by Jana Aston
The beauty stops beside the pole, staring above us at an imaginary spot, and the music pauses, along with my heart. She grabs handfuls of the satin fabric just above her waist and pulls her fingers away, splitting the dress down the middle.
She wears nothing above her waist, exposing perfect breasts peaked to a delicate pink tip. Their round fullness makes me want to consider their weight in my hands as my eyes move lower, to the mere set of stringed threads covering her pussy. Every man staring at her would love to find this ethereal vision in his wedding suite ready to be deflowered.
Tossing the remnants of her gown into the darkness behind her, she grips the pole with one hand as Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” begins to play before this sin-filled congregation. And not a soul seems ready to repent as she twirls around in a careful spin to the slow rhythm.
“Fuck,” Greg mutters next to me. I glance over at him, and his eyes are dilated. Turning to Jonathan, I see he’s the same—all hypnotized under this woman’s spell.
She floats through her routine, a sheer veil flying around her shoulders. I’ve never seen anything like her before. Her skilled movements aren’t only sexual, they’re intoxicating, transporting me into another world somehow above my base desires. Upside down, she hugs the pole with her bare legs and effortlessly works her body up the top, almost touching the ceiling with her toes.
When the first “hallelujah” in the song is sung, she slowly spins down the pole to the floor, and her mask slips slightly. Sitting so close to the stage, her eyes and face come into full view, and my breath hitches.
Jesus Christ.
Stunned and paralyzed, my heart stutters to a dead stop in my chest. My lovely Seraphina is making love to the audience. I close my eyes, no longer able to continue my lust-filled stares.
Disgust fills every cell in my body.
I’m disgusted with her father, whose acts led her to this stage to survive. I’m disgusted with her mother, and her lack of strength to find a way out of their problems. I’m disgusted with Greg, who used this beautiful woman for his own sick lust. I’m disgusted with myself for not doing enough to deliver her from the horrible prison not of her own making.
That stops now.
Pushing back my chair, I rise to my feet, but no one seems to break from Seraphina’s trance. I take long strides to the bar, looking for Robert, the manager. When I don’t see him anywhere, I head to the back office.
Before I get two feet down the private corridor, a man taller than my six-foot-two frame stops me.
“Hold it right there.” He stands in front of me, his feet spread shoulder length apart, blocking my way. “What are you doing back here?”
“Looking for Robert,” I snap, then move an inch or two forward. This man will not intimidate me.
A hand claps onto my shoulder, and I turn, expecting to see another giant bouncer. Instead, it’s Robert, himself.
“Ease up, Tony. He’s one of our platinum members, not to mention New York’s best attorney. We don’t want him on our bad side.” Robert lets out a hollow laugh.
“Sure thing,” Tony the beast says before stepping back into the shadows of the hall.
I turn toward Robert, stuffing my fists in my pant pockets. I don’t want them involved in this discussion unless it’s the last resort.
“It’s been a long time since you’ve graced us with your presence, Mr. Edmonds. Do you want to schedule a private? Mandy misses you.” Robert grins at me, and I swear he’s hiding the devil’s horns under his thick black hair.
“I have a proposition for you,” I say, my face expressionless.
He regards me for a couple seconds. “Okay. Let’s take this to my office.”
I follow Robert down a dark corridor with wooden floors. The hard soles of my shoes echo in the hallway as the music from the club disappears into the background. To save an angel, I prepare to make a deal with the devil.
Chapter 6
Seraphina
Back in the dressing room, after the main floor pole dance, I pour a healthy dose of scotch into an empty shot glass and toss it back, enjoying the burn down my throat. The sear awakens me like a new beginning, where I feel again, letting the numbness thaw me from the inside out.
Looking in the vanity’s mirror, I wipe away my red lipstick with a tissue and throw my hair into a messy ponytail. I pull a black T-shirt out of my backpack, along with skinny jeans and a pair of panties, then slip them on over my body and glance in the mirror, finally resembling the girl I used to know.
