by Sarah Thorn
''Are you threatening me?'' Tonya asked, her blood beginning to boil.
''Not at all. I'm simply pointing out that I made you a reasonable offer, and you are being ungrateful.''
She stood up and put her hands on her hips. ''Never. I will never take you up on your ridiculous offer. How could you? I'm not a piece of trash you can take to bed for money.''
Marcus cringed as she slammed the door and the pictures of his yacht almost fell from the wall.
*****
Tonya sat in her bedroom and looked out of the window as the postman worked his way along the street.
It was Saturday, and the surgery was closed. She thought about what had happened during the week with Marcus. Why had he made her such an offer? He was a rich man, and she was sure he could have any woman he wanted. Did it turn him on to treat her like that or did he really like her and want to help? No, if he just wanted to help, he would have lent her the money, no strings attached. The postman reached their house and put a letter and what looked like a newspaper in the postbox. She would look for another job, and leave him to molest his next receptionist, she concluded.
When Tonya had washed and dressed, she went downstairs to find her mother holding the letter the postman had just delivered. She handed it to Tonya.
''More? How can it be so expensive,'' Tonya cried. ''Sorry mom, that was insensitive. Your treatment comes first. We'll find the money.'' Her mother smiled, but it was a worried smile.
After breakfast, Tonya sat out on the veranda and wondered why in such a civilized country medical bills were so expensive. She'd read that in some European countries medical treatment was practically free. They wanted to add another twenty thousand to her mom's bill. Who knows where it will end Tonya thought as she imagined an auctioneer standing on a podium in front of their home, with a crowd of bloodthirsty bidders in front of him.
Her cell phone rang, it was Lucy. ''Hi, do you want to come for a barbecue this afternoon? It's a lovely day, and we've decided to invite a few friends around. Please say yes.''
''Okay, that sounds great. I'll bring some wine.''
''No need, Steve's got it covered. Just bring yourself and a smile.''
Did she mean that I'm miserable? Tonya thought.
At three pm Tonya put on in a floral summer dress and hopped on her bicycle. It was a short ride to Lucy's, and she enjoyed the fresh air. She also enjoyed all the guys who turned their heads to watch her long brown legs rotating seductively as she peddled.
Lucy greeted her like a long-lost friend and introduced her to four guys who drive trucks for Steve, and a couple of young women who worked in the office. There were also a few of Lucy's family there, including her cousin Jeff.
''Jeff,'' Tonya said as she opened a beer. ''How are you?''
''All the better for seeing you. You look gorgeous.''
''Thanks. How's college?''
He swept a hand over his black hair and fixed his green eyes on her cleavage. ''Okay. But it seems like a never ending road. Eight years of grind.''
''But just think how great it will be to call yourself doctor at the end of it all.''
''I suppose so. It would be even better if you were by my side, Tonya. Imagine what a team we would be.''
Tonya took a mouthful of beer and thought what she should say to him. They'd been through all this, weeks ago. He obviously hadn't listened. ''Jeff, I told you before, I really like you, but for me, there's no spark. It's not your fault, we're just on different wavelengths'' He looked at his feet and shuffled from one foot to the other. ''I'm sorry. You'll find Mrs. Right one day, I know.'' She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
''But you're so.......I can't describe it. You're just perfect.''
Someone burped and a few people laughed hysterically. ''Thanks, Jeff, you're so sweet, and I wish I felt different, but I don't want to lie to you.''
Tonya moved away and stood next to Steve, who was cooking chicken and making a poor job of it. ''You'll burn it, move it to the side,'' she said. Steve put his arm around her.
''Tonya. It's great to see you. You always call to see Lucy when I'm at work. Afraid you'll not be able to keep your hands off me?''
Steve had a great sense of humor. He was a big guy and strong. With his arm around her, she chastised herself for beginning to feel secure in the arms of another woman's husband. ''You've got it in one Steve. How could any woman resist?''
