Mallory felt naked as she stepped into the night. Like a frightened child, she peered from her shadowed doorway, searching for any sign of someone coming her way. Seeing no one, and with a churning mix of relief and trepidation, she forced herself to begin the long walk toward the complex gate.

The night was quiet on this side of the wall. Mallory’s senses were tuned for any sign of movement. By the time she was half-way to her goal, she’d heard nothing but the sound of her own heels on the hard concrete walkway.

The hollow, double-clap of her steps echoed eerily off the nearby buildings, ghosting her like a maniacal phantom intent on giving her presence away. Mallory cringed each time her foot fell, fearing those lonely, haunting echoes might catch the ear of someone she knew.

She was almost to the gate when the door of Mrs. Hopkins apartment came into view. Knowing the old widow inside, Mallory hesitated.

‘Please god, don’t let her see me,’ she silently pleaded as she slowly tip-toed her way past the old women's door.

Carefully keeping her steps light, she feared at any moment the old woman would peer through the ancient drapes hanging in her darkened window. In the back of her mind, she could already hear Glenda's smoke-worn voice. ‘Did you see Mallory Monroe last evening? I swear she was dressed like one of those whores you see walking down Holt in the middle of the night!’

With everything else in her life turning to shit, that kind of attention was the last thing she needed. Mallory kept a close eye on those drapes as she slipped by, but they never moved.

It was with an audible sigh that she rounded the corner and reached the wrought iron gate leading to the alleyway beyond. As she passed through, the old springs slammed the gate behind her, closing her off from her home as surely as it did the life she used to know.

Pieces of paper and other forgotten bits of flotsam tumbled with the wind as it gusted fiercely down that darkened alley. The October air was colder than she expected and was already causing goosebumps to rise as it washed over her exposed skin. Clutching her thin wrap tightly around her gaunt body, she hurried toward the lighted street beyond.

One would think a young woman, dressed as she was, should be frightened walking down that particular, refuse-strewn alleyway. This was especially true after dark. Deep down, Mallory was afraid, but not of the people who lived off that road. Many of them were her friends, and to them, she was just another unfortunate local, condemned to dwell in the living hell of her poverty-strewn neighborhood.

No, it wasn't the seedy and violent streets of Pomona that worried her. It was of those who came from outside that she was afraid. Those faceless men who drove into her neighborhood looking for easy sex. Men who would soon be using her body to sate their lurid desires... These were the monsters of the night Mallory feared most.

Cars passed, one after the other, none showing the least interest as she made her way down the unremarkable side street known grandiosely as Pasadena Avenue. Mallory felt invisible to them as they drove by, knowing they weren't giving her a second glance. The men who sought girls like her, or at least like she was about to become, were attracted to a certain look. Hookers gave subtle signals to these man and Mallory was giving off none of those. To them, she was just another lost soul going about her lonely life.

Turning south on East End, she made her way down the short edge of a hundred year old housing tract. Muted lights burned in the old homes, but none offered her the slightest warmth. She was on her own and the pain of her loneliness ached in her heart as she made her way toward the future she had reluctantly chosen for herself.

‘Goddamn you, Mick! You said you loved us! You lying bastard! How could you just leave us like that?' The salty and bitter taste of anger filled her mouth, but in the burning heat of her fury, her fear was purified into a grim determination.

For days, Mallory refused to believe he’d really gone. She told herself over and over that he would be back. The days passed into weeks and only then did she accept that she was truly alone. She tried to keep working, but with no one to help watch Constance, it just wasn’t possible. After missing the third workday that first week, she lost her job at the diner.

She tried to get public assistance, but the online forms were impossibly complicated and in the end, it took too long for them to respond. Once her service providers cut her phone and internet, whatever hope she had of getting government welfare went up in smoke. After that, everything snowballed until she and her baby were mere days from being homeless. She was hungry and scared, but what really terrified her was what might happen to her daughter.