Turning away on an exhale, I stuff the wads of cash from my dance into my backpack and prepare to head out into the warm afternoon sun.
“Angel,” Sal calls to me, and I lift my head to find him standing at the door. He has a frown on his usually friendly face. I scrunch my brows at him in confusion. “Robert wants to see you in his office. Now.”
I jump at the way Sal emphasizes his last word as fear hits me. Robert never asks to see the girls unless there’s been trouble. I replay the events of my shift. I left the private with a man completely blissed out. No issues there. The public dance netted over three thousand—an unbelievable amount for two songs.
“Did he tell you why?” I ask, like I’m begging for the truth.
“Yes, but I don’t know whether it’s good or bad.” Sal’s face looks even sadder.
What does that even mean? I stand on weak legs and throw my backpack over my shoulder. “Okay. I’ll go now.”
As I approach the door, Sal moves to the side, making room for me to pass. Before I walk by him, he gently grabs my arm. My eyes meet his, and I find them watering with tears.
“You’re better than this place, Angel. I’ve known that from the second I met you. Whatever happens today, and in the future, remember that.”
My eyes blur, beginning to match his. Overwhelmed, I throw my arms around his thin body and hug my friend. I have a feeling this will be the last time I see him. My fate seems sealed and his words feel final.
“Thanks, Sal.”
I pull away from him and enter the dark corridor, turning toward Robert’s office. One of his goons stands guard outside the door. It’s the same one who’s begged me for a private. He doesn’t seem to care that such interactions are discouraged amongst the staff. But I draw the line with people who see me like I am now—the real me without the masks and persona.
“Angel. Angel,” he says in a sexy tone as I approach him. “What I wouldn’t have given to have tasted you.” He reaches out to touch my face, but I step out of his grasp. He laughs. “Too good for me?”
I laugh back at him. He has it all wrong. Today, a stranger paid five grand to suck on my nipples while I rubbed my pussy over his hard cock until he came. I’ve fallen into the humanity’s gutter of selling sin. Can one go any lower?
“Tell Robert I’m here.” I stand at the door, looking at the dark polished wood grain. The shine is nothing more than a façade.
“Go on in,” the guard says. “He’s waiting for you.”
I take a deep breath. When I turn the knob, it feels like the beginning of the end.
“Angel.” Robert looks up from his desk as I enter his room. “Have a seat.” My legs tremble as I make my way to the chair across from him.
“I am sure you’re wondering why I’ve called you into my office today.” He smiles at me, and I worry even more. What the hell have I done?
“I am.” I have to push the words out as fear seizes my throat.
How will I exist now? Forget helping my mother get better. I could always give him the one thing I’ve saved for love. I bow my head in defeat before looking back at Robert, praying he’ll spare me the worst.
“Well, today is your lucky day,” Robert proclaims with a smile, like he’s telling me I won the damn lottery. I stare back at him in confusion. “A man just paid one million dollars for me to fire you. It’s already in your account.”
“You’ve what?” My ears ring. My eyes sting. “Don’t kid me like this.”
“No kidding. It’s all done. Pull your account up on your phone. I’ll wait.” Robert pushes back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest.
I wipe my cheeks and dig my phone out of my backpack. Opening the screen, I touch the app for my bank and wait for it to show. A couple swipes later, I drop my phone into my lap, my eyes blinking and mouth open wide.
“I don’t understand,” I whisper, shaking my head. This doesn’t make sense. And worse, I can’t accept this. It’s too much.
“The answer waits for you outside the back door. Hell, you don’t belong here, Seraphina,” he utters my real name against his own code. “Of all the girls I’ve seen walk through my door, I’ve never been this sad and equally happy to see one leave before.”
Diverting his eyes from mine, Robert picks up his phone. He presses his finger against the screen and places the phone against his ear. “She’s on her way out.”
