Happily Ever After: A Contemporary Romance Boxed Set

by Piper Rayne

  * * *

  My nipples were rock hard, and I wanted him to grab my breasts. To rip off the barely there bikini top I was wearing, and to put his mouth on them.

  * * *

  He was staring at my breasts as he pull back. “Don’t tempt me,” he said.

  * * *

  “I wasn’t,” I barely said.

  * * *

  “I know how these things end,” he started the car and started driving. “They end badly.”

  * * *

  “I’m not trying to tempt you,” I said. “How is it my fault when you are the one wanting to get into my pants?”

  * * *

  “Ha!” Mr. Slade let out. “You just muttered that you wanted me to suck hard on your nipples.”

  * * *

  I shook my head. I thought it, but did I actually said it?

  Mr. Slade laughed. “For someone so smart, someone who graduated first in your class, you don’t come across that way.”

  * * *

  “Are you saying I’m dumb?” I asked.

  * * *

  “No, just so unaware and naïve,” Mr. Slade said. “How did you survive living in New York all these years?”

  * * *

  “Not on the streets,” I said. “I didn’t have street smarts in that sense, but…I’m not unaware and naïve.”

  * * *

  “You do know you talk to yourself out loud, do you?” Mr. Slade asked.

  * * *

  “I do not,” I said.

  * * *

  “You have,” Mr. Slade said. “In less than a day, you have already talked to yourself about me out loud.”

  * * *

  “Really?” I asked.

  * * *

  “Oh for crying out loud, yes,” Mr. Slade said. “This woman…if you want to be a publicist, you have to be keenly aware of yourself, other people’s perspectives or public perspective, and how to work with that. You can’t go around acting so daft. So unaware of what’s going on around you. That’s why your luggage was stolen. That’s why…”

  * * *

  “Are you saying it’s my fault my luggage was stolen?” I asked.

  * * *

  “Partially, Lily. You’re traveling alone to a big city, you have to know to keep your luggage with you at all times. I wasn’t fortunate enough to attend a prestigious university like NYU, but I was bright, willing to work hard, and had a keen sense of awareness. That took me to where I am today, owner of the most successful PR agency around.” He shook his head. “I don’t think you can cut it.”

  * * *

  My heart dropped. “I can. Let me prove to you I can. What else do you want me to do today?”

  * * *

  Mr. Slade pulled up to a parking lot behind a donut shop. “I want you to go out there and stand on the street corner. Go out there and talk to any cars that pull up.”

  * * *

  “You want me to be a prostitute?” I asked, my eyes wide with terror. “You are pimping me out?”

  * * *

  “Not the act. I want you to pretend to be one. Think of it like you are like an undercover cop trying to bust a john.”

  * * *

  “Is this what this outfit all about?” I asked.

  * * *

  “Part of,” Mr. Slade said. “Sometimes in this line of work, you have to do investigative work…to protect your client’s best interest. This is going to help Ronny Repp with his.”

  * * *

  “Okay,” I said, gathering my courage to go out there and act like a streetwalker. I took a deep breath, and headed out to the corner.

  * * *

  Mr. Slade sat in the car while I walked slowly up and down the street, stopping at the street corner, pretending to look like I was waiting for a ride. I looked down at my phone and saw a text come in from Mr. Slade.

  * * *

  Slade: Looking good.

  * * *

  Me: Who are we looking for?

  * * *

  Slade: You’ll know when you see it.

  * * *

  As he said that, a black limousine pulled up to me along the sidewalk, and the tinted window in the passenger seat in the second row went down.

  * * *

  Slade’s text came through just before I saw a face peer out at me.

  * * *

  Slade: Who is it?

  * * *

  Pretty green eyes belonging to a woman in her late 20s looked me over. “You’re a pretty thing, aren’t you?”

  * * *

  I smiled. “You ain’t so bad yourself.”

  * * *

  She laughed. “I like your unicorn theme. I could tell you would like to play dolls with me. We will have all kinds of fun.” Her eyes looked hungrily at me, as she licked her lips.

  * * *

  “It’s going to cost you, Princess,” I smiled.

  * * *

  “As you can see, Sweetie,” she purred. “Money’s no object.”

  * * *

  I wanted to look down at my phone, but didn’t want to give away anything. But I knew, this was who we were looking for. Sure thing. No doubt about it.

  * * *

  To prove to Mr. Slade I was not a lightweight weakling who can’t handle a real job, I leaned and said, “You’ve got yourself a new playmate.”

  * * *

  She laughed, and opened the door for me to get in next to her.

  3

  Lily

  As soon as the door closed, she pressed the button so a tinted window came up to separate the driver from us.

  “I’ve always wanted to devour an unicorn,” she said, licking her lips. She pulled my short shorts down to my knees and spread my legs. “I just couldn’t wait until we get to my place.”

