Oh! One of those sodomites. She knew it on some level, certainly. Everyone here sold their bodies … but it was the first moment where she noticed he had one. Chéri was here, after all, likely waiting for a man who was too interested in chatting up the bartender, or chatting up one of the guards on the premise of directions. While most men bartered their interest through the madame instead, some preferred no middle woman for one reason or another.

As if they weren’t all having a hoot over them afterwards, chosen path to sodomy be damned.

She liked this one, though. He was the first sodomite since … since Simon, that she had talked with. He didn’t even speak English, but he knew how to take a held door.

Ruby smiled brightly, then went straight for the bread. There were some men, mostly older, who came in for a ‘breakfast’ round, but it tended to be the same handful during the week who were either part or full time residents. In result, the breakfast pickings were far less early than she was used to.

Also, no fish. It wasn’t bad, per se … it was just odd to not eat what she was used to eating, ever.

Moi. She knew ‘moi,’ but the second part drew a confused smile. “Aus...stralia?”

But first: food. She picked up a knife and sliced two thick slices of bread. Held one up, and announced:

“Bread!”

Let her eyes flutter closed as she took a bite of cooled but still fresh bread. She wasn’t sure whether Chéri was actually hungry or not, but those two pieces would be eaten one way or another. Besides – it would have felt rude not to.