by Angela Blake
“Time to get back to work, ladies,” Madame Teresa called out, effectively breaking everyone out of the trance they seemed to be under as they watched Tiffany drive away.
They all collectively sighed as they moved back towards reality, and just like that everything went back to normal at the home they called "Exotic Paradise."
Chapter 2
Alexa struggled to zip up the dress from the back as her hands fumbled around blindly, trying to get to a mirror, so she could at least see what she was doing. She huffed as she realized that she wouldn’t be able to do it anyway, not without any help, especially considering that the zip ended just above her ass, and the rest were laces.
Her eyes searched the room for anyone with a pair of free hands. She spotted Brandy standing off to the side, her brown hair curled to perfection, decked out in what looked like a vintage baby doll swimsuit. She was chatting with one of the other girls. Alexa gestured for her to come, and Brandy came over with a friendly smile.
Alexa and Brandy weren’t particularly close although they were roommates, but they always got along, and now that Tiffany was gone, they were definitely talking more.
Brandy stood behind her. “Need some help with that?”
Alexa smiled at her in the mirror. “Please.”
Brandy shook her head in disbelief at the intricacies of the dress. “Why does Madame Teresa always put you in such hard get ups?”
Alexa shrugged. “I don’t really know. She says it’s because with my Russian figure, I need to be drawing attention to my blue blood or whatever.”
Brandy laughed. “Who cares about that nonsense? They’re just going to stick it between your legs, anyways. Blue blood or otherwise.”
“Or in other places, I’ve heard,” Alexa said, ruefully. She had never been one to be fairly explicit about what they do, but it was comforting to know that she wasn’t the only one experiencing this. All the other women here understood what it was they had signed up for, and although they all had varying behaviors towards it, they mostly accepted it.
“It’s not that hard to fake it, too,” Brandy commented as she yanked on the laces. “I feel like I’m taking part in the lace Olympics back here.”
Alexa gave her a grateful smile. “I know, but thanks so much for offering to do this.”
“No problem, Lexi. We’ve got to stick together, right?”
“Maybe not in the way guys would like us to, but generally, yes.”
Brandy snickered. “Makes you wonder what they think we do back here.”
“Orgies, probably.”
Brandy nodded seriously. “Of course, and let’s not forget the classic pillow-fight-in-our-underwear scenario.”
“Wouldn’t want to forget that, and the wet t-shirt fantasy.”
Brandy did up the last of the laces and beamed triumphantly at her work. “All while offering up our virgin blood to the gods of lust.”
“I just finished doing that this morning.”
Both women burst out laughing as Alexa turned around to face her. Brandy smiled. “Damn, Lexi. You look way too classy to be working at a place like this. Trust me, looking like that, you could be like one of those old movie stars. Like Elizabeth Taylor or something.”
“I always did admire her, or Grace Kelly.”
“I’m telling you, girl, if I swung that way, I’d be breaking that sacred rule Madame Teresa has.”
The rule she was referring to was no fraternizing with each other while working, or even behind the scenes. What went on in their personal lives was their business, but so long as they stayed under Madame Teresa’s roof, they had to keep their hands off of each other no matter their sexual tendencies. Madame Teresa had very few rules, including no drugs and no hard drinking. Other than that, the women were expected to stay healthy, in shape and well-groomed at all times.
“Why, Brandy. You flatter me.” Alexa batted her eyelashes.
“Did you hear that the infamous Dean Withers is here tonight?”
Alexa lifted an eyebrow. “Who’s that?”
Brandy frowned. “How can you not know who that is? He is a legend around here. Sort of like our very own Adonis, or Hercules if you will.”
Alexa titled her head to the side. “He’s that good?”
Brandy leaned forward, as if she were sharing some sort of conspiracy. “That’s just the thing—no one knows.”
Confusion was etched onto Alexa’s features. “So why is he so infamous?”
