Meanwhile… on the first day

“You guys!” Jessica said as she unwrapped another box of edible underwear. Tally smiled. She knew holding the party at Forbidden Dish would be a great idea. Presents and party favors were strewn about on the table. They decided it would be best to give her the presents she wouldn’t want to open in front of her mom or Pastor Richards here, but the greatest gift of all was yet to come.

“Why haven’t I heard of this place earlier?” Jessica asked. Every since Tally showed her the website she’d been exited to try it for herself.

“I think it’s like mostly word of mouth, you know,” Tally said, “It sure seems to be packed every time I come here though,”

“Every time?” Jessica asked, “How many times have you come here?”

Tally gave a sly smile as she played with a suggestive candy pacifier she’d picked up from the table but gave no answer.

“You could’ve totally invited me earlier you know?” Jessica tried to look serious as she said this, but Tiffany (or was it Stephanie. Even she got confused sometimes.) was tossing novelty candies into the air and catching them on her tongue and Tally was licking the “pacifier”.  A man that was walking by crashed into a waitress because he was staring at them rather than watching where he was going. He offered to buy her dinner to make up for it and they both walked over to the other side of the restaurant.

The girls burst out laughing.

“Loser,” Jessica said.

“Speaking of losers. What do you think Roger’s brotard buddies are going to do for him? I heard his party’s tomorrow,” Tiffany said (she was quite sure this time, well, as sure as you could be with those two.)

“I don’t know but it worries me,” Jessica’s smile suddenly vanished and she leaned over the table, ”Every time he hangs out with them he ends up spending the night in jail, and that’s just a normal weekend! I don’t even want to think about what they’d do at a bachelor party,”

Tally smiled as the others talked. She signaled one of the waitresses. The waitress walked over to the table with a pink box and a CD player. She sat them both down on the table.

“Enjoy,” she said and walked away.

It was dark. Wade was starting to get a cramp in his calf from squatting, but he had to hold his position until he heard the signal. His bros were also waiting. He couldn’t see them or hear them, but he saw Tally put each of them in their hiding spots. It was her idea in the first place. She told them that she wanted Jessica to have one last night of freedom and excitement and told them not to tell Roger. Like they’d tell him that they were going to do something like this in front of his fiancé.

“Ooh cupcakes!” Wade could hear Jessica’s muffled voice and poised himself.  Any minute now Tally. My legs are killing me.

“They’re chocolate,” Tally said, “But the best part is the filling!”

Now!

Wade suddenly jumped up and yelled, “Surprise!”

While Jessica was leaning in over the cupcakes they all exploded as a half dozen tiny naked men jumped out. Tally pressed play on the CD player and the men began to dance around the table whooping and hollering in their tiny voices. They were obviously not pros at exotic dancing, but they made up for it with confidence and energy.

Jessica stared speechless with her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh. The other girls were clapping and cheering the men on.

“I can’t fold a dollar that small,” Stephanie said. The others laughed. It was then that Jessica recognized the lead dancer. Wade! She smiled at Tally.

“Thank you, Tally, you’re the best,” She shook her fists in excitement and squealed as the men continued to dance.

“No prob sis,” Tally said, “I thought I’d get you exactly what you wanted. Do I know you or what?”

It was working better than he’d expected. Wade wasn’t sure how happy Jessica would be to see them. He’d always had the impression that she hated him, but she seemed to be enjoying the show.

His bros had now spread out and were dancing for individual girls. Bo was dancing for Tiffany. He always had a thing for her. Scott was dancing in front of Stephanie. He liked her but hated Tiffany. Wade had always wondered what the point of twins was if you didn’t like both.

Harvey went to Tally and Wade ran to Jessica before Jeff or Caleb could. They stood in the middle of the table looking defeated. Jessica Held one of the pacifiers “point” down and he began to pole dance against it. It was probably the weirdest thing he’d ever done in his life, and that was saying a lot.

