Retribution

Chapter 3

CHAPTER TWO

Lauren stared at the balding man sprawled in a deep sleep. Disgusted by his paunchy, pale body clad in boxer shorts and a stained T-shirt, she wrinkled her pert nose. She loathed all the men she lured and pillaged, just as she loathed this gullible slob. Yet, from the moment he’d leered at her in the bar, she’d been confident of success.

Her modus operandi was to take the mark to a motel room and offer a spiked drink. It was rare when they didn’t accept the sedative-laced liquor. When that happened, she told them she’d changed her mind. And if they didn’t take no for an answer, she laid them out cold. Years of self-defense had prepared her to take care of herself. No one touched Lauren without her say-so.

She left the drafty motel room without a backward glance at the man on the bed. She was eager to get home. Kathy would be there. Her friend and roommate was a loyal companion, a hard-working nurse. They’d been sharing rent for three years now. Kathy’s looks didn’t compare to Lauren’s delicate allure. Kathy hadn’t had a date in ten years. Consequently, she relished Lauren’s tales of outsmarting men who would never give her a second look.

As Lauren walked the few blocks to the bus stop, a light mist sparkled on her fine, blond hair.

She waited under the shelter and wished for her Corvette that was in for repairs.

Deep fog shrouded the street lights and cast them in an orange glow, giving the city the ambience of a horror film. Lauren ignored the vampire mood it set. Nothing coming out of the mist would be any worse than the monsters she’d already faced.

It was almost ten minutes until the bus arrived. Though she’d pulled her jacket over her shoulders, her short skirt and midi top left her chilled. She couldn’t wait to get to her warm apartment, have a glass of wine, and talk over the evening with Kathy.

When the rumbling orange behemoth finally came, she slipped inside and had her pick of seats.

At this hour, most commuters were curled in bed staring at their television screens. Of course, there were still girls working the streets. Lauren appraised them as the bus passed dingy bars and adult book stores. In a few years, these women would lose their looks. And what would they have left? A few lousy bucks, most of which went to abusive johns?

She shook her head, wondering how they could let themselves be used when it was immensely more satisfying to use men and give nothing in return. Of course, there was the risk of being recognized by a former client. She rarely let it worry her. Las Angeles was a city with plenty of street corners and bars. So far, she’d been lucky.

Besides, if one of her victims did remember her, he wasn’t likely to go to the police. If he was married, he wouldn’t want trouble, and if he wasn’t, his ego prevented him from admitting he’d been taken.

She got off the bus at the corner of the apartment complex where she and Kathy lived. Kathy would be thrilled when Lauren told her they were going to Sunday brunch tomorrow, courtesy of the latest mark.

With numb fingers she reached the second floor and jammed her key in the lock. The gentle fragrance of cinnamon wafted from the interior. Kathy loved candles and kept them burning when she was home.

Lauren stepped inside and let the warmth envelop her as she closed the door.

Kathy lay curled on the beige sofa, wearing her fuzzy blue bathrobe. She looked like a plump kitten with frizzy brown hair and a round, pudgy face. She grinned at Lauren and flicked off the television.

“How was it?”

“Super. I made a little over three hundred in cash. And I’ve got a credit card that will buy us a fancy brunch tomorrow.”

Kathy grinned and her eyes lit with enthusiasm. “That’s great. I adore brunch. You’re fabulous at what you do.”

Concern filled her voice as she added, “I’ll bet you’re chilled. I don’t know how you keep from getting pneumonia with what you have to wear. I’m running you a warm bath so you can thaw.”

Lauren took a deep whiff of the apartment.

“I love being home. The streets are so dirty. A warm bath sounds heavenly.”

Kathy rose and ambled down the hall to the bathroom while Lauren went to the bedroom to fetch her favorite flannel p.j.’s with the cute calico cats. A warm bath and a little wine would erase the memory of her repulsive clients. Tomorrow, she and Kathy would celebrate.

The wine made her drowsy and it wasn’t long before she headed to bed. It seemed only moments after her head hit the pillow that Kathy’s insistent fingers tugged her out of her dreams.

She moaned and rolled over, trying to pull the covers over her head.

It was no use. Kathy pulled them back. “It’s nearly eleven o’clock. I believe there was talk of a brunch this morning.”

Lauren grudgingly came to consciousness. Kathy had a healthy appetite. It was surprising that she’d waited this long before insisting on a meal.

It was probably for the best. Lauren could use something to eat. Though she watched her figure closely in order to keep her appeal, she’d had only wine for dinner and she could feel the beginning of a headache.

She opened her eyes. “Find me something to wear and I’ll be ready in fifteen minutes.”

Kathy eagerly obliged, returning from the closet with a modest paisley pant set.

Lauren sat up and accepted it.

Kathy was dressed in beige pants and a black turtleneck. She didn’t look good in turtlenecks, since she had no neck. Lauren had never told her. She was too good of a friend to hurt her feelings.

Lauren slipped into her clothes and headed into the bathroom to apply the modest make-up she wore when not at work. Her blue eyes needed only a little shadow and mascara. Her blond hair was easy to manage. Cut short, it curled in wisps toward her pixie face. It was this combination of sweet face and athletic body that made her job so easy.

