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She closed her eyes. But then she straightened her spine and nodded once. “That’s okay. I’ll figure something out. I always do.”
My heart thudded in my chest. I could sympathize with Sam. Despite both my parents being around, I couldn’t depend on anyone but myself. But it didn’t mean that I didn’t hurt because of it.
“I’ll find a way to help you out, Sam. I promise.”
She pulled her hand out of mine, only to squeeze it tight against the hard steel. She nodded again. This time, though, her eyes didn’t look so confident.
I’d wanted to help Sam, but I didn’t know how. “I’ll be back tomorrow. We’ll figure something out together.”
She nodded and let go of my hand.
Shit. What was I going to do?
*
The next day, I returned to the station and an officer escorted me into a different room. The fluorescent lights flickered over the white walls and flimsy plastic table. As I took a seat, the door opened.
Sam walked through, escorted by an officer. She still wore the same clothes as last night. Her tight blonde curls were frizzing at the ends and her makeup was mostly gone, except for the smudges beneath her eyes.
“Did you get any sleep last night?” I asked.
“It was cold, and the floor wasn’t exactly comfortable, but at least no one bothered me.”
I nodded. That was something.
“Sam, tell me what happened. Why are you here?”
She inhaled and looked up at the ceiling. “Last night’s gig didn’t go so well.”
“What gig?”
“The private party.”
“What happened?”
She wrung her hands, twirling a ring on her middle finger. “They hired us to dance and flirt with the men in the room. There were about ten of them and twelve of us, so I wasn’t worried about it getting out of hand. Plus, we had bouncers to make sure everyone behaved. I checked up on everything. At least on my end.”
“What does that mean?”
She flattened her hands on the table and sighed. “Shaun was supposed to vet the clients. That was his job. Make sure the guys are the sort of clientele interested in a little fun, but nothing too crazy. You know?”
I had an idea, so I nodded.
“Anyway, we did our thing and it was all going really well until one guy started whispering things into my ear. Telling me I could earn a lot more if I was willing to party.”
I stayed quiet, hoping Sam had turned him down.
She rubbed the smudges beneath her eyes, her fingers meeting at the bridge of her nose. “I said I was. He smiled and told me to follow him to the next room. I wasn’t worried because the bouncers were there and if anything were to happen in that room I would scream until that fucker’s ears bled.”
I closed my eyes briefly. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head. “We, uh, negotiated a price and I told him I wanted the money upfront. He paid me and when I dropped to my knees, that’s when he pulled it out.”
My mind tried to think of something other than his disgusting—
“He pulled out his badge, Laura. He was a cop. He arrested me for prostitution. Can you believe it?” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
Well, yes. “It is illegal, Sam.”
