"Here, try this. I have a feeling you'll look fabulous in this one," the saleslady said, removing the dress from the bag.
It was a silk and chiffon combo wrap dress, but it was the color that took Cassidy's breath away. The dress was made in an ethnic collage of deep and vibrant colors, and as soon as she saw it she knew it was perfect for her mahogany skin tone. She put it on eagerly and sighed with relief as it fit perfectly.
"This is it," Cassidy gushed as she stepped out of the changing room to show the saleslady how she looked.
Sheena clapped her hands in delight. "You look so pretty. No man will resist you tonight."
Cassidy was stunned. "Is it that obvious? I mean … that I work for an escort agency?"
"No. But the girls who come here are often referred by Ms. Tillie. Most of them know what they want. But you looked so unsure of yourself. I figured you're new."
"Yeah … " Cassidy admitted, "and I'm scared shitless. I went in looking for a job doing clerical work, and I came out an escort. And now here I am."
"Maybe I can do your hair and makeup for you? I've been taking some classes."
"You'd do that for me?" Cassidy asked, awed by the girl's generosity.
"Yeah, sure! We can keep in touch and you can tell me how things go with you. I've been thinking I want to be an escort, too. Just don't know if I'm pretty enough like you."
Cassidy couldn't believe her luck. She was relatively clueless when it came to make-up, and here was someone offering to do it for her. On top of that, she didn't have any friends in the city and was thrilled by the prospect of adding one to her life.
"I didn't bring any make-up with me, really. Just lipstick, rouge, and some powder," Cassidy said, hating to admit that was all she ever used.
"Oh, don't worry about that. There's tons of free make-up lying around. I'll go find something that will blend nicely with your dark skin. You will glow, I promise!"
A few minutes later, Cassidy was seated in the back room of the boutique, looking askance at the oodles of stuff Sheena brought back with her. She was tempted to comment that she didn't want to end up looking like a drag queen, but thought otherwise. It wasn't something that was nice to say to someone who would be in charge of your face for the next few minutes. Besides, Sheena was doing this for free.
"Don't worry," Sheena giggled, reading her mind, "I was one of the best in my class."
Seconds later, Sheena was busy working on her face. Cassidy watched as she mixed color palettes, dabbing the makeup on and then wiping off the excess. She would frown when she wasn't happy with the result, wipe it off gently with a wet sponge, then re-apply again.
Cassidy had no mirror to check the progress. She knew she was leaving her fate in the hands of a random but seemingly kind woman she'd just met. However, just like the dress Sheena said would look fabulous on her, Cassidy knew things would be alright.
She was right in putting her faith in Sheena. When her newfound friend finally allowed her to see the results of her work, Cassidy couldn't believe she was looking at her own reflection. It was still her face that she saw, but she looked different somehow. Her eyebrows were thicker and perfectly arched, her lashes fanned out over eyes lined in smoky colors, the apples of her cheeks seemed more prominent, and her lips more luscious than ever.
"Oh my, Sheena, I hardly recognize myself. I look … "
" … Sophisticated?" Sheena volunteered.
"Yes, like a movie star on a Vogue cover. You're really good! You should open your own salon. You'd be famous in no time."
"You think so?" Sheena asked, gushing from the compliment, and then added, "Hope someone gets to appreciate all my effort on you, because you look absolutely stunning."
Cassidy remembered that this was her first day of work as an escort, and that she'd likely sit out the night. Suddenly the pretty dress and the make-up all felt like a waste of time. Surely nobody would ask for her. Not tonight. She didn't know if she was relieved or disappointed.
Sheena saw the play of emotions on her face. "It's alright, you know. You can wear the dress again some other time, and I can always redo your make-up whenever you want. I'll give you my number. I'll start teaching you the tricks. Once you get the hang of how to enhance your face, you'll have the confidence to do it yourself."
Cassidy felt a surge of affection for this woman who had been so very helpful. Even if things didn't work out at the agency, somehow she had a feeling she had found a good friend. She hugged her and whispered thank you before leaving the boutique with Sheena‘s number. Dusk had fallen over the sky as she made her way to the bus stop. The looks that followed her confirmed that Sheena was right: she did look stunning with the new dress and the make-up. She felt confidence that she'd never had before. Cassidy had no idea that clothes and make-up could bring such a change to her self-assurance. She managed to negotiate the crowded sidewalks in her sky-high heels without breaking an ankle.
Back at her room at the Y, Cassidy finally had a moment to collect herself before her first night of work. She took off her new dress and hung it carefully. She slipped out of the stilettos and padded to the bed. She picked up the travel robe her mom had given her made out of some fibers that didn't wrinkle no matter what. She plopped down on the bed and lay back, her head on the pillow. If she stayed like this she wouldn't make a mess of the beautiful artistry Sheena had painted on her face.
She reached into her bag, pulled out her wallet, and thumbed to the picture of Dee. "Well, baby, this is it," she talked to the photo.
She imagined Dee happy and making those baby sounds, playing on her dad's lap with mom busy doing something in the kitchen. This was her start to making a life for herself and Dee. She knew she was missing precious moments as her daughter changed every day. Babies grew so quickly, and Dee was no exception. She looked into her grey-green eyes in the photo. I'm doing this for you, Dee. Soon we'll be together.
She'd never imagined herself … ever … as an escort. This was just the beginning until she found something she could tell Dee about. Now it was time to fulfill every part of her plan. She took one more look at the photo, kissed it tenderly, and then folded up her wallet and tucked it away. She pulled out her notebook and started writing.
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.
It was the first time she'd ever included herself in her notebook. Before she had always written about other people. She copied down their patterns of speech, or a joke, or a question phrased in a way she wouldn't have thought of. That, or she'd write physical descriptions and then gone on to create personality traits. Here, for the first time, she'd written about herself.
She started writing all the confusing feelings she'd had that day. She'd seen Tristan and felt the physical surge of desire and the stark pain of betrayal. She'd found a job, then discovered it wasn't what she had thought, and now she was waiting for her first night as an escort. Was she sophisticated enough to carry it off? Could she be playful, pert, and intelligent with a complete stranger even if she didn't particularly like him as a person? She put down her pen and stopped writing.
She drifted off to a swirl of questions and was awoken by a knock on the door.
"Yes?"
"Hey, it's Fred. Fred from the front desk."
She'd paid for a week. What could he want? She got up and fastened the robe tightly around her body. She crossed the small room and opened the door.
"Hey, Fred. What is it?"
Fred was in his early twenties. He was the kind of guy who looked scruffy even when he was straight from the shower and wearing clean clothes, which he appeared to be right now.
"I saw you come in a while back. You looked hot. I mean really hot, baby." He paused for a second searching for the next words. "I thought we could … you know … "
"No," Cassidy stated emphatically. "I appreciate the compliment, but you've got the wrong idea, Fred. I paid for the room. We'll leave it at that. No interpersonal fraternization … of any kind. Okay? Got it?"
Fred, looking mildly disappointed and nodded his head.
"Okay, then," Cassidy said as she shut the door and turned the flimsy lock.