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I laugh. “Seriously?”
“It’s not funny, girl. I’m serious.”
“Chicago is so cold. Why would you want to go there?”
“I don’t know. It’s far away and it’s a big city. I could try New York, but I’ve got this cousin in Chicago and maybe I can sleep on his floor. Maybe I can get a real job, you know? Cleaning like this for some big hotel. I’ll save money, get my GED. Maybe meet a nice man that doesn’t beat the shit out of me. Make a normal life for myself.”
I lean back on my heels and study her. Mira’s small and pretty and young, but she’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. She came over to America all alone, with no money and no prospects, and got caught up by some rotten coyote smuggler guy that forced her into this place. She has every right to hate the world, but she still has a strange, sparkling light inside of her.
“I think that’s a really good plan. I’ll help you however I can.”
“I know you will.” She grins at me. “What else you gonna do? You’re in this shit with me.”
I laugh and stand, stretching. The door to the room opens with a bump and I look over, frowning. Nobody’s supposed to come in here until we’re done. I strip off my gloves and put down my stuff. “Keep cleaning, I’ll check it out,” I say, waving off Mira’s questioning look. “I don’t need Zarita getting pissed we fell behind schedule.”
I step out of the bathroom and into the main room. Ben stands there with his arms over his chest, glowering at me like he’d rather be anywhere else.
“What’s going on?” I ask him, a strange feeling creeping into my stomach. I never see Ben unless something bad’s going down.
“Zarita wants you.” He grunts and nods with his head. “Follow me.”
I hesitate. “I’ve got more cleaning to do. Can it wait?”
“Now.” He turns and walks out.
“I’ll be back,” I shout to Mira. “Don’t wait for me.”
“Whatever, bitch,” Mira calls back.
I smile and hurry after Ben, a thick stone in my gut. I follow the bouncer down the walkway, past rooms full of muffled moans, and down the far staircase. The night before, at the opposite end of the building, Maxim pinned me against the wall and got me off. What the hell is wrong with me? Ben stops outside of the office and gestures for me to enter.
Zarita’s sitting behind the desk. She’s alone, and she smiles when I enter. That’s my first indication that something terrible is about to happen, and I consider running. Maybe I can escape, but there’s nowhere for me to go. My father will hunt me down and kill me if I try anything.
I lower my head and try to look subservient. “Ben said you wanted to speak with me,” I say, my heart racing wildly.
“Come with me.” Zarita stands and walks into the back room.
I hesitate, but I follow. I’ve never been back there before. It’s the manager’s office and Zarita’s little haven from the madness. There’s a big desk against the far wall and shelves packed with files, folders, papers, and books. A filing cabinet is overflowing, and a big, dying potted cactus sits on top like a squat, rotting corpse. A small TV screen is perched on the corner of the desk showing a night scene.
I freeze, staring. I feel my throat tightening.
That’s a shot of the stairwell.
That’s a security camera.
Zarita smiles at me. “Close the door,” she says.
“Zarita,” I say, “hold on a second.”
“Close the door.” She hits play.
I can’t watch. I turn away and pull the door shut. When I look back, Maxim’s there, standing and staring at the steps, and then I appear. I can’t hear what we’re saying—I guess the camera doesn’t do sound—but then he’s kissing me, and suddenly we’re off screen, thank god for that. The shot’s empty for a little while, until I come back into view, adjusting my clothes.
My body drains of blood. I feel like I might fall through the floor and die right then and there. Why didn’t I think about security cameras? It’s a whorehouse, for fuck’s sake. Of course there are security cameras all over the place. The Velvet Rope is constantly under threat of violence, theft, and police raid, and my father isn’t stupid enough to leave the place undefended.
Zarita lets the video run as she crosses her legs and smiles at me.
The silence stretches. I say nothing. What can I say? I broke my father’s rules, and now I’m going to pay the price. I’m going to get sent to some backwater hellhole and my misery will only get so much worse. I’ll never see Maxim again because he’ll never find me—I’ll simply disappear into the city’s seedy underbelly.
