The Touch Series: Initiation

by Cecilia Lonski

  I wondered what she meant and I quickly looked at Cassie to see if she looked like she knew. “Isn't that just a rumor though? Plus, who cares? We're here and she's not.”

  Who was she talking about? Who was 'she'?

  At that moment, the elevator doors opened and we all stepped in with me and Janel positioned all the way at the back. I had hoped Cassie and Lisa would continue talking. I was beyond curious.

  Lisa began to speak again, sounding tired. “Doesn't matter whether she's here or not. From what I heard she's a nasty piece of work and you don't want to get on her bad side.”

  Was she talking about Gwen? It sounded like her....

  A new voice jumped into the conversation. “You sluts need to quit it. He isn't going to hook up with anyone here. He hooks up with girls outside of the Club. Which I know for a fact because we have mutual friends. So why would he be wasting his time on you gold-diggers when he gets it elsewhere all the time, anytime?” It was Ivy, one of the other girls. She was the tallest of us all with beautiful long blonde hair that was naturally wavy. She had toned legs and great abs, all with big breasts. She was just perfection. She was also known as the resident bad girl. She wasn't afraid to speak up against Gwen. Drank more than the rest of us combined, yet never got really wasted. And she got high frequently when she could get away with it.

  It took me a while to take in everything she had just said. My stomach dropped at the thought of Josef hooking up with random girls all the time – any time. But then, of course he would. Why not? He had the money and the looks. I can't imagine it being difficult for him to pick up a gorgeous model each night at a bar or something. I should never have expected him to be loyal to us in any way. But it still hurt...

  Cassie looked pissed at Ivy but didn't respond. She then looked at Lisa, as if she would rescue the situation, but Lisa only shrugged which made Cassie even angrier. “Well, we'll see about that.”

  Ivy looked as if she was going to laugh, “Go ahead. Then you'll get cut and I won't have to see you desperate-ass again.” She turned to face the elevator door with a triumphant look across her face. Cassie and Lisa got off on the next floor. It was just Janel, Ivy and I.

  I needed to know more and it seemed like Ivy was the girl to get answers from. “Hey, I'm Quinn. Are you busy tonight? Do you have plans?”

  Ivy turned around surprised and looked at the both of us. Janel looked over at me in surprise and confusion. Ivy took a few seconds to consider her response, “I was going to try to see if I could hook up with this really cute cabana boy I saw but, then again, he looked underage. So, it would probably be best if I did something else. Why? What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, my friend, Artie, – well, who I thought was my friend – put his credit card under our room so we can order what we want from room service.” I'm pretty sure that it was meant more for Janel than me, though. “And well I'm kind of angry with him at the moment. So, why not the three of us take advantage and drink all of the alcohol in the room and order an unlimited amount of ice creams sundaes?”

  It took her no time to think about it. “Sounds good. What floor?”

  I smiled at her, “the next one.” I was happy. I needed to know more of what she knew. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to make another friend here.

  When Ivy turned to face the doors, Janel slapped my arm quietly and gave me a questioning look. I waved her off.

  The elevator doors opened and I practically sprinted towards our room door. When we got in Janel opened the glass doors that led to the balcony. “It's so beautiful,” she said musically. She was right, the sun was setting and the resort looked peaceful and stunning. We were in paradise.

  Ivy started rummaging in the liquor shelf. “Yes, they have all the good stuff.”

  I jumped on my bed and Janel slowly sat next to me. Ivy handed each of us a glass of Jack Daniel's and Coke. Then she sat with her legs crossed on Janel's bed, right in front of us.

  “So, what made you want to do this?” I eyed her, curious to know her back story.

  She grabbed the menu for room-service off the night stand next to her and began to flip through it, “Me and Mr. Constane have mutual friends. And they knew I needed cash to open up my business.”

  Janel looked pleasantly surprised. “What business?” She probably thought Ivy drank, smoked pot all day, and couldn't possibly have a mind for business.

  “I want to open a store that sells Wiccan and witchcraft supplies. I also want to open a witchcraft museum attached to it as well.” She was serious. She wasn't joking.

