Sinful Duties Free Preview

I refresh the web page a few times just to make sure that the balance online is correct. My heart drops as the amount remains the same, I have £4.82 to my name. I knew that being on my own would be hard while I was at university but I didn't realise that I would go broke so quickly. I wouldn't be getting another paycheck for 4 days and even with that it just covered my rent and a little bit of my food. My family had their own financial stress to worry about so I couldn't exactly ask them for money.

However, I don't have much time to dwell on this as I can't be late for my next lecture or else I will get in a lot of trouble. I stand up from the seated position in my bed and pull on a white blouse and a pair of black jeans. I have yet to do my laundry in the damp laundry room in the basement of my building and these are the only clean pair of pants I have. I take a quick look in the mirror before I leave, my long brown hair is a bit of a mess so I pull it into a tight bun to bring it out of my face. To be honest, I could have put more effort into how I looked and if I did, I probably wouldn't look too bad. The thought of makeup was intimidating as I had no clue how to use the stuff, I wouldn't even know where to begin. I sigh and grab my shoulder bag, ensuring that my laptop was inside as well as my books before making sure to lock the door behind me and head down the street.

Immediately I can tell that the jeans are a complete mistake, its the middle of summer in London and the heat on the backs of my legs makes me sweat all the more. The university campus is only a few streets away so its easy to walk there, I have no choice as I don't have a car and I personally don't like the busses here. I quicken my pace as the final few students enter the stuffy lecture hall and take their seats, I hurry up the back and sit down next to my good friend Poppy.

"Hey gorgeous" She smiles as I put down my stuff next to hers on the floor, grabbing out my books.

"Hey girl, new bag?" I whisper smiling back at her. She nods grinning and reaches down to feel the material of her obviously designer red leather tote bag. It's beautiful, and the third new bag I've seen her with this month. In fact, most of her clothes are new and she even has a new watch that sparkles in certain lights.

"My daddy got it for me" She leans over in her seat to get closer to me. Her answer confuses me.

"Your father is a mechanic how could he afford all this?" I gesture towards her attire. I mean sure her father owned the mechanic's shop but surely they didn't make that much money right?

She laughs quietly, not worried about the lecturer at the front of the room who is answering someone's question, clearly oblivious to all the noise in the hall. "Not my father, my daddy" She grins at my confused reaction. "I'll explain after class" And with that, she turns her head forward and looks at the lecturer, who has cleared his throat and begun to speak to the rest of the room.

"What do you mean your daddy buys you this stuff?" I pull my bag over my shoulder and quicken my pace trying to keep up with her long confident strides, her heels clicking each time she hits the pavement.

"You can't judge me when I tell you okay?" She asks quietly as we sit down on the steps of the library. I nod quickly, why would I judge her? I pull my Danteet tighter around my body as a cool chill brushes past me.

She sighs quietly. "Okay so basically I was in a tough spot for money a month ago and I saw an ad online for girls who need money. It's this totally legit agency, kind of like a matchmaking service. They take girls who need cash and older guys with money to spare and match them. It's like dating but you actually make money out of it." She takes in my shocked reaction which I have attempted to keep to a minimum. She hadn't even mentioned to me that she was dating anyone, let alone that it was someone older.

"Basically, I'm his 'girlfriend'. You know, we go to dinners, art galleries, functions. Some of them want to show off a pretty girl on their arm, others just like the company of younger girls. Either way, I get paid nearly four times what I would have been getting paid waitressing."

"Wait, have you quit your job?" I ask her and she nods. Poppy had a job on the weekends at a cafe, she always used to moan about how crappy it was. When she stopped mentioning how sore her feet were or how obnoxious some customers were I just figured she had a good shift.

"Is it just one guy?" I'm worried my friend has turned herself into a professional prostitute.

She giggles. "It's just one guy. His name's Adan, he works in investments. He's in his late thirties I think, he's actually kind of funny which is good or else it would be a total drag"

"Wow that's um, that's interesting" I finally speak after a long period of silence. I don't know if one guy makes it better or worse. I can see the appeal of it all, and Poppy's drop dead gorgeous. She's tall and slim with dark tan skin and bright blue eyes; guys have always fallen at her feet so I can imagine some gross old guy paying for her to hang out with him.

