Chapter 57: The New Girl

 

One of the downsides of having all the girls living next door was that it meant Quentin could be disturbed at a moment’s notice. After the better part of a decade of living in perfect quiet and solitude, having any of the half dozen women in his life burst through the garden doors and come looking for him was jarring. He was used to his days being spent reading or working out, and then at nightfall his public life would start, albeit with much less death these days. Now, Quentin could be sitting around trying to enjoy a simple lunch and anyone could walk in.

 

On that day it was Lucy who came in. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Quentin hadn’t been lost in thought, and also sitting around in his underwear. When the young woman ran in he’d been halfway to scooping oatmeal into his mouth and froze. Out of all of his girls, Lucy was probably the least jaded. She hadn’t yet seen it all and gotten bitter, though the beating had definitely eaten at her. Still, rather than look him in the eye she froze as well, taking the sight in.

 

Sighing, Quentin put his food aside and motioned for her to come closer. “It’s okay, come on in. What’s going on, Lucy?” He was still mortified, but after that rough night talking to Razia, he was trying to deal with it. He couldn’t keep running and hiding his entire life, and if nothing else Lucy was the least likely of them to really laugh at his body or be sickened by him.

 

No, she had a flush on her face, probably from the same mild embarrassment Quentin felt. “I’m sorry, this is a bad time isn’t it? I should’ve waited and --”

 

“No, it’s fine,” Quentin assured her. “I should really get dressed before coming out of my room. You girls are welcome in my home whenever you need me. That’s why I gave you a key. What do you need?”

 

Lucy pointed towards the garden. “There’s a girl at the house asking after you or Razia. She says she wants to join us here.”

 

Oh. Razia had talked about hiring on more people, but it was something they put off. If they were going to be a decent establishment they’d need to be choosy about who they allowed to work under them. But Razia wasn’t here. She was usually up before Quentin, and if she wasn’t out there waiting for him, chances are she was at the house. But if Lucy was coming here… “Where’s Razia?” Quentin asked. “She’s the one you want to look over new hires.”

 

“Yeah, she’s gone,” Lucy said, smiling apologetically. “She and Samantha went out to buy some groceries for the house, so I figured I’d get you. Should I tell the new girl to come back later?”

 

Quentin shook his head. “No, that won’t be necessary. Tell her I’ll be over in a couple of minutes.” It would’ve been easier to wait for Razia, but this was his job too. He was trying harder and harder to stand on his own until he could fake it well enough to pass. This was just another test. Besides, hadn’t he proved to himself that he functioned just fine around women?

 

Lucy nodded. “No problem!” With one last lingering look at him, Lucy left. Quentin fought off a light shudder. He could almost hear Razia giggling in his ear, making jokes about how good he looked and could he pose for her? He snorted to himself. Yeah, right. He went to his room and got changed into some casual, comfortable clothes that wouldn’t make him look rich or conceited, then he went next door.

 

Blinking the sun out of his eyes he stepped into the atrium and found the girl waiting for him. She was a tanned woman of medium height, with short, spiky brown hair. She was bottom heavy but not fat, and wore clothes that flattered her body. More importantly than that, she looked at him with only a second’s surprise before she smoothed it over and smiled at him.

 

“Mr. Q I presume?” she asked, head tilting to the side.

 

“That’s me,” he said. “You can call me Quentin. You’re here about a job, Miss…?”

 

“Kelli,” the woman said in a Carolasan drawl. “With an I. Pleased to meet you, Quentin.” She thrust her hand forward, palm down as if she expected him to kiss it. Her entire body swayed like a playful kid who couldn’t quite keep still. “I’d love to work here.”

 

They weren’t alone in the atrium. Isa sat with her legs tucked under her on one of the couches, and Jenna was peeking her head out from the kitchen. Quentin took Kelli with an I’s hand and gave it a sideways shake. “Then come with me and we’ll see if you’re a good fit for here.”

