by Emma York
She was different. She'd become a woman. She looked lost behind the bar though, scared, frightened by everything going on around her. I didn't think she'd come back for a second shift. Club Darkness wasn't for everyone. I thought I had her pegged. She'd last one shift, get too scared, then never come back. But she proved me wrong. She was back the next night and when I smiled and nodded towards her, she smiled back. I knew what that smile meant. Please don't tell them I'm working here. If I'd been transfixed before, I became obsessed at that point. Maybe I could arrange a deal. I wouldn't tell them if she let me have her.
From her cute button nose to the way her hair fell across her face, I memorised it all. I only had to close my eyes and there was the perfect image of her. The way her top clung to her chest, I yearned to rip it from her body, see what she looked like underneath. That smile of hers. That ass. I wanted it all for myself. I didn't want anyone else even talking to her.
I arrived at the club just after nine. The first few cars were already there, couples getting out and making their way up the steps. I was the only single guy in sight. That didn't bother me. They were stuck, I had the freedom to chase who I wanted.
I used to be like them. With Elora. They'd all been sympathetic when she left but I didn't want sympathy. I wanted to fuck Alice.
When I got inside, I headed straight to the bar.
"Can I get a drink?"
Her response faded away into a cough and she turned away from me, her cheeks turning purple. I looked down her body, the way her ass looked in that tight black skirt. My cock twitched in anticipation. She looked good. She would look better choking on my cock.
"Good evening, Alice. How are you?"
When she turned back after her coughing fit, she barely made eye contact. "Sorry about that," she mumbled. "What can I get you?"
"Double whiskey," I said, watching as she poured it out with trembling fingers. I held back my smile.
"Ice?"
"I'm good."
She slid the glass across to me. "Anything else?"
Yes, I thought. So much more. I'd like to rip those clothes off you and see if you look as good naked as I think you will. "This'll do for now. How are you?"
"I'm good. You?"
"Taking each day as it comes."
She glanced at me as I sipped my drink. I kept watching her. "Should be a good night," she said, blushing again. Was she trying to make small talk?
"I hope so. Have you seen an auction before?"
She shook her head. "I've only been here a week."
I know, I thought. I know exactly how long you've been here. "You taking part?" I asked.
"No," she said too quickly, her voice a squeak.
A laugh rumbled up in my throat. "You would say that. Keep it a surprise. How do I know you haven't already signed up? The names are put in secretly."
"Are they?"
I could hear the hidden excitement in her voice. "I guess I'll have to see what happens," I said, picking up my drink and turning away. A plan had just formed in my mind and if I was going to do it, I needed to move quickly.
The auction master kept the hat off the side of the stage. A battered old top hat that had been in use longer than anything else here. He took the names of all the girls who wanted to take part and then chose three or four to actually participate. The naming took place at ten thirty, the auction at eleven. Then you had the rest of the night to lick your wounds if you lost or lick your prize if you won.
It was strictly forbidden for anyone to interfere but I had decided she was worth breaking the rules for. I had a plan that couldn't fail, a way of ensuring she went home with me. No one need know. I got the feeling she'd want to keep this as secret as me.
I took the table nearest the stage instead of my usual one. From where I was I had a view through the gap in the curtain. I saw the auction master putting the names into the hat at quarter to ten. He then did what he always did, came out and went over to the bar to get a drink. Gin and tonic with a slice of lemon. Same every time.
"Usual please," he said.
That was my cue.
I got up and walked to the curtain in a single swift movement. A flick of the hand and I was behind the heavy velvet, the sound of the club muffled. There was just me and the hat. I dug out one of the names. Jessica. I knew her. She was nothing compared to Alice. She would have to wait for another chance another time.
Tearing up her paper, I dug out the one I had prepared earlier. Into the hat it went. One more second and I was back at my table just in time to see the auction master walking back across with his glass in his hand.
Job done.
I sat back and looked across at the bar. There she was. Even from here, she looked beautiful. Close up, she was ravishing. It had taken all of my self control not to lean over and kiss her when she'd served me my drink but even with my relaxed attitude towards the rules of the club, I knew that was a bad idea. The last thing I wanted was to have my membership revoked before the auction took place, the auction that was about to begin.
As the auction master walked onto the stage and tapped the microphone, I caught sight of someone waving at me from across the room. I looked and growled inwardly when I saw who it was.
Jason Fry. He hadn't been here since he stole my latest business idea and made a fortune selling it to a Japanese firm for twice what they'd offered me. That wasn't all he'd stolen either.
It wasn't the money that got to me, it was that I'd thought we were friends until that day. I shared my idea. I thought he was a man I could trust.
And what was that he was holding up? My heart sank when I saw it was a bid token. He wasn't just back. He was taking part in the auction as well.
I shrugged to myself. Let him take part. There was no chance I was losing her to anyone but especially not to him.
When her name was called out, I was ready to bid exactly what I knew it would take to spend the night with her. But, of course, at that point, I had no idea that my bid would cost me a lot more than just money.
