by CA Quigg
“Not this time. More mess than hot.”
“I think the burger I bought at the gas station yesterday gave me food poisoning.”
“I told you not to eat. It smelled rancid.”
“It’s coming out both ends. Sorry for the TMI.” She looks wretched. Her eyes are sunken, and her cheeks are hollow. She begins to sob, the kind that shakes her body. “I can’t do the auction. My mom’s going to lose the camp, and it’s all my fault.”
Pushing what happened on the beach to the back of my mind, I pull her into my arms and rock her like a baby. “It’s okay. We’ll think of something. I’m sure there’ll be another auction soon. You said they have clubs in every state, right? Maybe we can go to a different one, and you’ll be able to earn the money there.”
She sniffs hard and shakes her head. “No. It won’t be like this. This one has the highest level of billionaires, and this is the one where I’ll make the most money by far.”
My heart aches for her. I know how much saving her mom’s camp means to her. There has to be something we can do, but I’m at a loss as to what that something is.
“Get into the shower and clean yourself up. We’ll call Alexandria and explain. She seems really understanding.”
Tanya slides the back of her hand under her runny nose and nods. “Why are you wearing a guy’s t-shirt? Don’t think I didn’t notice.”
“That’s a story for later.”
Once she’s in the shower, I throw on some sweats and tuck Mr. Baywatch’s t-shit under my pillow. And as soon as Tanya is dressed and back in bed, I hand her some lukewarm water.
“Don’t you have some anti-diarrhea stuff in the bag of medicine you packed? Or something that’ll stop this?” she asks.
“If it’s food poisoning, you don’t want to take anything that’ll stop it. You want to get everything out of your body.”
“Look at you, Little Miss Know-It-All,” she teases.
She takes a sip of water, but as soon as it hits her stomach, she retches and covers her mouth with her hand.
“Try and keep it down,” I say. “You’re probably dehydrated on top of everything else.”
She closes her eyes, and I see the concentration lining her face. When the urge to throw up passes, she opens her eyes. “At least I know it wasn’t just the alcohol that made me sick.”
“Not at all,” I say and smile. “And I’m sure it had nothing to do with the Jägerbomb-drinking contest you challenged the bartender to either.”
“I’m so glad you’re my friend. If it weren’t for you, who would keep a list of the stupid shit I do.”
“And I’m writing it down so we can relive it when we’re old a gray in the retirement home. Okay first things first. We need to call Alexandria and tell her you can’t take part. Then we need to find a doctor.”
“It’s just food poisoning. I don’t think I need a doctor.”
Sweat beads across her brow and her skin pales to a ghostly shade of white.
“Trust me, you do. Amongst all of these billionaires, there’s gotta to be a doctor. Do you have Alexandria’s number?”
She nods. “In my phone.”
I pick up her phone and scroll for the number, and when I find it, I press call.
Alexandria answers on the first ring, and says, “Good morning Tanya. I trust you had a good night. There’s been a lot of interest in you. I think we’ll get you way over twenty-thousand.”
“Actually, this is Mallory. Tanya’s friend.”
“Hello, there. I hope you’re ringing to tell me you’ve changed your mind about taking part.”
“No mind changing here. Is there a doctor amongst any of the, I guess, customers? We think Tanya has food poisoning. She won’t be able to take part in the auction.”
Silence crackles over the line.
“That is unfortunate. I’ll have a doctor come over as soon as possible. We’ll see you in ten.”
Without another word, she hangs up.
Ten minutes later, as promised, there’s a knock on the door, and I open it. Alexandria, wearing a navy skirt suit with a pink tote bag slung over her shoulder and a briefcase in her hand, stands beside an Amazonian blond-haired man who’s holding a physician’s bag. He gives me a blinding white smile that shows off his super cute dimples. Despite his size, he looks like a giant puppy who wants to play and make people happy.
I stand back from the door and say, “Come in.”
