Chapter 7
7
Kristie
I t’s been two years since I saw Nick at the wedding, and my life’s changed so much that it’s almost unbelievable.
Yet one thing has turned out unexpectedly sweet, and that’s my son.
I chuck Riley under his chin, my heart filling with love as he burbles at me with his chubby cheeks and toothless smile.
Maybe I lost Nick ..
. but the handsome physician gave me his son in his place.
“Okay sweetheart,” I murmur.
“Enjoy dinner, okay? Mommy’s going out now. Is that okay? You have Amy to take care of you.”
My son babbles happily, waving his arms in the air before his babysitter comes to sweep him up in her arms.
“He’s fine,” Amy reassures me as the baby squirms a bit.
“We’re going to have a good time together, right Riles? Are you ready for a bubble bath? But finish your peas first.”
“Ba!” my son squeals delightedly in return.
“Peas!”
I smile because Riley is the light of my life, and an unexpected boon after my encounter with Nick.
Despite my belief that I wasn’t in my fertile period, I was wrong.
I suppose a pregnancy is always a possibility, seeing that Nick’s a virile alpha male, while I’m a fertile young woman in her early 20’s.
Yes, we conceived a child at my sister’s wedding, and my heart squeezed hard as I looked at the home pregnancy test. By then, I was already back in Vegas and sequestered in my apartment.
“Oh my god,” I breathed.
“Holy smokes.”
Should I tell the father?
Should I inform Nick that I was expecting his child?
After all, there’s no way I’d terminate, or put up the baby for adoption.
This child was created from the passion we experienced together, and I was carrying him or her to term, full stop.
But memories of our last time together also filled my mind: Nick’s aghast expression.
The terror on his face, and the fact that he practically ran out of the room in a rush to get me Plan B.
Of course, he never returned with said Plan B, but it’s because Nick saw me kissing Steve afterwards.
I get it. My lover thinks I’m a super-slut who would sleep with a father and son simultaneously.
He was disgusted by my actions, and tossed me away like yesterday’s garbage.
Except I got much more than what I deserved because Riley is a miracle.
The tot looks just like his father with the same dark hair and sparkling blue eyes.
He even has Nick’s dimple in his cheek, and the same mischievous expression when he wants something that’s just out of reach.
My heart swoops and soars every time I lay eyes on my son because he’s a daily reminder of the man I adored, even if Nick has no idea that he even has a child.
The physician was so dead set against pregnancy that I felt I had to have his baby in secret.
That, and of course, the fact that Nick hates me.
But the pregnancy has completely changed my life.
My waistline thickened, and my face swelled.
My appetite was through the roof, and even my doctor questioned the amount of weight I was putting on.
But everything was fine.
Sure, I gained eighty pounds during my pregnancy, but Riley is happy and healthy, and that’s all a mother can ask for.
The problem is that my career hit the skids because of my changing figure, and never recovered.
At first, there were a few jobs for feminine products and maternity clothing, but even those dropped off after a while, and I was effectively unemployed.
But it was okay because I had plenty saved.
I’ve never been a big spender, and the rent on my apartment was relatively cheap.
Besides, I was pregnant and didn’t want to stress out about money.
I maintained my lifestyle, drawing down from my bank account, and put thoughts of budgeting out of my mind.
That would be dealt with later.
Except my baby’s now one, and I can’t ignore the fact that I’m almost out of funds.
It’s sad, really. I’ve lost some of the weight from the pregnancy, and yet the jobs never came back.
My agent told me times have changed, even within a short two years, and that my “look” isn’t what designers are asking for anymore.
Yes, they still want plus-sized curvy girls, but right now they’re aiming for someone more exotic, whatever that means.
The only thing I can do is sit and wait for the cycle to turn again, although when it might happen is unclear.
But I have to do something to make money, and as a result, I’m headed to an auction tonight.
But this isn’t an auction of jewelry, fine art, or valuable furnishings.
Instead, it’s an auction of girls.
Yes, I’m the one who’s going to be auctioned, and my cheeks flame as I put on my jacket.
I’m offering my body for sale because I have no choice.
My baby needs food to eat and a roof over his head, and I’ll do anything to provide for him.
“Bye!” I say in a fake cheery voice before blowing a kiss at Riley.
“Mommy loves you!”
The baby waves and babbles some more as Amy smiles.
“We’ll be fine!” she calls.
“You go and enjoy yourself!”
Of course, my innocent babysitter believes that I’m headed out for a date, given my sexy mini-dress and high heels.
She probably thinks I’m going to meet a handsome man for cocktails, before heading to a restaurant to enjoy flirtatious banter and delicious food.
