It was not long before Lacey appeared with a in-looking, blonde girl in shabby clothes in tow.


    Both of them came up to Wilbur, and Lacey immediately looped her arm around Wilbur''s yfully. "Thanks, sweetheart! What should I call you?"


    Wilbur could feel Lacey squishing the entire front of her chest against his arm and knew she was doing it on purpose.


    Of course, he was not going to point that out. "My name''s Wilbur Penn. You can just call me Wilbur."


    "God, what an ordinary name. Of course, that doesn''t matter as long as you''ve got the money! Let me introduce you to my friend!"


    She quickly pointed to the blonde girl and said, "This is Eliana, my high school friend. She''s a ballet student, with perfect looks and curves to match. What do you think, huh? You want a piece of this? I just need a two-thousand-dor introduction fee, and you just need to pay her three thousand dors each month. Say the word, and she''ll be in your room by tonight! How''s that?"


    Wilbur was speechless at the ''pitch'' that he had just been given. "Your ssmate is very pretty, but that''s not a priority of mine right now. I''m going back to the inn now. Are youing or not?"


    He turned to leave right after that.


    Wilbur had a feeling that making Lacey his guide might be a terrible choice.


    Lacey noticed it and had no choice but to grab his arm and beg, "Alright, alright... I won''t mess with you anymore! God, you''re not fun at all! Come on, get us a cab so we can head back."


    Wilbur nced at Eliana before turning back to Lacey. "Isn''t your friend going back to her own ce? Why is sheing with us?"


    "Duh! Eliana''s parents are divorced. She lives with her mom, who''s a total slut and brings a different man home every other day. Some of those men tried to get funny with Eliana, so now she stays with me at my family''s inn while working there as well. Her mom''s more than alright with it, of course. Saves her a load of money, and she evenes over every now and then for a free meal or two. We''re used to it by now."


    Lacey''s expression was a little annoyed as she told Wilbur about Eliana''s family.


    Of course, Wilbur was hardly surprised by this. The Allied States was called thend of the free, and Cametra was close enough to be considered simrly as well. Was this nation truly free, though?


    In the few minutes Wilbur had waited at the police station entrance, he had been approached by two beggars.


    Details like this made it clear that life in a nation like this was far from the fantastic paradise the media made it out to be.


    Wilbur gged down a cab and brought the two girls back to the inn.


    Betty Lent, the innkeeper, was overjoyed to see the three of them. She flung her arms around Wilbur,nding two hard kisses on either side of his cheek. "Thank you so much, Mister Penn..."


    All of a sudden, Lacey red up at the sight of the two of them getting cozy. She marched up to her mother, glowering at her. "Get the f*ck off of my man, Betty Lent! He''s mine! What the f*ck do you think you''re trying to do, you hag?"