Panties for Sale

by York, Mattie

  “Chieko? It’s Alex.”

  “Oh hello.”

  “Are you ok? Did I wake you up? I remember you have English class on Tuesday so I wanted to catch you before you left.”

  “Oh, yes,” Chieko rubbed the sleep from her eyes. “No, I am awake.”

  “Ok, I’ll be quick. I was just calling to ask, are you busy tonight?”

  “Tonight? No,” Chieko wandered into her kitchen and turned on the kettle.

  “Do you want to go for dinner? I was just thinking, well, we have been working so hard and I have all this money and well, I never really have to the time to just sit down and spoil myself, you know? I was just reading in the NOW magazine about this new restaurant, Mildred Pierce. It’s supposed to be fantastic. And I could so use a nice dinner out right now. You know, get dressed up, have a glass of wine, relax. So, do you want to go?”

  “Yes, ok,” Chieko shuffled back into the living and room and turned on the T.V.

  “Really? That’s great. O.K. I’ll pick you up,” Alex paused, “No, let me call and make the reservations, then I’ll call you back and let you know what time. What time does your English class end?”

  “End?” Chieko asked, slightly distracted by the T.V. guide. Where was Regis and Kelly? Why wasn’t it on? ‘Um, English class ends at 12:00.”

  “12? Oh, I’m sorry you must be on your way out. Ok I’ll call you back this afternoon.”

  “Ok. Bye.” Chieko muttered into the phone. On my way out? What was Alex talking about? Chieko looked up at the clock. “Ohma!” It was already 10:30. She had slept in. Chieko couldn’t believe it! And on English class day! She was usually up early, excited to see Jay. Chieko jumped up and then sat back down in pain. Wow. She felt like she had been hit with a ton of bricks. Chieko smiled remembering her appointment with Douglas. I wonder what he is doing today? Maybe he’ll call Angela to book me again. Or maybe, she smiled, I could go back to his hotel room and knock on his door? Like a friend. Not as an escort. Chieko sighed and pictured herself back in Douglas’s room. “No,” she said out loud. “He will call. You can’t make the first move. Plus,” she cleared her throat, “Chieko, you are busy. You have English class today. Yes,” she pulled on a pair of jeans and threw on a sweatshirt. She rifled through her purse looking for a TTC token. “Not today,” she muttered and dialed Beck Taxi.

  “Sorry,” Chieko bowed to Ms. Macdonald as she entered her English class and slid into the empty chair beside Jay. Jay smiled at her and slid his notebook onto her desk. ‘Why so late?’ was written on the top of an empty page.

  ‘Slept in,’ Chieko wrote back.

  “Not that you could eat a real horse,” Ms. Macdonald was explaining, “it just means that you are very hungry. Good, Miss Gloria. Does anyone else have any questions? I know the English language is really difficult and we don’t make it any easier when we speak. We English like to make a lot of sentences that compare us to animals. What do we expect? We did all come from monkeys, right? Ok, so the pattern we break it down into is adjective then ‘as a’ then animal.” She turned and wrote adjective + as a + animal on the board. Let’s make a list. We already have ‘hungry as a horse’. She wrote it down on the board. Can you think of any others?”

  “Soft as a baby” Mrs. Chan said.

  “Well, yes. Ok, but a baby isn’t really an animal. But yes it works. Let’s think of animals.”

  “Fast as a tiger,” Mr. Rashad said.

  “Good.”

  Ms. Macdonald wrote down fat as a pig, angry as a lion, tall as a giraffe, high as an eagle, smart as an elephant, dumb as an ox, cold as a snake then turned around and clapped her hands. “Excellent class, wonderful. Ok, let’s finish for today. Now your homework for today is pages 50-55 of the red textbook. And I want you to get started on your composition. I want your rough draft on Thursday. Remember that I want one full page about you. Your life. Your country. Your hobbies. Your interests. Anything that you think is interesting. But it must be one full page. OK? Any questions?” The class was silent. “Ok then. See you on Thursday. 10:00. Right Chieko?”

  “Yes,” Chieko blushed and slouched in her chair.

  “Hey Jay,” Gloria, one of the Filipino girls came up. “What are you doing this afternoon?”

  “I don’t know,” Jay looked over at Chieko but she had her head down writing out the homework assignment.

