It took all her determination to forget what she'd just seen as she found the agency's address. She entered the cool interior of the office and approached a woman seated behind the reception desk.
"Hi, my name is Cassidy. I was asked to come in for an interview."
The woman, bored and chewing gum, sized her up. Cassidy didn't know if she liked what she saw, but she was asked to follow to a small office on the same floor.
"Hi, there! Cassidy Johnson, I presume? I was told you'd come in today." An older woman approaching fifty hailed Cassidy as she entered the office She was dressed in a stylishly-cut grey suit that was unbuttoned at the top to reveal a deep décolletage. She exuded confidence with her commanding demeanor.
Cassidy looked around the room. The walls of the small office were strewn with blow up photos of women in various poses. Even the small table was littered with photo prints. Cassidy was familiar with this environment. This woman's job was to screen the girls who worked as escorts. The photos were part of every escort's portfolio, which was used for publicity shots or posted on the internet.
Maybe the agency is hiring me to assist in profiling the girls, Cassidy thought. She was elated with the idea. She could do that very efficiently. She drew out the resume she had prepared and showed it to the woman behind the desk who barely glanced at it.
"If you're not ready with your portfolio, it's alright. I can dispense with that one for now. Just hand it over to me when you're ready. When do you think you can start?"
Cassidy was momentarily puzzled. Portfolio? The woman must be confusing her with someone else.
"I can start right away if you need me to," she replied, excited over the prospect of immediate work.
It was the woman's turn to look surprised. "Um … that would be great, except … I don't think you're quite ready. I mean … you're not dressed properly for the job," she retorted, giving Cassidy the same probing look the girl at the reception gave her when she entered.
Cassidy was confused. "Oh … you mean you require a uniform for the staff?" The girl at the reception didn't seem to have a uniform on.
"Staff? What staff? Wait a minute. There seems to be a mix-up here somewhere. We're not hiring staff. We are looking for girls applying to be escorts for our clientele."
"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry … when I called earlier and was told of an opening, I assumed it was for the office. And since I've worked in an agency before, I just thought … "
Cassidy trailed off. She suddenly realized the misunderstanding. She was so excited about the job that she'd hardly asked any questions when she'd made the call. The girl who answered must have been busy as well, and failed to make it clear what the opening was for.
Dejected, she made a faltering move to gather her resume. Her disappointment was written all over her face. So much for starting with the first step of her plan.
"Wait … " the woman stopped her.
Cassidy was taken by surprise. She was ready to leave, already looking ahead to the phone calls and appointments she needed to make
"Look … I understand there was a mistake somewhere. I see from your face that you are disappointed. That only tells me one thing. You need a job badly."
She looked Cassidy up and down and continued, "Why don't you give it a try? You're young and very pretty, I see that. If you don't take it you'll probably end up waitressing somewhere, and while I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, I think the money you'll earn here may be worth taking a risk. What do you say?"
"But I … err … I mean … I've never done this before," Cassidy replied. Once more she thought back to her conversation with Kim. Even if she did become an escort, she just could keep it at that. She didn't need to provide the extra services. She knew how to hold a conversation and with a little help, especially from a different wardrobe, she could look quite stunning. She had a flash of all the times Tristan had told her how beautiful she was. A very selfish thought quickly followed: her pregnancy with Dee had been good to her body. Her stomach was once again flat, and her breast were firm, perky, and proportioned.
"There's always a first time for everyone. You'll learn." The woman gave Cassidy another once-over and nodded her head in approval. "We're looking for someone just like you. We have a lot of calls for just your … qualifications."
"You don't understand. I know what the girls have to do to earn more. I mean … it's not something I think I can do."
"Miss Johnson, let me be frank with you. Upfront, we are an escort agency. The girls provide companionship, intelligent conversation, and amusement to the men who hire them. They get paid for that. What happens beyond that is none of our business, so long as the client is happy. The agency cannot force you to do something you don't want to do. That's between you and the client, you know what I'm saying? As long as you are classy and respectful, we'll take you in."
Cassidy realized that was true. Most of the girls in the former agency she worked for pocketed the money they earned beyond providing companionship. Nobody was forcing them to have sex, but most of them did anyway of their own volition.
She sat undecided. She desperately needed a job, and the woman was right. How much could she possibly earn being a waitress or whatever else she landed? She had enough self-assurance and poise to fend off demands for extra services. She just couldn't do that. She could, however, spend an evening or an afternoon being charming and gracious.
"Look, Cassidy, I don't have all day to wait for your decision, but here's one thing I can assure you: as soon as you step out that door, someone else will come in and snap up the job. It's your call."
"Alright … I-I'll take it," Cassidy heard herself say.
She couldn't believe she'd done that. She thought about Dee and realized she could do anything to give her baby a comfortable life. She'd have to explain to mom and dad at some point, but they would understand her ultimate goal.
An hour later, Cassidy found herself walking the streets with one thousand dollars in her pocket. The manager, Ms. Tillie, said it was advance money to buy new clothes if she wanted to start work that night. She thumbed down the black skirt and blazer, joking that Cassidy looked as if she were attending a funeral. The older woman suggested Cassidy visit a boutique on the Lower East Side that sold reasonably priced sexy clothes.
"Remember, Cassidy, sexy does not mean cheap or vulgar. Go for classy and chic clothes. A few accessories in the right place can make you look like a million dollars."
"Yeah … thanks," a bewildered Cassidy had replied. She felt disembodied, like she was sleep walking. How did she end up saying yes to being an escort? Dee. Dee's future was the answer. A mother's heart would do anything for her child. Agree she did, and now here she was in the boutique that Ms. Tillie recommended, going through clothes that were supposed to be sexy, but not vulgar; chic, but not expensive.
"Fuck … " Cassidy muttered, looking helplessly at the wide selection.
She was more of the jeans and t-shirt type, and never had to deal with this kind of problem before. She thought of the one red silk dress she owned, but that was still back with mom and dad.
A young saleslady with a very friendly smile approached her.
"Hi, I'm Sheena. Can I help you?"
"I-I-don't know which of these dresses are supposed to be … err … um … classy, not vulgar … but sophisticated … " Cassidy stammered helplessly.
"I see you have picked out a few. Why don't you try them on and see which one feels ‘it' to you," Sheena replied as she ushered her to a changing room.
The first dress was red with a low-cut neckline and hem that ended just below her crotch. The material hugged her body like a second skin.
"Ho" was the word that screamed in her ear as she hurriedly stepped out of it. It was like an unspoken invitation for extra services. The next dress was zebra print that fit perfectly, but the colors made her looked washed out. The dress joined the heap on the floor.
Cassidy didn't have much luck with the next couple of dresses, either. She may not have known much about clothes, but she knew enough to understand that none of them looked good on her. She was almost ready to give up when Sheena knocked just outside the changing room door. She held a garment bag in her hand.