Some chick interrupted the dance to ask the girls if they minded being filmed for a news program. She was hot, but Wade couldn’t tell where she was from. Her accent was funny. She wasn’t Mexican. Maybe middle eastern. The girls told her it was ok and some tool walked up with a microphone and asked the girls a few questions about the restaurant. He kept staring at Wade and his friends in a funny way. Enjoying the view perv?

“Wow maybe we’ll be on tv!” Tally said as she picked up Harvey and slid him into her mouth.

“Wait what are you?” was all he could manage before he vanished from sight.

 The other men stared in shock as she just swallowed him, “It would be totes cool to turn on the tv when we get home and see ourselves,” She continued the conversation as if she didn’t just eat their friend. While they were still in shock she absently picked Caleb up.

“What the Hell!” Bo yelled. The Men began to freak out and run for the edge of the table. Tiffany picked Bo up and started slowly licking his body.

“Maybe we can call other Jessica and ask her to record it!” she said as Bo screamed in her hand.

“Nah, I don’t want her to know that the party was today,” Jessica said, “I sort of hate her right now,” She grabbed Wade and was gesturing with him as she talked as if she had forgotten she’d picked him up.

“What are you doing?” The reporter was staring at the women in shock. His camerawoman had followed him back to the table.

“Uh, having a bachelorette party?” Tiffany said as she sucked Bo into her mouth and swallowed. “What of it?”

“That man was screaming for his life! How could you, how could you do that?” he was hysterical. Tally had been sucking on Caleb and playing up for the camera, but when the reporter started yelling she rolled her eyes and waved a waitress over.  She had swallowed him before the waitress arrived. Stephanie began to tease Scott dangling him over her mouth and bringing him down just close enough before pulling him back up.

“Hey Jessica, better hope Roger’s bigger than this. She drew him into her mouth and slid him back out, “Best to get some practice huh?” Jessica laughed and began to mimic Stephanie’s actions with the screaming Wade.

“Betcha when Scott said he wanted me to deepthroat him this wasn’t what he meant,” Stephanie said as she sucked Scott the rest of the way into her mouth and swallowed.

By this time the waitress was trying to escort the reporter away from the table and he was arguing with her. Security ended up having to carry him out.

“What was his problem?” Jessica asked around Wade.

“Don’t talk with your mouth full Jess,” Stephanie said.

“Sorry,” Jessica said and swallowed, “Thanks again Tally. I couldn’t ask for a better present! Roger’s bachelor party’s going to be kind of empty though,” The girls laughed.

“Jess, it’s your party, you get the last one,” Tally said pointing to Jeff.

“Yay me!” Jessica said as she grabbed Jeff’s screaming form from the table and popped him into her mouth. After she swallowed they began discussing plans for the wedding.

Meanwhile…On the second day

The more experienced wait staff stood around Megyhn’s desk as she told them where they were to go when the dinner shift started. The new employees tended to get the lunch shift since it kind of sucked. Most of them were used to the routine and just waited for Megyhn to finish talking so they could get to work. The meeting was cut short by a deep rich voice over the intercom.

“The channel 7 people are here,”

“Thanks, Omar,” Megyhn said, then she winced, “I totally forgot I scheduled the meeting with the legal team today. Lindsay, I need you to do me a favor and show the news crew around. Find out if this Aulii girl is going to flip out like Steve, if so we can pull the plug. If she seems trustworthy I’ll talk to her tomorrow. We could use a good public face to turn attention away from those protesters,”

“On it,” Lindsay said as she headed out the door.

“As for the rest of you, same as yesterday,” Megyhn said, then she hurried out as well.

Adela was thrilled to see that Lindsay was wearing the shirt she designed for her. She made one for each of the members of the dinner shift, and they all loved them (even if they found it a bit strange that she knew their exact sizes without measuring). It was based off of a joke by a jerk making fun of vegetarians. As a strict vegan, Adela took it personally. Her mom always said if someone made a joke at your expense you could take power from it by owning it.

