I spent the next few days wandering around. I got lucky and found an apple that had fallen off a passing cart once, and I found a soup kitchen serving warm meals. Unfortunately I got lost just after leaving and was unable to return to it. Occasionally I would find discarded food in trash cans. By now I had no idea where I was; I had had no idea just how big and confusing New York could be. I was tired and afraid, and I was beginning to wonder if going back to Antonio might not be the best option. I had managed to hide well enough at night, but I wasn't sure that could continue. I spoke with nobody, and I kept my head down during the day, and I found the safest, warmest places I could at night. Thankfully in mid-May the weather in New York is pretty mild, and I was lucky. It only rained once, and I had found a relatively dry spot after constructing a rough lean-to out of debris in the alley. I even took the opportunity, in the dark of night, to try to use the rain to wash up and wash out my clothes. It didn't work too well, but it still felt better than nothing.
I had been out on my own for over a week when I found myself near a park again. Parks tended to be comfortable but not very secure for sleeping, I had learned. I headed instead to a nearby alleyway and crawled in between some crates. By now I was so dirty that I blended in well. I fell asleep reasonably well in spite of the cold mist and the ever-present hunger, but a loud bang woke me just as the sky was lightening a bit. I bit back a scream as I sensed something was nearby. It took me a moment to realize that a cat had jumped onto the lid of the metal trash can near my head and that was what had woken me.
"Thanks again, dollface," a male voice said just beyond the edge of the alley. I froze, then saw a man leaving a building.
"Come again, handsome," a female voice cooed, and something about that voice was familiar. It was still nearly dark, but it was obvious it was going to start raining, and the clouds would delay the dawn a bit. I puzzled over the voice, and then it hit me. This was Minnie, whom I had met New Year's Eve. As I lay there waiting for dawn, the sky opened up and it began to pour. Lightning split the sky. There would be no dawn today—just the slate grey of a stormy spring day that never truly got light. I shivered, both from cold and fear, as I considered my options.
A job. That's what I needed. I needed a job where I could earn money and maybe get a place to live and some food. I needed a job that kept me away from the police. And I needed it now.
The city was waking up. I saw a few more men leave the house where Minnie was, and I finally screwed up my courage. The girls on New Year's had seemed so confident, so easygoing, and so alive. That was what I needed. After all, I had survived sex before. I could do this. I walked up to the house and knocked on the door. A girl I didn't know opened the door wearing only a robe.
"Hi. I was wondering if you had a job for me?" I gasped out between my chattering teeth.
"Come in," she said with a strange smile. I stepped inside and was pleasantly surprised to find myself in a cozy sort of lounge with a roaring fire in the grate.
"Have a seat," the girl said, gesturing toward a chair near the fire. I sat down gingerly, mindful of how wet and dirty I was. "You ever had sex?" the girl blurted out, and for a moment I was taken aback. Then I remembered how confident the girls had been at New Year's, and I resolved to play the part.
"Sure," I answered with all the bravado I could muster, glad at least that I didn't have to lie.
"I'm Pearl. What's your name?" she fired at me.
"Uhhh—Ingrid. Ingrid Smith." I blurted the first name that came into my head. I couldn't use my real name if the cops were looking for me.
"Okay, Ingrid. You ever been a working girl before?" Pearl asked. I shook my head, but I kept my chin up.
"It's simple. We can put you up in a room of your own. The first night what you make is yours. After that it's a split. Half goes to the house, and you keep half, but if you don't make the minimum each month, the house takes more. You buy your own food and your own drinks, but you get to use the kitchen. If you have a problem and need help, call the bartender. Joe or Ralph will throw out your client, but you'll probably have to refund him, so be sure you really want the guy gone before calling them. If you aren't bringing in enough by the end of the month, the house renegotiates the percentages so that your room is covered. But for today, I'd say let's get you cleaned up and get you some food. Then I suggest you take a nap. We'll give you one or two of the easier customers for tonight to get you started—maybe some of the younger boys or some of our trusted regulars. They break in new girls all the time. C'mon, let's get you cleaned up." She stood, gesturing for me to follow.
Pearl led me to a small kitchen. She made tea and some buttered bread with jam. "Here, eat this while I draw your bath. You're going to need to be cleaner for the customers." She smiled kindly, then left the room. I wolfed down the bread and butter, and the tea warmed me up in spite of my still soaked clothes.
"Now then. You take a bath, and I'll wash your clothes. I'll bring you a robe to wear and then show you to your room."
"Thank you," I said, smiling genuinely at the girl. Pearl grinned back.
"No problem, honey. Somebody did the same for me once." She picked up my clothes where I had shed them near the small metal tub. "Say, where you from?"
"Brooklyn," I answered without thinking, leaning back into the warm, sudsy water and closing my eyes. Where on earth had they gotten warm water?
"You must know Spot," she said in surprise, and my eyes snapped open.
"What makes you say that?" I asked, suddenly fearing I had placed my friend in danger.
"Easy, honey. Everyone in Brooklyn knows Spot. He don't come around here much, though. I know Minnie wishes he would. Did he send you this way?"
"He doesn't know I'm here," I said. "It's better this way."
Pearl nodded. "Well, you just enjoy your bath. I'll clean up your clothes and bring you that robe," she smiled.
"Thank you," I murmured as I settled back into the bath.