Chapter 12

Unlike Jennifer, Margaret’s shock was broadcast in high definition on her expression. Then, knowing all that she knew, pieces started connecting in her mind.

“Jenny Jenny, for a good time call,” Jennifer said.

Jenny, Jenny, Jenny, the name batted around inside Margaret’s mind until a greater degree of shock hit her. Pins and needles prickled her cheeks as the blood rushed out of her head.

Jennifer’s leg shifted and bumped Margaret’s. “You remember?”

“Wait.” Margaret did the math in her head. “You weren’t ... you were only seventeen.”

“Same age you started dancing, right?”

All of the fear associated with passing fake ID and taking her clothes off in front of a hundred leering men resurfaced and brought tears to Margaret’s eyes. Jennifer put her arm around Margaret and pulled her close. “You were so good, I recorded you so I could play it when I was practicing.”

“You, I, I barely said hello to you. I’m sorry. You know how it is when a young, sexy dancer shows up. They get shit from the veterans. I’m sorry. I wasn’t there much at that point, but I shouldn’t have ignored you. Me and Andre, you know, were dating, so I guess I knew I wouldn’t be there long.”

“I was really sad to see you go,” Jennifer said. “Then right after Sammy left.”

“She went to manage another club,” Margaret said. “I hope I wasn’t some kind of role model who encouraged you to want to be a dancer.”

“No, I was already going to be a dancer, you made me wanna be great at it. The other girls hated you because of how much money you made.”

“Not as much as Sammy’s big tits and ass brought in. We were roommates, well best friends first, then roommates. We came to LA together on a Greyhound. Thought we could be rich models or famous movie stars. So naive.”

“You, me, and a million other girls from the middle of nowhere.”

“Runaways,” Margaret said. “Most of the girls have a story. What’s yours?”

“What do you mean? A story?”

“Not many of us set out to get naked for money. Something happens, usually not good, so we end up doing what we have to do. I had stepbrothers who would have fucked me as quick as punch me, which they did, and they called me a carpet muncher and worse because my mother caught me and Sammy together. That led to us running away.”

Jennifer fell back, blowing out a heavy breath as she did. Margaret joined her and stared at the millions of bright stars above. She waited patiently for Jennifer.

“I didn’t have a great childhood, but I made the most of it, tried to be happy and enjoy it. It wasn’t great. My mother was a single mom, but she always had boyfriends ... live-in boyfriends, but most didn’t last long. Until Eddie.

Mom said she really loved him, that she finally found someone to marry, except he wasn’t what she thought. I didn’t want to spoil things for her, so I kept my mouth shut.”

Margaret found Jennifer’s hand between them and held it. “You don’t have to tell me this.”

“I want to.” Jennifer squeezed Margaret’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “Mom probably would have blamed me anyway. She always said I was a slut, trying to steal her boyfriends, so when she walked in on me with Eddie’s cock in my mouth, she threw me out.

Married the asshole rapist anyway. I headed west. Anywhere but there seemed better. I had no expectations of fame and had seen documentaries on exotic dancers, so I went there first. I figured making a thousand bucks a night wasn’t bad. That’s what I heard anyway.”

“And you, being so young, a redhead with an incredible body, you probably made more than that.”

“Not at first, then only on weekends, but yeah, I did.”

“Jenny, oh, sorry, is it alright if I call you Jenny?”

“Only if I can call you Maggie.”

“Sure, Meg, Maggie, whatever you want, but Jenny, you know your mother should have seen it, noticed how her boyfriends looked at you. She should have protected you from them.”

“I suppose so,” Jennifer said, “but here I am.”

“Yeah, here we are.”

Jennifer rolled on her side, dug her elbow into the sand, and propped her head on her hand. Margaret thought of how Sammy used to lay beside her and throw a leg across her stomach. She would put her hand on Sammy’s thigh and rub it.

They’d talk about the different perverts who had grabbed their crotch or tit that night and how much money they brought home. They’d laugh so they didn’t have to cry, and they’d curl up together and fall asleep listening to each other breathing.

It really surprised me that you left,” Jennifer said. “Surprised you left Sammy.”