“Looking for a good time—father?”
The question echoes in Nathan’s mind as he glances at the young woman. She is in her late teens, or at least that is what he chooses to believe. Like so many young women, runaways, who ended up in the big city with dreams of becoming an actress, she had probably turned to prostitution to feed herself.
It had been some time since Nathan had entertained the thought of having sex, and even longer since he had actually been with a woman. “I don’t have any money,” he said studying her face. She was pretty, maybe even beautiful, he thought to himself? Under the heavy makeup and dark circles around her eyes, probably from drug use, she was beautiful.
“Are you really a priest?” she asked looking as if the answer really didn’t matter to her.
Nathan thought about that as they stood looking at one another. Yes, he wore the clothes of a priest, had been trained as a priest, and for the past twenty years had lived the life of a priest. So much had been sacrificed throughout those years because of one fleeting moment in time—one gut reaction—one mistake that changed his life forever.
Not so unlike this young woman, he thought to himself, who stood before him propositioning a man dressed as a priest. She had at some point made the decision to leave the life she had behind. And because of that, and for whatever reason, that one decision became her mistake. Now, here they stood. A woman dressed as a prostitute propositioning a man dressed as a priest and all Nathan could manage was, “Are you really a prostitute?”
“Yes,” she said without hesitation, but you could tell she wasn’t proud of it.
“Then I’m a priest,” said Nathan. As he turned to walk away she reaches out to him brushing his arm with her hand and says, “Maybe we can help each other?”
Considering what she was saying Nathan asks, “How?”
Looking up with at him with her eyes and head tilted down she slides her index finger into the V-neck of her top and softly pulls it to one side exposing her self just a little to entice him. “I can do something for you if you will do something for me?”
For the first time Nathan can see the street smart prostitute side of this young woman. She has made her target and will use her assets, her only assets, to reel him in. The shy innocent young woman with hopes and dreams of becoming a famous actress and owning this town had been replaced by the homeless junkie turned to prostitution to support her habit.
Just as he had come to New Eden twenty years ago with the prospect of saving souls and had his hopes dashed when the only souls he was saving didn’t deserve it in his opinion. Now, here he was faced again with yet another soul that needed saving, yet another soul that had made her own bed and should have to lie in it—or be buried with it.
So why shouldn’t he get something out of it for a change? After all, once he took off the clothes that made him a priest wasn’t just the man left? He had given so much without expectation since becoming a priest, and they had all accepted without offering restitution. This time was different, though, this time the restitution was coming in anticipation of his help. No matter what she wanted of him he would accept her offer first. “Ok.” He said, spoken simply and direct without even a hint of regret in his voice. “Where do we go from here?”
“I have a room in this building.” She says looking behind her, as she reaches for Nathan’s hand and leads him through the entrance.
There had been a slight breeze outside making the night air cool and bearable, but there was no breeze inside this building. No air conditioning, no fans—not even an open window. This building, like so many older buildings in the city, had that dank feel and musky smell, like mold, urine and rat feces all mixed in some gruesome concoction and sprayed on the walls and floors. There was no elevator, of course, and the stairs creaked and moaned with every step.
As they made their way toward the fifth floor Nathan began to wonder about his decision. After all, what sort of woman would proposition a priest in the first place? This woman, this whore had a lot of nerve to approach him during this most vulnerable time in his life. He had been struggling with being a priest for some time and this day had been particularly difficult. When he ran out into the street to get away he never imagined it would end up like this. As a matter of fact he could barely remember the confrontation that had caused his hurried exit.
Purging that thought from his mind he again focused on the young lady leading him up the stairs. She had managed to get a few steps ahead of him and for the first time he turned his attention to her body. The short tight red mini she wore hid very little of her shapely figure. Her long legs were very toned like that of a gymnast or runner. A firm tight ass filled out the back of the dress, and with no panty lines he imagined she was wearing a thong or no panties at all. Strong shoulders and toned arms led him to believe she had been an athlete.
