Madame Luxe: A Brothel Story

It was 7:02am and Josie stood at the Reno bus station as she pulled a final drag on her cigarette.

“Last one, better make it count,” she thought to herself as she held the smoke in her throat before letting it release through her nostrils.

She had been riding the bus for twelve hours straight and she felt relieved to be able to finally stand. Even if it was only for a bit. The long bus ride from Phoenix gave Josie a lot of time to think and reflect about her future. Or the uncertainty of her future at least. It had only been four days since she got a call from Lolita, one of her aunt’s best friends, telling her that her aunt Janice had been arrested with no bail.

“Where are they?” Josie asked to herself as she looked down at her watch and tapped her foot impatiently.

She was grateful for the opportunity to finally stretch her legs, but she was desperate to get out of this Nevada sun. She felt beads of sweats beginning to appear all over her body and felt her underarms began to dampen. To be honest, she wasn’t sure if the sweat came from the rising sun or if it were her nerves for today.

Today, Josie would finally take her spot in a long line of inheritance. Since her aunt Janice was in jail and unable to run the family business; it was up to Josie to take over. Something that she wasn’t particularly thrilled to do. I mean how many people wanted to run a brothel this day in age?

Yes, Madame Luxe, was her family’s business started by her French immigrant great- grandmother. Josie was told that her great-grand traveled to the states with no money in her pockets, no husband and no real plans. As soon as she got off the boat she hustled the best way she knew how, on her back. Eventually, business began to boom for her and before you know it she was able to buy her a little piece of land here in Nevada and set up shop for more women who needed work like she had.

And here we are today.

Beep, beep – Josie looked up to see a beat down tan Camry heading her way.

“That must be them,” she thought to herself as she flicked the butt of her cigarette to the ground and stomped it out.

The car pulled up in front of her and Josie was able to see that there were two women in the car.

“You know, there’s a trash can right beside you,” said the younger of the two, who was hanging out from the passenger’s side window with a sly smile on her face.

Josie looked to her side at nearby trashcan and rolled her eyes as she tossed her duffle bag over her shoulder.

“And?” Josie asked with attitude as she opened the back car-door and tossed her bag in before getting in behind it.

“Oh, you’re going to be fun,” the girl said while giggling and reaching her hand back to Josie, “I’m Theo.”

“Josie,” she said while shaking Theo’s hand.

“And I guess you’re Lolita?” Josie asked as the car sped away.

“Si, Mami,” Lolita said while flying down the street with her foot hard on the gas pedal.

“Josie, you look just like the pictures I have seen of your mama. It’s nice to finally match a face with the name. Your auntie talks about you all the time,” she said as she sped through a light and hit a hard-right turn.

“Sorry we’re late. Nevada traffic can be a bitch,” Lolita said while looking at Josie through the rearview mirror.

Josie blushed and looked away as she took off her sweatshirt and rolled down the back window. It had been years since she was told that she looked like her mother. She heard that all the time growing up. And she still hated to be reminded of it today.

“How was the ride?” Theo asked as she pulled a lollipop out of thin air and popped it in her mouth.

“Long,” Josie said curtly.

She was tired and not in the mood to talk. To be fair, she rarely was ever in the mood to talk.

“Wow, you sure this is Janice’s niece? She’s such a talker!” Theo joked as she and Lolita laughed with one another.

“I don’t talk much. Especially not with people I don’t know,” Josie said irritably as she laid her head back and closed her eyes.

“Well that’s gonna change soon sweetheart, believe me,” Theo stressed.

“Josie you caught us at a good time. I know you must be tired mija but the girls are wrapping up their clients so that we can all meet you and get you settled,” Lolita said as she took another sharp turn that jerked everyone in the car.

“Wrapping up clients? This early?” Josie asked confused.

It wasn’t even 7:30am.

“Mija these are prime hours for us, we don’t usually go to bed until noon,” Lolita said laughing, “did you forget?”

“Apparently so,” Josie whispered to herself.

She ran away from Madame Luxe when she was fifteen years old and never turned back. Well that was until now, ten years later, when she was summoned back home to help her beloved aunt in need.

The Camry slowed down as it crawled over gravel and shook the car from side-to-side. This was something that Josie hadn’t forgot. She opened her eyes to see her old home sitting in the distance. The house looked the same as if it were still stuck in time. It stood three stories tall and was surrounded by vacant land. Josie noted that the once dark brown wood paneling, appeared to be dull and in desperate need for a touch up. She also noticed the overgrown grass that surrounded the home and the random couches and chairs the littered the front yard.

