by Lucy Wild
I nodded. “Go for it.”
“You’re a man. Why would a man be with someone for six months and then run off when you’re supposed to move in together?” Her chest hitched and then a flurry of words all came out at once, so fast I struggled to keep up. “We were supposed to be getting married. He said he loved me. I bought him a chair, it was a great chair. I would have done anything for him and he never said anything about being unhappy. I don’t understand. Why would he do that? He took my money. He told me the bond had to be in cash and I believed him, I’m such a fool. It was everything I had in the world and he took it and I’m an idiot and oh God, look at me. I’m rambling to a complete stranger who couldn’t care less about my problems. I’m sorry.”
I stirred when she said sorry again. There was that submission again. Did she even know it was there or had it been a part of her for so long she didn’t even notice anymore? “He was with you for six months, right?” I asked.
“Right.”
“Then he got you to bring him all the cash you had?”
“Right. Why stay with me for six months? What did he get out of it?”
“Easy sex.”
She blushed when I said the word sex. I liked the way her cheeks darkened, her eyes moving over my face as if she wasn’t sure she was allowed to even hear the word.
“Listen,” I continued, reaching into my pocket. “I’ve got something here that’ll cheer you up.”
“You don’t need to do that,” she said, glancing down at the brochure in my hand. “What is it?”
She was trying to keep her curiosity in check but she’d already leaned towards the brochure. As she did so, my eyes glimpsed down at her chest, her loose top revealing a hint of the swell of her breasts. Something inside me stirred at the sight. It was going to be a fun game.
“That is the company I work for. You ever done one of those Escape the Room games?”
“Yeah, sure, I did one for my twenty-first birthday. We got out in thirty minutes, the fastest that year according to the organisers. Is this like that?”
Without her even realising it, the brochure was in her hand and she was flicking through it.
“Think bigger,” I said, waiting as she looked at the pictures.
“This looks very expensive,” she said, holding the brochure towards me.
“Keep it. Take that with you to the address on the back cover. Tell them Cole Ford sent you.”
“It’s very kind of you, Mr Ford, but I don’t think I can afford-”
I held up a hand and had to resist smiling as she stopped talking at once. “They need someone to test a new game. It’s all on the house. No charge.”
“I’m not sure-”
Again silenced by my hand. “I strongly urge you to say yes. You’re free to refuse of course. Why not think about it for a couple of days? If you decide to play, just ring the number and tell them. Now, I must be going. It was lovely to meet you…?” I held a hand out towards her.
“Karina,” she said, slipping her hand into mine. Her skin felt soft and as we touched, her eyes widened. I gripped her fingers for a second longer than I needed to, watching her closely before finally letting her go. This close, I could smell her. She smelled good.
“Karina,” I said. “It’s been a delight. Take care.”
I walked away smiling. She’d play. She’d tell herself she wasn’t going to but it couldn’t have been clearer if she’d had it tattooed on her forehead. She’d do it because I told her to. I couldn’t think of a better person to play with. This was going to be so much fun.
KARINA
“It’s a joke, right?”
Holly looked up from the brochure, seeing my nervous expression and smiling reassuringly. “How long have we lived together, Karina?” she asked, ignoring my question.
“About four years, give or take those six months you were shacked up with Eddie.”
“Four years living together and do you want to know something?”
“What?”
“I think you’ve needed something like this for a very long time.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
She folded the brochure and put it down on the kitchen table. She was sat with her back to the window, the blind closed, blocking out the worst of the heat, the air con struggling to cope. She didn’t look like she even noticed the heat. I felt like I was melting into my chair but she just sat there looking as radiant as ever, picking up her coffee and sipping at it as she looked intensely at me. “I tried to warn you about Tony,” she said. “Do you remember?”
I shook my head. “You said you liked him.”
“No, I said you liked him and I’d support you, remember?”
“I don’t remember.”
“He made you miserable, Karina. You couldn’t see it because you were too swept up in it but he didn’t do anything for you. He even tried to hit me for money a couple of times.”
“He did?”
“He did.”
“Jeez, Holly, I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
She shrugged. “I can stand up for myself. If you want my opinion, you are much better off without him.”
I sighed, slumping over the table, my head in my hands. “But I miss him.”
She tapped the brochure. “Which is why this is perfect. It’ll distract you. You’ll have some fun and best of all, you don’t have to pay for it. I’d kill to play.”
“You can go instead of me if you like. I don’t feel like doing it. It seems fishy to me.”
“No offence, Karina, but you’ve just proven you’re not the best judge of things.”
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Did Tony give you your two grand back?”
“Ouch. That hurt.”
“The truth does, hun. Remember what I did when Eddie pissed off?”
I nodded. I remembered it well. We’d had a ceremonial burning out the back, anything connected to him had gone up in flames. She called it a cleansing. “Go to your room and let’s cleanse,” she continued. “Trust me, you’ll feel better. Then tomorrow, you go to see these guys and have some fun. You need it, get a smile back on your face.”
“I told you, I think you should go instead.”
