She understood, she always had. When I met her at the office for the charity, I hadn’t known what she did for a living, not at first. We worked together to help blind children learn how to live in a world without sight. Sometimes the children had been born blind, and sometimes it came as a result of illness, but either way, we were there to help them. I’d come to know her as a planner, a fellow fundraiser, and as a woman before I found out what she did. I didn’t judge her career choices and never would. In fact, I rather admired those choices. I’d wished I’d been as brave long ago.

“I just need one more thing to help me along.” I clasped my hands in front of myself and scrounged up the nerve to ask Roxie the one thing I wanted to know the most. “Can I come to the club with you?”

“Ah, I thought you’d get around to that eventually. Do you have coffee?” She looked at me with a grin, and I nodded as I led her downstairs. I wanted to pause and jump with joy, because I knew she had decided to let me go, but I didn’t

want her to change her mind either, so I ushered her down the stairs and into the kitchen.

“I’m not finished with unpacking yet, but I do have coffee available.” I began the process of making coffee in a French Press, the only way I knew to make it, and wondered if I should use the coffee maker I’d bought. I didn’t know how to use one and had left the machine in the box, on the counter since I’d moved in.

She told me about the things I’d have to do before I could apply: get a health check, blood tests, things like that, and that I’d have to speak with her boss. “If you can pass all of that, and I’m sure you can, then I don’t think she’ll have a problem letting you in.”

“I just had a checkup done, so I can get that all emailed to me today.” It was Friday, though, so I’d have to hurry to talk to someone. “Give me a minute.”

I called the office and spoke with my doctor’s receptionist. Within minutes I had the test results and printed them out. “What else do I need?”

“A background check, do you have a copy from when we had to provide them to Helping Hands?” Helping Hands was the nonprofit organization we volunteered with. Since we worked with children, we all had to have criminal background checks.

“I do, I made sure to get extra copies, just in case I needed them again this year.” I had that in a folder upstairs. “What else?”

“Well, that’s all I think.” She looked over the test results and nodded. “Yes, I think that’s all.”

“Then I’m in?” I sat across from her at the little table in the kitchen that had sold me on the place.

I loved the pool, the bedrooms, the fact that I had so much room, and so many windows, but the kitchen had sold me. Along the back wall were cabinets above and below, a massive double sink, a gas stove top with a large oven against the right wall. Done in light wood and stainless steel, the kitchen was a dream. The fridge stood off to itself against the right wall, but that was fine. An island separated the utility area from a dining area, and I’d put in a pine table and four chairs to fill the space. A dining room was just off from the kitchen, but

I doubted I’d ever really use it. Not for a while, at least.

I was excited, ready to go right now, but I had to hear her say the words before I’d let myself believe it was true.

“Look, this isn’t just some brothel,” Roxie began, her face full of her concern for me. “I know you have some kind of wish to find out what it’s like, but I want you to know the reality of it. You can say no, at any time, to anyone. You aren’t going to be forced to do anything. Right now, you can’t perform on the stage, but if my boss agrees, you can act as a hostess. And if you find a patron you like, then you can discuss him becoming your protector.”

“Okay. How long does that take?” From what she’d said, I knew the men were handsome, mainly alpha type, but some not so alpha. I wanted one who knew how to control a woman, how to make her feel alive.

“As long as you want it to take. You can go in tonight and find the perfect one. In fact, I might know someone.” I saw how apprehensive she was, so I leaned in closer to her.

“What does he look like?” I asked, my eyes wide with anticipation.

“Like I’d have him if I hadn’t accepted Freddy as my protector.” She breathed the words, and I knew he must be gorgeous. “He’s so fucking gorgeous.”

“Roxie, you rarely swear,” I noted, then grinned. “He must be super-hot.”

“He’s got a package in those pants of his you wouldn’t believe too. I wish I’d been able to have a chance with him, but oh well. I think he’ll be just right for you.”

“We can go tonight?” I pushed, eager to know if I needed to get ready or not.

“Let me make a call, and I’ll let you know. Bring me your background check, and I’ll take pictures to send to my boss. We can take in the printouts to her later.”

“Done!” I exclaimed with glee, and I ran up the stairs to the small file cabinet where I’d put the folder. When I returned downstairs, Roxie was on the phone.

I heard her give the information to another woman and waited. “Alright, I’ll let her know.”

I swallowed and looked at her, my eyes eager for information. “Well?”

“You can come in tonight. My boss is a little concerned about your family finding out what you’re doing, however.”

“You told her who my family was?” I asked, surprised at the invasion of my

privacy.

“No, she ran your name and found out who you were in seconds. She doesn’t

just take anyone in, you know? She wants you to pick out a fake name, one that isn’t associated with you at all. We tell most girls to do that if they want to, but with you, it has to be a fake name.”

“Ah. Alright. I hadn’t thought about it much; I just assumed I’d be protected, somehow.”

Truth be told, I didn’t really want my family to know what I had planned, but I also didn’t care. My father would be disappointed, but he had his own life with my mother, and the two were busy traveling the world now that my brothers had taken over the family business. I probably wouldn’t see them for another year, since they’d recently visited their estate in Charlotte.

“It’s a huge thing, isn’t it?” I asked softly and turned to look at her.

“You’re going to sell your body, and maybe even your spirit and mind, to a

man you don’t know, Emily. It’s more than huge; it’s life-changing.”

“Will you think it matters that I’m a virgin?” I’d left that part out, but she didn’t look surprised.

“I think it will be a huge selling point, actually.” She sighed the sigh of the experienced and then gave me a big smile. “I hope you get what you want from this, Emily.”

“I do. I know I’ve never done, well, anything really, but I want this. I want it so very desperately.”

“Just remember, you’re protected there, no matter what. You can leave at any point, anytime you want to. There won’t be any questions asked at all. You can just talk to the men, keep them company, or you can do more; it’s all up to you.”

“Thank you, Roxie. I really, I just…,” I paused because I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to say. “Thank you.”

“I hope you’re still thanking me the next morning,” she said with a wry

smile. “I want you to stick close to me the first night, alright? When I’m performing, I want you in the front row, where I can keep an eye on you. It’s busy on Friday nights, so just keep your cool, remember who you are and why you’re there, and stay in control, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a wink. It was about to be go time.

6

DYLAN

“W hat do you mean that one was taken off the market? It’s

perfect!” I stared at my phone as if the speaker on the other