Chapter 7

Roy Henderson slammed the doctor's office door behind him and hissed a list of obscenities. Shit! VD! Now who in hell would have given him that? Samantha, probably... or was it Susan? Hell, how could he keep them straight. VD and he hadn't even got off on sex with those bitches. Just a couple of sleazy bisexuals who were looking for a quick lay.

But what did that make him? Damn, he wasn't any better, was he? He pressed the elevator button and waited for the red light to flash. Life was getting to be too complicated.

A wave of loneliness swept over him. What he wouldn't give to go home and find his sweet little Julie in bed waiting for him. Now that was love; that was real love, something those cheap sluts Samantha and Susan knew nothing about. Sex... that's all they could think about. Whew!

And that Ertha was no better, either. Who on earth Julie could call that witch a friend, he couldn't understand. Man, she'd built up a barricade twelve feet thick around Julie. No matter how many times he called Ertha's apartment, the response was always the same. 'Sorry, Julie's not here.'

But there had to be some way of getting hold of Julie, even if it meant breaking into that apartment and abducting her. Just to hold her in his arms, kiss her rosy cheeks and whisper sweet things in her ears...

The elevator door opened and he stepped in, his infected groin aching with every cursed step.

"You what?" Ertha sat straight up in bed. "Horny for, or even attracted to, but in love?"

Julie was sitting at the foot of her bed, and she'd just come back from another afternoon with Joshua. This thing of Julie's about Joshua was getting to be too much. Joshua was seeing her almost every day. But Ertha was worried. Julie had been running around with her head up in the clouds for two weeks now and she was obviously so intrigued with Joshua that nothing else interested her. Roy had phoned almost every day and somehow she'd managed to keep those heated conversations free of Julie's ears. All Ertha heard around the place with was Joshua this and Joshua that. She knew Joshua was one good lay, but she hadn't thought he was that good, for heaven's sake! Ertha wondered what would happen when Joshua showed his true colors to Julie, let her see what a fly-by-night lover he was... and what his true interest in her was. She knew Joshua couldn't keep his secret forever.

She wished that Julie would take her advice and not restrict herself to just one male... but it was impossible to talk to her about anything these days. Ertha decided, after this conversation now with Julie, to let the whole thing run its course without interfering. It would all come out in the wash soon enough, she thought, taking another sip of heir drink while she turned on the hair dryer again.

When Julie dismissed herself and the sound of the shower spray emanated through the adjoining wall, Ertha picked up her pink telephone and dialed Joshua's number. "Damnit, Joshua, quit fucking around and start setting up some tricks for Julie, would you? Man, don't play with her head that way, she's a sweet chick and she doesn't deserve this charade you've been playing with her."

Joshua listened, knowing Ertha was right. He hadn't been fair with Julie, misleading her as he had. "Okay, okay. Just give me one more night and I'll set the kid straight. Then we'll all be in business, again."

Julie sat waiting for Joshua's call. He usually called between five and six o'clock and since it was seven o'clock, she was sure he'd call any minute.

As the hours passed and still he had not called, she began to grow more and more nervous. He had not seemed terribly enthusiastic the last time they met and when she asked him if he loved her, he seemed surprised and answered very vaguely. Although she had accustomed herself to his secrecy, there was a mysterious occurrence that happened every time he set eyes on Ertha--almost as if they were exchanging thoughts whose subject was she, Julie.

"Love? Why I really hadn't thought about it! Have you?" had been Joshua's answer.

They had been in Ertha's 'office, ' as they most often were during their progressively wilder sex scene and Julie had lain back on the silken pillow, turning her face so that he would not see her hurt. But afterward, he had taken her so passionately with such obvious relish and appetite, that she had been sure he was communicating his love in that manner, rather than saying it with words. For, like Ertha, Joshua was the type of person whose actions counted, not his words. It never occurred to her that Joshua was interested in her for any other reason than to adore her. Business and massage for money was the last thing she had in mind; though, had she paid more heed to those secret glances exchanged between her two best friends, she would have seen the true reason for his affection.

Ertha came out of her bedroom, dressed to the teeth in her new calf- length skirt and tight jersey. Now that Joshua and Julie were taking up the evening hours in her romper room, she had been forced to use a less appealing 'office' set up in the back of one of the Broadway topless bars that Joshua managed on the side.

Ertha was beginning to feel sorry for Julie, since she knew that Joshua would make his last call tonight. Joshua wanted no involvement, she knew. Ertha felt a twinge of remorse about the situation she had gotten Julie into. She had picked her out thinking Julie was just the type of girl Joshua could use in his business, but it wasn't turning out that way at all... not at all! She watched as Julie downed another glass of wine which she had put in a water glass so she wouldn't have to refill it so many times.

The wine had helped ease the pain Julie felt to some extent, but there was a dull thudding in her head, replacing the mounting hysteria inside her. The prospect of the end of another love before it had begun was too cruel to contemplate. She began to think of Roy and how she'd love to be with him now... how good it would be to have a true friend who knew her well and would listen to her.

For a second she thought of phoning him, but the fear of hearing a feminine giggle in the back ground kept her from doing so. Time would bury the love for Roy...

She had about given up hope when Joshua called, but his request left her startled and confused. The wine hadn't helped keep her head clear, either.

"Julie, honey. I won't be able to make it tonight. But, listen. How about making some extra cash? I've got a couple of buddies who don't dig those massage parlor trips but who really get off on a good backrub. How's about doin' it for 'em, huh, baby?"

When Joshua used that tone of voice, he could ask her to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge and she'd comply. "Well... I..."

"Ah, come on, Baby. You can do it. Shit, Ertha's been making her bucks that way for a long time, and she certainly hasn't suffered from it. Come on, do it for Josh, huh?"

"Oh, all right," she heard herself say." "I guess...

