Fallen Too Far Read Free

swallow. She learned a lot that night.
    “But it was five hundred dollars. I needed to make almost a hundred thousand dollars a year after taxes, and I was only a Grad Student, you know? Shit, my professors didn’t make that kind of money. So I put an ad in the paper. And that’s how it started.”
    “I figured I’d do it until either Momma slipped away, or until I could finish school and establish a legitimate practice.”
    “What happened?”
    “I got arrested.” Annik leaned forward and patted Jessica’s knee. “I’m a convicted criminal. I got caught in a sweep, took a plea, and have a conviction on my record. I dropped out of school the day my case was settled.”
    “Why did you do that ?”
    “Jessica… any decent job is gone for me. In our brave new post 911 world, everyone gets a background check. I can’t even get a job driving a cab, let alone as a therapist.” She sat back. “You know, it’s ironic as hell. The guy who stole our money gets out of jail next year; I’m doing a life sentence.”
    “But…”
    “But nothing. First of all, I’m thirty-two, almost thirty-three, you know. What good man would want me?”
    “Tom is crazy about you.”
    “Ha! Tom’s a John. You know that.”
    Jessica nodded. She had met Tom at the same place, the same time actually, where she struck up her friendship with Annik three years ago. They met at the adult club, Pandora’s. Jessica was there with her beau, Craig Forsythe. Craig and Tom were good friends and the four of them had enjoyed many good times together—both at Pandora’s and in the vanilla world.
    Craig and she were serious about each other. Two years earlier, when they had just begun to date, they had hit a rough spot. Annik had taken it upon herself to step in and straighten Craig out.
    Jessica owed so much of the joy of her own life to this woman.
    “Look, Annik, I understand that there’s a business aspect to your relationship, okay? But I also can see just as clearly, that Tom’s really crazy about you.”
    “Yeah. Right.”
    “Damn right. I can see that just as clearly as you saw how Craig felt about me. And you called him on it.”
    “Well…”
    Jessica leaned toward her. “And furthermore, girlfriend, I can see how you look at him when he’s not looking at you. Give me a break.”
    Annik went still and looked straight ahead, avoiding her eyes.
    “Let me ask you a question, Jessica. And be honest.”
    “Okay…”
    “Tom and I can’t be anything more than we are right now—a John and his whore. And I’ll prove it. You and I, we’re both only children, right?”
    “You know that, yeah.”
    “Okay. Now imagine you have a brother—younger, older, I don’t care. But you have a brother. You’d love him to death, right?”
    “Sure.”
    “Okay. Now how would you feel if your brother came home one day and announced that he was going to marry a whore, have kids with her, and grow old with her? What is your heart saying right now, Jessica?”
    “But…”
    “Jessica! Answer the damn question.”
    “Fuck you.”
    “What?”
    “Fuck you. I really mean that. Go fuck yourself. If my kid brother came home with a woman like you, I’d be so proud of him, I would bust. You think I’m that shallow? Really? You do? Fuck you.”
    “Do you really mean that? You’re just being nice, and I love you for that…”
    They both started to cry again. Together they stood and held each other as sisters sometimes might, and as best friends always would.
    Jessica pulled away and cupped Annik’s face in her hands.
    “You know, you were right.”
    “About what?”
    “I don’t look at you the way I did when we first sat down, Annik.” She kissed her cheek. “I love you even more now than I did an hour ago. I love you for your strength, and for what you would do for those you love. I am so blessed to be loved by someone like you.”

 

    Chapter 2
     
    Paul opened the side door of the dilapidated farm house he called home. He strode to