Debbie's New Job

I tried to convince Debbie that we had time for a leisurely breakfast the next morning. But she was very insistent that she had to be completely ready to go immediately when John Thornton arrived for her. It was really an obsession.

Promptly at 9:00, there was a knock at the door. I opened it, and Thornton greeted me warmly. "I trust everything went well," he began.

"Absolutely," I replied. "Debbie is really an amazing woman." I looked over at her and she smiled.

"Great," Thornton responded. "We will be glad to serve you in the future. Just give us a call." Then, taking Debbie by the arm, he explained, "We will need to be going now."

As he moved to lead her away, I called out, "John, why don't you and I sit down and have a business discussion."

Intrigued, Thornton turned around. We went into the office area of my suite. I sat behind the desk. He took a chair in front of it. Debbie stood next to him. I began. "John, I believe in coming straight to the point. How much would you take to sell Debbie to me outright?"

Thornton was taken aback. "Well, we really did not plan on selling her at this point. She is more valuable to us as a rental commodity. There is the present value of what she can earn for us in the future."

"I have no doubt," I shot back. "Include that in your figure."

"And there is the expense we have incurred in recruiting and training her," he continued.

"Certainly," I replied. "Figure that into the selling price."

Debbie's heart sank as she listened to these men haggling over her sale as if she was a car. She was especially disturbed that she could have been so wrong about me. She thought I genuinely cared for her as a person. She spent the night with me not because it was her job as an escort but because she honestly felt comfortable with me. And now I was considering her as property to be bought and sold.

Thornton thought for a minute. "Well," he said hesitantly, "I believe we could let you have her for $100,000."

"Done," I snapped. "I will have a certified check in that amount drawn up. It will be delivered to your business by the end of the day."

Thornton rose from his chair. We shook hands. Turning to Debbie, he remarked, "Well, honey. We had a short relationship. But it certainly was, um profitable." With that, he cast a glance in my direction. "So, good bye and good luck to you."

Thornton strode out of the room and Debbie and I were again alone together. I said nothing. Debbie continued to stand motionless in front of me. I began reviewing a prospectus on the desk. After an awkward silence, she asked, "Sir, is there anything you want me to do now?"

Without looking up from the prospectus, I responded, "Yeah You can go home."

She was puzzled. "Sir, you just purchased me."

I replied, "I purchased your freedom. You are free to go. And don't worry, I checked and you are not wanted. The police may wish to talk to you, though, just to see if you can shed any light on where you husband may have gone. I think you will find that not all your friends have turned on you, either. And your children definitely need their mother."

Debbie was speechless. Eventually, she turned and started for the door. But she did not get very far. Turning back around, she inquired, "Can I ask you something?"

For the first time, I looked up from the prospectus. "Sure," I said.

Haltingly, she started, "When we were together last night, I sensed a genuine connection. I was very comfortable with you. And I thought you felt the same way. So what I wondered was if it would be possible for us to still see each other."

I leaned back in my chair. "I think that could be arranged," I replied. "Would you like to go to dinner tonight," I asked?

Debbie smiled. "I would love that," she exclaimed.

"Okay, I will pick you up at 6:00," I offered. Jokingly, I continued, "And that is 6:00 sharp. You need to be ready when I get there."

"Don't be surprised if I am fashionably late," she said as she turned toward the door.

As she headed out, I called to her, "Wait a minute. Aren't you forgetting something?" She looked puzzled. "Your address," I said.

With a laugh, Debbie gave me her address. And then she headed out to try to pick up the pieces of her shattered life.