“So why don’t you just slip out whenever a guy leaves?” Paul asked.

“They patrol the doors. Make sure that only paying customers are the ones leaving. If they catch you leaving, you’re toast,” she said.

“Haven’t the authoritites ever come?” He questioned. Velvet gave out another sugar laugh.

“Sweetheart, they are our best customers.” Velvet crossed back to the bed and resumed her original position, propped up against the satin headboard.

“So tell me, Paul, what’s a nice guy like you doing out here?”

He paused for a moment, and sat back down on the bed opposite of her. “I guess I’m just running away,” he said.

“From what?” She asked.

“Life, responsibility…all that stuff. I just got sick of it all. Got in my car one day and just drove away. I was going to Harvard, you know. I had everything ahead of me, and you know what? I didn’t want it. Someone else wanted it for me…but its just not…me.” He said blankly to the wall.

“That’s deep,” Velvet said sympathetically.