"Its not as bad as you think. He gives me a choice in what we do and he never pressures me into doing things. Plus he really showers me in gifts as you can clearly see. If I ever want or need anything, all I have to do is ask." As if on cue, my stomach grumbles loudly. Poppy knows I have been having money problems for quite a while now, she was the only one I confided in, even I owed her some money for things here and there that she insisted she could afford. Now I know how she could actually afford them.

"You could do it too!" She grins softly, reaching over to grab my hands. "They would love me so much if I brought some more business!" Business? I'm not a prude or anything but I didn't think I would ever be in this desperate of a situation to think that this was a good idea.

"No I couldn't" I recoil and take my hands back frowning. God, it would be good to have some money though, but not like this.

"Come on Amelia you are starving. You haven't been able to afford food for gods sakes, the paycheck they are giving you at the diner barely covers anything and most of your money goes on rent for that shitty apartment of yours. This is a good opportunity. I'll make sure they give you a really sweet guy, they'll do it because I brought them you. Plleeaaaasssseee"

I bite my lip and think, my best friend was pimping me out to some rich unknown stranger who I hadn't even met yet. And what if I got a bad one? Surely not all of these guys are doing this sort of thing for the right reasons, there must be some bad apples in the bunch. I don't want to be a story on the news; my lifeless body washing up on the Thames months after I go missing while on a date with a 50-year-old pervert. And if my parents ever found out about it they would be so disappointed in me, I would be disappointed in me.

But I am so broke and so hungry, it would be nice to have a bit of extra money. And what if everything went great? What if; Poppy and I had enough money to actually enjoy living in London . Going to Selfridges to shop before eating lunch at fabulous restaurants, my stomach gives a low grumble in agreement; 'that would be nice'. I really don't know why I'm considering this; it feels like both a terrible idea and a no brainer all at the same time. I'm so confused, and still so hungry. What's the harm in just seeing what it's all about?

"I'll meet with them, I'm not saying yes yet" I sigh as she claps her hands happily.

"Fantastic! Let's go get you into something sexy and I'll take you to their offices" She stands and picks up her things.

"Wait, right now? You want to take me there right now?" I stand with her and quickly pull my bag back onto my shoulder. I have no more classes for the day, but this is all happening too fast.

"You are wasting away by the minute, the sooner we get you all ready the better" She practically drags me off the steps and books it to my apartment. The whole way she's talking me through her vision for my look. Poppy gets like this sometimes; she talks at a rapid fire pace not because she is trying to have a conversation with you, but because her brain is running at a thoUK nd miles an hour and her lips are trying to keep up.

It doesn't take long for us to get there, and when we do get there she is all business. I am ordered to climb into the shower and start shaving and shampooing as soon as we get inside. Thank god I paid my power bill this month, having to shower for something this important under cold water would have been quite horrible.

Whilst I do this, Poppy digs through my closet to find me something to wear down to the 'offices'. When I do climb out, she has a short blush pink dress waiting for me and a pair of skyscraper heels, I wonder idly whereabouts in the mess that is my closet she found all this stuff. I dress quickly and she begins to help me with my makeup, I can't stop fidgeting.

"Would you relax? Everything is going to be fine. They'll get you a good guy I'm sure, guys love the young innocent girl" She reassures me and she brushes through my hair. While she perfects my make-up I try and push away the thoughts in my head; 'you're about to basically walk into a room and allow people to judge you before they sell you off like you're a cow at a livestock auction'.

I nod shyly as she finishes off my make up and steps away from the mirror so I can see myself. I'm unrecognisable, my normally plain and pale skin is now striking, silky smooth and free of any blemishes I had earlier this morning. My brown eyes pop under a heavy application of mascara and my lips are a pale pink covered in a light layer of gloss. When I flutter my eyes, I can see a faint shimmer of pink glitter resting on the top of my eyelids.

"Wow" Is all I can say, how the hell did she do this? She grins at me in the mirror and examines her handiwork.

"I am an artist" She giggles. "Now hurry up, I'm so excited for you" I stand up and wobble slightly in my heels as I take a small bag she has prepared for me and leave my apartment. I try not to wobble like a giraffe on ice as we walk the block to her car. Climbing into the passenger seat is rather difficult, the dress is quite tight and makes navigating my legs into the car without flashing passers-by rather tricky.

The drive takes just under half an hour and I am mostly silent throughout the drive. I am suddenly overwhelmed with nerves. I specifically avoid these sorts of social interactions with people I don't know because of my shyness. I was born shy, I grew up shy and I know for a fact that I will die shy. I have a few close friends and my family; those are the people that I feel I can be myself with, everyone else gives me major anxiety.

