Madeline goes to the Atomic Wrangler For Work

Madeline decided that she wanted to check out the Atomic Wrangler. She had heard a crier for the business, a scantly clad woman bravely working the streets of Freeside yelling out.

"The Best Chems, Whores, and Booze in Freeside--the Atomic Wrangler! Come on down!" and

"Hungry? Thirsty? Horny? The Atomic Wrangler has you covered!"

Madeline figured any lead was worth a shot and she made her way down the filthy roads of Freeside until she saw a it sign for the Atomic Wrangler. She entered cautiously. It was nearing evening time and the place was starting to get busy. A woman worked the counter in the clothes of a man. She was busy cleaning a dish with an old rag and didn't hardly look up before speaking.

"We've got liquor, chems, and whores a plenty. Pick your fix and we'll oblige. Our only rule is no sampling the merchandise. Caps paid in advance."

Upon seeing Madeline her voice faltered. She must have suspected a male patron.

"Oh." Her gaze tightening "how can I help?"

"I am looking for work. I heard that th--" Madeline was cut off.

"James deals with the whores." she said with a sting of menace. "Go talk to my brother."

The rude woman pointed to a brunette man in a suit who was walking around the Casino overseeing business. Without a word Madeline moved away from the bar and across the busy floor.

"James?" Madeline said as if fishing for an introduction.

The man turned to Madeline and his eyes widened. He undressed her with his eyes, a look Madeline had long grown accustomed too, as he spoke.

"Well yes. I am James." he said with a smile. Slyly extending his hand "James Garret. How may I help you?"

Madeline took his hand.

"The woman at the bar...." Madeline corrected herself "er....your sister. Told me to come talk to you. I am looking for work."

"Oh." He smiled "Yes, that is Francine I am afraid she can come of as a bit of a bitch." he chuckled.

"So you are looking for work eh?" He eyed her up and down, as if placing her beauty on a scale from one to ten. "You know what kind of work you'd do here right?"

"I'm aware." Madeline said forcing a smile.

"Lets go talk in my office, where its a bit more...private." James led her across the casino and into a room with an old desk and some chairs. A number of papers and books littered the room.

"Please," James said "take a seat."

He motioned with his hand and Madeline sat down.

"I don't think I got your name?" He said taking a seat casually.

"I'm Madeline Blackwater." She said, using her last name seemed odd in this world above the vault.

James continued to eye her.

"Nice to meet you Madeline." he said "So you...were looking for work?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Madeline blushed. She didn't know how to approach being a whore. A sense of embarrassment rising.

"Well we can always use new girls." James said. "You done this sort of work before?"

He eyed Madeline. He had seen plenty of whores in his day and Madeline did stand out.

"I um...no I haven't not exactly." Madeline said awkwardly.

"Are you a virgin?" His eyebrow raised expectantly.

"Oh no. I have umm experience." She said, hoping that would help. If she was going to be a whore-even short term--she figured it would be good to have some experience.

"Damn," James said "Hadn't had one of them in a while."

"I think I could be an asset." Madeline said trying to find something to say.

"Oh I can see you got plenty of assets." James said smiling at his own joke. "Why do you want this job anyway?" he said, leaning back in his chair.

"I need the caps." Madeline said her eyes down cast, filled with shame.

"You certainly are good looking. You can't charge more than 100 caps. You gotta fuck them here in the Atomic Wrangler. You gotta sleep here--20 caps a night, but includes food. I get 50 caps each John."

"That's over half each time!?" Madeline said looking up. She wouldn't be robbed blind, she could look elsewhere.

"Look here Miss Madeline--you get protection here. You get a room here. You get a job here." He said huffing, though with the skilled oratory performance of someone who has said this same spiel before. "If you work here you get guaranteed caps and food. Besides--you go somewhere else or try on your own you might get hurt. Its dangerous business. Rough crowd sometimes."

"I am sure you could cut me a better deal than that." Madeline said, thinking it would take her forever to earn the 2,000 caps she needed to enter the New Vegas.

"Hey, this aint the Strip." He said leaning back. "You can't expect the big bucks like if you were at the Gomorrah."

How would Madeline Convince James?