Corby Lewis paid Joshua fifty dollars in cold, heartless cash and jumped in the taxi. Man, tonight he was going to get himself a fine piece of ass... clean hunk, too... none of this cheapo, kinky Broadway meat. If Josh wasn't lying--and he seldom did to his clients--the woman had to be tops. He only hoped she wouldn't fight too much when he socked it to her. That was one of the advantages of dealing with the small-time pimps; they were more selective with their clientele, and thusly, they weren't standing outside the door listening to every grunt and groan. Then, too, their clients kept coming back, once they got to know the girls.

The taxi left him off in front of Ertha's apartment building; Corby tipped the man an extra buck, since he felt generous after last night's cocaine deal. He rang the buzzer to Ertha's apartment and waited, adjusting the wide Brooke Brothers tie and pulling down the matching vest to his three-piece suit. He was feeling in good spirits tonight after splurging on his new wardrobe. He only hoped the anonymous woman inside would appreciate what he'd gone through to look good.

He pressed the buzzer again. Inside Julie gulped the last dregs of her wine and dizzily staggered toward the door, cursing Joshua as she struggled with the double lock. She didn't understand any of it... why he wasn't with her tonight, why he wanted her to go out with his friend... and making extra bucks? What the hell did that mean? Sure, she knew Ertha made her living giving massages, but that was Ertha. Ertha was always different.

The chain fell free of the lock and Julie stepped aside as she let Joshua's friend brush past her. Before she even saw his face she could smell the sweetness of his after shave lotion. Well, at least the guy had class, she thought with relief.

When he turned to introduce himself, a smile broke out on his face, a smile she didn't understand the motive for. True, looked vaguely familiar about him, but with those huge sun glasses covering half of his face, he could have been anybody she'd seen on the street.

Julie introduced herself, and squinted up at the man who kept leering at her. Her eyes were out of focus and she had a funny queasiness in her stomach from not having eaten that day.

"Hello," she said, slurring her words. "Sit down and let me get you a drink!" She waved her hand flamboyantly. She couldn't get a good look at the Puerto Rican no matter how close he came. He was sitting next to her now, and she decided she'd just give up trying to see him. She might as well make the most of the evening... be happy, she told herself

"So you're Joshua's friend?" she said bitterly, camouflaging her hurt with a forced grin that came out a sneer.

"That's right, honey..." he said, taking the glass of wine from her, wondering when Roy's ex-old lady would recognize him. But he assumed the natty suit threw her off guard; then, too, she was three sheets to the wind already. No wonder she didn't recognize him. "How's about going dancing later," he offered, plotting his revenge for the woman who had refused him once.

Julie turned on the stereo and began madly gyrating her arms and legs in an approximation of dancing to the music. All sense of propriety had left her.

"Come on," said Corby grabbing her by the ann. "Let's catch a cab at the comer."

"Empress Hotel, driver!"

Corby sank down into the taxi seat with a sigh. Julie hadn't even heard the discrepancy in plans. That was good, but she was too snockered to know much of what was going on. He wasn't going to touch her until they got inside. This way, she'd never know who he was and, when Joshua came down on him for treating his girls roughly, he.could deny the whole scene and even demand his money back. He'd just say she was gone when he got to Ertha's apartment. There was no proof.

The cab pulled up in front of the Empress Hotel, a ram-shackle building on Broadway with a neon sign blinking! "Rooms... Transients... Residents..."

It was just the place for what he had in mind, seedy and run down. Tonight's my lucky night... he thought as he handed the driver the money. This chick is so out of it I can probably get anything out of her.

He helped Julie out of the back seat. She was laughing at his attempts to extricate her from the low seat. "Well... where are we?"

"Is there a floor show?"

"Sure, honey, sure."

The cab driver leaned way out of his window, looking Julie up and down... "Nice looking broad you got there, mister!" he said. "Wouldn't mind having a go at her myself."

"You're welcome to when I'm through!" Corby offered. The more the better. It would serve the bitch right for refusing him once before.

"Hey, you serious?" the driver asked, a gleam coming to his eyes.

"It's not my ass... Ask the desk clerk for the room number..."

"Swell, buddy... See you later..." he said, stepping on the gas.

Parts of the conversation had reached Julie but she didn't really connect them with her. It seemed as though they were talking about someone else. Some girl they both knew. She was looking around her though, trying to figure out where she was. Before she could think about it too long, Corby had grabbed her by the arm and was hurrying her into the building.

A yellow light glowed from a naked light bulb as Corby passed the night clerk. He dropped two dollars on the desk and was handed a key in return.

"I think I'm gonna call Joshua now," Julie said, teetering against Corby's tall frame. "It isn't a very nice place... where's the bar?"

"Shut up!" Corby said and hurried her down the corridor to a room on the ground floor.

Once inside the door, Julie was sure that she wanted to leave... something was going on that she didn't understand, and she had thought, "Where's Ertha?" as she turned to face the bare room. Her dulled senses had misled her into thinking that Ertha, motherly Ertha, would be there to save her.

"I wanna drink..." she slurred as she turned around, lurching toward the door. But her departure was halted suddenly as Corby grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back toward him. When Julie tried to protest, Corby let his right hand fly and it landed flat across her cheek leaving a stinging red print on her white skin.

Tears streamed down Julie's face as the man pushed her down on the bed.

"You will leave when I'm through with you, Julie... and this time you can't say no!" And with that, he began tearing at Julie's clothes, pulling them off her until she wore nothing but her garter belt and stockings.

Julie had laid there motionless, unable to resist him, the blow across her face made her terrified of coming to physical harm.

"Now, baby... you're going to do just what I tell you, aren't you?"

"Hey, buddy, you in there?" It was the cab driver.

"Yea, friend... come on in... we're just getting started."