PART 12

[9/26/18 4:00 PM]

It was a sunny afternoon when Oliver got a text from Juanito asking him if he could stop by.

"Yeah, I'll be here. Come around 5:30"

[I've got alcohol for days in my house, why make him spend any more money than he has? Or more money than I make? My last two client's have been a few cheapskates. One motherfucker only paid me half of what I charged and then held a gun to my head before he left. The other? Let's just say, he wanted a whole lot for me to receive very little in return.]

Juanito was making his final runs on his job, he  called his wife and told her he'd be running a little late. "Yeah, I'm meeting a buddy for a drink."

After a quick gym workout and a shower, he made his way to Oliver's home where Oliver was inside sitting on the sofa. The doorbell rang.

"Hey boy what's good?"

After dapping their fists, Oliver asked him if he wanted a drink.

"Get me some of that rum over ice"

Wasting no time, Juan cut right to the chase and asked about the profession.

"Damn, you don't waste no time do you?" Oliver responded "Yes, I'm what one calls a mlut or a male slut"

"Look I'm not here to judge, but my wife states that you serviced one of her classmates"

[I've been out to my friends since I was 15, I just didn't inform my mother until much later. If my dad were alive to see what my profession was I'm sure that It'd kill him or he'd kill me.]

"And yes, the guy that you saw me with was one of my clients. Do you honestly think that I like this?"

"Calm down!".

[Yeah, I just LOVE being a cumdumpster. I busted my ass in college, interned with the government, even worked for the federal government for two years only to suck dick. That sounds about right.]

"I'm trying to come out of it. I really don't like it. I've registered for school and...."

"Again, not here to judge. Where you applying?"

"Man, I've applied to Fort Lauderdale, Tallahassee, Orlando a few places."

"What about Tampa?"

"Haven't given it much thought."

"The one in Fort Lauderdale would be great because it's not far from my house."

"Again not here to judge, I know the last thing that you need is another lecture, but all I'm gonna say is that people are talking. Giving you the heads up."

"Thanks…I think."

"But hey look at me, I've got two degrees and I barely make above minimum wage living with my fucking parents. You know how embarrassing that is? Me and my wife sleeping in my old bedroom?"

"Your sex life must suck."

"Sex life? That's virtually none existent! I might have to use your connections to get a hotel room."

After a couple of more drinks, Juanito  left and went home. "Later Ollie."

"Later bro"

After he finished his bottle of rum, he took one large sleeping pill and went to sleep. The following morning, he got up and fixed himself bagel, a couple of egg whites and some turkey bacon. He sat around for a bit and jacked off, then took a shower. It was only 6:00 am. "Well, at least there's a coffee shop open somewhere. I could use a hot beverage." He found a local mom and pop coffee shop about 20 minutes from his home. He sat down when the owner introduced himself as "Kenny." He was probably in his mid 50s. He opened this coffee shop up with his wife about five years ago.

"I've never even seen y'all, but I grew up a bit further down in Miami Beach"

 "Well welcome! I'm glad you've found us. We just put our pumpkin spice back beverages on the menu. They're big sellers. It's also amazing blended."

"I'll take a hot one."

"Want any food?"

"Not right now, just gonna stick with my coffee. I'll take a latte. But you can leave the menu there."

His beverage arrived, hot and quite rich. It had an impressive presentation. Served in a mug, topped with whipped cream with a bit of the pumpkin spice sauce drizzled on top. It was probably the best cup of coffee that he had during the year. It took his mind off of his graduate school search for a bit. He decided to order a BLT.

"I think I"ll take another one of these lattes too!"

"Coming right up"

He drank his second cup of coffee and ate his sandwich before leaving, assuring that he'd be back. "I think I've got a new hangout spot." It was a seven minutes after 7:30 am by the time he left, however he wasn't expected to be at work for another 2 hours.
[It's times like this that I wish my crib had a pool.Fuck man, I already took a shower. Otherwise I'd go to the beach.]
Oliver eventually got to the office when his boss asked him in for an unexpected meeting.
"Is everything okay?" He asked
"I like you. You do good work. You also make great conversation.
 "Thanks."
"I'd like to put in a good word for you. I have a few professor friends that may be able to help you"
"That's be great"
"You should come out with me and my husband to dinner"
 "Sure, how's Friday?"
"See you at 7:30"
"See you then"

He went back to sorting applications when Claudia came in. "So what was the about?"

"Random, she invited me to dinner with her and her husband"
"For what...."
"I do not know"

[And I'm hoping that this is a genuine dinner date and not another one of those couples nights where I'm the third wheel. You know, the kind where you get wasted and then you screw and get screwed? Yeah, just had one of those and I'm thankfully without an insurance bill for a while, but if I had a choice......this would be a business meeting where I'm signing paperwork as a graduate student taking a job as a research assistant. Hell if I had my choice, I'd be working as a social worker and teaching as an adjunct lecturer somewhere.]

"Did she say anything else?"

"Not really. She said she like my performance and that I make good conversation. I didn't even know she was married."

"Yeah, she's a private person, she doesn't really talk about her home life"

"Any kids?"

"No children, but her and her husband have been married for about 4 years."

"I'll be damned."

"Yeah."

"Well what about you?"

"Well, I'm got a couple of interviews coming up, K-12 school and at a high school."

"SWEET! Keep me posted."

"Well, I gotta get to calling these clients and reminding them about the Halloween party coming up. Good thing it's early in the day. I'm hosting a little something myself that night. It'll be an adult party."

Spending the rest of this day contacting clients, he came across one that he knew personally. This was the older brother of one of his high school teammates. Carrying on with his duties, he called and notified him of the event, however he did take down his cell number to send a text later. After calling 10 more, he took a coffee break.

[I'm gonna be wide awake tonight, between the coffee I drank early this morning and what I'm doing now. I just hope they didn't get this water out of the restroom.]

"Still trying to wake up?" Claudia asked, sitting down to join him. "I guess so. My sleeping pattern is all out of wack these days."

"Same here. Between certification exams and applying for teaching positions, I'll sleep for an hour, wake up for two. Struggle to go back to sleep and just when I'm in a deep sleep, my alarm goes off."

[The life of our side jobs. I've had a few sleepless nights my damn self. From wild ass parties, to one night stands. To the guilt of basically allowing myself to be tossed around like a fucking beach ball all so I could pay rent for the roach-laden apartment complex that I was residing in.]

"Maybe you'll feel a bit better after your interviews. I'm still waiting to hear from ONE of the grad schools that I've applied to."

"No word yet?"

"Not yet, no letters of rejection so that's good."

"Hey how about we go to that new Caribbean place for lunch?"

"Yeah, I've heard good stuff about it."

"You game?"

"Sure. I'm gonna try to knock out a little more of my work, gotta get the rest of these phone calls to get done."

"You know we are gonna send out letters for those who have addresses on file right? You only need to call those who don't have an address listed"

"You just made my job much easier. We can leave around 11:30, take an early lunch."

"Ummm yeah, I'm going to start getting those letters ready tomorrow. So you'll only be asking for addresses."

[Ummmm yeah.........I'm not going back to call all of those individuals, I'll send a mass email and they can respond to me individually.]

Oliver looked through the list of clients and verified addresses now that he had an idea of what he was doing. His job would ultimately help Claudia do her job tomorrow. "Do they not update with you guys every year?"

"They're supposed to, but they don't always do so and often we get mail returned with the forwarding address."

"Oh I know that story, I worked for the FEMA, same shit."

"Don't think I could put up with that one."

"It was much more organized than the last disaster job I did. Rules and regulations changed on the daily it seemed like. I remember working with someone who had come from a State job and he found it mind boggling how often this changed. The program was very poorly organized. He didn't last long. We were all shocked when he got fired. I got laid off not far behind it as the application portion of the program was coming to an end, but in the time I was there, I saw about six people resign and at least four get fired. I suspect some fraud and you should've seen the comments we were getting online from disgruntled clients."

"Would you do it again?"

"FEMA? Yes, but another state program being contracted out to other companies? Hellllllllllllll no."

He looked down at his watch momentarly and saw that it was 15 minutes till, "I'm just gonna make a quick restroom run and we can get ready."

"Sweet, I'll do the same. Mind if I carpool with you?"

"Not at all."

"Thank you ma'am."

[Case work? Fuck no. Not unless it's civil service and even then, it would have to pay a shit ton of money. It's an unfair job. A very thankless job. Client doesn't do their part? You lose. You don't do your part. You lose. Client can't be reached, you're at fault. Fuck that!]

They arrived at the restaurant. "I hear the jerk pork is KILLER!"

"I haven't been, but I'm looking forward to it. They have a food truck and the food truck has rave reviews."

Once arriving to the restaurant, the food was delivered after approximately 20 minutes. Surprisingly the food was hot and the amount they received for their dollar was well worth it. Oliver got the jerk pork while Claudia got the jerk chicken. Their entrees came with a side of rice and fried bread. They were able to enjoy this lunch as they knew their supervisor would be running a little late this afternoon.

"She's normally pretty good about lunch. She already knows we're here"Claudia said as she took a bit of rice. "This food is good, I think they do deliveries too"

"I may had to add this place to my list, then" Oliver said taking a sip of lemonade. "This pork is the shit."

"I went to a really nice coffee shop this morning, not far from my house. I've gotta bring you there one day. They owner's name is Kenny. He's got a wife. I had the best pumpkin spice beverage."

"I look forward going. Maybe this weekend? After all. I am officially certified as a teacher now."

"Yeah, we gotta celebrate. How about drinks this Friday and coffee the following morning?"

"It's a date"

[Yeah, one that doesn't end up with me in a stranger's hotel room.]

They eventually returned to the office to resume their task of promoting the Halloween party. After contacting as many as they could contact within the time frame available, they called it a day. Oliver drove home thinking about his own party that night. He turned his phone on to see a message from the school from Fort Lauderdale with good news. The school would like to meet with him on Monday morning. That gave him something to look forward to. There was no reason for him to not get in, he had great grades and was heavily involved when it came to his college career. In addition, he worked for the Federal government for a couple of years as a disaster relief worker. Even if he now regrets his time there, it is something that looks good on the resume. He had about five nights to think about his explanation for the work gap. He just hoped that no one would ask about that. Being a sex worker was a sure way to not get in.

He arrived home, put on a pair of  swimming trunks and headed to the beach for a swim. The dark blue waters of the Atlantic were rather refreshing. After his swim, he sat out and dried off while watching boats enjoy the water. On the way home, he picked up some Chinese food and called Damon.

"Hey man, I've got a day off this Friday, wanna hang?"

"Sure"

"I've got enough alcohol for my own bar and me and my coworker are celebrating her certification"

"Need me to bring anything?"

"A couple of 12 packs"

"Got it"

"I'll order some pizzas, we can just stuff our faces, and then get drunk. I keep plenty of water in the even that you need to kill some of the effects of alcohol."

He took a shower, washed his hair and called it a night. He turned in to one of his Youtube news channels and watched that until he eventually went to sleep. 

