I understood completely, but something didn’t sit well with me. “What if the person were to lie to get out of paying?”
She nodded and grinned. “Our clients are thoroughly vetted. I can’t say we’ve ever had that happen, but trust me that we have doctors on call who will perform an exam if that is necessary. Just make sure and let us know if you think there is going to be an issue.”
I leafed through the paperwork and listened as Elle continued talking. It all looked like it was in really good order and I had faith that I wasn’t walking into this totally blind. Club V had a reputation to uphold and they valued the women who put themselves up for auction as many of them continued to come back as club members with their buyers or other people from the club.
“I think you’ll find, and you may already know from working with us, that we are a family here and we take care of our own. Trust me, Samara. You are going to be well taken care of. And I hope we continue to see you around Club V NYC for years to come.”
With that we went through the legal documents and she explained them all to me very carefully. Something made me think it probably would have been a good idea to have an attorney present for something like what I was signing, but I didn’t have the time or the funds for that kind of nonsense. No, instead I was signing my virginity away and by Sunday morning all of that would be taken care of and I would have a week of…who knew exactly—maybe intense sexual awakening. I signed my name on the final page and with that it was done.
Chapter 7
“One whole week with this guy? Samara, what if he’s like, Slender Man or something?” Suzy said as she watched me from the comfort of her bed.
I elbowed her out of the way as I started to pack a bag. I had no idea what I was going to need for the week, so I packed an assortment of things that I thought would get me through the days I was with this person, wherever they lived. It seemed like they must be within driving distance based on what little information Elle had given me, but beyond that I had no clue.
“Yuck. Thanks a lot, Suzy. Now I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight. Besides, I get the feeling this is a city guy and I don’t think the city is Slender Man’s natural habitat. Also, let’s not forget that you are the one who suggested this.”
She shot me a searing glare. “Hey now, you’re an adult woman who decided to do this on her own. You have free will!”
“I know, I know. I’m only kidding. You know I decided to do this myself. And honestly, I’m kind of looking forward to it.”
“You aren’t scared or anything?” Her voice was quieter as she asked the question.
I took a deep breath as I looked down at the clothes in my bag. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little scared. It’s something new for me and I feel sort of weird being nineteen and still being a virgin. It’s like something that’s a part of me, but also not a big deal at all? I don’t know, it’s weird. Like it is something that society has made to seem so important when in reality it’s just this little blip on the radar when it comes down to it. No one really ever talks about guys losing their virginity like it is some sort of monumental act. But here I am, selling mine to literally the highest bidder.”
“In fairness, we don’t know what you would have brought on that auction block,” she said with a laugh.
“I don’t think it would be as much as I’m assured to get now. Who would have ever thought I would find someone who wanted to pay my brother’s entire bill for the transplant. Now the only thing to do is wait and pray for a heart to become available.”
“And of course you have to hold up your end of the bargain,” Suzy reminded me politely.
“As if I would back out now.”
Our apartment buzzer went off then and Suzy went to answer it while I continued packing and preparing for the week ahead of me. I would be picked up by car the following evening and driven to a destination I was unsure of. I wasn’t worried too much about this aspect of it and Suzy had even offered to get in her car and tail us just so she would have some idea where I was being taken. I declined that offer, not wanting to infringe on the privacy of the club member.
The thought had crossed my mind that I might know this person. Whether from the club or somewhere else, the reason they picked me could have very well been based on how familiar my face was to them. It was a strange thing to consider, that this person I was about to hand over my virginity to could be someone I encountered in my daily life. At the very least I knew that they had to be a club member. The only question left was if they were a regular member at my location or one of the others. I would soon find out and all of my questions would be answered.
Suzy appeared in the bedroom doorway carrying a large manila envelope. “It’s for you. Came by messenger.”
“How odd,” I said as I took the envelope and set aside the task of packing for a moment to see what had been delivered. There was no return address and the envelope had some bulk to it. I opened it carefully and slid out the contents. There was a wrapped package inside as well as a letter on fine stationary that suspiciously lacked any kind of letterhead or signature.
“What is it?” Suzy asked.
I skimmed the letter and looked up at Suzy when I was done, eyes wide. I read it aloud to her.
Dear Samara,
I am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. I thought you might be packing for the week so I wanted to enclose a few items that will be of use to you while you are with me.
You will wear the red items the first night you are with me. Wear them under the dress I am sending you. The dress will arrive separately later today. Put these items on to prepare for our first meeting.
As far as what you need to pack—leave everything at home. That is not a request, it is an order. No makeup, no toiletries—nothing. You will be completely catered to in my home.
It is my delight to have the pleasure of your companionship over the next week. I hope you are looking forward to this with as much anticipation as I am.
The letter was unsigned.
