by Penny May
“Oh. Ah, thanks. No, you’re not the first.” She wasn’t sure what else to say, so she asked, “Uh, who is this again?”
“My apologies. I should have introduced myself. I’m Bo Ryans. I own Pleasure Temple.”
Courtney’s mouth dropped open, and her knees almost gave out. Was she seriously speaking with Bo Ryans? She covered her mouth with her hand and stared at the phone.
Was this seriously happening?
“Courtney? Are you still there?” His voice came out tinny until she put the phone back to her ear. As if reading her mind, he added, “I promise it’s really me. Please don’t hang up. I hate when people hang up. I then have to call them back, and then…it’s just awkward and embarrassing all around.” He was silent for a second. “Courtney?”
Courtney quickly pulled her hand away from her mouth. “I’m still here,” she hastily reassured him. “Um, are you sure it’s me? I mean,” she quickly clarified, “are you sure I really won the contest?”
“Well,” she could hear the gentle smile in his voice and picture him clear as day as he said in that charming Bo Ryans way of his, “your name is Courtney Eleanor Bliss, correct?”
“Y-yes.”
“Then congratulations! You’ve won ten thousand dollars and an all-expense paid trip for a three month stay at Pleasure Temple. One of my assistants will be in touch with you shortly to set everything up. I hope to meet you in person soon, Courtney.”
Before he could hang up, Courtney said, “Wait! Um, I’m not sure…I’m not sure I can go. I have a cat you see and—"
“That’s not a problem, Courtney,” he smoothly interrupted before she could make any kind of mention of having a job or a boyfriend. “Plenty of our guests bring animals. You’ll have your own luxurious room for you and your cat. You can even have the balcony fenced in so your little kitty—what’s his name?”
“Dot.”
“So Dot can play outside. Trust me, Courtney. This trip is going to change your life.” When she didn’t respond, he said, “I’ll see you soon,” and hung up, leaving Courtney to stare at her phone again.
The reality of what was happening started to sink in as she scrolled through text messages. Most were from Daniel, urging her to call him back. A couple from Claire were filled with just exclamation marks, the words “10K” and “Vegas Baby!”
Some of the texts were from work colleagues.
Shit. No wonder people were staring at me, she thought and turned red with embarrassment. Oh man. What is Michelle going to think of this? She wondered and hurried to the coffee shop like she was supposed to be doing instead of taking personal calls during her work errand.
Not that it will make a difference since no matter how quick I am, Michelle will say I took too long anyways, Courtney thought after ordering and waiting for the coffee. She didn’t bother to get one for herself since that would only add fuel to the flames of Michelle’s wrath.
Before she knew it, Courtney was speed-walking back to the office, carefully transporting a piping hot triple, venti, half sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato. She’d asked for it to be hotter than normal just so it would be a Michelle-approved temperature when she handed it to her boss.
Her mind raced as she hurried back to work.
What should I do about the contest? Should I go? Can I take the money and not go? Would I be giving up something amazing if I didn’t go? What would someone like me do in a place like that? I’d be so out of place.
And of course, What do I do about Daniel?
Her phone rang just before she opened the door to re-enter the building. She glanced down at the read-out. It was Daniel.
Crap.
She weighed whether or not to answer and finally decided that not answering would only make Daniel angrier. She’d rather deal with an annoyed Michelle for the day than a pissed-off Daniel forever. Stepping away from the door so as not to be overheard by other employees entering the building, she took a deep breath and hit the answer button. Before she could even say hello, Daniel was reaming her out.
“Finally! Finally, she picks up her phone. What, you’re too good to talk to me now?”
“Chill, Daniel. I was at work. You know that Michelle doesn’t let me check my phone while I’m there. I just went out to get her another coffee, and I saw all your calls and texts.” It was mostly true.
“Oh, sure. So, you didn’t know that you’d won until just now? Come off it, Courtney. You weren’t answering because you didn’t want to tell me.” There was a beat of silence in which Courtney got the feeling that they had an audience of Daniel’s co-workers listening to them. Then he pushed forward with, “How could you enter that contest after I told you not to?”
Courtney’s mouth dropped open and she tried to stay coherent as she answered. “First off, you didn’t tell me not to do anything. In fact, you said ‘go ahead and enter.’ So, I did. Secondly,” she said, annoyed that she was starting to cry in anger, “you don’t get to tell me what to do. You’re my boyfriend. Not my father.”
“Oh, so, what? Are you just going to go off to Pleasure Temple all by yourself? Then what? Because I’m telling you right now, Courtney, I won’t be here when you get back. Understand?”
“You know what, Daniel? I’m not coming back. And,” she belatedly added, “you’re a real asshole. We’re done.”
In triumph, she hit the end button and cut off whatever he’d been about to say.
For about three seconds, she felt…free.
Then reality set in.
Had she really just broken up with her boyfriend and called him an asshole?
Shit.
If she and Daniel weren’t dating, she’d have to move out. Like, today. But where would she go?
A text from Claire popped up: Well???? Are you going? The suspense is killing meeeee!!
Courtney texted back: I broke up with Daniel. I’m going.