  “Me and Fatima are going for sushi,” Gloria stepped closer. “It’s supposed to be a really good restaurant. Do you want to come?”

  “Um, sure, I like sushi.” He turned to Chieko. “Do you want to come?”

  Chieko pretended not to hear. She couldn’t believe he had just said yes. To Gloria. So easily. She had been waiting for Jay to ask her out for weeks. And now he was just going to go out with this Filipino girl? For sushi?

  “Chieko,” Jay asked again, “do you want to come with us?”

  “Huh?” Chieko raised her head. “Oh, no, I have a date.” Well maybe a date. Douglas could call Angela, make an appointment with her, after his practice. It could happen. And she was going for dinner with Alex later. And so what? It wasn’t like a real invitation. For a real date. He was probably going to invite all the people from the class. No way.

  “Oh. Ok.” Jay shrugged and smiled at Gloria.

  “So,” Gloria touched Jay’s shoulder, “are you still coming?”

  “Ok, sure,” Jay smiled, “It will be fun.”

  “Alright! You know we could make it a night and go for karaoke. Maybe dancing? It will be great.”

  “Yeah, maybe,” Jay watched as Chieko walked out of the classroom.

  31

  “I’ll have Set One. But with no risotto please. Thank you. Oh and a Perrier”.

  “And madam?” the waiter turned to Chieko.

  “What is this?” Chieko pointed to the first entrée.

  “That is the Strip loin Medallions. It’s our most popular dish. It is pan seared and served with a potato flan, shiitake mushrooms, dowsed in rapini and tamarind juices.”

  “Ok and this?” she pointed to the second choice.

  “The Mediterranean sea bream, madam. It is delicious. It comes with a citrus risotto, steamed asparagus and lightly sprinkled with pine nuts and basil pesto.”

  “Oh, ok,” Chieko read the choices over again slowly. “Ok, I’ll have, may I have the first one please?”

  “And may I suggest a fine wine for you?”

  “Yes, ok,” Chieko said.

  “Ah wonderful, madam. Tonight is a Shiraz from Pelee Island.”

  “Ok, thank you.” Chieko watched the waiter walk back through the small but elegant restaurant. “This is beautiful,” she gazed at the Italian-style frescoes painted on the ceiling. Small cupids peeked out at the diners from behind big fluffy white clouds, while sprays of grapes and ivy decorated the painted stone columns. The restaurant was completely lit by candlelight which highlighted the cherub’s rounded faces and mischievous smiles suggesting that if you weren’t watching closely you might be hit on the head by a pelted grape.

  “This is supposed to be the number one restaurant in Toronto, at least that’s what NOW magazine said. It was hard to find though, eh?” Alex laughed thinking of their slow drive down the dark deserted streets in the warehouse district of West Toronto, just south of King St, looking for the elusive Sudbury St. She was just about to give up and head back downtown to the Keg when she spotted an open chain link fence with a line of burning torches lighting the way to a canopied door. The carpeted path leading to the restaurant and the man standing in a tuxedo waiting to open the door seemed so out of place among the stacks of empty oil cans, garbage dumpsters and locked storage garages. “It’s a good thing I drove. Imagine if we had taken the subway or a bus?”

  Chieko smiled weakly and rearranged her cutlery. She should have gone for sushi with Jay and the other girls from class. It was Jay. The same Jay she had been dreaming about for weeks. Why had she been so rude? And Angela didn’t call. Which means that Douglas di
dn’t call requesting her. Why did she think he would? Probably those Filipino girls were talking with Jay right now. Sitting beside him and feeding him sushi. Gloria was probably wearing a really sexy top. Chieko sighed. Alex had asked her to go to this restaurant. And Alex was really her only friend here in Toronto. And when Alex had called that morning she really didn’t have any plans. So, it was true, she did have a date. Sort of. Anyways, maybe it was good that she said she had a date. It would make Jay think that she was desirable. That she wasn’t sitting home alone waiting for someone to call.

  “So,” Alex leaned across the table, “I’ve been dying to ask you. How did it go, with Mr. Nimbin? ”

  “Oh,” Chieko looked down at the table. “Not good.”

  “Why? What happened? Did he scream? Did he call Angela?”

  “No, well, yes, he screamed. At first, well, really, it was so funny. You were right, he hid in the curtains.”

