Francesca
“Are you absolutely positive you want to do this?”I asked my sister in a quiet whisper.Brittany was currently setting up in Felicia's room.I was giving Felicia's hair a bit of a trim before she went out there.Her hair was a little longer than mine.And we didn't want to take the chance on Aldo noticing.We needed Felicia to look exactly like me tonight.
“It's not a big deal, Franny,” she whispered right back with a shrug.“Not like it's anything I haven't done before.”
I bit my lip and nodded.I looked into the bathroom mirror at us.Other than the obvious bruising on my face, we looked like mirror images of each other.My hair was in better condition.Thicker.Healthier.
Mostly because I didn't do anything to it other than put it in a ponytail for work.Felicia, on the other hand, often curled or straightened her hair, exposing it to heat more often than I did.
I didn't think Aldo would notice anything like that.Especially after Brittany did whatever she was going to do to Felicia's hair.
“I know that.But this is different.This isn't someone you want to sleep with.And you won't even know who it is until he buys you.”Just the thought of some gross guy bidding on my sister disgusted me.But the thought of him taking her home and—sleeping with her gave me the ick.
She was the one who came up with this plan, though.Not me.Not our father.
Felicia offered to “take one for the team.”Her words, not mine.
“Spoiler alert, Franny.”She smiled at me in the mirror.“I haven't wanted to fuck a lot of the guys I've fucked.But they expect it.And if it gets me closer to a payday, then so be it.This is nothing different.Some guy with too much money will wine me, dine me—and probably not sixty-nine me.And then we'll go on our merry way.Aldo will get paid off.Dad won't get—dead.And you won't have to worry about losing your virginity to some old loser whose mother didn't hug him enough.”
I closed my eyes and let my forehead rest on her shoulder.“I feel terrible.I don't want you to do this.”
Felicia laughed quietly and turned around to hug me.“There's no other way.You got beat up pretty bad.This is the least I can do to pitch in.”
I wrapped my arms around her and squeezed.She smelled like the flowery shampoo and conditioner I bought last week.Her breath still smelled of cigarettes.I let go and put down the scissors and comb and grabbed her toothbrush.After I squeezed a good amount of toothpaste on it, I handed it to Felicia.“Remember, no smoking,” I reminded her.
She gave me a mean look and took the toothbrush from me.“You know that's the worst part of this whole thing, right?”She started brushing her teeth.
I laughed.
Because of the absurdity of this situation.
Because my sister was “taking one for the team,” which she didn't do very often.
And because I was really freaking relieved that this entire disaster would be over with by tomorrow morning.And then I was going to pack up and skip town.
“Thank you, Fee.I'll never forget this,” I whispered to my sister.And I wouldn't forget her volunteering to sleep with another man.For me.Not as long as I lived.
She finished brushing her teeth and tossed the toothbrush into the holder.Then she looked at me.“Damn right you won't forget.”
We hugged one more time before she slipped out of the bathroom.I was to stay hidden in my room until she left.So, that was exactly what I did.
I could hear Fee and Brittany talking in her room.They seemed to be getting along well.Ninety minutes or so later, I received a text from Fee.
I raised my eyebrows when I opened it.
She'd taken a picture of herself.Or more likely—Brittany had taken it for her.
Fee looked hot.Like—really hot.She wore a sexy white bustier with matching stockings on her long legs.White high heels made her several inches taller.
Brittany did a fantastic job on her makeup.If Fee didn’t have dozens of men begging at her feet, I’d be surprised.
I texted her back, “Holy hotness!!”Her hair was out to there, and Brittany had given her a smoky eye the likes I'd never seen.
“I know,” was all Fee texted back with a laughing emoji.
My stomach started getting nervous.
This was almost done.
