"I don't know... I just don't know. I've gone over our books a dozen times. There's just no way we are going to make this month's payment–not with the way the economy has been around here," Charles said.

Charles Davidson and his wife Honey owned and ran a small landscaping business which, when they first started it, did pretty well.

So well, in fact, that they felt comfortable getting some bigger (and more expensive) equipment to take on bigger jobs and contracts with commercial properties. 

But the economy had taken a downturn with the closing of two major factories and the source of many of the townspeople's income. With few jobs left and a huge chunk of the town's tax base gone, the economy tanked.

And unfortunately, when business is down and money is tight, getting your lawn landscaped and that new pool put in are way down the list of priorities.

Still, the bills came in for the business. The payments on that new bulldozer and grader had to be paid, the workers still expected a paycheck for what work they did do, and the lights needed to stay on. 

The couple went to the bank to see what they could do about the situation. Maybe they could get an extension on their loans.

Perhaps refinance. But the bank wasn't very sympathetic and wanted their money. Faced with insolvency or bankruptcy, they were in grave danger of losing their business and putting both them and the six other men that worked there out of jobs.

With few other options available to them, Charles and Honey turned to a man that one of the workers had referred them to. The man, known only as Mr. Sarantos, was in the business of giving "high-risk loans". 

He was a loan shark, and he had been willing to give them a loan to cover what they needed in order to keep the business afloat awhile longer.

However the interest he charged was considerably higher than the legitimate lending institutions. And what's more, that payment too, was now coming due. And the money wasn't there to pay this month's installment.

"What are we going to do, Charles? This business was started with the money my father left me as an inheritance. It was his hope that we could use it to live on and maybe turn into a big enough nest egg to retire on. He was so proud when we opened our own business... and now we might lose everything he worked so hard to give us!" Honey said.

"I don't know sweetheart. The banks won't even talk to us about a loan until things pick up around here and once that happens we will be able to get enough work we won't need to talk to them about an extension or refinancing. Banks only seem to want to loan you money when you can prove you don't need it!

"What worries me more is that Mr. Sarantos is going to be wanting his payment. And he isn't the type you want to keep waiting for his money!" Charles said.

"But he lives here in this town–surely he sees what is going on and understands how tight things are. Maybe he will let us be a little late this one time–we've managed somehow to make all the other payments on time to him!" Honey said, "Maybe I should go talk to him, he might listen more coming from me. And I can explain to him..."

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Charles said loudly, "Are you crazy, Honey? Nicholas Sarantos is NOT a man that can be reasoned with or charmed.

"He is bad news! He is the kind of man you don't mess with–you either pay him his money or you wind up in the hospital... if you're lucky! No way, I don't want you anywhere near Mr. Sarantos or any of his goons. It's too dangerous!"

"Sweetheart, Mr. Sarantos is a businessman. I'm sure he can see that getting a partial payment now or getting a full payment a little late is better than not getting a payment at all because he put someone in the hospital and they couldn't work.

"Let me talk to him... you forget what I used to do for a living. I used to negotiate deals like this all the time. I'm sure I can get him to see that we mean to pay him and will, we just need a bit more time," Honey said.

"I don't like it," he said and so Honey dropped the subject. But the following day after Charles left to check on one of the few jobs they were able to scrape together, Honey left the office to go see Mr. Sarantos herself.

Mr. Sarantos' office was really just an upstairs room at the strip club that he owned just outside of town. The strip club, called the Pussy Cat Club was a seedy place, decorated up nice enough, but quite lax on the rules.

While it looked like a regular gentleman's club at first glance, it didn't take a lot of study to realize that things went on here that most other places wouldn't tolerate. The girls that worked there got to sit on the patron's laps while they got felt up and even fingered.

They let the customers lick and suck on the girl's naked tits and in the back VIP rooms, prostitution was rampant. The girls that worked there rarely said no and if a girl got too many reports of being non-compliant to a customer's wishes, she was sent packing.

To keep the place from being shut down or raided, Mr. Sarantos came to an "agreement" with the local constabulary and would pay them protection money to look the other way.

He also had his own protection, in the form of bouncers and muscle men that he used to get his way on things. He was rarely alone and never in public, being surrounded by a wall of brawn that would make any NFL quarterback jealous.

