"Look, I'm learning to be a writer," Delta offered, apparently trying to stave off Judith's scorn, a projection really. "I read all I can and I write short stories."

"We oughta hook up sometime," Judith said, apparently ignoring the confidence. "I don't plan to do this for much longer and I don't think that you should either. I don't think you have to; you're an artist; you can do better. I would imagine that it's dangerous here on the streets."

"I suppose so."

Delta didn't sound very optimistic. She seemed to be dead tired, and defeated emotionally for now. Judith guessed that she would have to split her take with some pitiful little wimp of a pimp. There wasn't much work out there for artists at the moment.

"Does your pimp beat you?" Delta asked Judith, breaking into her reverie.

"I don't have a pimp; I have a Master. He's my husband, really. He's the pig who fucked you just now."

"Does your Master beat you, then?" Delta asked after thinking about it. Judith could see when she decided that it was not strange that she had just entertained a woman, the husband that she clearly resented and a friend of his. Rich people were different from her in many ways.

"No. I beat myself. He sits and watches me do it. He likes me to humiliate myself for him."

Delta smirked and Judith nearly cried at the dawning realisation that she was really no different from this woman. Judith's price tag was about a million times higher, but she was still a commodity trader. Her stakes were a whole lifestyle and Judith would obviously pay any price to preserve hers. If romantic holidays couldn't do it anymore for them then why couldn't she just leave Woodrow?

Judith saw Delta smirk again and thought to shut up. She did not know why she was telling Delta about the sordid details of her life, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. For some strange reason, she wanted Delta to understand her just as she wanted to understand Delta and her life. She had always looked down at women who sold themselves, but she had learned something today. They were people; people who had abilities that she did not, and that would be appreciated by her husband and their friends; people whom she was accustomed to have being impressed by her and her achievements in life. Delta was a professional! An artist who had fallen on hard times! Judith only bought art. She created nothing except a showcase home for Woodrow and their children. The children, now at school in Europe, adored her, but Woodrow was clearly becoming bored. His demands became more outrageous by the week. This week, her task had been to whore herself downtown. What would next week, or the week after bring?

"Would you hire me to beat you in front of him and his friend?" Delta's voice brought her back to the squalid room.

"I might," Judith chuckled, disbelievingly at the suggestion.

She packed away the idea that she needed to assess her interests and see how feasible it would be to launch a career out of them. At 46 years of age, and the soon-to-be former wife of Woodrow Martindale, what would her chances be of starting a new life? Judith decided that she might have a good chance if she kept her head on right and chose her moves wisely. Obviously, a career in art wouldn't be one of those moves.

"I can get really, really angry sometimes. I'd beat the crap out you. There'd be nothing nice about it; no hugs and kisses afterwards. I'd make you cry!"

Judith stopped getting dressed for a moment. She thought about Delta's offer seriously. The dynamics of their emerging relationship intrigued her. She realised that unless she treated this woman well and helped her get back on her feet she was opening herself and her husband to possible blackmail. She realised that she was not ready to make her move against Woody as yet. Until then, she would use this woman to help her keep him happy.

She felt a thrill of excitement at the risk at which she would be putting herself. She interrupted her thoughts by taking a wad toilet paper and stuffed it in her pussy to stop the last of the leaking of her husband's partner's cum. God, she hated that man!

"I'd like that," she said. "I'd like that very much, and I'm sure that they would love it. I like belts, and flat shoes. Are you sure you can make it hurt?"

"I guess so. You'd have to tell me exactly what you want. You're the first woman client I've ever had. You've been nice to me. I'll do whatever you want."

Dressed, Judith dug out a business card and tucked it into Delta's purse along with twenty thousand dollars. Grocery money Judith would say if asked. Someone would have to be gouging her eyes out for her to admit to be paying for sexual services of any sort. She tucked the money into the other woman's purse next to a switchblade. Judith was happy to see the knife. Delta would be okay; she could take care of herself. She turned away and saw Delta sitting on the edge of the bed. She was dirty, smelly and crying now.

"I'm not a slut," she said defiantly. "I'm not a whore."

Her nose was running and Judith offered her a scented tissue that she had fished from her handbag.

"Of course not, dear. You're now my consultant. You're going to teach me everything that you've learned about sex. I want my husband to be impressed. I'll pay you well to make me perform like you. I don't want you to go anywhere near that pimp of yours ever again, and you must have an AIDS test before we do anything else. If you work out with me, I could recommend you to a couple of my friends. They would also pay you well to help them keep their husbands interested."

She paused and sneered. Judith always was a practical woman and this wouldn't really be pimping since Delta would not have to pay her anything for the hook-ups. She had done well in life because of her lack of wishful thinking. She made her life happen on her terms, no matter the cost. This woman would be her contingency plan until she was ready to make her move.

"The asshole who just fucked me, I know his wife. I'm sure that she does not know that he was here this evening. I'm also sure that he's going to want to see you again. If it's not you, it will be someone else like you. I think that you should be the one to benefit from this situation; don't you?"

Judith sat on the bed and gave Delta a deep kiss. She had never kissed a woman before, but she knew that she was going to do a lot of things with Delta that she had never done before. Whoring on the sidewalk this afternoon, on her husband's orders, was only the beginning of a very unusual partnership with this woman.

Delta tongued Judith and they wrestled for dominance. Soon Judith's tongue was deep in Delta's mouth. She licked inside Delta's mouth, around her lips and, after a moment's thought, she pushed herself to the limit again and tasted under Delta's runny nose. Judith kissed her twice, three times. They were long lingering kisses. She smeared Delta's messy face on her own; and then, just as suddenly, the impulse to be friends and sistahs with Delta was over. She knew that it, and she, would be back though.

Judith closed the door silently on her way out. She would insist that Delta move her operations into a nicer location because she was sure that there would be bed bugs here, and what they were doing was nasty enough already.