Showcase

by P. Roper

  “Alright. Yes. My hair is naturally this dark brown but not actually straight. It takes a fair amount of taming to wrangle my locks into this,” I pointed at my head for emphasis. “I agreed to your offer because what sort of daft waif would I be, to turn down potentially the opportunity of my lifetime? Especially when offered by the likes of a guy like you? And as for my age? Well, will old enough to know better, but still too young to care suffice for now?”

  “For now I suppose. Can I ask though, how exactly a smart girl like you found yourself submerged in the showcase scene?”

  A laugh burst from my mouth. I had been waiting for that question. So I started at the beginning, with the modeling and that first night. “Depending on the night, cover charge at the venue ranged from $10-50k a head. These men and women were there for nothing more than to spend stupid amounts of money on a lavish night. Always risqué, but some of the requests made were elaborate. Music and booze pumped rampantly through the very veins of each event. For the first few I attended I was just for show, posing in nothing but a scrap of lace and a mask. A pretty living picture, in my glowing glass box. But that’s not where the real money is. The elaborate client requests are what actually paid the bills”

  “None as elaborate as my offer, I presume?” With that, he settled back in beside me, still looking me directly in the face.

  “No,” I almost snorted, “none as good either.”

  “It hasn’t even been twelve hours, Deliah. Don’t be so quick to judge. Will you tell me about some of these requests? My curiosity desperately needs to be satiated,” he smiled; quirking an eyebrow and running a hand up and down my thigh.

  “Uh, well. Hmm,” I wasn’t sure how or where to begin. “Sometimes they wanted lap dances. Occasionally they wanted me to have a private party with them. But most of them wanted to get off, watching me. Whether it be servicing,” I widened my eyes and tilted my head, to bring my implication home, “myself, or not. One time right before I left New York, I was selected by a client. My number was called and security came to get me. I was escorted back to one of the private rooms. There were two other showcase girls in the room already. I didn’t know them well, but recognized their faces. Bouncer came back with a stack of cash for each of us and instructions. The deal was $12k a piece on top of our normal night, for the other two girls to eat me out and fuck me while I was cuffed, to a tilted surface. The client wanted a full view and for me to be vocal. Essentially, live porn.” His hand had drifted from my thigh and he had begun tracing patterns with his fingertips, over all of my exposed skin. “So, for what worked out to about a $15,000 night for me? This guy watched intently as I was ravaged by two beautiful women, never stopping stroking himself. The girls were skilled though with their tongues, hands and glass props. By the time he was finished, I must have come at least 6 times.” I tried to laugh but my body was strung so tight, reliving the memory.

  He slid closer, hovering over me. “What’s your consecutive record,” he asked from behind hooded eyes before pulling my nipple between his teeth.

  My breath hitched at the sharp pressure. “Uh, that may be it?” The statement came out as a question.

  “I may need to fix that. You will learn quickly I’m not one to be outdone. And I’ll do it without the props.”

  After I came four times on my back, he flipped me over and pulled my hips up to meet his. “Don’t let go of the headboard,” he instructed roughly before filling me completely in one stroke. I could feel his cock throbbing as it stretched me. And the moans that escaped me when he started to move himself in and out were almost embarrassing. As I held his headboard in a white knuckled grip he slammed into me, occasionally reaching around to rub my clit. I came twice more before he grabbed my hair. Pulling on it hard, he groaned out his own release. Collapsing together, sleep found us again quickly. But morning waits for no one.

  Chapter 5

  I could feel it before I even opened my eyes. I was being stared at and I couldn’t stop the smile that crept onto my face. A low chuckle from mere inches away, prompted me to pull the covers up over my nose, so just my eyes and hair were peeking out. Opening them, I marvelled at his smile a second.

  “How long have you been staring?” I worried.

  “Not long, probably just long enough for you to notice. I promise.”

  “Mhmm,” I murmur unconvinced. “So what happens today?”

  “Today is boring. Tours and familiarizing yourself with things. I have a couple meetings, before and after lunch, because I’ve been away so long,” a bashful look overtook his features. “But after that we can play the evening by ear?”

  “A couple meetings before lunch? Dude, what time is it?” I asked, sitting up and wrapping a sheet around myself.

  “It’s eight,” he began before I gaped at him.

  Cutting him off I whispered, “It’s eight, AM? I can’t even recall the last time I woke up at this hour.” Laughing to myself I continued, “I mean, I’ve still been awake at 8 occasionally. But damn, man.”

  He ran a hand through his hair and then stood. Walking his stark naked ass through a door that presumed was a closet. “Technically, it’s two in the afternoon to your brain right now.” He said through the open door.

  Clarity washed over me. That’s why I felt the way I did? Adjusting to jet lag apparently didn’t suck when you switched from nights to days in the process. I stretched and stood. “Uh, do I have clothes?” I asked, glancing around the room. I couldn’t exactly just wear what I arrived here in, seeing as it was nothing but a suit jacket.

  Poking his head out of the door, an almost guilty expression blanketed his face. He laughed and retreated before fully emerging from the room. “Shit, yeah. Uh, what do you want to wear? I’ll have Audrey bring you something for today. Your things should arrive in the next day or two.” He draped the robe in his hand over my shoulders. “So what’ll it be?”

