Finally, it was my turn. I stood and placed one foot in front of the other as I entered the blinding lights of the stage again.
“JANE SYKES,” the emcee’s voice boomed through the speakers, heralding my arrival.
I plastered a smile on my face and did my dance on stage as he rattled off my achievements. Finally, he opened bidding at $500,000. I hid the shock with a smile. I would have been happy if that had been the final bid, but I apparently lowballed myself as the numbers rapidly climbed to a million, and then 2 million. When it slowed at 2.5, the emcee walked over to me. I was surprised to see he had make-up on as well and the fine beads of sweat that covered his upper lip glistened in the bright lights. He’d been up here for two hours, so I guess it wasn’t any surprise the lights were getting to him. He tugged on one strap and then the other and I fought the urge to grab the fabric as it slithered down my body to pool around my feet.
“TURN AROUND AND SHOW THEM WHAT THEY ARE BIDDING ON, JANE,” the booming voice rattled my teeth.
I smiled and turned, feeling a mingling of embarrassment and arousal. How could this turn me on? I was a good girl! But there was no denying the slick dampness between my thighs. My breasts jutted out, perky and proud. My body was slender and willowy, the recipient of great genetics. I drew a long breath, my mind back on my fantasies of being bent and claimed by the watching men right here and now. The bidding started up again in earnest as the auctioneer praised my taut belly and firm thighs.When the bidding finally ended, my selling price was 5 million dollars. I was led back to my room in a daze and showered in silence turning that price over in my head.
Of that 5 million, I would received $500,000, bringing my “rental fee” to a cool $2 million. I dressed swiftly, towel drying my long hair and running a brush through it. As the last girl auctioned, I would be the last one visited, but that didn’t stop my mind from trying to picture the man who bought me. Would he be old or young? Tall or short? Would he even have hair? I pictured a Daddy Warbucks type with a shiny bald head and giggled. A knock at the door made me start, and I stood and hurried to answer it.
“Ms. DeForrest,” I said by way of greeting. My voice sounded pitchy and nervous. I stood aside to let the older woman and her companion in.
“Jane,” she smiled. “It is a pleasure to introduce you to Edward Fairton. Edward, this is Jane Sykes.” She gestured to the man next to her, and I got a look at the man who would father my first child.
He was not what I entirely expected. Edward was well built, from what I could see, and very tall, easily towering over my 5’6” frame. His hair was dark, but he had distinguished sweeps of gray at his temples. His dark eyes, deep and fathomless, looked into mine as he took my hand and raised it to his lips.
“Jane,” he turned my name over in his mouth. “A rather old-fashioned name. Are you an old-fashioned girl?”
“Apparently not as much as I thought I was,” I quipped. “Or else we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
His laughter rolled over my body like warm chocolate, and he smiled down at me. “Feisty, witty, intelligent… I spent my money wisely.”
“I am glad you think so,” I shifted uncomfortably at the reminder and fought the urge to imagine him naked. “When did you want to do this?”
“A good question,” his eyes flicked over to the older woman. “When will she be ready?”
Ms. DeForrest flipped open a file she carried and consulted the paperwork inside. “Dr. Ashe gave her a clean bill of health, and her next fertile cycle will begin next week.” She closed the file and smiled at me. “So as soon as you decide, Mr. Fairton. I know Jane is eager to get started.”
“Really,” his voice took an a new note and he looked me over closely. I felt my nipples tighten under his intense gaze, a reaction he noted from the narrowing of his eyes. I suddenly got the idea that he would take me now if I indicated a readiness, company be damned.
“I want to give birth during the summer,” I said quickly, dropping my eyes. “While school is out.”
“And not at all out of desire itself,” he asked, hooking a finger under my chin and forcing my eyes to meet his.
I knew I was a terrible liar, so I remained quiet.
“Interesting,” he studied me. “Very interesting. My wife would like to join us for the first night of our breeding session. She is interested in meeting the woman who will carry our child. Is that all right?”
