So, I went into a brothel.

The past month was enough time to think it over.
Drew and a friend who has helped prostitutes for many years both gave their blessing.
Father said go.

What will the people watching from the street think?

What will I say once I'm in?

What if they're hostile?

What if I run into men customers?

Gift of boxed rice dumplings in hand, I pressed on the glass sliding door and stepped into the cotton candy pink lighting of the brothel.

The shabby front lobby was big enough for a chair, TV, small desk, big wall mirror and ripped up pleather couch. When I walked in she was sitting directly beside the TV, nibbling on a bowl of rice. Three identical bowls with little bits of meat or vegetables rested on the TV stand.

Expecting hostility or at least perplexity, instead, I was greeted by a cordial but expressionless woman, "Did you eat supper yet? Sit down please. Cup of water?" We sat on the couch together chatting about superficial things...hometowns, the weather, children, spicy food. Astounding, considering my goal was merely to get in the door.

She looked mid-30s. I tried fix my gaze on her eyes, not her body, but of course I noticed her pink mini dress stretched over a corpulent figure. Obviously uneducated, she labored to speak slow, standard Chinese. She asked a continuous string of questions with little expression. No raised eyebrows, curled lips, frowns, wide eyes, furrowed brow, just a blank face.

What have you been through?

A scruffy man slid the glass door open, looking uneasy at the sight of me.

Oh God, I was really hoping not to meet a customer. 

He took the chair by the TV. Not a customer, the pimp. He relaxed after the woman explained that I came to drop off a rice dumpling gift and our trio continued chatting. Another prostitute emerged from the back and combed her hair facing the mirror.

Ten minutes I'd been inside the brothel when pre-closings commenced.

"How about some water? If you ever visit my hometown I can show you around. Thanks for your rice dumplings. I wish your family a happy Dragon Boat Festival."

"Ok, if I have a chance I'd like to take a look around your hometown. No need to thank me for the dumplings."

"Next week come back here ok?"

"Ok, see you next week."

Did that really just happen?