Panties for Sale

by York, Mattie

  Sassygirl: i thought we were meeting for coffee?

  TORGUY71: mmmmm, OK. :P

  Sassygirl: talk to you then.

  TORGUY71: wait - fon number?

  Sassygirl: ???

  TORGUY71: phone number?

  Sassygirl: 4169653382

  TORGUY71: ok. sexy susie. look forward to you :)))))

  Sassygirl: see you at 9.

  “What am I doing?” Alex’s hands were shaking. Her face was burning hot. Should she log back on and cancel the date? Just not go? Stand the guy up? Who would know? Who would care? “No, this is experience,” she steeled herself, “I need to do this!”

  “Cause I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it” she cranked the volume, trying to channel Rihanna’s boldness by swinging her hips as she walked over to her closet. Alex sifted through her clothes trying to decide what to wear. It had to be right: something sexy, but not slutty, something mature, professional, but provocative. And something she could wear her with her kickass stiletto boots.

  She pulled out her short black dress, but it needed to be ironed. What about her new H&M sequined skirt and oversized t-shirt that fell off the shoulder? No, that seemed like she was trying too hard. Plus it was still too tight around the waist, it gave her a bulge around her gut. She finally decided on a button down silk shirt, tight jeans and a big gold belt. She threw the clothes down on the bed and went into the bathroom to shower, shave, shampoo, condition, exfoliate, moisturize, deodorize, blow dry her hair, straighten her hair, and put on her makeup.

  Finally, an hour later, Alex emerged from the bathroom, slipped into her clothes and sprayed her favorite RUSH perfume on her wrists and in her hair. “Damn,” she whistled at her reflection she turned around in front of the full length mirror, “I should straighten my hair more often.’ She zipped up her boots, grabbed her purse and slammed the apartment door behind her.

  Revving the engine, Alex put her beloved black mustang into drive and gunned down the street. She made her way along Davenport, hitting all the green lights and then sped up along Avenue Rd. Just past St. Clair, she turned on her right blinker and slowed down to turn into TORGUY71’s apartment building. At the last minute she flicked off her blinker and drove past the apartment building. “Ok, ok,” she said to herself, “that’s where I have to go. No sense in being early. I’ll be fashionably late. Just go around the block again.”

  “Ahhh!” Alex screamed and banged on the steering wheel as she drove past the apartment again. Why couldn’t she just pull in? Her hands were shaking as she stopped at a red light. She pulled down the mirror to check her makeup. “Come on Alex,” she tried to convince herself, “you can do this. You have to do this.”

  “Ok, this is the deal,” Alex said as she drove around the corner for the third time. “This is it. This time we pull in. And then we can decide what to do next. No pressure.” She took a deep breath in and slowly turned into the apartment’s parking lot. She pulled into an empty visitor parking spot and turned off the engine.

  “Hello?” Alex answered her cell phone, hoping that UNKNOWN caller was some kind of emergency - something to give her an excuse to get out of this coffee date.

  “Hello. It’s David.”

  “Oh, hello,” Alex’s hair sank. It was TORGUY71. There was no turning back now.

  “I just saw a car pull into the parking lot. It that you?”

  “Um, maybe,” Alex looked around the parking lot and then up through her sun roof. A man talking on a cell phone was leaning over the balcony a few floors up. “Oh, yes, I see you.”

  “Are you going to come up?”

  “Well,” laughed Alex, “I guess I am here now.”

  “I think you should. I am on the 7th floor.”

  “Ok,” Alex turned off the engine and grabbed he bag. Still holding the phone, she climbed out of her car and slammed the door.

  “Oh, you are gorgeous! Hurry up and get up here. Go through the glass doors and take the first elevator. I will meet you there.”

  “Ok, see you soon.” Alex dropped her phone into her purse, all too aware of David’s eyes following her as she walked across the parking lot.

  When the doors slid open on floor 7, David was waiting for her. He smiled nervously and reached for her hand. He’s more nervous than I am, Alex realized. And, he totally lied on his profile. He is not tall at all. He’s got to be at least 35, not 30. He has serious thinning hair. And, I think he might skinnier than me! But, Alex had to admit, he was kind of cute. Well, he might have been cute, when he was younger. At least he was well dressed.