 The only meat she’s ever eaten in her life was here at Forbidden dish, and it’s totally not the same. The food here gives you permission. She’d never heard of a little piggy saying it was ok to be eaten. Since she’d started working here her vegan friends had shunned her, but she’d made plenty of new friends with the staff, even if they did see her as a little strange and at times naive.

It wasn’t her first job as a waitress, but it sure paid better than any other food service job she’d had. It quickly went from being how she supplemented her income when her artwork couldn’t be sold fast enough to make rent to her main income source. She liked this one much more anyways because they let her wear her hair any color she wanted. Today it was pink, last week it was bright red, and the week before it was blue. She could also try out the clothes she designed without getting in trouble.

Adela didn’t have to be told where to go. She knew they wanted her up at the club. She tended bar and mingled until a man tapped her timidly on her shoulder.

“Um,” Was all he could manage to say.

“How can I help you?” Adela asked in her friendliest voice.

“I was wondering, um, could you, you know?” He pointed to his red bracelet and smiled sheepishly.

“Sure!” she answered, “Just come with me and I’ll get you your papers. He checked her out as she led the way. She was slender and pale. Her clothes were a pastel green that made her hair look brighter, and they hugged her curves perfectly. Her midriff was bare and her pants slid teasingly as she walked. He could see the hint of a tattoo just above her panty line. He didn’t know this, but she designed them that way. She never bought her clothes off the rack.

Adela patted a stool at the bar.

“So, what’s your name?” Adela asked.

“Keith,”

“So, Keith, have a seat right here and fill this out,” she pulled a stack of papers out from behind the bar, “Be sure to read it k? Just wave to me when you’re ready,” She left Keith to fill out the forms as she went behind the bar and mixed shots. He loved watching her move as she worked the crowd around the bar. Keith stared at her as he filled out the papers. She was good with people and seemed to flirt naturally. Keith finished signing and initialing and waved her over. She slid over the bar and was standing next to him in seconds. The strobe lights made her hair appear to glow.

Adela looked over the papers and signed as the designated pred.

“Come on, the booths are this way,” She said as she grabbed his hand and took off at a run towards the shrinking room. Keith could barely keep up.

“What’s your hurry?” he asked.

Adela shrugged, “Sorry, I just get excited easy. Stand right here k?” She gently guided him into the shrink booth and closed the door.

“It feels kind of creepy actually standing here,” Keith said.

“Want to see my tattoo?” Adela asked in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Um, sure,”

Adela turned around and lowered her pants a little showing the rest of a tattoo that had been peeking over her panty line.

“It’s just a Henna. I’m too fickle to get anything permanent,” She said playing with her hair to illustrate her point. I get a different one each time it fades. Keith was staring “at her tattoo” and kind of glazing over.

“Uh huh,”

“Guythatwantsmetoeathimsayswhat?” Adela said.

“What?” Keith said as he snapped out of his daze.

“Gotcha!” Adela said as she pushed the button. The next thing Keith knew he was staring up at Adela.

“See, that wasn’t so bad was it?” She asked as she scooped him up and ran to the nearest private room.

She gently placed him on the table and reached into pockets on the side of her pants.

“I just got these,” She said as she slid finger cymbals on her hands, “Let me know if you like them or not,”

 Keith was still trying to get used to his new size, and her words weren’t really sinking in. She slowly slinked towards him, but when she got to the table she danced real slow stepping backwards as she moved. She danced and swayed gently ringing the cymbals as she rocked her hips. As she danced he temporarily forgot his fears and just stared. She was very flexible and incorporated it into her dance. Her daily yoga exercises really paid off. He was too busy watching the way she swayed to notice that she was walking towards him. He suddenly felt the warmth of her hand as she lifted him to her mouth and smiled. Her breath was pleasant. She made a point to chew a mint leaf before work. She saw it as common courtesy. Her smile wasn’t predatory. If her mouth wasn’t large enough to completely take him in she would’ve looked friendly, but Keith knew what he was there for and his reptile brain kicked in warning him that if he didn’t do something soon his life would be over.