  I tried not to sound freaked out or offensive in anyway. “That sounds great. I hope it works out for you.” I looked over at Janel who just stared at Ivy with her mouth agape in surprise and horror.

  Ivy looked up at me and she looked curious about something, “what are you doing here?”

  “My family needs the money.” That's all I said, I didn't want to get into the story of what happened to Nicholas. It was always difficult to explain.

  Ivy then looked at Janel who responded quickly, “I want to go to law school and it's not cheap.” She then took a sip from her drink and looked down at the floor.

  Ivy then looked back at me, “Don't take this personally. But you're not really his usual type.”

  My face fell and I looked down too. “Oh.”

  “Be careful.” I looked up and she smiled slightly. “He must have a thing for you. He either goes for brunettes or platinum blondes. Your like his first red-head who isn't tan or six feet tall. I think he has a plan for you or something?”

  “A plan?” What did this girl know, exactly?

  She slowly looked down at the menu again but she didn't stop smiling. “I don't know. Maybe he wants to take advantage of your innocence and virginal look. Guys are kinky like that. Have you ever been to Japan?

  “No.” I looked over at Janel to see if she knew what Ivy was talking about and she looked just as confused as I.

  Ivy still looked at us and leaned in closer like she was about to tell us a secret. “In Japan, they have these clubs where guys go to to spend time with teenage girls dressed in Lolita fashion. It's like the biggest thing to occur in the night scene there in the past few years.” She winked at us. “Its so exclusive that you need to pay a shit load to get in for an hour and there's a huge waiting list.”

  Janel looked disgusted, “It sounds gross.”

  Ivy snorted, “well, that's the male mind for you. And don't be surprised if that's not what he's into.” She looked at me at that moment.

  I started to feel somewhat offended. “I don't get it.”

  “Honey, you're like Lolita-incarnate,” she ran her eyes down my body. “You tend to wear baby doll dresses and you look like a porcelain doll. It doesn't help that you have this innocent and shy manner about you.” She noticed that I was getting upset. “I'm not trying to upset you. I'm just letting you know what all of us have observed. And he might take advantage of that.”

  I shook my head in disbelief and looked down at my hands, “He's been kind to me.”

  Ivy and Janel exchanged looks. Janel sighed and turned to me, “yeah, he's only been kind to you.” Both her and Ivy studied me to see if I understood what they were saying.

  I shook my head in disbelief. I felt my mouth go dry as I attempted to speak, “No, he wouldn't. I mean, nothing bad will happen. Right?” I started to pace the room as I went over the awful possibility in my head.

  At that moment, Ivy began to laugh uncontrollably and walked to the mini-bar to get another bottle of liquor. “Relax, we won't let anything happen to you. Just don't ever be alone in a room with him. Plus, in the contract it says things between the two of you needs to be consensual.” She opened a bottle of vodka and took a sip before handing it to me. “Now, what word did you learn in your sex-ed class in school that can help you here?”

  I took the bottle firmly and took a sip. I had never had vodka before and it was gross. I gagged before I replied, “No.”

&n
bsp; In an instant, we all started laughing together. And before the night was over, we emptied the mini-bar. And I vowed never to let Josef take advantage of me like that. Ever.

  CHAPTER eight

  I awoke to the sound of something pounding on the door. As I tried to get up, I felt like my head was going to explode. I looked over at Janel's bed where I found Ivy slowly stirring up and yawning. I looked over her head to find Janel vomiting into the toilet in the bathroom. We definitely took it too far last night with the liquor. I wondered what the bill was going to come out to.

  The pounding sound returned, this time mixed with Gwen's voice. “Be down in 15 or you'll be considered late!”

  “Geez, she's so anal,” Ivy muttered. She looked completely fine and not wasted. I wonder how that was possible.

  I began to look around the mess in the room. “Wait, where did Janel sleep?”

  Ivy shrugged her shoulders. “From what I remember, she passed out on the balcony floor before I knocked out.” She walked towards the door and before she walked out she yelled, “See you in ten minutes girls!”

