Chapter 16

The New York Hilton, located on the Avenue of the Americas or, as the natives continued to call it, 6th Avenue, was a short walk from the Helmsley Palace. Myrna told her that it was a "special for two hours," and the fee would be "$800" but she didn't explain what a

"special" was and Barbara didn't recall that Len had said anything about a "special" either. Mr. Thomson, she was told, was in room 1245. She told Myrna that she needed a few minutes to make a phone call and hoped that Gordon was still in the room because she didn't want to place a long distance call to his cell phone. The pay phones were located next to the house phones, fortunately Gordon answered on the first ring.

She was relieved that he was in the room. "Hi honey. I wanted to tell you that everything went fine, I'm okay." "When will you be back?" he wanted to know.

"It won't be for at least two more hours. I'm at the Hilton now and have an appointment in a few minutes but I wanted to talk with you and explain." "That would make it after nine," he said.

"I guess that's about right. Although, when I call the agency after I've finished, they may have something else for me." "This could probably go on all night then." "You're guess is as good as mine, Gordon." "So, if you have a minute, tell me about your appointment." "Not much to tell. He was an older gentleman, very nice." "Barbara, tell me, did he make you cum?" "Of course he did, you know me. And, want to know something? I made him cum too," she said, punctuated by her laughter.

"I'll just bet you did." "What are you going to do until I get back, whenever that may be?" she asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll go out, catch a movie. I doubt that you'll be back at nine. I imagine that's the busiest time of the night. I probably won't see you again until in the morning." "You could always call Marlene." "Why would I want to do that? You'll be back and I can save it for you." "If you wanted to call her, I wouldn't object, that's all I meant." Remembering what Susan had said earlier she played on those words by saying, "how does it go, something like what's good for gander, that's me, is good for the goose, that's you?" "Whatever, but I doubt that I'll call Marlene. Call me again when you get a chance. If I'm not here, leave a message and let me know that everything is okay." "I will. I love you, Gordy?" "I love you too, honey." This time the elevator ride was less frightening for her than it had been in at the Helmsley Palace. Well, obviously it was not the elevator ride that had been unnerving but not knowing what was at the end of the elevator ride. Now she knew what to expect, at least she thought she did. The door to 1245 was opened by a tall, thin young black man who couldn't have been more than twenty-five. She was surprised at his age because he wasn't much older than her daughter, Meg. "Mr. Thomson?" she asked.

"That's me sugar, you must be our Barbie Doll, come on in." In the room she saw another young black man sitting on one of the double beds. He was about the same age as the man who had opened the door.

Now, she had an idea what a "special" was all about. The room was a standard hotel room with a desk in one corner and a chair in the other.

The furnishings, however, seemed more suited for a Holiday Inn, she thought, than for a giant hotel in the heart of New York City.

"I'm DJ and he's called Big Mike," said the man who was standing.

What had she gotten herself into, she wondered? They were dressed in baggy clothes and looked like they were probably drug dealers. Ivana Trump would have been envious of the gold and diamond jewelry that adorned their ear lobes, fingers and hung around their necks. They were about as different from Bill Porter as they could be. "I have to ask you if you're involved in law enforcement?" she said.

"You could say that we are," said Big Mike very seriously, then he started to smile. "Without us, law enforcement wouldn't be as busy as they are." Then he cracked up, laid back on the bed and laughed uproariously while holding his stomach.

DJ said, "matter of fact, sweet thing, Big Mike here just got out of Attica after doing three years the hard way. Tonight's kinda a welcome back party for him." He paused for a moment then asked,

"Care to guess what his present is?" "I imagine that would be me," said Barbara.

"You got that right sister," said DJ who reached into his pocket took out a thick roll of bills and peeled off several, making it unnecessary for her to give her "take care of business first" speech. She saw him count out ten bills and then hand the curled paper to her. When this currency joined what Bill had given her in her purse, she was surprised to realize that it now totaled fifteen hundred dollars.

"I've got to call in, excuse me for a minute," she said as she punched the number "1" on the cell phone. "This is Barbie, I'm at the Hilton, everything is okay... it's for two hours, like you said." She hung up put the phone back in her purse and said, "can I use your bathroom?" "If you have to take a pee, sure you can but if you want to go the bathroom to undress, then fuck no you can't. We want to watch you take it off sugar and don't you think it would be unfair if Big Mike didn't get to see the unwrapping of his own present?" "I don't have to pee," Barbara admitted "and, you were right, I was going in the bathroom to get undressed but if you want me to do it here, then that's fine too." DJ walked to the radio, found a station that he liked and turned up the volume. Then he took a vile of white powder and dropped three separate small piles onto the surface of a mirror that was setting on the dresser. She had seen this done in movies but never before had she actually watched someone take a razor blade and make three long narrow lines of the white powder. "Have a hit baby," he said as he handed her a tightly rolled hundred dollar bill.

Barbara had never used drugs in her life. When she was offered marijuana at college she always turned it down. And, not once in her married life until this moment, had anyone offered her any drugs. "No thanks DJ, I don't use it," she said as she handed him back the rolled-up bill.

"Suit yourself, sweet thing. More for us," said DJ, then he snorted half of one line in each nostril and inhaled deeply. He handed the mirror and the makeshift straw to Big Mike who did the same but he finished off both remaining lines.