenditures, and the hospital bill. My rent was due, and life without cable was a bitch. I saw the life that I was accustomed to slipping away. I could no longer afford the things I was used to, and that was the catch—I was used to them. With Damian footing the bills, I didn't realize that I had been living beyond my means. I wanted to continue to have nice things and go to nice places.

I looked at Conrad's number and couldn't believe that I was dialing it. Fifteen minutes hadn't even passed, so he'd know just how desperate I was. But I was at a point where it didn't even matter; I was going broke.

“Hello?”

“When will I get the money?” I asked in an unsure whisper.

“He'll give it to you tomorrow night. I already have my share. We worked that out.” He added, “But be sure to call the office and check in with my secretary when the deal is complete. She'll need some information from you.” I could hear him smile. “Welcome to the Elite Establishment. You've made a wise decision.”

For the next ten minutes, Conrad brainwashed me into thinking that there was absolutely nothing wrong with what I was about to do. He kept mentioning all of my money problems, making them seem greater than they were. He informed me that Doctor Baker would be checking into the Hilton downtown under the name Will Brown around 7:00, and wanted me there no later than 7:30. “No playing around, he has to be somewhere else at ten o'clock.”

Before we hung up he said, “Please know that my clients are used to the best. Be sure to take care of yourself. Go get your hair, nails and toes done, and keep them done at all times. You never know when there is money to be made,” he said. “Oh, and if you don't want to get on my bad side, don't try to get paid and leave me out. Trust me, I will find out.” He added, “We have a conference in Detroit next weekend. I might need you there. But the most important thing is to have fun tomorrow night.”

“I'll try,” I said.

“Have a nice day.”

“Goodbye.” I felt terrible about what I had just agreed to. But what else was I going to do?

As I hung up the phone it was ringing again. I was hoping that it was Conrad. I couldn't do this, and I was going to tell him that I changed my mind. “Hello?”

“Thank you again,” Nat shrieked.

“Thank you for being a friend,” I sang. “Traveled down the road and back again. Your heart is true; you're a pal and a confidant.” I loved the
Golden Girls
theme song.

She sang the next verse, which was the way we always did it. “And if you threw a party inviting everyone you knew, you would see the biggest gift would be from me.”

We sang together. “And the card attached would say, thank you for being a friend.”

I giggled. “What's up, girl?”

“Nothing. I wanted to say thanks again for the flowers, and I wanted to invite you to this thing they're giving free tickets out to tomorrow.”

“What thing?”

“Does it matter?” she joked. “It's free.”

“It could be a mass hanging. That's free,” I said.

She was cracking up. When she finally composed herself, she said, “It's an invitation to Vocalize. That's that poetry reading jazz club on South Beach.”

“I've passed by that place before. That sounds good.” Then I remembered my engagement with Doctor Baker. “Oh, wait a minute. I have something to do tomorrow night.”

“What?”

I hated lying to her. “Doctor Baker is lecturing at the community college downtown. I promised him that I'd be there.”

“Aw, man. What time?” She sounded disappointed.

“Seven.”

“Oh, then that's cool. This thing doesn't start until ten-thirty.” She said, “If you want, we can go to the college together.”

“No, no.” I had to kill that thought. “I'll go. You go to the club and get us a good table. I'll meet you there. Those places get crowded fast.”

“Okay. Are you sure that you're coming? I'm asking because I need to put your name on the list.”

“Yes, Miss Blake,” I said. “I'm positive.”

“All right,” she said. “See ya tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

 

 

For the first time ever, I didn't want to see the next day, but it came anyway. I went down to Bob & Weave, and they tightened my weave job. Bob blew breath into my hair, bringing it back to life. Though he had to replace a few tracks, he didn't charge me for them. He mentioned that he knew times were hard for me, and charged me only for a wash and set. I knew it wouldn't take long before the gossip king learned my story.

At Nail Wok, they took care of my nails and toes. Once home I knew that the black dress I wore with Julian would do the trick for both Doctor Baker and Vocalize. I packed what I quickly named my slut box: condoms, extra panties, soap, a small towel, feminine and regular deodorant, lotion, perfume, and makeup.

I set out to the hotel at 7:00 and arrived at twenty after. I walked through the lobby like a zombie. I learned that “Bill Brown” was checked into room 529, and as I made my way to the elevator, I was tempted to run out. I kept my eyes on the entrance and vowed that if the elevator doors didn't open in ten seconds, I would leave. I counted down in my head.
Six, seven, eight, nine.

“I'm glad that you came.” Doctor Baker walked up next to me and pretended to be a stranger. He never looked my way. To others we appeared as two unrelated hotel guests waiting on the elevator.

His presence made me feel even more like running out of the hotel, but the elevator opened up before us, and he gestured with a smile. “Ladies first,” he said politely.

As the doors closed, he looked at me. “Can I examine you?” Before I could answer, he pushed me against the wall and slid his tongue so far into my mouth that it felt like he was tickling my tonsil. His hands traveled up my stomach and groped my breasts. “Isn't it time for your mammogram?” He moved his hands around in a circular motion and was pinching my nipples as we came to a stop.

