Mirage - Alice Tribue Page 0,21
honestly do, but there’s only so much I can do for her now.
“What do you want to do, Katie?”
“I want to keep my baby, Victoria, but I just don’t see how.”
“Well, you can’t work as an escort anymore, not while you’re pregnant and not afterward. I don’t employ women with children as escorts; it gets too complicated.”
“But Victoria, please, you can’t… What will I do?”
“Do you really think it’s appropriate for you to be screwing men for money when you have a child? Is that the type of mother you envisioned being?”
“No, but…”
“If you want to keep the baby, I will transfer you over to the spa. I need someone new in reception there anyway. It’s going to be a big pay cut, but at least you’ll have health benefits and a job to come back to. I’ll pay your tuition to learn massage, esthetics, or whatever you want, and you can move up in the company that way, but that’s the best I can do for you.”
“I’ll have to give up my apartment and move back home if I do that. I could never pay my rent on a receptionist salary.”
“A few of the girls in the office live in Brooklyn, and they make ends meet. The choice is yours. I can’t do much more for you. ”
“I understand; it’s more than I deserve.”
“Take a few days to think about it and get back to me. If you decide to terminate, do not go to him for the money. You come to me if you need it, you come to me if you need a ride, and you come to me if you need someone to take care of you. You do not, under any circumstance, call him ever again. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
She gets up and walks out of my office, leaving me with the overwhelming urge to throw something. I try so hard to keep these girls safe. I do everything in my power to make sure that they are taken care of when employed by me, but when shit like this happens, it makes me feel like I have no control. And I hate it.
The truth is that I’ve been doing this job longer than I ever wanted to, but I let the success sway me. I kept telling myself that I was the best option for these girls, better than a pimp or a street corner, but really, the money played just as big of a part in it. I’ve made myself a very rich woman, richer than I ever would have been with just owning a day spa alone. Even still, more and more, I’m starting to think that maybe it’s time to get out and focus on other ventures.
I take a deep breath and pick up the phone, hitting the call button without even considering what I’m doing, not caring that it might make me appear too needy or desperate.
“Hey, babe.”
“Nathan?”
“What’s wrong?”
God, am I making it that obvious that I’m upset? Can he hear it in my voice? So much for being strong and independent. “Nothing, nothing, I was just wondering if maybe you could get away for lunch?”
“Uhhh,” he hesitates, and I suddenly feel like a fool for having called him at all.
“You know what, don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’re busy.”
“No, it’s okay. I was just checking my calendar; I think things here are under control enough that I can get away for lunch. I’ll pick you up in twenty minutes.”
“That’s okay, just meet me there. There’s this sushi place I’ve wanted to try on Gramercy.”
“I think I know the place. I’ll see you soon, babe.”
“See you soon.”
I grab my purse, ignoring the fact that I just called Nathan because I was upset. I ignore the fact that I’ve been thinking about him more and more lately. I won’t let myself worry about it, not right now, at least. I text Parker to bring my car around and leave word with Ivy to monitor my phone calls and emails.
It doesn’t take long to get to the restaurant, a miraculous feat considering that traffic on these streets is never light, but today I’m grateful for it. The sounds of the city amplify my already increasing anxiety, and for the first time in so long, I desperately want to get out of this city, go back home to Jersey, and sit by the beach. Just let the calm of the ocean soothe the tension in my body, and ease the stress