It shouldn’t surprise me seeing a white silk dress and a pair of silk shoes waiting for me. Ah! The shoes. I remember them now from the days on the train. Somewhere in my captive year they disappeared. These are not the same sandals, but pumps with four inch heels.
The dress—like a familiar old robe, gives me comfort. And when I see Broc standing at the door, motioning me forward, my heart leaps excitedly. If he were my lover I would be crying. It’s unlikely I’ll ever see him again once the sale is complete. But I’m not his lover, just his w***e.
Entering the auction room, my eyes are instantly blinded by a bank of lights—including a strobe light that makes me look away.
“Face forward,” Broc tells me.
I try, but the miserable light makes my head pound and my eyes water. A few second
