A shiver chilled Amara as she shook her head frantically at the thought of being intimate with another person—her friend, a woman! While somebody watched! Courtney closed the door and walked over to Amara, sitting beside her on the edge of the bed. She took Amara’s shaky hands in hers and soothingly stroked her arms.
“I can’t. Ohmygod, I can’t.”
“Hey,” she whispered prettily, in a way only Courtney could. “It’s me and you. You’re going to be okay.”
Amara shook her head again as tears began to well. “I don’t want to do it, Courtney,” she whispered loudly. “I don’t want to. I won’t be able to look at you after today if we do this. You’re my only friend here!”
Courtney took a deep breath and squeezed Amara’s hands. “We’ll wear masks. Will that make you feel better? We’ll wear masks and costumes, and you can pretend you’re my slave, and I’ll be your master. It’ll be like a play.”
“I’m a terrible actress.”
“You smile every single day, even though it kills you to be here. You lift your head high and walk out of the house like you’re going to conquer the world, knowing you’re not. You get dressed every morning, put on make-up, and answer disgusting emails, while simultaneously checking on your mother to see how she’s doing. You left the love of your life behind because it was the right thing to do for your family. You’re an amazing actress, Amara. Award winning, even. If you don’t do this with me today, you’ll have to do something else. Your time will come, Mare.” Courtney placed a soft kiss on Amara’s cheek and stood up. “In the closet, second drawer to the left... and remember, I’m Chloe.”
Amara’s lip was still trembling as she fought to regain her composure, but she nodded to let Courtney know she would be there. Amara didn’t know what to expect. She didn’t want to be with another woman, but she knew Courtney was right. If it wasn’t with her, it would be with another, and Amara had seen the others strolling down the halls. She cringed at the thought of having to be with one of them. As she stood and walked into the closet, she thought of her last conversation with her mother. She thought of Colin and how heartbroken she said he’d looked. Amara was surprised that he wasn’t completely over her yet. She would have bet he’d hated her by now. There was no way of knowing if he’d called again, because she’d been forced to get rid of her old number. He hadn’t emailed her though, so she assumed he’d decided to let her go. She hated the idea. For a moment, she thought of Nolan and his email to her, and she sympathized with him. Then she shook her head because her situation was nothing like Nolan. Nolan didn’t choose for his wife to die. Life sucks, she thought as she took out the costume Courtney wanted her to wear.
It was a silk baby doll with rips down the front of it. They were made to look like someone’s fingernails slashed it. When Amara saw the sheer bra, her eyes widened. Then she saw the panties, and her mouth dropped. Crotchless panties. Courtney wanted her to wear close to nothing. Amara rested her head on the armoire and took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tried to think about nothing at all. She trained her brain to be clear of every single thought. Amara didn’t want to remember where she came from or who she knew. In that moment, she was no longer Amara. She was Jasmine Oliver—a prostitute.
CHLOE STEPPED INTO the room and dimmed the lights as she shut the door. Jasmine was grateful for the low lighting. She already felt exposed enough in what she wore. Chloe was in a robe and high heels that made a statement against the wood floors as she strode over to Jasmine. She shed her robe on the way, revealing the scandalous outfit she wore. It consisted of black leather ropes that left nothing to the imagination. They went around her breasts, exposing them both and leaving her pink nipples erect. What was supposed to cover her other areas, didn’t. It looked uncomfortable, to say the least, and Jasmine felt a little better about the lingerie she had on. Chloe wasn’t wearing a mask like Jasmine was, not that she needed one, but she clearly didn’t care about anyone seeing her face.
Chloe stopped walking, standing directly in front of Jasmine, and backed her to sit on the edge of the bed. She lifted her shoe to fit between Jasmine’s knees and spread them apart.
“This is one of my dominatrix costumes. My client is big on this one. He made me take lessons from a Dom and everything so that I would know how to whip him correctly,” Chloe explained. She lowered her face and grabbed Jasmine by the nape of her neck, pulling her forward with a jerk, until their noses touched.