Lolita parked the car besides a pickup truck and looked back as she gave Josie a warm smile that Josie was unable to reciprocate back.

Josie stepped out the car and slammed it shut. She looked up at the house and felt flooded with emotions and memories- both good and bad. She felt a cry begin the creep up in her throat and she swallowed it down as she followed Lolita and Theo into the house.

The three of them walked solemnly up the rickety stairs to the front door.

“Welcome home mija,” Lolita said as they crossed the threshold and stood in the foyer.

The house was just as Josie remembered it. There was colorful furniture spread out all around the house with vibrant paintings to match. The house had an electric energy and was always filled with loud music, laughter and an abundance of sexual energy.

Lolita walked over to the house bell that hung in the corner and pulled roughly on the string sending a series of bells to escape all over the house.

“She loves doing that shit,” Theo said as she sauntered and plopped down on a nearby chaise.

Hearing that bell sent immediate goosebumps all over Josie’s skin as she remembered it being the soundtrack to her childhood. The bell was always used to gather the “girls” as her aunt called them. They would all be summoned to the front room where the girls would line up and flaunt their best stuff for the new clientele.

As if on cue, Josie heard the footsteps of strangers coming from all around the house as they all headed to the front room. Within seconds, three more people appeared down stairs and all gave Josie a look up and down before taking a seat near Theo.

“Well Josie, here is the gang, gang… here is Josie,” Lolita beamed while throwing an arm around Josie’s shoulders.

Josie stood there awkwardly looking at everyone. She still had her duffle bag thrown across her back as if she were ready to dart out at any moment. Maybe she had made a mistake?

“How about we all introduce ourselves! Let’s break the ice. I’ll start,” Lolita said trying ease the tension.

“Well as you know mija I am Lolita. I’ve been working in this house for almost a decade now. Your aunt took me in when I was at my lowest and offered me a place to lay my head. And now I am here,” she said while throwing her hand on her hip.

“Lolita pulls in some of the higher clientele,” Theo said mockingly as she placed her pinky to her lip to make herself seem more distinguished.

“Hush mija,” Lolita laughed as she playfully slapped Theo on the arm, “she’s right though. Most of my clients are big shots who travel all the way out here just to get them some good Latina pussy. I may be old, but I bring in the big bucks,”” she beamed.

The rest of the crew on the couch began to hoot and squeal as the egged Lolita on who began to model and flaunt her curvaceous figure before she flipped her thick black hair off her shoulder.

Josie had heard about Lolita from Janice. The two were best friends and around the same age. Josie knew better than to ask, but she imagined Lolita was pushing her mid-40s. How sad that she was still working tricks at this age.

“Alright, my turn. As mentioned before, I am the fabulous Theo-”

“The house baby,” said the only white girl who laid half naked across a nearby couch, “let’s hurry this up I am exhausted and I have class in a few hours,” she said letting out a yawn.

“And that rude one over there is Bev, but it’s not her turn yet, its mine,” Theo said sticking her tongue out playfully.

“Yes, I’m the house baby,” she continued, “I’m 19 years young. I’m fun and I’ll suck a brick through a straw. Don’t ask me what I’m mixed with because I am just one big pot of what the fuck,” she said laughing at her own joke.

She had a point, Theo was definitely racially ambiguous. She had curly brown hair that was pulled up into a dreaded bun. Her skin was a light almond color and was covered and beautiful brown freckles. She had sparkling green slanted eyes and a smile so large that it took up most of her face. She was beautiful and wild.

“I’ll go next, I really have to catch some fucking sleep. My last client wore me out and he was determined to not leave until I gave him a rim job. I need to gargle with some rubbing alcohol,” Bev said jokingly.

“I’m Beverly, but everyone calls me Bev. I’m from Florida and I am in med school. I want to become an OBGYN,” she said proudly.

“Nice to meet you Bev,” Josie said.

She wondered what someone like Bev was doing in a house like this. She seemed so intelligent and looked like she belonged in Beverly Hills and not an old brothel in Reno.

“Nice to meet you too Josie,” she said shooting her weary smile back, “I’ve been in the house for two years. I started off living on the streets, like most of us before your aunt took me in. I was homeless and living out of that old pickup truck out in the front…” she said with her face turning dark.

