Page 1 of Sloane

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Sloane

"I, Sloane Parker of Earth, do hereby offer myself as a pleasure crew member for the year 2242. I acknowledge the parameters of my occupation as stated on pages twelve through eighteen of the Pleasure Crew Introduction Handbook. I have reviewed the handbook on my own as well as had parts I did not understand reiterated to me through a Straxion translator named Via Scorlandasa. This recording is my acceptance of the position starting today, June twelfth, 2242, at eight o' three a.m."

I pause and look at the note cards to my left, making sure I've said everything needed to complete my application. I hold the final card up in front of me, mumbling the words out loud to double-check I've got it all. When I'm absolutely sure my application won't be discarded because it's missing something, I give the camera one last smile and hit the stop button.

The video automatically uploads to the final step of the application and shows me a pending approval status. I'veapplied to work for this pleasure crew company for three years now, and this is the first time I've been asked to review the handbook and make sure I'm okay with what the job really entails.

Earth sucks. Like, really, really sucks. It was already going to the crapper before a hostile alien race invaded us, tried to enslave us, and a whole coalition of aliens came to the rescue. Not that I was there for any of that. It happened almost two hundred years ago.

I'm alive while the Earth is still in shambles. My job prospects are hard manual labor, which I don't want to do, or trying to get back into an office job that completely and totally sucked the fun and joy out of my life. Nope, I told myself I was going to get out of my office job, and my quitting five months ago just solidified that.

It also solidified the fact that I only had enough funds to support this endeavor for three months, but who's really keeping track of how long I can afford my apartment? Not me, that's for sure.

I had plans of not quitting until I was for sure hired on at a pleasure crew company, but I couldn't do it anymore. Waking up at five in the morning every morning to go to work for twelve hours is not the life I want to live. It's not the life anyone should want to live, but I don't judge. Some of my coworkers really seemed into not having a social life or time for hobbies.

Me? Well, I want to have time to just sit on the couch and read a book or watch some reality shows on my comm. I also have an inclination to enjoy being with alien males, so that helps with my job prospects, or at least I thought it would.

I've applied for jobs on other planets, but so many of them either don't want humans unless we're already mated to a citizen of theirs, or they want me to marry someone or participate in marriage or mating ceremonies to get residency. I don't havean issue with the second option. I'll get married to some sexy alien man and let him get me off this planet. Unfortunately, my application was rejected this year by every single planet I applied to, and new applications won't be taken again for six more months.

There are less reputable ways of getting to other planets, but those come with their own risks. I've heard horror stories of some women accepting the offers of transportation and then being sold into some weird alien sex ring, and that's not the life I want to live. I have no problems with sex work. Hell, I'm applying to do just that, but I want to do it on my terms. I don't want to be auctioned off to a whole bunch of aliens against my will.

I've just closed out of the application when my comm tablet starts to ring, and the pleasure crew company's name pops up on the screen. My heart sinks. There's no way they've already decided to reject me.

I've been given various excuses every time the company has rejected my application. The most common have been humans being too new, no species requesting humans, and, my favorite, the company not being sure if I'd be able to handle some of the species due to my delicate frame.

I snort to myself at the reminder of the delicate frame remark. I'm not a small woman by any stretch. I'm five foot ten and on the curvy side. The only reason I'm seen as delicate is that so many other species are enormous and ripped for absolutely no reason other than to make me realize human guys just don't do it for me.

I take a deep breath, force down my disappointment at already being rejected, and answer the call.

"Sloane Parker," I say as cheerily as I can muster.

I can feel the rejection bubbling up on the other side. I'm already preparing myself to have to crawl back to my old joband beg for my cubicle back. It'll be the worst, but I can always try this all again when new marriage and mating ceremony applications open up. No matter what, I'm getting off this hell hole so I can explore the universe—or at least one other planet.

"Yes, Miss Parker, this is Mrs. Scorlandasa with Pleasure Crew Enterprises."

I know Via very well. She's the one who helped me go through the handbook piece by piece so I'd know exactly what I was getting into. In fact, she seemed determined to make sure that I understood all of it and agreed to it. I thought that was a good sign because why would she go through all of that trouble just to reject me?

"I'm calling about your application numbered—"

I cut her off, not needing her to go through all the trouble of the formalities since we're basically friends. We've talked with each other for hours and hours. At least, I thought we were slightly above acquaintance. Via might feel differently, but really, she's not going to tell me we're not friends, so in my mind, we're great pals.

"Just rip the bandaid off, Via. Did I get the job or not?"

Via pauses for a moment. The silence makes me think she's arching one of her dark brows at me, her tail probably swishing behind her like it did so many times when she had to reexplain something to me for the tenth time.

Straxions look pretty much human, with a tail and a slightly larger frame. It's one reason Via was set as my contact with Pleasure Crew Enterprise. Something about most applicants responding better to someone who looks like their own species. Which is funny, considering most males who request a pleasure crew member won't look much like a human man.

"Miss Parker, there are protocols I must follow for onboarding all new employees."

"Onboarding…" My voice trails for a moment before I pull the comm away from me and squeal into the air. "Fuck yes!"

When I've composed myself, I press the comm back to my ear and try to pretend I'm not currently losing my shit. "Yes, sorry, continue, Mrs. Scorlandasa."

"A transport will be at your home in approximately an hour to pick you up." Via's statement has my whole body buzzing at the idea of getting off Earth so quickly. I'm already up and grabbing a bag to pack all my things before she continues. "The crew you're traveling with has two males that will need your services. As stated in your handbook, you may choose to offer your services to anyone on board, but are mandated to see to the needs of those two males specifically."

"Got it." I nod along, grabbing underwear and socks to stuff in my bag. "The same rules apply, right? I don't do anything I'm not comfortable with. If they go against my wishes, their end of the contract is terminated, but I still get paid?"

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