CHAPTER THIRTEEN #2
“The business of sex.” She pulled out a contract.
“I have to go over this with you. What are you into sexually? There are a lot of questions here,” she pushed the contract over to me so I could see, “that you have to answer. Then we’ll match you with someone compatible.
For instance, if you hate anal and there’s a guy who loves it, I’ll discourage him from bidding. Got it?”
I nodded, looking over the contract, surprised by how thorough it was. Finally, I checked a few boxes and pushed it back to her.
She stared at me. “Really?”
I nodded.
“Just about anything goes and you like to be dominated in bed? That’s it?”
I shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. “I’m up for just about anything,” I admitted.
“Damn. You really aren’t the nice girl everyone thinks you are.”
I started to protest, but she held up a hand, laughing. “I’m just kidding. Sexual kinks have nothing to do with how nice you are as a person. I know that. I’m just a little…. surprised.” She looked at me appraisingly. “So… even with women?”
I nodded, looking at my fingernails. “I mean, I’m not a lesbian and I don’t consider myself bi, but I don’t mind fucking around with a woman a little during a threesome.”
Carmen’s eyebrows shot up. I had obviously shocked her, and she didn’t get shocked easily. I felt my face turn red. “Can we change the subject?” I didn’t really want to talk to her about kinks.
“Sure.” She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder. “Just one more question, though. When you get married and settle down, because I think we both know you’re that type of person, are you going to be open to sharing your husband?”
A picture of Jack Lancaster and me in a threesome with a beautiful woman popped into my mind…
and I hated it. A wave of possessiveness and jealousy hit me hard, surprising the hell out of me.
“No,” I admitted. “I think once I commit like that I’ll settle down.
Experimenting has been fun and all, but I don’t think I’d want to do it forever.
” I realized I hadn’t ever wanted to participate in threesomes with Myers, either, even though we’d done it a couple of times.
“No, I think if I’m committed to someone, my tastes will change somewhat.
But during the time I’m with a sugar daddy? I’d be open to just about anything.”
“Oh my God, that makes things easier on me.” She saw the concerned look on my face.
“But don’t worry. I will not let some old, mean guy win you, okay?
I’m going to vet the final bidders for you thoroughly.
Believe me,” she continued, “I learned my lesson when Nadine almost ended up with Thaddeus Clammett.” She shuddered.
“I was so glad Nico kicked him out of the club.”
I was, too. None of us had liked him. And he’d spread rumors among the other members of Sugar about what he’d supposedly done with several of the women.
He had the entire club thinking Madeline was giving him head in the VIP room nightly when all she’d ever agreed to was to giving him a private dance. Not even a lap dance.
It had made us all angry, even though Madeline had tried to laugh it off. I could tell it had made her feel bad, like everyone thought she was horrible for getting paid to suck him off.
“So,” Carmen said, changing the subject, “let’s talk about how much money you hope to get out of this and what your plans are—like what you need from the auction.”
I nodded and wiped my palms on my shorts. I couldn’t believe this part of our conversation was making my hands sweat more than Enzo and the sex talk.
“I want all of my school loans paid off. I’m almost done with my degree. And I want to be able to help get my mom out of debt and save her flower shop. I also have five younger sisters.”
Carmen’s eyes widened.
“I know. It’s… kind of a lot. I want enough money to be able to help them out, too.”
Carmen nodded and thought quietly for a minute. “Okay. I think we’ll ask for a car, a condo here in West Bay for you to live in after you finish your degree…”
I shook my head. “As soon as I’m finished, I’m leaving.”
She frowned. “Personally, I hate that. I’ve really enjoyed having you around all these years. I’d be really sad to see you leave.”
“Really?” I was surprised. I liked Carmen, but I didn’t realize she felt the same about me.
“Of course. You’re great,” she said, simply. “But, if you really want to move, you can just put your condo up for sale and use the money to buy a house in your hometown. We’ll ask that your mom’s debts are paid off, and that your sisters each have a college fund.”
She ignored the fact that I was speechless, and my mouth had dropped open. “Are you serious? I don’t think we can ask for all of that…”
“Don’t worry about that,” she waved a hand in the air like it didn’t matter.
“If your performance goes over like I think it will, we won’t have a problem getting bidders.
” She looked at me thoughtfully. “Do you mind if I go to Crosston and just look things over? Check on your sisters, talk to your mom, those kinds of things?”
“I don’t know…”
“I won’t tell them what you’re doing, I promise.”
“What will you tell them?”
“Just let me handle that, okay? This isn’t my first rodeo.”
I nodded, but bit my lip.
She looked back over my form one more time and frowned.
“Shit. How did I miss this?” She pointed to the only other box I’d checked. “Is this set in stone for you?”
I nodded. I had checked off that I wanted the arrangement to be exclusive. I wouldn’t be cheating, which was one of the rules anyway, and I didn’t want him cheating, either. I didn’t want someone who was married, had a girlfriend, or who planned to fuck around on me while we were together.
“Daisy, that’s a deal breaker for over half of our members.” Her eyes were worried. “That takes out so many of the guys who would bid big money for you.”
I shrugged, even though I was nervous about it.
“I know what’s it like to be cheated on,” I said.
“I won’t do that to some other woman. It’s devastating.
And if I’m giving myself over to this man for months, I need to know that he’s not with other people.
I just can’t go through that again. I’m not built that way. ”
I knew some girls could look the other way, or say they could, but not me. I’d watched as my friend Nadine’s heart had gotten ripped apart when she’d thought Reynolds was cheating on her. I didn’t want to go through what she had.
And I never wanted to feel the way I’d felt after Myers made me feel like a fool, either.
Him carrying on with half my friends while he’d been with me?
And me being the last person to figure it out?
That had been soul crushing. And it had broken my self-esteem for a while.
And then Jack Lancaster with that woman at Bahia Del Sol…
I looked Carmen in the eyes. “It’s non-negotiable.”
She gave me a tight smile. “Okay, honey. I’ll see what I can do.”
I nodded. “Are we finished?”
“Yes,” she looked at the time. “Oh, Jesus. Go get ready. I didn’t realize how long I was keeping you.”
I smiled, thanked her, and walked out of her office. I hoped I wasn’t making a mistake. I would hate to do this whole auction thing only to not be bid on by anyone, or to get someone barely willing to pay off my student loans, much less put my sisters through college.
I winced. I hoped checking that box didn’t mean I’d end up the first of Carmen’s featured cinnamon girls to not get chosen at auction.