Chapter 2: A Complimentary Service
1259 Words
Across from me, Delilah had her head down, covering her face, while the young man beside her was stifling his laughter, his shoulders trembling.
Before I could figure out what was so funny, the man next to me suddenly leaned down, bringing his mouth close to my ear. His voice was deep and rich, like the sound of a saxophone, sexy enough to make my heart skip a beat. He whispered through gritted teeth, "Fine, eight hundred it is. Your place or mine?"
I blurted out without thinking, "The school dorms don't allow outsiders."
I have no idea what I was thinking. Of course, we should go to a hotel. My credit card could still be swiped, and I could always pay it off next month.
I hurriedly added, "We can go to a hotel..."
Before I could finish, he interrupted, "Are you even of legal age?"
People often mistake me for a high school student, so I'm pretty practiced at pulling out my ID. I held it up beside my face, "See, I turned 20 today." I slurred, earnestly proving my age.
"Do you know what you're doing?" He hooked his finger under my chin, lifting it to meet his gaze.
Despite the slight buzz in my head, I was still very clear-minded, "I'm bargaining."
He laughed, "I'm asking, what do you want me to do for the money you're paying?"
What to do? Obviously, adult things. But I was too embarrassed to say it out loud, so I stammered, "Things I haven't done before..."
Then, to ease my worry, I quickly added, "You do have experience, right?"
He suddenly pulled me into his arms, his lips brushing against my ear as he spoke in a hoarse voice, "I do, and I'll make sure you're satisfied."
He smelled faintly of cologne mixed with his natural scent. I finally understood what people meant by the scent of hormones.
"This is all for today; we'll discuss the rest next time. I..." He glanced at me, his lips curling up slightly, "have to go put a little one to bed."
The man across from us politely said, "You go ahead; I'll stay a bit longer."
The man holding me started to walk out, but Delilah stopped us, "Wait a minute." She said, "It's her birthday today, and I promised I'd cover the bill." With that, she pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to the man beside me.
"You two sure have a deep sisterly bond." The man was amused but didn't take the money. Instead, he turned to the young man who had been stifling his laughter and said, "Ian, take the money and make sure that girl next to you gets home."
After a pause, he added with a bit of exasperation, "If... if she tries to haggle, make sure you don't agree. You're young; you can charge full price." Ian's laughter immediately stopped.
Without giving me a chance to react, the man pulled me out of the bar.
He half-dragged me to the entrance, where I kept grinning foolishly at him, "You're even more handsome than Adrian."
He smirked, but then I added, "Too bad you're a bit older." His face darkened.
He made a call, and two minutes later, a long black car pulled up in front of us. He led me to the back seat.
"To the Hilton Hotel," he instructed the driver, then pressed a button by the door, raising a divider between us and the front.
"Wow, rideshares are really fancy these days," I mumbled, my head spinning, eyes barely open.
He pulled me closer, resting my head on his lap, "If you're tired, just sleep. Don't force yourself to stay awake."
Obediently, I closed my eyes and quickly drifted off.
I don't know how much time passed, but I vaguely felt someone carrying me out of the car. I didn't want to open my eyes, so I just snuggled into his shoulder and continued sleeping, just like how my dad used to carry me when I was a kid, tired from playing outside.
In my hazy state, I felt someone undressing me, and I instinctively started to resist. The voice I liked so much whispered in my ear, "Don't move. You need to take a bath."
Bath... I do need a bath. I obediently let him do as he pleased.
It wasn't until he had stripped me completely and placed me in the bathtub that I woke up. "Ah~ You took off all my clothes?" I screamed, horrified, curling up and covering my chest with both arms.
"Of course, how else would you bathe? Don't worry; this service is on the house." He said it so seriously that it almost made sense.
As my consciousness slowly returned, I remembered—Delilah had paid... No, Delilah had hired a man for me.
I forced a dry smile, "Haha~ So it's complimentary, huh?" I couldn't back down now that I was already naked.
I sat up straight and turned to look at the man by the bathtub. He seemed to have already bathed, wearing only a towel around his waist. His body was well-defined, with a chiseled chest, eight-pack abs, and a V-line.
I couldn't help but swallow hard. That face and body were definitely worth Delilah's thousand bucks. He was indeed a professional.
I glanced down at my own B-cup chest and felt a bit insecure. Then I thought, I'm the client here, what right does he have to be picky?
It seemed like he could tell I was feeling self-conscious, so he chuckled softly, "I don't mind that you're small."
My face instantly turned red. Being naked in front of a stranger, even if I was the one who hired him, still felt incredibly awkward.
But he seemed completely unfazed, rubbing body wash in his hands as he started to help me bathe.
"I... I can actually wash myself," I mumbled weakly.
"It's fine, this service is also complimentary," he replied, still professional and businesslike.
He was so dedicated that I had no idea where to go to leave him a five-star review.
His movements were very gentle, washing me while engaging in light conversation.
"Is it your birthday today?" His voice was incredibly soothing.
"Yes."
"So, am I your birthday present?" He suddenly leaned in closer, his breath tickling my ear.
"I guess so..."
"Whose idea was it?"
"Delilah's idea." I blurted out, then added, "She meant well. She said finding a more handsome man would help me forget my ex."
"So, you just broke up?" He looked at me with an unreadable expression.
"He was stolen by a rich girl." I could hear the sadness in my voice, thinking about Adrian still hurt.
And then, suddenly, I felt the urge to pour my heart out, "We were together for three years. There were so many girls who tried to pursue him, but he always said he only loved me. But then this girl had only been at our school for three months before she took him away." The more I talked, the more aggrieved I felt, and soon, big tears started rolling down my cheeks.
He didn't say a word, just listened quietly as I rambled on, all while wrapping me in a towel, carrying me over to the bed, and laying me down.
The alcohol had amplified my emotions, and in his arms, I cried uncontrollably.
No amount of comfort from a stranger could ease the pain of three years of love.
No matter how handsome he was.
- Writer