  “No,” Alex stepped back at the door to number 2705, “Your apartment, you go first.” David shrugged and led Alex into the living room. Alex surveyed the 2 plastic mismatched chairs, a few crates of books stacked up with a TV on top and an old orange couch pushed against the wall. “How long have you lived here?”

  “Only a few months, I just started teaching at the University and had to find an apartment fast. So here I am.”

  “You don’t have a family?”

  “Um, I did. I do.” David dug his hands in his pockets and looked down at his shoes. Alex wondered if she had said something wrong. “I’m in the middle of a divorce,” David finally said, “my daughter lives with her mother. That’s why my apartment is a mess. I’m kinda in transition. You know? I’m not really sure where I’m going. But,” he smiled at Alex, “I have my job and I can visit my daughter on the weekends.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Suddenly, David, TORGUY71, this random click began to come to life. He wasn’t just some anonymous stranger that Alex could use to practice her daring and prowess, but a lonely man, a cast off husband standing in the middle of a depressingly sparse room. It seemed so sad, so desperate, almost pathetic. Alex realized, life could be a lot worse.

  “So,” Alex tried to lighten the conversation, “have you ever met anyone online before?”

  “No, I was surprised you actually wanted to meet.”

  “Really? I thought everyone was doing it.”

  “Everyone talks about it, but no one ever actually shows up. Have you done this before?”

  “No.”

  “Well, what do you think?”

  “I’m not sure. It’s odd, kinda awkward, actually.”

  “No, I mean, what do you think about me?”

  “Oh, well, um, you look like your profile,” Alex lied, “and you seem very nice.”

  “Really? Thanks! Can I kiss you?”

  Alex laughed and took a step back. “No, I’m not that comfortable yet.”

  “Oh, ok, how about we sit down?” David led Alex over to couch. She perched on the edge, with her hands folded in her lap and tried to think of something to say. She could feel David staring at her, wanting her to turn towards him. It made her feel awkward, so she pretended to be intrigued with the few stars actually visible from the open patio window. “You’re very pretty,” David slid closer, “like your profile, but better.”

  ‘Thank you.”

  “Your hair looks very soft, can I touch it?”

  “Um, ok,” David took a few strands of her hair and twirled them around his fingers. Then he reached up petted her, stroking her hair from the top down to the ends. With his free hand he reached around and turned Alex’s face to his. Alex bit her bottom lip and looked into his eyes, searching for a glint, a spark of attraction to make this easier. She tried to ignore the open desperation. It was creepy.

  David reminded Alex of that weird person, the one with no friends, who invites herself out with you for lunch. And you accept because you don’t want to be mean. But then you spend your whole lunch forcing yourself to be nice and smile and make conversation. But Alex couldn’t back out now. She couldn’t run away. She had to get used to this feeling, right? She wouldn’t always be attracted to her clients. So what? She didn’t have to be attracted to them. They were still human, right? And David was a nice man. Maybe not her type, but still.

  So, Alex did the only thing she could do
, she closed her eyes and kissed him.

  One thing Alex knew she could do well was kiss. And David wasn’t that bad, so it didn’t take long for things to progress. When Alex stopped to catch her breath, she was surprised at how turned on she was. Was it just the newness? The idea of pleasing this anonymous man? It couldn’t be David, could it? Alex blinked her eyes and refocused on the man looking up at her and shivered. No, it wasn’t David. Trying to avoid his gaze, Alex looked around the room and noticed that all the lights were still on and the blinds to the balcony were wide open. “Can people see in?” Alex tried to pull her shirt closed.

  “Maybe,” David smiled lazily.

  “Really?”

  “Don’t worry,” David took Alex by the hand and led her down the hall into the bedroom. Not bothering to turn on the lights, he led Alex to the far side of the bed, and then walked around to his side and began to undress. Alex stood awkwardly on her side of the bed, watching David in the dim light as he folded up each article of clothing as it was removed. Alex was used to being undressed in the throes of passion, ripping his clothes off as she tried to shimmy out of hers. Or as foreplay, slowly undressing in front of her partner, teasing him until neither of them could take anymore. But this? Clinical undressing? She reminded herself that she wasn’t there to practice and began to undress herself.

