Haley de la Longine's Story

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“The Midnight Lounge, how can I help you?” Evony answered the phone crisply, her voice laced with smooth confidence and an air of business-like authority. It was a tone Evony had come to perfect over the years, as answering the phone seemed to be a constant staple in her life; sort of an occupational hazard that came with her line of work. It was exactly the tone a man wanted to hear when doing business in this field. They didn’t like to be pestered, or have to go through the formalities, especially her wealthiest clients. And Evony was well adapted to catering for those types.

”Miss de la Longine, it’s Lucian Norton.”

“Ah, Mr Norton,” her voice oozed professionalism, “Confirming your appointment with Ray J, I assume?”

“Yes, eleven thirty tonight?” he asked. Mr Norton ran a hedge fund in the city. He was in his mid-four ties, and had a wife who he lived with yet didn’t speak to, and four daughters in their teenage years. He had a regular booking with Ray every fortnight on a Wednesday evening. He was the kind of man who checked everything, even the tiniest things. Under his watchful eye, not a single appointment, figure or date went unchecked. He was a perfectionist, but he was wealthy and used her services, which was all that mattered to Evony at the end of the day. Of course, she liked to have some degree of knowledge about her clients but, to her, business was everything. She was cut-throat and she didn’t like failure.

“That’s when I have you down for, Mr Norton,” she informed him.

“Perfect. Good evening,” he replied, before hanging up.

Evony set the phone down on her nightstand, a beautiful little circular table crafted from a deep purple marble. It rested on three golden metal legs, arranged like the points of a triangle, beside her four-poster bed. The bed was adorned completely in white bedding; white duvet, white sheets, white throws, white cushions. Thin, white strips of material swept up towards the top of the bed, winding along the wooden columns that held up the canopy. The wood was painted in the same shade of purple as the nightstand. The style of Evony’s room was exceptionally glamorous, which fitted with the Madam’s general demeanour.

There were three floors to The Midnight Lounge. On the bottom floor, at the entrance, was the bar. Behind that, the building gave way to six individual rooms where the real money was made. Each room was themed in a different style, so as the customer could choose what feel they wanted. Above that was the second floor, which was the main living quarters. There was a main room in the centre, with a small kitchen and sitting room. The girl’s bedrooms came off that room, so they could live on the premises. Above that was the third and final floor, which acted as a home to Evony and her children. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford a house of their own; Evony easily had enough money to buy several houses of her own. But businesses did not run themselves, and places like this which made high profits and catered to the entitled who easily had the ability to be choosey required a lot of work. Evony simply didn’t have the time to maintain and live in a house of her own. Their floor was considerably more spacious than the one the girl’s occupied. Each member of the family had an en suit bathroom and a large bedroom. They also had a sitting room of their own, and a small kitchen, but it was rarely used. Coming off Evony’s bedroom was a small office, where she ran usually ran the business from. The girls were strictly forbidden from entering the top floor, unless an emergency arose that required her urgent attention. After all, she had to maintain a certain degree of privacy. In the basement was a gym and a swimming pool. The girls were expected to keep their bodies in a certain condition, and if they were unable to maintain the looks she’d employed them for, they were gone.

This evening was a particularly busy one for Evony. She’d been booked by a wealthy senator, David Beaumont, for his retirement party. Evony’s girls were expected arrive towards the end of the evening and socialise with the guests. Then, as the party drew to a close around eleven and only his close friends were left, that was when their day jobs finally begun. They were expected to drench the men with attention and then, of course, sleep with them. Evony was escorting them, to make sure order was kept and they did their jobs correctly. Jasper was also coming along, to ensure their safety, and also Haley, to help manage business, but mainly because Evony didn’t want to leave her at The Midnight Lounge without the watchful eye of herself or Jasper. Because Ray J had a previous booking, she was the only girl not coming, but Evony had known Mr Norton a while and was fairly confident Jasper was not required in this situation. Anthony was also staying here, to keep the bar open, should any police or others come poking around. Evony knew leaving Anthony alone with a girl, especially one she knew he’d had his eye on recently, was just tempting fate, but she didn’t have much choice. She didn’t want to leave Haley to front the business instead. It wasn’t that Evony didn’t trust her daughter; it was just that she was often so much vulnerable than her brother. Though he was only two years her senior, he still behaved so much older than Haley. And frankly, despite his inability to keep his eyes and hands off the prostitutes working here, Evony trusted him to look after himself more. And so it was settled, that was their evening.