“This is Dr. Ben Maloney,” Alexandria says briskly as she walks into the room followed by the doctor. “He’s an orthopedic surgeon but is very well-versed in everyday medicine.”
“Where’s the patient?” he asks.
“She’s in bed,” I say, pointing towards the bedroom.
The doctor strides out of the sitting room and disappears into the bedroom. I make a move to follow, but before I get very far, I feel a warm hand wrap around my wrist.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Alexandria asks.
I smile and say, “Yes. Sure. Of course.”
We sit down at a small breakfast table. My nerves get the better of me, and I sit on my hands to stop from fidgeting. Alexandria sits opposite me and pushes an overflowing fruit bowl out of her way before placing her briefcase on the table.
“I accept that you don’t want to take part in today’s auction. It was a violation of the contract, but I could tell from the look on your face last night that you had no idea you’d even signed one. If I was a bitch, I would’ve enforced the cancellation fee, but I didn’t and I won’t. But here’s the thing: Now that Tanya is dropping out of the auction, I have a problem. It’s unfortunate she’s ill, and while certain illnesses can, at times, make the contract null and void, I don’t have the luxury of arguing about whether now is one of those times. Now I’m out two girls. I have clients to keep happy and being short not only one girl, but two, will not achieve that goal. Therefore, one of you will have to take part or pay the fine.”
I swallow hard and chew on the inside of my cheek. “Fine?”
From her briefcase, she produces a sheaf of papers and slides them in my direction. “Read article five, bullet point two.”
I take the papers and flip through them until I come to the section she’s talking about. In a nutshell, it says that anyone in violation of the contract is subject to a ten-thousand dollar fine.
Dizziness engulfs me, and a black mist floats across my eyes. “Neither of us have that kind of money. What if we can’t pay?”
“That leaves us in a bit of pickle, doesn’t it? You have two options. Take part in the event as promised, or risk being sued. There is a third option, but it’s one most girls won’t entertain.”
“And that is?” I ask, hope filling my voice.
“You can ask your parents.”
Fear stabs my heart at the thought of my dad finding out where I am and what I’m involved in. He has more than enough money to pay the fine, but there’s no way in hell I’d ever ask him for it. Forget about locking me in the attic and throwing away the key. He’d cement the door closed and feed me through a hatch.
“I won’t do that.” I close my eyes and hold my breath. I can’t believe what I’m about to say. “What does taking part mean?”
“It means you have to be willing to deliver everything Tanya offered.”
“And what was she offering?” I ask.
I already know the answer, but I want to hear Alexandria say it.
“Do I have to spell it out, Mallory?”
I firm my lips and shake my head. She means I have to sell the one thing I swore I wouldn’t. What a big fucking mess. So much of a mess I want to say every cuss word I know, but instead of saying them out loud, I think them: Fuck. Shit. Dammit. Crap. Douche. Pussy. Asshole. Jerk. Bollocks.
“I’ll give you some time to think about it,” Alexandria says, “but I’ll need your answer one way or the other soon, so we’ll have a chance to amend the catalogs.”
She lifts the tote bag from her shoulder an
d sets it on the table before continuing.
“If you go ahead, in this bag is your outfit for the pageant and a new contract. I hate to do this. But this is an incredibly important auction. I’ve already lost the revenue from you backing out, and I don’t want to lose it from your friend too.”
Too dumbstruck to do anything else, I nod as if I’ve lost the ability to use my brain.
Alexandria continues, “If you truly, and I mean truly don’t want to take part, and you can find a way to pay the fine, do so. Either way is perfectly fine by me. If you choose to go ahead, you could make both of us a lot of money. A beautiful girl like you has the potential be one of this week’s highest sellers. You could go in the hall of fame.”
I did a mental eye roll. “And what an achievement that would be to list on my resume.”
She ignores my sarcasm, and before I can say anything more, the doctor comes out of the bedroom.
