“But you cannot write about the agency,” Claire quickly interjects. “There is an NDA you will have to sign. It will be off-limits then.”
Nothing is ever off-limits. There is always a way to work around agreements. There is a whole thing with whistleblowers and the protection of sources that needs to be respected. I can write under an alias but still use a mainstream publishing outlet. Loopholes.
We are so busy in conversation that we do not notice a girl in a green dress enter the room.
“Hi, Claire,” she greets with a smile.
“Hey, Monica, this is my friend Angie. Angie, this is Monica. We met last month during the mixer event.”
“Nice to meet you, Angie.”
“Same to you,” I say.
“How are the dates going?” Claire asks.
Monica is very pretty with girl-next-door vibes. She has long straight auburn-colored hair that hits her shoulders. She has a familiar face. Maybe we had crossed paths on campus unknowingly.
“They are pretty good. No regulars. Just one-offs. I have a week, however, of dates with a guy I met tonight. An Ian?”
“Ian Downs?” Claire asks.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Seems nice,” Claire says. “A bit handsy though.”
“That’s what I’m nervous about. I’m just doing this job for the money. Nothing past what I need to make ends meet.”
I raise my hand. “Same boat here,” I add, “assuming I agree to move forward with the process.”
“Just be honest and upfront early on,” Claire advises. “Word gets out fast about which girls want more.”
“Well, I’ll see you guys around,” Monica says, exiting the room.
“Gossip Diva alert,” Claire whispers.
I furrow my brow, until I see who she is referencing.
“Well, hello Claire, good seeing you,” the average height Madonna lookalike greets.
“Same,” Claire says with a smile. “This is my friend, Angie, who might be joining the agency. Angie, this is Tracy.”
“Nice to meet you, Angie. Can I offer some advice though?” Tracy asks but then continues, “Be careful.”
I swallow hard.
“What’s that supposed to mean, Tracy?” Claire demands. “What kind of gossip are you going to spew now?”
“It’s not called gossip if it’s true, Claire. Anyway,” she says, turning her attention to me, “there’s a rumor that—”
“Oh great, a rumor. This will be good,” Claire huffs, crossing her arms.
“That some of the agency men are using blackmail as a coercion technique to persuade some of the girls.”
Holy. Shit. Claire’s eyes dart to mine, and I can tell she is not part of the Tracy Fan Club. But I cannot shake the feeling that maybe Tracy is right. That maybe something very shady is happening within the secret realm of the agency. And that I could be on the cutting edge of discovering what it is and having a story to capture.
“Really, Tracy? And did these girls come forward and report it to Dominic? Did any of them file a police report?” Claire asks.
“Well, no,” Tracy admits.