Chapter 6 : Incoming Call

Rashid

"You think she'll answer?"

Leaning away from the desktop, I rested my hand on my hip as I stared at the message I'd sent at the bottom of the chat log. A slow breath escaped my lips as I realized what the next steps were going to be in this process.

When Zayed had finally placed the bid on Lyla's auction, not more than a few minutes after the account showed pending and her notification that she was online became active.

For some reason, it'd made me insatiably curious.

"I doubt she'll answer before the auction is over, Zayed."

He swiveled in the chair to give me a look. One I was unfortunately familiar with. "Who else is going to outbid us? They'd have to put down at least a million."

I raised a brow at him. "Us? I distinctly remember you inputting my card information. As well as you found this listing for me."

He answered me with a lazy grin, shrugging. "I'm invested now, sue me."

If Zayed really wanted to focus all of his energy on seeing this entire transaction through, then he was free to do so. Who was I to stop him, anyway? He'd done more than enough finding Lyla in the first place.

"Oh! She answered!" he exclaimed, drawing me out of my thoughts and back to the present.

I pushed his chair out of the way before he could read the screen properly. At the bottom of the chat history was her reply.

Me:

>Hello, Lyla. It's nice to meet you. I wanted to say hello before the auction ended.

Lyla:

>Why?

I blinked at the screen. That was it? Just… 'Why'?

I stood from the desktop, trying not to be offended. Were Americans typically rude in their responses to people online? Or was it because of the stand-offish nature that made them seem so?

Dealing with the embassy, we had Americans fly over from time to time. Their loud and boisterous nature lent them a reputation in the UAE as more akin to badly trained puppies.

I quickly typed out a response.

Me:

>Since the bidding will end soon, I figured I'd introduce myself to you.

Her reply was almost immediate.

Lyla:

>There could be other bids. How do you know you'll be the only one?

I slowly smirked.

Was she trying to squeeze more money out of me? I could respect the hustle and dedication to whatever means she intended to use my money for. Whatever it ended up being in the end. Because now I was definitely going to make sure I won, even if it was out of spite.

Me:

>There could be. But I intend to be the winner.

My fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to type back a reply as soon as hers came. The cursor blinked slowly on the line in time with my heartbeat, making the tingling in my chest grow the longer I stared at the chat log.

Why wasn't she replying?

As if reading my thoughts, Zayed said, "Maybe she's upset you told her you'd win."

I frowned, clenching my fingers back together into fists. "Why would she be? I'm offering her more than half a million dollars."

"Maybe she wants more?" he offered with a shrug.

I slowly turned to give him a look. "What will an American do with more than seven hundred thousand dollars?"

Zayed shrugged again. "Don't they have poor healthcare? Or maybe she wants to buy a new house. I mean, I heard the places in New York are very expensive and in shit condition. Can't blame a woman for wanting more money to better herself than living in rat-infested buildings."

That was an… interesting point.

Looking back toward the screen, my last message was left unanswered. I wouldn't be surprised if she were in some kind of desperate situation like medical debt or similar that was leading her to sell something as intimate as her virginity online to a stranger.

No one, except those in the more risque community, would even consider doing something like this in the first place. Usually, when people were strapped with a debt of any kind, their first instincts were to sell blood or work multiple jobs.

Not sell their virginity.

I clicked out of our private messages and headed back to her profile. Scrolling through her photos, Lyla seemed so… innocent. Definitely not the type to sell her body online unless she really was a kinky person who got off on that sort of thing.

I wonder…

I click back on our messages and type out a new one.

Me:

>Tell me why you're selling, and I'll send you more money.

Zayed let out a snort at my message. "I doubt she'll answer that."

She surprised us both when her reply came back instantly.

Lyla:

>Are you serious?

Me:

>Yes.

I hovered my hands over the keyboard once more. My excitement only grew when I saw her 'typing…' prompt pop up. It comes and goes a few times. Clearly, she was deciding whether or not to be truthful with me.

However, when her reply came in I couldn't help but chuckle.

Lyla:

>Because I want to.

Taking a slow breath, not wanting Zayed to know just how much her answer aroused me, I attempted to collect myself. The heat in my belly uncurled slowly, much like when I have a sub on her knees, and she begs me for mercy. The deep need to sink my hands into Lyla's soft skin and feel how she twitches while coming is enough to make me feel dizzy.