“Tanya needs lots of fluids and rest. I’ll check-in on her during the day, but the best thing for her to do now is sleep.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” I murmur. “Can I go and see her?”
“Of course,” he replies.
I don’t wait for Alexandria and the doctor to leave before making my way to Tanya.
Her skin is still pale, and her lips are dried and wrinkled. When she sees me, she tries to sit.
“Don’t.” I sit beside her on the mattress. “You heard what the doctor said, you need to rest.”
“What did Alexandra say? I heard the two of you talking, but I couldn’t make out the words.”
“Nothing for you to worry about. The only thing you need to worry about is getting better.”
“But the money.”
She begins crying again.
I take her hand and rub my thumb back and forth. “It’s okay. I’ll get you the money.”
Her eyes widen. “You will? How?”
I force myself to smile. “I’m going to take your place.”
“No. You’d do that for me?
“For you, for your mom, for Stella and for all the kids who need your mom’s camp.”
“Are you sure? Are you really, really, really sure?”
Her words rush out, and I know she needs my answer to be yes, I’m sure. Only I’m not sure. Not one little bit sure. As unsure as a person can be. But I won’t tell her that. The only thing she needs to worry about is getting better. I’ll do enough worrying for both of us. It’s what I’m good at.
“I don’t have a clue about what I’m supposed to do. I’ve never touched a man—never mind had sex. I mean, how do I give a hand job or a blow job? I don’t know how to do half of the stuff you said you’d do.”
For the first time all morning, her eyes brighten.
“Grab a banana from the fruit bowl,” she says.
I do as she asks, glad she’s feeling hungry, and come back into the room. I hand it to her, but she looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind.
“I’m going to teach you how to suck someone’s dick. A cucumber would be better, but a banana will do.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. It’s time you learned. Peel it, slide it into your mouth then gently suck on it while swirling your tongue around the tip.”
I feel stupid for sucking a banana, but I follow her instructions.
“That’s it. Now, curl your hand around the bottom and guide it deeper to your mouth. Guys also like it if you tickle their balls. So, pretend you’re doing that.”
I roll my eyes and swallow down a giggle. But what the hell—I lift up my hand and act like I’m tickling a pair of balls.
“You’re a natural. Suck deeper until you feel the banana hit the back of your throat.”
I do as she says, and when it touches off my tonsils, I chomp down and bite the banana in half.
Tanya squeals with laughter and falls back onto her pillow.
“Don’t make me laugh. It hurts too much. I’ll either shit myself or throw up.”
“Gross.”
“When you’re sucking someone’s dick, it’s best not to bite unless they ask.”
“Noted.” I don’t know how the fuck I’m going to do this. I just pray the man who buys me isn’t some obese, overweight sleaze whose belly touches his thighs. I pick up Tanya’s phone and type out a text to Alexandria that says, I’m in.
She sends an immediate reply.
Delighted. Come straight to the theater. It’s time to get ready.
Chapter Five
Bryant
I don’t know why I’m standing by the bar at the back of the theater watching this spectacle unfold. I take a sip of bourbon and hold it in my mouth, savoring the taste.
One-hundred or more men eagerly await their produce. The atmosphere is electric, and it would be easy to get caught up in it, but I tense myself against it and swallow down the liquor still in my mouth.
Alexandria Briarwood takes a seat beside me, and motions to the bartender to bring her whenever I’m having.
“So, you’re Bryant Sinclair. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Your brother has been an absolute treasure to deal with. Very accommodating.”
I don’t offer her a smile. “I bet he has. You should know, I don’t want you here. I don’t want this cattle show at my resort. It’s never going to happen again.”
She gives me a gentle smile. This isn’t a woman who isn’t easily ruffled. Her prim and proper appearance disguises a backbone fashioned from metal, and in a way, I respect her.
“Why do you call it cattle show? A lot of these men are your peers. Respected in their industries. This is a simple way to for them to find companionship and—”
“—pay for sex.”
