Thousand Years

CHAPTER 2 - Exotic

Alora

She woke up at the sound of her alarm, blasting from her phone. She quickly turned it off and covered herself with the thin blanket again, hoping to get some more sleep. Suddenly, she remembered the last nights events. Sleep was now nowhere to be found. She quickly got off her bed, took a quick shower and sat in front of her laptop.

She needed to find a way to earn money and, fast. She searched through part-time jobs and all sorts of jobs but nothing will give her the money she wanted in a matter of days. She has been searching for hours now and nothing. Then, her phone rang. It was Cassy, her best friend at work and the only one who actually knew what was going on with her.

"Hey Cas! What's up?" she answered with fake enthusiasm. Cassy knew by then, that something was wrong.

"Hey Lora! are you okay? How's everything?" Cassy kept on asking stuff till she had no choice but to let her in on her miserable state of life. As much as she loved Cassy, she still wasn't comfortable with sharing her problems with anyone. She tried to keep everything to herself and solve her problems on her own.

Cassy thought for a while after Lora explained her hopeless search for jobs. Then she reluctantly suggested, "Umm, Lora, I think I have an idea. But, " she paused.

"Please Cas go on, whatever it is, I will do it now. I need money for the surgery!" Lora kept going on impatiently.

"You know how much Nikki is getting paid per night, right?". Nikki, was a nice girl who was an escort at 'Exotic'. Madame liked her and everyone else did too. There were some regulars, men who would come to 'Exotic' just for her.

And now it hit her. Lora went silent on the other side of the phone and Cassy was worried. "Lora! are you there? You don't really have to do it. This is just an idea that popped up. And as your best friend I really don't want you to do it you know. Loraa!!" she kept going on.

As horrible as the thought if being an escort is, Cassy had a point. She needed the money and this was the fastest way. This seemed to be the only way to earn that much in such a short period of time. But, she was still a virgin and Cassy did not know this. She never had time for boys.

"Yea Cas, I'm here. It is .. a good idea actually. But I have to think about this. I'm not sure.. "

Cassy understood this. It wasn't a decision that could be made right away and you needed time to think. And specially for a girl as reserved as Lora it would be really hard. Lora hung up the phone promising to meet her friend in the evening at 'Exotic'.

Lora called the convenience store that she was supposed to be working in the evening from 3.00pm to 7.00pm and told the manager that she can't make it today. The manager wasn't pleased, but he did not complain since Lora never really asked for any time off. She needed to think.

She thought of the happy days, when the four of them lived together until her father passed away in an accident. She was 14 ,and her mother fell ill soon after. Since then, she had been working non-stop while studying. Her sister was working too. And together they somehow managed until Lora got a scholarship to a college. She left home, even if she didn't want to leave her mother and sister. But she had to learn to make a living. She paid for her sister's education. She was in high school and taking care of their mother, she couldn't ask for more. 

And she kept thinking about what Cassy had said. She thought long and hard before she came to a decision. A decision, both her mother and sister would hate if they ever knew. 

At 6.30 pm, earlier than usual, she reached 'Exotic'. It wasn't open yet but she knew Madame was inside as she went in through the back door that faced an alley. Madam was surprised to see her so early.

"Hey Lora! What a wonderful surprise! " she greeted with a smile. And Lora greeted back with a small smile. And Madame then knew she had something serious to talk about.

"Madame, may I speak to you for a while" she asked. "Of course child, this way", Madame led her to her office where she managed her business from. She had a neat office with a new computer on her desk and a couch on the side.

They both sat and Lora hesitantly told Madame about her decision to become an escort.

A decision that would change her life.