The Cunning (18+)

7

Sam poured the rest of his coffee down the sink.

"She'll soon behave herself when she starts working," Adam said, referring to Madison.

"I'm not making her work yet," Jase said. Sam turned around, unsure he'd heard him right. "Not after last night. I'm not having her fighting every man that goes in there." Sam and Adam looked at him, their brows furrowed in shared confusion.

"What do you mean 'not making her work'?" Adam asked. "Why the fuck do we have her here then?" He was already getting worked up.

"What I say. I don't want her trying to gauge the eyes out of anyone we send her way. It's more hassle than it's worth."

"Then we'll make her behave-" Adam pressed on, but Jase was shaking his head.

"We were paid to bring her in, and he wants her in one piece. We can't go around marking her up. It's like buying a painting and drawing all over it before you sell it. She'll come round in her own time, judging by how scared she was after head-butting Charlie last night, it won't be long," he said. Adam grumbled. Jase left the kitchen, heading back upstairs.

"She leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don't like her," Adam said, curling his lip.

Sam chuckled. "Yeah, but you don't like anyone. Jase knows what he's doing. If he says wait her out, we wait her out. We're not losing money. She isn't the first that's caused a little trouble." He played it off, but he knew what Adam was getting at.

There was something about Madison. Whilst they'd had aggressive girls in the past, none of them had outright attacked anyone. None of them were brave or dumb enough. Adam was only mad because he loved the power that came with controlling the girls, but Madison not working wasn't as big of a deal as he was making out. So long as she did eventually roll over.

Sam left Adam to simmer, heading upstairs to Janine's room. Smoke billowed out when he opened the door. She rolled onto her back, looking at him upside down from the bed.

"Please don't tell me I have a customer this early," she sighed.

"No, I just can't be bothered with Adam's moaning about the new girl."

Janine laughed in her throat, taking another drag on a joint. "I've gotta give it to her, she has balls of steel." Sam shot her a warning look as she sat up, to which she responded with a roll of her eyes. She'd known him too long for him to strike fear. "Don't look at me like that."

"Is that my weed you're smoking?" he asked.

Janine shrugged. "Only a little bit."

"You know you're not supposed to smoke without asking." She smiled, standing up and walking over to him. She was wearing his t-shirt and nothing else.

"Don't be a grass." She held the joint out to him. Sam took a long pull, stepping past her to sit on the bed. "What was Adam saying about the new girl, anyway?"

"None of your business," Sam replied, even though he had brought it up. She didn't bother trying to get more out of him. He only divulged her in house matters when he was ranting and didn't notice. When he did notice, he was quick to shut up and tell her not to repeat anything. Janine complied with ease, never wanting to get Sam in trouble. She joined him on the bed, resting her head across his lap. Her usual fruity fragrance enveloped him, penetrating the strong smell of the marijuana.

"Can you make sure I don't have any customers for a few hours so I can sleep for a while?" she asked, staring up at him with her big amber eyes. Her chocolate bob cut fanned out across his legs. When Janine first arrived at the house, her hair was burnt red. She'd grown it out and had it chopped off since.

Sam laughed. "You're joking, right?"

Janine pouted. "Please? Can't you give them to Madison or something? Maybe giving her a customer will make her wind her neck in a bit," she grumbled. Sam knew she didn't mean it. After staying up for the showing and then tidying the house all morning, she was exhausted.

"If I could, I would, but Jase isn't having her work yet," Sam replied.

Janine's brows met in the middle. "Why?" she asked, unable to control the sliver of envy that seeped through her tone. "The whole point of us being here is to work. What makes her any different?"

Sam stubbed the roach out in a glass ashtray on her nightstand and shrugged.

"You tell me," he replied. Janine moved so he could lie down.

"Sam, why isn't Jase making her work?" she asked with an irritated edge to her words.

Janine's age came through when she wasn't playfully flirting with Sam like a loved-up schoolgirl. The weathered young adult had spent enough time on the streets to believe the house was the better option. At twenty-three years old, she was the kind of wise a woman so young could only be after hardship. Janine's life experience meant she grew uneasy when things went against the status quo. The girls didn't just 'not work'. If things weren't going how they usually were, it often meant something was wrong and if something was wrong, it was usually the girls that were punished.

"You saw what she did last night," Sam replied, "Jase can't be bothered for all the shit it would bring us if our girls started attacking customers." Janine scowled at him, standing up.

"So if we all start fighting, we won't have to work anymore?" she asked. It was a question thick with insinuation.

Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. "Obviously not. You'd all end up dead. The only reason Madison isn't is because someone paid a decent wedge for her. If we can't deliver, people will be less likely to part with their hard-earned wages, won't they? And we look like we can't do our job properly." He rubbed his forehead, something Janine knew he did when he had a headache coming on. Usually, she'd get him to lay down and she would play with his hair but she was getting pretty het up over the Madison situation.

It was unfair. She felt like kicking off a bit.

"So she just gets to walk around doing whatever the fuck she wants?" She carried on, her voice jumping up in pitch. Sam closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"If you have a problem with how the house is being run, take it up with Jase," he mumbled, interlocking his fingers across his stomach. Janine glowered at him even though he couldn't see her. As much as she would love to give Jase a piece of her mind, even she wasn't that brave. Or stupid.

Janine was docile and compliant. She was a model prostitute as far as everyone in the house was concerned. Because of this, they allowed her a little more freedom. She had her own make-up and clothes. She was allowed to sit downstairs now and then, mostly to flirt with any customers who came by, make them feel welcome and desirable. And only ever when Benny wasn't there.

She'd been there for over two years and never caused any trouble. She'd seen Jase do a lot of things in those years. A lot of things that meant even someone as headstrong as her wouldn't dare question his way of running the business. Jase did not appreciate opinions from anyone other than those closest to him, and he certainly didn't want input from a house girl.

All the girls thought Adam was the scariest because he had a short fuse. Janine knew better. Adam's bite was bad, but Jase's was lethal. Jase intimidated her because he was unpredictable.

"He ought to be careful she isn't making an impression on the other girls," she said quietly, lying down beside Sam.

Sam had a youthful charm that made him appear soft. On the rare occasion he smiled, he could even seem boyish. Janine reached over, brushing the golden blonde tuft of hair above his ear.

"Jase is never the one that needs to be careful," he said. It was all he needed to say to get her to back down. Janine learned a long time ago, through the actions of others, that it was very easy for Jase to remind the girls who was in control.

*

Now you've had an insight into Sam and Janine's relationship, have your opinions on them changed? Let me know in the comments and as always, don't forget to vote for the chapters! It really helps me out and boosts The Cunning's stats :)