This was the wrong night for me to be sober.

When we got to the room, I remembered Conrad saying that Doctor Baker needed to be somewhere at 10:00, so at least this wasn't going to be an all-night thing.

As we sat on the bed, I tried talking dirty to him, but it felt like something out of a cheap porn movie. I allowed him to kiss me and even stuck my tongue into his mouth, but nothing was working for me. He told me about how he often fantasized about me when I was in his office and even more when I left. He admitted to having an erection during most of my exams and said that he came on himself once during my pap smear.

After thirty minutes of me putting off the inevitable, he asked me to strip naked in front of him. He asked me to lie down on the bed with my legs opened up as though I was on his examining table. This idiot actually walked out of the room then in again with a clipboard. “Hello, Sarai.” He gave me a look, egging me to go on with it.

I was extremely uncomfortable. “Hi, Doctor Baker.”

“How are you?” he asked as he pulled the desk chair to the front of the bed.

“I'm doing just fine,” I said.

“You are a little late for your appointment.”

“Yeah.” I was anticipating his touch. It would mean that this was almost over. “Traffic was heavy. I'm sorry.”

“It's too late to apologize,” he said. “I have a little punishment for you.”

I got nervous and sat up a little. “What are you talking about?”

“Just relax.” He pushed my body back. “You took so long getting here that Nurse Brooks had to leave, so it's just you and me.”

I felt stupid, but quickly focused on the money I would be leaving the room with. “I thought you weren't allowed to examine patients without her in the room.”

Suddenly I felt his fingers touch me below. He began rubbing me gently. “I'm not supposed to, but you made this appointment so long ago, I couldn't let you down.”

“Are you sure that this is okay?”

His words trembled. “Yes, it's okay.”

“What instrument are you using?”

He giggled a little. “Well, someone broke into the office last night and stole just about everything, so I'm down to the basics.” He started sliding his finger in and out of me. “I'm using my finger.”

After a few minutes of heavy breathing he asked, “Would you mind if I used two?”

“That's fine, Doctor Baker. You do whatever you need to do.”

“Really?” He doubled up his fingers, and just when I thought it was impossible, I began saturating his fingers with the oil from my spring. “I see that you like that,” he said.

I groaned a little, and I wasn't faking it. “I do.”

While moving his fingers in and out of me, he used his other hand to stimulate my button.

Before long, I found myself grinding into his hands and squeezed my eyes shut. I was uncomfortable, but at the same time his hands were no different than any others that had pleasured me. Plus the fact that I was getting paid made me want to do the job right. “Oh yes, Doctor Baker, yes.”

Ten minutes later, he was kneeling in front of me, teasing me with his tongue. He started by pecking at me like a bird, and then he hardened his tongue and wiped it deep into me.

I jumped and cried, “Oh shit! Yeah, yeah, oh yes.”

“See how much fun we can have when Nurse Brooks isn't around?”

I was truly enjoying the feel of his tongue, so I grabbed his head and begged for more. He must've been so excited; while lashing me, he managed to undress and strap on a condom.

Within minutes, he was on top of me, making faces like the world was coming to an end.

I didn't see his equipment, and I didn't need to, because I couldn't even feel it.

Within five minutes, his sweat was draining down all over me, his eyes rolled back, and he let out a loud groan as he bit into his bottom lip.

I thought he was having a seizure, until he yelled, “Oh fuck, that was good.”

All I could do was roll to the right before the big ball of brown fat collapsed on top of me.

He was out cold, snoring and all. It was over.

“That wasn't bad at all,” I whispered to myself. I left him on the bed, grabbed my slut box and took a warm shower.

Afterwards, I did my makeup again, being sure that I wouldn't look like I had just reduced my worth when Nat saw me.

I opened the bathroom door and saw that Doctor Baker hadn't moved an inch. His feet were still dangling off the edge of the bed, and he was snoring even louder. His hands at his sides helped to hide the rolls of fat littering him. The only way to determine where his back ended was where the crack began. He had no butt, just a holding area for shit.

“Doctor Baker.” I shook his body. “Doctor Baker.”

He was startled. “Yeah?” He looked around the room.

“I'm leaving. Conrad said that you'd have the money.”

He looked confused. “I do, but we're not done yet.” He sat up. “Take off that dress. I want some more of that juicy pussy.”

He asked me to lie in bed and masturbate while he watched and stroked himself.

I did so until he walked over to me.

“Suck it, please.”

He used his hand to navigate himself into my mouth. “Spit on it and suck it.”

I wet him with my saliva so that I could easily gobble down all three inches of him.

When he seemed like he was about to come, he quickly pulled out and asked me to stand. He stroked his piece and applied the condom as he lay belly up on the bed and ushered me on top of him.

I hated every moment of it.

He kissed me harshly and continually squeezed my nipples.

I thought it would be over quickly like the first time, but Doctor Baker got his money's worth. He poked me for close to thirty minutes.

When he climaxed, he pulled himself out of me, snatched off the latex, and insisted on coming on my breasts. Not only did he want me to spread it over my chest, but my stomach too. Then he begged me to lick my fingers, and I did.