He kissed her on the cheek and offered her a chicken wing. ''Later,'' she said.
''Go and sit with the guys. A couple of them are single, who knows?'' he suggested.
Truckers weren't number one on Tonya's list, but she saw a free chair and sat down between two big guys who already had several empty beer bottles under their chairs. One of them leaned over to her and introduced himself as Ivan. It turned out he was from Romania and had come to the US to drive trucks. He spoke English with a strong accent, and Tonya found herself saying, 'pardon,' quite a lot. When he started to stare at her breasts and put his hand on her knee, she excused herself and went to talk to Lucy.
''And? What happened?'' Lucy asked.
''He's a bit rude.''
''No I mean with Dr. Crosby, not Ivan.''
''Oh. Nothing, I told him to sod off.''
Lucy put the chicken bone on her plate. ''Why? Jesus. All you had to do was go to bed with him a few times and he would have made your life so much easier. I don't understand you. Think of your mom.''
It was something Lucy hadn't stopped thinking about. She dared not tell her mom because she knew what she'd say. But by refusing Marcus she did feel guilty. ''But what sort of man does that to a younger woman?'' she asked.
''An interesting man. A man who likes to play games, who demands things. A man who makes you feel things. Has he made you feel anything?''
''Yes. He's made me feel cheap and worthless.''
Lucy sighed at Tonya's lack of enthusiasm for a game she would love to play herself. '' He's playing a game with you. Do you think he really believes you are cheap and worthless? Of course, he doesn't.''
Tonya finished her beer and twirled the bottle around in her hand.
''Why don't you do it, Tonya. He's rich; he's handsome, and he's a doctor. Just swallow your pride and do it.''
Ivan burped again, and some of the others laughed. Tonya looked at the men at the barbecue. There were six in total. Steve was the best looking but married. Jeff was moderately good looking but neurotic and needy. The other six were all overweight and seemed to have an unhealthy interest in beer. Was this the future Tonya thought? Saturday afternoons at Lucy and Steve's being ogled by Romanian truck drivers?
She walked across the lawn to a quiet place and took out her cellphone.
''Half the money for being your girlfriend without sex,'' she said when Marcus picked up.
''Four thousand a month until half is paid. If I give you half in one go, you'll leave me after a week.''
''Okay.'' Tonya hung up. Now she wanted to get drunk.
When Tonya arrived home, she had grazed knees. Riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol wasn't easy, and she'd ended up in Mr. Johnson's well-manicured leylandii hedge. She'd go round the next day and apologize for the hole she'd made in it.
*****
On Monday morning, Tonya walked into work as usual, but it felt a very different place. It belonged to the man that she was going to date.
After morning surgery, before Marcus went to do his home visits, Tonya knocked on his door. She handed him a piece of paper. He looked at it. She'd written her bank details down for him.
''So you can make the transfers,'' she said.
''Thanks. Very thoughtful. The first amount will go in at the end of the month,'' he said.
''Thanks. So what do you want to do? Dinner or maybe a movie?'' she asked.
He reached down and took out a brochure from his bag. He handed it to her. Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas.
''Great joke,'' Tonya said.
''It's not a joke. Thi
s weekend I'm taking my new girlfriend to Las Vegas.''
Tonya looked at the brochure and then at him. ''But Marcus, that wasn't the deal. The deal was no sex.''
''Who said anything about sex?''
''But this is a weekend away. What do you expect from me? It's all too soon.''
He took the piece of paper Tonya had given him and threw it in the trash. ''What are you doing?''
''If you don't want to continue with our deal, fine.''
She took the paper out of the trash and placed it on his desk again. ''Okay, but no sex, and stop blackmailing me. It doesn't endear you to me.''
When she was gone, Marcus put his hands behind his head and thought. He was being a bastard; he knew that. But he loved the game, and he'd played it so often he knew exactly how it would develop. She'd be begging him to make love to her soon enough. If not, he'd find someone else to play. There were a lot of women in desperate financial circumstances in Sandpoint. He had to admit, though, not all of them were as beautiful as Tonya, and he did really fancy her.
