Page 50 of The Upgrade

“Welcome to the Crystal Bliss Beach Brunch,” he calls. There’s a chorus of female cheers, followed by a crackle of static. “Who’s ready to see some sexy consorts strutting their stuff?”

As I fasten my shirt, Logan hands me my bowtie. “This place seems classy ninety percent of the time. The other ten percent?—”

“Cheesy as hell?”

He laughs. “Yep. But the guests seem to like it.”

“Do you?” I haven’t interviewed Logan yet, so I’m curious. “Does it make you feel like a piece of meat?”

“Hell, no.” He grins. “I mean, maybe? But more like wagyu beef or one of those crazy expensive cuts of pork. What’s that called? Kurobuta, I think.”

“Sounds right.” God, these pants are tight. Guess I won’t be wearing them long.

Logan peels back the curtain to peer at the crowd. “Good turnout this morning. That always means more bookings.”

“Does it ever get to be too much?”

“Too much fucking?” He laughs like I’ve said something funny. “Nope. Not for me, anyway.”

He wanders off as Kora comes back with her tablet. “Topher, you go on after Sybil. I’ve queued up the song you requested.”

“Thanks.” Good thing I remember most of my college routines.

Is it a coincidence I picked Justin Timberlake’sSexyBackout of six or seven songs I perfected? Probably not.

And did it cross my mind what Eve shared about having that song in her Timberlake spank bank? Perhaps.

Do I even know if Eve’s out there this morning? No.

But some small, egocentric part of me really hopes she is.

I peek through the curtain, scanning the crowd. The first performer is a guy from Australia doing a routine to Kylie Minogue’sCan’t Get You Out of My Head. The guy’s got great moves, strutting and thrusting as the audience cheers.

Off to the left, I spot Eve in the crowd. She’s dressed in a simple white tank top paired with a floaty blue skirt. Her hair’s pulled back in a ponytail and she’s waving a fistful of Monopoly money. That’s what they use here to keep this from feeling like a cash grab.

“She’s hot,” Logan says when he catches me watching her. “Did I see you with her last night?”

“Yep.” I don’t think that’s classified info, since consorts can see any guest’s history. “I know her from home.”

“No shit?” He looks back at Eve with a low whistle. “Feel free to drop my name. She’s sexy as fuck.”

I wait for a wave of jealousy, but nope. There’s none.

To be honest, I wouldn’t mind watching her with Logan. Assuming that’s something Eve would be into. “I’ll mention it.”

“Let her know I’m game for whatever.” He gives me a wink I’m not entirely sure how to read. “Literally anything.”

“Good to know.” I make a mental note to watch Eve when he dances. If he seems like her type, I’ll put in a good word.

One by one, the dancers go through their routines. It’s mostly men, but Sybil and another female consort do a sexy dance that makes it clear they know how to pleasure a woman. It’s insanely hot to watch, and I see several resort guests tapping away in the Crystal Bliss app.

A guy comes out at the end of their number and both women fall to their knees in an oral sex pantomime. It’s like a kinky sales pitch, and the audience goes wild. Off to the side, I catch a glimpse of Kora. She’s watching her wife with undisguised lust.

“Up next,” calls the announcer, “we have a brand-new guest consort at Crystal Bliss. He just arrived this week, and he’s ready to bring your fantasies to life. Please welcome…Topher!”

Adrenaline shoots through my system as synth music throbs. With a quick bounce to get myself going, I strut onto the stage. Muscle memory kicks in, and I’m shaking my ass like I did as a twenty-year-old horndog. I work my way into the crowd, grinding on the back of one woman’s chair as her friends cram fake money in my pants. A pretty Latina woman pretends to fan herself, while the blonde beside her bites down on her knuckles.

My jacket and shirt come off quickly, and I’m down to my tear-off trousers. I don’t realize I’m dancing my way to Eve until I’m gyrating inches away from her face.

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