Lady In The House Ch. 05

"A 'Face'! As you jailhouse scum are want to say! I have money, friends, influence" I cried.

Carmel laughed out loud and slapped me hard across the face. I felt the sting though my tears.

"No honey! You have it all wrong! You're inside Chelmsford prison honey and you are whatever Eddie want's you to be!"

"You're Michele! You're Eddie's property; and you have about five minutes to get ready because customers are waiting!"

"Now pay attention, you really are on your own after I clean you up; a girl's got to make her own living too you know, I can't spend all night showing you how to put on makeup and how to dress" Carmel sneered.

She led me back past the five other cells that made up this section of E block. Low light leaked through the bars of the other cells; red shaded bedside lamps had been lit. I saw other 'working girls'; transvestite prostitutes, putting the final touches to their makeup, adjusting the seams on their stockings, or arranging their wigs. They sat on their oversize cots that had been made up with satin sheets; bold colours, black, red, and blue were predominant. One or two of them looked up with their painted faces and smiled at me; but there was no sympathy in their smiles; they were the types of smile that predators gave their prey just before they pounced for the kill. Four of the cells were occupied by Eddie's 'girls', leaving my 'workroom' and the cell across the passageway vacant. It dawned on me as I clattered along on my impossibly high-heels that the vacant cell directly across from me must be Carmel's 'workroom'.

We arrived at the bathroom at the end of E block again and Carmel helped me undress and sat me down in front of the highly polished stainless steel mirror. I washed my face clean and stared at the makeup arranged on the shelf below the small sink.

Carmel said, "Ok Michele; you've done this enough times tonight with my help; it's time you went solo."

Carmel lit a menthol cigarette and sat down on a stool beside me, preening herself in the mirror. She made minor adjustments to her own makeup as she sat there and smoked.