Tonya didn't know what to take; she'd never been to Las Vegas before. And how was she going to explain her sudden departure to her mother?
Lucy told her that she should take several different dresses and jeans and T-shirts in case he wanted to do something crazy like horseback riding. Lucy had been to Vegas a few times. Her report of it didn't fill Tonya with enthusiasm.
She told her mother Marcus needed her at a weekend conference and set off in her VW for the airport. When she got to the meeting point in the airport, she was exhausted. It had been a huge effort to carry her bag from the parking lot all the way to the airport lounge.
Marcus was waiting for her under the neon sign. He looked very attractive in jeans and a blue shirt.
''Hi, I see you travel light,'' Tonya said looking at his bag.
''It's only two days. You've come prepared for all weathers by the look of it. I can tell you t doesn't snow in Vegas.''
She was grateful when he picked up her bag and took it to check-in. While they were waiting for the plane, they sat at a cafe and drank coffee.
''How's your mom,'' he asked.
''As well as can be expected, I suppose.''
He liked what she'd done with her hair. At work, she wore it in a ponytail or up, but now it flowed down past he shoulders in long waves. She was certainly worthy of the Cosmopolitan cover, he thought.
''What about you Marcus? Do you still have your parents?''
He looked away, and she saw a chink in his armor appear. The normally super-cool, overly attractive doctor looked lost for words. ''I never had any parents.''
''Oh,'' she said apologetically. ''Forgive me for prying.''
''It's fine, you're my girlfriend, remember?''
How could I forget, she thought. A child came running past and tripped over Tonya's enormous bag. Its mother appeared and scowled at Tonya for blocking the path between tables.
''So you're an orphan.''
''Yes. I was found in an old pram in Boise. It was winter, so I was lucky I hadn't been there long.''
''My God. Do you think whoever left you there intended you to be found?''
''No idea. I'm just glad I was.''
''With such a poor start in life, how did you manage to become so well educated and wealthy?''
''I just found I was good at science. Then when I was a junior doctor, I went to Vegas and won three million. That set me up for life.''
Was he pulling her leg? ''How did you do that? The house always wins.''
He looked around as if he was about to reveal where the President kept the key to the nukes. ''You need to work yourself an advantage.''
''Er......sorry?''
''You're right the casinos have a built-in advantage. I'd saved hard, and the casinos were only too pleased to offer me great terms as a wealthy gambler. Did you know you can even ask them to change some of the rules in games like blackjack if they think you have enough money to lose.'' Tonya didn't have a clue what he was talking about, but let him continue. ''They're greedy. If you can get them to change enough things to your advantage, the odds swing in the gamblers favor.''
''I didn't know you could negotiate with them. That sounds strange.''
''They want wealthy people, and they offer them good terms. Sometimes they take their eye off the ball like they did that day I won so much.''
''Does that mean we're going to come back rich?''
He laughed. ''I doubt it. You can only do it once before your name goes on the list and they won't give you any more concessions. Then you're just like all the others, a mug punter.''
Tonya looked disappointed. She'd had visions of her leaving her clothes in Vegas and filling her suitcase with cash.
The flight was good, and they arrived at the Caesar's Palace Hotel just after six pm. Tonya had never seen such glitz. To her it was so far removed from her life in Sandpoint, it all made no sense. How could a place like that exist in the real world?
''Here's you key,'' Marcus said. ''Shall we meet again at seven thirty for a drink and dinner? That will give you time to freshen up.''
''Okay. Meet you back here.''
Tonya followed the man carrying her bag and gave him five dollars when they entered the room. He looked at his palm as if she'd crossed it with pig excrement. Obviously, five bucks wasn't enough. But she ignored him, and he went away. She worked hard for her money; she wasn't about to throw it down the drain.
