The next few weeks at the club seemed to dull her senses until she felt as though she were just an animal at their disposal. It seemed that she was the target for all their sadism, but the girls assured that this would pass as soon as they found another new girl for the ranks. The new girls always got the roughest time, because of the novelty, but once they became hardened into the routine it was no longer any fun for the men, because they couldn't get the same horrified reaction to their sexual depravities from them.
She was allowed to stay at the hotel for the time being until they could find an empty place for her with one of the other girls, but she wished that she could have moved immediately, because Raoul was paying her nightly visits and his aberrations in sex were unbelievable. She never knew that people could get their lacks in such cruel and perverse ways. She had lost track of the things she had made her do to him and the things he had done to her in return. The worst part was with each nightly session he had made her drink more and more of the lust inspiring absinthe until she was groveling at his body like a wild bitch in heat and actually enjoyed the lewd perversities he would then foist upon her own helpless body.
She knew that she would never be able to leave the island unless they released her, and she knew that that was not likely, at least not until they had so broken her down that she was no good to them anymore, and even then, she knew too much for it to really be safe.
She had been in Nassau for over three weeks and still no word from Jim, at least as far as she knew. Raoul would probably not give her any mail that arrived for her anyway. On one occasion she had tried to place a call to the states, but she had been caught and the punishment that they gave her was not worth another try. She knew that her parents would be wondering what had happened to her and she tried to threaten them with this, but they had an answer for everything. Each week, the girls who worked at the club were forced to sit down and write to their relatives and tell them what a marvelous time they were having, how much they liked their jobs and not to worry. The letters were, of course, written under the supervision of William, Hugo or Mr. Ward if he was in town, and mailed by them to the states.
Life had become a terrifying routine and each day she tried to steel herself for some new atrocity. She knew that she was fighting a syndicate and that there was little hope, but she couldn't give up.
Finally, one day when she was having a drink in the bar at the hotel before she went to the club she heard someone call her name. She ignored it at first, thinking that it must be Raoul and he wanted a quickie before she left, so she didn't turn around and continued to sip on her drink. She had been drinking quite a bit since she arrived there for it was the only way to get through the nights in the club.
"Hey snob," the voice said again, and this time she turned around, but Hugo was watching her, so she knew that anything she did would be reported.
She couldn't believe her eyes, it was a friend of Jim's who had worked in the same office with her. Maybe this was her chance to get off the island, but she couldn't tell him what was going on or else he, too, may end up in the same mess.
"Stan… Stan McArthur, what are you doing here?" She had to watch what she said, because Hugo had not taken his eyes off of her since Stan had walked in. He pulled up a chair and motioned to Hugo to bring her another drink and, "Bring me a vodka and tonic, no lime," he said.
"Why didn't you come back to the office? Everyone's been wondering what happened to you and no one seems to know and Jim won't talk about it. He said that he had gotten a note from you, but that was all? Are you in trouble… can I help?"
She was tempted to spill the whole story, but it sounded so incredible that she was sure he would think that she had completely cracked and then it would just be worse for her.
"No, nothing's wrong," she lied. "I just felt I needed a break and I've found a job here and am very happy. I may come back some time, but not in the near future."
She said it loud enough for Hugo to hear her answer and he smiled threateningly at her, then went back to the bar.
"You look awfully thin. Candy," he continued. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"
"-No, Stan, there's nothing," she lied, feeling her last chance for escape slipping slowly away.
"Well, at least I know where you are and now we can keep in touch. I'll be sure to give Jim your address; I know he'd like to hear from you."
She glanced furtively towards the bar, but it was too late, Hugo had heard what Stan had said, and now she wondered what they would do about that. Someone knew where she was and was worried.
"Honestly, Stan, I'm fine. Please don't be concerned, it's just that I had to get away. Everyone needs a change now and then and this just seemed like a good time to go and a good place to come to."
She was trying to keep Stan from asking too many questions, but he wouldn't stop talking.
"Can you have dinner with me tonight, because I have to leave in the morning to get back to the office?
"Stan, I’d love to, but I'm working cocktails at a club here in the island so I have to work tonight. I was hoping that you wouldn't ask, because I can tell by the expression on your face that you don't approve of my new employment." She tried to laugh it off, but she was certain that he was not giving up so easily.
"Where do you work, maybe I can stop by there for a few drinks anyway before I leave. If you say, you'd rather I didn't, I'm not leaving this island until I find out what you're trying to hide. You're just not yourself. Candy, and you can't kid a kidder, I know something's wrong."
Hugo called to her from the bar and told her that maybe it would be a good idea if she didn't go to work tonight and did have dinner with him, he would make the arrangements, but if she tried anything funny she knew what to expect. She thanked him and assured him that she wouldn't tell him anything, he could be assured, she would be too embarrassed.
She returned to the table and said, "Maybe I could call into work tonight and get it off, I haven't had a day free since I started working and I'm sure they won't need me that badly tonight. How's that?"
