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“I’m Majig,” he said, sifting through the wad of hundred-dollar bills to find and eventually remove a ten to hand to her. “Put your clothes in the machine and let’s go eat.”
Her hesitance showed.
“Trust me. I got you,” he said, giving her a charming smile.
Desdemona shook her head at her naïveté. That night she moved into his apartment in the Hallmark on Hill Street and they made love to “Nothing Even Matters” by Lauryn Hill and D’Angelo. One month later her bliss was shattered when he requested to be repaid for all the money he’d spent on new clothes, hairdo, nails, food, and rent. And that night, when she understandably didn’t have the money, he ordered her to sleep with men to work off the debt and locked her in a bedroom with a strange man she wished she could forget.
The first of many. More than she cared to remember.
And then she truly sold her soul to the devil when she decided to pull out every trick in her bag and seduce Majig into making her his in-house girl, figuring the devil she knew was better than any devils she didn’t—especially when her days of streetwalking were over.
Desdemona jumped when a hand suddenly squeezed her shoulder. She whirled around and closed her eyes with a shake of her head at Portia standing there naked.
“I’m ready to thank you now,” she said.
“Then just say thank you, Portia,” she said, her voice hard as she shook off her touch. “Go put on your robe.”
“But—”
“Go,” Desdemona demanded.
The irony of the night she’d fallen into the clutches of a sex trafficker and her stepping in to help this girl of innocence lost was not missed.
When Portia stepped back into the room, Desdemona rose from the chair and turned to face her. “I’m sorry that life has taught you that no one will ever do something for you without demanding a piece of you in return, but tonight let me be the first person to teach you otherwise.”
Portia dug her hands down deep in the pockets of her robe and hung her head.
“Hold your head up, kid, you have nothing to be ashamed of,” Desdemona said, softening her tone.
She looked up.
“Did you drop out of school?”
Portia nodded yes. “But—”
“So, here’s the deal. If you agree to go back to school and give up tricking, I will find you a small apartment, pay your rent, and give you a little money for your pocket,” Desdemona offered. “You owe me absolutely nothing but keeping your word.”
Portia’s eyes filled with tears and confusion. “Why?”
“Because you deserve it.” Desdemona came around the chair to stand before her and extend her hand. “Deal?”
Portia looked down at her hand before finally sliding her own into it. “Deal,” she agreed.
“Okay, in the bed,” she said, looking on as her charge crossed the room and slid beneath the comfy covers.
“We’ll figure it all out tomorrow, Portia,” she said, picking up the laundry bag and her tote.
“Ms. Smith.”
Desdemona paused in the open doorway.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
She gave her a reassuring smile and left.
Chapter Nine
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