“He’s here a lot, but he’s never actually bought anyone. He just watches with a carefully blank look. Rumor has it, he’s come close once or twice, but he changed his mind apparently.”
“Why haven’t I heard about him before?”
Brandy leaned towards the mirror and fluffed her hair. “I guess everyone thought he’d gone elsewhere. He’s been gone for months. He actually left right around the time you came.”
“Then—"
“Girls! Gossip later. Work has begun, and we’ve got some important guests tonight.” Madame Teresa seemed to materialize out of thin air. “Alexa, I want to see you in a minute.”
“That woman scares me sometimes,” Brandy whispered. “She just pops up out of nowhere.”
Brandy and Alexa wished each other luck as Alexa went off in search of Madame Teresa. She found her standing off to the side, peeking out from behind the curtain. Alexa could tell that something serious was going on because Madame Teresa never peeked at her customers. In fact, she reprimanded anyone who tried. She preferred, instead, the element of surprise.
“You see tall man over there?” Alexa stepped forward and took a quick peek, catching a flash of jet black hair, and a tall muscular body. His back was facing the stage, so she couldn’t see his face, but if his ass was anything to go by then he must’ve been one hell of a good-looking guy.
“Yes,” Alexa said, wondering why she was looking.
“That man is one of our most important clients, but he never buys anyone. He waiting. I don’t know for what. I think he has very particular taste. High end.”
Alexa nodded along. “Okay?”
Madame Teresa turned to appraise her, her hazel eyes assessing every curve and dent of her body. Apparently, she approved of what she saw because she nodded her head and flashed her teeth. “You look stunning tonight, my dear. Very high end.”
Alexa swallowed nervously as she realized what that meant. “You want me to get him to notice me.”
Madame Teresa patted her hand. “You catch on quickly.” She turned to take one final look before she let the curtain fall shut. “Is a big night for you. I hope you’re ready.”
Chapter 3
Her heart was caught somewhere between her chest and her neck. It felt like it was lodged somewhere in her throat, swallowing suddenly became very difficult, and her heart was hammering in her chest, beating at a million miles a minute, and making her feel like she was running a marathon.
Alexa nervously wiped her hands on the edge of her dress, wondering why she was suddenly feeling this way. It wasn’t like she had never tried to attract the attention of a male client before. She’d had plenty of practice. However, she had plenty of practice with guys Madame Teresa eventually deemed "unworthy." Alexa never really understood the standard that Madame Teresa held her to, but she once explained to her that it had to do with the fact that she was part Russian, which made her a hot commodity in this place.
Alexa guessed she was so nervous because she knew that this was a very big deal for her, and for the establishment. Dean Withers was almost like royalty in a place like this. Not only was he the richest guy around, but he was also the most handsome, so most of the girls here actually clamored to get his attention, knowing that if they got a few months with him, they’d pretty much be set for life. It didn’t hurt that he was easy on the eyes too, but according to the other girls, he was aloof, courteous, and kind of abrupt. It didn’t stop them from trying, but still.
Alexa watched as many of the other girls paraded around in front of him in very skimpy clothing, and he did nothing but spare them a cursory glance. From her vantage point, Alex could see that he filled out the shirt he was wearing nicely. He had broad shoulders, long hands, and muscular legs. Alexa wished he would tilt his head up, and stop using his phone, so she could see the shape of his jaw, the way his lips curved, and the color of his eyes.
He almost came close to doing that once, but it was too brief for Alexa to make out anything. She found herself wondering about the handsome man in the clean-cut suit. Alexa was dimly aware of the flickering lights overhead, and the smell of perfume wafting through the air as her gaze never wavered too far from where Dean was sitting.
Alexa felt someone come stand next to her. She cast a quick sidelong glance only to notice Brandy nervously fiddling with her hair as she pushed up the bust of her dress. “How do I look?”