[PART 13 TO FOLLOW]

PART 10

[Thursday night was a great night. I went on a March for the woman who was just killed in Miami. The march was about an hour long. A peaceful march with candles held, followed by a speech from her cousin, who has taken her two girls in. The case is still under investigation, though at this point, we know the last person she was seen with by neighbors was her ex boyfriend. They don't have his name as of yet. Her name is Joycelin Sheree. The date with the guy who found me was superb. He was a total gentleman. Around 8:00 pm he picked me up at my house and held the door open, got to know me as a person. To describe him. He's about 6'3. Chocolate skin, medium build. The date could be described as a casual date where I didn't have to get dressed up. In fact, I was probably overdressed. I'm in a pair of khakis and a polo while this guy has a light purple polo and a pair of shorts. He has a few tattoos and one can tell that he pumps the iron. Our date was a casual date consisting of an outing for chips, salsa, and margaritas. Afterwards, we walked Ocean Dr. The date ended in a kiss before he kindly bought me back home. We talked about things such as parenthood, politics, education, careers, and vacation spots. He told me his background. He's of a Jamaican background, working class parents. I invited him in, however he declined due to the fact that he had to be up for 5:00 am for work the next morning.]

[FRIDAY EVENING 4:00 PM]

"What you got going on tonight" Claudia asked as they were leaving work.

"Working"

Oliver left the office without making any pit stops along the way home, he packed a bag of clothes, took a shower [and douched while he was at it], ensured that his house didn't have any dirty dishes or dirty clothes and headed to the hotel. The couple had already checked in when he arrived.

[I'm sure the hotel clerk has an idea as to what's going on. The next shift will start at 9:00 pm tomorrow night. The lie that the client told? It was a business meeting between the three of us and that we worked for a real estate firm.]

"This is our guest" the husband said as he put his bag on the cart. "Room 902" The clerk said, you'll have a pool view"

The husband suggest going for a swim.
"Sure" Oliver said, It's kinda hot out. The hotel clerk sent them along their way and informed them that supper would be served in the lobby later on and that it was complementary. Oliver wasn't exactly attracted to this guy. His wife was far more appealing than he was and it was pretty clear to Oliver that the wife was only with him for his money,

[She's with him for his money he's with her because she's an easy piece of ass. A match made in heaven right? It's an open relationship and neither of them have any strings attached.]

Oliver sported a pair of jammers while the lawyer's wife wore a blue bikini which complemented her body greatly. Her husband, had a medium build. He didn't exactly have a six-pack but he didn't have what one would consider to be a beer belly either and he sported a pair and dark maroon swim shorts.

"Water feels nice, honey" he said to his wife. "Look at our guy. He’s already under!"
The trio stayed in the pool for an blue and a half before soaking in the jacuzzi. "Holy shit this is hot!"
"Oh damn!" Oliver exclaimed barely getting in.

While they soaked away in the tub Claudia was getting ready for her evening phone job. The guys were typically old men.  The conversation was typically a conversation asking what she was wearing, if she was masturbating at the time, or if she had large breasts. She fixed a cup of white whine and got herself in position to begin receiving her phone calls. She worked a four hour shift roughly with about 20 minutes per customers. It paid rather low compared to other forms of sex work, however she was far safer doing this than she would be as a call girl. It was enough money for groceries and it assisted with her paying her utilities. She finished her shift and decided to look online to see if there was any update on her results. She passed her exam, barely, however she passed.

"Wait a minute!" She decided to do a double check. The screen reflected a passing score on her exam. She could breathe a bit easier. She left the screen on all night before she went to bed. "Finally."

She woke up the following morning, refreshed her screen. She called to ensure that the score was accurate. It was confirmed to her that she passed. She decided to text Oliver, who was still sleeping after a long night with the couple. After soaking in the pool, the trio had dinner at the hotel, smoked some weed and then it was a night of sweaty sex. Oliver ended up sleeping with both the man and his wife and the entire time he was in this threesome, he was thinking to himself "Lord, please let me make it out here alive".

The hotel room was dark  with the curtains closed, the smell of weed was still strong with the smell of sweat. Oliver trying desperately not to wet the bed clenched his bladder while being sandwiched between the couple.

[The sex was good, I must admit. However, I must say that I don't think we'll be dating in the future. However, it'll be nice to not have this burden for the rest of the year. I have the feeling that this guy does this quite often. He and his wife are swingers. His wife was just soooo excited to bang a black guy. I was glad to have a female client that took a risk with me because with most women clients, I'm pretty much off limits.]

Eventually managed to crawl out of bed and get to the bathroom while checking his phone. He saw the good news that Claudia sent and suggested that they get a drink perhaps Monday after work. Now well awake, be decided to sit on the balcony and wait for everyone else to wake up.

[Is it wrong that I didn't obtain this guys name until I got to the hotel and heard the hotel manager mention it? His name is David and his wife is Bonnie]

Eventually Dave got out of bed and headed to the porch wearing nothing more than a bathrobe.

DAVE-"Bonnie and I had a good time. We'd like to take you to lunch if that's okay."
OLIVER-"Ummm sure......"
DAVE-"Anywhere you'd like to go?"
OLIVER-"Surprise me. Anywhere I can get steak and shrimp"
DAVE-"You've got yourself a deal, we can go around noon, then come soak in the hot tub"
OLIVER-"Cool, the checkout time is 3:00 pm"
DAVE-"Yep, I've got meetings galore come Monday"
OLIVER-"So what kind of attorney are you?"
DAVE-"Criminal defense, so my cases involve murder, rape, you know vicious crimes"
[Oh HELL no!]
OLIVER-And your wife?
DAVE-She's a school teacher. 1st grade.
[In my mind I'm cutting up. I'm sure if the principal knew what she was up to in her spare time that she'd be out of a job. She's definitely not a first grader when it comes to BJs.]
OLIVER-Me, I'm trying to get my masters in social work. I'm applying for scholarships right now and hoping that one accepts me. I've applied at Florida Atlantic University, Florida Gulf Coast University, and University of South Flroida.
DAVE-Which would you like to go to?
OLIVER-I'd like to keep my commute to under an hour. Florida Atlantic is in Fort Lauderdale so that wouldn't be bad.
DAVE-I bet I could give you a good reference. I have a buddy who graduated from there. I could probably get a Grad Assistant job too.
OLIVER-Could you really? What's the catch?
DAVE-No catch, I have a friend who works in the research department and I have a feeling that he could help you out if I gave a good reference.
OLIVER-I would really appreciate that
DAVE-Here's my card. Call me when you decide to start.
OLIVER-Thanks

He appreciated the suggestion, to him, escorting had its perks but the risks outweighed it. He hadn't heard much from scholarship applications. This would give him an opportunity to earn about $1300/month. About 30 hours/week. "Can I hug you real quick?".   "Sure" After a hug, Oliver went in to take a shower. While washing his hair, he had a brief cry of relief that he was closer to getting into a decent graduate school and that it wasn't too far of a drive from his home. After rinsing his hair and body he slipped on a pair of blue jeans and a USA tank top.

"How about we got eat breakfast somewhere, the breakfast here is continental and I want something hot, I know of a great spot not far from here"

"Okay, sounds great" Oliver said as he was brushing his hair.

Dave was still in his bathrobe while Holly had slipped on a sundress.

[She tried to talk me into letting her dispose of my cum filled condom, but I wasn't going for that. These broads will make that claim, next thing you know you've got a baby on the way because they injected YOUR seed. And I'm too poor to have a child. This is a job.]

HOLLY-You have a nice bod
OLIVER-I work out and I eat a very healthy diet the majority of the time.
HOLLY-I can tell
OLIVER-I strive to go to the gym at least six days a week.
HOLLY-It's done that body good
OLIVER-Thank you

[No morning sex, I'm exhausted.]
"Well you two, I’m about to wash up. I’ll be out in 10 minutes. No monkey business."
[Trust me dude, you don’t have to worry.]
At breakfast Dave suggested the steak and eggs.
"Sure, can I get egg whites?"
"Whatever you want bud."
"Yeah, he’s gotta keep that body up."
They started they day off with Swiss mochas before their meals came. Oliver’s steak was a t bone steak with two egg whites which he topped with a little salt and pepper. "I’ll probably fast for the rest of the day after this one.", Oliver said looking fat the size of the meat on his plate. He took his knife and and cut a piece of the meat. "This is delicious!"
"Told ya!" Dave responded as he spread butter on his waffles. "What’d you think about the coffee?"
"The mocha was quite good." [definitely gonna go to the gym later.]
Oliver appreciated a good breakfast and one less bill for the next six months. His rent was low. No car payments for a while so it would give him a chance to save some money.
"So buddy, you got a degree in 2014?"
"Yep, then I did disaster recovery work for a few years before I got laid off."
[Then I masturbated in a video or two and the rest is history.]
"FEMA?"
"I did a bit of work for FEMA and that project ended. Then I did work with a state program however the state was using outside sources to run the program."
"So basically doing government work but no government benefits."
"Yep"
It was as if Dave had a similar experience. Being a generalist with an interest in others he listened to the story of those in similar boasts who got caught up doing this kind of work after hurricane Katrina. "Are you familiar with the Road Home Program?"
"I know of it some, yes. There were a few of my FEMA coworkers who worked for that program."
[And maybe had I been a big enough kiss up, played the game correctly, I would have made the cut.]
The date eventually came to an end and the couple and Oliver parted ways. He gave Oliver the check. "It was nice doing business with you.", Oliver said as he shook Dave’s hand. "You too sir." He hugged holly and checked out of the hotel. He put the check in his glove compartment and immediately went down to the financial institution and gave the clerk the check. She examined the check, got her manager. A task that should have taken five minutes took 25 minutes before the manager confirmed that he would be good for the next six months. "You won’t have another car not payment until early 2019"

"Thank you."
[I’m sure as I walk my ass out of this bank, they are whispering behind my back. I’m sure it’s something along the lines of "where did this n!gg@ get this money from?" Did I rob Peter to pay Paul? More like Paul fucked Peter and then Peter got what he came for. I did some things to get this money that I wish I could undo. Tasted things that I wish I could UNtaste . But this is my life right now. He came through on this, more than what any prayer would have done me in the last few years. Just hope he doesn’t back paddle on helping with my grad school situation.]

He went home with a since of relief. He examined the home and it was in good shape, no busted windows. At least he knew no one tried to rob him. He checked his mail other than some junk mail, no bills. Oliver unpacked his items and crashed on the couch. He remembered the plans with Damon and tried to prep some snacks for them to munch on for later. A quick dip, some weed laced brownies, a bit of beer.

He had some beer in the house, he remembered purchasing it a while back from Raja. He had no dates scheduled for a while at this point. Though he did have an appointment to try and obtain a stripper license. There was a hotel night he had planned two weeks from now. A guy in his 40s from Trinidad. He was also in the process of scheduling a date for a gala with a young lady.


After putting the dip in a crock pot and allowing it to cook, he sat on his porch and waited for Damon to arrive. He talked with Claudia for a while, he read the paper, and drank a wine cooler. Oliver took a moment to look around him. "Serenity." He said. Not far from the beach, the community he lived in was rather quiet. No little bad ass kids with paintball guns. No ratchet ass adults fighting each other. No car note for a while.  He was managing his credit bills and the bill for his loan.

