The Arrangement 11

by H. M. Ward

  I spit it out, “I’m quitting. I can’t take this anymore, Mel. I’m not coming.”

  “You better. I’ll come over there and haul your ass from that dorm room. Some jackass booked a threesome and guess whose names got pulled. I’m relieved it’s you and not Trish this time—”

  Crap, she doesn’t know that Sean’s the guy who hired us. I don’t have time to explain that right now. “Mel, shut up and listen. Something weird is going on. I’m majorly creeped out. I swear to God that it feels like someone’s been in my room.”

  She shushes someone and there’s a moment filled with the sound of her hand over the phone. “Look around while I’m on the phone. Hurry up.”

  “I already did. No one’s here. Nothing’s out of place, but it feels wrong.” I bite the tip of my finger and glance at the door again to make sure it’s still locked.

  “You’re just worked up. Don’t worry about anything. Go change in my room if you want.” I know she’s just saying it to be nice, but we’re both thinking the same thing. Someone was in here.

  Glancing around again, I try to pinpoint what’s been touched, but nothing is obvious. After switching my phone to the other ear, I tell her, “Asia is doing someone in your room.”

  Mel laughs. “Good for her. It took them long enough. Damn.” Her hand covers the phone again before she adds, “I gotta go, chica. I’ll see you at Black’s in a bit.” The line goes dead.

  I toss my phone onto my bed and walk into the bathroom. My heart has resumed a normal pace and I’m starting to feel stupid for being so freaked out. The first time I stayed home alone I was 9 years old and I couldn’t calm down the entire time. Every noise was a threat. I finally grabbed our fat tabby cat and bunkered down at the top of the staircase with my little heart beating uber fast. I totally thought I was going to die. The cat on the other hand thought I was insane because I wouldn’t let him leave my side, but he didn’t know about my cat-in-the-face attack plan. It would have worked, too. A startled, orange, thirty-pound cat smacking into some dude’s head would have thrown him off balance long enough for me to jump out the bedroom window. Maybe I have too much imagination, but when I get freaked out, I can get a little bit weird. Like now.

  Leaning into the shower stall, I turn on the water. After letting it flow over my hand for a few seconds, I adjust the temperature. Pulling off my shoes, I toss them on the floor and pad over to the closet to get my bathrobe, my little basket filled with soaps and hair care products, and the best razor in the world. Amber’s not here. This is nice. There’s no sign of Naked Guy and I can take my time. Sean and Gabe are looking out for me. There’s nothing to worry about, although I may need to consider the purchase of a new attack cat. Amber wouldn’t notice.

  God, my life is a mess. Graduation can’t come fast enough. I’ll get my degree and finally get things rolling. I can picture myself there, in graduate school, and how my life will look after I make it through my degree. I think about those things, about the future that seems to be constantly crumbling as I slip out of my clothes and pull on my robe. My mood is turning to crap. I need to sniff the entire bottle of honeysuckle soap. Maybe mix it up with sweet pea and warm vanilla sugar. I’ll smell like a yummy fruit cocktail. They totally need to make cake scented body wash. I’d probably eat the bottle. Mmmm. Cake. Sighing, I set the basket of goodies on the ledge inside the stall, before pulling the door shut. The little room is like the inside of a cloud as steamy mist billows from the shower stall.

  My gaze finally lifts to the mirror. Every thought falls out of my head as panic comes back, full force, choking me. Steam swirls in the humid air, fogging the glass, as letters slowly appear.

  BE AFRAID

  CHAPTER 5

  I watch without blinking as words form in front of my eyes. For half a second I wonder if Amber is screwing with me, but there’s no way. She wouldn’t have written this. The edges of the letters start to drip down the glass. My body tenses as my arms start to shake. Before I can think, I react. My hand wipes away the words and condensation smears across the glass. Rivulets drip from the mirror and moisture clings to my hand.

  I stand there, frozen for a second, and then bust out of the bathroom and run down the hallway. I bang on Asia’s door like a lunatic and I honestly have no idea what I’m going to say, because everything sounds nuts.

