As the summer before college was coming to an end I was becoming anxious about moving out on my own. Not because I was afraid of being alone in a big city; I was worried about how I was going to pay for my bills. Where would I get a job? Would my employer be flexible with my school schedule? How am I going to work and still go to school for eight in the morning until at least seven or eight at night? Do I really want to work at Mcdonald’s again? My parents would also ask me the same questions everyday and try to convince me to go to community college. “It would be cheaper and you can live at home,” They would say. But over my dead body, I was going to stay in my hometown and go to Community College, so I started to stress out. 

With moving day looming around the corner, I had saved just enough money to make the move to Ottawa, to pay the deposit plus first and last month’s rent. I had just enough money left over to buy a week’s worth of groceries. That was still not enough but it was a start.

Sitting out back with my family behind my parents’ apartment building, a woman in a red Massarotti drives in the back to park. She had long dark hair, styled like Betty Page’s, with big brown eyes and she smelled like Chanel #5. As she got out of her car to walk over to us in her Louboutin heels and black little dress, my dad shouts, “What is a woman like you driving a car like that in the ghetto?” She giggled as she approached us. “I’m Lucy, I just moved into the building. As for the car, my Sugar Daddy bought it for me,” she said. “SUGAR DADDY? What the hell is a Sugar Daddy?” My dad yelled while laughing. 

Sugar Daddy; A rich older man who lavishes gifts on a young woman in return for her company or sexual services.

Lucy pulled out a chair and sat at the table with us before answering my dad’s question. “Anyone have a beer?” Lucy asked. Immediately my dad, uncle and cousin all handed her a beer. 

As Lucy took a swig of her beer, she said, “I’m an Escort and my Sugar Daddy takes care of me.” Everyone at the table just stared at Lucy in disbelief. My dad on the other hand shouts, “WELL HOLY SHIT, GOOD FOR YOU GIRL!”  

Escort; An escort gives companionship and time to the client. There may or may not be any sex involved. 

Lucy ended up sitting with us for a couple of hours swapping stories and shooting the shit. Later when I went inside to grab everyone more beer, Lucy came into the building behind me. Turns out, she was living across the hall from me. Too nervous to ask her anything, I quietly went back outside with the beer. 

Later that night when I was in my room, I watched a movie that was airing on cable TV called “Walking the Halls.” It’s a movie about a girl who graduated high school, wanting to go to an Ivy league University, however her parents couldn’t afford it. Similar to what I was going through. However, the girl decided to become an Escort to pay for school. Falling asleep right after the movie, I had forgotten all about it.

With only a week left until I moved, my parents were really on my case about how I was going to pay for rent and food while at school. One morning I was getting ready to head to my last day of work at Mcdonald’s. My parents and I were fighting and yelling cause I had no idea what I was going to do, I just knew I didn’t want to be in Kingston anymore. As I slammed the door behind me while still yelling at my parents, there stood Lucy in front of her door across the hall. “Can I give you a ride to work,” she asked. “Sure, that would be great, sorry if you heard us yelling,” I responded. Lucy didn’t seem phased by it as she walked in front of me to her car. I had never been in a sports car before until that moment. 

During the ride to my work, Lucy had mentioned that she had overheard the fight with my parents and that I’m going to be financially strapped when I move. She had also mentioned that I too could get into her profession to pay my way through college. THAT’S IT!  It was like a light bulb went off in my head. It was kind of like a sign. So the next time my parents asked what I was going to do, I told them not to worry and that I had it covered. I told them, a friend from Military Band Camp lived in Ottawa and could help me get a job there. This was the moment where I made my first lie about the double life I was about to lead. At least it got them off my back for the moment.