"I don't want you to get into any trouble, but I'd love to see you. Why don't you give it a try?"
He seemed to be a bit relieved that she at least was making the effort to see him, even though they had not been particularly close friends in Miami, he was a good friend of Jim's and she should be polite.
She excused herself to pretend to make the phone call and returned a few minutes later, saying, "They said that I could have the night off. They weren't too happy about my calling so late, but who cares, now we can have a nice dinner."
"That's great, I’m.staying here at the hotel too, so I'll just go upstairs and shower and change and meet you back here in the bar in about an hour, okay?"
She nodded and said that she was just going to finish her drink and then she'd go up and change too.
After he left the bar, Hugo came over to her and again warned her about saying anything, but in any case, since someone had found out where she was something would have to be done. They would probably send her to another one of the islands, so it wouldn't do her any good to tell him anything anyway, because if he came back to look for her, she wouldn't be here. This statement frightened her and she couldn't help wondering where they would send her. Maybe she should take her chances on telling Stan, at least that way he would send someone to look for her if they did move her.
She gulped down the remainder of her drink and went to her room to change for dinner. It would be a nice change to go out for dinner instead of pushing drinks all night long and then having to go to bed with whomever the bosses decided she was good for that night. Yes, indeed, she would enjoy it very much, and she tried to obliterate any other thoughts from her mind.
She met Stan in an hour and they had another drink at the bar before they took off for something to eat.
"Any place you can suggest, since you've joined the local scene and I'm just a tourist?" he asked.
"Well, they have a nice restaurant at Lyford Cay, but it's at the other end of the island, if that's not too far?" she volunteered.
"That doesn't matter, I've rented a car, so if you know the way, we're off!" He took her arm and steered her through the lobby and into the parking lot.
The drive to the Cay was about a half an hour and Stan persisted in asking so many questions she couldn't answer, that she finally said, "Stan, it's just something very personal and I'd rather not talk about it. Honestly, it's nothing more than that, but it's something that I have to straighten out myself."
"Okay, young lady, I'm not going to lecture you like a Dutch uncle, but if there is ever anything I can help with, just let me know. Fair enough?"
"Thanks, Stan, I'll remember that and I do appreciate it, but there's nothing that anyone can do, that is, except myself, and I'm sure I can figure out something fairly soon, then maybe I'll come stateside for a vacation!"
The tension she had felt slowly melted with a few martinis before dinner and the wine during the meal. She was dying to ask what Jim was doing, but she was sure that Stan would not give her a straight answer, but finally he broke the silence by saying,
"Jim has asked several of the girls in the office if they've heard from you at all. I know that he's worried about what made you run off like that. I know that things between you two were rocky for the week or two before you left, but Jim has had a lot on his mind and an old flame of his was giving him a rough time, threatening him, etc. and he was trying to play it cool without your finding out."
"But, why didn't he tell me what was going on. If I had understood, I wouldn't have left," she stammered, her eyes filling with tears.
"Oh, come on now, it's not all that bad. He needs some time to think anyway and he isn't exactly marriage material right now, so just play it cool and I'm sure that eventually you two will be seeing each other again.
It's not likely, she thought to herself. How could fate play such a dirty trick on me? If he had only explained, or if my imagination hadn't run so wild, I wouldn't be here and in this mess right now. She wanted to blurt everything out, especially now, but what could she expect Stan to do?
Before going back to their hotel, he suggested they stop by the Colonial Hotel for a nightcap and listen to some music since it was still early. When they were walking through the lobby she spotted one of the men who worked for the "corporation." I wonder if they've been spying on me all night… probably. It's a good thing that I didn't tell him anything or no telling what would happen, just seeing that man sitting there sent chills down her spine and she shivered.
Although she was enjoying the evening she couldn't help wishing that it would end before Stan found out anything and jeopardized himself in any way. She was sure that they would tail him until he got on that plane for Miami and maybe even after he got back there. After all, Mr. Ward commuted back and forth, so what was to prevent him from having men in that area too. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but there was nothing that she could do about it.
They sat in the Colonial for over an hour and listened to the combo play romantic island melodies and she wished that she could be there with Jim, instead of Stan, even if it were just for one night. She looked across the table and smiled at him through sad eyes and he sensed that she was very melancholy.
"I just hate to see you so sad, dammit. I'm going to have to have a talk with Mr. Jim Shannon when I get back there. Maybe he'll fly down to see you soon."
"No, please don’t tell him anything. I wouldn't want him to think that I left just because of him. It would make him either feel awful or be the biggest boost to his ego that no one would be able to live with him." She forced a laugh, but she really didn't want him to come down there to see her, especially since she couldn't explain what she was doing.
They finished their liquors and went out into the cool night air for the walk back to the hotel. The air was clean and scented with lemon and orange blossoms and she wished that she could just go back three weeks in time and maybe she could feel clean again.