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Chapter One: Eve
The Bidding
I rotate the gold ring on my index finger once,twice, spinning it to focus my thoughts from the conversations going on around me in the studio where I, and nine other women, are being prepped like show cattle. Given a team of stylists and makeup artists, we’re dressed up like the playthings we’re about to be for a group of men who belong to the world’s top one percent.
“Whatever the games entail, I’m positive I’ll win,” Stella, a woman who boasts just as much as she complains, says from behind me.
I roll my eyes at her innate arrogance. None of us have any idea what we’re getting into. We know we’ve agreed to a game of a sexual nature—the rules were in the non-disclosure agreement we all signed to get here, along with the fine print that if we opt out of any of the games presented to us, it’s an immediate disqualification—and we’re all vying for the same large sum of money that’s been promised to the winner.
There are as many diverse backgrounds in the other nine Players as there are in their appearances, as well as a wide spectrum of personalities and attitudes. The boat ride to this remote tropical island was enough time for me to observe most of their tendencies.
“That’s rich coming from someone as argumentative as you,” Monica, someone who is less insufferable than Stella, but equally as difficult to get along with, says.
“Don’t be such a bitch, Monica. That’s not the kind of attitude that’ll win you the money.”
The money. Five million dollars, to be exact. An amount that can go a long way for someone like me.
I turn the ring on my finger again in a full circle, a reminder of why I’m here and why I need to win.
I tune them out, run my thumb over the golden band.
“That’s a pretty ring,” a soft voice says beside me. “Are you married?” Lily, a woman who’s too reserved for her own good, asks.
“Nope,” I say, giving her the courtesy of meeting her gaze despite my short answer.
“Are you nervous?” she asks, the words coming out on a strangled sigh.
I’ll admit to myself therearesome nerves surrounding the coming events, but I won’t confess that out loud. It’s reasonable to be nervous about any type of unknown. It’s the body’s instinct, after all. “Not particularly,” I tell her.
“I’m not as experienced as everyone else,” Lily says, and at first I don’t understand what she means by it, then I realize. With my line of work, my level of experience wasn’t something I’d considered to be a source of nerves for these games. When I got the offer from Carrick—the wealthy regular client who recruited me for the games—it was a no brainer on whether I’d accept. It was just another job, but with extra expectations and for amuchlarger amount of money.
The memory of Carrick’s voice rings through my head.
“You’ll be my girl, and we’ll win together. It’ll be easy.”He trails lazy fingers down my spine. I lay on my stomach next to him in the bed of the hotel room he got for us. He’s handsome, in a rich boy sort of way where you know his father owns a big boat and a house in Malibu. Sandy blonde hair, blue eyes, perfectly white teeth. He’s in his thirties, his eyes crinkle when he smiles. I’ve enjoyed my time with him. He’s been a stable client, one who doesn’t try anything funny, except for when he first brought up these games.
My knee jerk reaction was to run.
“There’s a lot of money involved.”
He knew that would get me. I was never one to turn down money. I need it if I’m going to free my father.
“How much?” I ask in a voice barely above a whisper, trying hard not to show my eagerness, playing it cool.
Carrick sees right through me. He smiles, a toothy white grin. “Five million, sweetheart.”
My heart nearly jumps from my chest. “What do I have to do to win?”
Tucking a strand of dark hair behind my ear, he says in a sultry voice, “Nothing you aren’t already doing.”
I know there are some mutual nerves among the other women over who the Advocates are. Aside from me knowing Carrick, the identities of those who will be bidding on us, and who we will be pleasing to win, has been kept secret.
Lily gnaws on her full bottom lip. She’s a pretty girl with long, sandy blonde hair and a delicate spray of freckles across her nose. I have no doubt they’ll eat her up, especially with those wide hazel eyes and long lashes. I’ve known other high-end escorts that played into their innocent looks, behaving reserved for those who liked to play into the coaxing role.
Turning to face her, I say, “Don’t worry about being like these other girls.” I nod my head toward the other eight across the room, sitting in their assigned chairs, each placed in front of their own vanity mirror. “You have something they don’t.”
“What would that be?” she practically scoffs, a silent fire brewing beneath those eyes that I’m only just catching onto now. It only further enforces what I begin to believe about her.
“You notice how they all have a sense of desperation on them, both for the content of the games and their prize?” I ask her.
