The Arrangement Anthology 1(73)
This is Sean’s fault. If he didn’t send me back, this wouldn’t have happened.
Miss Black looks irritated. She folds her arms back over her chest as I speak. Her neck is gracefully tipped to the side. Black lets me speak, never blinking. The muscle in her jaw twitches, like she wants to yell. She holds up a single finger and responds. “You were with him one night. Tonight, he threw you out and asked for a refund.”
I try so hard to contain my anger. It wants to burst from my lips and spew horrible things everywhere. I’m so mad that I’m shaking. I counter, “I’m not a virgin anymore and it’s his fault. I can’t demand that price again. And I can’t help that I reminded Mr. Ferro of the person he was trying to forget. I deserve at least half of my payment.”
Black steps toward me with fury in her eyes, but I don’t back down. Her nose is a fraction of an inch from mine. “You don’t deserve a damn thing. You work here because I say you can. You fuck who I say you will. You have no rights, no recourse. If I don’t think you should be paid, you won’t be… However, some of your arguments are reasonable. I will let you keep a third of your fee. That’s it. Which means the money I gave you tonight needs to be given back.”
My heart sinks. The hollow spot in my chest aches. This whole thing makes Sean’s rejection so much worse. It hammers in the fact that I’m a whore and I totally pissed off my pimp. What do I do? I glance away, but Black doesn’t back off. Sensing that I’ll lose this job completely, I give in. I take a breath and let the tension roll out of my shoulders.
I look up at her. “Fine, but I spent the money you gave me. It’s already gone.”
Black’s eyes go wide. It was a lot of cash. “How? You went straight to work.” Black’s eyes dart to my purse, like she doesn’t believe me. It’s sitting in the chair across from her desk.
I reach for the handbag and open the top. “Look for yourself. I don’t have the money. I spent it all.” I hand her my purse, but Black just stares at me. After a second, she takes my bag and looks inside. I have two dollars and some change. Nothing else. I threw the rest of that money in Sean’s face.
Black makes a growling sound at the back of her throat. “Fine.” She thrusts the purse back at me. “If that’s the way you want to play, then you owe me. You’ll be working for free until you pay your debt off.”
I nod, because that’s all I can do. “You’ll get back every cent you gave me.”
Miss Black laughs. The sound makes my skin crawl. “Yes I will, because if you try to short me, Avery, I will take it out on you in a way that you couldn’t possibly fathom.” There’s darkness in her eyes that sends a chill up my spine.
I believe her.
CHAPTER 2
Two dollars. I only have two dollars, and I have to get by for at least five days. I rest my forehead on the steering wheel of my car. It has a full tank of gas, thank God. I drive back to the dorm with white smoke blowing in my face. The heater isn’t on, so I’m not sure what’s going on. By the time I pull into a parking spot and stall, I smell like a chimney.
Racing up the stairs, I try to avoid Mel and go straight to my room. But, as I’m fumbling through my bag for the keys she sees me. “Hey, white girl. What are you doing home already? I thought—”
I don’t look up at her. I try to find the keys faster, but I can’t. Mel is a few steps from me when I finally lose it. Taking the bag, I turn on my heel and hurl it at the wall. Her words stop. Mel stops. She stares at me as I let out a strangled sob, and slam my back into the wall. Sliding down, I hold my face in my hands and the tears start. I wish they wouldn’t. Not now. I was almost inside. Almost.
Mel rushes toward me and kneels next to me on the floor. I hear her footfalls and sense her presence, but don’t look up. There are more people now. I feel their eyes on me. They linger, staring at the girl having a breakdown in the hallway.
Mel snaps at them, “Move the fuck on. There’s nothing to see here.” Too many shoes hustle by, muttering under their breath about Mel’s manners. Her hand rests gently on my shoulder. “Come on, Avery. Don’t do this here. And, you sure as hell can’t go into your room. Amber’s in there with—God, I don’t even want to tell you.
“Just come on. Let’s go back to my room for the night. It’ll be just me and you. You can stuff your face with ice cream and Ambien. Come on.” Mel grabs my arm and pulls me up.
I stand, but it feels like I’m made of paper-thin glass. I wipe the tears streaming down my cheeks with the back of my hand. It leaves a black smear of mascara on my skin. I look like a freaky clown, but I don’t care. Mel grabs my purse and picks up the lipstick and other crap that flew out when it hit the wall. Quickly, she gathers my things and then pulls me back to her room. By the time we get there, my face is covered in snot. I want to fall apart. I don’t want to keep going anymore. I fall into the chair and bury my face in the arm and never get up.