Susie Harper graduated from high school in the upper third of her 1984 class, but it wasn’t enough to earn her a scholarship. Fights with her family ended one day when she packed up her clothes and left. She got lucky, landing a job right away in Chicago as a copy assistant at Doyle Dane Bernbach. Things were good for a while until DDB lost the Polaroid account.
Susie was one of the dozens who got the dreaded pink slip. It had been 3 weeks since the layoff, and Susie was getting desperate. She was behind on bills, and Evelyn, her roommate, announced she was moving out. That night, Susie looked at the want ads one more time.
TELEPHONE ENTERTAINERS WANTED
Full/Part-time. National telecommunications firm seeks creative individuals with expressive voices for a new phone entertainment service.
No experience necessary. We will train.
Professional office environment.
$4.00–$9.00/hr. + Bonuses.
Must be 18+
Call Mr. Sterling at 555-0987 for an interview.
The next morning, she called and quickly scheduled an interview. That afternoon, Susie followed Mr. Sterling’s directions to the West Loop office. The area was run-down meatpacking by day, a skid row at night, and rarely patrolled by police. Mr. Sterling showed her the floor where she overheard the “fantasy conversations.”
Susie was not sure she wanted to do it, but she needed the paycheck. Before she accepted the offer, Sterling brought in a couple of the other women. They were nice, and they let her know they were solid about leaving work together, safety in numbers after work. Sometimes they all went to the Greek Connection for a bite before walking to the L line.
Suzie sat with Sarah, who showed her the ropes. First, she listened, and afterward they dissected the call. It was Susie’s turn. Sarah listened in and was ready to jump in if Susie started to flounder. As it turned out, Susie was a natural. Within weeks, she paid off her debts, paid rent in advance, and began saving. She promptly gained a steady group of repeat callers. Both callers and operators saw Susie as the perfect innocent girl who was also very, very dirty.
oOo
Sterling prowled the floor. He needed 4 girls. Susie was the first choice, but Sterling chose five more. He dropped a note for all of them to log off the phones and meet him in the conference room.
Susie, known on the phones as Roxanne, sat at the far end of the conference table, unsure of what was happening. These were top operators, and there was no way they were all getting fired.
Sterling stood near the other end of the table, next to a poster board that read:
MIDNIGHT CONNECTIONS — LIVE. LOCAL. LONELY NO MORE. The number was written in thick black marker. Sterling clapped his hands once, getting everyone’s attention.
“Ladies. First off, you’re doing fantastic. We’re up thirty percent from March. That’s all you.”
The girls exchanged uneasy glances. One gave a sly grin, another flicked at her nails without looking up. Susie kept her face blank, lips pressed tight.
“Now,” Sterling said, “We have an opportunity. You have seen those Ginsu Knives deals on TV, the ones that are half an hour long? We have an opportunity like that. I have room for four, and I’ve picked six of you. It will be on public access, which has just expanded its late-night block. Midnight to two. Dead air right now. Which means we can go on.”
A buzz.
“On like… talking?” This is from Tiffany.
Susie cut in, voice flat. “Seen, Tiff. We’d be on the TV.”
“Exactly right,” Sterling replied, pointing at Susie. He started flipping the poster board page.
There was a sketch of a couch. A neon sign hanging behind. A Victorian-style phone on a small table.
Sterling continued, “You will rotate time on the couch. You’ll introduce yourself, drop the number. We will show another of you on the phone, make it look like you are home, dressed sexy, waiting for the call. You will talk to customers like you do, act like it’s busy, and make them feel like they need to call or miss out. Keep it sexy but clean.”
Marissa frowned. “You will show our faces?”
The room tightened. Some women shifted in their seats or crossed their arms, nervous at the idea. Sterling nodded calmly, acknowledging their concern.
“Girls, it will show after midnight on public access. Cable 23. Trust me, the only people watching are the ones we want watching.”
Susie spoke. “And what if somebody we don’t want to see is watching?”
Sterling didn’t miss a beat.
“That’s why we stylize you and the commercial,” Sterling assured.
