in a way that I knew men liked. I picked out tiny, black panties and a black lace bra that I knew would be visible beneath the shirt, and I looked in the mirror, trying to decide if I needed to wash my hair before I went out. Finally decided that the crazy waves of my long, dark curly hair would never have time to dry, I decided to put my hair up and take a quick shower before Nadia was due home.
I was dressed in a clean white robe when Nadia and I sat down to dinner, and I listened to all of the gossip about the other girls in her school. I knew that she probably would have liked to go to a co-ed school, but I didn't want her to follow in my footsteps and end up pregnant before she finished high school.
"Will you be busy tonight, Mama?"
"I believe so. I think there are several big groups coming in, and Luis told me to expect to have to work late."
"I hope Gabriela will let me stay up late to watch TV," Nadia said, eyes shining with excitement. " American Idol is on tonight."
"I'm sure she'll let you," I assured her. "And you'll have to tell me what happens since I'll miss it." I looked at the clock. "Time for me to get ready, little one. You're sure you're okay walking to Gabriela's on your own?"
"Mama, it's only four houses down. I'll be fine," she said, in a classic, irritated teenaged girl tone.
"Be good, my love, and we'll go out for lunch after church tomorrow."
Nadia gathered her book and her pajamas and stuffed them in her backpack. She headed for the door, stopped, and rushed back to kiss me on the cheek. "I love you, Mama," she said, heading outside.
She was the reason I worked so hard. I was going to save enough to send her off to a better life.
I dressed quickly, arranging my wildly curly hair into what I hoped were sexy, long waves. I slicked on lipstick as red as my shirt and lined my eyes with heavy liner that made my eyes look enormous. I knew I looked good, and I hoped that the men Luis was bringing in had plenty of money and were willing to part with it. I knew that it was too much to hope for that they would be kind as well. I could stand anything, though, to take care of Nadia.
"Very nice, Encantada," Luis said as I stepped inside Lupita's after my six block walk. "Your customers will be pleased, I think."
I hated Luis more than words could express, but I couldn't afford to let my feelings show. "Gracias," I answered with a smile, before heading back to the kitchen to start preparing the bar for what I hoped would be a busy night.
""Wait," Luis said, as I turned away. "You won't be behind the bar tonight. Don Roberto has some guests who are thinking about increasing their business. They requested some special attention, and we have selected you and Fantasia to entertain them. You will be upstairs this evening, and you will do anything ... absolutely anything they require." He narrowed his eyes. "You understand, Encantada?"
I hated the fucking name they'd given me when I'd started whoring for them, but I answered to it. They owned me, and we both knew it. "I understand. I'll take good care of them."
I walked back toward the kitchen to collect a bottle of tequila and some glasses. Usually, tequila was what gringos wanted to drink, and if they desired anything else, I'd come back to fetch it for them. As I carried the liquor upstairs to the little bedroom where I'd spend the night, I thought about how I'd come to work for Luis and for Don Roberto. It was something that I didn't dwell on often. I'd never be able to know for sure if there had been some other way -- some way to avoid the trap that they'd set for me -- that had captured me so securely that I didn't expect that I'd ever be free -- at least not until I aged enough that I was no longer desirable.
Quietly closing the door of the small bedroom, I looked around. It was clean and dimly lit by a pair of lamps on either side of the full-sized bed. I pulled back the sheets to make sure they were clean, and I checked to make sure there were
I was dressed in a clean white robe when Nadia and I sat down to dinner, and I listened to all of the gossip about the other girls in her school. I knew that she probably would have liked to go to a co-ed school, but I didn't want her to follow in my footsteps and end up pregnant before she finished high school.
"Will you be busy tonight, Mama?"
"I believe so. I think there are several big groups coming in, and Luis told me to expect to have to work late."
"I hope Gabriela will let me stay up late to watch TV," Nadia said, eyes shining with excitement. " American Idol is on tonight."
"I'm sure she'll let you," I assured her. "And you'll have to tell me what happens since I'll miss it." I looked at the clock. "Time for me to get ready, little one. You're sure you're okay walking to Gabriela's on your own?"
"Mama, it's only four houses down. I'll be fine," she said, in a classic, irritated teenaged girl tone.
"Be good, my love, and we'll go out for lunch after church tomorrow."
Nadia gathered her book and her pajamas and stuffed them in her backpack. She headed for the door, stopped, and rushed back to kiss me on the cheek. "I love you, Mama," she said, heading outside.
She was the reason I worked so hard. I was going to save enough to send her off to a better life.
I dressed quickly, arranging my wildly curly hair into what I hoped were sexy, long waves. I slicked on lipstick as red as my shirt and lined my eyes with heavy liner that made my eyes look enormous. I knew I looked good, and I hoped that the men Luis was bringing in had plenty of money and were willing to part with it. I knew that it was too much to hope for that they would be kind as well. I could stand anything, though, to take care of Nadia.
"Very nice, Encantada," Luis said as I stepped inside Lupita's after my six block walk. "Your customers will be pleased, I think."
I hated Luis more than words could express, but I couldn't afford to let my feelings show. "Gracias," I answered with a smile, before heading back to the kitchen to start preparing the bar for what I hoped would be a busy night.
""Wait," Luis said, as I turned away. "You won't be behind the bar tonight. Don Roberto has some guests who are thinking about increasing their business. They requested some special attention, and we have selected you and Fantasia to entertain them. You will be upstairs this evening, and you will do anything ... absolutely anything they require." He narrowed his eyes. "You understand, Encantada?"
I hated the fucking name they'd given me when I'd started whoring for them, but I answered to it. They owned me, and we both knew it. "I understand. I'll take good care of them."
I walked back toward the kitchen to collect a bottle of tequila and some glasses. Usually, tequila was what gringos wanted to drink, and if they desired anything else, I'd come back to fetch it for them. As I carried the liquor upstairs to the little bedroom where I'd spend the night, I thought about how I'd come to work for Luis and for Don Roberto. It was something that I didn't dwell on often. I'd never be able to know for sure if there had been some other way -- some way to avoid the trap that they'd set for me -- that had captured me so securely that I didn't expect that I'd ever be free -- at least not until I aged enough that I was no longer desirable.
Quietly closing the door of the small bedroom, I looked around. It was clean and dimly lit by a pair of lamps on either side of the full-sized bed. I pulled back the sheets to make sure they were clean, and I checked to make sure there were
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