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My mornings were virtually gone now. Nevertheless, there was something about the undercover aspect of the private work, that I really liked. It suited my need for an adrenalin rush with the meeting of every new client. It was a job where anything could happen and you had to be ready for it. Apart from the unknown men and the unpredictable situations, there was the matter of the double life, the secret identity and this other-worldly existence that was attractive and startling. Last night there had been an attempted murder of a girl at the Palms Motel in the room directly beneath us. Her head had been rammed into the wall, her face stabbed multiple times and her skull caved in on one side. But for us girls it was work as usual. More to the point, it was my first job. Nikita said, 'This reminds me of when I first got my license. It was in a country town just outside Adelaide. Before I knew it, there was a skinny looking copper sitting next to me on the front seat. To make matters worse, just before I pulled out from the kerb for the test, there was a head-on collision behind me. Anyway, despite the odds, I still passed and I never had an accident since. Knock on wood.' We all tapped our mobile phones onto our scalps. I feel sorry for that girl who got bashed up, but I'm not afraid. Jackie said, 'That cowardly fuckwit should know that she's probably somebody's mother.' That was an issue aside from the business of the money and sex. The deal was that just like anyone else, she was just a human being trying to make a living. Samantha said, 'It could have been me, darling. What about my two kids?' She was thoughtful, squeezing some lube into a condom.
Aside from the money aspect of it, I actually enjoy the job. I have never been ready before this. Tonight I became complete. Oh look, I've swallowed a little bit of the world and now it lives in me like pain. Poor Nikita! She's got the joy left in her, but tonight she's tired of fighting. 'All my fucking life I've had to be a fighter. When will it end?' I've heard that it ends. I've heard that it pays to end your life when you want to.' All her life she's been a hot-centred daffodil, with enough bright petals to shelter the rabbits. But tonight our little sister's tired, and crying at the Pub Bar. 'I don't know if I can keep fighting. I'm so fucking tired.' She feels like she is going under. I stroke her strong brown shoulders and hold her tight. The scent of her wispy light-brown hair is in my nasal passages. My soft breath is on her neck. I'm whispering to her heart that is viewing the world all teary eyed. The heart that says, 'You betrayed me and took all my innocence.' To experience these lost blue eyes, these quivering lips and trembling cheeks, it's enough to give a galaxy of gas and light compassion.
'Thanks, Roxy, you're a good mate. Do you think this work is good for us?' All your friends are here for you, Nikita. The dingoes are singing on the edge of a campsite. The whole of Kakadu sings in the ribs and wild tan sides of those bone-dry dogs. You can cry out your rage tonight. The next morning you are in a household of hookers. They use their words discreetly in front of Sam's kids. They laugh together like children from a North Queensland rainforest. They paint my nails red and shave my cunt to mohawk. They dress me in that sexy, stylish way with lace from the Palmerston Target. Today we all had a facial, manicure, pedicure and massage. I noticed the brand was Nivea. Five sex workers are lying on the white tiles of the loungeroom floor with cucumber facemasks. They are smoking and swearing by the products. I gave Nikita a hand and foot massage. Then we tossed Sharlena up onto Sam's famous kitchen bench and the four of us went at her hammer and tongs, with chops, squeezes and pushes. She laughed and shrieked, fully stimulated. When one person massages you, you can focus on their touch and relax. When you are being worked on by four sets of hands, your mind speeds up with the transformation of your muscles from walnuts to brown dough. Finally we went for Samantha. The little sexaholic deserved everything she got from the other girls. |