“Wife?” Of course he was married. “Of course. Will she….want to take part?” I felt my the heat of my blush creep up my cheeks and into my face.
His bemused look said it all. “She may. Is that a problem?”
“I just… I’m not… I’ve never…”
God, get it together, Jane,
I thought to myself. “Yes… I mean, no… I mean… It’s fine.”
He grinned and turned to Ms. DeForrest. “Please send me the address of where we can meet her as soon as she’s set up. Maritza and I are greatly looking forward to this.” He turned back to me and kissed my hand in that old-world European way. “And my dear Jane, I am truly looking forward to our partnership. You seem like a very intriguing young woman.”
He exited the room, leaving Ms. DeForrest and I alone. She faced me with a smile. “Excellent, Jane! Excellent! Well done! You looked delicious on stage, and it obviously paid off!” She opened up the folder again and led me to a little table in the room. “I have a few more sheets of paperwork for you to sign, and tomorrow, we will deposit half of your earnings. The other half will be delivered when you deliver.”
Seeing the $2 million in black and white made me feel a little woozy, but I gripped the pen tight and signed on the dotted line. In less than a year, I would have another million in the bank, I drew a deep breath. Things would be all right.
I had a couple days of peace and normalcy after that. I attended class, talked to Cassie, and behaved like a normal college student in general. I did feel the weight of the change coming upon me though. It was almost as though the waiting made it ten times worse. I started wishing I had just let him fuck me then and there. At least then the waiting would be over with. When I finally packed my stuff to move, Cassie stood in my doorway, eying me worriedly.
“You know, you’ll always have a place to go,” she said, folding her arms over her ample chest.
“I know,” I smiled.
“You don’t have to do this,” she burst out.
“Cas,” I sighed and stood. “It will be fine. I promise. After they inseminate me, I have a cushy place to stay for nine months. I give birth, hand the baby over, and get paid. No fuss, no muss.”
“Have you told your mom?”
“No.” There was a sticky conversation I definitely wasn’t looking forward to. “I’m not going to until after the insemination.”
“What do I do if she calls here?’ Worry crept into Cassie’s voice.
“Tell her to call my cell.” I folded another piece of laundry and stuck it in my suitcase. “She won’t call though. She’s so detached I might as well be on another planet. Plus, she has a new boyfriend according to her last e-mail. They’re off in Canada or Italy or someplace like that.” I shut the case with a snap and gave Cassie a steady look. “I promise, it will be fine. After I’m settled in, I’ll invite you over, OK?”
She nodded silently and grabbed my other duffel bag. We walked in comfortable silence to the black sedan waiting for me outside. The Prema Society was escorting me in style. We waited while the driver loaded the bags and then I turned to her.
Cassie swept her arms around my neck unexpectedly. I let out a small choked noise as her shoulder cut off my breath.
“Everything will be awesome,” she squeaked. “I’ll try not to worry!”
“Thanks, Cassie,” I choked out, patting her gently on the back. “I promise I’ll invite you over in a couple weeks.”
She nodded and then released me. “Call me.”
I climbed in the car and waved good-bye. The soft purr of the vehicle as we drove down the tree-lined street was almost comforting as it took me to my new life.
When we finally pulled up to the steel and glass high-rise, I felt the first fluttering of nerves. The driver grabbed my bags and escorted me inside. We were greeted at the desk by a very cheerful brunette named Jessica who had my picture taken and a security card made for me. She explained that the entire 62nd floor, where my apartment was located, was owned by the Prema Society. There were amenities just for the women of the society to use in the building, from the salon and spa to a high-class restaurant. A cleaning service would also attend to the apartment once a week, and I could fill out a list and send out for groceries via the building’s intranet. Essentially, I gathered that for the next ten months, I would essentially be living in an extremely high-class hotel.
She pressed a set of keys in my hand and escorted the driver and I to the elevator. “Just wave your card in front of the panel and the elevator will be here shortly! Your apartment number is 6204 on the left. If you have any questions, the button marked Halstaff is the one to press. Someone will be with you immediately!” Then, with a nod, she left us to attend to another new arrival. I exchanged a look with the driver.
