Page 5 of Cherry Auction

“We don’t even know if she can walk in high heels,” Quinn says.

“Let’s find out.” I grab on to the counter as I stand up, unsure. But it’s easy to find my center of balance, automatically leaning a little forward on my toes and clenching my calf muscles. Another clue. In my former life, I must have been comfortable in heels.

I look up at Moira, then over to Quinn. “It’s fine.”

Quinn just nods and walks towards the door, but Moira’s eyes catch mine when I look back at her. She gets the significance and reaches out to squeeze my hand.

Our other occupation this week was skill-hunting. Can I cook? No. Ride a bike? Nope. Paint? I made a disgusting brown mess on the canvas. The only thing I’m good at so far besides cussing is chess. I used to play with Gus, the older maintenance guy back at the shelter.

“We’ve barely gotten to catch up lately. It’s been such a whirlwind,” Moira says. She leans in intimately, grinning and all but bouncing up and down. “I’ve got a seeeee-cret.”

“Dear god, I hope it’s not about tonight.” I lift a hand to my chest. “I’m not sure I can handle much more.”

“No, no,” she says. “It’s just about my dumb life. Never mind.”

“Your life’s not dumb,” I exclaim, turning and grabbing her arm when she starts to pull away. “Tell me! You’re right, everything’s been so busy with getting ready for tonight, we’ve barely had time for girl chat. Plus, I could really use adistraction right now,” I laugh a little unsteadily. “What’s the secret?”

“Wellllll,” she says, drawing out the word as she coyly bites at the lacquered nail of her forefinger. “It might have something to do with a mutual acquaintance of ours. I’m being bad and breaking Domhn’s rules.”

Mutual acquaintance? We don’t have many of those.

“Someone from the shelter?” I ask.

“Oh god,” Quinn moans, coming up to us. “Don’t tell me you’re fucking someone outside the club again.”

Moira waves a hand breezily. “Oh, c’mon, he’s just a side fuck. What fun is following the rules all the time, anyway? And Jesus, I’m a grown woman. I can fuck whoever I want.” She grins, eyes glittering. “And you know I can’t say no to the thrill of the forbidden.”

“Domhn’s just trying to keep you out of trouble, babe,” Quinn says. “And there’s always plenty of men at the club.”

Moira rolls her eyes. “Thesamemen, usually.”

“Well, tonight there’ll be all sorts of fresh meat.”

“Oh don’t worry,” Moira winks at Quinn in the mirror, then reaches down for a lip-gloss from the counter of cosmetics in front of me. She applies it, then pops her lips. “All those horny billionaires out there? I plan to get ridden as many times as me-lady can handle tonight.” She gives several over-exaggerated thrusts of her hips, complete with accompanying mock orgasmic whimpering.

“How are we friends?” Quinn deadpans as I burst out laughing.

Right then, a ping sounds and Moira looks down, pulling her phone out of her robe pocket. “Oh shit.” Her eyebrows shoot up as she looks at me and grins. “It’s time. Are you ready?”

I nod, shaking only a little. Her grin gets wider, and she wiggles her hips. “I’ll take your leftovers.”

I laugh again. I love how unashamed she is with her sexuality. Her and Quinn both. I will say I am… curious. But honestly, there just hasn’t been very much time or space to explore myselfthat way, between the hospital and the shelter and the exhaustion of running around the last week.

But being in this outfit and thinking of what’s about to happen… I bite my bottom lip. Maybe they’ll all be gross old men, and I’ll have to just close my eyes and count sheep or something till whoever wins is done with it. Fear and excitement war in my tummy as Moira waves for me to follow her. Because tonight doesn’t even matter, not really.

It gets me one step closer to my real life. One way or another, I’ll find out who I am.

“It’s really cool,”Moira whispers as we step into a darkened hallway. “There’s a little stage with lights that’ll all be on you.”

“Cool,” I echo her, my throat feeling suddenly dry. Is it too late to ask for a drink of water? Or a shot of whiskey? Would that mess up the artful red lipstick the makeup artist painted on me?

“Here she comes now,” I hear a deeply pitched male voice announce loudly as we walk. “Open your minds to what’s possible as I welcome you to this unique, one-of-a-kind auction for a sweet, sweet little virgin. She’ll never have had any… ahem,” he pauses dramatically and waits for laughter, “but yours. You can teach her what sex and pleasure are. She’s a blank slate. And she’ll never forget her first. Will that be you? Are you really going to miss this one-of-a-kind opportunity? Someone’s going to fuck a beautiful virgin tonight!”

I blink as my eyes adjust to the darkness. Moira takes my hand and suddenly we’re at the end of the hallway. Except instead of opening into another room, there are steps up to a huge red velvet curtain. Like at a real stage.

Moira urges me towards the steps.

…oh.Itisa real stage.

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