It was one of these gorillas in a three-piece suit that Honey first met when she went to Mr. Sarantos' office.

"I'm here to see Mr. Sarantos," she told the man when she approached him.

"Your name?" he asked.

"Honey Davidson. My husband Charles and I borrowed some money from Mr. Sarantos to keep our landscaping business going. I'm here to talk to him about that," she said.

"Wait here," he said, and he went inside the door behind him, coming back out a moment later.

"Okay, Mr. Sarantos will see you. Follow me," he said and he turned around to lead Honey into the room. 

Honey walked into the room and immediately noticed the large desk sitting towards the back of the room. A large, high-backed chair was behind the desk but turned so the back was facing her. On either side of the desk standing a few feet away were two more giant men standing there like a pair of statues.

"M-Mr. Sarantos?" Honey said. She was shaking so hard she was afraid she might fall. She had worn her best five-inch open toe silver sandals and she wasn't really used to wearing stiletto-heels especially ones so tall.

She usually wore her three-inch heel pumps in the office and even then, most of her time was spent sitting behind the desk. So walking in her high heels was precarious and with her nervousness now, even more so.

The high-back chair spun around and sitting in it was a very handsome man of Greek descent about forty-five years old, with a shaved head and neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper beard.

"I'm Mr. Sarantos," he said, standing up and buttoning his suit jacket as he walked around the huge mahogany desk. 

"My name is Honey Davidson. My husband Charles and I borrowed 25,000 dollars from you about six months ago to keep our landscaping business going. I'd like to talk to you about that," she said.

"Of course. Please, Mrs. Davidson, have a seat," he said as he pulled the chair in front of his desk out for her.

"Thank you," she said. Mr. Sarantos seated her and then walked around the desk to take his seat behind it. 

"Now Mrs. Davidson, how can I be of service to you and your husband?" he asked.

"Well, Mr. Sarantos, as you know, business around here has been slow. This slumping economy has hit everyone hard. And especially businesses like ours that are not essential, but rather luxuries or indulgences. When people are out of work, the last thing on their minds is a new lawn or pool installation.

"So our business has been hit especially hard. Right now my husband is out overlooking one of the few jobs that we have been able to secure," she said.

"Yes, I'm afraid many people in our community are hurting financially right now. This recession hasn't been kind to this town. The factories closing down, people out of work... it's just terrible," he said.

"Exactly. Unfortunately, the result of this is that we haven't had much business at our company either. And so I have come here to ask if we could perhaps get an extension on this month's payment. Or maybe give you a partial payment–you know until things pick up again?

"We fully intend to pay you off, that isn't the issue. It's just that we haven't been able to generate the money needed to make the full payment this month. We have made every payment up to now on time, but this month has been harder than most," Honey said, hanging her head.

"That is unfortunate, Mrs. Davidson. I can understand your predicament and I am sorry for your run of bad luck. It is awful what this town we call home has been reduced to. And I would really truly like to help you and your husband.

"However, when Mr. Davidson came to me seeking financial assistance, I laid out the payment rules to him plainly and he agreed to them. I loaned him the $25,000 that he requested, and told him what the interest rate and payments would be. I also told him what would happen if he missed a payment–the penalty he would incur.

"He agreed to all the terms and I have his signed agreement on file. I am afraid there isn't much I can do. I am a businessman the same as you, and I have to run my business in a way that keeps me prospering too. I'm sure you understand," he said.

"Please, Mr. Sarantos, please. We will pay you back, I swear it. Here, you can hold my wedding ring for collateral if you want. And this diamond necklace that Charles gave me for our wedding anniversary a couple of years ago. They should be enough to prove we will pay you back!" she said.

"Keep your jewelry, please. It is of no use to me. I have more jewelry and promises than I know what to do with. I am a cash man, Mrs. Davidson, and with the way things are economically these days, even the pawn shops don't want jewelry. There's no way to turn your items into green if I wanted to," he said.

Honey sat there with her head down, a tear running down her cheek. She didn't know what else she could tell this man to convince him to give them a break.

Mr. Sarantos looked at the woman sitting there in front of him. He was a businessman and he knew that if he sent his boys over to visit them he would have even a harder time collecting the cash that he needed for the payment. Landscaping and construction are hard to do with two broken legs. Then an idea hit him.