[Damn I wish I had a pool out here.]

Damon arrived a little after five while Oliver was out on the porch. "Have a seat my man."

DAMON-"So are you okay?"
OLIVER-"Yea"
DAMON-"Was it worth it?"
OLIVER-"I'd say yes because it saves me hundreds of dollars. That said, I hate that I had to resort to what I did. Him and his wife were nice people."
DAMON-"Condoms?"
OLIVER-"Damn right, I ain't trying to have no children right now."

After giving him some time to get his bag down, Oliver took out a couple of beers and told Damon to help himself to some of the snacks.

"Gladly" Damon said reaching for the dip. He took out a glass and two of the lime wedges that Oliver had cut and made his way to a seat at the kitchen. "Did you hear?"

OLIVER-"Hear what?"
DAMON-"Raja's fiance (if you can call him that, it was more of an arrangement) came out of the closet."

OLIVER-"Say what? Where'd you hear that shit at?"
DAMON-"Raja. He came out on twitter, his sister showed the tweet to his parents. She said it was a mess."
OLIVER-"How's she?"
DAMON-"She's relieved."
OLIVER-"How's he?"
DAMON-"Not too good. His folks have all but disowned him."
OLIVER-"Damn. I'd like to talk with him. Too bad you don't have his number. I'd like to have a meeting with him."
[I remember coming out to my mom. She didn't take it too well. I'm just glad that my dad wasn't here to see it. I miss him, don't get me wrong but I probably wouldn't live to tell this story had he found out.]
DAMON-"What you trying to hook up with him?"
OLIVER-"No. No disrespect, but I don't think that would work. Generally South Asians don't date out. But us queer guys of color need to have some kind of brotherhood."

Oliver got up to get a snack and turned on Netflix to find some comedy specials to watch. While he was looking for a show to watch Damon asked him to get Raja on the phone.

"Sure, just a minute." The phone rang about five times before Raja answered. She seemed to be in good spirits. While, there were no prospects of any beau at the moment, she was looking forward to finding someone. She was just going to concentrate on work for the time being.

OLIVER-"So your dad hasn't tried to hook you up with someone else?"
RAJA-"Not yet."
OLIVER-"Well take your time."
RAJA-"I don't really fault him. I knew he preferred men anyway. I've known him since we were teenagers."
OLIVER-"Basically this would have been a business marriage"
RAJA-"Pretty much"
DAMON-"Well, we are here to talk if either of you need someone to talk to."
RAJA-"Who is that?"
OLIVER-"That's Damon. He's crashing on my couch right now."
DAMON-"Goodnight ma'am"
RAJA-"'night"

Oliver managed to locate a Dave Chapelle special. After watching the special, Oliver expressed that he might be starting graduate school at Florida Atlantic. "Great man. How often would you have to go there."

"Well I wouldn't be taking more than 3 classes per semester so probably 3 days a week. I need to see if I can get any scholarship money."

[Or hope that my client follows through and foots my bill and ensures my job as a research assistant.]

He didn't give too much detail, however he did say he'd be seeking two masters degrees and that a significant portion of them could be completed remotely. Damon asked if if he'd continue to work for the non-profit. Oliver said that he probably would. "I’d like to do about 15 hours per week if I get the research assistant job."
"The one your sugar daddy promised you?"
"My client. This is work. I work hard for my money!"
"Uh huh"
Oliver got up to pop a bag of popcorn while Damon munched on chips and dip. He knew Damon was right on some level but he tended to avoid going into too much detail of his part time job. It wasn’t like he was proud of the job. Especially not this aspect of it. He wasn’t a street worker so, no corner work.
He glanced at an alert from a university before going to sit down.
"Is it weird that two grown men are having a sleepover with booze and snacks?" Damon asked
"Probably but idgaf. Girls can go to the bathroom together, pass each other tissue. Drink each other’s soda and no one questions them but God forbid guys go beyond the football field."

He got a couple of limes and two bottles of beer. "Cheers."

After downing a few beers and filling up on junk food, Damon bought up having a conversation with Juanito. The conversation was similar to what the majority of their social circle felt. "We were robbed. They fucked us up."

"Who?"

"Baby boomers. I mean, shit's so high now. They weren't on the up and up. They got greedy and now we can barely make ends meet. Juanito and his wife live with his parents. He's married, has his wife sleeping in his childhood bedroom."

[Their sex life must suck]

"And to think Juanito has two degrees. We work out asses off and can barely pay rent out here. I hate it when older folks say shit like that.....about us being lazy."

"So man, when you start graduate school...." Oliver interrupted him to say that he hadn't heard anything as of yet.

Oliver checked his text messages, and he received a message from the university in Fort Lauderdale stating they wanted to interview him via zoom to get a better idea as to what he was about.

"I'll call 'em in the morning and set up a date. I still gotta get with Claudia. We're supposed to be having drinks to celebrate her certification."

It was some more good news. "Plus, man, if you can't get into this one. You've got two others that you are looking at."

That gave Oliver some relief. A bill reduced, good news regarding the future of his education and the good news of a friend. "What about you D?"

DAMON-"What about me?"

OLIVER-"School prospects? Work prospects?"

DAMON-"Got a bachelorette party to dance for in a couple of weeks"

OLIVER-"How the hell did that happen?"

DAMON-"Carlos got me a gig. He has a friend who's sister is getting married and he asked me if I was interested"

OLIVER-"When was the last time you popped out of a cake?"

DAMON-"I still got the moves my brotha.  You might wanna take a number."

OLIVER-"No shit."

They spent the rest of the night talking about their future plans. It was about 2:00 am before they went to bed. The night was a night of booze, Netflix, and shit talking. Damon took the couch while Oliver pulled out an air mattress. The next morning around 10:00 am while fixing a cup of coffee, Oliver noticed a phone call from his mother. Three missed calls. He called to ensure all was well, she told him to put the news on. It was another young black woman who had come up dead after going missing about 3 weeks ago. This was in Orlando. Multiple stab wounds and her clothes had been ripped apart. It was clear that the woman had been sexually assaulted. DNA testing was being conducted. Investigation ongoing.

[I need to get the hell out of this state]



SYNOPSIS

CHARACTERS


PART 11 TO FOLLOW

PART 8

[Damon was somewhat of a mystery guest. Being a Floridian, he didn't know any of the guests. He had only met the deceased man's parents once before. While there was no relation, he couldn't contain his tears as the casket was closed and the memorial service began. During the wake, he viewed the body, observing the spot where the bullet pierced his friend's brain, wondering what the motive was for his to take his own life. He noticed his mother wailing at the gruesome sight of what had happened. She had just talked to her son the other night. Damon hadn't had much contact with him upon retiring from the service. They retired around the same time, both under similar circumstances. Damon, being able to cope with his anxiety better. It was revealed that he hadn't been able to find work after retiring and didn't want to live how he was. Collin had other health issues that forced him to retire earlier than what he would have liked to. After he graduated high school, he wanted to see the world. Then he was injured while on duty, leaving him with an amputated limb (lower left leg) and much anxiety. He lost interest in life after this and continued on a downward spiral.

Damon briefly stayed after the service, and got to speak with his parents. "Your son was a great guy. I served with him when we were stationed in Virginia. He was such a goofball. I remember retiring around the same time that he did. I can't imagine what must be going through your mind". What did he do to deserve his fate? Why? Why Lord?  "My condolences. I'd like to keep contact with you." he said before exchanging mailing information.

He didn't say that they'd be in his prayers as he was not much of a praying man himself. It hadn't done him or any of his friends much good over the past few years. After all, his best friend graduated with honors in high school and finished college a year early and was working as a prostitute.

After he made a quick run to the restroom before meeting the family at the cemetery to witness the burial, which he observed from a distance, he walked over to his truck and heading back to Florida.]



FRIDAY MORNING ONE WEEK LATER

"Last piece of furniture" Oliver said with a relief

"This heat" Oliver exclaimed as he was carrying dishes from the truck to the kitchen of his home. After about a week, he'd been in his new home, with a yard, and no shared walls. The area was quiet as well with little to no news of criminal activity occuring. He'd have somewhere that he could bring his client's as well as a place that he'd be able to have guests.

As the crew set up his furniture and his televisoin, he was in the process of signing the contract with his aunt. I was agreed that he'd pay $425/month in rent due on the third of each month. This was little more than half of what he was paying at his apartment, which was not nearly as nice.

"Wow, much less than that piece of shit that I was staying in. I feel like I just got a raise"

"The cable and television will still be on your end, however all utilities included in rent. You'll have to keep up the lawn"

[Ummmm yeah.......I'll probably hire a guy to cut my grass for me at a low rate]

"That's cool" Oliver responded as he grabbed the blue ink pen to finalize the deal. Reading over the lease, one stipulation was that he couldn't have any wild parties.

"You won't have to worry about that one, but I did have a house warming planned tomorrow"

"That's fine, just there are several senior citizens, and they will report you if you get too crazy." his aunt responded.

He spent the first half of his day moving it. It was hard work that made him quite hungry. After thanking the delivery man and signing the lease, he went to the grocery store and purchased items for a BLT. For him it was a splurge as he normally ate a health diet. He returned home to fix lunch with his mom and aunt sitting on the porch and Damon driving up. He had not seen him since last Saturday, deciding to give him some time to grieve.

DAMON-Hey brotha what's good
OLIVER-Exhausted
DAMON-Housewarming still on?
OLIVER-Tomorrow, just gonna fix me some lunch right now.
DAMON-I'll help w/ the invites
OLIVER-Got it covered, I invited some coworkers, you, Evandro, Carlos. I invited Juanito too. I didn't even think you'd be up for it still.
DAMON-Juan? Where the hell has he been?
OLIVER-The state capital-He went to FAMU. He's been back about a year roughly, got a job at an advertising firm. He did a double major in Business and Health Sciences.
DAMON-Shit!
OLIVER-Yep, saw him a few weeks back.
[while out with a client, talk about three's not company. I had to lie and tell him that my client was a college buddy and that we were  having a study session.]
OLIVER-Gonna fix a BLT, want one?
DAMON-Yeah, you got the olive oil mayo?
OLIVER-Of course
DAMON-I'll definitely want some of those jalapeno chips
OLIVER-Got cha

Once the bacon was done and the bread was toasted, he called everyone up. "Self service".
They ate lunch, then Damon said, "ummm can I talk to you outside"

"Sure...…." he said before turning to his mother and aunt, "Can you excuse us for just a minute?"

DAMON-I'm 25, a disabled veteran, and retired. Who's gonna hire me? YOU, finished college a year early, you got your degree.
OLIVER-Yeah and what has it got me?
DAMON-I think you like your other job
OLIVER-What the hell do you mean?
DAMON-I think you enjoy being a call boy
OLIVER-It's got it's perks, but it's not glamourous
[yeah, I really enjoy risking arrest, disease, being murdered, raped, etc]
DAMON-We all saw the "modeling" videos
OLIVER-That I regret.
DAMON-You were played
OLIVER-Oh definite.
[played, not to mention that this shit is still in cyber space free of charge on pornhub. This is the same shit that got Simon Rex fired from his job as a video jockey on MTV. Of course, he bounced right back.]
DAMON-You got paid to do what most guys do for free
[only difference is I'm not white. Just glad that I didn't use my government name and I didn't return after that second video. Did I mention how poorly they treated me on the set?]
OLIVER-Where the hell is all this coming from?
DAMON-You should be in Grad School now. You're exhausted. You finished in three years, your scholarship would probably pay for your first year!