  Asia peeks through the crack in the door. Her face is flushed and her hair is messy. “You have really bad timing.”

  “This is going to sound crazy, but can you guys come down to my room?”

  Asia gives me a really weird look and nearly closes the door in my face. I manage to get my fingers into the space between the door and the jamb before she closes it. “Ahhh! I didn’t mean it like that.”

  She opens the door a little bit and looks really annoyed. “Talk fast, Avery.”

  “Someone is messing with me and they only seem to do it when I’m alone. I need to get ready for work and my roommate is gone. Can you guys come and hang out in my room? You can stay there for the rest of the night.”

  “We were going to stay here for the rest of the night.”

  “Yeah, but Mel will be back around two o’clock. I’ll give you my room until morning.” I give her my best puppy dog face and clutch my hands together under my chin. Begging looks awesome on me.

  Her eyes flick up and down like she’s considering it. “What about your roommate?”

  “She’s fine with it.” Mainly, because she doesn’t know about it, but hey, Amber’s locked me out enough times and this is totally worth it. Dropping my hands, I straighten. “Please, Asia. I’ll only be there for half an hour and then the place is yours.”

  She rolls her eyes and looks back at the bed. “Wait.” Asia pushes the door shut and I hear her muffled voice through the wall. A moment later she reappears wearing a bathrobe, with a tall guy behind her. He takes her hand and leans in, pressing kisses to her neck. Apparently no bed isn’t a problem for him, because he keeps kissing her like they’re still alone. His hands slip around her waist from behind and cup her breasts over her robe. Asia moans as she tips her head to the side, before replying, “Deal. You’re homeless until 10am.”

  “Done.” Holy shit, this is awkward. They’re much more into public displays of affection than I am. The way they behave makes my face turn red. The guy does whatever he wants and Asia lets him. It doesn’t matter that they’re in the middle of the hall.

  I race back to my room. The shower is still running. I duck inside before I see much more and get dressed as fast as possible.

  The sounds of sex reach me through the walls as I pull on my lingerie and stockings. Miss Black is still going to check everything even though Mel and I aren’t actually having a three way. After applying my make-up, I grab my purse and duck out the door, but not before seeing Mel’s sweet, meek roommate doing insanely kinky things. I need to scrub my brain with bleach. I’m a hooker and what I just saw Asia doing shocked me.

  You’re a bad hooker, a little voice tells me.

  Yeah, that’s my problem.

  Oh crap, now I’m having conversations with myself. I growl as I race down the stairs with my sneakers on my feet and my fuck-me heels in hand. After finding my car, I drive to Black’s as quickly as possible. I don’t want to be alone and I’m so spooked that I’d rather be around her than no one at all.

  When I step out of the elevator, Gabe is there. He doesn’t look at me, but he falls in step and says in a low voice, “I’ve got your back. Ferro will rip this place apart looking for you if we aren’t on time tonight, so don’t linger, and Avery,” I look over at him and swallow hard. “Don’t piss her off. She’s in a mood and if I didn’t know better, I’d think someone’s got her by the balls.” Gabe suddenly veers off down a different hall without further explanation of anything.

  I make my way to Miss Black’s office and can hear her talking to someone on the phone. Her voice carries through the door. “I’m well aware of that and you can rest assured that it won�
�t happen. I know what I’m doing. Yes, well—” her voice cuts off abruptly. Gabe must have told her I was here, either that or she can see through wood.

  When I step up to her door, I find it’s opened a crack. I look inside without pushing the door open.

  “Stop lurking, Avery. It’s rude.” Miss Black stands and walks over to me. She’s dressed neatly and looks completely respectable. You’d never know that she made her living selling sex. She snaps her fingers at me. “I don’t like that dress, so I hope you have something better underneath.”

  I know better than to say anything. The little black dress is pretty with a scoop neck and a swishy skirt. It doesn’t scream hooker. Apparently we can’t both look respectable. Black narrows her gaze and shoots me a disgusted look, followed by an overdramatic sigh. Wonderful. She’s even worse than Gabe let on.

