Page 5 of Packed Up In Vegas

Callie squeezed her drink so hard the lid popped off and she cursed as it sloshed over the sides and onto her hands. I offered her a napkin I had stuffed in my pocket, and she took her time tidying herself up as we continued to walk and I held her drink.

“I’m sorry. A live sex club? Are you being serious right now?”

“Very serious, sweetheart. I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s very safe, everyone is a professional, and we take really good care of the omegas involved.”

Eventually Callie said, “But don’t you want models for something like that? I’m not polished at all. I’ve got squishy bits and body hair, and you don’t see that in porn.”

“You do if you know where to look, but in any case, porn isn’t reality. The patrons want a more realistic experience.”

“I barely have real experience, though. Besides my fiancé, there was one drunken night for my twenty-first birthday—we were on a break—where I thought it would be a good idea to sleep with my lab partner and ring in full adulthood with a fling. It was…not great. And while I love Jerry, scratch that, loved with a D at the end ’cause I can’t say I actually love him anymore… Anyway, we didn’t do anything especially creative. I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this. But I really don’t think I could do a live sex show. It’s not me.”

“You mean, you don’t know if it’s you. You can’t say for certain if you’ve never had an experience like this. All the alphas are professional and regularly tested. They know how to take care of omegas and it sounds like you could use some extra care right now. All you would have to do is show up and go through with it. No worrying about outfits, body maintenance, aftercare. We cover all of that, plus your hotel room while you’re here and all your meals. We can charge extra for clients to watch a virgin get taken so you can boost your pay by another ten grand. Plus you’ll get tips.”

“But I’m not a virgin.”

I shrugged. “Close enough. I’m pretty sure you’ll give enough genuine reactions to things being experienced for the first time, and that’s the important part. Have you been with an alpha before?”

Callie shook her head.

“That’ll definitely work in your favor for the show, then. It’s a whole different ballgame moving from betas to alphas as an omega. The audience would eat it up.”

Some of the tension was slowly leaking out of her, and I couldn’t tell if the flush in her cheeks was due to the heat or to the idea of what I was proposing.

“Even though it’s a terrible idea, could you give me a little bit more info?”

“Absolutely.” Hopefully this meant she was coming around to the concept. “You’ll have a penthouse suite, and prior to your heat starting, you’ll get to know the alphas there while eating to your heart’s content to prepare for the marathon.”

Callie’s brows pinched. “But my heat isn’t due for another two months.”

“That’s not a problem. There’ve been some…developments. Not exactly approved or legal quite yet, but we’ve had no issues and it works really well.”

Callie swallowed hard. “What kind of developments?”

“Just a simple injection. It’ll trigger your heat within a couple of hours. We’d also give you something to neutralize the scent blockers you’re on.”

“I don’t like needles,” Callie said, staring at her feet.

“I promise you’ll barely feel it. Our on-site medical staff are amazing, and I can be there with you the whole time if you want.”

When she finally looked up at me again, her lip was wobbling once more.

“Hey, it’s all going to be okay.” I pulled her into my arms, and she didn’t hesitate, melting against me in a way that had my instincts screaming at me to protect her. “By the end of the week, you’ll have a fresh new life one way or the other. If you want to start it with a nest egg, I’ll help you through every step of the way to getting that. If you want to get on a bus and go back to wherever you came from, I’ll give you all the cash in my wallet to get you there.”

“Why do you want to help me?”

“Well, for one thing, I have a bit of a soft spot for women I find crying in coffee shops, and for another you would actually be doing me a favor if you went through with this.”

Callie extracted herself and I restrained myself from pulling her back in.

“It’s too fucking hot for hugs right now,” she said. “How would I be doing you a favor?”

“That call I took earlier was my omega for tonight telling me she has food poisoning. So I have dozens of well-paying patrons expecting a show, and no star to give them one.”

“Do you get in trouble because she backed out?”

“Not in trouble exactly, but none of the alphas who signed up will get paid if the show doesn’t happen. Now, sweetheart, I don’t want you to feel pressured one way or the other. This is an opportunity, not an obligation, and if you don’t want to, there are other omegas I can call to fill in.”

Callie didn’t seem repulsed by the idea, so I wanted to give her the chance to accept or reject before I looked elsewhere. “What happens after the heat is over?”

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