Watching. Jeff Edwards

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СКАЧАТЬ could be free with her money. She had been known to lend them money from time to time, especially when their pimps refused to hand over the girl’s share, and their rent was due.

      As Jade walked down the hall, a small, blond girl, lounging against the wall, held out her hand. ‘Thanks, love,’ she said, holding out some crumpled notes.

      ‘Are you sure you don’t still need it?’

      ‘No. I managed to get some money out of that bastard out there,’ she said, indicating one of the pimps, swilling beer at the bar.

      Jade took the notes. Thrust them into her pocket, not bothering to count the money. She knew it would be the correct amount.

      ‘Perhaps you can put some aside, so it doesn’t happen again.’

      ‘I can’t afford to, and even if I could, he’d probably find it, and cut me for holding out on him.’

      Jade could think of many things that she would like to say to the girl. Arguments against living the life she was living, but knew it was useless. Jade came from a world where people had things, while the girl came from a completely different planet. A place where a few crumpled notes meant all the difference in life.

      As she entered the toilet, Jade found two of the girls comforting a third, who was sobbing into their shoulders. Not wanting to interfere, Jade quietly entered a cubicle. Finished, she opened the door, and moved to the sinks to wash her hands.

      The girl continued to sob uncontrollably.

      One of her friends broke away from the small group and came to stand beside Jade, looking at Jade’s image in the mirror, above the sink. ‘Can you help us?’

      Jade regarded the girl’s image in the mirror. Like most of the streetwalkers, her makeup was thick, and appeared garish under the bare light globe that was the only illumination in the room. But her look was direct, and honest.

      ‘What’s the problem?’

      ‘Her mother is dying, but her ‘boyfriend’ won’t let her take the night off. He insists on his money first.’

      Jade looked at the girl. Her eyes were raw from crying. ‘Which one is your ‘boyfriend’?’

      ‘His name is Tony. He’s the handsome one, wearing a red tie, at the bar.’

      ‘What’s your name?’ Jade asked the girl.

      ‘Colleen,’ replied the sobbing girl.

      Jade nodded, and left the toilet, making her way toward the bar. The girls followed her out, but maintained their distance, not wanting to incur the wrath of their pimp.

      Among the pimps lounging against the bar, she noted one who matched the girl’s description. He was tall, with dark curly hair, with the face of a Hollywood actor. Around his neck, he wore the brightest of red silk ties. Jade had seen him many times before, and had pointedly ignored the self-satisfied grins he often aimed in Jade’s direction. Despite his good looks, the man’s reptilian smile made her skin crawl.

      Tony looked up as Jade approached, calculating how much he could earn from her, if she could be persuaded to work for him. Mentally he undressed her.

      Jade stood before the man, looking him in the eye. Tony tried to meet her gaze but failed before her stony resolve.

      ‘I want to hire Colleen for the night.’

      A cruel sneer crossed his face, as he looked at his fellow pimps beside him. He gave them a wink. ‘You’re a dyke, are you? I wouldn’t have thought it, to look at you, but I suppose they come in all shapes. Don’t know if Colleen will want to turn herself upside down for you. It’ll cost extra.’

      ‘How much?’

      Tony looked at her well-made clothes, and calculated. ‘A hundred.’

      ‘Rubbish! Ten.’

      ‘No chance! Eighty.’

      ‘Fifteen.’

      ‘Seventy. Nothing less.’

      ‘Twenty,’ replied Jade taking the notes out of her pocket, and holding them out to him.

      The pimp looked at the notes. It was as much as Colleen usually made on a good night, and, with the cold weather, tonight was going to be slow anyway. Licking his lips, he grabbed the notes out of Jade’s hand.

      ‘Thank you,’ said Jade sarcastically, ‘it was a pleasure doing business with you.’ She turned, and waved to Colleen, who had been waiting near the far wall. Colleen waved back, and made her way toward the front door, moving quickly, and trying to avoid looking in her pimp’s direction.

      Jade returned to her seat.

      ‘What was that all about?’ asked Walter.

      ‘I just bought myself a girl for the night,’ said Jade proudly.

      ‘Well you’re not going to get much use out of her,’ said Rani, ‘she just disappeared out the front door.’

      ‘Oh well,’ shrugged Jade, ‘I’ll just have to make do with you instead.’ She smiled at Walter.

      Walter blushed deeply again.

      The band took a break, and Jade noticed the barman leave his place at the bar, and make his way to the public telephone. He spoke on the telephone for a time, before returning to the bar. He waved to Jade.

      At the bar, he passed Jade a small piece of paper with a name and address on it.

      ‘The job you will be offered will be far below where you believe you should be, but, if you wish to be taken seriously, you must, first and foremost, learn the basics of art recognition. That job will help you do just that.’

      ‘What gallery is this? I thought I’d seen them all,’ asked Jade.

      ‘It’s not a gallery. It’s an auction house run by a friend of one of the band members. Not the most well known auction house, and, for that reason, it will be good for you. You’ll see objects of art, mixed liberally with a great deal of rubbish. It will be up to you to learn to separate the two. Then, when you have learned the secrets of the trade, you will be of far greater value to the great art studios and galleries. Learn first, work second.’

      Jade regarded the barman, and saw him in a new light. Ignoring his job, Jade realised that he possessed a keen mind, and had solved her problem with speed and efficiency.

      ‘Thank you very much. I’ll contact them first thing in the morning.’

      ‘See that you do; I’ve spoken highly of your talents, and I’d hate for them to be disappointed.

      ‘I won’t let you down,’ she promised him.

      ‘Good. Now go back to Walter, and let me get back to work, and listen to the music.’

      Jade awoke the following morning, luxuriating in the feeling of goodwill that a night of animated sex had induced.

      Walter СКАЧАТЬ