What's up again everyone? This is my second story. I've been working on this on and off and I'm still having dilemma on what it should really be about.

I mean, I have ideas on how to work with it...but...I guess we'll see, huh?

Enjoy the prologue!

Updated-- Thank you, Aria's Loft, for your suggestions! Ha, even before I posted this I was second think the age thing ;

Love cannot be forced, love cannot be coaxed and teased. It comes out of Heaven, unasked and unsought.

Pearl Sydenstricker Buck

OoO

Prologue

"You can't keep this up, Julie." Kendra said adamantly. She crossed her arms over her chest as she watched her friend continue to put on a hefty amount of eye shadow.

"Yeah, I can." Julie replied moving on to her lipstick. She brought her face closer to her vanity mirror and pursed her large lips as she applied a vivid fire engine red to them.

In vexation, Kendra stamped her foot. "What about John?"

Julie was unfazed. "What about him?"

Kendra was dumbfounded. She moved to make sure Julie could see her in the mirror. "He's your son."

Julie just shrugged. "So?" It was as if Kendra told her the sky was blue. Yeah, John was her son. It's not like Julie was ever proud of that.

Kendra wasn't going stop. She cared too much about Julie and John. "So…you don't think this is going to effect him in anyway?" She said indicating Julie's attire. It consisted of a denim micro-miniskirt, a red tube top, red open-toed heels, and a bunch of gold jewelry.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Julie asked feigning innocence. She smoothed out her skirt. "I think I look sexy."

Kendra rolled her eyes. "I mean your so-called 'job'." Kendra raised her voice a bit. She knew Julie had a thick skull. Any chance of getting your point across to her was small unless you took a megaphone and yelled right into her ear. "At his age, I mean, if I saw my mother with a different man every night—"

"Shut the fuck up, Kendra." Julie snapped, cutting her off. She didn't want to go through another one of Kendra's "How You're Not A Good Mother" speech. All she did was ask the woman to babysit again. She didn't say anything remotely about needing another lecture. "I do what I do to support myself and his little ass. Besides, it's not like I bring my clients over here anyway." Julie gave her friend a glare before she got up from her vanity and went to the small drawer by her bed. Why couldn't Kendra just butt out? She thought as she opened the drawer.

Why is she so hardheaded? Kendra wondered as she followed Julie. She watched as her friend rummaged through the mess. Maybe she could talk her out of going tonight and they could have fun like they used to. "Hey, forget about turning tricks tonight." She said, her voice warm and friendly. "Let's just, I don't know, catch a movie. "

Julie groaned. "Shit, Kendra, I know what you're trying to do." She finally found the box of condoms. She got up from the bed and went to her closet.

Kendra wanted to scream. Since John was in the next room sleeping, she kept it hushed. "Dammit, Jules! I'm sick of watching after John night after fearful night wondering if his mom will come home or not."

A twang of fear hit Julie as her mind floated back to a previous night with one of her johns. That one almost cost Julie her life. Any sensible woman would be afraid to go out prostituting after an incident like that. But Julie loved sex. She loved the feeling of ecstasy she felt and how her troubles would just seem to melt away.

So, to make sure she could "safely" keep doing what she loved (and perhaps needed?), she took care to carry a gun with her.

Kendra noticed the look of horror on her friend's face. "Julie…what's the matter?"

Julie quickly squelched her thoughts. She looked to Kendra and yelled, "Fuck, Ken! Stop worrying!" She ruthlessly pulled out a short red down jacket. She could feel the weight of her concealed weapon within it.

"Lower your voice! John's in the other room…"

Julie batted her hand at her Kendra's remark. "He's three! He can't understand anything."

Kendra sighed then quietly said, "…He's five."

Julie grinned. "See? I could care less about that little fucker." She replied as she slowly put on her jacket. She grabbed a matching leather purse and placed the box of condoms inside before heading over to the door.

Before she left, she turned to Kendra one last time and said warmly, "I know you're worried about me. But I'll be fine."

Kendra looked down at her sneakers. They were only in college, for Christ sake! The only problems they were suppose to have was just passing exams or what shoes would they wear to Marc's next party. Dealing with your best friend's ignored motherhood and her promiscuous activities were the last thing Kendra wanted to worry about.

Kendra desperately tried to think of something to say; something to stop her.

But when she looked up, Julie had already left.