  “Wait,” David shouted as Alex started to climb up onto the bed. He ran out of the room and returned with a large towel in his hand. Shooing Alex off the bed, he carefully unfolded it, and placed it down over the center of the bed. “Ok,” he patted the towel, “now you can get up.” Alex stood by the side of the bed biting her lip, watching him. Perhaps thinking that she needed more encouragement, David crawled up onto the bed and lay down in the middle of the towel. Smiling, he patted the space beside him.

  Alex looked up at the ceiling, over to the wall, then at the open door. And then, she looked back at David, lying naked on the bed, staring up at her. With a sigh, she climbed up on the bed.

  Feeling the need to get control of the situation, Alex crawled over the towel and leaned over David. She flicked her long hair back over her shoulders and then lowered her face to his. She kissed him first gently on the lips then worked her way down to his neck and then up to gently suck on his earlobes. David lay flat on the bed with his hands at his sides. Odd, Alex thought, as she continued working her way down his chest. She stopped to gently nibble on his nipples. Not even a moan. Is he just waiting for me to give him a blow job? Alex wondered if all men were so predictable.

  Hoping to catch him by surprise, to get some response, Alex moved quickly down David’s body, but as she sucked him into her mouth, she almost choked. Oh my god! No! Alex pretended to moan to cover her shock. His penis was so small. I mean tiny. Itsy. Alex could fit it all into her mouth and it didn’t even reach to the back of her throat. “Oh Susan,” David moaned. Alex rolled her eyes. Finally a response. “That is so good. Damn Susan,”

  Alex had David in her mouth for less than a half a minute, when she started to feel his body shiver and his legs jerk. “Ohh!” he groaned as his muscles shuddered and then relaxed. Alex spit onto the towel, appreciating the usefulness of it now and wiped her mouth. She sat up on her knees and stretched out her arms. Deep throating had never been so easy.

  David was sprawled on his back with his eyes closed, so Alex flopped down beside him and let out a loud sigh. He slowly opened one eye and then rolled over on his side pulling her close to cuddle. Oh no, Alex thought. No, I am not spooning. The idea of having to do anything else with David and his tiny equipment was just too much for her. After all, this was just a test. And she had passed. Not only had she proved to herself that she could actually show up, but she could charm, and satisfy. She had no ambition for extra points. “I can’t believe the time,” she wriggled out of David’s reach and slid to the edge of the bed. “I was supposed to meet my friends a half hour ago. And,” she joked as she pulled on her pants, “I thought we were only meeting for coffee.”

  7

  “Mooshi, Mooshi?”

  “Hello? Chieko?”

  “Hai. Yes? Hello? I am sorry.” Chieko unconsciously bowed as she apologized.

  “Hello. Are you ok?”

  “Daijo-bu, Oh, I am fine, thank you.”

  “Good darling, good. Listen, I sent your photos to my web guy last night. They are fabulous. Truly, he was very excited. He said you looked really hot. His words,” Angela laughed.

  Chieko smiled. She knew the photos would turn out well. Any self-respecting Japanese girl knew how to take a perfect photo. And Chieko was no exception.

  When she was in middle school, after classes finished for the day, her and her girlfriends would detour through the shopping mall on their way home. They would browse through the toy store and the music store, stop for treats and always, they would stop and get photos done. It was so fun to try and squeeze everyone into tiny puri-kura booth, and then posing and making crazy faces as flash after flash snapped. They’d add lipstick kisses, butterflies or funny sayings then print the small strip of picture stickers within seconds. Chieko always had extra money so she could do one on her own while her friends went and bought rice sodas. Her friends laughed and called her ‘the little model’. But she didn’t mind.

  She was destined to be a supermodel. Or at least that’s what she had thought then. She always ‘accidentally’ forgot the strips of her photos in the slot, or strategically dropped them down behind the cushions of the coffee shop seats so an agent could discover her. She would spend hours up in her room, studying the fashion models in the European magazines. She tried to copy their expressions with her cell phone camera.