THREE - ALICE
I knew the name calling was about to begin because we'd gone from heavingly busy at the bar to completely dead. All of a sudden there was no one in front of me. Everyone was back at their tables waiting to hear who was in the auction.
"What's going on?" I asked Rowena as she leaned back against the fridge behind her, ice cold bottle of water in her hand. "Where'd they all go?"
"It's half ten, no one'll get a drink until the auction master calls out the names."
"How does this all work again?"
"Any woman who wants to be auctioned off asks him to put their name in the hat. It's up to him if he chooses them or not. Then he reads out the chosen names to the room. Half an hour later, the auction begins. You sure you don't want to take part? You seem pretty curious about this."
"And have them all know I'm a virgin? I'm good thanks."
"It's nothing like that. Officially, the bidders are only bidding for your company for the evening."
"Nothing else?"
"Not necessarily. It's all negotiable but that's up to the people involved. We're all about freedom of choice in here. That woman over there in the corner, see the one with the candle wax being dripped onto her chest, she chose to let someone do that to her. No one gets forced to do anything here, Alice." She grinned wickedly. "Unless they want to, of course."
The auction master's voice boomed through the sound system, making us both jump. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is time."
"Ooh," Rowena said. "Here we go."
I leaned over the counter so I could see him on the stage. He was a man in his sixties wearing a ringmaster's red suit and tails. He even had a whip in his hand as if he planned to tame a pride of lions for an encore. "The first person to be auctioned off tonight is Jemima Edwins. Where is Jemima?"
At the back of the room, a hand went up. Everyone turned to see a stick thin waif standing and nodding to the auction master. "Up here for eleven, Jemima," the auction maste
r said as she sat back down again.
Jemima was excitedly talking to the rest of her table as the auction master waved his hands for quiet. "The second name is Tamara Brundell. Where is Tamara?"
A shriek of excitement from over near the door as two hands waved excitedly. "Me!" she cried out, knocking over her drink as she got to her feet too fast. She was even thinner than Jemima, long blonde hair, elf-like features, shimmering silver dress. "Dig deep in your wallets, boys. I don't come cheap."
"You might not come at all," Tony said. "Depends who wins you. A murmur of laughter before he continued. "The third name is a new one to me. Alice Lawson. Where's Alice Lawson?"
Time stood still. An ice age came and went. Everywhere people were looking about them, seeing who had been chosen. I heard Rowena's voice from far away shouting, "Over here," while pointing at me.
The whole room stared. I didn't move. I couldn't move. A virginity auction. My name called. They all knew I'd never had sex before. It was excruciating. That meant Ethan would know how inexperienced I was.
"Eleven o'clock up here," the auction master said before turning back to the room. "That's all the names for tonight. Gentlemen, have your bid tokens ready. I will see you at eleven." He spun round, marching off the stage while I remained fixed in place, unable to move as much as a muscle.
They all knew.
Rowena was grinning at me. "You kept that quiet."
I frowned. "You did this, didn't you? You put my name in."
"I would love to say yes," Rowena said with a smile. "But I've been working with you all night, when would I have chance? And, would I really want to have to work the rest of the shift on my own? Joanne off sick and you being auctioned off while I serve drinks to the entire place on my own?"
"Then who put my name in?"
"You're sure you didn't do it?"
"I think I would have remembered. It's fine though. I just won't do it."
"I'm afraid you have to."
"What do you mean, I have to?"
"Your name was chosen. You have to take part."
"I really don't."
"Let me put it this way, you obey the rules of the club or you leave and don't come back."
"What? You'd fire me over this?"
"Your name was chosen, you take part, that's how it works. Are you in or out?" Her voice was colder and I got my first glimpse at the reason why she was in charge. There would be no reasoning with her.
"All right, just give me a minute to think."
I thought about losing my job, about the bills waiting to be paid, how long it had taken to get this job, how long it might be before I found more work. Then I thought about standing on stage with all those people staring at me. It was only being company for the evening. Everything else was negotiable. Then I felt eyes on me and I looked out to see Ethan looking back at me. What if he had a bid token? At once I wanted to do it.
I wanted him to bid on me. I could say I'd been forced into it, that I had no choice. It was this or lose my job. The truth was I wanted him and this might be my only shot, long shot as it was.
The bar got busy again as soon as the naming was over, everyone wanting a look at the new girl taking part in the auction, the one none of them had noticed before, the virgin. I was working too hard to think which helped keep my nerves at bay and before I knew it, Rowena was tapping me on the shoulder. "Five to eleven, you better get up there. Here, drink this first."
I took the glass she held out, draining it in a single motion. The vodka burned its way down to my stomach as I looked out at the room. The other two in the auction were already standing on the stage, talking to each other. "Do I really have to do this?" I asked.
"You'll have the time of your life."
"That's what worries me."
"Go."
I undid my apron and folded it neatly, leaving it under the counter before lifting the hatch and heading through the tables towards the stage. Everyone watched me go, whispered words following me as I went.
"Who is she?"
"Just works here?"
"Rich?"