He walked to a garment rack in the corner and pulled a plastic cover away.
Underneath were metallic jackets, off-shoulder sweaters, lace gloves, two small masquerade masks, teased wigs in various colors, and long lingerie.
“It’s dress up. New wave. Big hair. Dramatic makeup. Think MTV.” He pulled out a cobalt nightgown and held up a lace mask. “Think mystery,” he put them in the middle of the table.
“If you want more anonymity, we’ll lean into it. Romance vibe. Shadow lighting. Diffusion filters. Nobody’s seeing you at the grocery store and going Hey, that’s her.”
Lila wondered, “You promise?”
Sterling straightened. “We shoot soft focus, backlight, colored gels. You’ll look like music videos. You get to see it before we air.” Some of the girls laughed anxiously.
“What about names?” Tiffany piped up.
“Stage names only,” Sterling said, stressing her stage name. “You’re not you. You’re the fantasy version of you.”
He fixed his gaze on Susie. “Roxanne is one of the most popular. We lead with her, and you, Lila.”
All eyes shifted to Susie. She squirmed under their stares, feeling the attention.
Susie asked, “And the pay?”
Sterling widens his smile. “Three hundred flat for the shoot. Half-day. Plus, premium-hour scheduling for all participants.”
Wow, several thought. Three hundred is real money.
Marissa asked, “No reruns forever, right?”
“We cycle it for three months. After that, we reshoot, maybe with you or with another set of girls.
Susie studied the mask in his hand. “You said soft lighting.”
“Very soft.”
“And we can say no to anything that feels… off?”
“You’re in control of your persona. You will get to see how you appear.”
“Look, right now you’re voices. This will make you stars, not just operators.” Sterling let that hang a moment.
Tiffany reached toward the wigs, intrigued. Lila pondered, her brows furrowed, deep in thought. Marissa’s face blanched with terror. Susie fixed her gaze on the neon sign sketch. Seen. The word stuck. She imagined flipping channels, someone recognizing her laugh. She also pictured not doing it, and someone else becoming the face of the company instead.
Karen stood, having remained silent. “I’m sorry, I’m out.”
Marissa stood as well. “Sorry, I can’t risk my family seeing it.”
Sterling looked at the four remaining girls. “We shoot Friday night. Wardrobe and makeup at eight. Camera at nine-thirty. Airs the following week.”
oOo
Friday night arrived, and the atmosphere felt heavy.
The office’s back half became ‘Midnight.’ Black curtains covered cabinets. A velvet couch sat beneath warm lights. The neon MIDNIGHT CONNECTIONS sign glowed pink and green.
A makeup artist teased Susie’s red hair and painted her eyes bold cobalt and silver. Under the lights, she didn’t look like herself. Susie thought she looked like an MTV dancer. Sterling hovered, reassuring and energetic.
“Soft focus. Diffusion filter. Beautiful. Trust me. It’s dreamy.”
Susie sat on the couch, reclining on the arm. One leg was exposed through the split in the crimson nightgown, with the silver high heel showing in the frame. She looks deeply into the camera.
She pitched her voice deeper than normal, sultry, and dripping. She purrs, “Hey… It’s Roxanne. I was hoping you’d find me tonight.” A breathy pause.
“If you’re awake, maybe it’s because something’s missing. Maybe you need someone who listens to you. I like the ones who have a lot to say to me. Tell me what’s on your mind. Tell me what you can’t say to someone else,” she enticed.
She picked up a wine glass of thinned apple juice that looked like white wine. She sipped, showing fuck me eyes over the rim.
“I’ll make it easy. Just pick up the phone. Call me… and let’s stay up together.” The phone rang. Roxanne answered, “This is Roxanne.” She cupped the receiver and said, “Call me soon.”
The video cut; the camera panned over to Lila, sprawled on another couch. You hear the girl’s voice, though her words are lost beneath a delightful laugh. They rotated through the shoot like clockwork.
One girl on the couch, leaning toward the lens, voice warm and inviting, slowly reciting the number. Cut.
