Page 5 of The Birthday Buy

I suck in my breath. The floor is an exquisite marble, and the walls are a deep, luxurious black. Overhead, crystal chandeliers cast a warm glow. Everything about this hallway screams status and wealth. I find it strangely comforting, then imagine for a moment how easily the entire aesthetic could change if I caught the driver off-guard and slit his throat; spraying blood over the crisp dark walls and splattering the polished marble floor with puddles of crimson liquid.

A woman clears her throat, pulling me from my imagined scene. I blink my eyes a few times and scan the far end of the hallway. There’s a small desk with a woman sitting behind it. I look at the driver waiting for some kind of instructions, but he hasn’t even stepped off the elevator. He points down the hall at the woman and says, “You’ll check in there. Have a good night.”

He presses a button inside the elevator, and the doors begin to close. It’s just me, this long hallway, and the woman behind the desk now. The walk down the hall to check in feels longer than it should have. The blood rushes in my ears as I try to calm myself. Stay calm. No one knows you’re here to carry out an execution. These people probably think you are just another asset to be auctioned and handled. The only person who has any sort of an inkling or suspicion is probably Edward. He doesn’t seem like the trusting type and so we must do everything possible to deceive him this weekend.

“Name, dear?” The woman asks from behind the desk.

I’ve stopped walking without realizing it, and it takes me a few seconds to recover. “De—“

She interrupts me, “Stage name, honey. Don’t share your real name from here on out tonight, okay?”

I nod my understanding. “Trouble,” I reply, realizing the innocent act might be better than the real me at this point. I promised Edward no leads back to him, no suspicion, no anything. Everything must appear in order.

The woman scans the tablet, which is one of two items on her desk. She taps on the tablet, then points at a bowl full of folded paper slips. “Pick a paper with a number on it from the bowl, please.”

I do as she says, reaching in and feeling the papers brush against my fingertips. My hands clasp around one and I pluck it from the bowl. I hand it to her without looking.

She opens it. “Ahhhh, lucky number seven, my dear. An excellent spot in the lineup.”

I smile at her in response. At least she has more personality than the driver. She taps the number into the tablet, then stands. Behind her desk is a door I didn’t notice before. She walks to it, pressing her finger against the reader, and waits for it to click open. “Follow me, I will take you to your dressing room. Dani and Sam will be in shortly to do your hair and makeup. There are instructions and rules you can read over on the table. Cold bottled water and, of course, if you need anything to help take the edge off your nerves, just pick up the phone on the table and let someone on the other end know your request.”

I follow her as she leads me down a much larger hallway lined with doors. Each door has an alias name on it. We arrive at the one labeled Trouble, and she guides me inside. “Go ahead and get changed. I’ll let Dani and Sam know you are waiting for them.” With that, she turns on her heels and leaves me all alone in my dressing room.

Demi

Dani and Sam have come and gone after effortlessly completing my hair and makeup. I’m all alone with my nervous thoughts creeping into my head as I wait for the auction to begin. The instructions said I would be able to hear Edward introduce me and then be escorted to the stage area, where I will be on full display. Afterwards, I will be returned to my dressing room to wait.

I do my best to fight off the intrusive thoughts threatening to take hold of me, but it’s no use. I can hear the small voice questioning everything. Just when it feels like I might break, there’s a knock on my door. I have no time to think. All I can do is act. I’m whisked away to perform my walk. As promised, I can hear Edward’s introduction. Edward begins to read off my information. I silently roll my eyes and scoff, how unoriginal. Once he’s run through what feels like everything on my application, he says, “Bidders, I give you, Trouble.”

It’s an uncomfortable feeling to look around and see nothing but darkness and shadows, but it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever had to do. It’s far from the worst thing I’ve ever done, and so I play my part perfectly. Everything happens so fast; one minute I’m up on the stage, then in a whirlwind it’s over. A hand pulls me forward in the darkness, and I’m dragged away to wait in my dressing room. All I can do now is hope that Ghost has the winning bid. Cecile has yet to let me down tonight. As I sit and wait for someone to come and collect me, I think about all the ways I’m going to make Ghost hurt. I fantasize about blood dripping from his wounds or pouring out of his body, and then I think of Jay. My pussy still aches with the need to be filled by him. I can’t wait to fuck him next to Ghost’s dead body, or something even more wicked. There are no boundaries, our sex life has no safe words. Each one of us conforms to fit the other’s fantasies, both of us eager and willing to do anything for pleasure. I smile, thinking about Jay and all the sinful things we’ll do together.

There’s a knock on my door. When I open it, I’m surprised to find Edward’s sleek, well put together figure on the other side. His eyes slide over my body, lingering with a satisfying sweep. I can’t blame him. I would do the same damn thing if our roles were reversed. He’s a silver fox I’d love to play with, and now I understand some of the allure when it comes to Edward and Club Lust. Once his thirsty eyes are satisfied, he opens his mouth to speak in the overly dangerous tone he always uses.

“I’ve come to issue you a warning. Whatever game you’re thinking about playing, it’s best not to play. I don’t take kindly to those who cause problems.” His stare is lethal and serious.

I get the feeling he has no intention of allowing me to leave his club without once more agreeing to keep him out of my private business. “Don’t worry, handsome. I’m not playing any games with you. I give you my word. I’m innocent. I simply want my bakery is all.”

He smirks. “Jay’s a lucky man, Trouble.”

“I know,” I croon back. “Thank you for your cooperation. As agreed, I will also make sure Jay knows you said happy birthday. It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Edward.”

I toss him a wink, and he shakes his head. “Pleasure doing business with you.” He replies with a chuckle.

“Hey, Edward, one more question. What’s your favorite flavor of cake?” I whisper.

“My favorite flavor?” He repeats, looking at me like I’m asking him the most ridiculous thing ever. “Well, I suppose I enjoy a traditional carrot cake.”

“Excellent choice, Edward,” I reply enthusiastically, mentally cataloging the information so I can send him a special “thank you” cake later.

He nods his head. “Good night, Trouble. We will see each other again on Sunday when you return. A car will arrive to pick you up and return you. Please check-out with your handler and they’ll get you paid, assuming everything is in order.”

“Good night,” I call after him as he closes the door.

I wait a few minutes, then celebrate as silently as possible. Cecile is getting a bonus. I can’t believe we pulled this off. Stage one of my plan is complete. I’m suddenly incredibly happy I decided to splurge on the expensive, fancy imported chocolate for Jay’s birthday cupcakes. Closing my eyes, I imagine just how delicious it will pair with a sprinkle of Ghost and an ice cold glass of milk.

Demi

Shortly after Edward comes to see me in my dressing room, there’s another knock on my door. When I swing the door open, two shadows appear in the doorway, but only one person steps forward. I recognize him as the handler from earlier. He’s holding black fabric in his hands and staring at me as if he’s on some sort of mission.

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