High Priestess

1.2

June 1976

Stevie walked into work, wearing her gray pencil skirt, black tights, and black boots. She had a yellow tank top tucked into the skirt and a black sweater over her shoulders as the office tended to be cold, and she was shocked to find a redhead sitting at the opposite end of the desk where once a brunette sat. 

"Um, Hello," Stevie asks cautiously sitting into her black swivel chair. 

"Hi. I'm Lori Perry. I was transferred here from the accounting department. Josie decided to go into a different career path." The redhead says almost skeptically and Stevie has to cock an eyebrow. 

"Stephanie Nicks, but everyone calls me Stevie." Stevie holds her hands out. 

"Well it's nice too meet you, I haven't seen you around, but I guess I've pretty much stayed upstairs." She shrugs.

"Well, I've only been here for about a month and a half." Stevie explains picking up the check that was placed neatly on her desk calendar. Today was payday. 

She flicks open the envelope with her red painted thumbnail and sighed at the 100 dollars staring back at her. She collects herself after a moment and blows out a breath of fresh air before looking at her agenda for the day. 

***

When Stevie got home, Sharon was leaving that's just how it went. They had a schedule. Stevie needed to be to work at nine in the morning, a time that wasn't conducive to her sleep schedule but she needed the job, so she'd make breakfast for the two of them in the morning, Sharon would get home around 4 as the bar closed at three and then they had to stay back for an hour to clean and do inventory and such so Sharon would just stay awake for two extra hours until Stevie could make them breakfast around six and then she'd sleep while Stevie was at work. Stevie would get home from work around six-thirty and Sharon would have dinner on the table needing to be at work herself by eight. 

Sharon watched as Stevie divided up her check. They had a system. Rent was one jar, the second jar was for groceries and the bills, and the final jar was for Divinity and all three of them were looking kind of stingy at that point. 

"We've gotta do something else, Steves. We're never going to make any progress if we don't." Sharon sighs placing their hamburger helper in the middle of the table. 

"I know Sharon, but I don't know what." Stevie shakes her head plopping down into her chair 

That night after Sharon had gone to work and Stevie took her shower she was sitting in the middle of her living room floor in her black nightie and she was dealing with her Tarot cards. She and Robin both had a knack for them and they had decided relatively early if they were to go through with Divinity, Sharon would offer Fortunes, Minnie would offer Aura readings, and Stevie and Robin would do Tarot card readings. After flipping about ten cards, nine of them she had turned trying to receive clarity so she just gave up and threw her cards before placing her head in her hands and she just cried because she didn't know what she was going to do. 

***

Coming into work on Thursday, Lori could tell that Sevie was visibly frustrated so once the two of them got situated Lori rolled right up next to her and smiled. Stevie thought it was weird at first, but she thought it was important to make friends with your co-workers so she was trying to be nice about it.

"How was your drive to work Lori?" Stevie questions.

"It was fine...but what's eating you?" Lori crosses her arms. 

"Everything. Everything is eating me." Stevie sighs crossing her right leg over her left and fixing her black chiffon skirt around her knee. 

"Come on, it's not going to get better unless you talk about it." Lori pokes.

"A group of friends and I are trying to start a business and it's not getting anywhere. We've been trying to do this for years, and I mean years. We started planning everything in college but we can't find an investor, we just can't seem to jump start it so we've all been doing menial jobs to try and save up to buy a commercial space but we just can't seem to even come close. Granted we've only been saving for about two months but between the four of us, six if you count the husbands of two of my friends we'd actually be getting somewhere but we're not." Stevie just sighs.

"What kind of business?" Lori asks.

"Magic stuff." Stevie shrugs lightly.

"Magic stuff?" Lori questions.

"Yeah...Crystals, Incense, Tarot Cards, Fortunes. So on and so forth." Stevie nods.

"Oooh, a Gypsy shop then?" Lori inquires.

"Well I mean yeah I guess..." Stevie nods.

"We call it Gypsy Shops down in Texas." Lori smiles.

"I knew I heard a hint of southern in your voice." Stevie smiles.

"Yeah, I'm from Texas. Do you have anything with you?" Lori presses.

"Well I mean, I always have a purse deck of Tarot cards. And Crystals." Stevie nods.

"What Crystals did you bring today?" Lori beams, a wave of excitement coming off of her and slapping Stevie in the face. 

"I always bring Moonstone, I just connect with it. It's typically used to balance hormones and to awaken feminine energy. It's my favorite stone. I have a buch of moonstones at home and moonstone jewelry. It just makes me feel good." Stevie explains pulling it out of her purse and handing it to Lori.

"Oh wow, I really like this...do you think?" Lori questions.

"You can have it. Like I said, I have a lot of them at home. Take care of it." Stevie nods.

"Thank you so much." Lori gasps going back over to her stuff. 

They work for a few hours and then Lori clears her throat.

"So I may have a solution to your money." She starts.

"What?" Stevie inquires.

"If you...well, I procure for extra money." Lori explains.

"Procure?" Stevie looks at her.

"Mick Fleetwood the President, or head of Fleetwood Recording however you want to refer to him, holds parties every Friday. He pays me 250 bucks under the table to go pleasure people. And the people I pleasure, I mean they pay me pretty well too in tips." Lori explains in a low whisper.

"Lori..." Stevie gasps but then she turns to her and goes closer, "Pleasure people how?" 

"Never sex...only dancing with them, I'll sit on laps, the occasional hand job or a blow job, I let them touch my tits and my ass and that's about it. I'm never violated like that." Lori shrugs.

"Lori, I can't do that." Stevie shakes her head.

"Anyone can do it Stevie. And besides, you're really hot so you might as well get your kicks while you can." Lori pushes.

"Alright fine...but how do I get in on it." Stevie says even shocking herself.

"Don't worry about that, i'll set you up." Lori winks going back to her work. 

***

While they're in the break room eating lunch, Lori slides into the seat next to her and she leans over and whispers, "I got you in. Give me your address. Tomorrow night, after work I'll come by and help you get ready, do your hair and makeup and such." 

Stevie just gawks at her and writes her address on the napkin and the two of them go back to lunch, but when Stevie gets home that night, she leans against the front door cursing herself out for taking the option and not even second guessing it. And Sharon gives her a worried look but she just shakes her head.