My brows furrow. “Who the hell is he?” I demand, knowing he’s talking to the man who gave him the money. I stand up from the chair and face Robert. My entire body shakes as adrenaline mixed with fear and rage shoots through me. “And what does he want from me?”
My fear turns into full-blown terror as I imagine the deeds I need to perform for the man who bought me.
“He was a former associate of your father and saw you here today. Funny thing, though, he asked for nothing in return. Fools and their money.” I shake my head at Robert in disbelief. “It makes no sense to me either. Now, get the hell out of here before the crazy fucker changes his mind. He’s waiting for you, but the choice to find out who he is will be yours.”
Robert lowers his head and begins to write on a legal pad. He’s dismissing me. For a couple seconds, I don’t move as I contemplate what I should do next.
My choices are like a fork in the road. I either rush out the front door, avoiding the man, or face him and an unknown fate. One is a limited freedom until my mother blows through the money, and the other a curious temptation, but both likely spell my ruin.
As I exit the office, I turn to Robert’s guard. “Do you know who he is?”
“An idiot,” he says before breaking eye contact and tilting his chin up.
Hundreds of men at The Exchange have offered to buy my virginity, and I worry this man just paid Robert for it. Even though the club owner knows it isn’t for sale and said he didn’t, lies mix with the truth behind the walls of The Exchange.
Then … what if Mr. Edmonds can’t free up my trust fund? I’ll have nothing, and my mother will break away from reality even further. I walk down the hall to the back door. A million dollars solves so many problems.
Another bouncer guards the door standing between me and my fate. “Please open it for me?” I ask.
The linebacker-sized man does my bidding, and the outside light blinds me. After blinking a few times, my eyes adjust—or do they?
I blink again, not believing what I’m seeing. The beautiful Mr. Edmonds is leaning against a black town car. Pushing off the metal, he strides toward me wearing dark sunglass, hiding whether his eyes are full of pity or disgust.
I turn back toward the club, ready to run away from him. I can’t face the shame of him knowing what I’ve become.
“Seraphina,” he says my name like a prayer. My hand on the door handle, I freeze. Tears I’ve kept hidden away for so long come to the surface, and I begin to sob.
He touches my shoulder, and I surrender. My fight is gone. I have nothing left to hide. Scooping me up into his arms, I lace my arms around his neck and bury my face against his navy suit.
It smells just like him, and I cry some more. This beautiful, kind man knows I’m a whore.
Chapter 7
Seth
Seraphina trembles in my arms as the town car skirts the East River on the FDR. Her crying has quieted, but she still hasn’t said a word to me other than asking why. When I told her it was because she was worth it, she began to sob even harder against my chest, leaving my dress shirt damp with her tears. Each drop carries an agonizing pain she’s finally releasing, and I want to absorb it all.
In a soft back and forth motion, I caress the porcelain skin of her forearm with my fingertips. Leaning my chin on the top of her head, I close my eyes, silently praying she turns her face up toward me. But until she’s ready, I will cocoon her in my arms. I can wait.
A couple minutes later, she looks up at me with tear-filled eyes glimmering a crystal blue. Her entire face is etched with torment, and my heart twists. I smile down at the beautiful creature in my arms and trace my finger over her damp cheek.
“Mr—” I press my index finger over her lips, hushing her.
“Seth. Mr. Edmonds is some attorney who sat behind a desk.” And longed for you.
“Seth,” she says, blushing and turning her eyes away for a split second. “I can’t take the money. It’s too much.”
“I heard from the courts this morning.” I start with lies that even God wouldn’t hold against me. “The judge overseeing the liquidation of your father’s estate wants to settle with the creditors, including your trust fund. It’s just a matter of time before you have what’s rightfully yours.”
“I’ll pay you back. Every last cent.” She sits up in my lap, the promise of freedom in her eyes. It’s new and breathtaking, and exactly as I dreamt.
“You owe no man a cent, including me.”
