“Sure, and would she be needing anything?” one of the ladies ask, turning to me. I feel over-dressed in my sleeveless silk navy blue plunge cowl neck dress that clings to my body like a second glove.
“She doesn’t need anything or anyone.” His tone firm.
One of the ladies rolls her eyes at me. The other swipes Daniel’s card and hands it back.
“I see you finally decided to show up,” says a voice behind us. “And you brought a flavor.”
I feel Daniel tense next to me. I turn to the voice and see the lawyer that was next to him in court weeks ago. Her smile fades when she sees me. Daniel turns and doesn’t say a word in response to her. He holds tighter to me and leads us towards another elevator. I want so much to say something, but I remain quiet. We take the elevator five floors up and arrive on the floor with all gray décor with slow music blasting. There’s no one in the halls, and I need not imagine what’s happening behind the closed doors. The screams and heavy body pounding are clear.I trust Daniel, my subconscious reminds.
We get to the room, and he ushers me in. I look around the slightly dim room that’s decorated in gray and white, a king-size bed facing a large, closed gray curtain.
“Wait for me in here. Do not leave this room. There’s a bathroom to the left,” he points, “and a drink in fridge. I have told them we don’t need anything, so no one besides me should come into this room.”
I nod, taking a seat on the bed. My mouth feels dry.
“Can I open the curtain? It’s a bit dim for my liking.”
He comes closer to me and raises my chin up to look at him.
“I’m sorry about this, Anu. Please, don’t open the curtain. I promise to be back, and we can go on our date in.” He looks at his watch. “Thirty minutes tops. But, please, stay in here and do not touch a thing.”
He kisses my lips and turns towards the door. He turns the light to full, so the room isn’t dim anymore.
He leaves, locking the door behind him.
I can hear the sexual throes from the surrounding rooms. I reach to grab my phone and realized I must have left it in Daniel’s car. Great, now I must stay here, bored, for thirty minutes.
I lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling like it has musical notes for me to study.
Not sure how long I was in the same position. I hear the door click. I rise to a sitting position with a smile. Only my smile fades when one of the menacing guys from downstairs, the lawyer lady, one of the ladies at the desk earlier tonight, and an older-looking white male in dress pants only, a hairy chest and large beer belly. I look at them, unsure what to say as I scramble to my feet.
“You need to leave this room,” the lawyer lady says, hands resting on her waist with a scorn at me in her tight leather micro mini dress, with boobs about to spill out.
“Daniel will be back soon. He told me not to leave this room.” My heart is pounding so hard, I’m beginning to shake.
She gives a sad chuckle.
“Daniel left, and you are going to spend the night with Jude here.” The older white male steps forward, and I take steps back.
“Daniel would never leave me,” I challenge. The Lawyer lady has a conspiratorial grin on her face, enough for me to not believe any word coming out of her mouth, not like I believed it to begin. “Can you please get him?”
The lawyer laughs again. The desk lady is avoiding eye contact and not looking at me.
“You must think you are special, but you are not. This is Daniel’s MO. He has already collected the money from Jude for a night with you. Besides, his card didn’t go through for this expensive room. It was all pretense to get you here.”
“That’s not true, he wouldn’t leave me here and he would never trade me for money,” I snap.
She snickers like the joke’s on me. Her malicious eyes and mouth can’t convince me that Daniel would do that to me. I trust him completely, her not at all.
The Jude guy move closer, and I move back again. He tries to grab me and I instinctively hit him in the face. He staggers back with a cry of pain.
“Don’t touch me,” I yell at him. “I’m not for sale!”
“Grab her,” the lawyer says to the menace looking tattooed guy.
I attempt to kick him, and he blocks it. He grabs my arm, and I punch his face. No way will I leave without a fight.
“She’s a feisty one; I’m going to enjoy taming her,” says the Jude guy with a laugh. The tattoo covered guy tries to twist my arm.