What she doesn’t realize is that I’m not meeting one handsome man – I’ll be meeting a roomful of them.
But this is my life now, and I have to provide for my son.
I take an Uber to the Dreamland Hotel, and pause for a moment because the building is relatively unassuming.
It’s one of the older places in downtown that’s seen better days, with a straggle of patrons making their way in and out.
I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s an all-you-can-eat buffet inside, along with a lot of mylar balloons floating around as décor.
It’s definitely not what I expected for a billionaire auction, but maybe that’s the point.
“Over to the back,” I murmur, pointing to the right.
“Yes, they said there’d be a black door.”
“Sure,” the Uber driver shrugs.
“No problem.”
The vehicle pulls to a halt, and then the car door opens as a nondescript man in a suit nods at me.
“Miss Linwood?” he asks in a neutral voice.
I swallow hard.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Welcome,” he says while escorting me to the black door.
“Club Duality is expecting you.”
The massive slab swings open, and I step into a small room.
It’s dark inside, and I blink at first, trying to let my eyes adjust.
“Welcome, Miss Linwood,” a well-modulated female voice greets.
I turn and see a woman in a suit, with an iPad in hand.
“I’m Amanda,” she says.
“I’ll be helping you prepare for the auction.”
“Oh, I’m ready,” I say quickly.
“I’ve already signed the non-disclosure and confidentiality waivers. I submitted my medical reports too.”
Amanda’s laugh tinkles in the air.
“Perfect,” she hums. “But there’s more. We want you to look ravishing, not that you aren’t already,” she adds in a quick tone.
“But we have professional hair and make-up artists on staff, and they’re here to transform you into a vision. Although of course, you already are,” she states again.
I smile warmly.
“Thanks,” I say.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had my hair and make-up done. It’ll be nice to turn myself over to professionals.”
Then, I’m whisked to a lavish beauty salon within the building.
Where am I? I thought I was at a middling hotel in downtown Vegas, but it seems that there’s an entire secret world hidden behind the unglamorous facade because the spa we enter is top- tier and exclusive, with a hushed luxury that only piles of money can buy.
“Welcome,” a chirpy attendant in a white uniform greets.
“We’re here to get you ready, Miss Linwood. Can I offer you some tea? Or some fresh fruit?”
My stomach growls a bit, and I nod.
“Sure, or maybe a granola bar, if you have it?”
She nods with excitement.
“Oh yes. We can order anything from the hotel menu that you like. An entire sirloin steak, if you want!”
I laugh softly.
“No, I don’t think I’ll fit into this dress if I eat steak,” is my wry reply.
“Just a granola bar is fine, thanks.”
“I’ll order both,” the attendant laughs.
“And some green tea and a few desserts, just in case you change your mind.”
Then, the pampering begins and I’m cosseted to within an inch of my life.
Not only is my hair cut and styled, but every part of me is depilated, including my most intimate bits.
I gasped when they began heating the gooey wax.
“That’s for my eyebrows, right?”
The spa attendant hummed.
“Yes, but also for down there,” she said meaningfully, eyeing my pelvic area.
“It’s fine,” she assured me.
“It won’t hurt that much, and we do it for all the girls.”
My jaw snapped shut because of course, I’m not special.
I’m not the only woman who’s ever been sold in these environs.
I’m only the latest in a parade of women to be auctioned to a rich man willing to pay the price for a night of no-strings sex.
In fact, the word “sex” makes my spine stiffen because that’s all it’s going to be.
Sure, I’ll be expected to be coy, flirtatious, and playful, but it’s just something physical in the end because that’s the whole point.
These men don’t want an entanglement.
They just want access to my curves, in exchange for a boatload of money.
I grit my teeth, suddenly sober.
I’d felt a bit like Cinderella being pampered for a palace ball, but reality’s come crashing down with a solid thunk.
I’m a whore, and there are no two ways about it.
They’ve decked me out in a slinky gown that shows more than it conceals, the fabric so filmy it’s almost transparent.
My hair falls in loose curls over my shoulders, and glittery, crystal platform heels adorn my feet.
Yes, they’re stripper shoes .
.. because I’m here to be sold like a hooker on the street.
What’s become of you, Kristie?
the voice in my head cries.
Why are you demeaning yourself like this?
But I clamp down my doubts while gritting my teeth because this is for Riley.
I’ll do anything to put food on the table for my son, even if it means auctioning my body again and again to rich men who will use my curves indiscriminately.
My soul shrivels, and I gasp with sudden pain because I wish Nick were here.
I wish the powerful physician would swoop in to save me from this horrific fate.
Yet as I wait backstage, I know my dreams of a hero are nothing but that – an impossible dream.