“Do you know why I’m telling you this, Jas?” Chloe asked, her voice forceful.
“No,” Jasmine whispered. She swallowed loudly at the thought of getting whipped, her eyes already watering from the pain of Chloe’s grip on her hair.
“I’m going to show you everything I know.”
Chloe pulled Jasmine’s hair tighter and angled her face up, placing open-mouthed kisses over her jaw and making a trail down her neck. Jasmine was forced to face the ceiling, where she had the perfect view of Chloe’s backside in the ever-present mirror. She had never even considered being with another woman until that moment. Jasmine knew that she would probably do whatever Chloe asked of her, so she stayed still and let it happen. Chloe looked at her for a moment before swooping in to kiss her roughly. And, without a second thought, Jasmine responded. It was different than kissing a man—very different—but not bad. She was surprised to admit that she was okay with the delicate feel of Chloe’s lips and the slow but feral way she moved her tongue against hers.
When she broke the kiss, Chloe looked at Jasmine with wide eyes.
“That was good. Maybe you will enjoy this after all,” Chloe said, letting go of Jasmine’s hair and stepping away from her. “Stand up.”
Jasmine did as she was asked and stood. She clasped her hands together in front of her hips, waiting for direction. Chloe sat down on the bed and looked at the length of Jasmine’s body slowly. She licked her lips once when their eyes met again.
“Strip for me,” Chloe ordered. Her voice was still firm, but somehow she managed to make it sound sexy.
Jasmine held on to the chair beside the bed and bent down.
“Leave the shoes on. The dress—take it off. Now.”
Jasmine straightened and pulled on the straps of the baby doll, letting it fall and pool at her feet.
“Hmmm... lay down over here,” Chloe purred.
Jasmine crawled on the bed and lay in the middle of it.
“I’m not going to whip you... today,” Chloe said a little louder. “Sit up for me.”
She wrapped her arms around Jasmine and unsnapped her bra, dragging it down slowly before throwing it on the floor with the discarded dress. Chloe assessed her naked torso for a moment before leaning down and taking a nipple into her mouth. She sucked it slowly, flicking it with her tongue. Jasmine closed her eyes and threw her head back. She didn’t want her body to respond that way with a woman, but she couldn’t help it. It felt so good.
“Lay down.”
Jasmine did.
“I see you followed directions —you wore the crotchless panties.”
“Yes,” Jasmine responded.
Without warning, Chloe slid her fingers into her and Jasmine let out a loud gasp. She closed her eyes, trying to make herself forget that she was with a woman. She wanted to imagine Colin, but somehow that felt wrong, so instead she kept her thoughts blank.
“You’re going to enjoy this, Jas. Let yourself enjoy it, because soon you’re going to be doing the same things to me. I’m going to teach you what I like... and what I don’t like...”
Chloe emphasized her words by flicking her thumb against Jasmine’s sensitive bud as she leaned in and bit her nipples lightly. Soon, with Chloe’s expert ministrations, Jasmine began to enjoy herself. Chloe pulled her fingers out of Jasmine’s wet sheath when her body began to quiver, replacing them with her mouth. Jasmine’s body was overloading with sensation, but Chloe’s tongue took her to new heights, her body bowing in ecstasy. Soon, her discomfort was forgotten altogether.
“You’re welcome,” Chloe said with a wicked smile as untangled herself from Jasmine’s legs and stood. She began pulling on the rope that was between her legs, and the sight of Chloe’s folds becoming visibly swollen made Jasmine grow wet again. She’d never felt such an unmasked desire for a woman before, and was beginning to wonder who had taken over her body.
“You like this,” Chloe said knowingly as she played with the rope. She threw her head back with a moan as she moved it faster, and Jasmine wanted to be the one feeling it. “Touch yourself!”
Jasmine’s hand trailed down her stomach, and before she could stop herself, she began rubbing circles over her clit as she watched Chloe through heavily lidded eyes.