  She made my head hurt even more.

  I slowly got up and passed Janel to take a shower. I wondered what plans we had today.

  ***

  When we arrived at the hotel's restaurant for breakfast, Ivy had a table reserved for us. As we approached the table and sat, Ivy couldn't stop grinning. “Long night?”

  I immediately started to pour myself a cup of coffee when I asked her, “How do you do that?”

  She looked at me confused, “what do you mean?”

  “How do you drink so much and not have a hangover?”

  Janel leaned in looking very irritated at Ivy, “Yes, I would like to know that too.”

  Ivy rolled her eyes and waved for a waiter to approach our table, “You two are just weak. That's all.”

  When the waiter arrived, we ordered our breakfast and then started to speculate on today's plans and what Gwen had in store for us. Ivy hoped it was a nude painting class she saw advertised in the local paper. We all laughed at her remark but it went immediately silent when Gwen approached our table. Even in Hawaii, she looked pissed.

  She looked right at me and spoke with a voice that sent a cold shiver down my back, “Mr. Constane, would like to see you today. Privately.”

  What? Oh, no! Privately? All of my thoughts from yesterday came back to me. I was shocked and slightly horrified. What did he want? I was definitely not a Lolita caricature for him. Hell no!

  I looked at Janel and Ivy who both looked equally as horrified as I. Ivy then looked stern and shook her head.

  “Do you speak?” Gwen was now glaring at me and looked impatient.

  “Can you ask him if it can be a group thing?” I was scared to even look at her, knowing well I was going to piss her off with what I had said.

  She looked at me and the other two but she didn't argue. She left and walked straight to Josef who was speaking to Jacob near the hotel reception. When she spoke to him he became immediately angry. His lips pressed into a line, his jaw tensed and his eyes glared at her. Then in a second his eyes shot straight to me. I immediately turned and buried my head into my hands.

  Ivy tried to calm me down, “You did the right thing. It's in the contract, that he needs to respect you and ask for your consent on all things.”

  I still had my head buried in my arms and whispered, “I know but he's paying us a shit load of money. We're supposed to just ignore him the whole time?”

  Ivy whispered back, “Yes, when he requests private time. You can hang with him when we are all out together. What does private time even mean, do you think?”

  I looked up and straight at her, “I don't know. Maybe he wants to get coffee together?”

  This time Janel leaned in and whispered, “Yes, I'm sure. With extra cream and sugar, if you get my drift!” She then sat up quickly and she looked down at her food. Ivy did the same.

  “Miss Turner?” I slowly looked up to see Josef standing next to our table with his nostrils flared.

  I smiled and sweetly acknowledged him, “Good morning, Mr. Constane. How was golf yesterday? Did you win?” I turned in my seat, hoping to find Artie coming our way to rescue me. “Where's Artie, by the way?”

  “He's working.” His voice was still cold but he was getting more irritated by the minute.

  “Working on a holiday? What?”, I smiled at him again which quickly vanished off my face.

  “You denied me the opportunity to see you in private.” He quickly glanced at Ivy and Janel. “Which I do respect.” They both looked down again and he then turned back to me again. “But you'd prefer to be in a group setting. And that's fine.” He started to fix one of his cuffs. “What would you like to do then? The three of you, Jacob and I.” He looked at me intently.

  “I get a choice?”

  “Yes.” His eyes looked more warm then before.

  I looked over at Janel and Ivy whose blank looks didn't help me. I looked up at Josef and shrugged, “Surprise me.”

  He lifted his head slightly and a corner of his lip raised slowly, “Fine. Be ready in an hour. Meet us at reception.” He bowed his head at Ivy and Janel before walking away.

  Janel leaned in, looking really pissed. “Why did you do that? Who knows what he might plan!”

  “What was I supposed to do? Did you see him? He looked angry and was not going to take no for an answer!”

  I looked at Ivy for some back up but she looked pleased. “Well, at least we won't have to spend quality time with Gwen and the others.” She happily stirred her tea with a spoon.

  Janel was right though. What did I agree to?

