Erin ran her finger along the length of her scar. “But I don’t want to wear my hair down all the time. I like the occasional up-do.” She gathered her hair at the top of her head and struck a sexy pose.
“I get it. But how the hell are you gonna come up with that much money?”
“My mom gave me part of the cost; I just have to come up with the rest.”
“Again, how are you gonna come up with that much money? I know it has to be expensive.”
“I have a plan.” Erin looked at her friend for a long moment. Should she let Gina in on her secret? Tell how she’s been managing to pay her bills and still net enough to save for plastic surgery? She got up and paced her small living room, struggling with her decision.
Finally, she decided to take the chance. It might be nice to have at least one person she could talk to about her clandestine activities. “I’ve been… taking calls as a phone sex operator.”
“Excuse-me-what-now?” Gina’s eyes opened wide.
“You heard me.” Erin braced for the judgment, the comment about how she was depraved.
“You talk dirty to creepy old men on the phone?”
“Some are creepy, some are old, most are men.”
“Most? Women call you too?” Gina sat up straight, looking at her friend in amusement.
Erin laughed. “I’ve only had a couple of female callers.”
“So how long have you been living this secret life as a sex goddess?”
“I am not a sex goddess.” She sat on the couch again and faced her friend. “But I’ve been talking to callers for about three months now. I really need to come up with the money for this surgery.” Her voice softened. “I hate this scar. It’s a constant reminder for me. Every time I see it or touch it, I’m reminded of the accident, the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced.”
“I understand.” Gina rubbed her friend’s arm.
“That’s not all. Whenever I look in the mirror, I remember Tony breaking up with me, discarding me as if I were unlovable, undesirable. I’m tired of remembering the fear, the anger, the pain. I want to be able to put all that behind me. I want to move on.”
“You have my support in whatever you choose to do.”
No judgment. No looks of disgust. No lecture. That’s why Gina was her BFF.
Steamy Connections is my short story featured in The Bowman’s Inn, available now on Amazon.com:
sharenee.com 