Yet, no matter the feelings running through me I knew I needed to reply. My fingers were numb as they drifted across the keyboard.

Me:

>Tell me what it would take to win you.

Lyla:

>How much do you have?

I couldn't help it. I laughed.

How bold. If only she knew who she was talking to on the other end of her screen. My pockets were endless, and the limit on my card was unfathomable. I could make all of her dreams come true if she asked it of me—so long as I got what I wanted in the end.

Me:

>Why don't you call me, and we can discuss things further?

***

Lyla

Shit… shit shit shit.

I stared at my screen in abject horror.

Call them? This person wanted me to call them to… what, discuss more money?

Oh, God.

I slowly closed the laptop as I sunk into the couch cushion.

My friends were still in the kitchen chatting softly; the smell of something cooking slowly bled out into the living room where I was. I had a feeling they were trying to avoid me without outrightly doing so. I'm sure this entire situation had made them all wildly uncomfortable, just like it'd made me, even though we'd kind of all gotten involved together.

Who wanted to hang around their friend who had sold her virginity? That was objectively weird.

So, while I didn't blame them for wanting to distance themselves, it still felt incredibly lonely.

And now I'd been stupid enough to answer the bidder's private message asking for more money.

I wanted to smack myself in the face at my sudden boldness.

I hadn't meant it to come across that way, even though that was exactly how it'd been taken. Honestly, I was simply trying to figure out if they were a scammer and if this was all some wild, elaborate plan to steal my bank account information.

People like that existed, didn't they? What better way to try to scam someone than off a sex website where people regularly sold weird things? Sketchy people frequented these kinds of sites all the time, so it wasn't outlandish to think scammers would do the same.

Of course, now I suspected my bidder wasn't, in fact, a scammer and was a real person who was actually interested in buying what I was offering. Did that make me a whore?

Oh, my God, no, I'm a prostitute! A pit settled in my stomach at the thought of what people would say if they ever found out. Glancing over to the kitchen entrance, making sure that my friends were still far away before opening Sven's laptop again. I took in a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves as I typed out my response.

Me:

>I don't want to give you my phone number. I don't know who you are.

User334003388:

>There's a call feature. I'll send you an invite.

Oh, fuck.

My fingers flew over the keyboard.

Me:

>Hold on.

Slamming the laptop shut, I rose to my feet. If I was going to talk to this person, I wanted to do it where no one else could hear me making a fool out of myself. Especially my friends, who were only a few feet away from me.

I pressed the laptop to my chest and slowly walked across the living room and into the kitchen. All three of my friend's heads swiveled toward me when I entered.

I did my best to give them a convincing smile. "I'm going to use the bathroom. I'll be back in a little bit. Just want to clean my face up."

Claudia glanced down at Sven's laptop. "Everything… okay?"

My grip on it tightened. "Yeah, I just want to keep an eye on the auction."

They all nodded understandingly.

"Of course, Ly. Take your time. We'll let you know when the food's done."

Nodding, I quickly headed upstairs to lock myself in the bathroom. When I finally got the door shut behind me, I set the laptop down on the counter and paced around the small space a few times, glancing every so often in the mirror at my haggard appearance.

It made me grimace. I really hope this was only a phone call and not some kind of video chat that would let them see how messed up I looked. I don't think I'm a catfish from my pictures by any means, but right now, I looked like I'd been hit by a bus.

I rubbed at the circles under my eyes and tried to fix my tangled hair.

Caring about this kind of thing was stupid. The chances of this person seeing me and being unimpressed were high enough that it might make them reconsider their bid altogether. Which would be a good thing for me because then I wouldn't have to sell my body.

But at the same time, the rejection from a stranger over the internet would probably crush me.

It was a double-edged sword with stupid written all over it no matter how you slice it.

I opened up Sven's laptop again and ran my eyes over the chat log several times. My fingers shook when I held them up to the keyboard.

Me:

>Okay. Call me.

The notification for an incoming call popped up immediately, making my stomach heave with nerves.

I scrolled my cursor over to it and hit 'accept'.

The notification disappeared and brought me to a larger interface with my profile photo in the corner of it and User334003388's blank profile picture front and center. I swallowed thickly, glancing down to make sure my mic was on as well as theirs.

Wringing my fingers together, I waited for them to speak first. My anxiety made me feel hot and sweaty underneath my hoodie, causing my hands to turn clammy while I continued to rub them together.

