Chapter 3
Eden
“I’m excited,” she confessed in the elevator leading up to one of the highest floors in the building. “I’ve wanted to come here ever since I first heard about it.”
She remained entwined with Liam, who was her date that night. While he had been a bit withdrawn during dinner, he was more than happy to take Eden out to one of her bucket list places ever since Blair told her all about it.It’s happening! Yay!Was she dressed up enough? How did her makeup look? Her hair? She was about to enter a place full of beautifulwomen,with one of the most charmingmenaround, and… eek!
“Glad I could get us a reservation, then. But I hear Sunday night is easier than Saturday.”
“Good thing you don’t work on Mondays like a lot of hardworking guys.”
“Well, I work a lot on Sundays. So, there’s that.”
“But you didn’t work today.”
“Nope. Guess not.”
The doors opened. The two of them walked out together, still entwined.I don’t know what I expected, but…An elegantly ornate sign pointed the way down the hall, but otherwise, it looked like any other apartment building. From what Eden understood, this whole building used to be condos before the real estate market took a turn, and certain floors were rezoned for light commercial use. One of the main investors of La Mariposa owned this whole floor and had created two, maybe three businesses that were open to discerning clients.
The main one was a place called Le Salon, a converted apartment that now acted as an erotic lounge, complete with sexy hostesses and plenty to drink in a lush environment. That was what they were treated to when they turned the corner and saw a bouncer standing outside the only door. He welcomed them from behind his podium, and once he cross-checked their reservation, he opened the door to welcome them in.
Eden could hardly contain her excitement. Shealmostfelt bad for not telling Liam that one of the reasons she wanted to check this place out was because she had thought about working here, but was taking Blair’s advice to see it for herself first.
Blair was not working that night. She had a separate work gig at someone’s birthday party in New York City, which, according to her, would probably get “so wet and wild I’ll be lucky if my nipples survive,” whatever that meant. But Eden knew this was the perfect opportunity to see how Le Salon worked without being embarrassed around her friend.
Their hostess was a curvy raven-haired woman named Diva, whose black lacy negligee was offset by a twilight-blue robe that fluttered around her ass and held up her breasts as if she expected everyone to dine off them.Don’t mind if I do? I mean, they’re flat enough on the top.Could probably hold a whole plate of spaghetti!
Diva showed them to a corner in the main room, where Eden got the seat by the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown while a leafy green plant brushed the top of her head. Liam crowded in next to her while Diva took her throne in a midcentury armchair that looked like it had held many a luscious ass over the years.
Her main job was to titillate and discourse with them, but she also encouraged them to buy drinks for both themandher. Liam ordered a bottle of expensive wine and insisted that Diva have some. It was delivered in fewer than five minutes.
This isn’t so different from La Mariposa.One of the assignments had been hosting parties and gatherings, after all.Except we can’t have sex with her.Honestly, Eden liked that part. It was clear, from her discerning eye, that Diva approached this job as a sex worker – she might have even had some “clients” on the side who first met her here. But the fake flirtations, the romantic conversation topics, and the encouraging ofdrink, drink, drink my pretties!was very on brand for a courtesan. Oh, and the lingerie. And the makeup. And the pearly-white teeth.
Liam was smitten in that adorably innocent way. His hand was always either entwined with Eden’s or looped around her waist as they spoke of their jobs, recent vacations, and what they thought of the city. Diva had some interesting recommendations for clubs and restaurants, and for Eden, a stylist who could “take her hair to the next level.”
Liam also spilled the beans about Eden being a Butterfly. Diva’s interest was piqued, and she didn’t hesitate to lean in to askallabout it. Luckily, Eden was in the mood to swap industry secrets, and Liam had the sense not to mention that was where he and Eden had met. In fact, it was the perfect time for him to excuse himself while his girlfriend talked about having sex with other men.Benson. Benson is “other men.”But Diva didn’t know that.
In turn, Eden wanted to know about being a hostess, especially since it appealed to her as a profession. She didn’t mention that she and Blair were friends, but Diva namedropped her.
“Can you imagine being gay working here?” Diva offhandedly said. “And she totally kills it. All the dudes areconvincedthat she wants them. Imagine what you could do, especially with your experience and a body like that.”
Eden blushed. “You think I got the body for it?”
“Girl, you were a fucking Butterfly.”
“If you have ever been there, you know it’s all kinds of body types there.” She thought of Monarch, who was old enough to be her mother and had the kind of plastic surgery that often got lambasted in group chats.Men still wanted her.Especially the young men, Eden had noticed.
“I don’t think I could be a Butterfly, personally,” Diva mused, “but maybe I’ll follow in Blair’s footsteps and be one of the support girls. I should tell the boss I’m interested.”
“Youdolook great in black.”
“Don’t I?”
Eden made sure that Liam gave Diva a fantastic tip after they left, if only because they hadn’t bought anything besides the bottle of wine. “Wasn’t it fun?” she asked her boyfriend as they rode the elevator down to the parking garage. “I liked her.”
“She was very enigmatic. And I don’t just mean the cleavage. That was to die for.”
“Could you see me doing a job like that?” Eden pushed up against Liam. “Dressing like I’m in my boudoir while entertaining men with big pockets like you.”