“But your aunt offered me a place to stay, it was me who decided to make extra money by sucking cock. But hey, at least I’m sucking cock for school!” she yelled as she high-fived the girl sitting next to her.

“Now if you will excuse me, I have to get a few hours of sleep before class. Am I dismissed?” Bev asked while looking up at Lolita.

“Yes, mija, Buenas noches mi amor.”

“Yea, yea, and arrivederci to you too,” Bev yawned as she began to strip off her clothes while walking up the stairs.

“Hi Josie, I’m Missy,” said the girl who had sat next to Bev.

She was a young chubby black girl and gave Josie such a sweet smile that she had to break and give one back.

“I’m twenty and I am here from Chicago. I ran away from home at about seventeen in hopes of making it to Los Angeles to become a singer-”

“She has set of lungs on her, believe me,” Theo interrupted while pointing at Missy with her lollipop.

“So how did you end up here?” Josie asked bluntly.

She could tell by the sudden shift in everyone’s faces that the was not the right question to ask.

“Well, I got a little detoured on my route to LA obviously,” Missy said as she played with one of her long knotless braids shyly, “I got wrapped up with a pimp out in Vegas and he was smutting me out. Your aunt saw me one day all beat-up and walking the strip and stole me away. I’ve been working hard to pay her back ever since. If it wasn’t for her… I would surely be dead by now.”

Josie felt ashamed for judging Missy or anyone in this room and quickly dropped her head to the floor.

“But you’re not Missy you are here,” Lolita said walking over to Missy and kissing her on top of her head.

“Thank God, yes I am,” she said silently to herself.

“And it doesn’t hurt that you got that big chi-town booty neither. Missy little sweet self be having all these men in here sweating chile!” Said the only man in the room from the corner.

Josie turned her attention to him eager to hear his story. She had never seen a man working the house before. She also wasn’t sure that was what he identified as. He came down stairs in a silk robe that barley stopped at his butt. His face was full of makeup and beat for the Gods.

“I’m Jared,” he said to Josie, “or Jahira if you want,” he said while changing his voice to a lighter sweeter tone of a woman.

“This is our secret weapon,” Lolita said nodding at Jared.

“Yes, I get all the down-low men chile. They are willing to pay the big bucks to keep their secret a secret. I’ll be whoever you want me to be as long as the coin is right,” Jared giggled to himself.

Josie smiled back at him as she wondered who he really wanted to be.

“I’m twenty-one and from here. Reno is my hometown believe it or not,” he continued, “my dad beat my ass and threw me out when he caught me playing dress up. And before you ask my pronouns or he/him/his. I will change them when I change my sex,” he said while gingerly grabbing his dick and causing Josie to flush.

“Until then, I’ll play both Jared and Jahira. I’m working here to save up for my surgery.”

“And then, when you do?” Josie asked.

Jared tilted his head to the side and pondered on what she said.

“And then… I don’t know honestly,” he said.

“Tell us about you now,” Theo asked eagerly.

“Well… um,” Josie stammered.

She wasn’t prepared to answer this question, even though she had been preparing for it the whole bus ride.

“I’m Josie. My aunt is Janice and my mama was Josie Sr. I grew up in this house but left as a teen. You know how it is,” she continued as she watched everyone nod their head in agreement.

“This house has been in my family for a while, but it just didn’t feel like my destiny you know? But when Janice called me, I had to come home. Janice isn’t just an aunt to me, she raised me like a mother. And if I’m being honest, I didn’t have much going on for me in Phoenix no how… so here I am.”

Josie heard the uncertainty in her voice and cringed as she realized that they probably did as well.

“I’m ready to take my place as Madame, I guess,” she said hesitantly as she looked in everyone’s faces, “Like I said, I grew up in this house so I am familiar how most things work.”

“You got a man girl?” Jared asked as he lit a cigarette, which instantly made Josie want one as well.

“Nope,” she said quickly as she felt a knot in her stomach.

“Well, we are glad to have you hear mija, come let me show you to your room and let you relax,” Lolita said waving her to the stairs.

“We have a big night tonight; many people are in town for the big boxing match so we are sure to have a full house. Now as Madame you do not have to work -unless you want to, but I want you to shadow me so you can take over. Okay?”

Josie shook her head indicating that she understood. She followed Lolita up the rickety stairs as she wondered if they all believed her story on why she was there. If they knew the real reason she doubted that they would be as welcoming.