CHAPTER 3
Piper
The security cameras showing the feed of the hallway outside my front door are as close to leaving home as I get lately. Aside from Aullie, who sometimes brings her husband, nephew, or housekeeper, nobody but me ever comes inside. At least, nobody comes inside by invitation.
I’m a thousand percent positive my mystery man, my stalker, has been here since I’ve moved in. I never catch sight of him, but sometimes, the air feels charged when I enter the room. The currents of oxygen move through the space in the way that only happens when a body has been in motion. I know I’m alone for now though, and the groceries that were just dropped off in the building hallway aren’t going to get put away on their own.
Canvas totes filled with groceries line the space just outside the front door as the delivery girl unloads them from a flat pushcart. I’m honest enough with myself to admit grocery day has become the biggest event of my week. Given everything that’s happened, I guess that’s a good thing. Somehow, I think being kidnapped, held captive, and then rescued while half-delirious from dehydration and terror makes the tranquility of these days worth it. Not that I’d willingly go through it all again, but winding up in this condo feels like a reward for surviving the shitshow life I’ve had for nearly twenty years.
Putting away the items from the bags is a mindless task, and I find myself thinking about what Aullie has been nagging me to do. The door to the study mocks me every time I pass through the hallway to my bedroom. I have never been inside it and have only seen into the starkly masculine room once. On Aullie’s first visit to my condo—officially. I’ve no doubt she’d been here prior to my being released from the hospital—she carried in a shoebox-size lockbox and a large yellow envelope. The sort used to send official documents.
She’d placed them on the desk inside and told me to review them when I was ready, but that the condo is mine for as long as I choose to stay. I’m considering this condo and all the kindness whoever owns it is showing me to be karmic intervention after a lifetime of being crapped on. First, my stepfather had forced me to pay rent after my mom died, even though I was only seventeen. He’d told me I could either bring him cash or pay him on my back. Then there was my slimy ex-boyfriend, who I’m almost positive is the reason I was sold to those traffickers.
I’d been working as a cam girl when I met my ex. It wasn’t something I kept secret, and he swore it didn’t bother him. His attitude changed as time passed. Out of nowhere, he demanded I follow new rules and conditions relating to how I cammed and what I did on camera. Confident in my body and choices, there were things I was and wasn’t willing to do for the viewers.
The beauty of virtual sex work is that the worker has agency over the monetization of their own sexuality. Unlike street workers, online sex work meant I hadn’t needed to rely on a pimp to keep me safe. For a cut of my profits, of course. It was safer and more controllable. Being a camgirl was the only way I knew to support myself and afford my tiny apartment.
When my ex realized I was unwilling to let him direct me and profit from my labor, he’d been pissed. Less than a week after our last throw-down argument, where I told him to fuck off for good, I was abducted. I might only be a high school graduate by the skin of my teeth, but even I can do that math.
I’m not foolish enough to believe I’m here in this condo out of the sheer goodness of anyone’s heart. I’m thankful for my rescue, and I really like Aullie and her family, but there’s someone pulling the strings behind the scenes. She’s been patient with me, but I know it’s making Aullie crazy that I’m dragging my feet in pulling back the curtain to find out who’s responsible for saving me and giving me this safe haven to recover in.
The thing is, I’ve never had anywhere to just simply be. Being here, in this beautiful condo where everything is clean and beautiful and secure is a dream come true. I know the time will come when I have to pay the piper, but I’m not ready for it to be today.
On the other hand, Aullie’s the type to face the world head on and take on all challenges. To be honest, I’m always a little scared at the look she gets in her eyes when she’s thinking about upcoming battles.
Not me. I’ve spent too many years learning how to avoid being in the spotlight when there’s danger around. My gut tells me the presence I feel watching me is the one footing the bill for this place. And that my wispy memories of strong arms and gentle eyes from the day I was saved are tied to everything. But after all I’ve been through, trust is a pricey commodity, and I’m not even sure I can afford to trust myself.