  ***

  We waited at the reception nearly an hour later. I started pacing out of nerves. Janel was still angry and Ivy was guessing as to what we were going to do. I was about to suggest to the two of them that we should fake an illness and blame it on our breakfast, when Josef and Jacob came our way from the elevators. The were dressed casually with just plain t-shirts and jeans. But they both looked good. Jacob, just like Josef, fitted well into a tight v-neck.

  Janel immediately got up from the sofa she was sitting on and crossed her arms, “Where are we going?”

  Josef didn't look at her when she spoke. He kept his eyes on his phone. “We are going shopping.”

  She looked surprised and relieved at the same time. “Oh.”

  A limo arrived at the front of the hotel which was to be our form of transportation for the day. I sat with the girls on one side of the car, while Josef and Jacob sat together on the opposite side. Jacob immediately popped a bottle of champagne, filled five glasses and passed one to each of us.

  “Is Artie really working?” I asked as I took small sips of champagne.

  Josef smirked at me and nodded once, “Yes.”

  I shook my head, pretending to be upset with him. “That's not very nice, Mr. Constane. He should be given time off while we're here. You can make that happen. You're the boss.”

  He pretended to consider what I said but then shook his head, “I needed to punish him. He's been annoying lately.” He eyed me intently. I knew what he was talking about. He was punishing Artie for interrupting us yesterday on the plane. I get why but I still felt it was a little unfair, especially since we were in Hawaii.

  “You like to give out punishments don't you?” I said. Then I felt Ivy nudge my arm with her elbow. I turned to her and she gave me another one of her stern looks.

  Josef was staring at the two of us. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

  “Have you ever been to Japan, Mr. Constane?” asked Ivy out of nowhere.

  I looked at her in disbelief. Where was she going with this? I immediately shifted uncomfortably in my seat.

  Josef and Jacob both looked surprised at her random question.

  Jacob looked at her as if he had noticed her for the first time. He leaned in and gave her a wink, “Yes, for business. Why? What's in Japan, Ivy?”

  Ivy
picked up a strawberry from a glass bowl behind her. “Have you ever been to one of those Lolita clubs?”

  I was shocked at her bluntness but I couldn't help but feel curious as to what they were going to say, especially Josef.

  Jacob sat back quickly and looked taken a back, “What?”

  Josef looked bewildered too.

  Ivy went on casually and bit into her strawberry before continuing, “You know, one of those clubs where girls walk around in school-girl clothing and stuff. It's supposed to be super high-class. You have to be wealthy to get in.”

  Jacob let out a laugh, “Oh, yeah. I've been there once. Really interesting stuff.” He looked over at Josef and punched his arm playfully. Josef smirked slightly.

  “Stop the car!” I needed to get out. Before the limo came completely to a stop, I was already undoing my seat belt.

  Josef looked alarmed and concerned, “are you okay?”

  He had his hands out to touch me. “Please don't touch me!” I yelled. The limo stopped and I quickly went over Janel to get out the door. We had stopped in the middle of nowhere. I only saw green. Land and trees. There was nowhere for me to run to. I started pacing up and down one side of the street. Josef came out with Janel and Ivy right behind him.

  Josef looked really concerned, “What's going on?”

  Ivy came to me and put her hands on my arms. She whispered, “It didn't mean anything. We just needed to know.”

  I shook my head. I couldn't do this. I can't be around someone who sees me as an object of fascination. He wanted to spend private time with me and who knows what he would want next. I needed the money but not like this. I turned to look at Josef and my voice shook, “I'm sorry but I can't do this anymore. I would like to go home.”

  Josef looked surprised but there was something else in his eyes. Their was sadness in them. He quickly came to me and whispered, “Take a walk with me. Please.”

  I looked at Ivy who gestured for me to go. She gave me a quick smile before she left to go back to the car. I turned and walked fast. I didn't want to talk to him near the others. We had walked quite a bit and then I turned to look at him with my hands placed on my hips. My eyes stung from the tears that had started to form. He stopped when I stopped. He was a few feet away from me which was good because I felt like slapping him.