  “Um, maybe we should wait until we get there,” I said. What was I getting myself into? Clearly this woman wanted sex. If I went through with it, would I really be a prostitute?

  “So, we just sit here and talk?” she asked sitting up and looking exasperated. “Chat about the weather?”

  “Well, actually,” I dug into my journalism training from my major at NYU and said, “I have to ask you before we begin, as a matter of professionalism, and to keep me clean and able to work, do you have test results?”

  She laughed. “Test results?”

  “To show you don’t have HIV or any other kinds of diseases,” I said.

  She looked surprised. “I didn’t have to before.”

  “Well, it’s a new rule. A bunch of the girls came down with something, and it knocked them out of commission. They no longer can work, and their clients are affected too.”

  She looked perplexed. “I didn’t even think of that.”

  “So…do you have any records that will show you and I…”

  She pushed the button for the driver’s window to go down. “Can you hurry and get us back to my house?”

  She pushed the button to go back up and faced me. “I have medical records at my house. That should work.”

  “Are they recent?” I asked.

  “Two weeks ago?” she said.

  “I’ll have to take a look at it. Some of the girls came down with crap last week.”

  She looked worried. “Oh that recent?”

  “Is that street the only place you pick up girls?” I asked.

  “Mostly,” she said. “Sometimes at strip clubs.”

  “I’m new but I know most of the girls took ill so if you’ve been picking up our girls from that street, chances are you might get what they got.”

  “I can’t have that?” she said. “What would happen to my acting career? I’m known for my body. If I’m associated with some kind of venereal disease, that would definitely derail my sex appeal.”

  “Sorry, but I don’t get out much,” I said. “Which movies are you in?”

  “Woman from Another World, Babe of Frankenstein…” she said. “All sexploitation type of films. My soon-to-be ex husband has a bigger career than me. That’s one
reason why I married him.”

  “But you really are into girls?” I asked.

  “Has been since my teens,” she said. “Never been into men since.”

  “But you married one,” I said.

  “Just like men married women back in the 50s for convenience and to further their career as a family man,” she said.

  “So your marriage was of convenience?” I asked. “I don’t know. How can you tolerate pretending to be married when you are really someone else?”

  “The perks are good,” she said. “I like his wealth, fame, and access to all the powerful people.” She laughed. “He lets me share the girl I’m with so he’s getting something. Besides, I’m selling myself like the way you sell your body. I’m just another form of whore.”

  “We all are,” I said. “I’m willing to sell my body for this job,” thinking about how much I was willing to do so I could convince Slade to keep me for my job.

  “Do you at least have children?” I asked.

  “No, thank goodness,” she said. “Not that I didn’t want any, but the kind of marriage I have, it would complicate things.”

  “Was it a bad marriage? Intolerable?”

  “No, he treated me like a princess. Look at me, I ride limos to pick up whores to have sex with. He’s fine with it and still treats me like a princess.”

  “Just this time?” I asked.

  “No, I’ve been doing this for years. Before we were married and during.”

  “But you’ve been having sex only with women?”

  “I can only get it on with women. I don’t find dicks very appealing, sorry.”

  I laughed. “Well, I actually do.”

  “So,” she crossed her legs and put her hands around her kneecap. “Do women appeal to you?”

  I looked down. “To be honest, I haven’t.”

  “No experience with a woman?” she asked. “And here I am thinking you’re a sexual pro with women. Some of the girls on your street specialize only with women…for sex only. Then they go back to their boyfriends or husbands. Are you one of these women?”

  “I don’t have a boyfriend or husband to care either way,” I said.

  The driver’s windows lowered slightly, and he said, “We’re here.”

  The car stopped, and my door opened. The driver was holding it open as I walked out, followed by my client. She walked past me up to the white double doors, and opened it wide. “Welcome to my home.”

  It was as though I had entered a hyped up live size Barbie Dreamhouse. There was pink everywhere. Pink chandeliers, mirror frames, tables, and door frames. “I love what you’ve done to the place,” I said.

  “I knew you would. Just by looking at you, you would fit perfectly.” She eyed me from head to toe. “So sexy. You’re going to be my new favorite.”

  I smiled. “Favorite?”

  “Lover, Pretty,” she said. She put her hand on my thigh and moved it up to the edge of my short shorts. “I’m dying to taste you.”

  “We’ll get there,” I said. “Test results?”

  She slapped her forehead and said, “I forgot.” She walked over to a room full of books. “I have it in my office somewhere…”

  I pulled out my phone and checked my texts.

  Slade: Where are you?

  Me: At her house. I know who she is.

  Slade: You’ve figured it out.

  Me: Better. I’m getting evidence.

  Slade: Well, get out of there before she’s on to you.