My pulse pounded inside my skull, enough to bring back my headache from this morning's hangover. I should've got a glass of water or something cold to drink to calm myself down. It usually helped right before I went in for an exam. But unfortunately, it hadn't crossed my mind.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my racing heart. "Um… hello?" I winced when my voice cracked.

"Hello, Lyla."

My mouth dropped open at the silky smooth voice that answered me.

Holy… shit.

"Hi…" I replied meekly, one arm crossing over my stomach as the other raised to my mouth.

"How are you?"

I swallowed thickly, but for a much different reason than before. His voice was… incredible. It was a low timber resonating deep in my bones. Causing a heat to slowly kick up in my chest and spread throughout my body, making my bones feel like they were attached to a live wire.

He had an accent I couldn't quite place—definitely foreign. But his English was good and well-pronounced. "I'm all right," is all I managed to respond.

He chuckled softly, causing my toes to curl. "Just all right?"

"I'm, uh… a little nervous." I had to lean on the side of the counter to keep myself upright.

"That's okay. Is this your first time selling something?" the man asked.

I nodded at the computer, even though he couldn't see me. "Yes…"

"I see."

I clutched the sides of the sink. Did that disappoint him? I mean, sure, I was selling my virginity but since I was on this site, was he expecting me to have sold other things like used panties or shoes? The thoughts made me flush.

"Lyla," his voice broke me out of my thoughts, "I want to know what it is you want."

I cleared my throat again, trying to get whatever was lodged there to loosen up. "What do I want?"

"Yes. In order for me to win your bid. You want more money, correct?"

My head swam. How much money did this guy have that he could casually offer it to me like that? "You mean… as a tip?"

"If that's what you'd like."

What did I even want out of this entire transaction, anyway? Of course, the money, but was selling my body the way I needed to get it?

"How do I know you're not trying to scam me?"

He chuckled again. "I suppose you don't. But, once the auction ends, the money will be transferred into your account. I'm not positive what the conversion to US dollars is, but I will be more than happy to tack on an… interest fee. If that's what you'd like."

I tapped my nails on the sink, thinking over what he was saying. "How much of an interest fee, exactly?"

"I can do fifteen percent."

I shoved my hand into my sweatpants and pulled out my phone, quickly typing the numbers into my calculator. My heart thundered in my chest when the total popped up.

Holy f*ck. That was close to a million dollars. I stared down at my phone in disbelief. This man had to be some kind of oil tycoon. There was no other way to explain how he had this kind of money to blow on a girl overseas who he hadn't even met yet off a sex website.

"Lyla?" the man prompted through my silence.

I didn't know what to say. Almost nine hundred thousand dollars. That was what he was offering me to sleep with him. Would it be more than once? How long would my obligation to this be?

With that kind of money, though, I could afford to go all the way through school and get my Ph.D. Something I never dreamed of affording. I could get a house and get out of having to go back to my parent's house ever again. I would never have to deal with them if I never wanted to.

My eyes watered at the thought of finally being free of their ridicule.

I cupped a hand over my mouth to hold back the sob bubbling up in my throat.

A soft sigh on the other end of the call had my heart jump in my throat. Oh, God, was he retracting his offer? Had I taken too long in responding?

"All right," he said. "I can go up to thirty percent. But that's it. That's my final offer."

My knees caved out under me.

What?

Thirty—?

I quickly held up my phone again, blinking through my tears as I did the math.

A million. One f*cking million dollars.

I coughed, trying to cover up my sob.

A million f*cking dollars from an oil tycoon or whatever the hell he was.

I quickly scrambled to my feet and grabbed the laptop not wanting him to think I was being greedy. That was a lot of money, and to lose that would be to give up a new life I could create for myself. "Yes… I accept."

My entire body vibrated. I could sleep with someone for a million dollars. To be that free from my parents. I could do it.

"All right." There was a slight edge in his tone—probably annoyance from my stalling him out. "Once the auction ends, I'll contact you about transportation."

I grinned at the screen, barely registering the words. A million dollars.

"Sure, of course."

"I'll talk to you soon, Lyla," the man said, his voice silky smooth.

"Yes. You too."

He ended the call before the thought occurred to me. I didn't even know his name. I slapped a hand over my face. That would've been a good piece of information to ask instead of accidentally bartering with him for more money.

I grinned against my hand again.

A million dollars to sleep with someone.

Holy f*ck. I was really doing this.