Page 2 of Their Courtesan
“Next week!”
“What!”
“That’s what I said!”
Monica shuffled into her office, switching on a lamp before pulling open a file cabinet. While it often annoyed Judith how everything was still soanalogaround here, she couldn’t blame a woman for being too careful. Appointments could be kept on computers, but personal information about regular clients and patrons especially had to be protected at all costs. This meant primary files printed out for cabinets, with backup copies in a fireproof safe in the back corner of the office. Monica pulled out one of the first files in the cabinet. After perusing it, she said, “He hasn’t told me anything about moving.”
Judith loomed over her boss, who was so petite that her baby made her look like she was packing around beach balls beneath her dress.Meanwhile, I’m gargantuan.Or so Monica often made her feel. Judith was still the same height as most of her clients, if not shorter. Nobody was taller than Monica’s husband, a man who dwarfed his own wife until people asked if she was his daughter.Awkward.
“He let it slip before falling asleep. Either he’s drunk in thought – and I wasn’t that good tonight – or he violated his contract by not giving enough notice. Unless he plans on paying his patronage fee for the next month.”
“Indeed.” Monica closed the folder with an exasperated sigh. “Make sure I talk to him in the morning. This is not good. You’resurethat’s what he said?”
“Moving to Dubai for work next week. He said that tonight was ourlast time.” Judith had to stress those words. Sometimes Monica got hard of hearing when the pregnancy hormones were in full swing.
“Shit.”
“I know! That’s over half my income right there!”
Monica closed the file cabinet and went straight to the nearest chair. She sank into it, feet wiggling in their slippers. “And a sizable chunk ofmine.Hutcherson is one of our highest paying patrons.”
Because I’m worth it.Judith would have to count on that more than ever now.
“If what you say is true, then after I’ve confirmed it with Mr. Hutcherson I’ll start putting out feelers for a new patron. I’m sorry this is happening.”
“Not as sorry as I am,” Judith muttered. “You still get paid by the other patrons.”
“Like I said, Mr. Hutcherson is one of the biggest ones. Losing him will put a dent in both of our incomes.” Monica pulled out her phone again. “What I’m trying to say is that I’m as invested as you are in finding a replacement. That said, Mr. Hutcherson will still have to honor his patronage contract that stipulates at least 30 days’ notice before ending your professional relationship. So even if you don’t see him, he should still be paying through the end of next month. That buys us time.”
“If he fucks off to Dubai?” Mitch was a decent enough guy – for a billionaire – but Judith’s ability to trust men like that was pretty negligible. Especially those billionaires. They were used to getting out of shit.
“I doubt that would happen. Even if it does, the penalty fee is pretty sizable as well.”
Judith still didn’t hold enough hope. As far as she was concerned, half her livelihood was crashing around her. Sure, she got subsidized room and board in exchange for her services out in the remote wilderness, but she had… bills… to pay off.I get paid thousands of dollars on a good night, but it doesn’t mean shit if I don’t get to hang on to it.If that money stopped rolling in? She couldn’t even think about it.
“We’ll clear this up in the morning,” Monica assured her. She stared at her phone, but her words were directed at Judith. “Worse comes to worse, we find you a new patron. Until then, keep up the hard work.’
She could fuck off with that. Nobody worked harder than Judith King. Some days? Judith would venture that not even Monica worked harder than her #1 girl. She certainly didn’t have to bother with otherhardthings like Judith did on an almost daily basis. Not that she usually complained. She liked her job. It was the stiffs like Mitch Hutcherson that made life more difficult.
Judith left the madam’s chambers and ambled back to her room. Mitch was still asleep on her bed. She rolled her eyes, going to take a shower in her bath. The door remained open, in case her patron wanted to come in and join her for one last bang against the shower wall.
He never showed up. Judith couldn’t say she gave a fuck anymore.
