Panties for Sale (25 page)

“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 didn’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?