Charlie paused there, even though he had no need to breathe. And Terry knew he wasn’t finished.
Almost on cue, Charlie shifted to his more jovial mood, if that word really fit, saying,
“And I, for one, would enjoy the reaction of one of your females to a pleasure overload.”
Terry nodded his head. “To say nothing of hooking up with one of your boys while she and I sweat up some sheets.”
Charlie didn’t miss a beat.
“So she gets laid well, you get a little piece of happy and her occupant and I both get to have a chat and our own pleasures. The universe doesn’t give more perfect than this.”
Even Terry couldn’t argue with that. What the hell, they had done good, and if there was a reward due them, it was as good a time as any to collect.
“I suppose you know a hooker that fills both our needs at the moment?” He felt the surge that meant Charlie was feeling intolerably pleased with himself at that moment as he answered with what would have been a smile if he had had a face.
“I do indeed. Picked up her emanations when we were in Billings last time. From what I could detect, she had all the requirements and enough of a field for her occupant to suggest she be nice to us. And in keeping with your desires…she has great tits.”
Terry smiled as he threw the car in gear and peeled out, saying simply, “Well shit! Why didn’t you say so?”
Billings was a medium-sized city with a population of about one hundred thousand. Not a lot of diversity in the town proper, although it’s spread out enough to make it look a lot bigger than it was. Most of the people there worked in transportation of one form or another or retail at one of the multitude of malls and local ski lodges. That and tourism were their main claims to economic fame. The transportation links made sure that there was a very healthy influx of cash even during the worst economic times, which meant that the wages of sin still paid very well.
Needless to say, where there was that kind of money, made by and paid to men that had long nights and lots of road between them, their homes and anyone that knew them, or their wives, there were women willing to spend a few hours making them feel good. Sometimes as a hobby, sometimes as a job. The former were usually older, dissatisfied housewives or divorcees looking for a new beginning, while the latter were generally amateurs just starting out and testing the waters, so to speak, in the less-than-hostile or competitive environment, which Billings provided.
Between those extremes, though, was another group. Professionals who looked at the situation there as a working vacation, basically free of the dangers larger cities had, while providing a less discerning clientele, with far less exotic tastes or perversions, depending on your viewpoint, that had enough money to spend on those tastes with far less time to haggle. Given the close proximity to local, famous tourist traps, such as Boot Hill and Yellowstone, there was a good living to be made from men or women also far enough from home to indulge brief flights of fantasy.
Charlie guided Terry through the streets in what amounted to a search pattern. He could only detect his brethren across a limited distance, so he had to get close enough to recognize the one he had detected in this particular female.
They had left the bars and the stroll behind, which gave Terry hope that Charlie’s choice of lady for the evening was more than just the normal kind that lied and stole for as much of their living as they
worked
for.
On a street corner about three blocks from the center of downtown, Charlie indicated their target.
Terry took just a moment to figure out which one that was. And he realized Charlie had learned his tastes really well. She was tall, close to his own six foot two. And from what he could see, Charlie’s estimation of her breast size was dead on. The rest of her looked as though it had been designed just for the privilege of carrying that rack. Full hips and a waist, though not tiny, small enough to give her an hourglass figure, while being strong enough to support her. Dressed in a miniskirt that let just enough leg be seen to entice, he could see that she had legs at least the equal of those breasts in shape.
Her dress was inviting but not flamboyant. A simple black dress, short enough to display her wares and tight enough to enhance them. Her skin was bronzed enough to make her ancestry a mystery, but a look at her face as he got closer convinced him it was probably the result of a tanning salon rather than genetics. Her hair was so close to black, it made no difference in the glow of the street light. She was definitely Caucasian, although that was about as much as he could tell from there, even with Charlie boosting his vision.
Charlie told him quietly,
“When you talk to her, keep it light. Don’t mention money until it becomes an issue. She has her fantasy that she charms the man so much, he pays her for her time without her asking. And she has been known to do that to extremes if she has a good enough time and doesn’t need the money.”
Terry smiled. A hooker with a heart of gold and a challenge. Charlie had outdone himself this time.
Terry pulled the BMW to a stop next to her, rolling down the window. Instead of rushing over like most, she stood back and appraised the car and the man behind the wheel. Terry could almost feel what she was thinking. Guys that drove cars like this around here were probably used to getting what they wanted and usually expected either discounts or things that she may or may not find distasteful. He knew if he wanted this to work, he’d best make sure she knew that was not him.
“Hi,” he said in his best baritone. “My name is Terry.” He figured it was a good way to start. Most hookers didn’t believe it even when he said it, but he always liked to throw them a curve. She moved closer to the car, checking the back seat for a third party as she did. She was definitely no novice at this. Terry didn’t doubt for a second she had some kind of weapon easily accessible even then.
Seeing nothing to raise a red flag, she smiled in at him. “Hi, Terry. What are you doing out here with us bad folk this evening?”
Her voice dripped at an attempt at a southern accent, but he could hear the slight nasal twang of a northerner buried below that. Close enough now to get a really good look at her, he found he was pleased with the sight. An oval face with a pixie nose and cheekbones high enough to lift her face when she smiled. A smile that seemed both warm and genuine.
Unsure of how exactly to proceed, he simply said, “I think I would like some company for the evening, and you seem to fit the bill.”
Her manner became professional. “Are you a cop?”
Terry started to reevaluate his opinion of her. Most hookers seemed to think asking that and getting a negative reply meant they were safe from prosecution. It was no protection, but the dumber hookers still lived by it. And went to jail accordingly.
Terry decided there was too much intelligence behind those sea-foam green eyes to be fooled by that, so he decided to tell the truth.