“You look great, Bran,” Alexa mumbled distractedly as she watched a waitress try to flirt with Dean. He gave her a polite smile and continued texting on his phone. The waitress frowned and walked away. Alexa pursed her lips as she realized that she had no idea how to get his attention. It seemed like the harder women tried, the more turned off he was, and these women were seasoned professionals, used to having men fawn all over them, and do whatever they wanted with a mere nod of the head.
“I see you’re watching our resident Damon Salvatore.”
Alexa gave her a rueful grin. “Like from The Vampire Diaries?”
“He is a lot like him, don’t you think?”
Alexa cocked her head to the side as she studied him. “Well, I haven’t actually seen his face, so I can’t tell yet about the physical resemblance, but he does seem to have the same persona, the same bad-boy charm, and such.”
“Defined jaw. Strong cheekbones. Firm ass. Toned legs. It looks like he has a six-pack, though I’m not sure. Broad shoulders. Firm arm muscles, and piercing grey eyes. That man is practically sex on legs.”
Alexa couldn’t help but throw her head back and laugh. “It sounds like you just described a male model or something. If it weren’t for the piercing eyes comment, I’d say you were talking about Channing Tatum.”
Brandy pretended to fan herself. “Trust me. I’m pretty sure that man can make you forget all about Channing Tatum.”
Alexa rolled her eyes. “No man can ever make me forget about Channing Tatum.”
Brandy mumbled a quick "we’ll continue this later," turned on her heels as they called her name and paraded out onto the stage. The second she walked onto the stage, most of the men sat up and began to notice her. It was hard not to with her exotic good looks. Brandy had naturally tanned skin, rich caramel hair that was just past her shoulders, and eyes the color of melted honey. She twirled, causing her dress to fan out, showing off her tan legs and shapely thighs. Most of the men in the audience were practically drooling as their eyes were glued to her.
Brandy smiled, waved and blew random kisses to the audience. She kept turning to Dean, but he barely looked up when she entered. Once she was finished, the crowd erupted into a frenzy, leaping to their feet and clapping so hard, Alexa was sure their hands were sore by now.
Brandy walked back to the stage and smiled as she approached Alexa. Alexa offered her a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry he didn’t look up.”
Brandy shrugged. “Me too. Oh, well. Maybe he’s gay or something.”
Alexa stifled a laugh. “You think so? But then why is he here? Don’t they have an establishment that caters to gay men down the street?”
“Maybe he wants a threesome?”
Alexa made a face. “I mean, I’m not judging or anything, but that seems like an awful lot of money to pay for something that I’m pretty sure you could get for free elsewhere.”
“He’s got money to burn, he’ll pretty much do whatever he wants.”
Alexa’s laughter died down as her name was shouted out. Brandy gave her hand a quick squeeze. “I know you’re nervous. It’s a big night, but you’ll be just fine. Just throw your shoulders back, take a deep breath and smile. Remember that you are a kick ass woman. It’ll be over before you know it.”
“Thanks, Bran.”
Alexa took a deep breath, tossed her shoulders back and made her way up the stairs as she felt her heart pick up the pace once more. Her feet felt like lead as she stepped onto the stage and waited for her cue.
She stepped into the spotlight and blinked for a minute as she forgot what to do. The lights were confusing her, and so was the music, so she paused for a minute as she allowed her thoughts to reel back in before she gave a small smile and stepped forward.
Instead of trying to get Dean’s attention like all the other women, she decided to try the opposite. She decided she would try to get the attention of every other man in the room except for him, hopefully making him think that she didn’t want him. It was reverse psychology in a way.
She walked to the center of the stage and began waving and twirling for every man in the room except for Dean. At first, he continued looking at his phone, content to ignore her, but after a while, his curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced up.
Alexa felt his eyes on her the second his gaze lifted. She didn’t know how, but she could feel the force of those piercing grey eyes scorching her skin. Tingles broke out across her back as she refused to look at him, thinking that the best way to keep his attention was to keep him guessing and wanting more.
