and Craig. The two men were intensely debating politics.
“Oh, nothing, really; I was just daydreaming that if I owned this place, what changes would I make.”
“You planning on buying Pandora’s?”
Annik waved her hand. “Not planning; it’s more at pipe dream level right now. But yes, one day I’d like to take it over.”
“You never mentioned this before. How long has this been on your mind?”
“Some time, to tell you the truth. In fact, I’ve been salting away as much money as I can- ever since Momma passed away. I’ll buy Pandora’s and retire from… you know, ‘working’.”
The surprise on Jessica’s face increased. “Really?”
Annik nodded.
“No more clients? You’d get out?”
“Umm hmm.” She hoped Jessica didn’t scoff. It would take a ‘huge money tree’ as Poppa would have said, and she was still in ‘large hedge’ stage.
Jessica rested her chin on her fist. “I’m sort of confused here, girlfriend.”
“What? You don’t think I could do it?”
“No! Not at all. Of course you could. You could do whatever you set your mind to; that’s not it.”
“Then what?”
Jessica inhaled in thought and exhaled. “Well, I mean… right now, you’re a sex worker.”
“You mean whore.”
“You know, I really don’t care for you using that term sometimes. You’re a professional, and I don’t think you give yourself enough respect.”
“Well, it’s the truth, Jessica.”
“Not to me. You saying whore, would be like my doctor calling himself a quack, okay? Are there M.D.’s out there who are charlatans? Absolutely. But there are a lot of professionals out there too. So cut it out, okay?” Jessica’s eyes were impatient.
Annik leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you. I hear you loud and clear. You’re right.”
“Good. Now here’s the thing. You’re a sex worker, who wants to get out of the life. And you plan to do that through buying a sex club ?” She laughed.
“Yeah, if you put it that way, it does sound absurd. I see your point.”
Jessica silently held her hands out palms up.
“It’s like this; it’s sort of convoluted, but bear with me. From working as an Escort, I’ve come to realize that sex is undervalued for the most part.”
“With the kind of money you make?” Jessica laughed.
“No, I mean it. Sure, I get paid for getting a guy off. But it’s not very intimate. Look—the connection you and Craig have when you make love is light years beyond what I share with a client.”
“Well, most clients?” Jessica tilted her head towards Tom.
“Exactly! And in that case,” Annik lowered her voice, “the money actually gets in the way of the intimacy.”
“Okay, so what does this have to do with running Pandora’s?”
“Well, here,” she stretched her arms out, “we celebrate it. We share our strongest passions in this place. People that scene in public, and those that watch, share something pretty damn powerful. Instead of it being an exchange, it’s a community.”
“Of kinky people.”
“Of passionate people. BDSM is the modality for heightening all of the experiences of conventional sex. You know that.”
Jessica nodded. “Yeah. When Craig and I scene—doesn’t matter if I’m tied to a cross or just behaving submissively… yeah, the sex is really, really good.”
“And Pandora’s celebrates that.”
“Yeah, it does. I get that.”
Annik sat back in her chair. “I think… I’m not positive, but I think that if I took over Pandora’s… it would sort of balance out me having been an Escort in a way. My being an Escort would be a stage I had to go through to get to owning and running Pandora’s.”
“What? Hooking as career planning?”
“Well… yeah. I got into hooking to look after my mother. Then after I got arrested, a lot of doors were closed to me. I think I could fit in here. I told you, it’s kind of crazy. Besides, I grew up in the hospitality industry, didn’t I?” She looked across
“Oh, nothing, really; I was just daydreaming that if I owned this place, what changes would I make.”
“You planning on buying Pandora’s?”
Annik waved her hand. “Not planning; it’s more at pipe dream level right now. But yes, one day I’d like to take it over.”
“You never mentioned this before. How long has this been on your mind?”
“Some time, to tell you the truth. In fact, I’ve been salting away as much money as I can- ever since Momma passed away. I’ll buy Pandora’s and retire from… you know, ‘working’.”
The surprise on Jessica’s face increased. “Really?”
Annik nodded.
“No more clients? You’d get out?”
“Umm hmm.” She hoped Jessica didn’t scoff. It would take a ‘huge money tree’ as Poppa would have said, and she was still in ‘large hedge’ stage.
Jessica rested her chin on her fist. “I’m sort of confused here, girlfriend.”
“What? You don’t think I could do it?”
“No! Not at all. Of course you could. You could do whatever you set your mind to; that’s not it.”
“Then what?”
Jessica inhaled in thought and exhaled. “Well, I mean… right now, you’re a sex worker.”
“You mean whore.”
“You know, I really don’t care for you using that term sometimes. You’re a professional, and I don’t think you give yourself enough respect.”
“Well, it’s the truth, Jessica.”
“Not to me. You saying whore, would be like my doctor calling himself a quack, okay? Are there M.D.’s out there who are charlatans? Absolutely. But there are a lot of professionals out there too. So cut it out, okay?” Jessica’s eyes were impatient.
Annik leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you. I hear you loud and clear. You’re right.”
“Good. Now here’s the thing. You’re a sex worker, who wants to get out of the life. And you plan to do that through buying a sex club ?” She laughed.
“Yeah, if you put it that way, it does sound absurd. I see your point.”
Jessica silently held her hands out palms up.
“It’s like this; it’s sort of convoluted, but bear with me. From working as an Escort, I’ve come to realize that sex is undervalued for the most part.”
“With the kind of money you make?” Jessica laughed.
“No, I mean it. Sure, I get paid for getting a guy off. But it’s not very intimate. Look—the connection you and Craig have when you make love is light years beyond what I share with a client.”
“Well, most clients?” Jessica tilted her head towards Tom.
“Exactly! And in that case,” Annik lowered her voice, “the money actually gets in the way of the intimacy.”
“Okay, so what does this have to do with running Pandora’s?”
“Well, here,” she stretched her arms out, “we celebrate it. We share our strongest passions in this place. People that scene in public, and those that watch, share something pretty damn powerful. Instead of it being an exchange, it’s a community.”
“Of kinky people.”
“Of passionate people. BDSM is the modality for heightening all of the experiences of conventional sex. You know that.”
Jessica nodded. “Yeah. When Craig and I scene—doesn’t matter if I’m tied to a cross or just behaving submissively… yeah, the sex is really, really good.”
“And Pandora’s celebrates that.”
“Yeah, it does. I get that.”
Annik sat back in her chair. “I think… I’m not positive, but I think that if I took over Pandora’s… it would sort of balance out me having been an Escort in a way. My being an Escort would be a stage I had to go through to get to owning and running Pandora’s.”
“What? Hooking as career planning?”
“Well… yeah. I got into hooking to look after my mother. Then after I got arrested, a lot of doors were closed to me. I think I could fit in here. I told you, it’s kind of crazy. Besides, I grew up in the hospitality industry, didn’t I?” She looked across
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