Evony stood up from the bed, bending back down to smooth the duvet and replace the cushions in their correct place before leaving her room to enter the family sitting room, where she knew Haley would be.

“Haley, darling?” Evony asked her daughter. “Can you please let the girls know we’ll be leaving in forty minutes, make sure Jasper knows too. And would you please be ready to go then as well.” Though her words were phrased politely, it was a question and not a statement. She’d used a term of endearment for her daughter, but she did not expect the girl to defy her mother.

Evony knew Haley wasn’t fond of the lifestyle she’d chosen for the family, and she wished she’d chosen differently. Evony had always been close to Anthony, their relationship had always been caring and he’d rarely held any resentment for her. But her relationship with Haley always felt slightly strained. Of course she loved her daughter, but she never seemed to quite connect with her in the same way she did with her son.

But tonight, Evony’s family issues were irrelevant. She dealt in sex; that was the plain and simple of it. People came to her to forget their issues and their problems. Her girls would take all that away, in their skimpy dresses and lacy lingerie. They gave the men what they wanted. They created a fantasy, a gloss of perfection that overlaid reality and erased it for a time. Evony didn’t just trade in sex; she traded in an evanescent mirage. The unattainable.

The previous night, Haley had been unable to sleep again. Obviously she had stayed up until at least two or three in the morning, just writing and listening to music. In case anyone could hear her, she decided against playing guitar, though she doubted anyone would have been able to hear her anyways. After awhile she ended up sneaking downstairs to see Jasper, just wearing a long, grey v-neck which she had no doubt he enjoyed. That was never her goal though, pants were just overrated. For a long time she had stayed with him, most of the time just laying there. Unfortunately she couldn't risk someone finding them, or even seeing her sneaking back up to her room, so she ended up having to leave around five. After that she'd passed out on her bed, curled up holding a pillow with a shirt on it instead of a pillowcase.

She didn't sleep for long, but she slept past the time that she was supposed to be up and down at the bar. Everyone there knew that when she actually did sleep, you really shouldn't wake her up. When she finally did get up though, which was around noon, she almost immediately rose and went to get changed. Black jeans, white button-down, and a pair of black sneakers. There was no point in putting on fancy shoes, or at least heels to make her look taller, she would be behind the bar with her brother. The only part they would see of her was waist-up, and the bar was naturally a bit above the floor so she would at least look normal height. Her brother still towered over her though, but that was a given. Then again, everyone towered over her, so it wasn't much of a surprise. It didn't bother her that much, except for the times she was teased about it.

It was around seven that night when she noticed Jasper leave, Not that she had been watching him or anything, but it was hard not to notice him when there was crazy, drunk girls hanging on him all the time. Alright, maybe it wasn't all the time, but it was a good portion of the time. There was nothing she could do about it though, and she knew that he wasn't able to throw them out for something as silly as that. She couldn't say she wasn't pleased when he got away from them though. About a half hour after he had left, to make sure no one even suspected that she was going up to see him, she excused herself from the bar. The man she had been speaking with, or more like flirting with, looked pretty upset that she was leaving.

Going up to her room first, she took a quick shower before going out to read in the sitting room. She didn't want to get ready before her mother told her to, since she didn't want to stay in that uncomfortable dress for longer than she had to. Quicker than she thought though, her mother was telling her to tell everyone else to get ready, and then get prepared herself. "Alright mum," -do I really have to go tonight? There was no way that she wanted to be around tonights happenings, but she wasn't about to question her mother. When the woman had mentioned Jasper her heart has sped up, the same way it always did when her mum mentioned her secret-boyfriend. It wasn't healthy for her to be lying to her mother like this, but she wasn't going to get Jasper in trouble either.

She went into her room and slipped on a black dress and a pair of heels. It took her less than five minutes to get changed, since she hadn't wanted to go down to the girls rooms with a robe on. When she got to their floor she just yelled out that they were to be ready to leave within a half hour, figuring that would be easier than trying to find each and every girl. As she headed towards Jasper's room though, her heart seemed to speed up again, even though her mum had specifically told her to tell him to be ready. When she entered his room he was still in the shower, and though she knew she should probably have just left him a note, instead she went over to his bed to sit and wait for him to be out.