We pull up to a small building right in the city centre. It looks like the kind of building a legitimate business is run from, people on the streets below are probably unaware as to what really goes on inside. I climb out hesitantly and try to summon whatever deep hidden confidence I have within myself and follow Poppy up the stairs and into the building. We wait for an elevator to arrive in the mostly vacant lobby and ascend to the 16th floor. She takes the lead and approaches the woman at the front desk when we arrive.

"My friend here is interested in your business" A small smile crosses her face and the woman returns it after she glances at me for a moment before she begins to loudly type on her keyboard.

"Lory will be out shortly, if you'd like to take a seat she'll be out to get you soon" The receptionist warmly tells us and gestures towards a sea of white couches and armchairs. Poppy sits beside me on one of the couches as I take in a deep breath. This is actually happening, what the fuck am I thinking?

The wait seems to take hours instead of minutes, but we finally hear the soft pattering of high heels on the concrete floor. From around the corner, a busty redheaded woman appears and flashes a bright white smile at Poppy who stands up and greets her with a welcoming hug.

"Poppy darling it's so wonderful to see you" Her accent catches me slightly off guard, it's incredibly poised and sophisticated. When I thought we were meeting the woman in charge, I imagined her to be quite rough with a smoker's voice and perhaps a tattoo or two. But this woman appears like any other business woman you would see in London ; dressed in a black pencil skirt and matching blazer with her hair in loose soft curls over her shoulders. As they break their embrace she gives me a warm smile.

"And who is this pretty little flower?" She turns to scan her eyes up and down my body, I wonder what her inner monologue is saying about me.

"This is my good friend Amelia, she's interested in talking about being matched with someone" Poppy proudly responds and places a hand on my shoulder. Lory extends her hand and introduces herself as I shake her hand.

"Amelia, welcome. My name is Grace, I'm the owner of the London Angel Club. Follow me" She turns on her heels and leads both Poppy and me down a long white hallway to an end office. It's very sleek and modern, nothing in the interior design gives any indication as to what this business actually does. "We have over three thoUK nd clients within the London area who use our services" She continues to talk as she gestures for us to sit in front of a large desk across from her in two leather armchairs.

"Our speciality is finding lovely young women like yourself someone to look after you. Someone who will make your life one of enjoyment and wealth and success. Tell me, Amelia, what do you want to do with your life?" The question is a loaded one, one that has been asked to me hundreds of times by relatives and friends.

I've given them all the same answers, a very vague one at that.

"Well, I'm studying business and media at university and..." Lory leans forward in her seat and shakes her head, resting her hands on the large mahogany desk.

"No no, my darling, not what you are doing right now. What is your truest and deepest desire? If the sky were the limit if anything were possible. If you were granted a wish for a life, what would you be doing in it?" I pause for a moment and really think, but the answer comes out of my mouth before I can reel it back in.

"I would love to write; I've always thought it would be incredible to be a screenwriter, you know, writing for television and movies. But I'd also love to write books" My cheeks immediately redden once the words are out. That's not something I've ever told anyone before, not even Poppy knows. I don't want to look over at her and see her reaction, in case she thinks I'm an idiot. Lory grins, this was apparently an answer she wanted.

"Beautiful, just beautiful. And obtainable as well, many of the men are looking for women like you who appreciate the arts. They want someone who sees the world in a unique way and can actually hold an intelligent conversation. You need someone who is able to give you the luxurious life that you deserve; so you don't need to work tireless jobs to pay the bills when you can instead be writing and creating your dream life. I can find you someone really special, Amelia. I can find you someone who will go out of their way to make sure you are treated like a queen. Now doesn't that sound like something you want?" I mentally tell myself not to fidget with my hands and my fingers as she awaits my response. I nod my head, of course that's what I want, I think that's what everyone wants out of life. But not everyone gets it like this.

"Do you have any questions dear?" Lory asks me with a beaming smile. Uh yeah, about a million, but I'm having trouble saying the words.

"Uh, how would this all work? If I decided to do it?" I ask, trying not to mumble my words.

"You would fill out a form telling us about yourself, then we make you a profile and our system will match you with the people we think you would be compatible with. And because I see something in you that just delights me, I would personally go through your matches and choose the one that I think would be best for you" She reaches into her desk drawer and takes out a stack of papers attached to a white clipboard, like one you would fill in at a doctors office.