  “Actually? Like I just tell you what I feel like wearing and someone will deliver it?”

  “Yes. If you wanted to shower, she should be able to get whatever it is here by the time you’re done.” He shrugged as if it wasn’t out of the ordinary.

  “What a charmed life,” I acknowledged before grabbing my phone, that in the moment, I realized would only work on Wi-Fi in the US. It was November and in New England that meant thick sweaters and jeans. I found a picture on Pinterest of a woman far more put together than I have ever been in my life. She wore dark skinny jeans, a chunky white sweater, boots and a beanie. “This?” I asked. Nodding, he grabbed his own phone from the dock beside the bed.

  He tapped the screen a couple times before putting it to his ear. After a beat, he spoke. “Hey. Can you bring a thick sweater, jeans and boots to the house for Miss Woods?” Pause. “Light? White or cream?” Pause. “Dark, tight.” Pause. “Black?” He said making eye contact with me.

  Assuming he meant the boots, I shook my head. “Brown, ladies 7, booties.”

  He nodded and repeated what I said into the phone. “Yeah. Small, 6. And undergarments too. 34 B, medium.” My eyes widened, how the hell did he know that? He flashed me a dimpled smirk. “Within the hour if you can.” Pause. “Thank you Audrey. I’ll see you shortly.” Tapping the screen to disconnect the call, he turned to actually face me.

  “How,” I began.

  Cutting me off, he raised his eyebrows. “Deliah, I became deeply acquainted with your body over the last 12 hours.” He pulled me from the edge of the bed so I was standing in front of him. “Go, shower. Feel free to use anything that is in the bathroom.” He pointed toward the other mystery door in the room. I’ll be downstairs. Coffee? Latte? Tea? Smoothie?”

  “Um, coffee is fine. I’ll be down in a bit. Do you have a t-shirt though?”

  “Audrey is bringing you clothes. She should be here soonish.”

  “Oh, no,” I laughed. “For my hair. I don’t use towels on it; bad for the curls.”

  “Oh, uh sure,” he disappeared
back into the closet briefly. “This work?”

  Taking the offered t-shirt, I nodded and turned to head for the shower. Glancing over my shoulder before I entered the room, I witnessed him slipping out of the bedroom through black double doors. I continued through my own doorway as I heard the latch click quietly.

  I shut the bathroom door behind me and almost let out an audible gasp as I switched on the light. Everything was slate and glass. Clean lines and raw edges juxtaposed almost poetically in the space. This wasn’t just a bathroom, it was a sanctuary. I peeked through all the cupboards, finding towels, shampoo and conditioner (they smelled like fresh man, but they would suffice), a bar of soap and hair gel. I was relieved to find the last item. No blow dryer or flat iron meant that my natural curls would surface today. The basic gel would at least help to tame them enough until I could get to a drugstore and pick up my own necessities. My clothes, someone else could handle but I trusted my hair in no one’s hands, save my own.

  Stepping into the glass shower that was bigger than my entire bathroom overseas, I set the bottles and soap on the slate ledge that spanned the back wall. Standing slightly off to the side, I turned the faucet and waited a moment before stepping under the hot spray. The falling water washed tension from my shoulders and ironing from my hair. Dark waves sprung up around my face as I stood there, breathing in the realization that this was real. I had taken a leap into the unknown and despite being surprised with myself, I was eager to see where the next year would take me.

  I spent more time in the shower than I had since I started college. I mean, the water felt glorious and I figured that I still had to wait for some woman named Audrey to bring me clothes. Once I turned off the water, I dropped my hair into the t-shirt and wrapped it up before putting the robe back on and heading back into the bedroom.

  I was astonished to see my requested outfit laid out on the now-made bed. Complete with socks and underwear that was so soft it felt like butter. I pulled on jeans that hugged me better than any pair I had ever worn before and a cozy cream sweater that engulfed me comfortably. The boots were made of soft suede and fit beautifully. I couldn’t help but wonder how a stranger bought these perfectly suited things, without even seeing me?

  After freeing my half dried curls from the t-shirt wrap, I decided it was time to brave the world outside this room. I wasn’t sure what to expect on the other side of that double door, but I’m positive it wasn’t what I found. Where I was expecting more dark and heavy, like the charcoal walls and black fixtures in the bedroom, I found quite the opposite. The floors and doors were a dark oak and industrial looking light fixtures hung down the hallway. But the walls were bright white and large windows at either end of the hall brought in never ending light.

  The double doors I stood in front of were directly at the top of a wide, winding staircase and other doors dotted the length of the rest of the hallway in either direction. As I made my way down the stairs, the pictures cascading down the stairwell caught my attention. Family pictures that looked like they included several generations. Mostly candid and all specifically black and white. They made me smile and wonder what it would be like to be surrounded by that many vastly different people. Sure, I had grown up on army bases but my memories of childhood were dramatically more serious and distanced than any of the images hanging there.