‘I don’t care what I have to do,' she swore to whatever fates that might have cared, 'I'm not taking my baby out onto this street!'

By the time she reached the bright lights of the intersection, her fear of what she was about to do was buried under the sickening terror of what would happen if she did not. Mallory looked at the street sign and repressed a shudder at the infamous name it carried.

Holt Boulevard.

It was the single most notorious hotbed for young prostitutes in the Inland Empire, and it was here that Mallory Monroe desperately hoped to find her salvation.

Four lanes wide, the boulevard ran the distance from Gary Avenue all the way to the Ontario International Airport. Along with Mission Avenue, it was the primary corridor for east-west traffic through the Pomona Valley and the conveyor of vehicles it carried never seemed to wane. Standing under the soft, amber light of the street lamps, Mallory removed her satin wrap and rolled it up tightly before slipping it into her purse.

For a long moment, she stared in despair at the haunting image of herself reflected in the decades-old store front window. There, hanging like a specter over a hand-painted, green, white and red banner, Mallory saw an overly-thin, blond girl wearing nothing but a short, blue denim skirt and a white, crocheted halter top. Satisfied, if not entirely pleased by her look, Mallory began the slow walk east, toward the traditional cruising ground of men prowling for young women and cheap ass.

As notorious as Holt was for providing these men with the youngest of whores, the reality was slightly different. Mallory had innocently walked these streets every day for the last two years, and at just barely twenty, she knew how rare it was for a girl her age to be selling herself like this. 'Especially a white girl,' she ruefully thought.

Walking aimlessly, as if she were not actually trying to get anywhere, she made a point of making eye contact with every driver who passed in the oncoming lane. It was a look she had seen countless times before. It was a look that said 'I'm available' to any man who cared to return her gaze. She had been walking for less than five minutes before a black Camry pulled up to the curb in front of her.

Mallory felt a wrenching tension knotting in her belly as the car rolled to a stop. While the dark tint in the windows prevented her from seeing the man inside, she could almost feel his gaze burning into her. He would be appraising his find, judging her completely on how much he wanted to use her body to satisfy his lust.

Nervously, she glanced up and down the street. The shame of what she was about to do welled up in her heart and yet she caught herself praying a police cruiser wouldn't suddenly roll up out of the darkness. Her heart and mind warred violently over what she was doing. She was terrified, but her need to provide for her child proved more powerful than her fear. Nevertheless, making that first, hesitant step toward that passenger window was the most difficult thing she'd ever done in a young life already filled with impossible decisions.

With a low whirr, the darkened glass slid down as she approached. Standing on the curb, Mallory leaned into the car, exposing her bottom to the cold, night time air. The man inside was about ten years older than she. He was a white man, and his short, dark hair was parted and combed over in the classic businessman's cut. He was overweight, but not grossly so and looked decent enough in the dark tones of the casual suit he wore. The gold band on his left ring finger caught the amber radiance of the street light as his hand rested on the wheel.

"Ah, hi. I just saw you out here and I kinda thought you might be..."

As his voice trailed off into an insecure silence, Mallory sensed that he shared her nervousness. Somehow, that made the whole situation easier for her. Even though he was looking at her with undisguised desire, his lack of confidence was somehow comforting to her own. She might even have thought it cute under different circumstances. Still, the relief she felt was very real and the smile that appeared on her face was anything but forced. "Are you looking for some fun, sweetie?"

"Uh, yeah, I am, I guess. So, are you busy right now?"

Under the circumstances, it was a ridiculous question and Mallory couldn't help but giggle at his awkwardness. It gave her the unexpected feeling that she was somehow in control and she felt herself begin to relax even more as she held his gaze. "No, I'm not busy. Just tell me what kind of fun you're looking for. Okay, sweetie?"

"Umm, okay. I was hoping that maybe we could have sex or blow job or something? How much do you charge?"