After she’d coaxed her hair into a shimmering, golden cap and brushed her teeth, she was awake and ready to party. She loved getting out in the morning, relished the warmth of the sun and rubbing shoulders with honest folk. It was a refreshing change from the people she dealt with at night.

Sometimes, during afternoons when Kathy was at work, Lauren took to the shops in Beverly Hills. She’d peruse the stores while she eavesdropped on customers as they discussed their lives.

Afterwards, she chose a small outdoor café for lunch and observed the women whose lives differed so completely from her own.

Often, she would see a mother walk by with a small child in tow. At those times, she felt a pang of regret so intense that it nearly made her ill. She would avert her eyes and take deep breaths until she could refocus her thoughts. She could never change the past. Still, she wished she could find some magic that would squeeze it out of her mind. Since it didn’t exist, she reminded herself that she was strong.

She would cope.

She heard Kathy sigh impatiently. Hurrying, she put a faint dab of beige eye shadow on her lids and added a quick brush of mascara to her lashes. Then, satisfied that she was good to go, she and Kathy headed to the carport to slide into Kathy’s Mazda.

They listened to the primitive beat of rock on Lauren’s CD as they drove. Lauren had been in L.A. nearly a year, having moved from Washington D.C., and then from Las Vegas. She’d’ have to move from L.A. eventually. Staying too long in a city, even a big city, could be dangerous.

The mild morning held no breeze to stir a sky gray with smog. A tiny shaft of sun pierced the pollution, refusing to admit defeat.

At the hotel, they left the car with the valet. Since this was the most expensive brunch in Las Angeles, Lauren intended to enjoy herself. Not only would she allow a rare splurge at the delicacy laden buffet, she would feast on the inanities of the rich and famous who attended such buffets.

More than anything, it was a treat to watch the elite eat. Women, on their never ending diets, picked at omelets while the men ate heartedly and ignored them, engrossed in either cell phone conversations or discussions with the other men in their party.

Lauren and Kathy followed their escort to a table near the kitchen. Once seated, the waiter took their drink orders and invited them to enjoy themselves at the deliciously aromatic tables of food.

Lauren winked at Kathy. “I’m not dieting today. It’s not every day you get a brunch like this, compliments of a gullible client.”

Kathy smiled broadly. “I’m glad to hear you’re indulging. I don’t like pigging out when you don’t.”

She c****d her head, and added in a serious tone. “I still do it, mind you. I just don’t enjoy it as much.”

Lauren laughed. “I’m sure you don’t.”

They waded through the fashionable crowd to reach the buffet.

Lauren piled her plate with chocolate croissants and fruit, an omelet and a pastry.

She glanced at Kathy to see that she had a mound of food teetering atop her delicate ceramic dish. No stingy tidbits for the two of them. They were here to feast and feast well. Neither Lauren nor Kathy cared to impersonate society women, who would never pile their plates. The two imposters weren’t here to make either friends or a good impression. And, with the exception of a few curious glances, they were quickly passed over and soundly ignored.

They ate slowly, savoring every ripe, luscious berry and succulent melon. When they were sated, they lingered over coffee, rich dark coffee, with a hint of almonds.

“I’m stuffed. I won’t need to eat for a week,” Kathy said.

Lauren laughed. “You wish. We’ll both be hungry by dinner tonight.”

“I know. But let me cling to my fantasy.”

The crowd began to thin. Growing bored, Lauren said, “Let’s go to the park. I’ll bet the flowers are in bloom and we can walk off some of this food.”

Though not athletic by nature, Kathy agreed to a leisurely stroll.

Lauren signaled for the tab, smiling at Kathy as the waiter took the credit card.

When he returned, she leaned toward Kathy and declared, “I wish my husband could have joined us. He was called into surgery.”

Kathy stifled a laugh and nodded sympathetically.

They took the receipt and left arm in arm, giggling like schoolgirls.

Lauren’s cell phone rang just as the valet returned with her car. She glanced at the phone. Not recognizing the number, she hesitated before picking it up. She had no friends in L.A. except Kathy and no business acquaintances.

At last, curiosity got the better of her and she answered. “Hello?”

The caller hung up. Just as she figured. Wrong number. Yet, for some reason, the call left her unsettled. Surely, the credit card company couldn’t have traced her so soon. She’d only used the card once and she didn’t intend to use it again. Still, her biggest worry was being caught, either by the police or by a client. She took great pains to be careful. Yet she always worried that her luck would run out.

She tossed the credit card into a nearby trash bin and joined Kathy in the car. She turned on the music and headed for the park, ready to forget her nagging worry. It was a gorgeous day. They’d had a delicious brunch. A relaxing afternoon loomed before them. Since things had never been better, she wasn’t going to ruin their fun with groundless worries.

They parked on the curved road that led to the park. The crowds had already arrived, surrounding them like an amoeba and engulfing them in families with babies in strollers and toddlers in tow, dogs leashed for walks, and couples of all ages. As they blended into the crowd, Lauren began to relax.

They tarried into the afternoon with Lauren enjoying Kathy’s delight in the varieties of roses and gardenias, hyacinth and hydrangeas, all in a glorious riot of pinks and blues and yellows and purples.