Page 17 of Proposition 1

Swallowing the disappointment, I noticed the woman was pointing to the stairs beside her, telling me to go down them. A man dressed in a grey suit stood at the foot of the steps looking up at me, his blank expression giving no hint to whether he was the man I belonged to for the night.

I studied him as I stepped down. His dark hair reached his square chin, and once again I was struck with the feeling of familiarity with a handsome man.

He gripped my elbow when I was within his reach, steadying me as I took the last step to the floor. His eyes glanced over me before he turned and began walking through the room, not releasing his hold on my arm.

I could feel the eyes of the others on me, and I ducked my head to keep from seeing how many were tracking me. It reminded me of how the gazelle must feel right before the lion pounced in the nature documentaries I used to watch.

My skin tingled, tremors passing through my body as we wove between seats and people. I may have accepted what was going to happen, but that didn’t stop the nervousness. I didn’t know what to do, and a wave of gratitude for Madame washed over me. Having my arms bound behind me kept me from fidgeting, and I had a feeling that was exactly why she’d done it.

The man leading me stopped beside a chair, releasing my elbow and taking a seat. He reclined back, legs spread to each side of my thighs, and my already racing heart stumbled over itself. I was scared to look up and meet his gaze again, so I stood awkwardly by his leg until he finally spoke.

“Kneel.”

One word. That’s all I got, but it’s all I needed.

My legs folded, the carpet under my knees surprisingly soft. I kept my head bowed, hoping he wouldn’t be like a few of the others who I’d seen touching the girls in front of everyone. I may be able to accept that I had to let him touch me, but I didn’t want an audience.

I heard a lot of shuffling and movement around me as I settled, so I risked a peek to the side. Some of the men had risen and were making their way through a door in the sidewall that I hadn’t noticed the last time I was in the room.

The man who bought me still reclined in the chair, and so did a few others who were having conversations or were distracted by the women they purchased. A few of the ones leaving stopped to speak with my mystery bidder, but besides a few disinterested responses, he remained silent.

I don’t know how long I knelt on the floor, head bowed. The stream of people leaving slowed until I glanced around and realized we were the last ones left in the room. I’d gotten some of my nerves under control, but finding myself alone with the man who hadn’t said more than one word to me had my stomach clenching again.

A stolen peek showed he had his phone in hand, not paying any attention to me. I wasn’t sure if he was ignoring me for a reason, or if he just wasn’t ready to collect on his purchase yet. He technically had me until ten in the morning, and with how late it already was, I’d expected him to rush to wherever he was going to take me. I was sure that’s why the others who purchased women left.

I let out a soft sigh, adjusting my position on the floor. My knees were beginning to ache, and my shoulders were protesting the prolonged immobility. I was beginning to wonder if he’d forgotten about me when I heard footsteps approaching from behind.

“You can go now.”

My head snapped up at the deep voice, spine stiffening as shivers crawled across my flesh. The man in front of me looked up.

“Took long enough. Don’t forget, you owe me for this.”

Strong hands wrapped around my upper arms, lifting me to my feet. My eyes were still locked on the man who took me from the stage as he turned and left through a different door than the others used. The heat of the palms on my skin burned as I waited to be turned around.

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