Supply and Demand Pt. 01

Jennifer nodded. That made sense. It wasn't like the men wore a badge. There wasn't anything distinctive about them. But if a man came to a brothel, then it was clear what he wanted.

"At the point of sale you might say." Danton chuckled. The sound cut through her and she dragged her gaze away from the image in the mirror.

"But," Jennifer struggled. It felt like surfacing from dark, cold, water as her thoughts broke free of whatever sluggishness had gripped them. "What about men who get prostitutes to visit them? Or women who work from home? Or if they meet up in a hotel?" Jennifer might have hated the business, but she'd made sure that she knew enough.

Danton smiled. Jennifer felt pleased that she'd earnt his approval. Then wondered why his opinion mattered. The thought blew away with his words. "That's true, very good. But let's not get too ambitious. Brothels will account for a large percentage, don't you agree?"

Jennifer was nodding again. It felt good to agree. To agree with Danton. And why not?, when he was only telling the truth. She snuck another glance at her reflection. It seemed to agree too.

"Right. So we know where those men can be found. Hmm? You can say yes Jennifer."

"Yes." Saying yes was easy.

"And," Danton paused before continuing, leaning back in his chair. Jennifer wasn't watching him. She was watching her reflection. It seemed almost as large as her, suspended in the mirror. How big was that sheet of glass? Where were the lights dancing around her image coming from? How hard had it been to hoist the sheet of glass up there, fix it in place? How many workers had it taken? Jennifer's thoughts trailed off into inconsequentialities. She looked into the eyes of her reflection. Its eyes were wide. Were her eyes that wide? They must be, she supposed. It was only her reflection, after all.

"And we know what would stop them using a prostitute, don't we Jennifer?" Had Danton waited for her while her thoughts meandered? Had her daydreaming about the mirror taken so little time? Jennifer wasn't sure. It didn't matter, because he wanted an answer.

"Yes." She knew that was right answer. It was so easy to agree with Danton. Her image looked pleased with her. Or was it just reflecting her own happiness at being able to give the answer?

"And what would it take to stop them, Jennifer?," Danton coaxed.

"If, if they could g-get, umm have s-sex with, with someone else." Jennifer was embarrassed. She didn't like talking that bluntly. It made her sound crude and she didn't like it. But she knew that she had to answer. She could see the movements of her image's mouth as she spoke.

"That's right, Jennifer, you are very clever." Danton sounded pleased with her. That made her feel good. Then she wondered again why she should care what Danton thought. She saw creases form on the brow of her image. She didn't like that. With an effort Jennifer relaxed and was rewarded with the creases disappearing. If anything, the sparkle around her reflection seemed brighter. That was good too.

"If a woman was there who would have sex with them without them having to pay, they wouldn't need the prostitutes, would they?"

Jennifer shook her head. She could see the ponytail of her image whipping from side to side. She liked that. Her answer made sense. Of course if a man found a woman who would have sex with him without paying, then why would he need a prostitute?

"Of course," and there was a tinge of regret in Danton's voice, whether real or faked Jennifer couldn't tell, "it's not that simple."

That wasn't fair. It should be simple. "Isn't it?," she asked, not able to hide her distress.

"I'm afraid not. Most prostitutes are at least reasonably attractive, and they're definitely willing. So what would the other woman need to be?"

Danton waited. Jennifer thought for a moment. Her image seemed to be urging her to answer, "Umm, pretty and willing as well?" Her image smiled. Of course it was, Jennifer was happy, so she was smiling. She'd been able to answer.

"Very good, Jennifer, very good. It makes sense, if you think about it. If prostitution is supplying a demand, then any alternate supply will need to provide as good a product, don't you agree?"

Jennifer nodded.

"Now," Jennifer could hear Danton draw breath, "a woman who was willing to be in a brothel, to offer sex to the men there, without getting paid by them. All, I hasten to add, in the interests of removing the demand for the prostitutes. Well, she'd have to be a very brave and determined woman, wouldn't she?"

"Yes," Jennifer was nodding. She knew that it was the right answer. Her image told her so.

"Do you know anyone like that, Jennifer? Pretty, determined, brave, willing?" Danton's voice was calm, but Jennifer could hear the emphasis on the last word.

"Um, well." Jennifer wasn't sure. Her image gave her no help, simply looking at her, wide-eyed. She squirmed in the seat, heard the soft rustle as her skin moved over the leather.

"Oh come now. Don't be so shy," Danton chided. Jennifer could see the back of his head in the mirror, even though her attention was fixed on her reflection. She saw him tilt his head to one side. "Doesn't that describe you? Pretty, determined, brave, willing to do anything for your cause?"