"I thought the rules didn't allow bar staff-"
"Nothing like the other two-"
"She looks like a virgin, I'll give her that."
I ignored them all, keeping my eyes fixed on the stage. They were right though. I was nothing like the other two. They had immaculate hair and make up, expensive jewellery, gym bodies, maybe a bit of surgery thrown in for good measure. What did I have? Shoes that had maybe three weeks of life left, my hair in an elastic band because I could never find a hairband, cherry liqueur splashed on my hand making it sticky as I clenched my fist to keep calm. I was quite the catch.
Rules are rules, Rowena had said. It was this or go home.
I chose this.
I couldn't work out how to get up on the stage and had to resort to clambering up the side, pushing back against the table behind me. As I made it at last, Jemima laughed from above me and pointed to my left, "Try the steps next time bar girl."
Tamara laughed and I managed a thin smile while hoping they both fell down a hidden trapdoor.
The auction master stepped out before I had chance to say anything witty back to them, not that I'd thought of anything anyway. Tony waved the three of us over. "We will start with Jemima. Those who bid have submitted their tokens along with their offers. I have reviewed the offers. With a high bid of ten thousand, the winner is-"
"Hang on," I whispered to Tamara who was standing next to me. "What happened to the auction part?"
"It's all done by sealed bid," she whispered back. "One bid per token, don't you know anything?"
Jemima was already heading off stage, joining the table of an unsmiling grey haired man who looked bored with the whole thing. He was talking to the man next to him and ignoring her. Was that what was going to happen to me, an evening of being ignored?
Tony continued. "Tamara received a number of very close bids but in the end the winner is-"
Tamara grinned as she saw who had chosen her, a man in the shadows at the back of the room. He stood up, a riding crop in his hand and she turned pale at the sight of it.
My heart sank. What was my fate going to be? There was no sign of him out there. Where was he? Had he left already?
My heart began to pound as the auction master called out my name. I felt my throat dry out and I had an overwhelming urge to cough. I managed to keep my mouth shut though as he said, "There were two very close bids for Alice."
A man stood up, already heading towards the stage, grinning broadly.
"I'm afraid it wasn't you, Mr Fry," Tony said.
The man stopped dead, the smile falling from his face. "What?"
"The winner of the evening with Alice, bidding seven hundred and fifty thousand is Ethan Powers."
"It's a fix," Mr Fry replied.
"The amount is entirely at the discretion of the bidder. You know that, Mr Fry. Now where is Mr Powers?" I looked around the room but no one answered. "Where's Ethan Powers?" the auction master asked again.
"Right here," a voice said right in front of the stage.
I looked down, unable to believe what I was seeing. He had won me. He was holding out his hand and waiting for me to descend from the stage. I had to resist jumping into his arms. Was this really happening?
"You cheated, Ethan," his rival was saying. "I'll get you for that."
Ethan ignored him, still smiling at my efforts to get down from the stage without looking too graceless. I failed, landing on all fours with a thud.
"Ready?" he asked, taking my hand in his and pulling me effortlessly upwards. The touch of his fingers on mine made me shudder.
"Ready for a drink," I replied, stuttering the words out. "A very large drink."
FOUR - ETHAN
I left Jason grumbling in the background. He could complain all he wanted. I knew from the minute I saw him that he'd bid on her when she came up. I could just tell.
I also knew he didn't have a bra
in enough beyond cunning. He'd bid the standard maximum of fifty thousand. There weren't many people willing to go that high and no one would on an unknown quantity like Alice. She might back out and that money would be lost.
How many of them would be ashamed even to be seen with a barmaid?
I hadn't cheated. The rules were simple. You could bid any amount you chose. Just because the club maximum was rumoured to be fifty didn't mean you couldn't go higher.
I had chosen seven hundred and fifty because I knew no one would bid that high. It was simple really. I had won. She looked shocked to see it was me. Did she know what she was getting into? What I had planned for her?
She pretty much fell off the stage, stumbling to her feet and brushing herself down as I took her hand in mine. "Now what?" she asked as we walked back to my table.
"Now I get you a drink like you wanted. You look like you need it."
"Someone getting me a drink, well that's a novelty."
"What would you like?"
"A gallon or two of wine?"
"How about we start with a bottle and take it from there? The Lafite 65 all right with you?"
"Lafite? Of course, I drink it all the time. That's white, yeah?"
"Red."
"Oh, you drink the red Lafite. Well, all right, if there's no white."
I smiled. "Sit here, I'll be back."
I headed over to buy the drinks, leaving her sat at my table. She was glancing around nervously, like she thought someone was going to tell her to get back behind the bar where she belonged.
"I hope you're going to take good care of her," Rowena said as I leaned on the bar. She brought out the bottle and a couple of glasses, placing them in front of me.
"Of course."
"I mean it, Ethan. She's a good kid and she's honest which is more than can be said for some of the people in here."
"Meaning?"
"Come on, her name just appears in the auction. Do you think I don't know how it happened? I can turn a blind eye but that doesn't mean other people will."