Back to Susie, now Roxanne, lace mask in place, fingers gliding along the phone cord while she holds eye contact with the camera just a second too long.
“Call me tonight.”
The red lights on the cameras go out. By 11:15, it’s done.
Watching the tape, the girls were unrecognizable. Soft lighting and masks made Susie mysterious; she barely recognized herself on screen. Which was exactly the point.
oOo
A month into the new promotion, Susie was 10 minutes late.
“Susie.” She froze. “In Here.” Sterling’s voice was firm.
“Sorry, Sir, I am late…”
He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about that. Sit down. You’ve become… popular.”
Susie crossed her arms. “Is that good or bad?”
“Very good. You are near the top with repeat callers. exceptional retention. A few of our premium clients have been asking if you’re available… off the phone.” Sweat beaded on Sterling’s forehead.
Susie asked, “Off the phone, how?”
Sterling finally sat. “Companionship. Dinner, parties, and travel sometimes. You would be arm candy. Private bookings. Always discreet. Very upscale.” He said it as if it were a corporate consulting job.
“You are asking me to be an escort.”
Sterling did not correct her.
He took a breath. “Selective clients only. Doctors. Finance guys. Out-of-town executives. They pay for time. Conversation. Company.”
Susie’s stare was hard. “And?” She holds his gaze. “Let’s not pretend we’re talking about dinner conversation.”
Silence.
Sterling exhales, nodding once. “What happens between two adults is their business. The arrangement is for your time. What you agree to, or don’t, is up to you.”
She studies him carefully. Susie shifted in the chair. “And if I say no?”
“Then it’s no. You still have your regular hours.” Sterling leaned back.
“But if you say yes… we’re talking more money.”
Susie straightened. “Define more.”
“Five hundred for an evening. A grand for overnight. Susie, I won’t lie. It’s not just your work. You are simply beautiful.”
Her breath changed. Five hundred is more than a week of phone shifts. “How often?”
Sterling said, “As often as you want. Some girls do two nights a week. Some once a month. Some decide it’s not for them.” He slid a small index card across the desk. A hotel name was neatly written, along with the name Mr. Harrison Schmidt.
Sterling smiled tightly. “Tomorrow. Dinner downtown. He requested you specifically.”
She stared at the card. “You said selective.”
“Absolutely. Full background checks. You don’t go anywhere unsafe.”
A long silence.
“And if I walk out halfway through?”
“Then you walk out. You keep the deposit. No one chases you.” Sterling grew almost paternal. “You’re smart, Susie. You’re already doing half the work on the phone. This is just… taking control.”
She almost laughed. She finally picks up the card. Turned it over in her fingers. “If I do this, it’s my rules. The money is for my time, not my body.”
“I will make that clear. If they ask for sex, the negotiation is up to you.” He opened the door. “Think about it. Let me know by the end of the shift.”
She thought about the commercial. About seeing herself on that fuzzy TV. How easy it had been to become Roxanne under hot lights and makeup.
This would be different, wouldn’t it? She slipped the card into her purse. “I’ll do it. And I’ll need a dress.”
He handed her an envelope and suggested the type of dress she should wear. He sent her home with her base pay for the night.
The next day was a blur. She picked up a wash-out red hair dye and a midnight blue silk evening gown. She was appalled to have spent her entire down payment on the outfit. Returning home, her car jerked hard to the right. She managed to get off to the side of the road without wrecking. As she stepped out, she saw she had a flat tire. She stressed out; she didn’t have time to deal with a delay like this.
A pickup truck pulled over behind her, and a tall blonde man got out. “Flat?” she nodded. “Got a spare?”
Susie shrugged, still beginning to panic. He went around the car, fished the keys out of the ignition, and opened the trunk. Barely saying a word, he changed the tire and put the flat in the back.
Susie stood there, jaw dropped open. No one is this nice, she thought over and over.
“All set.” The stranger said.
“My God,” Susie exclaimed. “I don’t have a lot…” he put his hand over hers. “If you want to pay me, let me buy you dinner.” Susie looked up at him, eyes brimming. “I’d love-” she stopped mid-sentence. “God, I have dinner plans already.”
