Lilith - TI3 Read Free

and then forgot the entire event. Being poor, the Bishop's offer of lifetime employment went a long way to buy her mom's forgiveness. Unfortunately for Belinda, the church hierarchy considered the child’s suffering irrelevant and did nothing to help her, other than to tell her it was God’s way of testing her faith and making her stronger. Suffering was a way to be closer to the Lord they said. When she finally rebelled, her mother begged her not to do anything to antagonize their priest or the church.
     
    At seventeen Belinda decided to escape her religious chains and ran away from home to make her own way in life. Unfortunately, the only thing she had of value was her body, but there were many people who would pay a lot of money for a few hours with an attractive young girl. By the age of nineteen, she was a hardened professional; at twenty-one a forced alcoholic. She didn't crave the booze so much as the slight euphoria and eventual unconsciousness it brought. Ten years later, she still drank every night, trying to wash away the memories that plagued her. Only recently had she begun to feel almost human again, instead of a plaything to satisfy people’s lusts. Long ago, she swore she would never work for anyone but herself. Now she worked for two women. For the first time in her life she felt someone really cared about her.
     
    Tonight had not been very prosperous. Several Johns had stopped to offer her twenty bucks for blowjobs. Perhaps if they had been college kids looking for their first real-life experience, she might have initiated them into the world of hard-core sex. These, however, were old men looking for cheap thrills and expecting her to fall all over them for a few lousy bucks. Before them an undercover cop tried to get her to make the initial offer, but she knew better. Over the years she had developed a sixth sense for anyone associated with law enforcement. When he stopped his car to ask her how much, she merely smiled at him and told him he didn’t have enough to pay for what she had to offer. Being persistent, he tried to coax her into saying something incriminating. Eventually, growing tired of the game, she threatened to call his supervisor if he didn't stop harassing her and laughed at his expression when he realized he had been busted. Cursing, he sped away. Belinda suspected he was a dirty cop and just looking for a freebee.
     
    Taking out a cigarette, she quickly lit it and inhaled deeply, holding her breath to prolong the warmth of the air filling her lungs. Eventually she exhaled slowly and watched the smoke drift away in the breeze. About to take another draw, she noticed a car approaching. Throwing the cigarette on the sidewalk, she quickly stepped on it before walking over to the waiting vehicle. Leaning down, she bent her knees slightly to get a better look inside of the darkened compartment. Without the interior light, all she could see was a shadowy figure of a man.
     
    "You lost?" she asked.
     
    "No, I know where I'm at. I saw you standing here and thought you might be cold," the driver replied, his voice low and deliberate.
     
    "So you're offering me a ride? How thoughtful!" Belinda said, not at all fooled by his implied concern. "Well, thanks, but I'm fine."
     
    "How much?"
     
    Surprised by the question, she hesitated, looking closely at the plush interior and then glancing up and down the street.
     
    "Excuse me?"
     
    "I said how much? What do you charge for your services?"
     
    "I think you have me wrong. Go find someone else."
     
    "Oh. I thought... never mind. I apologize."
     
    Again caught off guard, the prostitute wasn't sure how to respond.
     
    "Look. Maybe I have the wrong idea. What exactly do you want?"
     
    "Just someone to talk with. I thought perhaps you would like an easy night and since I feel like talking, I wanted someone to listen, nothing more."
     
    "And you think a hoe is that type of person? You must be desperate."
     
    "Let's just say some things