his calves to his thighs. “That feel good, Mr. Peter?”
“It feels wonderful,” Peter replied in a dream-like voice.
She kneaded his thigh muscles, putting her hand a little way up under the towel to reach them. Then her hand moved farther up and Peter’s eyes grew wide. His body responded to her touch and he sat up on the table.
“I think that’s enough,” he said, gathering the towel tightly around him.
“Oh, Mr. Peter, I’m sorry. I do something wrong?” Her voice had a trembling quality that spoke of fear. “Other men like it when I do that.”
Emily stared at the monitor, trying hard to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. She wondered if the others were feeling the same. No one spoke until Ellis broke the silence.
“Peter, remember you’re doing this for Molly,” Ellis chided him. “Make the deal.”
“No, I’m the one who’s sorry,” Peter said. “You did nothing wrong. I just wasn’t expecting it.”
“Can we continue? I can make you happy.”
“What do you mean when you say make me happy?”
The young girl motioned with her hand toward the lavishly decorated bed. “I can make you very happy.”
“For extra money?”
“Yes, three hundred dollar,” the girl replied.
Peter looked at the girl, then at his glasses, staring right into the camera. Even at a distance, it was an unmistakable look of anger mixed with sadness over the plight of this young soul.
“What is wrong?”
“I would like to make a deal with your boss. Could you go and get her for me?”
“She will be angry with me.”
“No, she will be happy. I promise.”
The girl left and Peter slid off the table, standing with the towel secured around his waist. In a few minutes the girl returned with the woman named Ratana.
“What can I do for you?” the woman asked.
“This lovely young woman offered to have sex with me on that bed for three hundred dollars.”
The woman glowered at the girl, who in response lowered her gaze. “She do something wrong?”
“No, no, nothing like that.” Peter shook his head.
“You want to have sex with her? She is very pretty girl.” The woman cupped the girl’s chin and lifted her face. “She will show you good time.”
Peter looked at the girl cowering next to the woman. Then he turned his attention back to the madam.
“I would like to have sex in my own hotel room, not here. I’m sure I would enjoy it a whole lot more.”
“But she is here, you are here, the bed is ready. What is problem?”
“I want you to bring a girl to my hotel room. Can you do that? I’m willing to pay extra.”
“How much extra?”
“I’d pay five hundred dollars.”
“Five hundred?” The woman’s eyes widened at the number.
“Yeah, but she has to be an American. No offense to you Asians, but I really prefer a Caucasian girl, you know, a white girl. I’d be willing to pay you twice that, but she has to be young. I don’t want any worn-out hookers.”
“One thousand dollar?” She sounded incredulous. “You pay me one thousand dollar if I bring a young American girl to your hotel room?”
“Yes, that’s what I want.”
The woman looked hard at Peter for a moment, then she looked at the girl cringing beside her. “You give me half now and half when I bring the girl.”
“Five hundred now and five hundred tonight?” Peter asked, rubbing his jaw. “Let me see.”
“Do it, Peter,” Ellis directed. “You have enough on you, but make her work for it.”
“Let’s say I give you the first five hundred dollars but then you don’t show up? I’m out five hundred big ones.”
“You know where you can find me. No worries, I show up,” she assured him.
“Still, I’m taking a risk here.”
“No, no, you have my word. I am honest business woman.”
“Oh, brother,” Emily sighed.
“I don’t know,” he stalled, fidgeting with his towel.
“Peter, don’t make her work that hard. Close the deal,” Ellis said.
“All right, lady, you have a deal.”
“Very good, mister.”
“Now let me get dressed, and I’ll give you the cash and my hotel information on the way out. Okay?”
“Okay.” The woman grabbed the girl by the arm and all but dragged her out the door.
Peter’s hidden video camera caught the girl casting a fearful glance over her shoulder at him as he stood watching her leave, wearing nothing but a towel. As soon as she was out of sight, he turned away and stepped behind the tri-folding changing screen, grabbing the glasses on his way. He quickly dressed and left the room,