3 #3
Bridah barrels toward me, her full figure as luscious as ever and her ample cleavage generously displayed. Her blue hair is piled into a crown on top of her head.
“Good to see you, Bridah.” I hug her, but I don’t let myself relax into it. She’s a comfortable, kind person, but she’s a businesswoman before anything else. If she knew who Vawn was, she’d kick us out immediately to protect herself and her workers.
“Haven’t seen you in ages,” she says. “You taking care of yourself? Still not eating enough, I see.” She chucks my chin affectionately. “Who’s this tasty thing? Private client?”
“Performer, if you have any slots available,” I tell her. “I’ll vouch for him.”
Bridah looks the masked prince up and down, her brow arching at the state of his clothes. “Is he reasonably clean, or does he need to bathe first?”
“Clean.”
“Any experience?”
“No, but I’ll tell him everything he needs to know.”
Bridah puckers her lips and pulls opens Vawn’s shirt. He flinches slightly, but allows her to inspect his chest.
“Good body.” She nods. “He’ll do. These days the performers’ roster is usually full.
But you’re in luck—I had two star performers cancel tonight due to all the unrest, the rumors and such.
We still have plenty of clients though. The show goes on and people get off.
I was going to fill the spot with Coconut and Stallion.
Not the best option, because Stallion has this rash—” She shudders. “The spot is yours if you want it.”
“Wait—it’s a double showcase?”
“That’s right, sugar. Both of you, and you need to get saucy.” She points a long fingernail at me. Her index nails on both hands are always painted with the same glyphs—luck and allure. “I know you don’t like pairs work, but that’s all I got tonight.”
A double showcase pays triple what a single one does, plus a percentage of the tips. One session, and we’d have enough to make it to the Grey Province if we’re careful, especially since the magic carpet we stole offers fast, free transportation.
I’ve always declined working doubles, but… desperate times…
“No penetration, and only partial nudity,” I counter. “Same fee.”
“In that case, you’ll need to have a stronger hook.
” Bridah takes another look at Vawn, scanning him up and down.
“Our visitors want to watch their fantasies unfold before them. They want pleasure, and if they don’t come, they won’t come again, see?
If you prefer not to show the goods and do the act, you’ll have to give them something else.
Two things make these men cream their trousers—naked women and violence.
You got the stomach to play that way, boy?
Pretend to force her so these perverts leave happy? ”
The prince pitches his voice deeper than usual, a growl behind the mask. “I’ll do what I must.”
“See that you put your heart into it, eh? I’ll let the folks in the waiting area know that we’ve got a double non-con showcase coming up. No puss and dick, just titties. Keep it hot and make ’em spew, girlie. I want those tips.”
“Yes, Bridah.”
“Good girl. Go on down to seven. There’s costumes, props, whatever you need. You’re on in twenty minutes. Use the time to plan your skit.”
She sails away, and I head toward room seven.
“Skit?” whispers Vawn.
“She likes everyone to have a story, a theme, something to guide their performance. We don’t have to talk.
It’s more about props, body language, and the progression of the activities.
” I walk faster, trying to force back the heat blooming in my face.
“When I do peep shows, I’m fully nude and masked, in a box not much bigger than my own body.
People in the viewing room can see me through a patterned screen or a wooden lattice.
Sometimes, if I need extra money, I’ll get into one of the touch boxes.
Those have circular cutouts, and the viewers are allowed to touch me a few times during the performance.
I entertain a single person, a couple, or a whole group. ”
“A couple?”
“A lot of married couples come here to spice up their love life. They pay by the half hour to watch other people get naked.” I push open the door to room seven.
The familiar scent hits me—cloying perfume, acrid sweat, and the heavy musk of arousal.
I hesitate, my arm braced across the doorway, barring Vawn’s passage into the room. “You don’t have to do this.”
“We need the money.” He lifts his mask slightly. “And I get to see your tits. The choice is obvious.”
My cheeks burn. “Get inside.”
He saunters past me, surveying the rows of masks, feathered accessories, scarves, fans, and other props. “Flashy.” He touches a pair of gold-studded men’s underwear. “I like it.”
“I wouldn’t try that on. It looks crusty.”