The conversation was interrupted by a phone call from Juanito who was downtown with Carlos.

"What's up?"

 "Same ol. Same ol"

"Finally in the new house. Why don't you come by?"

"Definite, I'm out here with Carlos having a drink. I'll swing by around 2:00"

"Nice. See you later"

After hanging up with Oliver, he ordered his drink. "Let me get a house margarita." He said as he begin to talk about the job. He works for an advertising firm, doing mainly administrative jobs, creating surveys, sampling populations, etc. "I make $11.50/hour, married, living with my parents as hard as I work". Carlos chuckled and said "I'd ask you to work w/ me but you have a wife"

JUANITO-Entonces, ¿cómo se siente tener su diploma de escuela secundaria?
CARLOS-Se siente genial. Tratando de juntar mi vida.

Juanito could relate as he was in the process of trying to become a certified personal trainer. "Once I get that certification, I’m gone!"
CARLOS-So you going to Oliver’s housewarming?
JUANITO-Yeah, it’s tomorrow. I need to get the address from him later.
CARLOS-Send it to me once you get it.
Their drinks arrived as they ordered their meals.
"You can drink on your lunch break?" Carlos asked.
"I’m doing field work, what my boss don’t know won’t hurt. I hope Oliver has some good drinks at his warming."
Carlos sat staring at his phone for a moment while drinking his mojito looking at community colleges. As a gogo dancer, he worked nights. He also danced under the table. His plan would be school by day, work by night. He asked Juanito if he planned on a masters degree to which Juan responded "I need a break!"
"I don’t blame you...Mr. Two degrees"
Taking another sip of his beverage, Juanito looked down at his phone and saw that Oliver had text the address of his new place. He took a screenshot of the message and sent it to Carlos who decided to look it up on Bing.

"Typing in the directions from here to there now" he said while getting his route. Their meals eventually arrived, as they chatted up.

CARLOS-So, man you and your wife have been married for how long now?
JUANITO-Three years man.
CARLOS-Any kids on the way yet?
JUANITO-Hell no! We live with my parents, I can't afford a child. And no bro, I'm not selling crack for it.
CARLOS-In some cultures, it's common for a married couple to live w/ the parents for the first year.
JUANITO-Emphasis on first.
CARLOS-What about her folks?
JUANTO-They're from the Dominican Republic. Her mom is a librarian and her dad is a professor of Chemistry. She's working on her Nursing Degree, she's got a semester left. They are Afro-Dominicanos.
CARLOS-You got married pretty early on.
JUANITO-Yup, at 23.
CARLOS-Your wedding was nice though. Had it that summer, it was hella hot out, but you had it at one of the nicest resorts in Greater Miami. Your bartender, man........I got FUUUUCKED UP!
JUANITO-Of course you would.

"Man, you gotta try this jerk chicken. It's quite delicious" Juanito said to Carlos as he took a bite.

"I'll have to remember next time I come. I got the pork, it's good too"

After paying their bills, Juanito drove as Carlos gave directions. "This boy is out in the damn boondocks" Juanito said as he drove. Carlos responded "You ain't kidding" as he looked at the window and notice the road narrowing. They drove quite a while before coming to the house where Oliver and Damon were sitting on the porch. After hugs were exchanged, Oliver invited them in.

"This is my mom and my aunt"

"Carlos"
CARLOS-Hi
"Juanito"
JUANITO-Hello

"Can I offer you two anything to drink? Soda, bottle of water. Small cup of wine"

"I'll take a water" Juanito said as he sat down. "Make that two" Carlos, chimed in.

"Man, I gotta thank my aunt. I'm renting from her. I can't thank her enough for giving me the opportunity to move out of that piece of shit that I was in. I just got a raise. My rent's nearly half of what it was at the apartment."

His mom and aunt stayed for about an hour longer before leaving, with Carlos and Juanito leaving shortly afterwards. "Good to see you again Damon" Carlos said.

"Same here" Damon replied "Add me online, I"ll shoot you a link to my page"

Oliver and Damon sat on the sofa with Oliver taking a deep breath. "Right now I feel as if I just won the lottery."

He grabbed a bottle of water, walked outside, took a look at his surroundings and smelled the fresh air.

"Taste the air D. The scent of the grass freshly cut along with a quick drive to the beach. The soothing feeling of the breeze."  Damon following close behind, resumed their conversation from earlier.

"Promise me you're going to start school? Soon"

"I've been looking around for scholarships for the last couple of months."

"Good. Now can I say something else?"

"Yeah."

"Don't bring your clients to this house. You're a quiet space. You don't need all these men and women going in and out of your house."

Oliver knew his friend was right. This was how people get killed. After all, he recently read the paper discovering that a female sex worker had been found dead after vanishing a month ago. His job was already a dangerous profession as it was.

"Not planning on having all that shit out here. Turning my house into a sex dungeon is pretty much out. Don't wanna get put out."

"Good. I'm going to head out now."

"Catch you later. Man, tonight, why don't you just pack a bag and then stay the tomorrow night here?"

"All I needed was an invite. Will do."

He watched Damon leave and then he went inside and took off his collar shirt and put on a tank top. Afterwards, he plugged in his Roku Player and decided to catch up on a series. For the next three hours, he managed to get in three episodes prior to going take a shower. He checked out his profile and noticed he had five requests. Three women two men. One was a married couple (husband and wife) into swinging. This was his first request of this kind so he responded kindly and asked what Hotel they'd like to meet at and advised them to bring condoms and took a shower. He decided that he'd take a drive into town with the knowledge that he could breathe. His first stop was at an ice cream parlor before going to the grocery store to get some food items for his party. He picked up a block of cheese, some ground beef, a couple of bags of chips, A can of Rotel, a vegetable tray, a fruit fray, some Greek yogurt, and some marshmallow cream. Once he returned, he noticed a response to his email from the couple that they would like to meet at a luxury hotel in downtown Miami. The email read: "Condoms will be available in abundance. I've also got strawberry scented massage oil."

Oliver responded to the email that the meeting could happen around 3:00 PM next Friday.

"I noticed your rates, how about this? You spend the night with us that night and I'll pay your car note for the next six months?"

That was a deal that Oliver couldn't turn down. That would save him an additional $200+ per month for the next six months.

"What do I have to do?" he responded.

"stay the night with us, and of course participate in a threesome with us"

"you and your wife?"

"yeah, we're swingers and I've been wanting to pound a black hole for a while now."

[Oh shit, one of these. Nothing new. And your wife’s fine with me fucking her right?]
"My wife’s been wanting to sleep with a black guy."
He responded that condoms would need to available and he went to bed. He had a busy day the day ahead.


The following day, he mopped the den before cleaning the bathrooms with cleaning supplies that his mom and aunt purchased for the house. He did this while the dip he was making was heating in the crock pot. "Ground meet cooked. Check. Need to make the fruit dip". He wanted cook some wings as well. He went to the gym for about an hour and a half before returning home.
He only had a few things left to do, once he took a shower, he finished the foods, picked up a sandwich tray.
He just sat down to watch TV when Juanito called him.


OLIVER-yep
JUANITO-hey, what's up?
OLIVER-been cleaning all damn day. You?
JUANITO-out here at work. I'm conducting a survey right now.
OLIVER-on what?
JUANITO-Grocery shopping habits
OLIVER-What?
JUANITO-Yeah, he's trying to get an idea on the shopping habbits of residents in low income communities in greater Miami.
OLIVER-[scoffs], figures

[Maybe conducting these surveys are better than answering them for a low rate. You provide one fucking answer that isn't to their satisfaction then you are kicked out and entered into some bullshit "sweepstakes" that nobody wins.]

JUANITO-I hadn't seen Damon in forever and a day. How's he?
OLIVER-Alright. Retired from the military. Looking at the possibility of going to school.
JUANITO-Tell him to go to a trade school or get a certification. He doesn't need to do the four year degree shit that we did.
OLIVER-Who you tellin?
JUANITO-Well playboy, gotta get back to work. I'll see you in a couple of hours.
OLIVER-Bye bye.

A couple of hours before his scheduled event, Oliver fixed himself a smoothie and laid down for a nap. At 5:30 pm, Damon was at the door. Shortly, Juanito pulled up with his wife.

"Hey, how's it going? Y'all a little early" he said as he invited them in.
JUANITO-This is my wife, Margo
MARGO-Hello
JUANITO-You are not gonna get better than this guy
MARGO-He talks about you like all the time. He says, you are the nicest person that one can ever encounter
OLIVER-Nice to meet you

"Let me go put on something more presentable. Just took a quick nap."

"I cannot take naps" Juanito said "I had to fake nap time in kindergarten so I wouldn't miss out on snack time".

As the time passed by, guests begin arriving. Claudia arrived along with Ayana. He hugged them both and introduced them to his friends. "This is my boy Juan and his wife Margo and my best friend since the sandbox Damon"

"This is my coworker Claudia and her friend Aya. I'm glad you two could make it. Did y'all have a hard time finding the place?"

 "Not really" Aya said. "It feels remote, but you aren't far from the one of the main beaches"

He invited a few of his peers that he graduated high school with as well as some college friends. Eventually Carlos and Raja managed to find the place. It didn't take them long to dive into the hors d'oeuvres. As a host, he wanted to make a good impression and strived to ensure that no guest felt they were ignored or overlooked. Evandro made his way to the house about an hour or so after everyone else had arrived. He greeted Oliver who was talking to Raja and Zinam at the time.

"Hey. Nice place. Fresh start"

"No kidding. Man, I wasn't sure you were gonna make it"

"I'm here. I ran into a bit of trouble today. I'll talk about it later"

After introducing Evandro to his friends, he got up to fix himself a cup of wine and fix a plate of dip. He briefly excused himself from the kitchen counter to take a phone call from Cody who he had seen earlier.

"Why don't you come out here? You can pass by for a bit. I'm just having a little get together with a few of my friends."

[Talk about the mystery guest. I'm inviting my client to my house. This is what I said I wouldn't do.]

He sat outside for about 15 minutes and waited for Cody who arrived about a half hour after hanging up with him. He hugged him upon arrival and escorted him in. "Self service. Feel free to help yourself to some of the bites up there"

He made his way to the kitchen where to join the rest of the company. Introducing himself to the guests. Protecting Oliver's privacy, he introduced himself as a college friend. The more he told about himself, guests like Damon wondered how the hell they met. "Randomly, eating lunch in the cafeteria, then we ended up taking the same elective together. A Spanish class to be exact." Pretty smooth considering that he was 12 years Oliver's senior. He managed to find a seat on the porch to finish off his food with Oliver observing from a distance. Raja, Ziggy, and Aya observing from another room.

"Who is THAT?" Claudia asked.
"Go and ask him" Ziggy said

They managed to track Oliver down to ask who the mystery guest was. "Cody."
"Can you excuse us" Claudia said as she followed Oliver outside.