  “That’s awesome,” Alex laughed.

  “Yes,” Chieko nodded, “it was fun. I was so powerful. So strong. I made him pay me first. You were right. He wasn’t going to tip me. So I told him he must. I told him to take off his clothes. He was upset when I told him not to hang up the clothes. I thought maybe he would cry,” she whispered.

  Alex imagined Mr. Nimbin’s face. “Oh, I wish I could have seen that! Chieko, that is so funny. Good for you! I can’t believe you did it!”

  “Yes, it worked just like we planned, but then,” Chieko paused, “I lost it.”

  “Lost it? Lost what? What do you mean?”

  “I lost it, the flogger. You know, the whip.”

  “Oh no. How? What happened?”

  “Mr. Nimbin took it. And then he became the leader.”

  “Oh no. Oh my god, did he make you,” Alex raised her eyebrows,” you know, was he awful?”

  “No. No, it was ok. I just, well, you know.” Alex nodded sympathetically, fully understanding what Mr. Nimbin would have expected Chieko to do.

  “Shit, what about the whip, what do you call it? Flogger? Did you get it back?”

  “No, he kept it.”

  “What? But that is yours! You bought it! What a dick!”

  “It’s ok, I am seeing him again, next week.”

  “What? Oh god, I’m sorry.”

  The waiter appeared with a glass of red wine and a small bottle of Perrier. The two girls watched in silence as he opened the Perrier and poured it over ice. Smiling at each other, the two girls took a sip of their drinks in silence until the waiter was safely out of hearing. “He hit me with it.” Chieko whispered. “He said I was bad, because I scared him.”

  “What? Did he hit you hard?”

  “No, not really. Well, it hurt a bit, but like a bee sting. It was just strange.”

  “Goddamn, that is ridiculous. I hate that man! Really, Chieko, you can’t see him again.”

  “Angela said he is really happy with me. He wants to see me again next week.”

  “Oh god,” Alex rolled her eyes, “no. Seriously, you don’t want that. Can’t you be sick? Don’t go. Just don’t go to the appointment.”

  “No, I don’t want to lie.” She looked up at Alex. “You know, he really wasn’t that bad. He didn’t do like you said, like tell me what to do. I think maybe, I made it worse, you know, trying to be what did you say? Dominatrix.” Chieko shrugged. “That’s not me. Angela is right, she said I am submissive. I am. It’s better for me if the man is in charge. I think it will be ok, next time. Angela said she didn’t know what to do with him because he didn’t like anyone. But, he likes me. So, I think if I am just me, I will be more comfortable.”

  “If you are just you? But Chieko that was you! Remember? It was so fun in the store. And we planned it so well. You were excited to do it.”

  “Yes, it was fun, pretending to be big and strong. But it doesn’t work. I am not strong like you Alex.”

  Alex leaned over the table and took Chieko’s hand. It was so small and delicate. “No, Chieko, you are strong. Don’t let him bully you. If you don’t want to see Mr. Nimbin, don’t. I’ll call Angela and tell her for you. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  “No, I know. Thank you. You are very kind. I will be ok.”

  “Ok,” Alex knew there was no point in arguing, “as long as you are ok.”

  “Madam, your appetizer.” The girls sat up and watched the server in silence as he lifted their napkins from the table and laid them in their laps. He placed a small bowl of soup in front of each of them.

  “Thank you,” Alex nodded to the server as she picked up her soup spoon. “So, what else is new, have you had any other interesting clients?”

  Chieko blushed and lowered her head, concentrating on stirring her soup.

  “What? Are your blushing? Come on, who is it?”

  “Well, there was one client. He was cute!” Chieko giggled, “and wow, it was so good.”

  “More,” Alex put down her spoon. “Tell me more.”

  “Ok,” Chieko looked up at Alex. Her dark eyes were twinkling and there was this big goofy grin on her face. “You won’t believe me, but he looked like Channing Tatum, you know that actor from Dear John?”

  “Yes, I love him! He is so hot! Wow. And so was this client nice?”

  “Oh yes, he was very nice, and well,” she lowered her voice, “I kissed him.”

  “You what? I thought you said you don’t kiss?”

  “Yes, I know, I don’t kiss clients. I don’t. Just this one time. I can’t help it. He was very cute.” Chieko looked dreamily up to the ceiling. “He was really good.”