"Um, one more thing, would I have to be uh, you know, sexual with these men?" My voice stutters as I ask the question and I can feel my cheeks burning red as I watch Grace's reaction, one of slight amusement.

"Well that is something you would need to discuss with your match. If both you and your partner decide that you are happy with your match then you would begin a process of negotiation. This is where we sort out things you are and aren't willing to do, nights you are available for dates, certain rules your match may have for you, that sort of thing. This is also when we discuss what kind of payments you would be getting from your match" She gives me a lot of information in one statement, but one of those bullet points jumps out at me.

"Rules?" I squeak.

"Some of our clients prefer to have a set of rules for their match, a list of personal preferences as to how you would behave with them, what you would wear or eat, things they would allow you t do, etcetera. It's one of the ways we like to make things easier and it does help our matches last for longer than most other agencies; better to get these things out in the open than discover you aren't on the same page" Her lips stretch back into a gentle smile, I take a deep breath. Poppy reaches over to my armchair and gives my hand a soft squeeze.

"I know this is a little scary, but trust me girl, this is going to be the best thing that's ever going to happen to you. You deserve more than what your life has been giving you lately, and it's not like you're doing it all on your own. That's one of the great things that Lory and her team do; they are constantly giving you support and help, they are on your side." Poppy reassures me gently.

"That's right. We are here for you through every step of the way. And if you decide that this isn't for you, then you can walk away at any point" Lory leans her body slightly over the table. I'm very overwhelmed. There is no way that this whole thing is as good as it seems, I can feel from somewhere deep down inside me that this is a bad idea.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Right then, let's get started on the paperwork. We want to have you matched with someone as quickly as possible" Graces slender fingers slide the clipboard she had brought out earlier across the desk in front of us. I reach over and take the clipboard, clicking the pen attached to it before filling in the mandatory questions.

N A M E

D A T E O F B I R T H

A D D R E S S

H E I G H T

W E I G H T

O C C U P A T I O N

E Y E C O L O U R

H A I R C O L O U R

From there the questions get a little bit more personal:

Do you take any recreational drugs?

Tattoos/Piercings?

Number of sexual partners?

Have you lost your virginity?

Do you drink alcohol excessively?

I scribble my answers down on the form as Poppy rejoices in telling Lory about her latest date with Adan. Apparently his next date sounds quite grand.

"Next weekend he's taking me on his boat, I can't tell you the last time I was on a boat!" Poppy squeals with delight as Lory grins, taking a sip of her tea she had brought in by her assistant.

"It's such a beautiful time for it now. Have you finished with that yet Amelia?" I nod my head and hand Lory back the forms, who gives them a quick scan before raising her left eyebrow.

"You're still a virgin?" She asks me quizzically. I nod my head, it's just never happened for me. Guys don't really take an interest in me, I'm sort of invisible to them. Even Poppy beside me is surprised, I look at her and observe her open mouthed expression. Lory hums.

"That's a good thing Amelia, you'll make nearly double what other girls do because of it" Lory flicks back over to the front page and looks at her computer monitor. "All that's left to do is your photos and your measurements. We might as well do them now while I have you here" she stands and gestures for me to stand too.

"Stand over there" she points to a spot by the large window against a plain white wall and I stand in front of it, quickly running my fingers through my hair. I watch as Lory takes out a Polaroid camera and waits for me to stop moving before she takes a photo; whilst waiting for it to print off she directs me further.

"Now smile" I swallow the residual lump that still resides in my throat and smile widely. I've always been told that I have a nice smile but I still feel self conscious about it. When that one prints she takes a few steps back and takes one more before putting the camera back in the drawer.

I stay in the same position as Lory takes out a string of measuring tape and crosses the floor over to me. Standing perfectly still as instructed as Lory stretches the tape across the different areas of my body, noting down numbers on a notepad as she goes.

"Perfect, we're all done. I'll put your profile together this afternoon and will start looking for your match" Lory places the tape back into her drawer and smiles. Poppy claps her hands excitedly and stands up, giving my hand a squeeze before walking around the table to give Lory a hug.

When they've finished their hug, Lory envelops me in a gentle hug and kisses me on both cheeks. "I'll be in touch soon darling" I mumble my thanks to her and collect my things, wandering back down the hallway with Poppy and into the elevator. It's only then that the situation completely dawns on me. What the fuck have I done?

