“You looking for something sexy to sink your dick into?” His voice went low, as if he didn’t want anyone to hear him. “I just got these twins. You gotta try them. They’ll hop right on it.”
“Not tonight,” I said.
“Come on, man. You’re missing out. Triple Ks. I’m not even kidding. They’re like beach balls.”
I tried to block the image out. “I was thinking of something a little different.”
“I’m down with that.”
“No, I—look, I was downtown a couple hours ago, and I saw this girl. She had long legs, a tight little butt with short blonde hair. Nothing fake about her.”
“Yeah, I got you. I just got a new girl in—fucking sexy. All natural. I’ll send her down tomorrow. When do you want her?”
“Six, and don’t put her in one of those ridiculous costumes you get at the dollar store.”
“Hey, those are top of the line, man. I have them custom-made.” He sounded like was ready to fight.
“Alright, just send her down, and no collagen this time. That shit was ridiculous.”
“Cindy? I don’t know what you’re talking about. She’s all natural.”
“Okay, thanks.”
“You don’t need anything else?”
“Have I ever said yes to that?”
“That’s cool, man. That’s cool.”
I hung up and went back inside. The night would wear on. I’d watch TV and sit with my laptop until I couldn’t take it any longer and fell asleep. I had billions of dollars at my disposal and nothing to do. That was the problem with money. I’ve traveled the world, rode dune buggies through the Sahara, explored the Great Barrier Reef. I even took a cruise to Antarctica. Nothing excited me anymore.
Chapter 4
Mercedes
I felt like a complete idiot. I stood in front of the mirror and stared at myself from the side. My shorts were so small they looked like panties, leaving nothing to the imagination. I almost needed two hairstyles to wear them.
It didn’t feel right. Neither did my shirt. The fabric was stretched so tight it was almost see-through. One deep breath and the seams would burst.
I didn’t feel sexy. I felt ridiculous. An outfit like this required confidence, and I felt anything but confident right then. I was certain I wouldn’t get the job, but I needed it, badly. I tried so hard not to think about why, but there was no avoiding it. My father had cancer, and if I didn’t find a way to help him, he was going to die.
The drug companies hiked up the cost of chemotherapy to the point where it was nearly impossible for people to pay for it. The insurance didn’t want to handle the financial burden, so they cut people off long before the treatment was complete. The amount they paid wasn’t even close to what it would take to cover the costs of treatment.
And chemo wasn’t his only medical expense. There were doctor visits, blood transfusions, shots to get white blood cell counts back up, and even surgery. Not to mention the medications from the pharmacy. The total costs were astronomical.
My family had been hopeful at first, but that was because we didn’t know how the system worked. We’d been paying the insurance company for years. Now that my father needed it, we figured the insurance company would take care of everything. As time wore on, it became clear we were on our own.
My mother made nearly $70,000 a year, working three jobs and taking out payday loans. It wasn’t enough. The insurance was about to stop paying for my father’s care, and we were beyond desperate. My mother talked about doing unspeakable things. She wanted to sell the house, the cars, anything and everything she could get rid of. Last time I saw her, she wasn’t wearing her wedding ring.
That pushed me over the edge. I took her aside and begged her to stop. She yelled at me, saying there was nothing I could do. She told me to worry about my own life, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. I wouldn’t stand by and watch my parents’ lives disintegrate around them. They deserved better. I had to do something. I’d do anything to save the people I loved more than anything in the world.
Which was how I ended up here. Normally, I wouldn’t demean myself like this, but I didn’t have any other options. Even for this job, it had taken me months to get an interview. I’d spent my last penny helping my parents. I was out of money and out of time. Now I couldn’t afford groceries, and I didn’t know where my next rent check would come from. If I didn’t take this job, I’d lose everything.
Working for The Hot Package meant compromise. I drove down to the south side of town, locked my steering wheel, and held on to the can of pepper spray on my keychain. Thugs roamed the streets as well as those begging for money. More than once, I caught them staring at my car, even though it was old and falling apart. One even called out to me when I stopped at a light. I hit the gas as fast as I could and narrowly missed hitting a car making a left turn.
The office was a renovated two-room house with a chain link fence and a pitbull laying on the porch. He ran
up to me when I opened the gate, foam running down his mouth. “Get!” I screamed.