  Beautiful herringbone wood floors and more bright spaces met me as I made it to the ground level. Floor to ceiling windows allowed the fall sunlight to flood in, reflecting off light fixtures that could pass as art. I tiptoed down a corridor, following the sound of voices and the smell of coffee, to find myself in a kitchen that made me audibly gasp. It was an impeccable blend of modern and classic, splashed with pistachio and crisp white marble. My eyes took it all in before meeting the unforgettable set of blue eyes attached to the man leaning on the counter. My gasp had interrupted his conversation with a tiny dark skinned woman.

  The first thing to draw my attention to her was the poise with which she held herself. I had a feeling her beauty in the tailored off white pant suit barely held a candle to that which she would radiate in a less professional setting.

  “Audrey, I presume?” I ask, stepping further into the space with a smile.

  She turned, a broad smile gracing her face. “You must be Miss Woods.” Extending her hand and taking a step toward me, she briefly glanced back at Nathaniel with an almost curious expression. “It really is a pleasure to meet you.” Shaking my hand, she seemed to further assess me. “Glad I haven’t lost my touch in sizing. Is everything comfortable? Because I can have something else here within the hour, if need be.”

  “No, this is perfect. Thank you.”

  Audrey nodded and made her way back across the kitchen. “Coffee? Cream? Sugar? Do you need breakfast? Nate here doesn't often eat breakfast, so Ellen usually puts on the coffee and doesn’t surface again until around lunch. But I can page her to come up and make you something, if you’d like.”

  The words flew out of her mouth, almost reminding me of a rambling Gilmore. I tried for an assuring smile. “Coffee with just a splash of cream would be more than enough. But I can get it myself.”

  “Nonsense,” she waved me off, “assisting you is a part of my job. And I prefer to do my job as thoroughly as possible,” she said, fixing me a coffee with a clear familiarity of the kitchen.

  Turning to Nathaniel, I dragged my lip between my teeth, unsure of where to begin. Taking a breath, I decided to just cut to the chase. “Um, it occurred to me that I don’t have any means of communication or organization. Nor do I really have any inkling as to where we actually are or what sort of life you have that I’m supposed to be involved in.”

  The dimples returned as humour washed over his face. “We’ll get to all that at the office today. We’ll be heading in shortly but I wanted to give you some familiarity with the grounds here first, since we don’t have to head in for another hour. Audrey was going to give you a quick tour while I made some phone calls.”

  Accepting the coffee from the petite woman with a smile that I knew didn’t meet my eyes, I nodded. “Oh, okay.” Making eye contact with her, I continued, “So, where do we start? I’m sure there’s a lot to cover.”

  “Oh, of course,” she almost stammered, eyes widening. “If you’ll come with me, Miss Woods? We can familiarize you with a general idea of the property and I can answer any questions you may have.” She fussed a moment near the doorway before stepping into the hallway.

  “Sure,” I said, turning to follow her back down the hall that brought me here. I didn’t make it two steps before a warm hand met my hip and breath grazed my ear. He had clearly picked up on my tone.

  “She’s very nervous. I’ll meet you back here in an hour and I promise I’ll explain more on the drive in, if needed.” Then as quickly as he had pressed himself against my back, his warmth was gone and he was walking in the opposite direction, his phone already to his ear.

  Chapter 6

  Audrey certainly knew the property like the back of her hand. And damn, the woman could talk. We hit 10 perfectly coordinated guest rooms, complete with large closets and ensuite bathrooms. There was an eleventh bedroom that made me curious though. It came across as a very personal space and obviously reflected the life of a teenage girl. Framed photographs lined the dressers and a frothy white canopy enveloped the cloud-like queen sized bed. Audrey didn’t offer any information about the room’s occupant, so I didn’t ask. But I made a mental note to ask Nathaniel later.

  An attic office that could pass as an actual library took my breath away before I ran my hand along one of dozens of shelves of books. The main floor held both formal and casual living and dining rooms, along with the beautiful pistachio kitchen and a handful of other rooms. But the basement is what took me most by surprise. It housed a theater, a fully stocked club-like bar, an elaborate wine cellar, a bowling alley and a very well outfitted gym.

  “That’s it for inside,” Audrey said,
stopping at the staircase before ascending them. “We still have some time if you want to take a peek at the outside. Unfortunately I won’t have time to show you the entire grounds right now; there are just too many acres to cover. But I’ll ensure you have a full map and manual for the property before the end of day today.”

  I had to give her that, she was thorough. “Sure,” I began, following her back up the stairs. “I’m curious, how does one land your job? I mean me being here sort of fell into my lap but I assume you have a different story.”

  A soft chuckle escaped her, “Yes, Miss Woods. My story is very different from yours. Actually, my father is Mr. Halstead’s attorney and long-time friend. Senior, not Nate. They were roommates through college, before Dad went on to law school. I have known the Halsteads my entire life. I grew up alongside Nate. When he and I graduated from college, I found myself unsure of how I actually wanted to use my pre-law degree. When Nate stepped into his position at NAH he offered me a job. It gave me time to figure out if I wanted to continue to law school or redirect my path. I’ve been his assistant for 3 years now and it’s honestly the best job I could have possibly asked for.” When she finished speaking, her whole face was smiling.