She shook her head. “You were invited, not me. Now get on with it. Sooner done, the better you’ll feel, trust me.”
“All right,” I said, getting to my feet. “If it’ll get you off my back.”
“Good girl,” she replied with a smile, picking up the brochure again.
Why couldn’t I just say no to her? Why was I so easily led? The question was still in my mind as I entered my room. Tony had led me, he’d made all the decisions. Looking at myself in the mirror, I tugged at my hair. I’d chosen this style because he’d said he liked it. This eye shadow, his favourite colour. Even my top was one he’d commented on when he’d seen it in the shop window. I’d done it all for him and what had I got in return? Nothing. A big fat nothing. No, even worse than that, I was down two grand on the deal.
There wasn’t much in there to collect. The photo I’d wedged against the corner of the mirror, the two of us at the beach. He’d never stayed over, I hadn’t let him. So there were no clothes to gather up. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realised what an idiot I’d been. He hadn’t left any part of his life behind with me. He’d never bought me any gifts, always too broke. I hadn’t minded, picking up the tabs when we ate, even buying him groceries every now and then.
When Holly came to check on me, she found me sat on the bed, staring at the photo. She didn’t say anything. She just sat next to me with her arm around my shoulder while I cried. She knew when to talk and when to be silent. That was why we got on so well. She was more than a housemate, she was like a big sister to me. We ate a lot of ice cream together as the day went on.
She tucked me into bed that night, nodding towards the photo in my hand. “I’m ready,” I said, letting her take it. It was a lie but she didn’t know that.
I cried some more after she left before I finally fell asleep around midnight, thinking what an idiot I was and vowing to have nothing to do with men ever again.
I woke up the next morning to the sound of my phone ringing. I groped for it on the bedside table without opening my eyes. It slid off to the floor, leaving me to answer it with my ass and legs still in the bed and my elbow on the floor, my head upside down as I said, “Hello,” to a number I didn’t recognise.
“Miss Browning?”
“Yes, that’s me. Who is this?”
“This is Game Inc. We’ve arranged an appointment for you for twelve today. This is a courtesy call to confirm the arrangements.”
“I’m sorry, Game Inc? You must have made some kind of mistake.” I pushed my free hand into the carpet, forcing my body back up onto the bed. “I haven’t made an appointment.”
“Twelve noon is the slot prepared for you,” said the unconcerned voice at the other end. “It will remain open. Good morning, Miss Browning.”
“Hey, wait,” I said into the phone but it had gone dead. I sat up, rubbing my eyes. A blurred figure appeared in my doorway and I blinked. Holly came quickly into focus.
“I might have made the appointment for you,” she said, at least having the decency to look sheepish about it.
“You did, huh?” I said, picking up my pillow and throwing it at her. “When I specifically said I didn’t want to go?”
“Listen,” she replied, taking a few steps towards me. “I spoke to my editor about it. We think it’ll make a great article for the magazine.”
“You’re all heart, Holly.”
“And it’ll cheer you up too. What’s wrong with that?”
“I didn’t want to go.”
“No one’s making you. But Mitch said he’s been trying to get an interview with the place for months with no luck. You could be my little ninja undercover spy. Please go, Karina. For me and for you.”
“You want me to play a game I know nothing about so you can up your readership? Am I getting that right?”
“Did I tell you I’ll also make you breakfast if you say yes?”
KARINA
I SHIFTED IN MY SEAT as the interviewer on the other end of the desk looked down at my questionnaire. “Did I do it right?” I asked, unable to handle the silence any longer.
“That’s for the computer to decide,” she replied with a smile, flashing teeth so white I almost winced. “I’ll be back shortly. Don’t go anywhere.”
I was here because of Holly. I’d never have come if it wasn’t for her persuading me. She’d bribed me with breakfast, then begged me to help her get a decent article, claiming it had been months since her last byline. In the end, I’d agreed. “If it turns out to be some kind of scam and I get kidnapped?” I’d asked.
“It’ll make an even better article,” she replied, laughing as she did so.
If I’m honest, there was a part of me that was glad she’d made the decision for me. I was never any good at making decisions. It had always been easier to just go with the flow, do what people told me to. I found making decisions stressful. I always worried I’d make the wrong one. That was one of the reasons I was so eager to move in with Tony. He was a man who made decisions easily, telling me what to do. It made my life so much easier.
I thought about him that morning as I climbed onto the bus. It hurt to think about him, about what he’d done. I’d tried to call him but the line didn’t even ring at his end. Disconnected. He had no social media presence so there was no way of finding him online. He had vanished as if he’d never existed. All for two grand. It hardly seemed worth it.
Holly was right though. I should try and forget about him. It would only hurt more to keep going over what he’d done. The game would hopefully distract me. It was only a twenty-four hour thing anyway, what could possibly go wrong in twenty-four hours? Hopefully, it’d cheer me up, give her a decent article, and there was a slight chance I might see the guy from the park again.
