Chapter 20
Paulina warnedme this would be the toughest part, and she was right. As the platform lowers onto the stage and I feel all eyes on me, I think I’m going to be sick. The one saving grace is that I can”t see any of the audience members because of the bright spotlight on me. Yet even without seeing them, I sense their presence—leering, judging, assessing.
The moment the platform touches down, Paulina steps forward and takes my hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen, here is our flower. A spring bloom, ripe and willing for the right man ... at the right price,” she adds with a naughty tone.
A sour sensation fills my stomach, but she holds eye contact. Her words say one thing, but her eyes say, Don’t focus on what’s happening out there. Just look at me. For that, I’m grateful.
She leads me across the stage to the right side of the platform, presenting me to the onlookers with a flourish that reminds me of those old car commercials where the presenter grandly reveals the new model. I’m the car in this scenario, and the audience eats it up.
I”m only half aware of a man—an auctioneer—taking his place at the podium. ”Gentlemen, as previously stated, bidding for the chance to take the virginity of this beautiful woman in front of you starts at fifty thousand dollars. Kindly raise your hand to confirm your bid. Bidding opens now. Do I have fifty thousand? Excellent. Almost everyone in the room. Fantastic. Fifty-five; can I get fifty-five thousand dollars? Indeed, I can. Such enthusiasm.”
God, this is humiliating. Although, not as humiliating as what comes next.
“Lose the dress. We deserve to see the ass we’re bidding on,” someone shouts from the crowd, sparking a wave of laughter that churns my stomach.
Paulina warned me of this. That they’d want to see me strip, and I’d have to decide how much I wanted to bare.
The room reeks of cologne and whisky, amplifying my nausea, but… In for a penny, in for a pound.
I give Paulina a slight nod to indicate that she can help me take off my dress.
She moves behind me. Her hands are warm on my skin as she unfastens the hook of my dress at the top of the zipper. ”You”re doing great,” she whispers, giving me a slight squeeze, before she slowly peels the fabric away, revealing the soft lace lingerie hugging my frame.
The dress slips down to the floor, and I step out of it with a mixture of reluctance and resolve.
The crowd breaks into applause, their eyes drinking me in as the barely there lace of my lingerie becomes visible, clinging to my curves, and accentuating every line of my body.
I must be frozen in place because Paulina gently touches my arm, steadying me. “You’re doing great,” she assures me in a quiet, calm voice.
Her encouragement helps me lift my chin with newfound boldness.
She leads me to the other side of the room, where I do a little spin despite my nerves, showing off my body to a roomful of strangers. There are more catcalls and jeers, but I block them out. This may be humiliating, but a lifetime with Anatoly is far worse.
“Show us your tits. I want to see the shade your nipples will turn when I suck on them,” a voice calls from the crowd.
I stiffen, hating the crude requests. Hating that they only see me as an object to be bought and sold, but what did I expect?
Paulina’s hand runs over my back, landing on the clasp of my bra. She lifts her eyebrows in question. “I want you to earn top dollar,” she murmurs.
Now is the time to decide how far I’m willing to go.
With my heart in my throat, I give a little nod, and she undoes the hook of my bra, letting the white lace slowly slide down my shoulders. For one long moment, I hold the fabric against my breasts, finding it hard to let go. Gathering my courage, I let the bra fall, revealing myself completely. I feel exposed and vulnerable as the crowd roars its approval. Despite being completely out of my depth, I know I have to give them what they want—a little show.
Shame coats my skin, but I push it down deep within.
Taking a deep breath, I manage a seductive little spin and run my hands over my bare stomach. As my nipples stiffen in the crisp air, the yelling intensifies along with lewd remarks. The crowd”s excitement drives the bids higher, reaching numbers beyond my wildest dreams.
Sixty thousand dollars.
Seventy thousand dollars.
Even more.
Two men compete, driving the price up over one hundred thousand dollars.
For this price, what will they expect from me? A sinking feeling drags in my belly like an anchor. Will the highest bidder respect my limits?
Before I can dwell on it, Paulina leads me to the front of the stage. “Turn around and touch your toes,” she whispers. “You’ve gone this far; you might as well see it through.”
I know she”s right, but it”s still so humiliating. My face burns with heat as I turn away from the audience and, with my back arched, slowly dip down to touch the floor. Holding in place, wearing only lace underwear and stilettos, I’ve never felt so exposed.
The crowd responds, and the bets go up over one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. A little spark of excitement takes hold. This wasn’t for nothing. I”ve already made more than I hoped to.
“Show us your pussy already. We don’t have all night ... unless we buy you.” A voice from the audience. I don’t like how he sounds—aggressive and hungry, like I owe him something. Like he already owns me.
The auctioneer pauses the bidding, giving me a chance to decide. I freeze like a deer in headlights, caught between wanting to get this over with and make the most amount of money, and holding on to a thread of self-respect.
This time, when Paulina looks at me for confirmation, I shake my head. I won’t be bullied into getting naked in front of an audience.
But the crowd doesn’t care. It’s not just one voice anymore; now, it’s a chorus demanding that I take it all off, that I show them my pussy. That I touch myself and give them a little show.
The crowd grows wilder, more menacing. On instinct, I wrap my arms around my waist as my panic grows. Even Paulina seems unnerved by the crowd’s fervor.
Feeling entirely out of my depth, I realize there”s nothing to do but get through the auction and hope like hell that whoever wins me has a shred of decency. Because I’m in way over my head.