"Oh, okay. That sounds like fun. You got a hundred?" Despite her fear, the conversation felt strangely comical.

"Yeah, no problem. Wanna get in?" he responded with an embarrassed smile.

"Great," Mallory replied and as soon as she did, the electric click of the door lock popped. With a quick look around, Mallory slipped into the passenger seat. "Go down to the next light and turn right, okay?"

As they pulled away from the curb, Mallory couldn't believe how easily that went. She'd felt exposed leaning into his car like that. It was the classic pose of the working girl and she'd seen them doing it countless times before. She was sure that every driver who passed had seen her, yet none had so much as slowed. 'Why would they?' she thought sadly. 'To them, I'm just another whore.'

These and a hundred other thoughts raced through her mind as she guided him into a darkened industrial mall just south of Holt. It was long after business hours and the deserted parking lots and narrow alleys offered more privacy than any place else she could think of.

The tension in the car was thick and hung in the air as she guided him to a shadowed corner between the concrete buildings. The taste of nervous fear and the expectation of sex rose between them and created a silence that was almost deafening. Mallory watched as his hand dropped to his crotch and was shocked to see him squeezing his cock through his jeans.

It was as lewd and sexually brazen a sight as any she'd ever seen. The very idea of an older man groping himself in front of her would have filled her with revulsion at any other time, but now she watched with perverse fascination as his cock begin to swell in his pants. His grip tightened and flexed over his growing bulge as he parked the car. When the engine died and the lights went out, they were shrouded in silence.

Mallory sat up on her knees in the leather covered seat as he reclined the back of his own. Then followed the soft sounds of clothes rustling and the metallic hiss of his zipper being lowered. Quite to her surprise, Mallory felt a welcome surge of arousal as he brought his still semi-flaccid cock out of the shadows. She began to reach for him but hesitated even as he slowly stroked himself in obvious expectation.

"Umm, you got my money, baby? You've got to pay me upfront, okay?"

"Oh, sorry," he whispered as he fumbled for his wallet. Seconds later he handed her five twenties and she quickly reached into her purse to switch the bills for the foil packet of a sealed condom.

"Thanks, sweetie. I'm sure you're going to love this." Mallory was as broke as she'd ever been but she did have a left over box of condoms Mick used before she went on the pill. There were only three left but she figured that would be enough for her first night. She had just ripped the packet open when the man sighed heavily.

"Oh, I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to wear one of those."

'Then you're a fucking idiot,' Mallory immediately thought as she encircled his partially erect cock with her small hand. "Sorry, baby." she said instead. "This is part of the deal."

The man grimaced and reopened his wallet. "What if I give you another hundred?"

The sudden doubling of her money caught Mallory cold. 'Two hundred! Holy shit!'  That kind of money for just a few minutes of her time was more than she ever expected. At that rate, she could pay her back rent and get some decent food for Constance in just a few hours. She knew well how risky it was, but the lure of getting security for her and her baby was almost more than she could resist.

She thought about the man she was with. He was no player, she was sure of that. He was married and probably just desperate for something he wasn't getting at home. She absently licked her lips as she contemplated fucking him bareback. The lure of so much money was too much for her to dismiss out of hand. "Are you sure about that, babe? This really is a bad idea. You have no idea if I'm sick or not."

The man just nodded his head and offered her the wad of bills. "Please, I've never done anything like this before and I really need to feel you on me."

He was being an idiot but Mallory felt he was probably safe. She did feel a pang of regret for the woman he called his wife, but the offer of so much money was more than she could refuse. With a trembling hand, she took the folded bills. "Okay, no condom. Just lay back and let me make this good for you."

With her money safely tucked away and out of his reach, Mallory took his now completely deflated member in her hand. It struck her as odd that a man would pay so much for sex and yet not have an erection, but she supposed he was as nervous as she was. Still, she hadn't considered that she might have to get him hard. With every second adding to the chance of being interrupted by the police, she leaned into his lap and took him into the warm embrace of her mouth.