Panic and frustration overwhelmed Susie’s control, and she started to cry. He gathered her in his arms for a moment. Then released her. He pulled out his wallet and handed her a card.
Daniel Flanigan, Davis Engineering Consultants, (312) 555-0098
He wrote a second number down. “Home. Call anytime”
She smiled, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “It’s a date.”
She was still on edge until she got home. In the bath, she began to relax. She closed her eyes and thought about Daniel. How good it felt when he held her. Susie began touching herself. Her finger circled her clit, the bath oils helping to lubricate. Her body arched as she began a steady pace of fingers penetrating her sex. She envisioned Daniel, a large cock eagerly driving inside her.
Susie gasped, “Daniel,” and she came.
Shaking, she slipped under the water, soaking her hair. She got out of the tub and picked up the dye box. An hour later, she sat on her bed, blow-drying her now red hair.
oOo
La Tour Restaurant Saturday, 5:00 p.m.
La Tour was floored by pink marble flagstones; everything else was green, and Susie felt like she was in a greenhouse. The dining area’s front featured a two-story glass wall. All the tables were occupied. At her elbow, the hostess materialized.
“Miss?”
She smoothed her midnight blue dress, elegant, not flashy. Her hair was down tonight. No mask. Her makeup was polished but restrained. She looked older than she was. “I believe Mr. Schmidt is expecting me.”
“Of course. Please,” she gestured for her to follow.
When she approached, he stood, the consummate gentleman. Silver hair. Tailored charcoal suit. Perfect posture. Late forties, maybe early fifties. She caught the glance from the hostess. The small smile. The quick assessment. She thinks we are Father and daughter. Susie felt it like static.
“Roxanne.” His voice was warm, practiced. He took her hand, then held her chair.
Dinner was… easy.
He ordered wine that tasted like nothing Susie had ever had. They talked about music, books, and travel. A not-so-subtle hint from Harrison that he was going to Palm Beach. Susie was impressed that he actually listened to her. She was still trying to figure out which of her clients he was; the voices were so different through a headset. He told her about Paris and his early deals that scared him. He didn’t stare at her cleavage; he watched her face.
At one point, he says quietly: “You are younger than I expected.”
“The staff thinks you are my father.”
They both smiled.
By dessert, the pianist had shifted to a slower piece. The restaurant was thinning out. The bill came, and he paid without looking. The money left was double the price of the meal. Outside, the night air was cool. A black sedan idled at the curb. There was a pause.
“My suite is at the Drake.” He says it gently, not demanding.
Roxanne met his eyes. This is the moment Sterling meant. “I’m not going with you.”
He looked at her, not offended. “Five hundred.”
The number hung there. Five hundred.
She swallowed. “You paid for my evening already.”
“For dinner.” It wasn’t a question. “This is for your… time,” Harrison smiled.
A long silence.
The car engine hums softly behind him.
She thought about how pleasant the evening had been. How normal. How transactional it still felt.
“Five hundred. And I’m going home tonight.”
Everything about the Drake was luxurious. The room was a suite. They kissed, and her dress slipped to the floor. He asked her to kneel, and she took him out of his pants, a five-inch cock straining forward. She took him in her mouth, bobbing back and forth. Harrison gave a peculiar sigh, and a trace of recognition entered her mind. Susie reached between his legs and probed his ass. His moan confirmed it.
She stopped sucking his cock, and knelt on the bed. Slowly, she slid her panties down as he finished stripping. Her nipples were so hard she felt like they were going to explode. She rolled to her ass, and Harrison slid the panties down her legs.
“You have a toy?” she purred. His eyes flicked to the nightstand drawer. He lay on the bed as Roxy withdrew the vibrator. She straddled his head and slid the vibe home. “Do I call you Harrison or Eddie, like on the phone?”
“Harrison, Miss,” he said, sounding meek.
