Another night of insanity at their favourite seedy nightclub...sometimes I wonder why I agree to come here with them. I could make excuses, claim I need to work on my writing or plead some sickness...but tonight? Well...even my brother insisted I have a whore for the night because 'You've put it off long enough!' He must have been off his head even to suggest it, which would make sense given the amount of absinthe that had been poured down his gullet along with the wine and god knows what else, and we'd only been here for an hour.

The usual mess of rich proud men partying with the whores and creatures of Paris' underworld, a sea of black and white intermingled with the vibrant colours of their skirts. The music changed, the girls grouped together, and I see her. A beautiful dark headed creature in mostly black, holding her dress up to show a blood red petticoat as she and the others pout at the crowd before they begin to dance, writhing over the men as they rejoin them, no doubt trying to convince them to become clients.

I didn't suspect anything when I noticed the boys had left me at our table, but then that beauty was approaching me. I smelt the booze on her breath as she flopped herself into my lap, nudged her hips and said something I couldn't quite understand.

I frowned, and she shouted it louder, trying to be heard over the music. It was only when the music dipped did I finally hear her yell at me "Take me to bed!". Unfortunately...it wasn't just me who'd heard her.

I blushed, headed obediently up to her room before I was pushed onto the bed and she straddled me, grinding hard as she gave me a lap dance.

"You want to make love to me, don't you."

It was more a command than a question. I swallowed, looked into her eyes. The life I thought I'd seen on the dance floor had been a reflection from the gems on her costume. She had the same dead look of all the street hookers the other students had brought home.

"Don't you!"

"How...how much do they pay you..."

"50 francs"

"An hour?"

"Your friend said you'd take all night. 50 francs a night, that's what you pay"

I looked at her, gently tipping her off my lap and onto her back. She looked up expectantly, before a confusion came over her face when she felt my lips on hers. A moment passed before she let out a fake, gutteral moan, only to look confused again when I pulled away.

I fished into my pocket, pulling out a wad of notes, not bothering to count it before I drop it into her lap.

"This is too much...what...you want my arse or something? It's still 50"

"No. Keep it."

I stepped away, retrieving my hat from where it had been dropped, only looking back briefly. She was dumbfounded, the harsh facade for that moment replaced by what must have been her real feelings.

"You don't wanna fuck?"

"I do...you're beautiful..."

"Well...well, you've paid."

"I know..."

I swallowed, meeting her eyes as I let my voice settle to it's natural pitch, for a brief moment letting her see the real me as I have just witnessed her.

"But you wouldn't have a woman. So there's no point"

The last thing I see is her gawping at me, before I shut the door and walk out of her life.