Jon Story

Once we were moving, I told the cabby what I was looking for, and he nodded
nonchalantly. That's when I realized that I probably shouldn't be so
nervous. I was in a city where this wasn't all that uncommon, and was
relatively accepted. It was a large city, and the likelihood of me running
into someone I knew was low.

We drove about a block, and the cab stopped in front of a nondescript
2-story building, with the windows painted over. I paid the inflated fare
and stepped out into the street. It was 8 o'clock and the sunlight was
fading fast. The street we were on was apparently not a major one. Few
people walked along the curbs, on their way to someplace else, someplace
more happening.
The taxi sped off, leaving me to make my choice. I looked at my
destination. The only indication what I sought was inside, was the shine of
neon through a window in the door, the only window not painted over. The
muffled thump of heavy base came from inside. I took a deep breath and
opened the door.

Inside was like any other seedy bar in the world. The music was loud and
generic. The air was smoky and thick. I took a moment to let my eyes
adjust, and just as I was starting to look around, someone grabbed my arm.
She was about 5'9", though I could tell from the way she clutched me, that
she was wearing high heels that made her unsteady. She was blond, with dark
eyes and light skin. Her luscious red lips broke into a smile revealing
bright white teeth as she said "Hello, stranger." The smell of liquor came
from her breath, and her eyes looked funny, as though she wasn't quite
focussing. "My name's Tonya," she said in English, with a thick, but sexy
Portuguese accent. "What's yours?"
"Uh, I'm Tony," I lied.

"Pleased to meet you Tony, would you like to buy me a drink?" she asked with
practiced ease. I wondered how many times she had asked that question.
Before I could think too hard about it, she pressed her body against mine as
she ran her hands up and down my arm. Tonya was wearing a blue dress that
almost looked like it was made of Mylar, judging from the way it shimmered.