I blushed at the thought. Why did I care about seeing him? I had already sworn off men. I didn’t want to see him. I didn’t care about seeing him. But my heart did speed up just a little when I reached the headquarters of Game Inc.
“You’ll have to forgive the chaos,” the receptionist called out over the sound of drilling behind her. I had walked inside to find an office that was more building site than anything else. “We weren’t expecting to be up and running for another week or so.”
“Do you want me to come back?”
“Not at all. We’re all glad you’re here.” She leaned towards me, lowering her voice. “Between me and you, we’re all very excited.”
“Really?” I asked.
She leaned back, tapping her nose. “I didn’t say anything but I am more than a little jealous, Miss Browning.”
I was taken up the stairs, the elevators not in action yet. On the third floor, things were calmer. No one in fluorescent vests or hardhats, just a lot of suits. The receptionist rapped on a clear glass door and from inside a woman no older than me looked up, flashing a smile and waving for me to come in. “Miss Browning,” she said, pointing to the chair opposite her desk. “Take a seat, please. Thank you, Caroline, that will be all.”
I heard the door close behind me as a pile of papers were slid towards me across the desk. “My name is Winona Cantrell and I must say I’m delighted that you’re here.”
“You are?”
“Why yes. When Mr Ford said he had a player ready, I thought he was joking but here you are, as beautiful as he said. Now, would you mind filling those in before we do anything else?”
“What is it?” I asked, picking up the papers and trying to ignore that Mr Ford had called me beautiful. I wouldn’t be able to focus if I thought about that too much.
“A survey of sorts. It’ll help us pick out the perfect game for you, make sure we make you happy. Can’t do that without knowing a little bit about you, can we?”
I flicked through the pages. “I have to fill it all in?”
“Please. I’ll go get us some coffee. You like coffee?”
I nodded, thinking how much I’d prefer tea.
“I’ll be right back,” she said, heading out the door and leaving me alone.
I looked at the questions. From a scale of one to ten, how adventurous are you? That was easy enough. They went on, over a hundred in all. How frightening would you find new experiences? How good at you at coping with pain? Once I had completed the first section, the answers changed to yes/no. I ran through them as quickly as I could, refusing to think too much. I refused to answer some of them. Ever had anal sex? Ever wanted to try bondage? Ever been spanked? They were mixed in with far more innocuous questions as if to hide them but I wasn’t going to give away the most intimate details of my past, who did they think I was?
“All done?” Miss Cantrell asked, pushing the door open. “Let’s have a look, shall we?”
She sat down and flicked through the paper. I thought she might tell me off for missing some of the questions but in the end she headed off to run some tests as she put it. She wasn’t long and she came back with an even broader smile. “I have good news, Miss Browning,” she said as she sat down. “We have a scenario for you that is going to be absolutely perfect. Are you ready for this?”
I nodded. “Go on.”
“You are going to be the new girl at a private member’s club.”
She fell silent and I waited but she just carried on grinning at me. “And?” I asked. “What next?”
“I can’t say. It would spoil it. That’s the whole point of the game. If you knew everything that was going to happen, it wouldn’t be much fun, would it?”
She slid a piece of paper across the desk. “If you just sign that, we’ll get you started.”
“What is it?”
“Just a standard contract. You acknowledge that it is just a game, not real life. No matter how real things seem, they are part of the game. Everyone apart from you is acting.�
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“What’s this bit about being threatened?” I asked, pointing my pen at the small print.
“Depending on the type of game, someone may threaten you or another character. No one will be hurt, yourself included. That is a guarantee. Likewise, you might have someone fall in love with you or another character. It is not real, just a bit of fun.”
“Anything else I need to know?”
“Look at the underlined part carefully. You must not mention the game whilst playing it or it will break the fourth wall, spoil the illusion.”
“It says there is a get out clause, here, at the end.”
“There is. We want all participants to play willingly. If it ever gets too much and you want to end the game early, just say the phrase, ‘End Game.’ Then it’ll all stop at once. We take safety very seriously here. Now, I bet you’re wondering how you’re supposed to play, right?”
“I am.”
“Any way you want. That’s the fun! There’s a parcel for you at reception. It will contain your outfit, your character name, a few recommended traits for her, and the address of the club. Be there at 9pm tonight and be ready for the time of your life.”
COLE
LET ME TELL YOU A little bit about the club. I’ve owned it for five years now, bought it from a man who did not want to sell. I liked the look of the place the first time I went inside. I made him an offer and he rejected it out of hand. So I made another offer, he sold or I told the tax people what I’d dug up about his accounts. He sold.
It’s become more famous over the years but is still pretty discreet, the perfect place to set up a game. I sat at my usual table, almost empty glass of Scotch in my hand. I was waiting for her to arrive. It was five to nine, she wouldn’t be long. I got the feeling she was a stickler for time keeping, probably afraid she might get in trouble if she was late. She was right.
Veronica walked over with her tray, bringing me another drink. “Here,” I said as she put the glass down and collected the empty. “Thanks V.” I placed three folded twenties on her tray and watched a smile flicker across her face.