Page 22 of Peasants and Kings
I finally lifted the glass of scotch to my nose and inhaled. Peat and citrus teased my senses. I took a sip and held it on my tongue a moment before swallowing.
Genevieve’s eyes studied me, but she didn’t ask what I thought. “I’m about to tell you things that can never be discussed with anyone, ever. Before we proceed, you need to understand that what you’re about to get involved in won’t be supported by attorneys or NDAs. We have…othermeansof dealing with people who violate our trust. Are you with me?”
I nodded.
“Good. The one rule we have is utter secrecy. You’ll learn the ropes as time goes on, but secrecy begins immediately. You can discuss any and all things pertaining to The Fifteenth Floor with me and anyone I approve of, and no one else. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“Excellent, Sterling,” she said. “Now we can finally get down to business. There are three types of keys. Rose gold, yellow gold, and platinum. Rose gold is the lowest tier. The platinum key is the highest tier. Each key represents something different. Rose gold means a man will have the pleasure of your body, but anal is off limits and you don’t swallow. Yellow gold: He gets your body as he wants…nothing is off limits. Platinum: You behave like the yellow gold level, but you’re also available for threesomes or multiples.” Her grin was wry. “Have I shocked you?”
“A little,” I admitted with a nervous laugh. “I suppose I’ll have to get over it though, right?”
“When we speak, I’ll be forthright and honest. When you’re with a man, it’s all about seduction, but right now you have to know the rules. If we can’t get past discussing sexual acts, then you won’t be able to go through with this.”
I all but gulped the scotch in front of me, waiting for Gen to continue.
“All girls start at the rose gold level. You will too. Some girls wish to remain at the rose gold level for their entire career. That is entirely up to them. They don’t earn nearly as much, but the choice is always theirs. So is the choice to leave, at any time after their first year is complete. Let’s be clear, if you accept the terms of working here, you must work The Fifteenth Floor for one yearminimum.”
“And if I decide I’m not cut out for this? And want to leave before the year mark?”
“What The Rex giveth, The Rex can taketh away. You don’t want to find out what happens when you cross us.”
It wasn’t a full-on threat, but it was enough.
“I won’t screw over your hotel. I’m one person against an empire. I know you could bury me.”
“Let’s operate on good will then, okay?” she said with a small smile of understanding.
“Okay.”
She took a sip of her own scotch before setting it down. “Do you want to know about the earning tiers? I figure it’s not overly crass discussing money, considering we’re talking about men buying certain holes of yours for the night.”
I choked on the last of my drink and coughed. Tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes and I gasped air.
Genevieve let out a chuckle. “You’re going to have to get over that prudish instinct.”
“What exactly says prude about me? Because I literally choked on the word ‘holes’?”
Genevieve’s humor could no longer be contained, and her chuckle gave way to a full-on belly laugh. “Fair enough. Rose gold earns two thousand a night. Yellow gold is five thousand. Platinum, seventy-five hundred. Of course, we take our cut, and you get what’s left over. It’s plenty. Just ask Tiffany.”
My head spun at the numbers she’d thrown out.
“Rex girls aren’t just grouped by keys. They’re also divided by tiers. There are two of them,” she said, speeding right along. “Tiffany is in the regular tier. She keeps her birth name, her normal life, and when people she knows in the outside world ask where she works, she tells them she works at The Rex, just like she told you. Everyone knows The Rex is high-end. When she’s with clients, Tiffany has a persona and they don’t know who she really is. They don’t get personal. They may be powerful, but they also know our ground rules and no one, at any level, gets to violate them. The regular tier girls’ persona is just a reference for the next time a client of theirs calls. Regular girls have clients that are wealthy, but that’s about it. The men have enough money to play the game, but they aren’t the movers and the shakers.”
She paused and looked at me. “Still with me? Do you need more scotch?”
“I’m good.”
Nodding, she continued. “Then there’s the Elite tier. The girls that go that route give up their real name, their identity, everything, because they’re with men who can’t be seen doing what they’re doing or ever be connected with that part of society under any circumstance. We protect all of our clients, but for these men we also take care of travel and security. They don’t just walk into The Rex. They show up in private cars to events and use service entrances in the night. These are politicians, judges, powerful men who shape the world. Those are the men the Elite girls entertain. You will become an Elite girl.” Gen touched the corner of her coaster. “Do you have questions?”
“Yes.”
“Ask them.”
“All right.” I took a deep breath. “How does this work, exactly? How do I meet clients?”
“We don’t have a dedicated room where men come to meet our Elite girls. We hold events. Some of the events will take place at The Rex, where we are the hosts. Some will be at other locations. Mansions, private estates, nightclubs, even ski resorts. Those sorts of places. We are their guests at such events. Sometimes we fly girls out to private locations, with security of course. Dubai, Paris, London.”