Vawn snatches his hand back. “Do they clean these things?”
“If anything touches the performers’ privates, they clean it after the session. But that one seems to have been overlooked.” I point to the stain I spotted. “We should decide what our skit will be.”
“It’s just role-play. Don’t overthink it.” He takes off the pink mask and lays it aside. “Surely you’ve role-played with sexual partners before.”
I focus on removing my knife belt and unbuckling my pauldron.
“You’re not a virgin.” He says it like a question, like he’s uncertain.
“Of course not. I had trysts with other students at the Academy. Technically they weren’t allowed, so we had to be quick.”
“That’s tragic.” He sounds so sincere that I throw a glance his way. He looks truly perturbed by the idea that my only experiences have been quick fucks.
“Tragic?” I snort. “It was efficient.”
“A beautiful woman deserves more time and attention.”
“Like you gave to that girl at the Lyre & Vice?”
“That was a quick one, yes. But she and I have had much longer adventures together.”
Heat builds in my head, and a surge of bitter fire clogs my throat. “She’s special to you.”
He shrugs. “She’s sweet. Great body. We have fun.”
His noncommittal attitude soothes the heat in my soul. I unlace the side ties of my leather corset, which also serves as light armor when I’m on duty. “Get undressed.”
Vawn undoes the remaining buttons of his shirt, the ones Bridah didn’t already release.
“I have an idea for our skit. You’re the princess and I’m your knight.
” From the row of masks, he selects a helmet of cheap, thin metal, painted gold.
He tosses it lightly in one hand. “I’ve been guarding you for a long time, watching you flirt with every foreign prince who comes to visit, and I’ve finally lost my mind to desire.
I’m wild with lust, and I’m taking what I want. ”
I swallow nervously, confused by the thrill that runs through my belly at his words. “Princess and guard? A little on the nose, don’t you think?”
“That’s the fun of it. You get to be the royal, and I get to escape myself.” There’s a bite to his tone on the last words. A dark twist. He’s faking nonchalance a little too well—yet his heart must be cleaving itself into pieces, one for each murdered member of his family.
I’ve been staring at his chest, at the well-carved pecs no idle playboy prince should have.
His physique is the type that’s been honed, not by wielding weapons or training for battle, but by gentler forms of exercise like climbing, lifting, and running.
I can tell the difference between a body designed for combat, and one sculpted for beauty.
Still, I like that he has a regular routine to better himself, and that he doesn’t rely solely on magic for strength.
Forcing myself to look away, I pretend to inspect the selection of makeup on the dressing table.
“We can start out with a few pieces of clothing and shed them later, when it feels right. Wear the helmet and a couple of those necklaces. Keep your undershorts on. And don’t forget to apply the false nails.
You can remove them when our time is up. ”
“You’re so didactic about this,” he mutters. “Takes the fun out of it.”
Ignoring him, I strip down to the black panties and bustier I’m wearing, and I add a pair of mid-thigh stockings. A long blond wig, a fake coronet, and a bejeweled mask conceal my hair and my face.
Adding more costume jewelry and applying the black nail covers takes up the rest of our preparation time. Bridah raps twice and leans into the dressing room. “Count to thirty, then go.” She gives us both an approving nod. “Make it hot.”
“Always,” I reply.
After Bridah closes the door, Vawn murmurs through his helmet, “She seems confident that you can be sexy.”
“Of course I can. Did you miss the part where I’ve done this before?”
He shrugs. “Most of the men I know will spurt to the mere sight of a fine pair of tits. How much talent does it take to sway naked in a box?”
“Fuck you.”
The prince advances toward the showcase door, standing shoulder to shoulder with me.
“I’m not sure you can commit to this scene, sweetheart.
You’re a well-toned weapon with a beautiful face and no idea how to be vulnerable.
Can you be the weak one, the sweet soft thing who gets cruelly destroyed?
Can you release your armor long enough to play this game?
Are you strong enough to let me overpower you? ”
Another tap on the dressing room door alerts me to the fact that our time is up. We have to step into the showcase, and we must do it in character.
But Prince Vawn Molloi just made me madder than I’ve ever been.