She felt his gaze slide over her skin, leaving a trail of heat in its wake, and she had to try very hard to defy the urge to turn around and let her gaze collide with his. Instead, she paid extra attention to the short man in the front seat who was trying to get close enough to touch her.
Alexa playfully backed away and gave a saucy wink as she gave a slow twirl. When she finally stopped spinning, she decided to finally let her eyes oh-so-casually meet Dean Withers’.
Alexa froze in her tracks, and all the noise surrounding her faded into the background, as if she were suddenly submerged underwater, and all she could see was him. Brandy was right. He had the most striking features she had ever seen. Like they were chiseled by a sculptor or dreamed up by a painter, especially with his perfectly symmetrical lips.
It was his eyes that drew her attention the most though. He had the most unusual shade of grey she had ever seen. Like the color of the sky right before a thunderstorm. Pure, undiluted, grey. Right now, he was gazing at her with such intensity, she felt like she could walk towards him and not even know it, if he beckoned her forward.
His forehead was scrunched, and he looked a little confused as he stared at her. He titled his head to the side as he studied her carefully, letting his gaze roam over every inch of her body, making her feel naked and vulnerable as she stood there in her dress, awaiting his appraisal.
His eyes finally trailed back up to her face, and his eyes squinted as if he couldn’t quite figure her out. She pretended to smile and wave at some of the other guys, all while keeping a watch on him out of the corner of her eye.
When she finally looked back, he was smiling, an odd, secretive little smile that caused a slight flutter in the pit of her belly. He stood up abruptly and walked all the way to the back without showing even the slightest hint that he wanted to take a peek over his shoulder.
Chapter 4
Alexa made her way to the back of the stage amidst roaring, thundering applause, wondering what had gone wrong. Her plan had worked, or so she'd thought. She ignored him, his curiosity got the better of him, and he glanced up. He didn’t just spare her a glance, he full-on stared—with a look she couldn’t decipher, but still.
For the life of her, Alexa couldn’t figure out why he had suddenly got up and left. She decided to try to shrug it off as Brandy came over and began raving about how great she was. Alexa tried to pay attention to what she was saying, but all she could hear were indistinct words being mumbled, so she simply kept a
polite smile on her face, and nodded every so often.
She couldn’t stop thinking about the way his eyes felt roaming over her body. It had felt like he was undressing her, but whereas she felt violated when other guys did it, with Dean it felt intimate, personal. Like he was peeling back layer by layer till he got to the core of her.
She shifted uncomfortably as she realized that she was actually attracted to him.
She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised, considering every other woman here was too, but Madame Teresa always said that being attracted to your client wasn’t a good thing. Something to do with it affecting your ability to do your job right, because that’s what this was at the end of the day. An exchange of goods.
Alexa caught Madame Teresa waving to her from the background, and she frowned as she noticed the look on her face. Madame Teresa would definitely not be happy with what Alexa had to say. Alexa tuned in to what Brandy was saying and smiled apologetically. “Bran, I’m really sorry, but can we continue this later? The boss lady is giving me a look from way over there, and I think I’d better go see what’s up.”
Brandy waved her apology away. “Think nothing of it.”
Alexa gave her a warm smile. “Thanks, and by the way, in case I didn’t say it already, you were amazing tonight.”
Brandy smiled gratefully. “Thanks.”
Alexa moved towards Madame Teresa mechanically, turning the words over and over in her head, wondering what she could say that wouldn’t make her sound like a complete screw up. Maybe Brandy was right. Maybe he was gay and just didn’t want to come to terms with that. There had to be an explanation for why he was surrounded by so many gorgeous women but was ignoring them.
She finally reached Madame Teresa, and she beckoned for her to follow her into the office. Madame Teresa opened the door, and a waft of perfume breezed past as they both stepped inside the dark room. Madame Teresa’s hands groped around for the light switch until she finally found it, and the lights illuminated the small but cozy room.