  Just as I read his text, Ms. Malibu Barbie came back into the room, holding up a piece of paper in triumph. “Here it is.”

  She handed it to me, and I quickly scanned it. She was tested two weeks ago. All clean except for herpes. “I’m so sorry, Sweetie,” I said. “I can’t have sex with you until you get that cleared up.”

  Her face fell. “I didn’t think it was that bad.”

  “Sorry, it’s my bosses’ rules. None of us can catch it for the sake of our other clients.” I pulled out my phone to take a photo of the paper. “I need to show this to my bosses or they will have my head for not going through with a job, you know.”

  “I normally would say no to that,” she said, “but I know what your pimps are like. Sally Ann, the last girl from your street corner, was beaten up badly for refusing to do a blow job the other week. She had bruises all over.”

  I shivered. I was just pretending to be a prostitute today. How horrific must it be to be a real prostitute?

  She handed me a wad of cash and said, “Take this. Tell them we fucked, and that should satisfied them. I’ll have John drive you back to your street.” I almost laughed. How ironic Malibu Barbie’s driver’s name was ‘John’.

  “Aww you didn’t have to do that,” I said.

  “I took you away from another paying client,” she said. “At least let me pay for your time.”

  “Thank you, Doll,” I said, giving her a hug. “Get yourself treated.”

  “I will. Bye, Hon,” she said as I walked to the limo.

  I waved as John helped me in, his eyes covered by sunglasses. I wondered how much he had seen, being Malibu Barbie’s driver.

  “Hi John, how are you? You bring girls to her place all the time?” I asked

  He kept his eyes on the road, but I could see behind his shades where there was a gap that he was checking me out. “Once in a while,” he said.

  “Are they like me?” I asked, curious what kind of girls Malibu Barbie went for.

  “No, they usually looked stoned,” he said. “Not as healthy and clean as you.” Well, that’s because I’m not a real prostitute I wanted to say, but didn’t. I made sure I wasn’t thinking out loud to myself this time. “You take care of yourself, too,” he said. “Nice clear skin, bright eyes. No flaws on your body. You’re rare,” he said.

  “Thank you, John,” I said. “I’m new at this.”

  “Hopefully you won’t be doing this any longer,” John said. “Most of the girls…we don’t see them for long. They either end up beaten up or disappeared. No one’s ever hear about them again.”

  “Sorry to hear that,” I said.

  “Most of them are underage, too,” he said. “I have a 16-year-old daughter. They looked like her age. I wouldn’t want my daughter out on the streets doing what they’re doing. At least, the Missus treats the girls she brings here well. I think that is part of why she does bring them here.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know that,” I said.

  “She started as one when she was a teen,” he said. “Luckily she got out of it years later when she met her husband. Good guy. Sad they’re getting a divorce.”

  “Me too,” I said. “Me too.”

  A while later, John had parked the limo along the curb of the street. “Take care of yourself, Miss,” he said. “Get out of your profession before something bad happens to you.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I hope to do it soon.”

  He left, and I tried looking for Mr. Slade’s car. It wasn’t where he had parked before.

  4

  Lily

  It was now dark and the street took on a more sinister vibe at night. I texted Mr. Slade where I was, but he had not texted back.

  Standing where I was on the street corner, I really did feel like a prostitute. The cars slowly driving by, with shady johns checking me out, made me want to run and find shelter away from all those creeps. I’ve never felt more vulnerable now than I had before. I didn’t even have my own purse with me. It was in Mr. Slade’s car.

  * * *

  Me: Mr. Slade. Where are you? I left my purse in your car, and I can’t get back to my place without it.

  * * *

  He must be busy with other matters. He was the boss of Slade PR after all. He probably didn’t expect to be driving me around all day too. I finally called Trish at the front desk of Slade PR.

  * * *

  “Hi Trish, do you know where Mr. Slade is?” I asked.

  * * *

  “He hasn’t be
en back all day,” she said. “Where are you? Did he abandoned you out on the streets?”

  * * *

  “Yes, I’m literally out on the streets, without my purse and my own clothes.”

  * * *

  “Poor thing,” Trish said. “That man…sometimes he acts more like a child than a man. A brilliant child, but…I’ll call you a cab, and have it charged to us.”

  * * *

  “Thank you, Trish. You’re a real angel.”

  “I’m just being a decent human being,” Trish said. “Hold on and try to find some shelter close by where you can see the taxi. The street you’re on…it can get dangerous at night.”

  * * *

  Why did Mr. Slade abandoned me here then? Why didn’t he return my text?

  * * *

  I walked down the street, looking for a place I can go into for shelter or an awning where I can stand under. I hated being out there, dressed as I was, like a fucking sparkly sitting duck, easy to be picked off.