In his younger days, before he became a priest, even before he became, became what lead him to the priesthood in the first place, he had liked that kind of woman. He himself had been an athlete. In high school and college he had his pick of women, mostly cheerleaders or high society types, always beautiful, always built.
She fumbled for her keys in the little clutch purse she carried with her. Nathan wondered why she even bothered to lock the door. It was weak, cracked in several places, and wouldn’t take too much effort to break down if someone really wanted to. She opened the door to her apartment, if it was even hers. He presumed it belonged to her pimp or dealer and was used by several girls on any given night.
It was a small corner apartment. The kitchen was a single counter along the side facing the alley. The living area faced the main street and had a fold out couch and a double window that looked down on the street. The opposite wall had a bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower. The hardwood floors were scratched and worn with small colorful, but dirty throw rugs of various shapes and sizes scattered about the floor like giant pieces of confetti leftover from some long forgotten celebration. Other than the fold out couch the compact apartment was completely absent of furniture. No table to eat at, no chairs to sit in, and no television to watch. It was clear this space had a singular purpose.
“Make yourself comfortable—father,” she said in an innocent childlike voice Nathan imagined it turned most of her clients on. That, coupled with her youthful appearance gave the illusion of an under age girl. As he studied her closer he thought this may not be an illusion at all. He would put that thought out of his mind. An agreement had been made. There would be an exchange. She would give herself freely to him and in return he would help her—with—something.
“But what?” Nathan thought to himself. He hadn’t considered what her request might be. At this point it didn’t matter. After what he had been through today not much of anything mattered to him anymore. Nathan made his way over to the pull-out bed and sat at the foot facing the young woman. She had just turned off the light and was moving slowly toward him unbuttoning her top with every step. He would get what he came for, and then honor her request. As her top hit the floor, and her knee rested on the bed, she leaned forward and whispered into Nathan’s ear, “Forgive me Father, for I have sinned…”
“Forgive me Father, for I have sinned...” The words repeated themselves in rapid succession over and over again in Nathan’s head. So much so that Nathan loses complete focus on the situation at hand. As she pulls his jacket back over his shoulders the next five words she speaks don’t even register with Nathan at all—that is until he feels the sudden stabbing pain in his right side. “I have killed many men.”she had said.
Her attack had been shrewd, indeed. After binding his arms with his own jacket she had plunged a long needle sharp hairpin deep into his side. He knew she had targeted the kidney, which she would have hit if it wasn’t for the fact Nathan’s right kidney had been removed as a result of a gunshot wound. His misfortune would become her ultimate mistake.
The pain brought him back to reality, and just in time. The second hairpin, this time aimed at Nathan’s left kidney, had just pierced the skin when he reached across and grabbed her wrist to stop the attack. With a powerful snap of his arm Nathan slings the young woman off the bed and she slams to the floor a few feet away from the fold-out bed. Nathan stands and rolls his shoulders forward to pull the coat back up into place. Reaching to his right side he pulls the long needle sharp hairpin slowly out of the wound. Holding it up he eyes it and a trickle of blood—his blood—runs down the length.
The young woman, clutching her shoulder, which is obviously dislocated, slowly gets to her feet in front of him. “You won’t kill me … I know you won’t!” voice cracking as she speaks, “You’re a God damn priest … you—won’t—kill—me!”
Nathan eyes her as he steps closer, “You’re correct” he says looking her dead in the eyes, “I will not be responsible for your death tonight.”
In obvious pain, tears welling up in her eyes, she still manages a slight, but relieved smile.
“The fall will kill you!” Nathan says. Even before the words had finished departing his lips Nathan had lunged forward and clamped his powerful right hand around her throat with such force her feet left the floor. Continuing the same motion Nathan twists his body back toward the fold-out under the window; the woman’s feet whirling around slightly behind her body. Nathan takes one great step toward the window and hurls the prostitute forward like a human shot put. Her body first levels out and then folds over with arms and legs out-stretched as her back smashes through the window.
Whether from pure shock, or utter disbelief, the young woman never manages to scream until just before her body crashes five stories into the pavement below.
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