 

He led her to the master bedroom. It was the only one not claimed by one of the girls, as they took the other 5 and Razia lived with him. It was still outfitted and served as Razia’s room when she worked. Unlike the other rooms it lacked a personal touch and was decorated to be vaguely elegant and luxurious. It was perfect for an interview. Quentin sat down on the bed facing out. Kelli sat down right next to him, close enough that their knees were touching. He edged away from her.

 

“So, what makes you want to work here? You do realize what we do here, don’t you?” Quentin smiled wryly.

 

“Yeah, of course,” said Kelli with a sharp laugh. “You fuck people for money. And believe me, I’m very good at fucking.” She put her hand on Quentin’s thigh, her fingers touching where his tunic ended. She apparently misunderstood the nature of the interview. He couldn’t blame her, considering how many other pimps seemed to require their girls fuck them on command.

 

“Could you give me just one second?” Quentin brushed her hand away and rose. He left her there on the bed and returned to the atrium, closing the door behind him. He went over to Isa and said, “I need your help.”

 

Isa was taken aback. “What for?” she demanded.

 

Grimacing, Quentin said, “I want you to be in there while I interview her.”

 

“Why?” Isa insisted, motioning with her hand for Quentin to get on with it. She could never make things easy on him.

 

“She has the wrong idea about things. She’s been getting close and touching me. I think she’s going to try to fuck me.”

 

“Most men would be jumping for joy.” said Isa, rolling her eyes. “What, not interested in enjoying the perks of being the boss?”

 

Quentin sighed, dragging his hand down his face. “I’m not most men. I’ve made it clear that none of you will ever have to have sex with me. I meant it. I just want a normal interview and maybe she’ll behave if you’re there.”

 

“Or maybe,” Isa said with a growing, wicked smile, “she’ll think you want a threesome. Or to demonstrate on me while you watch.” She laughed at the look on his face.

 

“That’s when I trust your winning personality to put a stop to that and keep her on track,” said Quentin. “Look, I’d have Razia here with me if I could, but all I have is you. You know the job better than I do. Will you help me?”

 

“Fiiiine.” Isa made a big show of forcing herself to her feet and motioned for Quentin to lead the way. When they got to the room, Kelli had the front of her shirt even lower, showing off her cleavage and her legs splayed out the side, almost invitingly. “Keep your clothes on,” Isa barked as she sat down on one side of Kelli while Quentin took the other side.

 

Kelli pulled her shirt up, shooting Isa a petulant look. “None of that,” Isa said sharply. “We’re here to ask questions to see if you’re good enough to work here. Keep your clothes on until we tell you to take them off. If you don’t like it, leave.”

 

“Wow,” said Kelli, laughing nervously. “You take it seriously around here.” She gave a wide shrug and relaxed on the bed. “What do you want to know?”

 

Isa caught Quentin’s eye. He nodded. “First of all, why here? What brought you here of all places?” It seemed as good a place as any to start.

 

Kelli bit her lip, silent at first. “You know the Silk Lounge?” Both Isa and Quentin stiffened momentarily. “Yeah,” Kelli laughed, “that place. What a shit show, right? I didn’t work there, but I had friends who did. When it closed down I went out with a friend and --”

 

“What was this friend’s name?” Isa interrupted.

 

“Uh, Jasmine, why?” Kelli looked between the two of them. Isa relaxed and nodded. Quentin grunted for Kelli to continue. “She was complaining about one of your girls, Razia I think. Said she ruined the place and they all had to stop working, but some of them got out and found something better. That’d be here, I guess? Anyway, I figured if it pissed Jasmine off, it was worth looking into.”

 

Isa snickered. At Quentin’s look she just said, “Jasmine’s a bit of a bitch. Yes, I realize that’s me saying that. So that explains the why, but what makes you think you’re good enough to work here? We’re not common street whores. We serve a higher quality of clientele and can’t have some girl who’s better off working a corner ruining it for the rest of us.”