  She learnt that if she pouted her bottom lip, she looked older and sexy. If she tilted her head down and lowered her eyelids, she looked shy and innocent, but if she looked up and slightly smiled, she looked mysterious. She had her own trademark shot; the one that was sure to get her discovered: the Marilyn. That was when she put on bright red lipstick and slightly pouted her lips, sticking them out at the same time. She’d raise her eyes looking just above the camera and think of something really funny. If she did it correctly, the photo would make Chieko look irresistible; like she had the most delicious secret to share and it would drive you crazy all day trying to figure out what she was thinking.

  She had been disappointed when Angela had told her that her face would be blurred out of the photos. Wasn’t the face the most important feature? How would her clients be seduced by just her body if they couldn’t see the tantalizing mysteries hidden deep in her eyes?

  “Once, I had a lovely girl, Tanya, I think was her name.” Angela had explained to Chieko, “Allison was what we called her, but yes, I think it was Tanya. Oh, she was gorgeous; long, long legs and big blue eyes. She was a popular one. She was with us near the beginning, back when we just started with the website. We didn’t know any better. You see, at that time we didn’t blur out the face. We thought it was important that the client could see the whole package. The really shy girls just posed with their faces covered, with their hair hanging down or a holding a hat, but we really didn’t even think about it. But Tanya, she always wore this one ring; I think it was a sapphire. Big, tacky thing, really. She refused to take it off; she said she never took it off because her boyfriend had given it to her. So, wouldn’t you know it, when we put her photos up on the website, her boyfriend saw them and knew it was her because of that damn ring.”

  “Are you there now? Chieko? Are you at the hotel?”

  “Yes. In elevator.”

  “Oh wonderful, so you are early. Mr. Roberts loves punctuality. It’s a good start. You know, I didn’t want it to be too soon. You don’t feel rushed do you? But I also don’t want you to wait too long. It’s better to get started right away; get that first appointment out of the way. Don’t you think? You know your pictures are really gorgeous. And don’t worry about talking too much. Mr. Robert’s isn’t really a talker. Just smile at him and follow his lead.”
Chieko could hear Angela inhale on her cigarette and suddenly wished she had one to calm her nerves. “Ok then,” Angela exhaled, “so you know, your first client’s name - Mr. Roberts, right? He is quite charming. He’s had a few appointments with a few of the other girls. Nothing really to worry about. Of course, I have to tell you, he is quite mature, rather old, actually. I must say, he is excited to meet you. He saw your pictures and thought you would be perfect. So it’s a very good start for you.”

  “Hai. Domo, I mean, thank you.”

  “Ok, good. Oh yes, one more thing, I told him your name is Abby. Remember, I said all my girls have to have ‘A’ names? Yes? So you are Angel Abby. Do you like that?

  “Hai, yes. Thank you.”

  “Ok, wonderful! And one more thing darlin’ relax. You are gorgeous and he will just love you. I know it. OK? Call me when you are finished. Good luck.” Angela’s voice faded as Chieko stepped out of the elevator. She dropped her cell phone into her bag then walked down the hall to room 501.

  Mr. Roberts opened the door before Chieko had finished knocking. “Hello. You are very punctual,” he stepped aside to let Chieko enter.

  “Hai, yes.” Chieko bowed her head slightly and then walked into the room. She stopped just inside the door and stood waiting for Mr. Robert’s lead as Angela had told her to.

  “Right,” Mr. Roberts closed the door. He glanced at Chieko and then shuffled across the room stopping in front of the TV. Digging his hands into the pockets of his brown suit pants, he stared at the blank screen. Chieko kept her head lowered, trying to be polite but the silence began to grow. What was taking so long? Why hadn’t Mr. Roberts said something? Surely, Canadians weren’t that different? The man should make the first move, even in this kind of situation? Chieko lifted her eyes. But Mr. Robert was looking at the ceiling. Chieko shrugged and lowered her head again. Feeling his eyes shift over to her, Chieko looked up again, but this time Mr. Roberts was looking straight ahead.

  This is awkward, Chieko thought. For such a big man, how can he be such a scaredy cat? But, she couldn’t just stand in the doorway for the whole appointment waiting for Mr. Roberts. Hoping that maybe if she made the first move he might relax, she covered her mouth and pretended to giggle, then slipped off her shoes and leapt up onto to the large king sized bed.