Once Giants: The Neon Amazon

Chapter 6

Gwen ran her a bath, and Tina made no effort to protest. Gwen didn't even ask her, or offer really; she simply handed her a plush synthcotton robe and pointed down the hall. For over an hour, Tina enjoyed a pleasure she had not experienced in years—a hot bath in a tub where she didn't have to hang her feet over the sides.

Once finished, she found Gwen had laid out some clothes for her to wear. Real clothes, large enough to actually fit and look good at the same time. Once she had dressed, she saw the balled up mess of blue material that was her jumpsuit lying on the bathroom floor. Tina picked it up and nearly gagged. She could now smell what she figured she'd probably smelled like half the time. She thought about asking Gwen if she could wash it.

But then, why? The jumpsuit had served her well, that was true—a nanofabric able to self-mend and stretch to any size her body required—but did she really want a life that would require wearing such a thing day in and day out?

"Not anymore."

Tina tossed the jumpsuit into the garbage. That life was behind her. She'd have to forge a new one to stay alive now. No matter what it took.

***

Gwen ordered dinner in, and they swapped stories of the good old days while sipping on wine and nibbling canapés. It felt great to talk to Gwen again. It had been like being in a vacuum, living in the favela; surrounded by millions, yet completely isolated and alone. Here, she could speak freely, and in English! She could laugh. She could cry. And now, she wondered why she hadn't tried to make contact with Gwen sooner. More shame than anything, she supposed. It was big of Gwen to just welcome her in like she had, but Tina could tell that the conversation was starting to dry up. The inevitable question would be coming next.

When there was a lull, Gwen finally popped it. "So . . . what's up?"

It was the kind of "what's up" that translated into: "Why are you here?"

Tina hesitated at first, but decided it best not to beat around the bush. "I need an out, Gwen. I can't live like I am anymore. I still owe a lot of money, but I need to find a better way to pay it off. You do modeling or something, right?"

"Yeah, I do some modeling, but . . . that's not what pays the bills, hun."

"I'm willing to learn whatever. So long as it's legal. I'm not trying to go down that road anymore."

Gwen paused for a moment. "You sure you want to do what it takes for all this?"

Tina nodded. She had to. Going back to the favela was no longer an option.

"All right." Gwen sighed and got up from the table.

She returned a moment later and dropped a data chip case in front of Tina with a plastic clatter. On the cover was a picture of Gwen, fully nude, along with several not as clothing-free men.

"Well, there you go. That's what I do, Tina. That's how I get by."

Tina gawked at the cover as the fairy tale that had been Gwen's life began to unravel in her mind.

"But seriously, the movies and net-sites are just like advertising. You make good money, mind you, but the real money comes once you get a name for yourself and start escorting." Gwen grinned. "Last weekend, I had this client. He flew me first class to Kuala Lumpur for three nights, all expenses paid, in a five-star hotel, and then gave me fifty grand on top of that. And I do maybe two or three like that a month."

"That much?" Tina could hardly believe it. She could pay off her debt in under a year with that kind of cash.

"Look, if you want to get into it, I can get you the connections. You'd be surprised how in demand we are. Fantasy fulfillment, I guess. . . . You realize how many teenage boys grew up watching us in the ring?" Gwen's eyes suddenly lit up. "Hey, we could do a scene together. We can do the costumes and everything. You'd be famous right away."