CLAUDIA-THAT'S Cody? The client you last went on a date with?
OLIVER-Yep, but can we not spill the beans here?
CLAUDIA-Why are all the good ones either taken or gay? What the hell is your client doing out here?
OLIVER-I invited him. I'm paying the bills here.
CLAUDIA-Yeah, but you are digging yourself into an early grave. You can't give random encounters your address like this. We work a dangerous line of work as it is. Sex workers vanishing left and right, two that we know of have come up dead.
OLIVER-I wanted to see him again.
CLAUDIA-You are on thin ice. I'm gonna go back inside. You behave yourself, you're getting way ahead of yourself.

During the last hour of the warming, Oliver stood there for a moment. He had said he would not be using his home as a brothel. That said, Cody wasn't acting as a client this time. He was there as a guest. It wasn't the first time that he had contacted Cody after that date. It was a great date. After taking some time to collect his thoughts, he returned to the party where he fixed himself a fifth drink and a plate of wings and chips. He almost threw that plate up when he saw Cody introduce himself to his mother and aunt. Oliver wasn't a praying person, but he prayed in that moment that they did not suspect anything more than that. Asking about his line of work, he admitted to being an accoutant.

"I wish my son had gone into something like that instead of what he did" his mom said with a smirk on her face.

[really mom? I'm sorry I disappointed you]

"I need for him to get his MSW so that he can make some real money"

[And there's nothing that I'd like more]

As guests left and the atmosphere simmered down, it was down to Damon, his mom and his aunt. "Damon's staying over". That staement immediately got a look from his aunt.


[No, we're not fucking. Why is it that females can have friendships like this and no one bat an eye, but heaven forbid males have any friendship that goes beyond a sporting event. They must be dating.]

They helped him clean up before calling it a night. "Be safe"

"Good night. I'll come by mid morning"

 SYNOPSIS

CHARACTERS

PART 11

[I feel like an 7-11, open 24/7. It feels like I'm nothing more than an animal for show and tell only I'm the piece of ass that guys use to say they did it with a black guy. That's all I'll ever be with 90% of these clients who ask me on a date.]

That's how Oliver felt as he went to sleep. He woke up the next morning and made himself a hot bath with a some blueberry incense before going on with his day. Taking the time to soak in the tub, he thought about his dates and the last time he had a true date that wasn't work related. Cody was fantastic! Single, established, no children out of wedlock and a complete gentleman, but it was still work. Reminiscing on his high school work, being involved on the debate team, the swim team, as well as other community projects...he had to question how the hell he wound up here. After busting his ass to get the best out of life, all he had was permanent reminders of his sexcapades in cyberspace and being slightly above the poverty line.  How tempting! After about an hour and his skin starting to wrinkle, Oliver figured it was probably time to get out of the tub and slip on a white tee and a pair of blue jeans.

"Good Morning"

"'Morning" Damon responded. "Breakfast? I'll buy."

"Sure, give me a minute to brush my hair. I also told Claudia I'd take her to lunch. You wanna come?"

"No thanks, y'all do your thing. I gotta go check on my house."

"How about we go check on your home after breakfast? I drive?"

"Okay...."

At breakfast, Oliver ordered bacon and eggs while Damon got hotcakes. Damon ordered a swiss mocha to drink with a cup of water while Oliver ordered an apple juice. While sipping on his coffee, Damon asked him how much his gym was because he wanted to join. "Dude you can just use my info. I can have you in as a guest. Save you the $25." He stated that he needed to start working out so he could get in better shape. "I'm about to start dancing again."  Damon could be described as fed up. He wasn't able to work a regular job and he knew he'd be dancing "under the table" rather than working for a club. He wanted to be independent and have control of his own earnings vs a strip club where he'd be giving away 30% of his earnings. Oliver sat there and listened to him and gave it much thought on his own.

"Once you start getting enough gigs, maybe you can bring me on with you. I'm trying to branch away from escorting."  Oliver was tired of the agency that he was working. In his own words "the owner doesn't give a shit, fuck, damn, or rats ass about his black employees." In the meantime, he thought about going the independent route. He didn't want to go through craigslist, as too many were coming up killed over this. He thought about asking his clients for additional leads. Logging into the agency website via his cell phone, he put one of his personal email addresses on his page as well as other contact information. He figured that Claudia would have some clout on how to advertise independently so that he could be in control of his own money. In his mind, this income should be tax free, especially when he was putting HIS body, HIS health, and HIS safety at risk.

After eating breakfast and checking on Damon's house, which was in fine condition. After Damon grabbed a couple of items from his home, the pair headed back to Oliver's place to let their food go down. They wound up going to lunch around 1:00 pm, meeting at a bar not far from Claudia's home. Claudia was already outside waiting, having arrived about 10 minutes before Oliver arrived.

Dressed comfortably, she sported a yellow and white sundress and a matching hat.

"It's too long girl, so damn long girl" (think "I've been doing you wrong girl for so damn long girl) Oliver sang as he asked her what was up. "Just applying for jobs. No interviews yet."

"Don't worry, you'll get in"

"What about you?"

For the first time, in a couple of years, Oliver felt somewhat serene. "I'm surviving. I've got a good chance at getting into Grad School in Fort. Lauderdale. I may even be able to get a paid internship while I'm studying."

CLAUDIA-"Fantastic! Where at?"

OLIVER-"The government building downtown. Interning at the Family and Juvenile court"

It was not guaranteed, however the possibility of an internship or an RA or GA job on the campus was more promise than the news he had been hearing for the past year. "Do you know what you wanna drink?"

"I'm going to try this blueberry mojito."

"I think I'll have one too" Oliver said. "What about you D?"

"Just gonna get me a beer. I'm going simple."

[As much as I drink, I really don't need to provide an explanation as to why I spend so much time in the gym. I'd be so bloated.]

Damon, attempting to make conversation, asked what the starting salary was for teachers was. Claudia stated for her field, it would be a little over $40,000 for a beginner. Being certified in English, she decided to look at high schools and junior high schools. She could teach anything from literature (which she had a passion for) or ELA.

OLIVER-"Think you'll still work at the other place?"

CLAUDIA-"Yeah, I'll probably put a couple hours in during the evenings. Teacher's don't make a whole lot."

OLIVER-"What about you?"

CLAUDIA-"I'd like to put in some hours with the non-profit. I've working with them off and on since college and they've been really good to me."

Damon, sat there quiet. He glanced at his watch hoping that the drinks get to their table soon so these two could stop. "I work for my uncle. I handle his clerical work for the construction business."

OLIVER-So none of us are making the money we wanted.

For a moment, Oliver had a flashback to his Junior year of college at a business function. He was admired by his professors, however he remembered a social science organization event that he had attended where his professor was giving him every sort of accolade possible to a state representative. That he was a fantastic student, he was a hard worker. "He's given up much of his free time and his promotion has bought so many majors to our department. He's very ambitious."

"What are you trying to study young man?"

"I'd like to get my MSW at some point sir. Do prison social work, help with the rehabilitation process of getting inmates back into the working world. Perhaps even develop a program that if completed successfully, could expunge them of their records"

"You've given this a lot of thought."

Back at the outdoor table at the bar while eating chips and salsa he admitted that he wished that he had majored in something like Biology or Chemistry.

"I know people who get in those fields and are miserable. I have a friend who is a nurse and she hates it."

That didn't mean much to Oliver at the time, he just knew he was unhappy where he was and he wondered if he had wasted his time. Granted it didn't come out of his parents pockets. Scholarships covered everything except the books. After finishing his third drink and checking out of the bar, he dropped Damon home and decided to call his mother to ask her if she felt that he that what he was doing was in vain.

"Did I do it all for nothing?"
The response from his mom was interesting She admitted to her disappointment when he first chose his major, however she knew deep that he was never going to be a chemist. That said, if she had been footing the bill, he’d be majoring in accounting or finance.
"Thanks....I think"
After ending that phone call, he looked at the status one of his college applications. [Still Pending. Figures]
Making his way to the mall, he caught up with Juanito. His wife had a late day at school while he had a day off. "I called in sick"
"Your luck? Your boss will be right there in the food court."
"I still gotta get an outfit for a business conference. I might even have a matching briefcase." He found a vest on sale in Belk and a dress shirt in Penney's. They took a break so that Juan could get a pretzel before going to Dillard’s.
"So navy pants, navy vest and a soft yellow dress shirt. Dapper"
"You already know, baby. You know Ima go in style."
 [No shit, this is the boy who goes to fucking McDonald’s wearing cologne. Uses bottled water to wash his face. Been shaving his legs since age 8.]

They left the mall and went to Ross before parting ways. Oliver headed to an indoor swimming pool while Juanito went home. 

At home, Juanito walked in with his dad preparing supper. Steaks and baked potatoes, with a garden salad on the side. He still had a few hours before he had to go pick his wife up from school. To kill the time, he watched old action movies. Once that was done, he took out his certification books and studied for a while. Like Oliver, he ate a healthy diet. Of course, being a diabetic, this wasn't exactly an option for him. In addition to studying to become a personal trainer, he was also in the process of becoming a certified spin instructor.  The diabetes comes from his mother's side and watching the pain his mother suffered made him very conscious of the choices he made in his childhood as well as his adulthood.

He strives to go to the gym at least 5 times per week and hoped to begin teaching some of the spin classes there within the next couple of months. As his dad went to put the steaks on the grill, he saw his son sitting there with no TV on and asked him what was on his mind.

"Nada, estudiando"

"You should be ready for that exam, no?"

"Si"

He eventually got up and headed out to pick up his wife. His father advised him not to take too long as the food would be close to ready by the time he returned. On his way to the university building, he stopped by a vitamin store and got one of those powders that one puts in water for the purpose of providing extra energy for a workout. He thought about his own life and what he was doing. While he had aspirations, he had a moment of a insecurity. His wife was on her way to being a registered nurse while he was working long hours at a advertising firm, not even making enough money to live on his own. Was Margo settling for less by marrying him?

When he arrived to the campus, Margo asked him "Where the hell have you been? I been sitting here about 45 minutes."

"Lo siento. Bad wreck on the way." 

After returning home and eating dinner, Margo dropped a bomb.

"Your friend?" she said. "You know the one who's housewarming went to?"

"Oliver? What about him?"

"Word is that he gives some of the best head?"

"Where you heard that shit at?"

"Well....In one of my labs, I have a classmate who claims to have gotten one from him."

"And it was from Oliver for sure?"

"Saw his profile and everything. Talk to ya boy."

"I'll talk to him on my own time, you keep quiet about it. You already know how homophobic my dad is."

It made sense why, he didn't want the man he saw Oliver with to meet him. He immediately interjected himself when he reached out to shake Cody's hand. "Oh damn. Well I'm gonna go take a shower."

Juan did go to take a shower, however not before texting Oliver. "What are you doing Tuesday night?"

"Nothin'"

"Wanna have a drink?"

"Sure, just tell me where."