The shower was hot and calmed Jasper's nerves, if only a little. He closed his eyes for a moment until he heard the click of heels enter his room. That meant Haley needed to talk to him. Whether it was instructions from her mother or just something she wanted to say. Whatever it was, Jasper felt obliged to not keep the young woman waiting any longer than she should have to. Jasper cleaned off the rest of the soap that lingered on his muscular body and turned the shower off. He grabbed a towel and dried himself lazily, to then wrap the towel around his waist. He took a moment to look at himself in the mirror. His bare chest had scars on it. The more defined scars lay on his back, out of his view. Each scar held a story, and each story, a memory he wished he could forget.


Jasper grabbed another towel and exited the bathroom with a quiet sigh. He looked up at Haley, who looked absolutely stunning in her dress and heels. She looked amazing, and he just needed a moment to take it all in. He stood in the darkness of his room, a towel around his waist, and one over his head, admiring his love. And though he wanted to smile at her, he knew that his smile would be insincere. Instead, he walked to her, tracking water on the ground. He leaned down over her, and touched her face gently, before giving Haley a kiss. To Jasper, time seemed to stop. It had only been maybe 3 minuted since he exited the shower, but it felt like more. He felt that he had stared at Haley for 15 minutes. Her lovely blue eyes captivated him and her dark hair seemed to come alive and pull him in to her.

The kiss was brief. Nothing to special for Jasper. He kissed her and stepped back. "Gorgeous." Was all Jasper could manage to say. Or all he wanted to say. He wasn't much of a talker. He usually let Haley do all the talking. He was a good listener, and she was a good talker. Jasper pushed his door closed and locked it in order for him to change and for Haley to have a moment to speak her mind. He went through his closet (which didn't hold many clothes), waiting for Haley to speak her mind. Tell him what it was that she came to talk to him about, or if she just want to stare at his naked body while it lasted. For whatever reason, he did not care. She was here and to him, that's all he wanted. Jasper's hair was still wet and the water glistened on his bare skin.

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"Alright, Mum," Haley replied, standing up from her position on the sofa and skulking off to her room. There was no softness to the words, no care or emotion. It was clear Haley didn't want to be there tonight, and Evony hadn't exactly reasoned out to her daughter exactly why she didn't want her staying here without her mother or Jasper, but she still didn't expect such a seemingly cold reception.

With a soft sigh, Evony returned to her own room to get ready. After all, it wouldn't do for her not to be ready when she expected all the girls to be perfectly on time. She changed into a black dress. The garment was fairly simple and classic in style, clinging to her curves right the way down her body, only flaring round her knees to give it a touch of uniqueness. Evony was not usually the type to dress down. She loved picking out something glamorous, emphasising her assets and dressing to create an impression. But tonight was not about showing herself off. Tonight was business, and purely business. Though she needed to blend in with the wealthy feel of the evening, meaning she had to wear something elegant, she also had to remain looking professional. These types of parties were often where she picked up new clients. She was certain there would be men there tonight who's numbers she didn't have in her little black book, and she needed to create a certain image in order to lure them in. What she wore had to say a certain thing, and so the classic black dress was perfect for the occasion. Her jewellery was also simplistic and classic. On her wrist she wore a simple, thick, gold bracelet and in her ears rested studs in an identical shade to her bracelet. Her hair was pulled back off her face to create a businesslike impression, and her make-up was light and natural, except for her eye-liner, which was slightly thicker than usual and her eye-shadow, which was a very pale charcoal colour.

Halfway through applying a thin coat of natural lipstick, Evony froze in front of the mirror, catching the sound of a scream downstairs. She held still for a few moments, but soon she heard voices. She couldn't tell who'd been responsible for the scream, but it was clearly resolved. She slipped her feet into a pair of simple black heels. Though they couldn't be seen under the floor length dress, they gave her additional height on her already relatively tall five foot seven frame. Finally, she checked herself in the full-length mirror, looking herself down for any imperfections. In these situations, image was everything. It could make or break a night, be the difference between earning new clients or losing existing ones.

Remembering she was leaving her son alone with Ray, Evony decided to make certain he was clear on the rules. Besides, since her daughter was being particularly icy with her tonight and she certainly wasn't going to ask any of the girls, she wanted someone's approval on the outfit, and her son was always sweet to her. She exited her room into the main family area, crossing it and knocking on Anthony's door. But there was no answer. She made her way downstairs to find him. But when she reached the second floor, she discovered what the scene was all about. Inside Natasha's room, the owner of the room was standing up from the bed looking a little dishevelled, but thankfully dressed for the evening - which was more than Evony could say for certain other girls... Clara was holding up two dresses, obviously trying to get an opinion.