"Cheers, to your new life!" Poppy grins as she holds up her coffee mug filled with red wine in the air to toast to me. I grin gently and clink her cup with mine before taking a sip and immediately scrunching up my face. Poppy insisted that we celebrate me signing up for the London angel club with takeout and wine, but I'm still not a heavy drinker yet. On the other hand; Poppy is a well seasoned pro, taking a large sip and humming in appreciation.

"When you get your first round of money you need to seriously decorate this place" Poppy comments from her seated position on the floor of my living room. I too look around my barren apartment, I still have moving boxes half-filled with things from my move last month. I have no TV, no art, no furnishings. It's bare bones here, I shrug.

"Yeah I could, but I have other things I need to do first. It all depends on how much I get" I've always held the philosophy that you do all the things that you need to do first, then you can have fun. I don't treat myself to anything if I have more pressing matters like bills or loans, and lately I've only had bills and loans to deal with. As a result, I've been living off of bread and pasta the last two weeks, these are dark times.

"But you need to make this place cute if your fella comes around" My stomach churns, I hadn't thought about that part obviously. It is like a proper relationship, he might want to stay the night, he might want to, you know, do stuff. I eat another mouthful of fried rice to avoid lengthening that conversation. We decide to watch some movies before Poppy orders herself a taxi home; given that she polished off 9/10 of the wine and I had three sips that's probably the best idea.

I lay practically restless in bed that night. Every time I close my eyes I picture an ugly older man with a sinister smile presenting me with a diamond necklace. It's quite haunting, I know it's just my subconscious reflecting on the day I've had and the events that took place but it would be great if that stopped.

The next morning I am woken up my my phone buzzing in the bed beside me, I haven't got classes this morning so I've allowed myself to sleep in. It's an unknown number.

"Hello, Amelia speaking"

"Amelia sweetheart it's Grace, how are you?" Graces voice purrs through the phone and I immediately bolt upright, completely awake suddenly.

"H-hi Lory I'm fine, how are you?"

"Very well, your profile has all been finished and I am very pleased to tell you that I have the perfect man for you. Are you available to come into the office to discuss?" My mouth dries up completely and I cough gently.

"Uh yeah sure, I can be there in 2 hours?" I reply as I spring out of bed and hurry over to the bathroom.

"Fantastic, I'll see you then" She ends the call and I immediately call Poppy.

"Hmmmmm" Poppy groans into the other end of the phone as I begin to strip off my clothes ready to climb into the shower.

"Lory says she has a match for me I need you to drive me to the office. I'm meeting her in two hours." I hurriedly tell her as I turn on the water to warm it up. I can hear rustling on the other end.

"Okay I'll be there soon to get you ready, you owe me!" I roll my eyes and tell her goodbye before hanging up and immediately climbing into the shower. I nearly slip over and have to grip onto the shower curtain to stop my feet from disappearing beneath me.

45 minutes later and Poppy has finished applying my makeup and is raiding my wardrobe in search of an appropriate outfit.

"So, she didn't give you any hint about who your match is?" Poppy asks as she holds up a blouse against my chest before shaking her head and placing it back into the wardrobe.

"No, no clue. All she said was that she had the 'perfect man' for me" I reiterate Graces words while I look through my drawers.

"Perfect man huh? Wonder what he's like" She replies dreamily. I know deep down that Lory probably hasn't found 'the one' for me, but if she thinks he's a good match then I'm eager to know why. "How're you feeling?" Poppy interjects my thoughts as she lays out a black summer dress on my bed and waits for my approval. The skirt is nice and floaty while the top half sits snug against my chest giving me a nice shape; not too revealing yet showing a little bit of skin, I nod my head approvingly.

"I'm really nervous, I know I'm probably not meeting him today but still, Lory is kind of intimidating" I admit shyly as I pull the dress over my head and shimmy it down my body.

"No way! Lory is so great, you just don't know her that well yet. Don't worry about trying to impress her you already did yesterday" I raise my eyebrow at her in the mirror as she stands behind me, smoothing out the back of my dress.

"You think so?" I ask.

"Yeah of course! She's looking out for you, she'll find you someone great. If you don't like him, tell her, when she's finding you your match she works for you. Now, what shall we do with your hair?" Upon further discussion, we decide to give it some loose curls to really lean into the 'summer look' we've gone for.

With 15 minutes to spare Poppy has dropped me off at the offices and I ascend up in the elevator alone. Poppy was meeting some friends later and I didn't want to disrupt her entire day, I'll figure out a bus to get home after I meet with Grace. I announce my arrival quietly to the receptionist and no sooner have I sat down than I hear the familiar sound of high heels coming down the corridor.