SYNOPSIS

CHARACTERS

PART 12 TO FOLLOW

PART 9

[You know the saying "prayer changes things"?  Yeah, I say sometimes it's for the worst. I fell for that in the past, but no more. Come to think of it, it was me busting my ass all the time that got me through college. I believed that it would pay off, but in Miami, it didn't. I was talking with a friend of mine who was in college majoring in education. He worked nights as a bartender. He actually made more money as a bartender. He eventually quit teaching because the kids were so damn bad. I saw him recently at a bar. He told me that he couldn't be happier to be back in the bar tending world]

Laying in the middle of his bed, he ignored a text from Damon and put on a movie. Once his movie ended, he spent the rest of the night and early morning drinking and looking at pornography. Not in the mood to socialize the following day, he took a large amount of Melatonin and slept through the first half of the following day. It was approximately 2:00 PM when he woke up. He had a little over three hours to get ready for the seminar. He decided to skip the gym and find an outfit. After a moment self-pleasure, he took a shower and brushed his teeth. He slipped on a white t-shirt and a pair of khaki shorts as he ironed his outfit for the evening. Deciding to answer his phone after not having any contact with anyone the night before, he spoke with Claudia.

CLAUDIA-What the hell happened to you?
OLIVER-I went home and crashed. Didn't get up until almost 2:00.
CLAUDIA-You feel okay? You  still going to the seminar?
OLIVER-Yes and yes. I'm laying out my outfit right now actually.
CLAUDIA-You got time to talk?
OLIVER-yeah, I'm gonna leave at 5:00
CLAUDIA-Good, I'm going to call in Aya and Ziggy
OLIVER-Okay
[phone ringing]
[Aya answers after 3 rings, Zinam answers after 4 rings]
CLAUDIA-Hey ladies
AYA-Hey
ZIGGY-Hello
CLAUDIA-I've got Oliver on the phone
AYA-Hey Oliver
OLIVER-Hey.
ZIGGY-How are you?
OLIVER-I'm okay, I never got to ask if the three of you had a good time at my housewarming.
AYA-I did, you got a nice place.
ZIGGY-Thanks for inviting us
CLAUDIA-Who was that other guy? Black guy.
ZIGGY-To bad he had a woman on his arms.
OLIVER-That was Juanito, we went to high school. He graduated a couple of years before me. He's taken. He's got a wife. Nice girl.
CLAUDIA-How about the other guy?
OLIVER-Cody?
CLAUDIA-Yes, what's the deal w/ him?
OLIVER-College bud.
ZIGGY-Okayyyyyy
AYA-Ladies, we need to look outside of the Miami metro for men. Looks like all the guys in are circle are gay or married .
CLAUDIA-Or both.
OLIVER-I like both.
ZIGGY-No hate, but I can't date a guy that likes what I like.
OLIVER-Double standard much? It seems with girls, it's far more acceptable.
AYA-I'd just be worried that he's thinking about another man when he's w/ me. I'd be worried that I was never enough.
OLIVER-We'll have to talk about that later.
AYA-So, y'all heard? Raja's having a sex therapist as a guest speaker?
OLIVER-What typically happens at these seminars?
AYA-She speaks, there's a cocktail hour, then she opens the floor for questions and discussion.
ZIGGY-Usually about a couple of hours. Well y'all I gotta go. I got anther call.
OLIVER-Later. I'm going to hang up to, finish getting ready.

Raja typically had a speaker, a cocktail hour, and a opening for Q&A. This time, she would have a guest speaker for the Q&A. She was in the process of getting ready for her even which would be in a couple of hours. She left her other novelty items in her hotel room as she planned on having her sale from her hotel room. This affair would be for women only. For this reason, women's invitations were different than the men's invite. The latter did not include any advertisements regarding the passion party that would take place following the seminar.
He arrived around 4:50 PM, wearing a button down and a black vest with a pair of black pants.  "You made it!" Raja said.
"I’m here."
"Glad you came. Well a few others are here, grab some wine and meet some of the guests."
He located Claudia along with a few others who worked in the profession of escorting and mingled for about an hour before the event began. They begin with a moment of having workers talk about previous encounters.

"I was actually supposed to go another conference this year, however it was cancelled due to safety issues" One young lady said. "The agency is in the middle of a lawsuit so I'm trying to find another agency"

[Yep, the story of my life. I'm trying to get out of the agency that I'm in right now. It's run by a racist who really doesn't value those of color]

"Yes, Raja said, we do have to look out for one another during these times. Racism is prevalent. You wouldn't think that it would be in a place like Miami, but when it comes to sex workers of color, people don't care"

[Sweethart, trying being black and in this profession.] Before Oliver could utter the words out loud, Zinam had beaten him to the punch as she whispered to Aya who was sitting next to her.

"I see you whispering Ziggy, what you got for us?"

"Black women are coming up dead or missing at an alarming rate right now and no one seems to care. I'm hesitant to talk about my profession due to arrest and also due to the way I'm viewed. Many of my clients when they get me they assume that I'm there to do nothing more than fulfill their fantasy of fucking a black woman. If I were to come up missing, I feel as if they'd say 'Oh she was a ho' 'She had it coming'. We just had a black female escort dead after vanishing a month ago. She was kidnapped by a former client who ended up burying her alive."

AYA-I rarely have sex with my client's. I'm more of a date and go home type now. That said, when I am intimate with a guy, I check his pockets first to make sure there are no weapons.

ZIGGY-If someone really wants to kill you, they can do so with their bare hands.

AYA-In the end, we need to begin becoming armed. I'm also taking a self defense class to reduce the risk of a partner or a client trying anything on me that puts me in danger.

RAJA-Not a bad idea. We do have to be careful out here. There are a lot of creeps and they know no color. Oliver....you haven't said much. This is a safe sex workshop.

OLIVER-Condoms. When it comes to sex, I always tell people not to do anything they aren't comfortable doing and if one is going to practice anal sex, wear a condom to avoid an infection. I'm an escort right now and there aren't a lot of black guys at this agency. I'm in the minority and being queer, I've been the victim of racist treatment. Some of my clients feel that I'll take anything and everything. I had one jackass who wanted to try a slave master type of thing, I took my shit and got out.

[If I had a nickel. That was a traumatic experience. I didn't sleep that night. I got to his house, he slammed the door as he escorted me in. He then grabbed me by the neck and threw me on the bed. He was quite aggressive when he really didn't need to be. Stripping was difficult, he kept a closet full of kinky shit like handcuffs, a stocking that he tried to stuff in my mouth and then wanted to fuck while I chocked. I kicked him in the face, I busted his fucking window and RAN. Like PSA, I'm not a fucking slave. I'm a person. Just because I'm a sex worker doesn't mean I don't have emotions. It's a job. My job is to please, however this is off limits.]

Oliver went to the meeting but there weren’t many queer guys there. It seemed to be a very female oriented event.  After he listened to Raja's friend speak, he stayed for a little while longer and had some refreshments prior to leaving. Raja's meeting came to an end before she had the ladies at her home for her passion where she sold everything from vibrators to massage oils, finishing the night with a little more than $500 extra dollars sales.  On his way home, Oliver picked up some take out-a chicken dinner and mashed potatoes. At home he turned on Pluto TV to catch a news story while he enjoyed a three piece with the mashed potatoes and fries. His phone begin to vibrate, when he sent a present message stating that he'd call them back in about an hour. He wanted to eat, take a shower, put on something to sleep in. "Umm yeah, I'll call him back in like an hour"

[After I've eaten, taken a shower, jacked off, and drank, might be an hour and a half]

He eventually called Damon back who asked him about the meeting.

DAMON-How was it?
OLIVER-It was okay, not a lot of fellas there.
DAMON-Did you get any vital information?
OLIVER-Very little. Nothing that wasn't already know.
DAMON-Have anything good to eat?
OLIVER-Finger foods. I had to stop and grab some grub on the way home.
DAMON-Definitely not as good as the food at your housewarming
OLIVER-No way [laughing]
DAMON-So what's on your agenda for tomorrow?
OLIVER-Work, then I'm meeting with a friend for a dinner meeting
DAMON-It's not your client is it?
OLIVER-Nah, it's a buddy who works in the same line of work.
DAMON-You and your friends.
OLIVER-I know.
DAMON-Well, I'm gonna head to bed. What you doing this weekend?
OLIVER-Got that date with that couple
DAMON-What the fuck is wrong with you? You going to some random man's house. They could be setting you up to kill you.
OLIVER-If it goes well, they'll pay my car not e for the next six months. That'll save me over $1200 for half a year. I feel like I just got a temporary raise.
DAMON-But like this?
OLIVER-Well when you got bills...……...
DAMON-I gotta go man.
OLIVER-Bye

Oliver didn't have much interest in doing anything else after he hung up the phone. It wasn't long before he fell asleep after lying on the sofa. He put on an episode of an independent news show and fell asleep shortly afterwards.

At work, he noticed Claudia's absence. He concluded that She was either taking her certification exam or she was drowning herself in her tears from failing it. With that in mind, he begin reviewing some paperwork and calling clients to confirm services requested for the upcoming month. After completing that task, he sat in a meeting with his coworkers regarding the last event at the mall.

"Great turnout" she said. "Our next one will be in October, we are going to do something for Halloween for the kids. I'd like to have face painting, refreshments, games for the kids to play, and more. The problem is, we are a bit low on funding for some of what I'd like, so we'll have to think of some alternatives. So the event will be somewhat modified. I'm giving you all a heads up, but I will be updating your guys over the next few weeks to let you know where we are."

"Keep the face painting and the costume party" one worker suggested.

WORKER 2-"How about a candy exchange"

OLIVER-"I don't know about that one. Kids with autism can be very territorial about what's theirs. They might not be ready for this one. If we were talking milder forms, maybe, but some on the farther end of the spectrum may think we are simply taking something away"

WORKER 3-I think the costume party idea would be cute. It's not something we typically do, as it's seldom that we have an event for Halloween.

They talked for about 30 minutes before the meeting adjourned. 

[A Halloween party? I haven't been to one of those things since I was in the 11th grade. I would have loved to have been more engaged but I have a date with a couple this Friday and I don't know if I'll make it out dead or alive. I've got two dates this week back to back and Wednesday and Thursday with clients booked and I have a meeting today with a guy who I met on the set of a porno. It better all be worth it]

He thought about it much of the day, after this week, he'd sleep it out. He had nothing going on next week and planned a date. The conversation with Damon the night before played in his head over and over. It was like a song on repeat only this time, he couldn't turn the song off, couldn't change the channel and couldn't drown it out of his head by playing anything else. As his day came to an end, he drove out to the beach where he'd be meeting his peer. Dante was his name. He could be described as 5'10 in height with a dark complexion. His hair could be described as jet black with a streak of blonde at the left side of the crown. Age, approximately 30 years old. He sported a Hawaiian button down with a pair of dark khaki shorts.