“This toy feels so good, Harrison.” She slammed it in like she was getting fucked hard. She was beginning to drip down her legs, and Harrison made no attempt to touch her. “I think it’s ready,” Roxanne announced. She moved down the bed. As she did, Harrison rolled over, face down, his knees holding his ass in the air. Roxy fit the wet vibe to his asshole. She eased it in, but didn’t stop till it was buried. He moaned. She began to slide it in and out of his ass.
“You like Roxy’s cock, don’t you?”
Harrison groaned. She leaned over, licking his face, pumping him slowly. “Am I going to make you cum like this? Or do you want to show me how much of a man you are and fuck me?”
Roxy was into this. She remembered him clearly now, how the roleplay often went. She had full control. She could tell that if she pumped his ass with the vibe much longer, he would cum. Satisfactory to him, not to her. She felt a burning inside to make his money worth it. She flipped the script. She stretched out beside him.
“Eat my cunt.”
Harrison hesitated, then dove into Roxanne’s pussy. His tongue lashed out, driving deep into her, lapping up her juices. He pulled on her labia with his fingers and then circled her clit with his tongue. He pinched, sucked, and dragged his teeth. Stars were beginning to explode for Roxy.
“Fuck yes! Oh fuck, Baby. God, you know how to eat my cunt!”
She was on the edge when he stopped, rose between her legs, and used his hand to spank Roxy’s clit with the head of his cock. She began to convulse, and Harrison drove his cock as deep as it could go.
“Fuck me! Fuck me!” Roxy screamed.
Her contracting muscles gripped and stroked him as he drove fast and hard into her. She was done. He slammed into her one final time, and his balls began to empty into her. Roxy felt every burst of cum flood her pussy. Harrison rolled off her. Using her tongue, she cleaned his cock and balls.
She felt a little life stirring, so she took him in her mouth and began to slowly suck his cock back to life. When she had him fully erect, she stopped sucking his cock. Roxy looked up at him and asked where he wanted to finish. His response was to tell her to get on her hands and knees.
Roxy took him from behind, his cock driving into her, but he was not fucking her hard, just a deep stroke. Roxy reached under and played with her clit and let his balls drag on her fingers with each thrust. If he didn’t cum too soon, Roxy would be able to orgasm a second time.
Harrison began fucking her harder, his hips slapping against her ass. Roxy came, her pussy milking Harrison’s cock. He unloaded in her tight cunt again. He pulled out, and Roxy once again sucked and licked him clean.
“We taste good together.”
Roxanne slipped out of bed, gathered her things, and slipped into the bathroom. She washed and dressed, making sure she was presentable before leaving the hotel. Reaching for her purse, she noticed the envelope beside her clutch. She glanced at him, and he nodded. He had slipped under the covers. She went to the bed and tucked him in, kissing him on the cheek.
“Thank you,” and she slipped out of the room.
She got home around 10. Daniel’s card was on the table. Susie considered a shower, but ran a bath. She brought the phone to the bathtub, settled in, and dialed.
Hi… Daniel? It’s Susie. From the flat tire.”
A pause… then a smile she could hear through the line.
“Well, that’s the best wake-up I’ve had in a while.”
She leaned back, water lapping softly against porcelain. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“You did. I’m not mad about it.”
Another pause. Neither of them seemed willing to break it too quickly.
“You sound different,” he said.
Her fingers tightened around the cord. “Different from what?”
“From how I imagined you would sound calling me.”
She almost slipped into Roxy, the smooth, warm tone she used at work.
Instead, she said, quieter, “I didn’t rehearse.” The confession surprised both of them.
He chuckled. “Good. I don’t think I could compete with rehearsed.”
She moved, and he heard the splash of water.
“Are you in the bath?”
“Yes.”
Five heartbeats of silence. “I suddenly feel overdressed for this conversation,” he said.
She smiled to herself. “You’re fine.”
“What made you call, Susie?”
“I wanted to see if you were real outside of the highway,” she said finally. “It felt a little… surreal.”
“And?”
“You answered.”
He didn’t speak immediately. When he did, his voice was gentler. “I was hoping you would call.”
