ROSE I rolled over to my side, burrowing my face into my pillow. My bed had never felt so uncomfortable and I wrapped myself around my teddy bear. Maybe I was too old to sleep with a toy but Chris the Bear had heard so much of my life's failures that I almost considered him as a human being. But that morning, Chris had a soothing temperature, his arm muscular and fleshy. . .wait a minute! My eyes blinked open and found my hands wrapped around the arm of someone half buried in a sheet. “Oh my God!” I gasped, peeling myself off whoever it was. What was I doing in a. . .I looked around to gauge my whereabouts and my panic only grew. The mild light filtering into the room from the window revealed an expensive phone on a desk, a gold watch and to my embarrassment, my dress on the floor. And then, the events of last night all came rushing back to my memory like a speeding train. The alcohol. . .falling into a dark room. . .the stranger. . .Daddy. . .shit, I was so done for! My head b
DEREK The sound of my alarm woke me up at six am sharp. My feet hit the ground ten seconds later, discarding the sheets protecting my face. When I found the other side of the bed empty, I was tempted to question my smart brain. Where was the girl I had slept with last night? The exotic dancer had stunned all her male audience with her seductive moves. The weasels had salivated over her, making stupid wolfish whistles when she did her thing. I constantly wondered how some of them managed to pay the entrance fee at Smoky Paradise. Perhaps they had pawned off their inheritance or tagged along with females who were an exception to the entrance fee rule. Nevertheless, none of that explained the missing girl. Didn't she want her money? She had better not be a thief. Stealing from the owner of the place where you worked was not a wise way to keep your job. But, damn, she had been so fucking good. I could not remember when last I spent my money on something so satisfying. There was no way
ROSEThe man standing beside me was twice as tall as me and I was on block heels. His shirt was strained at the top three buttons because it was trying to accommodate his sculpted chest. It wasn't fair that some people had it all: wealth, good looks, a mouthwatering body and a perpetual good hair day. I had done my best to put myself in order but I was nowhere close to his standard. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and he eyed me with disgust he did not try to hide. The stench of what I had thrown up had already ruined my rep; what could he possibly want from me? “I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say we could be of help to each other?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, irritated with having to repeat himself again. “Yes. You have a problem I can solve and I have a problem you can solve,” he explained slowly as if he was speaking to a dumb child. “So, it only makes sense that we help each other out. How many fingers am I holding up?” he suddenly held up a hand a
ROSEThe man standing beside me was twice as tall as me and I was on block heels. His shirt was strained at the top three buttons because it was trying to accommodate his sculpted chest. It wasn't fair that some people had it all: wealth, good looks, a mouthwatering body and a perpetual good hair day. I had done my best to put myself in order but I was nowhere close to his standard. I wiped my lips with the back of my hand and he eyed me with disgust he did not try to hide. The stench of what I had thrown up had already ruined my rep; what could he possibly want from me? “I don't think I heard you correctly. Did you say we could be of help to each other?” He pinched the bridge of his nose, irritated with having to repeat himself again. “Yes. You have a problem I can solve and I have a problem you can solve,” he explained slowly as if he was speaking to a dumb child. “So, it only makes sense that we help each other out. How many fingers am I holding up?” he suddenly held up a hand a
DEREK The sound of my alarm woke me up at six am sharp. My feet hit the ground ten seconds later, discarding the sheets protecting my face. When I found the other side of the bed empty, I was tempted to question my smart brain. Where was the girl I had slept with last night? The exotic dancer had stunned all her male audience with her seductive moves. The weasels had salivated over her, making stupid wolfish whistles when she did her thing. I constantly wondered how some of them managed to pay the entrance fee at Smoky Paradise. Perhaps they had pawned off their inheritance or tagged along with females who were an exception to the entrance fee rule. Nevertheless, none of that explained the missing girl. Didn't she want her money? She had better not be a thief. Stealing from the owner of the place where you worked was not a wise way to keep your job. But, damn, she had been so fucking good. I could not remember when last I spent my money on something so satisfying. There was no way
ROSE I rolled over to my side, burrowing my face into my pillow. My bed had never felt so uncomfortable and I wrapped myself around my teddy bear. Maybe I was too old to sleep with a toy but Chris the Bear had heard so much of my life's failures that I almost considered him as a human being. But that morning, Chris had a soothing temperature, his arm muscular and fleshy. . .wait a minute! My eyes blinked open and found my hands wrapped around the arm of someone half buried in a sheet. “Oh my God!” I gasped, peeling myself off whoever it was. What was I doing in a. . .I looked around to gauge my whereabouts and my panic only grew. The mild light filtering into the room from the window revealed an expensive phone on a desk, a gold watch and to my embarrassment, my dress on the floor. And then, the events of last night all came rushing back to my memory like a speeding train. The alcohol. . .falling into a dark room. . .the stranger. . .Daddy. . .shit, I was so done for! My head b
ROSE “I think you’ve had more than enough, young lady. Are you with someone?” the bartender asked me pitifully, eyeing the four empty bottles of cheap beer I had downed. I burst into a giggle instead of replying. Was I with someone? Who would want to associate with a loser like me, someone who had nothing to give? My giggles gave way to shaking shoulders and soon, tears filled my eyes, my emotions jumbled by the influence of alcohol. “Okay, that’s it, no more drinks for you. Get off my stool and go wash your face in the restroom. I'll get someone to find you a taxi.” When I did not comply immediately, he walked around his counter and pulled me off the stool. It was almost midnight yet the club was filled to the brim with people. However, none of them objected to the bartender pulling me up like an errant child. I went along with him, my tongue too heavy to make any complaints. He escorted me to the beginning of a barely lit hallway and helped me stand properly. “This is as far as