"Long time no see" he said as he reached his hand out to shake Oliver's. Oliver responded followed by a "bro" hug. "Let's grab some salsa from the cantina over there"
"Not a bad idea" Oliver said pointing out a table. "We can sit down"
"So what's up? You still in the adult entertainment industry?"
"How else am I gonna pay off this debt? I'm actually searching around for a consolidation loan"
"Just turn it into a small loan right?"
"When I got out of college man, I thought that I was gonna land a job at the place that I interned at. They were impressed with my work, but then the owner hired his best friends son. Come to find out that he promised him this job shortly after I begin interning for him."
"That's brutal"
"I don't know how I missed it, he was always so salty. I just thought he was a dick."
"But the porn?"
"Well that's a long story, but I can condense it. Playing around on Pornhub, a producer found me. Next thing I knew, I was in Cali. I thought I'd do one video, but one turned into two. Two turned into 10. Then like most, I begin escorting."
"Got a beau?"
"Nope"
"Me either. Though, I'm kind of liking one of my client's we've met one more than one occasion since the job. He's an accountant, about 6'6', mid 30s, no children."
"He sounds fantastic"
"He is. Now he's a white dude, but he's legit."
"So you like a little cream in your coffee"
"I love all colors of the rainbow. What about you"
"Dad being a preacher, kicked my ass out the house around the time he found out that I was dating a kat that I met eating lunch, we only reconciled about a year ago. It's basically the forbidden subject to talk about during family gatherings"
"How long were the two of you together?"
"Two years. Then shit hit the fan."
"You aren't praying hard enough to be out of your circumstances. You aren't trusting God enough"
"I'm digging the sarcasm"
"I heard the same shit growing up"
"Boo, I ditched prayer when I was 23 and I never looked back."
"I'll drink to that one. It will never be my mistake again"
"So you live in Florida now?"
"Yeah, had to get out of South Carolina."
"How the hell are you making the rent? I just had to ditch my apartment. I'm living in one of my aunt's rent houses now"
"I live with my cousin Laura. She's a teacher. We got a little house together. We make it work."
"I'm gonna order me a strawberry margarita"
"I think I'm going to have a beer"
[Another day, another drink. I'm already doomed to roast in hell when I die, so I might as well enjoy the life I have on the earth. At least, that's what I was told growing up. The fact that I dated girls, didn't mean a damn thing. The only thing she heard was "I like guys". She overheard me talking about a guy that I thought was cute and she basically asked me. I had no choice but to come clean. Didn't matter that I hadn't done anything at the point. I mean I lost my virginity when I was 19. All she heard was that I wasn't straight. Anywho…..drinking somewhat eases the pain of the shame I felt as a child. It briefly makes me forget about the delusion that God actually had my back. I've come to the realization that God is going to do what he wishes and not going to do what he doesn't wish.]
"So, any more pornographic films since?"
"Hell no. With the exception of a tickle fetish film or two. Mainly escorting. Trying to get a stripper license"
"Make some good ass money there"
"That's what I've been told. Gonna need the help for grad school"
"You trying to go back to school?"
"Yeah, I wanna get my MSW and a MPA"
"I'm working towards an MBA. I start next summer"
"That's great! Where?"
"I'll be in Tampa"
"Might be a good idea to do your studies outside of Miami. The party life will fuck you up"

After a couple of drinks, they check out of the cantina and exchanged contact info. "You'll have to pass by the house sometime man"

"All I need is the invite"
"You just got one."

He stopped for a lemonade en route to his house deciding to take a scenic route. He thought about Dante being accepted into graduate school, wishing that he had been more ready. He was happy for his friend, but he was dissatisfied with the circumstances of  his school status. Once he made it to his house, he took out some romaine lettuce, half a cucumber, some tortilla strips, along with some grilled chicken and made a salad with his dressing choice being a home made honey mustard vinaigrette that he made three days before. He turned on the TV and nearly lost his supper when he saw the news of a murder within a few blocks down the street from where he lived. "Oh my God!"

"So that's what was going on, early this morning" he said, remembering the abundance of police cars headed traveling on the side street earlier in the day. The victim was described as African-American, female, late 20s. Stabbed more than 50 times. He ate his food, then sent an email to Ziggy asking her when the next meeting was for her foundation stating that he would like to give his support because this is happening way too much. After hitting send, he took a long shower then put on a wife beater and a pair of shorts before going to sit on the porch.

Within 15 minutes, he had received a phone call from Aya regarding the news "I'm watching it right now. It's awful."

"Who? Why? What? How?"

"Me and some girls are going to have a march for her Thursday, I'd love it if you came"
"Count me in". Hanging up the phone, he resumed watching the story on the Twitter app. Police are saying that the stench of the blood would hit like a ton of bricks. This story left Oliver with Avery uneasy feeling the rest of the night. As he lay across the bed, he thought about what her final moments must have been, what she could have been doing in her final moments. She left behind two daughters aged 5 and 6.
Towards the middle of the night, he got up and  vomited. He didn’t sleep much that night and didn’t eat much doing the following day. He called his boss and said that he wasn’t feeling well. Afterwards, he drove out to the pharmacy for some pain killers and a bottle of water. Upon returning home, he took a pain killer and some Melatonin and slept for most of the day. Waking up in the evening, he got up to brush his teeth and call his mom. She asked him if he had seen the story on the news the night prior and he responded by saying that he had. "They are saying that it's her ex."

"Over what?!"
"We don't know, it's sickening. What kind of man kills a woman in front of her children"
"One trying to get out of child support or one who finds out about paternity fraud?"
[Not that I condone this, she asked a question and I answered]

He admitted that he was up half the night from the story. It broke his heart, imagining the woman's final hours, how her daughters are going to get through this. What's going to happen to them? It was a story that he had seen about one time too many and part of the reason that he wanted to get into social work to begin with. He only hoped that they had other family that could take them in.

"I just woke up actually. My sleeping pattern is a little out of wack right now."

"You need to see a doctor?"

"I might. I need to find a low cost one as my insurance is shit"

She ended the phone call to answer a phone call from her sister, while Oliver got up and went out to get some takeout. He prepared for his date the next day. The guy was an construction worker. 6'3', dark, about 215 lbs. He requested a restaurant date.

[I accepted this one as it was a no sex required date. I love a date where I get to know a person and a person likes to get to know me and not just get in my pants. People think that because I work in this industry that I'm about sex 24/7, unfortunately it's one I won't be able to shake.]

He had an idea as to what he'd wear. He took out a pair of white khaki's and a yellow polo shirt. For footwear he, got out a pair of brown boots that he received for his birthday. He planned to Nautica cologne and had high hopes for this date. 

[Dates like this are far and few between for me. Most of them only see us a quick piece of ass. Wanna hit it and quit. But of course, why would I expect differently. After all, some of these guys are in committed relationships and their significant others and/or spouses have no idea what they are doing when they were "working late", the oldest lie in the book by the way. Even if Thursday's date and Saturday's overnight stay doesn't go as smoothly as I like, I just ask that I make it through Saturday alive.]

TO BE CONTINUED WITH PART 10

SYNOPSIS

CHARACTERS

PART 7

TUESDAY EVENING September 18th 2018

Oliver has been in his mother’s old home for a couple of days at this point with the hope of being in his new space by Saturday night.

"I still need verification of your wages" his mother said. "I’m gonna try to get you some rental assistance"

"But ma, how would I report the other job?"

[Ummm, no thanks. I’m not falsifying a record or withholding to get help from the government. I really don’t want to fuck my chances up at a government job later on in life.]

He then excused himself from the living room to take a phone call from Aya.
OLIVER-Hello?
AYA-Oliver?
OLIVER-Yes it is
AYA-Hey this is Aya, remember me?
OLIVER-I do. Claudia introduced me to you. We conversed over cocktails.
AYA-What are you doing next Tuesday?
OLIVER-Don’t know yet. Nothing planned. Why?
AYA-there is a seminar that day that my friend is throwing. It’s a safe sex workshop POC.
OLIVER-where at?
AYA-Biscayne Bay Marriott
OLIVER-Does it cost me anything to get in?
AYA-No, the host hasn’t even sent out her invitations yet.
OLIVER-sure...send me the info. I’ll text you my email after we get off the phone.
AYA-great!  I’ll shoot the info. We get a lot of good info from them. Plus you’ll like the host.
OLIVER-thanks for the invite. I’ll talk with you later?
AYA-bye bye
"Who the hell was that?" His grandmother asked.
"I have an event next Tuesday." Oliver said as he was texting Aya his email address.
"Is this one of those sex parties. There’s no telling what this lifestyle has got you doing." She responded.

["Lifestyle?" Okay, admittedly my lifestyle isn’t the best, but that aside, I’m sure my grandmother talks plenty of shit about me to her social circle. I know her. I’m sure she’s not thrilled about her "gay ass grandson". In my culture, any non-straight orientation is a no-no. I regret not telling my dad before he passed, but knowing my mom, I’m sure he knew. Shit! Anytime I had friends over, they were suspect. I didn’t come out until Inwas 21 to mom so a little over three years ago.]

She then started speaking in Haitian Creole suggesting that he get tested.

"Got it covered" He said, understanding what she said.
He went to his room at opened up his notebook to check his messages when he received his invitatation to the seminar. He accepted the invite, put his earbuds on and turned on Netflix. He decided to leave a crack in his door in case his mom needed to come in as she had been know to pop in unexpectedly on numerous occasions.

Damon, on the other hand, had other plans. He worked a long shift at his job and after running errands, he decided that he wanted the quiet night. He kept the TV off and poured himself a cup of Grey Goose. He had just gotten the news that a fellow soldier he served with had been found dead in the shower. The result:self inflicted gun wound. At this point, he planned to do nothing more than drink himself to sleep and get up the next morning.  However, his night was spent having a series of flashbacks of the good times he had with his friend as well as the trauma of what he witnessed away. He found himself waking up in tears throughout the night to cry himself back to sleep, only to repeat the process over again.

WEDNESDAY MORNING 7:00 AM

Damon was exhausted. He barely slept any the following night and he couldn’t eat. He was rather numb, thinking about how he’d sit through the funeral.  He got up a fixed a cup of orange juice and then took a shower. After taking a shower he took a sleeping pill and went back to sleep. He slept most of the day to make up for not sleeping that night.

Claudia hadn’t slept much of the nights either, having been up until 3:30 AM studying for her certification exam that would be taken the following week. She slept four hours before heading to a  workshop that was being held by one of her prefoessors from college that retired two years earlier. The workshop was an all day affair, she ran slightly late arriving. The seminar let out for lunch at 11:30 am and resumed at 12:30. It was 4:00 pm before the workshop ended and she left with great test taking strategies and a bit more knowledge of what she would do to prepare. She decided that she would allow herself three more attempts and if she failed on the last attempt, she would switch fields. She minored in sociology so she's consider looking for jobs in government or continue in the non-profit area.

As she was driving off she called Oliver to see how work went.

OLIVER-It went smoothly, didn't run into any trouble today, how was the seminar?
CLAUDIA-Long. I hope I'm ready next week.
OLIVER-Have you paid for the exam yet?
CLAUDIA-Last night, I registered so I'll be taking it a couple of weeks. I've gotta go to Tallahassee.
OLIVER-Shit, good luck.
CLAUDIA-Thanks I'll need it.
OLIVER-Hey I'll be moving into my renthouse at the end of the week, I'm gonna have a little warming. You should come. Bring Aya with you. Take your mind off of things for a bit.
CLAUDIA-I could use that. Thanks.