“Yes, pay for sex.”
“I don’t understand why and don’t try to make me understand.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” She lifts her glass to her ruby-red lips and takes a considering sip. “You’re a man of the world. A man of means. You know how hard it is to find someone who’s open and honest. The woman you so crudely call cattle are open and honest about what they want. It’s a transaction. The woman get something, and the men get something in return. There are no agendas, no secrets. Everything is agreed upon beforehand. None of these women are here against their will or are gold diggers.”
That’s where she’s wrong. These women are gold diggers. I know the type too well. After our mother had passed, our father married someone who wanted nothing but his money, and now we’re in court trying to stop her from taking half of our family business and fortune.
As soon as Judith got her claws in, she refused to let go. We could all see she was only ever with dad for the money. Eventually, he knew it too, but being a proud man, he would never admit to his mistakes even if they were glaringly obvious. Maybe if he’d been part of a club like The Exchange, he wouldn’t have married her.
I give my head a mental shake. It wouldn’t have made a difference, and no matter how much Alexandria tries to tie a pink ribbon around it to pretty it up, I’m not buying her explanations.
“Explain why these girls do it. Why sell themselves? They’re good looking, healthy woman who could pick and choose.”
She gives me a throaty chuckle that tells me she thinks I’m spouting bullshit.
“Could they really? Many, not all, but a lot of these women are from underprivileged backgrounds. Some use the money to pay for college. Some use the money to send back to their families in other countries. Some do it for the thrill of it. Each and every person here has their own motivations—including the men. Some of those motivations I’m privy to. Some of them I’m not. It’s not my place to judge or fully understand. It’s my place to facilitate.”
“And you feel no shame?”
She presses a delicate hand to her chest and tilts her head. “Shame? Why would I feel shame? I was once one of these girls. Someone from the wrong side of the tracks who had nothing but her looks and her body. I did what I had to do to get out of the trailer park I grew up
in. The men I’ve met along the way understood what I wanted just as I understood what they wanted.”
“Was it only ever money to you or did you ever love them?”
I don’t know why I asked that question because it’s not like I’ve ever been in love—nor have I ever fucking wanted to be, but for some reason, I want to know the answer.
“I’ve cared for a few here and there. But like everyone in this world, I did, and do, what I have to do to survive.”
“I won’t change my mind about your organization,” I say, “but I appreciate your honesty.”
She gives her head a slight nod before knocking back her drink without so much as a grimace. Impressive.
“Why don’t you stick around?” she says. “You could surprise yourself and see something you like.”
I chuckle. “I doubt that very much.”
“You never know which one of my girls could reel you in.”
She winks and then strides away. It’s as if she knows something I don’t.
I shake it off and continue to peruse the theater hoping for a glimpse of my mermaid. I haven’t been able to track her down, despite trying, and I’m beginning to think she was a figment of my imagination.
What’s she doing right now? Is she pissed because I yelled at her? Maybe she is, but she deserved it. She could have died and that terrifies me. If she’d died, I would never have felt her luscious curves or the warmth of her skin.
I have to do more to track her down. Find out who she is. Perhaps apologize for my briskness and ask if she wants to join me for dinner and more. Since I don’t know her name, I don’t know if she’s a guest at the hotel.
For all I know, she could belong to one of these men, but she said she wasn’t selling herself, so I doubt that she does.
On stage, Alexandria taps the microphone at the auctioneer’s lectern. “Five minutes, gentleman. Use your voices to indicate your interest. The bids will go three times before the buyer is determined. You have your catalogs in front of you, which I’m sure you’ve studied.
“You’ll note on page six that there has been a substitution. Tanya Haywood is no longer available and will be replaced by Mallory Covington. What’s for sale remains the same—her virginity. I apologize for the last-minute switch but, as you know, sometimes these things cannot be avoided. And I promise you that you will be pleased with the substitution.”