"I'll tell you what I will do, Mrs. Davidson. Let me go over your file and see how much you owe and what your payments are. Let me go over your payment record and a few other things and I will see if we can't reach some kind of arrangement. Can you come to my house tonight, say at 8:00 pm?" he asked.

"I-I suppose we could come over then. I don't think we have anything else going on and dinner will be over by then," she said.

"Mrs. Davidson, I would prefer if you came alone. Your husband may be good at landscaping and operating that heavy equipment, but as a negotiator, I'm afraid he is out of his element.

"It is his overly-optimistic zeal that landed you in this precarious position, to begin with. You, on the other hand, I can tell you know your way around a bargaining table. It will be fun to negotiate with you!" he said.

"Alone? Oh, I-I don't know, Mr. Sarantos... I mean, I'm a married woman. How would that look?" she said.

"Mrs. Davidson, do you want my help or not? You came to a strip club to talk to me today–how do you think that looks to other people?" he said.

"Okay... I will be there," she said. She didn't have a lot of choice–if she didn't figure a way to take care of this month's payment, Mr. Sarantos's muscle would be paying Charles a very uncomfortable visit.

Honey left the club carrying a slip of paper with his home address on it. On the drive home, she decided it would be better not to tell Charles about this evenings' meeting until it was over and hopefully a workable resolution had been reached. She began concocting a story she could give him why she was going out at such an hour and why she was dressed so nicely to do it.

Later that evening, Honey got ready for her second meeting with Mr. Sarantos.

"Sweetheart, I'm going out with the girls for a bit. I haven't seen them in a while and I bumped into Diane today. I shouldn't be too long, just going out for a couple of drinks and catch up... girl stuff you know!" Honey said.

She hated to lie to her husband, but if he knew she was going to see Mr. Sarantos, especially dressed up like this, he'd have a cow!

Fortunately, Charles was engrossed in his football game and didn't even turn around to see her, He just waved and told her to have a good time and be careful driving. He didn't realize she was dressed to the nines and certainly didn't have any idea what she was up to.

Honey left the house as quickly as she could so he wouldn't ask too many questions that she would have to come up with answers for. She got in the car and headed to the address Mr. Sarantos had given her.

Brookfield Heights was a very affluent neighborhood and as she entered the area, she was in awe of the expansive homes on either side of the wide tree-lined streets. T

here isn't a single home here worth less than a million dollars! Honey thought as she drove slowly down the street. She felt so out of place in her 2008 Buick LaCrosse as she drove past driveways full of BMW's, Lincoln Continentals, and Mercedes Benz's. 

Finally, she found the address she was looking for. A stately Colonial with a second-floor balcony, the house was impressive from the street–she was almost afraid to see what the inside of the place looked like!

Mr. Sarantos had to pay for this lifestyle somehow, and people who have these kinds of expenses are rarely willing to be accommodating to those who helped them get there.

She surreptitiously parked her old beater in the driveway in a manner where it couldn't be easily seen from the street and walked up the sidewalk to the front door.

Straightening her dress and smoothing it out, she took a deep breath and rang the doorbell. A couple of moments later the door opened and one of the bruisers she saw at the club stood there in front of her.

"Can I help you?" the man said.

"I'm here to see Mr. Sarantos, he's expecting me," she said.

"Come in," the man said and he led her into the house and to the living room where Mr. Sarantos was relaxing.

"Boss, you have someone here who says you were expecting her?" he said, as they entered the living room.

He stood up, "Mrs. Davidson, I'm so glad you could make it. And, my, don't you look spectacular! You didn't have to get dressed up for our meeting, but I do appreciate the effort. And it worked too my dear!" he said.

"Thank you," she said. Honey did look amazing in a sexy mid-thigh length blue dress. It dipped just low enough in the front to advertise without looking slutty and it hugged her curvaceous body like a glove. She had worn the same high heels she wore earlier that day at the club, and her makeup was flawless as well. She did indeed look very hot!

"Where are my manners! Please, Mrs. Davidson, have a seat here on the sofa, and let's discuss the matter that brings you to my humble home," he said. She came over and sat on the sofa facing him, but at a respectful distance.