  I hate this, but I do it anyway. Reaching around to the side, I unzip my dress, and step out of it. I’m wearing a black lacy demi bra with bits of purple trim along the cups. I’m practically spilling out the top. The bottoms are a black cheeky panty with a bow right above my bare ass. It’s been tickling me every time I take a step and since scratching my ass is a fashion faux pas, it’s been driving me nuts.

  “Turn,” Black commands with her hand on her chin and a look of sheer annoyance on her face. She lets out an irritated breath when she sees my back. “What is this?” She reaches for the bow and tugs it, nearly knocking me over. “I told you to only wear string bottoms. These aren’t good enough. No one cares about your bow covered butt, Avery.”

  Miss Black walks to her desk and opens a drawer. When she comes back, she doesn’t even look at me. Instead, she takes scissors and clips twice. The piece of fabric that made up my cute little panties falls to the floor. I want to cover myself and yell at her, but I don’t.

  I remain rigid and stare straight ahead, chanting to myself, Shut up, Avery. Don’t say a word. Don’t fight back. Just stare straight ahead. It’s my theme song, or I swear to God, I’d hit her.

  CHAPTER 6

  I’m so bent out of shape and such an emotional mess that I could totally go all ninja on her ass. The thing is, I think Black would kill me and stuff my head in her stapler drawer before I could throw a punch. Actually having mad skills isn’t anything like the cartoonish self-defensive stuff I know, which is comprised of two things: falling to the floor and screaming. Crap like that doesn’t help when your boss cuts off your underwear in the middle of her office.

  Black walks over to her closet and pulls out a dark garment bag. She glances up at me. “I’m taking this out of your check.” She holds it out for me. I step towards her like it’s totally normal to walk around in heels, thigh highs, and a bra. It doesn’t matter that my snatch patch isn’t covered. At least it shouldn’t, not by now, not if I was doing what I was supposed to be doing, but since the only client I’ve been with is Sean, it still bothers me.

  “Stop sulking and put it on.” She snaps at me again, before sitting on the edge of her desk and folding her arms across her chest.

  I take the dress out of the bag and manage to bite my tongue. There’s nothing to it. I pull the clothing off the hanger and slip it on. Apparently I’m taking too long, because Miss Black huffs over and slaps my hands. “Let me do it. Honestly, Avery, I have no idea how you can be so utterly incompetent and so desirable at the same time. It seems like everyone is asking for you lately. I’ve had a hard time selling anyone in your place.”

  She yanks on my girls, making my eyes bug out of my head, shifting them under the dress. She’s horrible. I hope she gets hit by a truck later. I try to focus on what she said instead of what she’s doing to the girls. “In my place? Why, did someone try to book me tonight, besides Mr. Ferro?”

  Miss Black runs her hand along my bra and smooths the fabric. The neckline dips, forming a thin V as it comes across my chest and down to my waist. This is a slut dress. It’s skin tight, too short, and backless.

  Her gaze flicks up to mine. “Of course. Every client you’ve had wanted you, plus some. Your reputation is spreading, which is wonderful. They all want you. I’ve received several calls from clients—new and old—who want to book you at the same time. It’s a full moon or something. I got the rest to accept someone else, but one man insisted on having you and paid for it. I couldn’t tell him no.”

  “You double booked me?” I sound appalled.

  Miss Black answers without looking at my face. Her eyes rove my body, looking at the new dress. “It’s not a big deal, just go by the second room before you leave the city. He said he’d wait for you. I explained that you had a previous obligation.”

  My jaw is clicking and I’m pretty sure my head is ready to spin off my shoulders. “Miss Black, I actually wanted to talk to you.” My boss looks up and I know that I have her full attention. Don’t be timid, Avery. Spit it out. Squaring my shoulders, I say, “I don’t think I can do this anymore. I mean, if tonight wasn’t with Mel, I don’t know what I would have done.”

  She spins me around and pulls the dress into place at my shoulders and smooths more of the fabric as she runs her palms over my hips, before swatting my butt. “I told you to lose weight. This is becoming a problem.”

