4. Elena
Ishould have stayed at the laundromat. Then I would never have walked into the catastrophe awaiting me at home. And I’m not talking about walking in and Mama suffocating on her own vomit.
Nope, it was worse.
Mama decided today was the day she was going to raid my room and steal my money stash. Why didn’t I put it in the bank? I should’ve had better common sense than to think money kept in a home with a drunk would be safe when she decided to go on a bender.
She tore my room apart, nothing surviving her savage wrath. I’d beg her to return the money, but she isn’t here and I don’t have a clue where she”s at. I find myself on the floor amid the chaos, overwhelmed and a sobbing wreck, as realization smacks me in the face: I won’t be able to earn enough money in time to keep a roof over our heads and the power on.
There’s no one to blame but myself. I fucked up, trusting she wouldn’t touch it. She hasn’t up to this point.
I need to snap out of it and call the landlord and see if I can get another extension on top of the one he already gave me. Lord willing, he’ll be understanding. Then I’ll call the electric company. Once all of that is done, I can clean up the mess and pray that Mama has some of the money left when she decides to come crawling home.
Standing up, I take a deep breath, pulling my phone from my pocket as I sit on the edge of my bed. My heart starts racing a mile a minute as sweat beads on my forehead.
I take a deep breath as I dial the landlord.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three rings.
I’m beginning to think it’s going to go to his voicemail and feel slightly relieved. He’ll get the voicemail and hopefully take into account how long we’ve been living here and how I bust my ass to make the payment every month.
“Hello,” his gruff voice comes across the line, and a pit forms in my stomach.
“Yes, Mr. Grundelson, this is Elena Hastings,” my voice trembles.
“How can I help you, Elena? Do you have the rent? Need me to come and pick it up?” he asks with delight.
“Umm, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” I ramble nervously. “I had most of it, but something happened and now I don’t. Could I please get another extension?”
I cross my fingers, praying like hell he has a generous heart tonight.
“This is becoming a problem, Elena. I gave you an extension for what you were short last month and you’re already late for this month. Now you’re telling me you still don’t have it?”
“Yes, sir.” My breath hitches and I stifle a sob. I will not cry or show him how weak I am. This is all Mama’s fault. She knew that money was for bills. How could she take it?
“If I continue to give you extensions, all my tenants will demand one. That’s not how I can run a business.” His voice is firm, not a hint of caring present.
“I understand. I’ll find a way to make sure I get it to you per our previous arrangement.”
The line is quiet. He doesn’t respond and I don’t know what else to say. Do I hang up? Ask again, hoping that some compassion has seeped into his soul?
“There is another option, Elena,” he states, but his tone sounds sinister, more skeevy.
“Anything, Mr. Grundelson. Thank you for being so understanding. What is it?”
“Meet me at my house tomorrow night. Wear something sexy.”
Wait. Did I hear him wrong?
“Excuse me? I don’t understand.” What kind of arrangement is this?
“Come on, Elena, surely you’re not that dumb? You want an extension and I want to fuck a sexy little thing like you. I’ve had my eye on you since you started developing, and I want that pussy of yours before you get too old for my liking.”
My eyes go wide and my jaw drops. Surely he’s not saying what I think he is.
“Well? I don’t have all day.”
He wants to have sex with me? “And if I do this, I won’t have to pay rent?”
He laughs loudly, like I’ve just said the dumbest thing. It’s so deafening, I have to pull the phone away from my ear. “No, I’ll just give you an additional week to pay. Business is business, Elena. I can only be so lenient. So what’s it going to be?”
My whole body shakes. He wants to sleep with me, but it’s something I’ve never done before. Hell, I’ve never even dated anyone. Not really, anyway. I’m twenty, a virgin, and my last boyfriend was in the sixth grade. He was the hold hands while we were at school type of boyfriend.
“Time’s ticking, Elena. Are we on for tomorrow night, or should I go ahead and draw up those eviction papers?”