Claire: Yeeeeaaaaasssssss!
Courtney: Um…can I stay at your place tonight?
Claire: Of course!
She had to take a moment to compose herself after that. It was almost harder to reign in her anger at Daniel than any sense of grief she felt at such an abrupt end to the longest romantic relationship she’d ever had.
Who does he think he is? She kept thinking as she rode the elevator up to her office. With a shake of her head, she fought to drop her work-smile back in place as the elevator doors opened and she made her way past the receptionist to Michelle’s office.
She was so wrapped up in her anger that she almost didn’t notice the stares and the hushed silence that fell over her co-workers as they saw her.
Finish your errand and then deal with it, she told herself.
And then she noticed the cardboard box sitting on her desk. She came to a complete halt, staring at the box. Was she seriously about to be fired on the same day she’d just broken up with her boyfriend? She’d be homeless and jobless if that were the case.
Michelle’s demanding voice snapped Courtney back to reality.
“Are you going to stand there staring at your desk and let my coffee get cold again?”
Courtney turned to the woman and pointed to the box. “There’s a box on my desk.”
She realized how stupid she sounded, but, like, what the hell?
“Why yes. Yes, there is.” Michelle crossed her arms over her chest. Something that Courtney had found was the precursor to some of Michelle’s more vicious actions. “Why do you suppose that is?”
Courtney opened her mouth, then closed it again. She honestly had no idea. She hadn’t been gone that long getting Michelle’s coffee. She quickly went over her past week of work. Had she forgotten an important project? Missed some significant task?
Wait, is she pulling the whole fired-not-fired joke? Courtney wondered. In that case, if she laughed it off, she’d certainly be fired.
Suddenly, all her anger at Daniel crashed together with the anger from the past three years of working for his horrible woman that she’d
been bottling up. If she hadn’t still been holding Michelle’s damn coffee, she would have crossed her arms as well. Instead, she stood a little straighter and squared off with the other woman.
“It looks like you’re firing me, though I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve it.”
Michelle laughed. “You’re kidding, right?” When Courtney only stared back, Michelle shook her head. “Everyone knows you won that contest, Courtney.” The disgusted emphasis Michelle put on the word “contest” made it sound like she’s just discovered someone had taken a giant shit on her desk. “You can’t hide something like that from me.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide anything.” Courtney couldn’t keep the annoyance out of her voice. Not that it mattered at this point. She was pretty sure from Michelle’s tone that she was actually getting canned here. “I only just found out myself while getting your coffee.”
As if she suddenly remembered the errand she’d sent Courtney on, Michelle stuck out her hand. “I’ll take that. Then you can pack up your stuff and get out. This is not the kind of work environment for someone who stays in a house of sin.”
She could feel herself almost shaking in rage. All this time spent groveling for this woman and this was the thing she was getting fired for?
There was a split second in which Courtney seriously considered throwing the cup of coffee at this horrible woman. She would more than deserve it. In fact, the office might give Courtney a standing ovation…then she realized that throwing the coffee could be considered assault, and Michelle was just the kind of person who would press charges for something like that.
Instead, Courtney laughed in her boss’s face. “A house of sin? Really?” She shook her head. “The only people who say stuff like that are people who don’t know what good sex actually is.” Okay, not that Courtney thought she knew what good sex was, but it felt like the best comeback in that moment.
“You know what?” Courtney continued and rather than hand her boss the coffee, she popped the lid off and dropped the whole damn thing into her desk’s trash can. The resulting splash almost (but unfortunately not quite) hit Michelle.
“I quit.”
Without a backward glance, Courtney left the office for the last time.
It was strangely gratifying to finally get the chance to tell off her horrible boss. She was so glad she would never have to go back there again, too. Since Michelle had always prohibited any personal items in the office, it wasn’t like she even had anything to pack up to take with her. She already had her purse in hand, so once she left, she was free and clear.
Her elation at quitting carried her all the way to the train station where, the moment she stepped on the train, she remembered that now she’d have to go home and pack all her belongings.
Today was apparently going to be a day of endings.
On the way home, she called her mom back and had a super awkward conversation to explain that going to Pleasure Temple was an opportunity to get out of New York. Her mom had been unsure about the whole thing until Courtney told her she’d broken up with Daniel. Then her mom flipped her whole attitude upside down and was all for Courtney going to the Temple.
“You’re still so young, hun. Go. Have fun. Meet some other men. Then after three months, you can do something new. Think of it like a three-month break to figure things out.”
Courtney couldn’t believe her mom had hated Daniel enough to be excited about her only daughter going to what conservatives labeled a “brothel in the desert.”
By the time she got halfway home, her mom had convinced her to at least accept the cash prize so that she could use it toward securing a new apartment by herself. Though her mom had tried really hard to talk Courtney into moving in with her for a short time, Courtney didn’t feel like that would be the right move right now. Not only because she didn’t want to have to move back in with her mom in her twenties, but because she didn’t want to go from depending on Daniel to depending on her mom.
Maybe it was time to be alone for a little bit.
Then again, how alone would she be in a luxury vacation resort that specifically catered to pleasuring guests?
