"Well, I've been told I have a nice voice for singing. I have very nice penmanship and I'm good with sums. I'm a fair cook."
"I already have a cook, Nettie, and a bookkeeper, but I could probably find something else for you to do," Jewel offered, tapping the tips of her fingers together. "We have girls here who don't go upstairs. They wear pink petticoats, serve drinks and meals, and deal cards. Possibly you're better suited for that."
"I don't think anything else would pay enough for what I need," Clem said softly. "Please, Miss Jewel. I won't cause you any trouble. I'm a fast learner and a hard worker. Give me a chance," she pleaded.
"Do you have any idea what goes on in one of the rooms upstairs?" Jewel asked, her expression reminding Clem what she'd said earlier about lying.
"Not from experience," Clem admitted, "but I have knowledge of the basics."
"Why don't you tell me what you think happens?" Jewel suggested.
"Well, I imagine I would take a man upstairs to my room and we would… well, touch each other, maybe kiss and caress for a while. Then I would let him get between my legs where he would um… penetrate me with his, um…"
"No, no and no!" Jewel informed with a shake of her head. "What most of the men who come here want is vulgarly referred to as a 'poke'. They are not interested in your pleasure or your comfort. Thankfully, most of the time it's over quickly, sometimes only a minute or two. You must be the aggressor at times, and it's to your benefit to encourage a swift culmination.
"Before any intimate contact you must wash their organs, if they haven't visited the bathing room, looking carefully for signs of disease. Some men don't like this. They are offended or in too big of a hurry to be bothered with 'such nonsense', however, it's a hard and fast rule in this establishment to insure your own health and safety. Believe me when I tell you, syphilis is not a pleasant way to die. You'll be taught what to look for. You must also keep yourself meticulously clean in that area. In any case, if this process seems in any way romantic, get that out of your head right now. Do you understand?"
"Yes, ma'am," Clem whispered.
"Good. It's a job. You provide a service with your body for which you are well paid. Oh, I admit occasionally a charming or kind man comes along and it's hard to keep a professional distance, but you must at all costs. Offers to marry you and take you away from all this," she said with a sweep of her hand, "are a dime a dozen. Men who've had too much to drink will promise you anything," she sighed, looking at Clementine whose face was so red it looked as though her ears were on fire.
"Now and then you will get a man who wants more than to have you lay on your back so they can 'poke' you. They will want you to put your mouth on their organs or possibly want to penetrate your arse. My advice to you is, no. While there is nothing wrong with this type of lovemaking, I would like you to stick to the basics, at least for a while. Leave those men for the more experienced gems."
"Gems?"
"Yes, each of my girls uses the name of a jewel. If I hire you, from that point forward we will not be using your real name. Clementine McKay does not work at The Red Petticoat. It's a way to protect your privacy should you choose to move on from here."
"I understand," Clem replied, thinking it was a way to keep her real identity secret. She would be free to move around. So far there were only three people who knew Clem was a woman and she'd like to keep it that way, at least until she discovered who murdered her Pa.
"Men will offer you outrageous amounts of money for these acts," Jewel continued, "especially if they've just struck it big, but if you value your health and safety you will refuse. This is my place and my rules. If you disobey them, you will be punished or dismissed. Are you still interested in a job?"
"Yes," Clem squeaked out.
Jewel sighed and drummed her fingers on her desk before continuing.
"Sooner rather than later you will have a customer with a mean streak. Men like this enjoy abusing women. It enhances their sexual pleasure."
"What do you mean by abuse?" Clem asked nervously.
"It varies. Some men enjoy spanking a girl until her bottom is red and hot. Others favor more severe methods and would like to use a belt, whip or cane. Occasionally a customer will request the privilege of tying you up or gagging you. All of these are acceptable for experienced gems and there are some who enjoy these games. However, it must be consensual. There are cords in each room, within reach of the bed, that will signal Mr. Vasquez if you need help or get into a dangerous situation. Part of his job is to protect me and my girls, but be aware he will have no problem turning you over his knee and administering his own brand of justice if he determines you have caused your own predicament by not following the rules I have set forth. Gabe is not a man to play with and he takes his job very seriously indeed."