A strange calm had come over her that day. Leading up to Monday, she’d been a nervous mess. She thought of her decision almost every waking moment that on numerous occasions throughout the week, she’d almost cancelled her visit. But that same reason why she’d called in the first place always stopped her: she didn’t want to be afraid anymore.
So she never made that call to Madame Allegria’s. She never even told Genni that she’d booked a visit with a Krave and she didn’t know why. And when the day finally came, Eve felt…relaxed.
She didn’t understand it, but she wasn’t going to question it. She figured she’d simply run through the extent of her nerves.
At exactly six in the evening, she received an alert on her Nu device that her transportation had just pulled up outside her townhouse. With a deep breath and one last look in the mirror in her bedroom, she left her home and got inside the driverless car, pressing the glowing blue button on the inside of the door to signal that she was ready to depart. Immediately, she was in motion and she blew out a steady breath, looking out the window of the car but not truly seeing anything.
They arrived at Madame Allegria’s in less than ten minutes. The driverless car parked itself right outside the two buildings she’d seen the week before. The dark alley between them greeted her as she climbed from the car on surprisingly steady legs.
The sky of Everton showed that it was twilight, projections of stars just beginning to twinkle and the lamps that illuminated the streets were flickering to life. Except for a woman walking towards Restaurant Row, she was the only one on the short street, which was called London Street.
Eve’s legs carried her to the alley and the echo of her heeled shoes on the smooth cobblestones was the only thing she heard…other than the blood rushing under her skin. Because underneath her muted nerves, she felt…anticipation. Would she finally experience sex that night? Intimate touch? Or would she choose to take it slower?
There was a nondescript wooden door at the end of the alley. A golden circle with the initials ‘MA’ was imbedded in the wood and before Eve even had time to wonder if she should knock, the door opened from the inside.
The girl she recognized from her first call to Madame Allegria’s stood on the threshold. She looked a little younger than Eve’s age, with blonde hair and green eyes. She wore the same pleasant smile on her face from the call.
“Miss Tesler?” she asked.
Eve nodded, her hands giving a faint tremble. “Yes.”
“Welcome,” she said, stepping back and gesturing inside. “Please come in.”
The lantern just above the door flickered on, casting a golden glow on the stoop, as Eve stepped inside. The foyer inside was dimly lit, growing darker as the girl closed the heavy door behind her. But as her eyes adjusted, she saw it was tastefully and expensively furnished with Old Earth antiques.
“My name is Valerie,” the girl said, walking around a black wood desk at the base of an impressive and grand staircase.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Eve murmured, feeling out of place and unsure what to say as she approached. It was her first time ever interacting with someone who worked at a brothel.
“I’m Madame Allegria’s assistant. Since you are a new client, anything that you might require or any concerns you have will be directly reported to me,” Valerie told her.
“Alright,” Eve said softly, her eyes briefly straying past Valerie to dart up the staircase. Was that where the Krave stayed?
Valerie pulled out a Nu tablet and handed it to her. On the screen was a contract of some kind and when Valerie saw Eve’s confusion, the woman said, “We are under legal obligation to collect your consent due to the delicate nature of the business. I am required to tell you that all our employees have proper and valid visas from the Earth Council and are compensated half of all client payments. There is also a section in the contract that states our privacy policy and that we do not share the names of our clients unless the United Worlds requests the information specifically. You can sign at the bottom once you’re ready and I will send a copy to your Nu device.”
Eve swallowed, glancing down at the contract. As she scrolled with her fingertips, she saw it was relatively short and that it stated everything that Valerie told her. After a brief, silent moment, Eve signed where prompted and then handed the device back to Valerie.
“Excellent,” Valerie chirped. “The second half of your payment has already been withdrawn from your account. You will be going up to the third floor for your visit this evening.”
Eve sucked in a breath. “W-which door?”
“There is only one door on the third floor,” Valerie said with a small smile. “As with every visit, you can stay the night with your Krave if you wish. To recover.” Eve jolted. She could? “We just ask that you are ready to depart before eight tomorrow morning and we will have a car ready to take you home.”
Eve’s terrified expression must’ve been apparent on her face.
“Don’t be nervous, Miss Tesler,” Valerie said softly. “All of the Krave are very accommodating to their client’s needs. You have nothing to fear. You will be well looked after,” she added.
Eve would’ve blushed if she wasn’t so nervous. All of the nerves from that day—or lack of—were starting to accumulate all at once.
“I just…go up?”
Valerie walked around the desk and gestured for her to follow. Tucked away behind the grand stairwell was an elevator. An Old Earth elevator with a metal gate and a velvet interior, so unlike the sleek, glass pods in Everton’s Downtown buildings. Valerie opened the gate and then stepped away so Eve could enter.
“If you require anything, please tell your Krave. He will see to your needs,” Valerie said. And right before she closed the latticed gold gate of the elevator, she added, “Just go right in the room. He’ll be waiting for you.”
And then the door slid smoothly closed, leaving Eve inside, alone. With shaking fingers, Eve pressed the third floor button on the elevator panel and she heard a gentle humming sound as the elevator rose. All too soon, a brightdingsounded and the doors opened towards a dark, red velvet-lined hallway which led to a single wooden door.
Before she knew it, her feet were in motion, her heeled shoes silent on the carpeted hallway. Nervously, she smoothed her damp palms down the silk of her dress, trying to distract herself by looking at the Old Earth lanterns and smoothing her fingers over the red velvet wall.