“Keep doing that,” Chloe said. Her voice was husky, and her bright eyes were glazed over with desire as she met Jasmine’s eyes. Chloe looked over her shoulder for a second and took one step to the left. Jasmine’s eyes followed Chloe’s line of vision. She thought nothing of it, as her desire was greater than her curiosity. How had she gotten there to such an odd place in her mind, where she could reason through letting a woman touch her and arouse her the way Chloe had? Jasmine tried not to dwell on it too much, knowing she should have felt dirty with Chloe, but somehow she didn’t.
“Stop. I want you to sit up now.” Chloe instructed Jasmine to stand in front of the bed so that she could lie down instead. Jasmine was not naïve, but still was nervous to have to repeat what Chloe had done to her. She knew she would hate it before she even started. What if Chloe thought Jasmine was bad at it and made her do it again and again until she got it right? Jasmine almost gagged at the thought. Chloe, seemingly reading Jasmine’s expression, cupped her face with one hand and pinched her nipple with the other.
“Hey, I’m teaching you, remember?” Chloe said. She spoke in a whisper, her eyes shooting towards the door once more, before meeting Jasmine’s gaze.
“Is somebody going to come in here?” Jasmine asked, suddenly feeling anxious.
“No, no,” Chloe said. “Nobody will come in today. But in the future, we may need to do this while he sits in. If you start and absolutely hate it, tell me. I’ll walk you through it though, okay? You’ll be fine, ma chére.”
Chloe cut off any further complaints by kissing Jasmine, softly at first, then more forcefully, thoroughly. Jasmine’s hands shook as Chloe took them in hers and placed them first on her slim shoulders, then down the front of her body and over the thin ropes until she got to her exposed breasts. Chloe coaxed Jasmine’s hands into a massage, concentrating on her nipples, which felt stiff under Jasmine’s fingers. Jasmine’s breathing was becoming uneven as her nervousness escalated.
“Stop thinking,” Chloe scolded.
Jasmine nodded frantically, trying to regain her composure and follow Chloe’s lead. She explored the tight ropes around Chloe’s body, she tucked a finger under them, and Chloe shivered at the contact. Jasmine almost took her hand out, not knowing if what she was doing was okay, but Chloe pinned her with her eyes, forbidding her to stop. Jasmine’s fingertips continued down over the thin strip of hair Chloe had. Jasmine plucked the small hairs on her “landing strip,” and Chloe made a sound of approval. Not knowing what else to do, Jasmine began manipulating the cords, the way Chloe had done earlier. She gripped the front part and shook it slightly, making friction between Chloe’s legs and causing her to moan loudly.
Jasmine continued the movement and Chloe guided her other hand to her heated center so that Jasmine could feel how wet she was.
“Put your fingers in your mouth. Taste me.”
Jasmine did as she was told, sucking her fingers into her mouth and tasting Chloe.
“More,” Chloe said with a pant. “Push three fingers inside of me.”
Jasmine continued to follow her lead, doing whatever Chloe instructed of her. She was glad that she didn’t make her reciprocate the rest of what Chloe had done to her, and by the end of the night, once she’d gone through the motions, she learned that one could have sex without feeling.
“YOU PUT IN a request to go home,” Philip said, as Amara entered his office at Méchant.
“My mother’s surgery is scheduled for Wednesday morning.”
Philip nodded. “Have you been in touch with your father?”
Amara turned her gaze away from his. “No. I don’t speak to him anymore.”
Philip’s chuckle brought her attention back to his face. “So much like your mother.”
“You seem to think you know so much about her,” Amara said with a hint of annoyance.