“Jeez, he’s a little demanding isn’t he? What is it that he wants you to wear?”
I turned my attention to the package and opened it up. Wrapped in thin tissue paper was some red lingerie—a barely there matching bra and panty set.
“A lot of support this will give me,” I said, holding up the flimsy bra in front of my breasts.
Suzy shook her head. “Yeah, I don’t think he cares. So, that’s what you’re going to wear under the dress. Wonder what that will look like? What else do you have there?”
There was a small white box inside the package, something that a bracelet or necklace might be packed in. I slowly lifted the lid and looked at the contents.
“Holy shit,” Suzy said as she followed my gaze and looked into the box. “That’s a dog collar.”
It wasn’t just any dog collar. The thing was encrusted with diamonds and a small metal plate that had my name engraved on it.
“Were you expecting a dog collar?” she asked cocking an eyebrow.
“Do I look like I was expecting one?” I pulled the item out of the box and examined it further.
“I mean, that is one hell of a piece of jewelry. I am pretty sure those are real diamonds. Do you think he expects you to show up to his place wearing it?”
I shook my head. “I don’t care if he expects it or not, that wasn’t in the contract and he didn’t mention it in the letter, so I’ll just pack it and hope that he forgets about it.”
Suzy grimaced. “I think you’re going to be wearing a dog collar before the week is out.”
**
The next afternoon rolled around and I got ready for my first evening. Now I was feeling the butterflies and there was no denying it. Suzy was already at work, which meant I would be alone when the driver arrived.
The dress had been delivered as promised the prior afternoon and Suzy and I had opened it, all the while wondering if it would be anything as outrageous as the dog collar. It wasn’t, but
we both saw that it was a designer dress, something that would sell for about $5000 in a boutique. It was tight and white, sleeveless, and with good portions cut out of both of the sides.
I was getting dressed and I was pleased to see how the dress looked on me. Somehow the guy had guessed my size perfectly and I was impressed by that particular skill. I would still have to see how he did in other areas.
Following my instructions, I packed only a small handbag worth of items, which included the collar. I wasn’t completely opposed to wearing it, but I felt some uncertainty about the activities that often went along with an item like that. I was a virgin, but I wasn’t completely inexperienced with men. There had been a lot of fooling around, hand jobs, blow jobs, and there was even one guy who had been really into spanking and being spanked. I didn’t think that was my cup of tea, but it all could have been because he really sucked at it. Maybe this guy would be different. Hell, if he could afford to drop this kind of money on a virgin, a dress, and a dog collar, maybe he was up to the task.
It was nearing 6:00 pm that evening when the buzzer finally rang and I called down.
“Yes?”
“Samara Tanza? This is Dwight, your driver for the evening. I have the car here waiting out in front of the building if you’d like to come down.”
“Be right there!” I called, a little too cheerily on second thought. There was nothing for me to grab other than my keys and phone, so I stuffed those things in my handbag and headed out the door.
Dwight was waiting at the door of my building and kindly opened the passenger door of the car to let me in.
“Thank you,” I said.
“My pleasure,” was Dwight’s only answer before he went around the car to set off on our journey.
It was Saturday evening so traffic was a little different than it would be on a week day, but people were crowding into the city for weekend shows and dinners and we found ourselves sitting in traffic for much longer than I thought it would take us to get anywhere in the city. I heard Dwight make a call telling someone we would be running late and I strained to listen for the voice on the other line. There was nothing I could make anything of, just a non distinct male voice.
As we sat there in traffic my mind drifted back to what I had seen the day I stumbled into the auction room at Club V in the city. Sure, it had been a shock to me but now I was a little less troubled by what the women were doing there. Each woman had her own story, her own reason for being there. I could hardly fault any of them for making decisions using their own free will, especially not now that I had had ended up in a predicament where I had a decision—to help my family or not. I made the choice freely, but deep in my heart I knew that there was no other way. I wanted to help my younger brother so desperately and this was the way I was going to do it.
We crept slowly into the city, finally making it to some major streets that I recognized. We were on our way into a very swanky area and I wondered just how much money this guy must have to be able to afford an apartment anywhere near this place.
Suddenly we stopped and Dwight called from the front, “This is it.”
We were in front of a massive building and as Dwight opened the door for me, I looked up the height of the mirrored side. It was so tall, I felt a little dizzy just looking up at it.
“Miss Tanza, you’ll just go in, give them your name at the desk, and they’ll escort you to the elevator.”
I nodded and entered the building, greeting the security guard at the desk. I had no idea who I was asking for, so I hoped that giving them my name alone would be enough to steer me in the right direction.
“Samara Tanza, someone is expecting me.”