"Amelia darling, so nice to see you. Thank you for coming on such short notice" I stand up to greet her and she grins as she kisses me on both cheeks and ushers me down the hallway to her office."That's a wonderful outfit, so effortlessly chic" I am about to tell her that I feel very unelegant and unchic when I realise that will make me sound stupid, so instead I mumble my thanks and sit down in one of the armchairs across from her, the same one I was in yesterday.

"Okay then, let's just get straight into it then shall we?" Lory asks as she walks around to her side of the desk. "I'm very excited about this, but if you don't agree then please tell me. So many girls say yes to the first man I put in front of them and then get mad when things go wrong. It's not a perfect system, as hard as I may try, but I do work very hard at making sure everyone involved is happy and comfortable. So, here:" She hands me a slim black folder and I flip it open as she talks.

"His name is Rhodes Whitlock; he's thirty-three, never been married and is quite easy on the eyes, there's a photo in the inside pocket." I take out the polaroid photo and analyse it closely. There is a close up image of him against the same white background, the same photo set up that I did yesterday. A finely groomed mop of thick brown curls sits atop his head while his dark green eyes burn into the picture as though he's staring deep into my soul. He's cleanly shaven with clear tEloised skin, a full set of lips tilted into a half smirk revealing the faint outline of a dimple in his cheek. My insides churn within my stomach and I feel myself growing rather warm, he really is something.

"He operates the chain of Arcadia Hotels, there are over a dozen of them all around the world, quite nice places to stay very luxurious." Lory continues. "Work keeps him busy, he's often travelling so he likes to have someone who is available to him when he is back here in London . He's driven, hardworking and knows what he wants and how to get it. Some people would say that he can be kind of intense, but that's just one side of him and I'm sure that's reserved for business. Now, you aren't exactly, his type" She pauses. I look back up at her and raise my eyebrow, well why the hell am I even here then?

"He normally likes the girls who are a bit more out there, a little adventurous you could say. A man like him, he goes to a lot of parties and events and he wants someone who can keep up socially. But I think you two could be quite good together, in a way I believe you will balance one another out. I want him to have a sweet, kind, lovely girl like you who can soften him up a little, bring a bit of lightness to him. He's been all about work for so many years, it's time that he loosens up a little" I nod along as I listen to her, I know that this is a waste of time now. I'm not his type; this guy's usual type is probably model thin and celebrity gorgeous, and that is definitely not me.

"I've shown him your profile, and your photo. He is quite curious to meet you if you want to meet him of course?" Lory asks as I look through the forms he has filled out. He's indicated that he has tattoo's, I wonder where and what of? My eyes find their own way back to the Polaroid, he stares back into mine with an almost uncomfortable intensity.

"W-what would that mean, if we met? Like where would it happen and when?" Grace's lips form a smirk as she mistakes my nerves for excitement.

"Eager huh? He's quite the looker, isn't he? The sooner the better, he's in town now and will certainly have to go to one of his other hotels soon. Shall I give him a call and see when he's available?" She doesn't wait for a response before she picks up the phone and begins to dial, checking her computer screen to ensure she has the right number.

"Mr Whitlock?... Hello, this is Lory of the London Angel Club how are you?... I'm well thank you. I'm sitting here with Amelia and she is keen to meet you, when and where is suitable for you within the next while?" She pauses and nods along before removing the phone from her ear.

"He can meet you tonight at his hotel" She giggles at my shocked expression and shakes her head. "Not like that sweetie; they have a bar where you two can meet and have a drink. You two can get up to all sorts of things after you've signed your contracts." She gives me a wink and I swallow a large lump in my throat, nodding in response.

"Tonight is perfect...Thank you, Mr Whitlock have a good rest of the day...Goodbye" She puts down the phone with a grin and exhales. "All setup. You're meeting him in the lobby of his hotel at 7 pm however he will send a car to your address at 6:45 to pick you up and take you there. Do not be late, he is a very busy man and being late will be a bad first impression. And wear something young and sweet, perhaps with a little hint of sex appeal? You'll do great." Her grin does not convince me, why can't she do this part for me? I nod and thank her before she escorts me out of the room. In the elevator, I resist the urge to slide down the wall and slump into a ball on the cold hard ground, there is no way that this is going to go well.