Death.

This isn’t like the stories. This is real!

I don’t want to die!

“Wait!” he yelled.

“Did I hurt you?” She asked looking worried. Just in case she gently placed him on the table and held up her hands.

“No, um, that’s not it,” He suddenly felt ashamed, “How do I put this?”

“You’ve changed your mind?” she said helpfully.

“Yeah, sorry about that. It just, I don’t know. It’s way scarier in real life than in the stories,”

“Don’t worry. You’re not the first one to change his mind,” Adela said

“I’m not?”

“Oh no, more people seem to change their mind than you’d think. Way more than half even. It’s no big deal. I don’t mind,” Adela consoled him.

“I thought you’d be more upset that you weren’t going to get to eat me,” He said relieved.

“I’m not? How come?” Adela asked. She looked legitimately saddened and confused (it wasn’t an act).

“Well, because I changed my mind,” He said like it was obvious.

Her face brightened, “Don’t worry, the papers you signed say I can eat you anyway if I want to,” she said as her smile renewed, “Yay! Now you don’t have to worry about me being sad. Isn’t that great?” She jumped and clapped.

“But, but I said I don’t want to be eaten!” He stammered.

“Oh I don’t mind that. Some of the girls do, but I know you’re just nervous. Don’t worry it’s fun! I do it all the time,”

“You mean you ate the others after they changed their minds?” Horror filled his voice but Adela didn’t seem to notice,”

“It’s what they wanted. They paid for it, besides it feels good,” She rubbed her belly and smiled,”

“For you maybe!” he yelled, “For the guy it’s painful!”

“Nuh uh! It feels nice! That’s why they tickle my belly,” now it was her turn to sound like she was explaining the obvious, “Besides, if it really hurt, why would anybody come here?”

“Don’t you know how digestion works?” He asked, “Acid burns the food that is in your stomach to liquid!”

She smiled like he was pulling her leg, “Nah, that’s can’t be how it works,”

“No really! Didn’t you pay attention in biology?”

“I never was that good at school,”

“Ask anybody they’ll tell you,” Keith was desperate.

“That’s stupid. If there’s acid in my stomach why doesn’t it melt me?”

“You see,” He explained, “A fine layer of mucous protects the stomach from its own digestive juices,”

“Eww! That’s just gross! And ridiculous!” She turned her back to him and crossed her arms, “What do you take me for?”

“I’m not messing with you. It’s all true!”

“If it’s so painful, why did you pay money to have me do it?” she turned back to face him and wagged her finger, she looked incredulous.

“I’ve been trying to figure that one out since I was five,” He said shaking his head, “The point is, I know how this stuff works and it is painful for the prey,”

“Wait a minute, if it’s so painful, why are we allowed to do it? Why does Megyhn say it’s ok?” She smiled convinced she’d won the argument.

“Legal loopholes?” Keith shrugged.

“Look, I’ll show you that it isn’t painful,” She said as she picked him up again, “I’ll swallow you and you can see for yourself. If you like it you can just tickle me inside like the others and if you don’t just tell me and I’ll let you out right away,”

“No wai,” She shoved him into her mouth before he could finish. The ones that chickened out always found ways to stall. This was the first one to say something this horrible to her though and it troubled her a bit. There’s no way! She tossed him around in her mouth for a while and swallowed.

Adela could feel Keith wiggle as he slid down her throat. She sat on the table and anxiously waited for his answer. There’s just no way!

Suddenly she felt the familiar flutter. I knew it!

“See, it does feel nice doesn’t it?” She asked as she rubbed her belly. She still couldn’t figure out why he said all those mean things, but she was glad they weren’t true. After a few minutes the flutters grew more intense,  then they slowed, and eventually stopped. Adella went back to the club to look for more patrons. If she got about five more she wouldn’t need to make dinner tonight.

