Chapter 11

I know without a doubt that my mouth was hanging open as she told me her history. I saw tears welling up in her eyes. It took every bit of control not to say something.

Amy went on the say, “I made friends with a state trooper who started tracking my injuries. He got me a top attorney who was able to convince a judge to implement a domestic violence injunction. That was my key to pack a small suitcase and take flight. I left Chicago and drove as far and as fast as I could to get away from him. Only my attorney and my friend the State trooper knew how to reach me. My attorney filed for an uncontested divorce. The Trooper told me that he went into a rage and attacked the process server breaking her arm and giving her a black eye. The judge immediately granted me the divorce. His attorney demanded that I attend the divorce hearing but when the Trooper testified about the documented injuries, the judge dismissed the request and my marriage was over. At that point, I didn’t know what to do. I had very little money. I landed in Las Vegas. I ate at a $4 all you can eat buffet. I hid food in my purse for later. The waitress saw me putting food in my purse and quietly asked me if I was okay. I told her that I was running from my ex-husband. She told me that her sister danced at one of the strip clubs and made a couple hundred dollars a night and she could help me get a job at the club. My initial thoughts were that there was no way I could do that type of work. But, money motivates one to do what is needed to survive. The waitress and her sister showed up to my room at the Motel 6. They took me to the club to meet the boss and tell him my story. He was a nice but very large Polish man with a distinctive eastern Europe accent. I was completely scared of him because of his size. He hired me immediately and told me that I could work at the door until I decided if I was willing to try dancing. He paid me $10 an hour and had several of the dance girls shell out a small portion of their tips to me to help me. The girls all seemed to rally around me. Soon I was surviving even starting to get ahead. I went home with different girls nightly. I had sex with whoever asked. Somehow, I felt safe with the girls from the club. However, the club life was ok for the immediate but, I needed to figure out how to live out the rest of my life.”

I sat in stunned silence. I saw her eyes filled with tears and they rolled down her face as she was telling me her story. I cupped her cheeks with my hands and leaned in to kiss her. I kissed her cheek, her forehead, and her cute little nose. When our lips met, I kissed her as passionately as I could. Amy broke the kiss and blurted out that she needed to finish telling me the story or she wouldn’t have the courage.