Then.. Nothing. She'd expected this moment to be emotionally shattering or incredibly debasing, but as his cock began to lengthen and become hard, she realized it was just sex. Sex like she'd had so many times before. He seemed to lay back farther into the seat as she sucked and he sighed deeply as her tongue began to swirl under his lengthening shaft.

Soon, he was completely hard and pushing upwards each time her lips slid down his now very wet cock. He wasn't especially large and she was easily taking most of him as she bobbed up and down his length. Mallory sucked him slowly at first, unsure if she preferred him to just lose control and come in her mouth.

As the moments ticked on though, she felt herself beginning to enjoy the act of sucking him. It was wrong and taboo, but she hadn't touched a man in weeks and began to respond to him just as she always had to any other lover. The heat of arousal began to pulse between her thighs and she settled down more comfortably as she sucked his now rigid and throbbing cock.

It was a completely surreal moment and when she felt his hand slipping up the back of her naked thigh, she simply accepted his intimate touch. His warm and gentle caress sent shivers racing through her. When he began stroking her sex, she actually wished he'd slip his fingers under the hem of her dampening panties.

"Is that okay?" he asked as his fingers flowed lightly over her satin-covered lips. His feathery touch brushed wonderfully over her clitoris, making her whimper.

"Yeah, sweetie. You can touch me all you want. Just let me know when you're ready for more," she whispered and then kissed his turgid head before sucking him deeply back into her mouth.

The man just murmured in response. His breathing was getting deeper and more heavy. It was then that his fingers moved under her panties and found her slit to be warm and wet. When he pushed two of them into her, Mallory felt an urge to push back and clench. She was trembling now and her heart was beating rapidly in her chest. She hadn't planned on enjoying this, but now that she was, she wasn't going to resist the pleasure of his touch. She was becoming lost in it and likely would have just sucked him off if he hadn't suddenly groaned.

"Oh, God, that's enough. I'm going to come if you don't stop."

Wordlessly, Mallory rose and quickly slipped her panties off. Then she straddled him on the front seat and guided his hot thickness into her body.

"Oh, shit..." she heard him moan as she settled over him. She was wet and ready and when his cock began to open her sheath, she leaned into him and rested her forehead on his.

Mallory had been alone and despondent for so long that even this purely emotionless fuck filled her with something she had sorely missed. She rose and fell, over and over, relishing the deep massage his tumescent shaft gave her. His hands cupped her bottom, guiding her movements and together, they began to quicken with each passing thrust. In a moment of pure, selfish need, she lifted her top and brought her aching nipple to his mouth.

Mallory encircled his head in her arms, feeding him her flesh as she rode his body. Her movements were hard and hot and she could feel his arousal become complete. His fingers dug deeply into the tight muscles of her ass and he thrust upward each time he pulled her back down. The angle of his entry rubbed hard on her clit and she ground into him, desperately trying to come before he did. The hot pressure in her belly coiled and then her body convulsed hard as her orgasm rolled through her.

The clenching heat of her sex squeezed him and her moisture flooded around his shaft. He must have felt the tremors running through her and he held her tightly against him, thrusting deeply into her. The delicious pressure of his body invading her deepest recesses caused her to whimper and moan, matching his own, feral grunts. She felt him pulse and the sudden appearance of hot moisture flooding her channel signaled the final moment of his release.

For a long moment, he held her there, both of them breathing hard as their exhausted bodies cooled and were overcome by the soothing afterglow.

Barely an hour later, Mallory made the return walk through the iron gate of her apartment complex. In that time she had serviced three more men, using up her meager supply of condoms. In that short time, she'd made five hundred dollars, money that would feed her and her child. She knew she would walk Holt Boulevard the next night and the night after that. It wasn't a future she ever envisioned for herself, but if it allowed her to care for her child and to keep her safe, it was worth the cost of her self respect.