Meanwhile…on the third day.

Danny sat in the large bowl cursing his luck. I don’t know what happened. Why did I panic like that? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! He’d finally gotten Donna to notice him. Told her about his fantasy, and asked her to come here with him. She was all too eager, but she said they had to leave quietly or her roommate would want to come too.

Maybe it was the reporter interviewing them, maybe it was just survival reflex, but he chickened out at the last second.

He was all for it until he was really staring down her throat.  There was no ceremony, no teasing, and no playing around. She just sat at a nearby table and lifted him up over her mouth. The finality of that deep cavern activated his will to live and he screamed like a girl. She’d rolled her eyes and handed him to the waitress without saying so much as a word to him. She had found another man and had him before leaving. Now Danny was here, waiting, waiting for what had to be hours. Why would it take this long for a machine to open up? If it got too late he’d be unable to get a cab.

At least he wasn’t alone. There were five other guys that chickened out as well. There had been more men earlier, but waitresses had come and taken them back to the booths. At least that’s what he thought they were doing with them, until he saw one of the customers pluck a man out of the bowl and swallow him right there. When he told the waitress what the woman had done she said she shouldn’t have done that, but she didn’t have much conviction in her voice and seemed to shrug it off in a “what can you do?” manner. Now every time a shadow passed over the bowl he tried to make himself invisible.

As the night dragged on and he was one of three guys left he started to get worried. Any time one of the waitresses passed by one of the men would ask them what was going on. Most of them just told him, “Don’t worry, you’ll be out soon,” Why wasn’t that comforting? He had no answers. All he could do was continue to wait.

Martha was nervous. She’d never come here by herself before, but she didn’t think Donna would approve of what she was here to do. She found Lindsay walking the floor and waved to her shyly.

“Oh hi, Martha, was it?” Lindsay asked. Martha nodded, “ Right this way,” As they were making their way to the unwilling bin two men approached Lindsay. They both wanted her to eat them, but not at the same time. They were arguing over who would get to go first.

“One second boys,” Lindsay said. She ushered Martha to a corner, “So, what do you think?”

“A, about what?” She asked timidly.

“If it was up to you which one would you pick,” Lindsay asked pointing to the men. She was trying to be social to help Martha loosen up. She had been shy when she first came here too.

“Um, if it was up to me?” Martha stared at the two men for a bit and then said, “The one on the left?”

“Why?” Lindsay asked.

“Because, he’s going to change his mind,” She said matter-of-factly, “And the other kind doesn’t you know,” She turned red, “You know, um they uh,”

“Gotcha, but how do you know?”

“I’ve never been good at talking, but I pay a lot of attention when others are speaking,” She said, “The one on the left might as well be begging right now. It helps my writing. I kind of feel like I get a peek into people’s minds by watching their bodies,”

“You write?” Lindsay asked. Martha nodded.

“It’s easier than talking,” Martha said.

“Thanks for the advice,” Lindsay said, “The unwilling bin is over there. Have fun. I know I will,”

Danny was starting to lose all hope. Another man had been added to their group, but nobody had come to let any of them out. None of them spoke to each other. They just sat with their knees bent in front of them hugging their own legs to stay warm.

Danny felt a rush of warm air against his back and turned around. He saw the top half of a young woman’s face staring at them.

“Um, hello,” He said.

“Why are you sitting in this bin?” she asked. Her glasses reflected the light making her eyes difficult to see.

Her voice sounded familiar. Hey, it’s Donna’s roommate. What was her name?

“Martha!” he yelled.

“Hi Danny,” she waved shyly when she recognized him.

“We changed our minds about being swallowed, so they put us here until a machine clears up to bring us back to normal,”

“How long have you been waiting?” She asked.