“I used to be. Now, I just consult for them. I couldn’t arrest you if I wanted to.” That caught her off guard. She knew that it was no protection, but she also knew most people didn’t know that. And real cops seldom drove cars like this one. Honesty like Terry’s was rare enough that it was impressive and between that, the car and what she could see of him, she had another question.
“So, my first question stands. How come you’re out cruising hos when you could be trying to pick up a debutante at the Holiday Inn?”
With a straight face and in all honesty, Terry answered, “Because games are for kids. If they are on the up and up, they have all the business they can handle. If not, they won’t get mine. Whatever you do, I know what I get. With them, it’s a surprise and not always a good one.”
She ran her tongue around her cheek. Whatever else happened, she already knew this was not going to be a normal night.
Terry decided this was taking too long. She was what he was looking for at the moment, damn you, Charlie, and she was far more intelligent than he had thought she would be. At this point, it was simply a question of her trust and money. The latter of which was not a problem, so he decided to force the issue on the first.
“Look, you’re pretty, I’m horny. I ain’t trying to bust you, and I think we could have some fun. What do you say?”
She looked in at the man and smiled. He would be worth the time even if he were lousy in bed given the way he talked. And looking at him relaxed behind the wheel, compared to the normal truckers or tourists that plied the night around here, he was easily going to be a welcome change. She nodded at the back seat.
“I don’t think we could have much fun in that.”
Terry made a face, snapping his fingers. “Knew I should have gone for that Cadillac. Guess I have to splurge on a room. You got a favorite?”
She opened the door and slid in. “As a matter of fact, I know a great little motel about two blocks from here. It’s clean, has cable and the manager has glaucoma.”
Terry laughed. “Bet he does good business.”
She laughed back. “Yeah and he gives discounts.”
The trip was short. Too short for Terry to do more than get directions. Plenty of time though, to admire the long legs as the miniskirt rode up them, thinking to himself that if she was half as good as she looked, he owed Charlie one.
Charlie, meanwhile, was trying to feel what he could off her occupant. Though he couldn’t talk to him just yet, despite their proximity, he could sense his feelings this close. Enough to know he seemed to be tapping the right buttons to ensure that the night would be memorable for his host as well as himself.
And finally, much to Charlie’s delight, he could sense a carnal desire in the woman herself. Whatever she was, she still had feelings and those feelings told her that she liked what she saw. Given the tension building in all corners, his own included, Charlie began prepping Terry for what he was beginning to think of as a night to remember.
Once they arrived at the Dewdrop Inn, Terry pulled up to the office. The woman, whose name was Traci, handing him a slip of paper from her pocket said, “Give him this and you can rent the room for a four hour minimum for half price. Makes him a little extra.”
Terry looked at the paper then motioned her to put it away, saying, “That’s okay. I get the feeling when this is over, I might need someplace to get some rest.” A wink and a smile, both returned with a look that promised to try and make that thought true.
In less than five minutes, Terry returned to the car, key in hand. “Two twenty-one. Says it has a waterbed and it’s right next to the ice machine.”
Again, Traci smiled at him coyly as she quipped, “See. I told you this place was high class.”
Both of them laughed again as he whipped the car into a parking space right in front of the room.
Once inside, Terry had no need of Charlie to read the ambiguity of the moment for her. This man who was so different from her usual fare, especially on a Thursday night honestly intrigued her. He was handsome in a rugged sort of way that hinted at danger in most cases but none of her flags had gone up. While she had no doubt of his abilities, she didn’t feel threatened in the least by him. And judging by the look in his eyes as he looked over her body, he liked what he saw as well
Which left only the matter of money.
Despite her years in the business, she still had a bit of trouble with that. Normally, she knew the score and went with it when she dealt with her normal clients. She figured this guy could be worth more and in more ways than one, but the question she had was how much. Men hated being used, and it often led to bad feelings when they thought their kindness was being taken advantage of.
Fortunately, Terry decided to take the lead. Pulling out his wallet, he pulled out a few bills and laid them on the desk at the head of the bed. Her eyes widened slightly as she noted their denomination. They were all hundreds.
Curious and somehow frightened a little by this, she started to ask what he expected for this kind of money. Not that she had any qualms about it. She had a few customers that had fetishes from a little role-play with diapers and pacifiers to some light S&M. She went with all of it for a price, but it was never this high. The question came out at once then, “What was this guy’s turn on?”
Her hand slipped automatically to the little twenty-two she wore in a belt buckle. It looked like an ornament, but the gun was very real. And quite deadly. If this got out of hand, she thought wistfully, she might have to leave town.
Terry caught the slight motion and realized her intent was not to harm him but rather to protect herself. He grinned as he realized it was a prudent move, done well by a woman that had lived a life that required vigilance. He found he admired that. If she were a victim in waiting, it was entirely plausible that he would spend a good deal of time trying to talk her out of her chosen profession.
Without letting on that he had seen the change in her, he went on pleasantly, “We are going to play a game. When the night is over and you want to leave, you can pick up whatever part of this money you want. Anything from all of it to one bill.”
She looked at him like he had just grown horns, but her curiosity was peaked. “Any part of it?”
Terry nodded. “Whatever you want to take to make this a good night, it’s yours. And when you want to leave, you just let me know. No strings, nothing. You just make up your mind to go and go. Cab fare is included in that or I can give you a ride if you like.”
Her brow furrowed as she looked at the money. “So what is it you expect for all this money if you don’t mind me asking?”
Terry’s eyebrows shot up as he realized that she thought he was going to ask for something freaky. Maybe it was a thought, but for the moment, it wasn’t an issue.
So he said, “Whatever you like to do. I’m sure we can find something that tickles your fancy.”
“Mine? What about yours? I mean…you’re the customer.”
Again, Terry winked. “Doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself as well. That’s the game. You get what you feel you deserve, and I spend a little less money.”