“I owe you everything,” she says, her eyes shimmering again. But finally, the heaviness of life is replaced with hope. I will never let her feel sorrow again.
“Karl,” I address my driver, “take us to Central Park. Sheep Meadow.”
It’s the perfect place to tell my lost lamb about my plans for her liberation. There will be no more private dances where she sells what’s more precious than gold: her dignity.
When she rests her head against my chest and looks out the window, a long exhale leaves her lungs. A second later, her shoulders relax as she melts into me.
My once hollow heart feels heavy and full in my chest. I want to tell her I owe her everything, because it’s true. I’ve never felt this alive.
Karl pulls the car to the curb before the West 65th street entrance into the park. “Meet us back here in an hour, and pop the trunk please. Thanks, Karl.”
Lacing my fingers through Seraphina’s, I exit the car as she follows me out into the fresh air.
The sunlight catches her hair, reflecting a brilliant gold. I don’t want to move into the shade, but we can’t stay standing on the sidewalk. Besides, we are going to a part of the park bathed in heaven’s light.
I grab the utility blanket out of the trunk and lay it over my arm. “Have you been to Sheep Meadow?”
“My father bought me a kite when I was ten. He took me there to fly it.” I glance down at her, worried the mention of her father might trigger more tears, but she smiles at the memory. “He held the base and I had the tail. We ran and ran until the kite soared for all of ten seconds. It was a windless day, and the best one I ever had with him.”
After a couple more steps, she sighs. “I still don’t understand.”
I want to tell her my true feelings about her father. That he was a coward who left her to live the horror I found her in today. “No one ever will.” In the end, she was the brave one.
I squeeze her hand and draw her closer to me as we walk down the sidewalk. There’s an opening ahead in the wall leading to the fifteen-acre quiet zone where no one can play music or bring their pets. This meadow is a green, peaceful corner where city noises fade away.
I pick a grassy spot near the edge of the trees and spread the blanket on the ground. We sit, and Seraphina turns to face me. My heart stops at the smile on her face as it reaches her eyes—something I haven’t seen since the day we met three years ago.
“The last time I was here was before…” I know what before means as her smile floats off into the light breeze. “I c
ame with a girlfriend to sunbathe.”
Seraphina stretches out her long legs and reclines back on her forearms. She tilts her head to the sky, and the sun dances across her luminescent skin. I’m caught spellbound in her beauty, unable to breathe and break the moment.
“What do I do now?” she asks, still looking at the sun while I continue to gaze at her. “Tell me, Seth.”
A warm feeling rushes through me as she says my name, asking for my lead. When our eyes connect, I want to give her the world, or take her away from it. Are both possible?
“What’s most important to you?” I ask, giving the direction of her life back to her.
“My mother getting help. Nothing will matter if she stays the same.”
“There’s a facility on Long Island that can help her recover. They called me this morning and said there’s an opening.”
Seraphina sits up and turns her body toward me. Grabbing my hands in hers, she bounces in excitement. “We have to get her to go. Is it nice?”
“It’s nice enough that you can sell it as a three month spa visit. They cater to the Hamptons crowd, so she’ll fit right in.”
“Perfect. She needs to escape this city.” She bites her lip and looks away. “They have psychiatrists, right? She needs medical help too.”
“Only the finest.” That tons of money can buy.
“Do I have enough to cover the cost?” Always thinking of someone else, Seraphina’s selflessness never fails to amaze me.
“More than,” I say with a reassuring smile.
“Seth, you’re a beautiful man.” She throws her arms around my neck and kisses me. On. The. Lips.
Succumbing to the electric charge between us, I wrap my arms around her thin waist and savor her touch. She breaks our connection and pulls her face inches from mine.
“Thank you, Seth,” she murmurs before resuming our kiss. It’s delicate and yielding, just like Seraphina.
Tremors run through my body as I suppress my longstanding desire for her. She has to feel the trembling under her hands.