"I can't say I do—I'm what I am because I wanted to be—I need men. When I went to Kansas City, I could have found a job of some kind, and worked like thousands of girls do, but I didn't want to. I've never wanted to be what is called decent. I think that a life like that would be damn slow, and it's not in my nature to live like that. I love all this excitement—all this uncertainty, and most of all, I could never be true to one man, because—well, because when I see a man that arouses my interest, I could never resist the impulse to satisfy my curiosity, so—what good would I be with a husband—I'd only make the poor guy miserable, or else cause him to kill me—I know me, like no one else does."
"You are right there, Mickey," said Pearl. "No girl ever went the wrong way unless she wanted to—she may cry and say that a man made her what she is, and that she would never have been so unless some man tricked her—but down deep in her heart she wanted to be what she is. No girl was ever really raped—unless she helped the process along a little. The girls who have been raped, and really in their hearts didn't want to be, were the only ones that have been found dead, after an awful fight. No man can really rape a girl who doesn't want to be raped just a little. I know from actual experience."
"You're both right," said Evelyn, as she reached for the coffee pot, for her second cup of coffee. "This coffee hits me right where I sit this morning—it sure tastes good."
"Well, I gotta get dressed and start for town. I gotta date with Big Boy, but I can't for the life of me remember what time it was for. What are you going to do tonight, Ev?"
"I suppose I'll do the usual thing—go over the bridge."
"Do you suppose there will be anything said to us about last night?"
"I don't see how they can say anything—we weren't caught doing anything, and there's no proof that we were mixed up in that mess, and we weren't caught coming over the border, so—what can they say?"
"Yeah—I guess you're right at that—well, I'll see you later," as she started for the door.
"But where?" called Evelyn.
"I'll tell you what—you come over to my hotel, Ev, about six o'clock. How is that, and we'll go to supper—oh, by the way, Mickey, what are you doing tonight—the usual thing?"