  Alex knew exactly how exciting and tantalizing that warm feeling of electric chemistry was and how that euphoric high could last for days. She remembered the first time she met Joseph. Even now, when she talked about him she became excited. “Oh my god!” Alex quickly lowered her head. She tried to brush her hair over her face then looked frantically around for somewhere to hide. “Oh no, no, no,” she whispered frantically to Chieko, “don’t look, but one of my clients just walked in.”

  “Oh,” Chieko turned around to look. “Where?”

  “Don’t look,” Alex whispered fiercely. “He’s over by the door,” she grabbed her bag and whipped out her cell phone pretending that she had just gotten an important text message.

  “No,” Chieko shook her head, “there is no one over by the door.”

  “He’s black,” Alex whispered, “tall, well dressed.”

  “No. Really, I don’t see.”

  Alex looked over at the doorway. “Oh, thank god,” she sighed with relief, seeing no one. “It must have been someone else,” she laughed awkwardly.

  “Well, well, look who is here? Hello gorgeous,” Martial came up from behind Alex and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Chieko’s eyes widened as Marital leaned in and kissed Alex on the lips.

  “Hello,” Alex let Martial kiss her.

  “Mmm, you disappeared too fast, the other day, sexy lady,” his hand lingering on her shoulder as he licked his lips.

  “Oh, I’m sorry, I,” Alex paused, “I, my car was waiting.”

  “Yes, yes, so you said.” Martial stared at Alex’s cleavage as he rubbed his hand down her back. “We will have to get together again, soon.”

  “Yes,” Alex smiled up at Martial. She felt as if the walls of the restaurant were beginning to close in around her. She looked up at the ceiling but all the cherubs seemed to be staring down and laughing at her.

  “And, who is this,” Martial held out his hand to Chieko.

  “I am Chieko,” Chieko leaned over the table, offering her hand to Martial who kissed it gently. Chieko smiled her seductive smile at him, feeling warm from the softness of his touch. How come Alex got this gorgeous client, she wondered?

  “Your friend?” Martial asked Alex.

  “Yes, Chieko is from Japan.”

  “Yes, I love Japan,” Martial raised his eyebrows. “I haven’t been to Japan in so long. I think I would like t
o revisit it soon. Mmm,” he stepped back rubbing his hands together. “Two lovely ladies should not be alone tonight. Come join my table? I know my friends would love to spend some time with you tonight?”

  Alex felt ill. Was he actually suggesting that she service him and his friends tonight? Her body was still sore from her appointment with him. She hadn’t even fully decided how to deal with that situation. “Martial, you are too kind,” Alex said forcing a smile, “but we can’t tonight. We have plans.”

  “Together? Oh, damn, you are too hot,” Martial clapped his hands. “Shit, I’ll have to call Angela and set that up. Mmm,” he squeezed his lips together.

  “It was nice to see you again,” Alex said.

  “Are you sure you are busy tonight?” Martial’s voice dropped to a husky whisper.

  “Yes, I am sorry. But please call Angela. Others may not be.”

  “But I want you,” he leaned closer to Alex, lifting up her hand and kissing her palm. Alex tried to pull away but Martial squeezed it and winked, then slowly kissed her forearm, up to her elbow. He finally let go and turned to Chieko. “And you,” he blew her a kiss as he walked away.

  “Who was that?” Chieko watched as Martial sauntered across the restaurant.

  “That was a client.” She took a sip of Perrier and tried to calm down, but she could barely swallow.

  “Really? You are so lucky, he is sexy!”

  Alex gave Chieko a pained look. “Not really.” She still wasn’t sure how she felt about Martial and his lies, but she knew she didn’t want to be alone with him again.

  “There is no way I would have said that that was ok, Alex,” Angela had said when Alex had called after the appointment. “Listen, darling, you have to be careful. I watch out for my girls, but I can’t say these men aren’t crafty. Especially in the heat of the moment. Are you ok? He didn’t hurt you did he? Now, that is what Ahmed is for. Keep your cell phone close. He can be there in minutes. I always tell him what room you are going to. You could have said no, dear. You have to be firm. You know men like strong women. And you were right. It does say no Greek in your bio. I remember writing that down myself.”