What Makes a Family

7-Man of the Hour

IF YOU WOULD PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO LEAVE AN ASTRYX* ON ANY OF MY GRAMMAR/SPELLING MISTAKES

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To say it was a sad day for Tatiana would be a bit understated. By the time I'd gotten checked in and settled into my room the rain that had started pouring nearly an hour prior had soaked me and my two measly boxes all the way through. What I'd grabbed had been my box with Tatianas' persona and a small box of clean clothes.

Counting up the savings I had withdrawn and the loose cash I'd had on me when leaving I had enough money to last me nearly two weeks at this dump of a motel. The walls were orange from prior tenants cigarate smoke, the mattress creaked under my weight and felt like a cardboard box, and to top it off there was mold growing in the shower when I tried to get warm. I spent nearly three hours scrubbing the bathroom clean just so I had a clean place to settle my stuff in and get warm from the storm outside.

Fixing my wig had been a completely different story in itself. The hair was matted to the cap, knots so tangled I feared there would be a bald spot showing my real hair underneath, but after half an hour of monotonous brush strokes and gentle untangling it could just barely pass for human hair instead of the rats nest it had started out as.

As for the clothes I had in the box I was a bit disappointed to find I hadn't gotten any comfort clothes mixed in. There was a business jacket with button up blouse and matching dress slacks, a pair of skinny jeans with a v-neck t-shirt, jean shorts and a basketball jersey from my old school, but nothing I could cuddle into and find comfort. My items were minimal, but I managed to find a store on my phone just around the corner. There wasn't much to pick from, but they had enough stuff I was able to find comfort clothes for a rainy night in. At least I could try to get some sleep. As of now I had no job, no place to live, and I couldn't work as Tatiana unless I used my cellphone.

After much consideration on my part I decided I wasn't going to get anything done by moping around in the dusty old bed provided, so I pulled my phone out and began searching for the right candidate that could pay decent for a phone call.

Being the large state of New York I was able to find an eligible batchelor quite quickly who was willing to do a one on one phone call for a large lump sum, that wasn't asking for any sexual favors. Honestly, I could use a guy to talk to, and that's all he wanted.

I dialed him up, giving a small smile when the sound of a young man who couldn't be any older than thirty five answered the line. "Hello?"

I cleared my throat and forced a smile into my voice. "Hi, is this Rickard?" There was a pause on the other end of the line so long I thought he'd hung up until I heard a hesitant, "yes, this is him. Who am I speaking to?"

Sending a silent prayer upstairs this guy was legitimate about the money he posted I went in head first. "My name is Tatiana. I saw your post about needing someone to talk to. That's part of my job, and I could honestly use an ear to listen to, or vice versa." Again more silence.

"Um, ye-yeah. I'd love to talk. I honestly just need someone willing to listen to me for once in my life. It feels like I'm invisible sometimes, you know?" I didn't, but God how I wish I did. It would be so much easier to just go unnoticed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Mind telling me a bit about yourself?" The clients like this guy always just needed a friendly female willing to listen to anything they had to say, even if it was just about their jobs, their homes, or what they had for supper. It was about being noticed for once, and you'd be surprised at how many clients like him there truly were. It wasn't always perverts, though the large sum of them could be.