 

Color flooded Kelli’s face. Her fingers fidgeted with the sheets on the bed, digging in like she wanted to hurt it. She didn’t lose her cool though and just said, “I’m good at what I do. I’ve never had any complaints about my services and I always leave them wanting more. I’m beautiful, I’m smart, I’m tough, and I can handle any client no matter how fat or gross.”

 

Quentin’s nose wrinkled a bit. “If we hire you, you’ll be dealing with some powerful men. That means big egos and they’re not going to take any shit. It means finding the proper balance between serving their needs and not letting yourself become a victim. This isn’t the streets, and it’s definitely not the Silk Lounge. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

 

“Yeah, of course,” Kelli scoffed. “Ain’t nobody going to be treating me wrong. If they try, I’ll knee them in the balls and get the hell outta there.”

 

While Isa nodded approvingly, Quentin shook his head. “No, it means finding a way to placate or sidestepping their demands if you can, and calling out for help if you can’t. If you end up working here, you’ll be well protected.”

 

Isa made a face behind Kelli’s back. She raised her eyebrow as if to say, ‘mostly’. Quentin fought back shame as Kelli looked up at him with hope. It was the first time she’d seemed genuine and not carefully crafted to seem carefree. “Do you mean that? Is it really safe here?”

 

Quentin smiled. “Yes. Above all, that’s what we offer here. A safe place to work, provided you keep to the rules and can work well with others. Like I said, we’re not the Silk Lounge.”

 

“It also means following the rules,” Isa continued for him, as harsh as he was gentle. “If you work here you will arrive to work sober and freshly bathed. If you have any lovers, they’re not allowed to be here at any time. You’ll have a place to work and everything you need while you’re here, and in return you’ll pay half your earnings to the house.”

 

Kelli’s reaction was to immediately sputter. “Half? Are you serious? How in the hell am I supposed to make anything if you get to take half? Why, the other people with houses are…”

 

As she ranted, Quentin frowned at Isa. She just smiled and gestured that it was his turn. He could hardly complain about getting the help he asked for. He just sighed and held up a hand for silence. It was to her credit that Kelli fell quiet, though she radiated indignance.

 

“You’re going to charge more while you’re here, and you won’t have any hidden costs piling up. You’re sure to walk home with more money each night than you would on the street,” said Quentin.

 

“Provided men actually want you,” Isa added helpfully. “Between Samantha, me, and Razia, you’ll have some competition. You could work here and still not get chosen. You willing to deal with that?”

 

Quentin shot her an irritated look. Every night so far, they’d all had at least two clients throughout the night. While the villa was big and luxurious, there were times when all of the rooms were taken up and there remained a client or two willing to wait for the girl of their choice to be available again. Another girl would only make it easier to rotate some of them out to rest between performances.

 

Kelli narrowed her eyes at Isa. “I bet I could get more men in a night than you could,” she shot back.

 

“Please,” Isa sniffed. “My worst night is better than what you could handle.”

 

Kelli turned on Quentin. “Gimme one night to prove this bitch wrong. I’m twice the woman she is, and --”

 

Oh no. Isa’s expression turned murderous. Quentin put his hand on Kelli’s shoulder and said loudly, “Why don’t you go out and sit on the couch while Isa and I discuss this a bit further, okay?”

 

She got to her feet, eyes narrowed suspiciously but she gave a nod that was almost respectful. “Of course, Quentin,” she said, laying it on thick enough that even he noticed it. “I look forward to working with you.” She didn’t look at Isa as she left.

 

Isa wasted no time in saying, “I don’t like her.” She stared at the bedroom door like she was trying to bore holes through it.

 

Quentin gave her a crooked smile. “You don’t really like anyone, though.”

 

Isa whirled on him. “That’s not true. I like Samantha and Lucy. Jenna is mostly fine. You’ve shown yourself to be tolerable in small doses.”

 

“Tolerable? Wow, I’ve come a long way,” said Quentin. “What don’t you like about her?”

