One of the whores, Judith, was in the kitchen pouring tea from the pot. “Look at you!” she said, smiling, her blue eyes twinkling. “You work tonight?”
“My first time,” Gwendolyn said, pouring herself a cup.
Judith sighed. “I remember my first time. Well, my first time as whore. My very first time…I was too young to remember well, thank God. My uncle was a horrible man. I wasn’t sad at all when a horse trampled him.”
Gwendolyn shook and tea slopped on her hand scalding her. “How young were you?”
Judith’s expression turned sour. “Let’s not talk about it. Yours will be infinitely better, if only because you’re prepared for it. You are, aren’t you?” she asked suddenly concerned.Gwendolyn nodded, sipping the tea. “Yes. I’ve been preparing since I started working here.”
“I thought so. And then you’ll be one of us.” Judith reached for Gwendolyn’s hand and squeezed it. “That will be nice, Gwen.”
Gwendolyn’s nose wrinkled. “Only Prudence calls me that.”
Judith laughed. “Very well, Gwendolyn. I wonder what your johns will call you? Doll? Sweetness? Baby?” Her grin grew with each one.
“Bitch? Cunt?” Gwendolyn offered, thinking of some that were worse.
“Maybe.” Judith shrugged. “Don’t let it bother you, though. They only call you that to make themselves feel mighty.”
Gwendolyn thought she understood that. Her teacup still trembled with her hand. Judith put her hand atop Gwendolyn’s, stilling it.
“It won’t be that bad,” Judith tried to assure her. “I mean, it might be bad, but it won’t last. Think of it like stubbing your toe. It really, really hurts for a minute and then, you don’t even remember you did it. It’ll be like that, I hope,” she murmured, sipping her tea again.
For the first time, Gwendolyn was concerned about what would happen. She knew the mechanics, knew it would hurt, but she hadn’t thought that it might be a deeper pain. The way Judith spoke of her uncle…it wouldn’t be like that, would it?
“Thank you,” she said, setting her cup in the sink and returning to her room, less sure than when she left it.
Don't have a cover for this one, yet. Looking forward to it! Hop around and spread the love!