Oliver went and checked on his house and then stopped by the store to price some items. He called Damon to request his assistance with serving drinks for his party. His mom and grandmother would handle the food aspect of the operation. Damon however wasn't available, so Oliver left a message.

He got home, his mother informed him that the move in would be delayed until Tuesday. "What happened?" he asked.

"Your aunt just had the house sprayed for pest control. It's an old house. Part of town isn't exactly nice, but we're gonna make this house a home for you."

"Okay...………, well I'll probably push my warming until a the end of next week. I'm going to go to my room, and hopefully obtain a scholarship that will help me pay for grad school"

[Good thing I hadn't sent out any official invites. I'll have to tell everyone in a mass text that I'll have it next Friday]

While looking for scholarships, Oliver had a series of flashbacks. One was an internship at the courthouse that he did one summer. He thought that this would be impressive on his resume. The boss of the department that he interned for was impressed with his work ethic and the letters of recommendation letters from his professors. However,  he recalled an incident at a gas station, where he encountered a woman who also had an MSW informed him that with his degree he would need to get a Master's degree. This would later be confirmed by a professor in the Nutrition department who visited him in the campus bookstore where he worked as a student employee. He looked for work some time before applying for a 4 month job for FEMA that would eventually be extended to a total of two years. He worked for two years, and then he was laid off. Needing money for rent, he answered an add for a modeling agency, the rest is history as how he got into the sex industry. That was the beginning.

[Prayer? Pray without ceasing? Umm yeah, that's worked reeeeeeeeal well so far. Thanks a lot mom. Look at where I'm at. I've got a day job making pennies, while my night job would have me excommunicated the community if they all knew. Job fairs, were a load a bullshit, most of them had nothing of substance. Like that bullshit that I just went to, not hiring, unpaid internships. Drop your resume and hope someone calls your ass.]

Damon eventually returned his phone call.

DAMON-Hey Ollie, what's up?
OLIVER-Well for one, my move in date has been delayed due to pests. Other than that....I'm in here looking for scholarships to help for graduate school. How about you?
DAMON-Going to a funeral this Saturday. I'll be riding out to Alabama Friday evening. Funeral is Saturday morning. 9:00 am.
OLIVER-Who passed if you don't mind me asking?
DAMON-A buddy in the army, committed suicide a couple of nights ago.
OLIVER-Oh My God, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?
DAMON-No, I'm not.  I really wanted him to get through his issues. He suffered with various mental disabilities before we were deployed and after our first deployment, it only got worse.
OLIVER-Sorry, my condolences, even though I've never met him.
DAMON-Thanks. Hey, yeah, I'll help you with your event next weekend.
OLIVER-Thank you, man you need to go get some shut eye.
DAMON-I've been sleeping most of the day. Hey is it okay if I invite some of our old friends?
OLIVER-You still in contact with them?
DAMON-a few of them
OLIVER-ummm sure.
DAMON-Good, well I'm gonna go. Later.
OLIVER-Later

After hanging up, Oliver recalled a time that he thought about the military. Getting to travel. See the world, however also remembered how he literally ran out of the center when he went to sign up.

While he was looking for scholarships, Aya was on a date with a man of  St. Lucian ancestry. He was a lawyer working for a corporate firm.  In conversation, he explains why he became a lawyer and that eventually he desired to open his own firm.

"I came up upper middle class. Both of my parents are University professors. Mom's a business professor while dad teaches finance.

AYA-I have a foundation for uplifting little black girls. Often we're overlooked when it comes to so many things, health care, domestic violence, sexual assault. I got a degree in Biology, I'd like to be a medical social worker. I'll start graduate school hopefully by the fall of 2019. I do this part time, I work at Walmart in the pharmacy"

"Pharmacy Tech?"

AYA-Right now just a clerk. Hourly wage is a joke.

"You know, I initially studied Biology, however after an experiment in a class where I blacked out, I said 'ummm this isn't for me' and I decided to major in economics and I eventually went to law school. Something about the law and the court room always fascinated me, but then when I saw that I could be an advocate for fathers, I stayed in the field. Make decent bank."

AYA-Kids?

"No, I don't have any kids. Can't afford that in Florida. Can barely afford my mortgage."

AYA-I'm trying to pay rent, which at these prices, I might as well buy a house.

"Tell me about it"

Their date lasted roughly two hours, including a meal and a conversation that continued while they consumed their entrees.

Continuing to see him after they left the restaurant, she invited him to her home where they had sex and he stayed the night. The following morning, while her client was still asleep, she called her friend Zinam.

ZINAM-Hello?
AYA-Hey girl, what's up?
ZINAM (ZIGGY)-Sleeping in. I worked a long night.
AYA-Wanna meet for brunch around 10:30?
ZINAM (ZIGGY)-How about lunch instead?
AYA-1:00?
ZINAM(ZIGGY)-That'll do.


"Who's that sweetheart?" her client asked.

"My girl, Ziggy" she responded. "Let's go back to bed".

They slept in for another hour where he took her out for coffee. After a kiss and receiving her payment up front, they parted, however not before exchanging information.

"This is my phone number, my Facebook page, and my twitter page. I'm on a Facebook sabbatical right now but you can reach me by Twitter"

With about two hours to kill before meeting Ziggy for lunch, she decided she'd kill some time in the mall.

Meanwhile, Raja was in the process of booking the room for her seminar. She had sent the invites, and got the products for her home based event. The seminar was for sex workers of color, however, in her own home, she sold sex toys at reduced rates from the passion parties she through where women got together to discuss desires and turn-ons. Once she managed to get her room booked, she headed out to work at her dad's convenient store, where she worked until 6:00 pm.

12:40, Aya arrived at to the deli. Zinam arrived five minutes afterwards. "Lunch is on me" Aya said.  Noticing a glow and an expression on Aya's face, Zinam waited until they fixed their plates at the salad bar to break the ice.

ZINAM-You had sex on the first date!
AYA-Girl, I know! I know! But this guy is different.
ZINAM-What's he do?
AYA-Lawyer
ZINAM-He paid you right?
AYA-Hell yeah! I got enough to pay my rent for the  next two months.
ZINAM-Do you think we are shallow only going after rich guys?
AYA-No, it's called looking out for one's best interest, plus grad school isn't gonna pay for itself.
ZINAM-Grad school? I need to graduate from rent to a mortgage.
AYA-I need some academic probation rent. These summa cum laude prices for gas are kicking my ass.
ZINAM-My last date gave me a $200 gas card, gets me free gas at Murphy Oil. At least three or four trips.
AYA-I need your date! You still going to Raja's workshop?
ZINAM-Yeah, I'll be there.
AYA-Me too. If her dad knew what she was up to...……
ZINAM-Being in an arranged marriage, it's a mystery as to how the hell she's been able to maintain that hustle.
AYA-That marriage will be for financial security only. Word is he spends a lot of time in the gay part of town.
ZINAM-He look like he'd have a load of sugar in his tank
AYA-OKAY...………
ZINAM-But where you heard that at?
AYA-I have my sources.
ZINAM-You and your grapevine. [laughing]
AYA-What can I say? I got it like that.
ZINAM-Back to your date.
AYA-Tall, dark, and handsome. His folks are from St. Lucia. He's in his mid 30s. He's a corporate lawyer. He majored in Economics and he went to law school afterwards. He's been a lawyer for about 8 years now, single, no children. Definitely the kind of guy I'd like to take home to mom.
ZINAM-Mom? How about dad?
AYA-Dad would like this one.
ZINAM-Would you date a guy younger than you?
AYA-Two years max. Even then, I want him to be taller than me.
ZINAM-Young guys can be great, but they don't have the funds for this dime.
AYA-Cheers.

After raising a toast they sipped on their lemonade, Zinam, wanting to know more about Raja's soon to be husband, asked for his name.

" 'Biju' I believe"-Aya responded.
Zinam finding a page on facebook. Looked through several pages until she saw one with a profile in MIami.

"This is him!" Zinam said. She didn't see much on his page, but the vibe that she got from his profile pics were that he was a class A narcissist. "All these shirtless pics tells me that he's in love with himself if no one else"

"Stop being nosey girl!" Aya exclaimed.
"He's got his shit on a public website, he wants people to see it"
"Hold on! Go back! Is that a man thong?!"
"A pink one at that! RED FLAG!"

Aya went back to eating her salad, which she pilled a bed a lettuce with grilled chicken, oranges, cucumbers and balsamic dressing, as she had to go to work at 4:00 pm and it was already going on 2:00 pm. She wanted to get home in time to take a shower.  Zinam, on the other had, worked while she ate. She loaded her salad with  sunflower seeds, raisins, feta, and Italian dressing. Being an ovo-vegetarian, she didn't utilize meat. Instead, she got her protein source from eggs. She thought about asking Raja about this guy, but decided she'd do it some other time when it was just the two of them at some point.

They finished lunch at approximately 2:30. "See you later, girl" Zinam said.

"Likewise" Aya responded

 Aya, managed to get home and get a shower in. She arrived to work at a quarter to four.

Zinam, having the rest of the day off, went and paid some bills.

At work, Aya found out that her coworker would be absent the following day so she'd be working the next day as well. "It'll be the two of us holding down the fort" her boss said.

"Okay" she said as she opened up her register and prepared to check out a man attempting to purchase a box of Mucinex.

"That'll be $19.50"

As her boss went to the back, Aya, saw her cousin, who was addicted to pain killers attempting to steal some Tylenol. "Tai, what's up?"

Tai being embarrassed tried to play it off. "You know you gotta pay for that, I can't get fired because of you. $4.75"

"Fine!" she said as she paid. "Now, I'll see you later" she responded as she stepped outside to put out some generic over the counter medicine on the shelf.

6:00 PM

As the evening came, Oliver decided that he'd head out for a drink. Going to the bar where Milek was employed, he planned to have dinner as his mom had no plans on cooking. Milek being surprised to see him.

"Didn't think you'd actually come." Milek said laughing.
"Man, I'm always interested in a new bar" Oliver said.
MILEK-"I'll fix you a blue Hawaii in just a bit"
OLIVER-"Now you're talking"
MILEK-If you order some food, our club is fantastic
OLIVER-I'll take that then
MILEK-chips or fries
OLIVER-chips, the jalapeno kind
MILEK-Good choice, I'll have that right out. So you're moving in next week?
OLIVER-Yep
MILEK-When's the warming?
OLIVER-that Saturday
MILEK-I've got my little girl this weekend so that works out perfectly.
OLIVER-Aww that's nice.
MILEK-Yeah man, I love her with all my soul. Here's a picture of her
OLIVER-She's beautiful, how often you get to see her?
MILEK-Not as often as I'd like
OLIVER-babymamadrama?
MILEK-more like baby mama MAMA drama. Her mother is a B.I.T.C.H. to the max. Well man, I'll talk with you later, I gotta get back to work.

"What you got boss?"
"Can I get a draft beer right now and an order of the spinach dip"
"Gotcha man"

After Oliver ate his dinner, he was informed by Milek that the food was on the house. "Just sign the receipt"

Happily complying, Oliver signed and shook Milek's hand. "I'll see you next week"

"Good night Ollie"

TO BE CONTINUED WITH PART 8
SYNOPSIS
CHARACTERS