"I," Jennifer hesitated, panicked. But her image just sat there. She couldn't see any sign of panic on its face. She relaxed, felt a wave of calm wash over her as lights sparkled around her image. She was brave and determined, she had to admit. And, well, yes, she had often been called pretty. And she was devoted to her cause. But this? Was Danton right? Was this the way to succeed? To cut-off the whole horrible business by drying up its demand?

"You could be an alternate source of supply. Are you willing to do that? To win in business you have to be willing to do whatever it takes. Are you ready for that?"

"But," Jennifer's thoughts whirled, she felt lost, small, "I'd, I'd have to, to, with, with.' Her voice fluttered away.

"Have sex with men. With men you don't know? Offer yourself when they came looking for prostitutes? Yes Jennifer, yes you would. It would take someone very special and very brave to do that. I think you could do it, what do you think?"

Jennifer swallowed. She saw the slight movement of her throat echoed in her image. Could she do that? Give her body over to those men? Just have, have, sex, with them. Casual, meaningless sex. She'd never done that before. She was no virgin, but sex for her had always been something special. This would degrade it, degrade her. She looked at her reflection. Jennifer could tell her reflection wanted her to say yes, was urging her to say yes. The lights danced and flickered around the girl in the mirror.

"Yes," she said, determined, "I can do that."

Her eyes slipped down from her reflection. How long had she been looking at it? She could see Danton smile.

"I'm impressed Jennifer. I wasn't sure you had it in you. Not many women would. You realise, of course, that one woman won't make that much difference."

"I know," Jennifer said, "but it has to start somewhere, and if this is what it takes." She'd do whatever it took to support her cause. She was determined. Danton had said so.

"I admire you, I really do. And just to prove what a good sport I am, here's what I'll do. I'll pay you a retainer. That way you'll be able to spend as much time on-site as possible. You don't want to let any chance go by, do you?" Jennifer shook her head. Danton was right. She'd need to be there as much as possible, be as available as possible, to cut the demand for the prostitutes.

"And if, after three months, you are making a dent in my business, I'll shut the place down."

Jennifer only just managed to stop herself crying out in delight. This was it. This was the way to beat Danton. And the fool was going to pay for it himself. She knew it wouldn't be an easy three months. She'd have to delay starting her career. But it would be worth it. She knew that she was taking a risk and that the other women in WFP wouldn't understand. The idea of having sex with all those men made her shiver. And if word got out, about her having casual sex with any man she could divert from the prostitutes, well, she knew it wouldn't do her reputation any good. But she could do this. It was in a good cause. They'd win.

"Ok," she said, "ok, three months. I'll give it three months." She could do it, she told herself.

"You'll be there with the prostitutes, but you won't be one of them. No need to get them offside though is there?" Jennifer nodded. Her argument wasn't with the women. She felt sorry for them. It was Danton she hated. And getting the prostitutes offside would make it harder for Jennifer to divert the men, as the other women would try to stop her. "I'll tell them to leave you alone. And no need to mention money to the men. It would just upset the other girls. I'll make sure the men know what the deal is." Jennifer was nodding again. It all made sense to her. All she had to do was attract the men, make them choose her over the prostitutes. They'd know she wasn't charging.

"Well," Danton leant back in his chair, "when do you want to start? How about this afternoon?"

Jennifer froze in the chair. It was one thing to consider Danton's proposition. Even agree to it. That was only talk, intellectual. But his last statement made it real. She could be having sex, with men she didn't know, this afternoon, in a couple of hours. Could she really do this?

She looked back up at her reflection. It was silent, solemn. But Jennifer could sense that it was urging her on. This was the right thing to do. I can do this, she told herself, as she watched the lights dance and flicker around her image.

"Ok, yes, why not." There, it was said. She was committed. No going back now.

"Good," said Danton, "Oh, and if you were recording this meeting I'd erase it if I were you. I doubt you want our agreement public just yet."

Jennifer swallowed nervously, feeling the colour drain from her face. She couldn't play the recording to anyone, couldn't think how'd she explain it to Betty and Sally. Maybe she'd eventually be able to explain her decision to them, when she'd beaten Danton, but not now, not yet. Hastily she reached into her purse, stopping the recording then deleting it. She'd just have to tell her friends that the recording hadn't worked. With a relieved sigh Jennifer sank back into her padded lounge, her secret safe.

Danton rose from his side of the table, headed to his desk. "I'll call someone to take you one of my 'establishments'. You should come back here in a few days, let me know how you're getting on, I'm sure we'd find more to talk about."

Jennifer looked up at her reflection. She was happy. She was going to achieve what she'd set out to do. She could see that her reflection was happy, too.

Continued in Part 2