Page 2 of Innocence Tamed
I opened it with shaking fingers.
Dear Ms. Campbell,
Our algorithms have identified you as a potential candidate for the prestigious Selecta Arrangements program. Based on your profile, education, and current circumstances (visa status: pending termination), we believe SA could provide you with the stability and advancement opportunities you seek.
The Selecta Arrangements program pairs promising young women with established business leaders who serve as sponsors and mentors. Benefits include:
• Immediate visa regularization
• Subsidized accommodations in central Paris
• Monthly stipend
• Networking with industry leaders
• Career advancement opportunities
Our preliminary assessment suggests you may also qualify for our substantial ‘First Intimacy’ bonus payment.
To learn more, please click below to access the full program description and application.
Regards,
The Selecta Arrangements Team
I stared at my phone, my pulse quickening. It seemed too perfect, too convenient. How did they even know about my situation so quickly? The email had arrived just minutes after my program’s termination became official.
But I couldn’t ignore a potential lifeline. With trembling fingers, I tapped the link.
The page that loaded made my eyes widen and my cheeks flush hot. Images appeared of beautiful young women in elegant settings, always accompanied by older men in expensive suits.The men’s hands were placed possessively on the women’s shoulders, waists, thighs. One photo even showed a young woman kneeling beside a man’s chair, her head resting against his knee while he stroked her hair.
I scrolled further, my blush deepening as I read phrases like ‘complete obedience expected,’ ‘physical discipline as necessary,’ and ‘intimate availability.’ When I reached a section titled ‘Intimacy Requirements’ with explicit details about what would be expected of ‘SA Associates’ by their ‘SA Sponsors,’ I nearly dropped my phone.
An older woman passing by gave me a curious look, and I realized I was standing stock-still on a busy sidewalk, my face flaming red. I quickly tucked my phone away and hurried down the street, looking for somewhere private where I could process what I’d just seen.
I found a small café on a side street, the kind of place tourists never discover. The bell above the door tinkled softly as I entered. Inside, the air smelled of coffee and fresh pastries, and the muted conversations created a gentle background hum. I chose a corner table with my back to the wall, ordered a café crème from the tired-looking waiter, and pulled out my phone again.
My hands were still shaking. What Selecta was describing wasn’t a job or a mentorship program—at least, not in any conventional sense. It was… I could barely bring myself to think the word.Prostitution?No, they made it sound more like a relationship, albeit one with clearly defined power dynamics and expectations. The word ‘arrangement’ suddenly took on a whole new meaning.
I sipped my coffee, wincing as it burned my tongue. The pain helped ground me. I needed to think clearly. Thirty days until my visa expired. No job. No way to pay rent beyond this month. No money for a plane ticket home. And even if I could get home, what was waiting for me there? My parents’ struggling farm? The community college where I’d already completed all the relevant courses? The small-town existence I’d fled from?
I took a deep breath and forced myself to scroll back through the Selecta Arrangements information, this time reading more carefully. The language seemed carefully crafted—all about ‘mutually beneficial relationships’ and ‘guidance’ and ‘structure.’ I skimmed testimonials from women who claimed the program had changed their lives, given them opportunities they never would have had otherwise.
And then there was the money. The basic stipend, which I could apparently get for a month while I looked for a sponsor, was already more than triple what I’d been making at the energy program. And the ‘First Intimacy’ bonus… I nearly choked on my coffee when I saw the figure. It was enough to pay off half my student loans in one lump sum.
I navigated to the qualification questionnaire, my curiosity overcoming my embarrassment. The questions started innocuously enough—age, education level, career interests. Then they became more personal: relationship history, sexual experience, comfort with ‘traditional’ discipline.
When I reached the question “Have you ever engaged in sexual intercourse?” my finger hovered over the screen. I glanced around the café, irrationally worried that someone might be watching over my shoulder, but the few other patrons were absorbed in their own conversations or phones.
I tappedNo.
The screen refreshed, congratulating me on qualifying for the ‘First Intimacy Premium Program.’ A new section appeared, explaining that virginity was highly valued by certain SA sponsors, who would pay substantial bonuses for the privilege of being a young woman’s first sexual partner.
My face burned so hot I was sure everyone in the café could feel the heat radiating from me. This was insane. I couldn’t possibly consider this. Could I?
But my finger kept scrolling, and its tip kept tapping:Yes,I spoke French;No, I didn’t have any allergies. At last, the questions gave way to one last button.
For a long moment, I stared at the screen, heart pounding so loudly I was certain the elderly Frenchman at the next table could hear it. My index finger hovered over ‘Accept Terms and Conditions,’ trembling like a leaf in autumn. I hadn’t read all the way through the terms—there were dozens of pages, and part of me, insanely, had started to insist that through Selecta Arrangements I would embark on a mysterious adventure into an exclusive world of luxury. Who wouldn’t want to do that?
