Trades And Orgasms

Chapter 1

I refresh the web page a few times just to make sure that the balance online is correct. My heart drops as the amount remains the same, I have £4.82 to my name. I knew that being on my own would be hard while I was at university but I didn't realise that I would go broke so quickly. I wouldn't be getting another paycheck for 4 days and even with that it just covered my rent and a little bit of my food. My family had their own financial stress to worry about so I couldn't exactly ask them for money.

However, I don't have much time to dwell on this as I can't be late for my next lecture or else I will get in a lot of trouble. I stand up from the seated position in my bed and pull on a white blouse and a pair of black jeans. I have yet to do my laundry in the damp laundry room in the basement of my building and these are the only clean pair of pants I have. I take a quick look in the mirror before I leave, my long brown hair is a bit of a mess so I pull it into a tight bun to bring it out of my face. To be honest, I could have put more effort into how I looked and if I did, I probably wouldn't look too bad. The thought of makeup was intimidating as I had no clue how to use the stuff, I wouldn't even know where to begin. I sigh and grab my shoulder bag, ensuring that my laptop was inside as well as my books before making sure to lock the door behind me and head down the street.

Immediately I can tell that the jeans are a complete mistake, its the middle of summer in London and the heat on the backs of my legs makes me sweat all the more. The university campus is only a few streets away so its easy to walk there, I have no choice as I don't have a car and I personally don't like the busses here. I quicken my pace as the final few students enter the stuffy lecture hall and take their seats, I hurry up the back and sit down next to my good friend Poppy.

"Hey gorgeous" She smiles as I put down my stuff next to hers on the floor, grabbing out my books.

"Hey girl, new bag?" I whisper smiling back at her. She nods grinning and reaches down to feel the material of her obviously designer red leather tote bag. It's beautiful, and the third new bag I've seen her with this month. In fact, most of her clothes are new and she even has a new watch that sparkles in certain lights.

"My daddy got it for me" She leans over in her seat to get closer to me. Her answer confuses me.

"Your father is a mechanic how could he afford all this?" I gesture towards her attire. I mean sure her father owned the mechanic's shop but surely they didn't make that much money right?

She laughs quietly, not worried about the lecturer at the front of the room who is answering someone's question, clearly oblivious to all the noise in the hall. "Not my father, my daddy" She grins at my confused reaction. "I'll explain after class" And with that, she turns her head forward and looks at the lecturer, who has cleared his throat and begun to speak to the rest of the room.

"What do you mean your daddy buys you this stuff?" I pull my bag over my shoulder and quicken my pace trying to keep up with her long confident strides, her heels clicking each time she hits the pavement.

"You can't judge me when I tell you okay?" She asks quietly as we sit down on the steps of the library. I nod quickly, why would I judge her? I pull my Danteet tighter around my body as a cool chill brushes past me.

She sighs quietly. "Okay so basically I was in a tough spot for money a month ago and I saw an ad online for girls who need money. It's this totally legit agency, kind of like a matchmaking service. They take girls who need cash and older guys with money to spare and match them. It's like dating but you actually make money out of it." She takes in my shocked reaction which I have attempted to keep to a minimum. She hadn't even mentioned to me that she was dating anyone, let alone that it was someone older.

"Basically, I'm his 'girlfriend'. You know, we go to dinners, art galleries, functions. Some of them want to show off a pretty girl on their arm, others just like the company of younger girls. Either way, I get paid nearly four times what I would have been getting paid waitressing."

"Wait, have you quit your job?" I ask her and she nods. Poppy had a job on the weekends at a cafe, she always used to moan about how crappy it was. When she stopped mentioning how sore her feet were or how obnoxious some customers were I just figured she had a good shift.

"Is it just one guy?" I'm worried my friend has turned herself into a professional prostitute.

She giggles. "It's just one guy. His name's Adan, he works in investments. He's in his late thirties I think, he's actually kind of funny which is good or else it would be a total drag"

"Wow that's um, that's interesting" I finally speak after a long period of silence. I don't know if one guy makes it better or worse. I can see the appeal of it all, and Poppy's drop dead gorgeous. She's tall and slim with dark tan skin and bright blue eyes; guys have always fallen at her feet so I can imagine some gross old guy paying for her to hang out with him.

"Its not as bad as you think. He gives me a choice in what we do and he never pressures me into doing things. Plus he really showers me in gifts as you can clearly see. If I ever want or need anything, all I have to do is ask." As if on cue, my stomach grumbles loudly. Poppy knows I have been having money problems for quite a while now, she was the only one I confided in, even I owed her some money for things here and there that she insisted she could afford. Now I know how she could actually afford them.

"You could do it too!" She grins softly, reaching over to grab my hands. "They would love me so much if I brought some more business!" Business? I'm not a prude or anything but I didn't think I would ever be in this desperate of a situation to think that this was a good idea.

"No I couldn't" I recoil and take my hands back frowning. God, it would be good to have some money though, but not like this.

"Come on Amelia you are starving. You haven't been able to afford food for gods sakes, the paycheck they are giving you at the diner barely covers anything and most of your money goes on rent for that shitty apartment of yours. This is a good opportunity. I'll make sure they give you a really sweet guy, they'll do it because I brought them you. Plleeaaaasssseee"

I bite my lip and think, my best friend was pimping me out to some rich unknown stranger who I hadn't even met yet. And what if I got a bad one? Surely not all of these guys are doing this sort of thing for the right reasons, there must be some bad apples in the bunch. I don't want to be a story on the news; my lifeless body washing up on the Thames months after I go missing while on a date with a 50-year-old pervert. And if my parents ever found out about it they would be so disappointed in me, I would be disappointed in me.