The shower was refreshing. Tonya wrapped a huge fluffy bath towel around her body and pulled out some dresses from her suitcase. She chose a black one that showed off her breasts to perfection. While she was under the shower, she'd decided to be sexy and make him want her. Not because she wanted him, but because she wanted revenge. By the end of the weekend, he was going to be on his knees, begging her to let him take her to bed.
Marcus's eyes widened considerably when he saw Tonya approaching. Her shoulders were bare and her breasts large and inviting. Her skin was perfectly smooth and soft looking.
''Wow. You look beautiful,'' he said.
''Thanks. And you look handsome. Nice suit.'' He was wearing a gray herringbone three-piece suit with a white shirt and a blue tie. She noticed how he looked at her and was pleased to see a good amount of desire in his eyes.
At dinner, they talked about Marcus's childhood. She was amazed to hear he'd lived with five different foster families. Four for a very short time and one for longer. The family where he'd stayed the longest consisted of a man and wife with three of their own children. They were both doctors and wanted to do good, so they'd fostered Marcus. It had been their influence that had steered him in the direction of medicine. They'd supported him through med-school, but he'd paid them back when the money started coming in. He also told Tonya that he'd been engaged, but it hadn't worked out. Apparently his fiancée had decided he wasn't the one, three days before the wedding. He called it a lucky escape. She was impressed when he told her he liked animals and ran a home for misused dogs and cats.
Tonya told him about her idyllic childhood and then about the death of her father and how that had devastated her mother. She was certain the shock had led to all the illnesses she now had. She told him that she was studying part time for a degree in management, but she was finding it very difficult to concentrate because of her mother's cancer. She told him she had a best friend called Lucy, and that Lucy had persuaded her to say yes to his offer.
''She's a very perceptive woman,'' he said.
''I don't know why you think that. She's put me in danger.''
''In danger of what?''
''Becoming involved with a dirty rotten schemer.''
The restaurant was full, and Marcus hoped nobody had heard her. ''I'm not that,'' he lied.
''We'll see,'' she said.
After dinner, they hit the tables. Marcus gave Tonya five hundred dollars. She was tempted to put it in her pocket and use it for food, but he told her to spend it on the casino or give it back to him.
She put it in her purse and decided to watch Marcus to see what he did. He played blackjack and lost, then he went to the roulette wheel and lost again.
All the time they kept looking at each other. They were like two boxers, eyeing one another up, neither wanting to make a mistake that would lead to the knockout blow.
Tonya decided that if she split her five hundred into smaller amounts, she could play for longer. When she put one hundred on black at the roulette wheel and won, she jumped in the air and looked at Marcus.
''Easy this game isn't it,'' she said. He smiled and put his arms around her as they leaned against the table.
It was the first time he'd touched her. They were supposed to touch as girlfriend and boyfriend, and she decided to reciprocate. She held his hand as she put her next one hundred on black again. She won again. She turned and put her arms around his neck in excitement. The scent of her young virile body made his manhood twitch and begin to get hard. He pushed himself up against the table to hide what was happening between his legs.
''Well done. Now increase your bet,'' he said. ''You've got seven hundred now.''
''F… it,'' she said. ''She put seven hundred on black and walked away. It wasn't her money anyway. She got five meters away from the table when she heard Marcus laughing.
''Come back, you're rich. You've just doubled your money.
She took the chips he handed her, and looked at him. It was a very strange feeling to have won in a few minutes what it took a week to earn at the surgery.
''I want to cash in now. I need the money.''
''Okay.''
She swapped her chips for cash and handed Marcus his five hundred back. She proudly put nine hundred dollars in her purse.
They left the casino and headed for the elevator. When they reached the third floor, they walked towards their rooms. At her door, Marcus looked longingly at her. Her body was teasing him. All evening he'd been mesmerized by her beauty, and now he wanted to explore her, discover her secrets and deflower her in the most energetic way possible.
''Good night Marcus,'' she said.
''I don't suppose you've changed your mind?'' he said nodding in the direction of her room.