"Leave us," he told his man and the bodyguard nodded and left them alone closing the bi-fold doors to the living room to give them privacy.

"Now then, I have gone over your financial and personal information," he said, picking up a good-sized folder from the coffee table in front of them, "and I see you have indeed been diligent with your past payments. That is good. And I can understand your being a little short one month, I mean, none of us are perfect! I get that, I really do."

"We are trying very hard, Mr. Sarantos to get you your money back. It's just there is no work out there right now for us!" Honey said.

"Please, call me Nicholas... Mr. Sarantos is such a mouthful, even for me!" he said with a disarming smile.

"Uh... okay, Nicholas..." she said giving him a weak, forced smile.

"I'm sure you are trying hard to repay your loan. The problem is that I need my money. I have other loans pending and I need to get my money back from you in order to loan it out again to the next person. I'm not a bank, I don't have unlimited funds!" he said.

"I'm very sorry about all of this. I thought when we started this business, that landscaping would be something in demand. We had no idea that things would go so wrong," she said, hanging her head.

Mr. Sarantos put his fingertips under her chin and lifted her face to look her in the eyes. "Mrs. Davidson, I want to help you and I think I have a way figured out that you could repay the loan if you are willing. I would like you to come work for me.

"Your job at the landscaping business is not doing well. However, my business is doing just fine, despite the economic downturn. So I would like you to come work for me and we can take care of the missed payment and help with the rest of them until things pick up or the loan is paid off," he said.

"You want me to work for you?" she said, "Doing what?"

"Mrs. Davidson, you are a very beautiful woman. I thought so the first time I met you and I still feel the same way. I want you to come work for me at the Pussy Cat Club... as a stripper. I think you would do very well at it and you could pay the loan off with what you made there," he said.

"MR. SARANTOS!" she said, shocked at such an outrageous suggestion. "I couldn't! Oh my god, do you know what my husband would say to such an idea?"

"Mrs. Davidson, You borrowed $25,000 from me six months ago. You agreed to pay me the $25,000 plus my 30% interest at a rate of $1397.82 a month for two years. To date, you still owe me $25,160.76 which means you haven't even paid off the interest on the loan, much less any of the original $25,000!

"Now I am a reasonable man, Mrs. Davidson, but you have to be reasonable too. I am trying to help you square up your debt with me.

"I could very easily refuse to help you and instead send a couple of my boys over to discuss the terms of our agreement with your husband, but neither of us really wants that now do we? I mean you have enough bills with the business–you don't need to add hospital bills on top of it do you?" he said almost angrily.

"No, Sir," Honey said quietly, her head hung in shame.

"I am offering you a way to pay off what you owe me. Is it the neatest, cleanest, most acceptable way of doing it? Probably not. But then these trying times demand that we think outside our comfort zones and do things that we may not find so pleasing or palatable.

"I have a lot of girls working for me who, through their fault or not, found themselves in dire straits and are now making a decent living using the tools that God has given them. You have those tools as well and I think you could do very well once you got used to the idea and learned the ropes," he said.

Honey sat there quietly. How was she going to explain this to Charles? What would he say? She knew he would be 100% opposed to this idea, but what choice did they have? No other bank or lending institution would even entertain the idea of helping them out.

And now they couldn't even make this month's payment! Maybe it would have been better if they had thrown in the towel and declared bankruptcy. But then they would both be out of jobs anyway–at least this way they still had SOME kind of income!

"Well, Mrs, Davidson, what's it going to be? Are you going to come to work for me or am I going to have to send Sonny, Carlos, and Paulie over to talk to your husband? Because they can be very persuasive boys. A bit rough around the edges–they don't have my diplomacy skills. But they get the point across nonetheless," he said.

Honey drew in a deep breath... she knew she had no choice. "Okay, Mr. Sarantos–I mean Nicholas, I'll come to work for you," she said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Good. Be at the club tomorrow at 1:00 pm and we will go over what you will be doing and how. I will introduce you to some of the other girls as well as the other people that work there. We can discuss the pay and how we will take care of this loan also," he said.

"Yes Sir," she said. 

As she sat there trying to process what she had just agreed to and what it might mean for her and Charles future, she was so lost in thought, she didn't hear Mr. Sarantos get up until the sudden click of a door being locked brought her back to the here and now.