The security guard nodded. “Right this way.” Instead of leading me to the main elevators, we went down a side hallway that opened up into another foyer with its own private entrance from a side street. He entered a code on a keypad outside the elevator and the doors opened. “Private elevator to the penthouse. Have a nice evening, Miss Tanza.”
The penthouse.
Well, that answered all of my questions about how much money the guy had.
Answer: More than God.
The elevator whisked me up the side of the building like a rocket and I held onto one of the rails, less so because of the speed of the contraption and more because it was finally sinking in what I was walking into—and the truth was, I didn’t know the half of it yet. I didn’t know what this guy looked like or what he expected of me. If he was totally into the collar thing or if that had been some kind of joke. Maybe he was a nerdy type and was a little interested in trying something kinky that he had never done before. Getting off of that elevator I knew that what I was about to step into was wild and almost completely unknown. The only thing I was certain of was that I was about to walk through the door and meet that man who would rid me of my virginity.
The doors opened and I stepped out onto a slate gray marble floor. The entire foyer was covered in marble, from floor to ceiling, and the furniture that populated the area was covered in a fine white fabric. It was clearly the sort of furniture that no one ever used. There were exotic plants spread around the small room that opened up into a larger living area.
There was no sign of the occupant of the penthouse, so I walked slowly into the main living area, hoping to either be noticed or catch a glimpse of someone. The room was opulent and the ceilings were high. A fireplace was the centerpiece of the room and a small fire was burning there already. I was grateful for that as there was a chill in the air which was normal for early in the spring, but my dress didn’t provide much shielding from that. There was a plate of cheese and crostini set out on a table and a bottle of champagne on ice. I wandered over to check out the label, not that I knew much about a good year for champagne, but I knew what the people who knew things about wine ordered at the bar. What I knew about this bottle was that it cost more than my dress. And maybe the dog collar, too.
“Samara.”
His voice came from somewhere behind me and I turned with a start. The true shock was his face though, one I had not expected to see again, and possibly the last I wanted to see here, now.
Neil Vance.
Chapter 8
“So good to see you again. I didn’t anticipate the circumstances, but life is full of surprises.”
The man was as cocky as he had been the first night I met him, but there was something a little different about him tonight. I couldn’t put my finger on it. How on earth had it been Neil? I didn’t have time to think through the whys and hows now though. I was in this for the long haul.
“Good evening,” I said, playing it cool. I was certain he had read the look of shock and surprise on my face and that he was probably reveling in it silently.
“Thank you for having me here.” I realized how dumb it sounded the minute the words left my lips, but I didn’t know what else to say in the situation. Hey, thanks for paying to take my virginity and saving my little brother’s life. That wouldn’t have worked either, although it was closer to what I was feeling in the moment.
“On the contrary, it’s my pleasure to have you here and I hope it will be yours as well, in time. Why don’t we have a seat. Would you like some champagne?”
“Sure, that would be nice.” And honestly I could take whatever social lubrication he was willing to provide me with. I was going to have to get into the right headspace for this to work at all.
He moved to uncork the bottle and it came off with a pop into the towel in his hands. Pouring us both a glass, he came around to sit beside me on the couch and handed me a glass.
“Here’s to trying new things,” he said with a grin.
“To new things,” I said as we clinked glasses. I sipped the champagne slowly and enjoyed the taste of it on my tongue, trying to get my focus on something.
“Are you nervous, Samara?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t see any reason to be nervous.”
“Are you sure?”
I nodd
ed, but the truth was that my heart was going a mile a minute in my chest and there was a kind of thrill growing inside me. I wasn’t nervous in a way that made me want to run and leave the penthouse—I almost wanted to grab Neil and kiss him right where we sat.
We sipped our champagne and he asked me questions about my life, what I enjoyed doing with my free time, and how I ended up at the club.
“My best friend, she had a job bartending there and told me they were looking for another bartender, so I jumped at the chance.”
Neil nodded and looked me up and down again, his eyes slowly taking in my form. “Did you know what the club was when you first started working there?”
I laughed and that seemed to make him happy. “Well, it was difficult to miss after about the first time I walked in. There was a couple going at it in the pool like I was nothing. Then of course when I started serving I would often end up in some of the alcoves and private rooms, so I got a front row seat to a lot of things.”
“And what did you think of that?” He asked as he traced a finger along the length of my forearm. It sent a shiver up my spine and made my breath catch in my throat.
“It was different…new…exciting.” I could hardly latch on to a word, so distracted by his fingers tracing patterns on my skin.
He nodded and watched my face, taking in my different features. It was slightly unnerving to have him focusing so much intense attention on me.
“You’re very beautiful, Samara. Do you realize how beautiful you are? That half of those men in the club see you walk by and want you? All the more because you are unattainable. They would give anything for you to be one of the ladies working the floor.”
Unravel (Club V Book 1) Page 7