"The blue one," Evony said to the woman, announcing her entrance to the scene. The blue one would offer more temptation, and pull in the money much faster, Evony was sure of it. She paused before raising her eyebrows, "Is there a problem here?" But she didn't wait for an answer.

Kitten was also ready, and as the Madam flicked her eyes over the girl, taking in her appearance, she realised with a faint smile how much money the baby faced prostitute was going to make her tonight. However, her expression darkened as her eyes fell on Angel. Evony wasn't especially font of the new girl as it was, and her complete disregard for any kind of dignity only riled the woman further.

"Angel," she said coldly, "I hope you're not planning on leaving here like that... I'm sure the longer you spend in this business, you'll come to understand that it's all about temptation; something you haven't quite grasped yet..." Sarcasm dripped from Evony's voice like syrup.

She glanced at her son, the real reason she'd even entered the scene in the first place. "Anthony, a word, please?" she beckoned to him and left the main room to stand by the stairs, to give them some privacy. She didn't glance back to check he was following her, she simply assumed he would.

The sound of the shower being turned off made her breath catch in her throat. Would Jasper be angry at her for coming in his room without his permission? No, of course not, she told herself, you're just being silly. Her own thoughts weren't even comforting her, and she continued to think that he would be upset that she came in his room while he was showering. She should have just gone back to her room when she heard him in the shower, she could have come back later. It wasn't like they were leaving in the next couple minutes, or like Jasper took long showers. He probably would have been out by the time she climbed the stairs back up to her own room. If she wanted, she could probably sneak out now. He would never know she had been in his room.

Before she had a chance to make her escape, though, the bathroom door opened up and revealed a half-naked Jasper. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously, feeling the heat rise in her face and paint her cheeks a rosy color. The only reason that kept her from trying to hide it was that it was already somewhat dark in the room, he must have dimmed the lights before showering, and it wasn't likely that he would catch it. Though the way that he seemed to watch her made her doubt that, but it also made her believe that he might not be mad at her. When he began moving towards her thought, she relaxed completely. If he was angry he likely would have just gone to his closet to get dressed, not bothered to come over to her. The sight of him trailing water on the floor almost made her laugh, that's why you bring your clothes in the room with you, she thought. At least it was what she did, but she knew some of the other girls here sort of just... went around without anything on.

The kiss was expected, but what wasn't was the length of it. Though she told herself not to think much of it, that would just make her seem insecure or something silly like it. He just needed to get dressed. "Thank you." Her smile was clear in her voice, even though Jasper's back was turned to her. "Anyways," she managed, clearing her throat before attempting to speak again. "Momma de la Longine requests that you are ready to leave in forty minutes. Though that was about fifteen minutes ago, so now you have about twenty five minutes." She stood and began towards the door. "Try not to let the girls hang on you too much tonight," she joked, though she did happen to be quite jealous when such things happened.

Haley was quiet for a moment, then finally found her voice. Jasper wondered if he maybe was afraid of him for some reason... He knew that he had a hard time expressing himself, and that would often be the cause of her tense posture. She was so nervous around him. It made him made at himself more than anything else. He froze for a second, thinking about how much he sucked at sharing his thoughts. Jasper was brought back to earth when Haley began to speak again. "Momma de la Longine requests that you are ready to leave in forty minutes. Though that was about fifteen minutes ago, so now you have about twenty five minutes." He heard her footsteps move to the door. "Try not to let the girls hang on you too much tonight," It seemed like she said it as a joke, but know she actually meant it. Jasper tried to keep the girls off him, but he was very soft spoken, and never seemed to say no to them.

He slipped on a white t-shirt quickly and turned around to look at Haley. He wished he could just find his voice to just tell the girls to get off him, but (1) he was too nice to say anything and (2) if anyone had any suspicions of him and Haley, he would be dead. He rubbed the water of his face and shook his hair, then turned back to his closet. "You don't have to leave... you should stay." He said quietly. Jasper wanted her to stay. He wanted her presence near his. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but just wouldn't come out of his mouth. He pulled out a white button down and slipped it on, still only wearing a towel around his waist. He turned to see if his love had left as he buttoned his shirt up. Maybe she had stayed, or left...