Page 182 of Merciless Desires

My name dripped off the edge of his tongue like the caramel he smelled of. I so badly wanted to see him around but I wasn’t stupid enough to think he meant it in that way. I was a child. Barely pubescent. But no one had ever made my stomach flutter before. No one had made me feel so heavy it was like I was glued to the seat.

Instead, I asked, “Do you live around here?” I’d never seen him before. I would have remembered.

He smiled, a ghost of sadness hovering behind it. “No. I don’t.”

The next words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. “That’s a shame.”

He stared back at me, unblinking, until I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned to follow Mum out of the shop when he called me back.

“If you remember one thing about us meeting, make it this: Were it not for the shadows, there would be no beauty. Question everything, Rose. Don’t let the light blind you.”

I repeated his words over and over in my head the entire way home and every day since.

“Are you really going to do it Rose? Sleep with a total stranger?”

Remi’s question drew me back to the uncomfortable present prospect I was going to do exactly that.

I shrugged. “People do it all the time. Isn’t that what a one night stand is?”

She tipped her head briefly. “Well, yes, I suppose. But there tends to be some measure of attraction and lots of alcohol.”

“I’m sure I can manage the latter,” I deadpanned.

“Okay, so how does it work exactly?”

I settled into my seat. "I had to post pictures of myself on the website – all angles, scars included. Apparently if you aren’t truthful about your appearance, you can forfeit the auction.”

“And what if you’re not a virgin?”

“Oh, you have to provide medical proof.”

"Rose," she said, her skin paling by the second. "How does one prove one hasn’t been tampered with?"

I cocked my head. "What’s with the ‘one’ all of a sudden?"

"Just answer the question, Rose."

I sighed. "Private clinics test for that sort of thing," I said with a shrug. "It was super quick, in and out, job done."

Remi stared at me for several long seconds. "Mm. Here’s hoping."

I frowned at her strange comment then blustered ahead. "So anyway, this bidder… he’s bid a lot of money for me."

"For your virginity," she repeated, as if still wrapping her head around the news.

“Yes. Do you want to know how much he’s bid for it?” I couldn’t keep the genuine amazement out of my voice.

Remi’s eyes half-lidded, like she was running all out of patience. "Go on."

I pressed my lips together. "Guess."

“Are you kidding me? This is too much, Rose. I don’t want to play.”

I ignored her eyeroll. “Go on, guess.”

She sighed and fell back in her chair throwing her arms up in the air. “I don’t know, five hundred quid.”

“Higher.”

---