“I... I… I’ll have the rent as planned by the end of next weekend,” I tell him before immediately hanging up.
Why did I say that? Because I’m a chickenshit, that’s why. There’s no way I’m going to have the money by then. I wouldn’t even with the additional week extension. I’d have to work from open to close and find a second job, never sleep or eat. Then, if I’m lucky, I might have the majority of it, but not the full amount.
I’m so frustrated that I don”t even want to call the power company. They also already extended the due date, and god only knows what they would want for a few days longer to pay the past due balance.
The edge of the business card Edward gave me last night catches my attention on the floor and I bend over to pick it up. It’s just a website, but his words ring out in my head. A job. Well, rather, a way to make my life easier. I could go for that right now and I don’t actually have any other options at the moment.
I stare at the beautiful card, the words Club Lust standing out. So many things run through my mind, but I shake them off, pull up my email, and start typing.
Hi, Edward.
My name is Elena, you gave me your business card at the diner yesterday. I’m not sure if you remember me, but I would like to know more about the job opportunity you were speaking of. You can email me or call me at 555-467-2954.
Elena Hastings
Hitting send, I set the phone beside me and stand. My room is a disaster and I need to clean it up while I try to come up with a game plan to take care of this predicament Mama has put us in. As if I didn’t work hard enough as it is, now I’m going to have to work harder.
Picking up the articles of clothing, I fold them and place them back in the dresser, hanging up items that need to be. Once all the clothes are put away, I put the bed back together. Guess she really thought I’d hide money in my mattress. All she had to do was sit on it to know there was none. The mattress is far beyond the time frame for a replacement. It might be why I have such terrible back pain at twenty. You’d think I was a seventy-year-old woman.
I’ve almost forgotten about the email when my phone dings with a notification. Picking it up, I click on it and open it up. It’s a response from Edward.
Elena,
I am so glad you responded. It’s not often I scout new people, but there was something about you that kept drawing me back. And I must say, I’ve overheard some of your conversations with your coworkers and calls you’ve made in regards to bills owed.
Something about you called out to me, call it the fatherly instinct in me, but I want to offer a chance to help alleviate some of the strain from your financial difficulties. I see potential in you and I’d like to aid you.
I run an auction. A very specific type of auction. All participants are there willingly, and in exchange, they are rewarded with a hefty monetary payment.
You would be auctioning off yourself for the weekend to vetted purchasers. Your safety would be in our hands and no harm would come to you. At the end of the weekend, you would be compensated with $500,000.00.
If this is something you are interested in, we would love to have you as part of the A Night to Remember Auction. Please see the attached NDA. Upon receipt, I will set up an STD test and you will have an interview with me personally.
This is all formalities.
I hope to hear back from you.
Edward
I read it over, still unable to believe what I’m reading. That’s twice today I’ve been offered something for sex, yet his offer will get us out of debt and I can get Mama the help she needs.
Can I have sex with some random man? Will he even want to be with a virgin?
There are so many things to think about, but the thought of being put out onto the streets with nowhere to go is at the forefront of my mind.
I poise my fingers over the screen, itching to reply, but the fear holds me back.
Sighing, I drop the phone on my bed and begin putting away the freshly washed clothes from my laundry basket. After a few minutes, my eyes drift over to my phone.
Fuck it! I can do this. I need to.
I race across the room and open the email back up, clicking on the attachment. It’s a document that opens in a program so I can sign it. Glancing over it quickly, I know that by placing my name on it, I’m agreeing not to tell anyone about the club or auction, how I got invited, or what happens there and during the weekend with anyone.
Why would I want to tell anyone that I sold my body for money? I’m basically becoming a well-paid prostitute.
I insert my signature and click back over to the email.
Edward,
I’ve signed the NDA. I look forward to meeting with you and discussing this more.
Elena
I almost added I was a virgin, but decided not to. I don’t want it to be a reason I could be declined. The money is too good to risk being turned down for holding on to my virtue.
Now I wait.