“I’ve known your parents many years, Amara. It’s funny, I prayed to God for so many years, and he denied me what I wanted. Then when I least expected it, a bucket of everything I once asked for fell into my lap. Now I’m not sure whether to credit God or my persistence. For many years, I wanted something your parents had... I could never get it because, well, let’s be honest, your dad is a fuck-up. I was angry about that a lot. I tried to keep him on track in the beginning. His company... well, it used to be one of the biggest stock companies in Manhattan. Still is, even though he no longer owns it. I’m sure you’ve put the pieces together by now, but I took over his shares seven years ago. So many things fell on my lap that day.”
He was smiling at her, a knowing smile that gave her chills.
“I don’t own all of it though. Amir may be greedy—he may be a fuck up on some accounts—but he’s not an imbecile. He has two shareholders that own the biggest piece of it. Those two people—they have the power to make or break that company.” Philip took a breath and reclined in his chair. He shook his head and made a face as he laughed ruefully. “The moral of this story is that life may throw a bucket of blessings on your lap, but she’s always a bitch. She’s always orchestrating a greater equation than you can solve.” Philip said, clapping his hands. “Anyway, you can take a couple of days, but I need you back by Saturday. Your first big client will be here that day.”
Amara’s heart began to thunder in her chest. “Will I have to...”
“Have sex? Yes. You should be fine. You did an excellent job with Courtney the other night.”
She looked into his eyes, asking.
“I saw it all,” he said, smiling widely.
Amara opened her mouth and closed it. She narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean you saw it?”
Philip kept smiling. He tilted his head. “Those mirrors on your ceiling? They’re two-way mirrors. I can see you, but you cannot see me. You looked right at me though. You were in the heat of passion when your eyes found mine...”
She felt a blush creep over her chest and cover her face as she stood from her chair.
“No need to be embarrassed. I watch a lot of people. I think I’ll play closer attention to you, though. Maybe I’ll sit in one of these nights. Maybe I’ll join your new client on Saturday. Would you like that, Jasmine?”
The way her name, fake or not, sounded as it rolled off his tongue made her stomach lurch. She turned in her heels and walked out of his office, not caring that he was laughing at her.
“Take your computer!” Philip shouted as she got to the end of the hall. Amara mentally flipped him off.
From: Nolan Underwood
To: Jasmine Oliver
Subject: Panties
He asked you for your panties? Was it a swap? You give him yours, he gives you his? In that case, I think I would have been on board. You sound beautiful (based on your description and what I’ve seen of you). Overseas? What way? East or West? (You have to specify, I need to know how much I’m willing to break my bank to come se
e you, if I decide I want to do that). I’m in Louisiana right now. I like to frequent this little restaurant when I’m in town (I say that as if I’ve been coming here all my life, it’s only been three months). I’ll take a picture of the view from up here when it’s less foggy and send it to you. It’s in the French Quarter, so if you see anything weird in the photo, blame the area, not my picture taking skills.
Signing off from the most peaceful balcony you’ll ever see.
-Nolan
Amara was grateful for Nolan’s email. It was the one thing that made her smile, despite the circumstance of her rush to go back home. She was flying into Connecticut, so she wouldn’t really be “home,” but any piece of United States soil where everybody spoke a language she could understand was home. Amara told her mother she would go straight to the hospital and stay with her there. She didn’t plan on checking in to a hotel, even though Vivienne provided her with money to do so. She didn’t plan on writing back to any of her customers either, but for some reason, the thought of not writing back to a lonely Nolan made her feel remiss.
To: Nolan Underwood
From: Jasmine Oliver
Subject: Jealous
I wish I could be sitting in that peaceful balcony with you, surrounded by the fog :(. Except, isn’t Louisiana French-ish? I can’t deal with anymore French people for a long time after this. I don’t even want FRENCH FRIES after this! Sorry, I’m currently in France, and I don’t understand anybody, and if it weren’t for the drivers, I would totally get lost every time I went out. Have fun. Send a picture.
Xo,
Jasmine
Amara shut down her laptop and scrolled through her phone. She only had four numbers to scroll through, so it wasn’t like looking for Courtney’s number was a hassle.
“What’s up, Feathers?” Courtney said as greeting.
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