As Maggie walked the streets the next night, stopping to bend and look into cars and purr out her cat call, she ran into Juju.
“Hey!” Maggie yelled excitedly, waving from the other side of the road.
Juju was just finishing a deal and looked up to see Maggie. Juju smiled broadly, showing off her insanely sexy smile. “Maggie. Wait there. I’m coming over.”
After selling to her last waiting customer, she trotted across the street. Juju grabbed Maggie around the waist and lifted her off the ground, twirling her around in a circle. Setting her back on her feet again, she looked into Maggie’s magnificent eyes. “You doing OK? Did Armando give you any more trouble?”
“No,” Maggie said gratefully. “He was fine after you left. I guess he was surprised to see that I actually managed to survive the night. So what are you doing?” she asked.
“Um, well, right now, I’m selling dope. It’s what I do, remember?” Juju said, half joking.
“Yeah, I remember. I just wanted to know if you would be around later. I thought maybe we could hang out during the day tomorrow,” Maggie offered, practically holding her breath as she waited for a response.
“Sure, we can hang out. Come by my place in the morning,” she told Maggie.
Maggie sighed deeply. “Sounds great! I have to run. I gotta get my quota.”
Juju looked at Maggie sadly, realizing that she easily could have been forced to sell herself.
Maggie didn’t want any more trouble from Armando, and she had begun to offer regular sex to the johns. She insisted they wear condoms, even though some of the men offered extra money if they didn’t have to use one. She hated every minute of it, but she knew that Seth’s safety depended on her. She wouldn’t do anything that would put him in harm’s way.
It was just before eight the next morning when Maggie knocked on Juju’s apartment door.
“Hey, girl!” Juju said excitedly. “Come on in. Do you want toast?”
“Sure.”
Maggie studied Juju and was amazed by her good looks and physique. Juju had a heart-shaped face and flawless, warm-toned skin, complemented by greenish-blue eyes. Her dark-brown hair had a natural curl, and the shiny strands fell just below her shoulders. She had high cheekbones, the kind Maggie had seen on supermodels, and her upper and lower lips were equally plump. Her smile was vibrant. It lit up her face and invited kisses. While she was only five foot five, her body was lean, and her muscles rippled with every movement.
“I didn’t realize how beautiful you are until now,” Maggie stated, a little embarrassed that she had said the words aloud. Juju had Asian features, yet she looked like the all-American girl. “Are you Asian?” she asked.
Juju giggled. “My mother’s Greek, and my father’s Asian. My grandma on my mom’s side used to tell me I was Grasian.”
“Is Juju your real name?” Maggie wanted to know.
“Nah, my real name is Juliana June, but everyone always called me Juju. I don’t remember anyone ever calling me Juliana. I think Juju fits me better anyway,” she said with confidence.
“I agree. It’s a great name,” Maggie said. “I wish I had a cool name like that. Before I came to Kensington, my best friend, Cali, called me Mags. That’s the closest I’ve ever come to having a nickname.”
“Where’s Cali now?”
“She died,” Maggie told her, tears stinging her eyes. “They put her in a dog cage and drowned her in a pool.”
Juju’s eyes bugged out. “How do you know?”
“Because they made me stand there and watch while they killed her,” she confessed, feeling like she’d failed Cali by not saving her life.
“Who made you watch?” Juju persisted, more than curious about Maggie’s past.
“The people who sold us,” Maggie admitted.
“Wait. Back up. You need to tell me everything,” Juju said, hoping Maggie would share her story.