It must have been april or may of 1985. One of the first warm summer days of the year. The year I turned 33. It was 3 in the afternoon and I felt so free, so free! It was hot, but a good kind of hot. Like passion. The heat was like a soft and gentle cloud surrounding me. The air smelled sweet and dry. What a glorious moment that was. Half an hour before I had walked into my boss’s office and told him I’d quit. Right then and there. That was it. No more for me.
As I roamed the streets slight panic thoughts started crossing my mind. What was I to do? How would I make enough money to look after my son, myself and our dogs? How the hell was I going to pay rent? Food? I managed to put these fears aside, because I had a strong feeling inside that somehow everything would work out just fine. All I needed was a little time.
Life was pretty good these days. Me, my 2 year old son and our 2 dogs lived in a small but really cosy house. We lived ten minutes out of town and were blessed with a beautiful garden, all across the front of our house. We had rose bushes and apple trees and a lawn. While living in Rotterdam, our house looked like it came straight from the caribean. Bright and sunny colors, wooden floors and a very romantic little porch. Toys scattered all around the garden and our two senior dogs carefully looking after every one who went in or out.
I think it was 2 weeks after I quit the job I received a phonecall from one of the customers I used to work for in the past. If I would consider working freelance to help set up a new product line. Half a year and half a dozen board room meetings later I received a phone call from the CEO of this company. If we could meet for coffee. It turned out that he (let’s call him Number One) wanted to ask me a favor. One that was very much off the record and that might even offend me. This was going to be exciting! He was invited to a very exclusive benefit gala in London and it was really important for him to be seen accompanied by a classy and sophisticated woman. He wanted me to join him, pretending we were ‘very dear friends’. He offered me a thousand guilders (that’s about $750,-), separate hotel rooms, no sexual obbligations and dressmoney.
Until then I hadn’t really thought about myself as classy and or sophisticated. I was a sneaker and jeans wearing mom with food stains all over me. I didn’t even own a hairbrush, let alone dresses and things to wear to gala. I had done some modelling in the past and I knew, that with a lot of work, I too could look like a true lady and even a bit of princess.
I told Number One I would think about it and off I went. I wasn’t sure what to think about it… Was I selling my soul? My body? And even if I was, what would that mean to me? I also felt excitement. A new world of undreamt of possibillities opened and I liked that picture. And that amount of money would be enough for a months worth of rent and groceries and I would have more time available for my son and dogs. I hadn’t been to London for some years and I had never been to a special gala event. This was an adventure! And I decided to go for it!