  Did she just say that I’m fat? Blinking, I shake my head and stare at her. “Did you hear me? I don’t want to do this anymore.”

  Miss Black steps away from my back and walks around to face me. There’s a pleasant smile on her face, very similar to the one she had when I first met her. “Avery, dear, do you know how much money you’ll make if we continue to book each of these men once a week—once a month, even? Your weekly pay check will be well into dreamland territory and all you have to do is keep these rich men begging for more. I have no idea how you do it, but they clearly want you.” She folds her arms over her chest while she stares at my cleavage. She pokes at my left boob, like it’s not in the right place.

  What just happened? I quit twice and she basically ignored me. “Miss Black—”

  Before I can say another word, she steps toward me, close enough to kiss, and presses her finger to my lips. Her voice is a lethal whisper. “If I only knew how you did it, I could show each one of my girls and there’d be more money than any of us ever dreamed, more money than you’d make in a lifetime, Avery. There’s something about you that makes these men crave you and willing to pay any price to have you sate their lust, but somehow you always leave them wanting more. And they want so much more…” Her dark eyes are on my mouth and the moment has moved from weird to utterly uncomfortable. Miss Black’s perfect ruby red lips pull into a smile as her finger slips away.

  I stand there frozen, wondering what she means by that. Her long dark lashes are lowered and she remains too close for too long, breathing deeply with her lips parted like she wants to say something else.

  The sound of static saves me. Black rolls her eyes and turns back toward her desk. “Mel is here.” Gabe’s voice through the intercom is detached and devoid of emotion.

  What? Mel was supposed to be here already. What the hell is Gabe talking about?

  A moment later, Mel is at the door. “Hey, Miss Black.” She bounds into the room with a fake smile to hide her nerves. Mel isn’t afraid of anyone, but she’s fearful of Black. Mel’s wearing a flirty red dress similar to the one I had on before my shameful scolding. She spins and it floats up in a circle, showing off her lacy thigh highs and new panties. “What do you think?”

  “It’s perfect, Mel.”

  My jaw drops and I make a face. “What! That’s just like the dress I had on!”

  “Yes, dear, but Mel wearing a cute dress is ironic, while on you, it’s just cute and cute doesn’t sell.”

  Mel looks over at me and whistles. “Hot damn, Avery. That dress is tight. I like how the little bits of purple lace peak out from your bra. That is one hot look.”

  I want to strangle her. Miss Black smiles. “It appears that one of Avery’s talents is teasing, so she should play up the anticipation,
don’t you think?”

  “Fuck, yeah. I’d do you looking like that.” Mel laughs with Black as they both head over to the table outside her office. The conversation continues, but the words Sean said come back to me. He thinks she has a thing for me, but I don’t get that vibe from her. Mel teases, that’s all. She wasn’t serious.

  “So, who are we doing?” Mel asks, as Black measures her. She isn’t asked to strip. I guess the hands on treatment is just for me. WTH?

  “Mr. Ferro.” Miss Black says calmly as she pulls out the papers and slides them towards us on the desk.

  Mel nearly chokes, but recovers quickly and doesn’t look up at me. She groans, like she doesn’t want to go, and leans back in her chair. “He’s one messed up piece of work, Miss Black.”

  “I realize that, but he requested both of you and said he was impressed with your previous services. The fee was quite high, but he paid it, so maybe you won’t mind so much.” She winks at Mel and slips a piece of paper toward her.

  Mel is in the middle of a sentence by the time she picks up the paper. “No amount of money could make me want to go back to that guy’s… Holy shit. Are you for real?” Mel can act, that’s for sure. She looks completely surprised.

  Black smiles serenely. “Yes, so let him do whatever he wants.”

  “Done,” Mel sits up and grabs a pen. “Where do I sign?” Miss Black points and Mel scribbles her name.

  “These are for next week. More of the regular.” Black hands the papers to Mel and she signs up for a few more appointments. “And Miss Stanz, here are your clients.” She pushes a paper toward me. They’re names, not contracts, because I no longer get to agree to anything. I go where she tells me, and do whatever the guy wants. I don’t take the paper.