“I don’t know exactly. There’s no way of telling time, but it feels like it’s been several hours,”

“That’s awful,” she said in her most sympathetic voice.

“It’s true. Most of us have been here for quite a while,” one of the other men said.

“And the waitresses don’t tell us anything,” Danny said.

“If it would help I could go see if a machine is open,” Martha said.

“Would you?” Danny asked.

“Sure,” Martha said as she walked off. Danny was worried that she wasn’t going to come back, but she returned after a few minutes smiling, “They said one machine is open, and I can take one of you right now,”

“Why didn’t any of them bother to tell us?” Danny asked.

“It’s pretty busy over there. A film crew’s here and things are kind of hectic. That’s why they said I could help out,” She said, “I can only take one of you right now, so Danny, it looks like it’s your lucky day,” Danny climbed into her waiting hand before any of the others had a chance.

So long suckers.

The place was packed. The tables were almost all occupied and there was a long line to the shrink booths.

“I thought you said they were open. They look pretty busy,” Martha ignored him and continued forward. She had him tucked against the belly of her blouse and he could hear a slow rumble on the other side of the cloth.

Danny shuddered.

She seemed to be daydreaming. Her walking slowly became a skip and she didn’t see the woman standing in between her and the booth line. She stopped short just in time to avoid a head on collision then saw the camera pointed right at the woman, and by proxy, her. Embarrassed she turned red and bolted towards the shrink booths.

“They’ll probably redo that shoot right?” She asked out loud. Danny got the impression that she wasn’t talking to him though, “Oh, well, it’s not like we watch much TV anyway. She probably won’t even see it,”

They walked past the line to the shrink booths and turned down a hall on the other side.

“Aren’t we going to get in line?” Danny asked, “Hello! What do you think you’re doing?”

They were in a hall full of closed doors. Most of them had red occupied signs on the door latch. Danny didn’t like how secluded the area felt. It was almost like things were done here that needed to be hidden. They finally found one with a green vacant sign and she pushed down the handle and slowly slid into the room. When they were in she locked the door and the sign switched to occupied.

She sat him on the table and stared down at him. At his normal size he towered over her easily, but right now he was barely the size of her index finger. He didn’t like the look she was giving him at all.

“Come on Martha, this isn’t funny,” Danny said, “Take me back to the booth so they can regrow me!”

“Is that any way to talk to the woman that’s going to get you out of here?” Martha asked.

“Why did you bring me back here?” he asked.

“I like a little privacy with my meals,” she answered smiling impishly.

“I thought you said you were getting me out of here!” he yelled.

“I am,” she said. Her stomach growled, “Sorry, it looks like my stomach’s ready to get you out of here right now,”

“I already told you I changed my mind about being eaten, or Donna would’ve had me already,”

“Donna was here? Sneaky, sneaky,” She picked Danny up. A look of concern spread across her face, “If that’s really the way you feel about it, I won’t eat you,”

Danny was relieved.

“For a second there I thought I was in trouble,” Danny said.

“Were you scared of little ol me?” She asked making her most innocent face.

“A bit,” he answered sheepishly.

“What could possibly be scary about me?” She held him against her belly, “Is it this?” The rumbling had gotten stronger. It was now demanding and angry sounding.

“Maybe a bit,” he answered, but his shaky voice said more than his words.

“Or these?” She brought him up to her mouth and displayed her teeth, “Are my teeth scary to you?”

He was unable to speak.

“Well?” she asked. He was shivering in her hand. It almost felt like the shiver channeled through her. She was enjoying this way too much.

“I, um, that is, Martha please don’t do this!” Danny sputtered.

“Do what Danny?” Martha asked innocently, “I just asked a simple question. Are, my, teeth, scary?” She fumbled under the neckline of her blouse and pulled out a hemp necklace with sharks” teeth, “Which is scarier, Danny? These,” she held up the necklace, “Or these” she pointed him towards her own teeth. Danny squirmed uncomfortably in her hand. She began to shift her weight from foot to foot. Her breathing was ragged.