“She was rather cheerful,” I said. He grunted in response. Apparently, he was not a big talker.
We rode up the elevator in silence. It was made of glass and looked out over the city, the buildings around us dipping away as we climbed higher. I gnawed on my lower lip as we zipped up the side of the building. I was further away from campus than I had ever been. Luckily, I had a week off due to Fall Break to devote to getting knocked up. But, I also knew that as my pregnancy progressed, taking a taxi to and from school was going to be difficult. I made a note to ask Jessica about car service availability. The soft ding and whoosh of the doors indicated our arrival. I stepped off the elevator into a small sitting area. There were leather sofas flanked by potted ferns on either side of the small alcove. The view was even more spectacular in a panorama. I paused for a moment, the taciturn driver next to me, and just stared at the city. The driver cleared his throat and I blushed as we headed down the long, well-lit, cream colored hall to the left, our footfalls muffled to silence by the thick, dark green carpet beneath our feet.
As I opened the door to my apartment, I was greeted by another amazing view, and I stepped into the lap of luxury. I had a hard time catching my breath as I studied the place. One wall of the living room was nothing but windows looking over the city and beyond. Eventually, it faded off into the haze the always seemed to cover the city, On the far wall, a small gas fireplace waited for me to light it, and a flat screen TV hung blank and still over it. There was a small but serviceable kitchen, separated from the living room by a small counter with dark wood and black appliances. A hall on the other side of me led down to an open door where the foot of a large bed peeked into view.
Big and Silent slipped past me and set my bags down in the bedroom. When he returned, he gave me a nod of goodbye and then left, pulling the front door shut behind him and leaving me free to explore my new place.
It was going to be my last night alone for a while, so I took advantage of it. A luxurious bath filled with bubbles that smelled like jasmine, a meal of steak and salad from the swanky restaurant, and crap television. I lounged around, watching the daylight fade from the city and the nightlife begin. The car lights moved like rivers down the streets and the buildings twinkled like stars. I stood on the 62nd floor like a queen overlooking it all. When I slipped into bed that night with my stomach full, the worried of the past few weeks seemed so far away.
***
Edward and Maritza arrived the next night. He had brought a suitcase for the week he and I would spend together while Maritza only had an overnight bag. She gripped it tightly and studied me wide-eyed while we stood awkwardly in the living room. I didn’t know what to say to her.
Hi, I’m going to be fucking your husband for the next week hoping he knocks me up
seemed somewhat crass. I could see why he chose me though as I studied her. She had dark brown hair that was pinned neatly into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. Her pale skin and large blue eyes matched my own. She didn’t seem that much older than me, I noted.
“Would you like something to drink,” I offered hesitantly.
She gave me a ready smile and nodded. Edward relieved her of the overnight bag.
“I’ll take these into the bedroom,” he offered and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek. “You get to know Jane, Maritza. I want the three of us to be very close.”
We ordered in, and Edward produced a bottle of fine white wine. We drank, ate, and talked, getting to know each other. Edward was fifteen years older than Maritza and had a son from a previous marriage. It had ended, and several years later, on a business trip to the Balkans, he met Maritza and brought her home. When they had trouble conceiving, they had turned to IVF, and finally accepted the need for a surrogate. Because of their unique relationship and open marriage, this seemed like the best choice. Watching them together, it was clear that their decade together hadn’t cooled their ardor for each other. There were times I felt a bit like a third wheel, that is, until they turned that ardor on me.
The wine spread warm feelings from my nose to my fingertips. As we exchanged quips and stories, I giggled and relaxed. It wasn’t until around midnight, when Edward stood and offered me his hand, that I remembered the deal. I was bought and sold, and Edward and Maritza were here to fulfill that. Edward led me into the bedroom with Maritza close on my heels. When he shut the door, I faced the duo with my heart beating in my throat.