She shook the thought from her mind and focused on the next steps.
Bo Ryans had said she’d be hearing from his assistant. She’d just have to wait for them to call. In the meantime, she could go home and pack a suitcase to stay at Claire’s tonight. Should she bring Dot? Or maybe she should leave her cat at the apartment overnight and go back tomorrow to collect Dot and her other stuff?
The rest of her ride home was filled with a mix of excitement and fear of the unknown. Her thoughts swirled back to her conversation with Daniel. She still couldn't quite believe she’d stood up to him. Maybe this really was the push she’d needed to move on like her mom had said.
A tiny part of her kept suggesting she call him back and beg for his forgiveness. That she was rocking the boat and should just forget the whole contest thing.
But honestly, how often did an opportunity like this come up?
No.
She had to do it. She needed a change in her life, and Pleasure Temple was going to be that change.
Chapter 2
When Courtney got back to her apartment, the reality of her choice came crashing down on her. How was she supposed to pack up all her stuff? And if she did, what would she even do with it? She couldn’t just leave it at Claire and Anya’s place. Maybe she could just use some of her contest winnings to rent a storage unit? But then she’d still have to rent a truck to haul her stuff over there. Plus, there was the actual moving stuff part. Ugh. It all seemed too much.
Should she just call Daniel back and apologize?
She’d felt so excited and ready for change on her way home. It had been just like she’d seen in so many movies where the main character leapt into something new and changed their life for the better…
Hollywood never mentioned the part where you second-guess yourself and wonder if maybe you’re making a huge mistake.
Just as Courtney had this thought, the front door buzzer went off. She moved Dot off her lap, where the cat had been trying to comfort her, and hit the speaker button. “Yes?”
“Is this Courtney Bliss”
“Yes…?”
“Great! I’m so glad I caught you. I’m Olivia Watson. I believe Bo mentioned that I’d be coming by?”
“Um, he mentioned someone would be contacting me.” She hesitated, not wanting to sound ungrateful. “I didn’t realize you’d be coming here in person. That was fast.”
Olivia sighed. “Sometimes Mr. Ryans likes to work so quickly that he forgets the details.” She paused, then added, “Actually, between you and me, I think he’s afraid you’ll change your mind. Do you mind if I come up so we can make some arrangements?”
Why would Bo Ryans care if she didn’t go to Pleasure Temple? Maybe it was a public relations thing. Can’t have the big contest winner snubbing the prize. Courtney decided that must be it, then realized Olivia was waiting for a response.
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry. Of course.” Courtney hit the button to open the downstairs door. Seconds later, she answered her front door to Bo’s assistant. Olivia was a tall black woman who gave an impression of authority with a flair for fun. She wore a bright red leather jacket over a white blouse, navy blue slacks, and low-heeled red shoes. Her outfit screamed professional and badass at the same time.
She entered the apartment with a smile. “Hi Courtney, it’s so nice to meet you. Congratulations on winning the contest!”
“Thanks!” Courtney automatically shifted her tone to match Olivia’s enthusiasm. She was determined to be happy about this, damn it. “Please, come in.” She stepped back and waved Olivia into the apartment, then was immediately aware of how unkempt the space was.
Though Courtney tried to keep the place clean, sometimes she felt like she was picking up after a toddler who couldn’t be bothered to clean up his own mess. She managed most of the household chores like dishes and l
aundry, but she’d been working on getting Daniel to at least take the damn dishes into the kitchen to deposit them in the sink. As a result, he had two dirty glasses and three coffee mugs stacked around his computer desk. That, added to the many empty energy drink cans laying around his space, made their apartment appear messier than Courtney had realized.
The rest of the place was actually pretty clean, but since Daniel’s computer space was one of the first things guests saw when anyone entered the apartment, Courtney was a bit embarrassed by it.
“Sorry, I should have cleaned up. Mr. Ryans just said someone would be in touch. I guess I didn’t realize you’d be coming in person,” Courtney repeated to hide her embarrassment.
“Ah, Bo. Like I said, he’s not great with the details.” Olivia’s grin was a silent invitation not to feel embarrassed and caused Courtney to smile back. “Actually, I tried to connect with you at your place of work, but they said you didn’t work there anymore?”
“Actually, they fired me this morning when they found out I’d won the contest.” Though she’d decided that getting a new job and breaking up with Daniel was going to be a good thing, damn it, Courtney had never been fired from a job before and saying it out loud made her throat constrict with emotion.
“I see,” Olivia’s smile disappeared. “You know, that could be a bit of a PR nightmare for them if, let’s say, the press was to find out that they’d fired you for something happening in your personal life.” She cocked her head to the side just enough to let Courtney know that her musing was an option and Courtney merely had to say the word.
It only solidified Courtney’s impression that Olivia was not a woman to trifle with.
“Oh, that’s okay. I mean, it’s not like I liked the job or anything. My boss was such a…” Courtney trailed off trying to find a polite way to describe Michelle.
“Bitch?” Olivia helpfully supplied. “I got that impression when I spoke with her a little bit ago. How long did you work there?”