“Do you need a closer look?” She brought one of the shark’s teeth up to his face. The sharp edge was close enough that if he stuck out his tongue he could touch it. He tried to lean back, but her finger pushed his head towards the tooth.

“Please no!” He yelled.

Martha let go of the necklace and brought Danny closer to her mouth. He could feel her hot breath and smell the chalky mint scent of antacids. He was now under her top incisors and she was lifting him towards them. Just as he was about to touch them she pulled him back.

“You know, I’m not sure it’s the teeth at all,” She said as she opened her mouth wide. For the second time that night he was staring down a woman’s throat and thinking about his own mortality. He didn’t like it any more this time than the last. He still couldn’t help but stare. It had been his fantasy since forever and despite his fear his body betrayed him by becoming aroused.

Martha’s eyes were closed as she dangled Danny over her open mouth. She slowly drew out her tongue and ran it up his body, but she stopped when she felt his arousal.

“Looks like somebody’s not scared after all,” she said, “I guess you’ve changed your mind about me eating you then?”

“No, that’s not it!” Danny yelled, “I don’t wanna die!”

“That’s not what your friend there says,” Martha said, “Now, let’s get you out of here. I’ve got a test in the morning and I’m already out too late,” She drew her tongue across his body again, but when she drew it in she slowly took him with it.

“You can’t do thi,” her mouth closed and her tongue pressed him against her hard palette cutting him off.  Danny was trapped in the humid darkness. His every breath was tinged with chalky mint and trace elements of a past meal. The tongue pinned him as liquid filled her mouth. He could not force her tongue away. He might as well be under fallen rocks. His world shifted suddenly. Danny’s head was now pointing down and his feet were pointing up, and before he could stop it he slid down into the tight confines of her esophagus.

He’d always thought he’d be able to struggle and put his arms to his side to slow his descent if this ever really happened, but the pressure of the muscles was too tight. His arms were stuck in front of him in a superman pose as he was squeezed down. They were the first things through the sphincter of the stomach, but the rest of his body followed quickly. He landed with a splat in a hot, foul smelling mess. The heat in her mouth couldn’t compare to what he felt in here. The stomach reacted immediately to its new occupant and began secreting more acid and moving like mad.

Danny scrambled to the wall and tried desperately to claw his way out, but was thrown back into the mess. He was starting to burn and losing strength fast.

Martha had cleaned herself up and straitened out her clothes before she left the room. He was still moving in there, but she really did need to get up early tomorrow.

She saw Lindsay walking back towards the unwilling bin with an empty tray.

“Find everything alright?” Lindsay asked. Martha nodded.

“So, uh, which one did you get?” Martha asked.

“Both,” Lindsay said, “First the one, then the other. You were right about both of them,” Martha smiled and looked down shuffling her feet, “I still don’t know how you did it,”

“It’s easy once you know what to look for,” Martha said, “Anyway, how can you stand to eat the willing ones?”

“They all go down the same either way,” Lindsay said simply, “I bet you could make decent money tipping the girls here off on who is and isn’t willing. There are several girls here that only prefer one or the other.”

Martha looked thoughtful.

“Who knows, if you play your cards right you might be able to work here,” She put her hand on Martha’s shoulder but quickly withdrew it when she felt her lock up and saw her eyes go wide, “Or maybe not. Sorry about that,”

While Martha was mulling it over a man with a red bracelet eased up beside Lindsay, “Excuse me, is this you?” he asked her pointing to her picture in the menu.

“It sure is,” She turned to Martha, “What do you think about this one?” she whispered.

“I like him,” Martha whispered back, “Or at least I would,” she smiled.

“Gotcha,” Lindsay said, ”Well, duty calls. Think about what I said though,” Lindsay and her newest customer walked off. The man had his arm around her waist and his hand against her belly. Martha smiled and went off to hail a cab.