 

“She’s cocky,” Isa said instantly. “She’s smug, even. She acts like we should be thanking her for coming here instead of the other way around.”

 

“She might be right,” Quentin interjected with a shrug. “You’ve all been working really hard. Another girl could help ease some of the pressure.”

 

“And cut into our profits,” Isa countered. She brushed a lock of silky black hair out of her eyes. “We could use more talent, but we can afford to be picky. We don’t need to take in every random girl who thinks she deserves the best.”

 

“And are we the best?” said Quentin, fighting a smile. “First I’m tolerable and now our business is the best. That sounds dangerously close to complimentary, Isa. You’re getting soft.”

 

She just rolled her eyes at him. “You’re one to talk, Killer,” she shot back. “For someone who got rich off of murder, you seem to bend over backwards the moment a girl looks sad or scared.” Isa fluttered her eyelashes innocently. “Do you mean that? Will I really be safe here?” she mimicked. “Turned you into an instant sucker.”

 

She wasn’t wrong. Quentin took a deep breath and shrugged, smiling. “And that’s why I brought you in on this. You’ve got a sharp eye and don’t miss anything. You’re naturally suspicious and good at seeing past utter beetleshit. I respect your opinion.”

 

Isa worked her mouth but no sound came out. For once, she genuinely looked unsure of how to react or what to say. Quentin savored that moment, but wisely kept the smile from being too wide. Eventually Isa’s gaze fell to her lap and she shrugged. “Obviously,” she said. “So let me repeat: I don’t like her. I think you should turn her away.”

 

“I could,” Quentin admitted. “Not sure how I feel about her anyway. But I am, as you said, a sucker. What’s the harm in giving her a trial run to see how she does?” He stood, and Isa did as well.

 

“You’re the boss,” Isa sighed. “But if things go sour with her, I’ll be there to say I told you so.”

 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

When they returned to the Atrium, the other couches were full. Lucy and Lynne sat on one couch, while Kelli and Lucy sat together while Kelli was speaking animatedly. Razia was back as well, leaning against one of the pillars with her arms crossed over her chest, listening. Isa walked past all of them and went straight for her room, closing her door harder than she needed to.

 

Spotting him, Razia came up next to Quentin. “This our new girl, then?”

 

“That’s what I was thinking,” he said, putting his arm around her shoulders. She pressed in close and together they watched the girls from there. “At least for a few days. See how she does. Isa doesn’t like her.”

 

“Isa doesn’t like anyone.”

 

“That’s not true,” said Quentin, smiling. “She said I was tolerable.”

 

Razia pushed away from him, mouth forming a surprised O. “Did she now? You’re moving up in the world Mr. Q. Looks like I might even have some competition.” She laughed at the incredulous look on his face.

 

“The new girl started out the interview getting all touchy-feeling. I think her plan was to seduce me for the job.”

 

“That’s not unusual,” Razia said. “I figured I’d handle the new hires so you wouldn’t have to worry about that.”

 

“What, you think they wouldn’t try with you?”

 

“Oh, they might,” Razia said innocently. “But unlike you, I might take them up on it and see how they do. Even just seeing how they approach seduction is a good bet. It’s a shame you’re not interested.”

 

“That’s what Isa said. Said I wasn’t making use of one of the perks of being the boss.” Quentin shook his head. “I could be really sleazy if I wanted, couldn’t I?”

 

Razia laughed. “Maybe someone else could. I don’t think you could. Unless you want to prove me wrong?” She arched a brow.

 

Ah, there was another opportunity. All he had to do was reach out and grasp it. Quentin looked over at the girls chatting. Jenna let out an uproarious laugh at something Kelli said. Quentin got a terrible idea. “You know, I think I’m ready to prove you wrong.” He waited for her eyes to brighten before he continued, “maybe I will test the new girl after all.”

 

Razia laughed and shoved him. “Ass.”

 

Quentin just smiled and let himself enjoy the moment. Life was getting a little better all the time.

 

End of Part 5: Growing Pains