Her chest tightened unexpectedly. This was already different from the hundreds of conversations she could control without thinking.
“So,” he said carefully, “what do we do now?”
She let her toes break the surface, watching the ripples. “I think,” she said, “we talk long enough to decide whether dinner would be awkward.”
“And what’s the verdict?”
She hesitated, “Still undecided.”
“Then we should keep talking.”
For the first time that night, she relaxed. “Okay,” she said softly. “Tell me something true about you, Daniel.”
oOo
The next morning, Susie called Daniel at work and asked what he had in mind for dinner so she could dress accordingly. After scrubbing her hair several times to get the red dye out, she swung by work, and Ms. Davis, the day manager, greeted her warmly. “Mr. Schmidt was very pleased with you. He would like to see you again.”
“I will have to think about that. I want whoever selects ‘Dates’ to send me the details before anyone says yes. I don’t want to repeat the daddy-daughter date like last night very often. And I want to hear the phone call recording so I know who the hell the guy is.”
Ms. Davis jotted the requests down. “Fair enough. We should have a list for you on Monday, alright?”
Susie turned to leave when Ms. Davis said, “Sue.” Susie looked back. She was holding an envelope.
“Oh, thanks,” Susie said, taking the payment. She had left her car at home and opted to take the L. She walked back to the train and got off at a stop closer to the city center. She then flagged down a cab and walked into the building housing Davis Engineering. A pretty brunette receptionist greeted her.
“Daniel Flanigan, please.”
The girl picked up the phone and dialed an extension. “Mr. Davis, is Dan still with you? he has a visitor.” She listened a moment and hung up. She indicated a couch. “Please, have a seat. Dan will be here in a minute.”
They evaluated each other coolly. Two men came through the reception room, both stopping in their tracks as they saw Susie.
“Hi, I’m Tony. How can I help you, Miss…”
“She’s waiting for Dan.”
The men retreated, but Susie caught the “Holy crap, she’s so frigging FINE!” from one of them. The minute of waiting turned into ten, and every man in the firm found a reason to wander through for a look. Eventually, Dan appeared with an older man, obviously his boss, Mr. Davis.
Dan’s eyes widened in surprise. “Susie!”
Her eyes darted back and forth between the men, an impish look filling her face.
“Why did you keep the mother of your child waiting, honey?” She said with just the right touch of innocence.
“Flanigan?” Mr. Davis said, shocked. Dan stood there, stuttering.
“I’m just teasing, Sir. Dan rescued me yesterday.”
Davis stared at her, then broke into laughter. He slapped Dan on the back and extended his hand to Susie.
“Ken Davis.” His eyes never leaving Susie’s, he shook her hand and said, “She’s a keeper, Flanigan. Funny AND beautiful.” he grinned. “And if he bores you, my dear, call me.” He excused himself, and Dan escorted her to his office.
“What are you doing here, Susie?”
She pouted. “You don’t want me here?”
“I didn’t say that, but…” She put her finger on his lips.
“You haven’t kissed me,” she said as she closed the door.
“I didn’t know we were at the kissing stage.”
Dan gathered her in his arms and found her lips willing.
“So much better than I imagined,” she sighed. “Can we go to dinner now? Or should I resign myself to a takeout pizza?”
They left and went to a fairly upscale restaurant. She was stunning in an angora off-the-shoulder sweater, a wide belt, a leather skirt, lace stockings, and stiletto pumps. They talked, asking all the get-to-know-you questions. The only evasion was when he asked Susie what she did. She shrugged and said she worked in a call center.
She smiled. “You literally saved my life. I feel I really owe you.”
“All I did was change a tire.”
She took his hand. “Any other guy would have taken every dime I had. maybe taken more.”
The conversation grew intimate, talking about past lovers, some preferences in bed, and some things they wanted to try. The waitress appeared and placed the bill on the table. Dan left enough to cover it and a healthy tip.
They walked to his truck. “My place, or yours?” Dan asked.
“Mine, sadly, I have to work tonight.”
To Be Continued
