It was two days after the party and I couldn't help replaying the evening over and over again. I think I had made a good impression. Most of the people attending Wyatt's party had been polite if not reserved, casting curious gazes between the two of us. I knew they were curious. Did they know my background? Did they know I wasn't one of them? Had any of them found out that I had sold my virginity to Wyatt for a loan? Did they know that my father had been arrested and would soon stand trial for embezzlement?

It had been a nerve-wracking, anxiety-filled couple of hours, and by the time I told Wyatt that I needed to leave, that I had to be up early the next morning for my shift at work, I felt overwhelmed. I had felt like a princess in that gorgeous dress, even more so when Wyatt saw me, almost doing a double-take. The look in his eyes, the pleasure and pride in them, had warmed me all over, no doubt about it. There was no doubting how Wyatt felt about me at that moment. His mother, on the other hand? She was a hard nut to crack, and certainly not one to display her emotions on her sleeve. I had sensed the hint of disapproval and wondered how much Wyatt told her about me, if anything.

At any rate, I just wanted to go home, relax, and try to clear the cobwebs from my brain, to come down off the adrenaline high I had felt at that party. Maybe a nice long soak in the bathtub would do the trick. Outside of my comfortable environment, I had nevertheless determined that I would be as poised and graceful as possible. I'm not sure I pulled it off, but I had done my best. I had felt like Cinderella, and at the back of my mind, throughout the entire evening as a matter of fact, wondered if at any second, the fantasy would – poof! - disappear into a figment of my imagination, that I would wake up from a dream having imagined all of it.

"Daydreaming again?"

I glanced at Sadie and smiled. "That obvious?"

"I sure wish someone had been able to take some photographs. That gown looked absolutely fabulous on you."

"Thanks, Sadie, but truth be told, I felt like a fish out of water." I frowned, thinking it over. I understood why Wyatt had encouraged me to go to the party, so that we didn't have to sneak around anymore. That had gotten old real fast. Nevertheless, my appearance at the party and his formal introduction of me had certainly prompted a swirl of murmurs at the gathering. For all I knew, it would open a Pandora's box. So, despite the fact that I was kind of glad that we didn't have to sneak around anymore, I couldn't deny that I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Just enjoy it while you can, as long as you can." Sadie suggested. "Nobody knows how a developing relationship will go. Try not to get too far ahead of yourself, okay?"

I nodded, appreciating her cautionary words. I wasn't really getting ahead of myself. At least I didn't think so. At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder. I knew that Wyatt had created the exclusivity contract for my sake, to prove to me that he was serious about our relationship, but what kind of relationship was he looking for? More importantly, what was I looking for? Was I putting unreasonable expectations on him, misinterpreting this contract of his? I knew it was a big deal for Wyatt to be exclusive to one woman, at least based on his reputation. And me? I hadn't had the time to date for the past couple of years, let alone get involved in a serious relationship, especially one as complicated as it would be with Wyatt Cross.

Still…

"Time to go home," Sadie said, glancing at the clock and tugging off her apron. "And if you don't mind me saying so, I think you should go home and take a nap. You look exhausted."

I sighed. "I feel like it." I bid her goodbye as I clocked out, deciding to walk home. I had taken the bus this morning, but maybe a walk would give me a chance to think, to run things through my mind, maybe to help me get rid of some of the anxiety that had been building up since Wyatt mentioned the party. Worries about the kind of impression I'd made. What his friends and associates had thought of me…

By the time I turned the corner and headed down my block, my calves ached and a welcome sense of physical lethargy swept through my body. I'd been on my feet all day and the walk home just about done me in. I looked up from the cracked sidewalk—

I frowned as I saw an unfamiliar black SUV parked at the curb in front of our house. Just as I approached, a driver wearing a black and gray uniform stepped out and opened the rear passenger door. I saw a red, high-heeled shoe, followed by a shapely calf, and then a dark skirt. My heart skipped a beat when I recognize who it was. Iva Cross. Oh my God, what was she doing here? My heart jumped into my throat and nausea suddenly roiled in my stomach. What the hell was she doing here?

I hurried up to her, hoping that neither of my parents had even noticed the shiny black car in the front yard. Hopefully, Dad was in their bedroom with Mom watching TV, unaware of this unwanted visitor. And an unwanted visitor she was.

"Mrs. Cross?" I said, approaching. "What are you doing here?" I didn't care how it sounded, I just wanted her to leave and I wanted her to leave now.

"Hello, Riley," she said, one hand wrapped around a small clutch, the other tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I've come to speak with your parents."

Her words took a few moments to filter through my brain past my confusion. "My parents? Why?"

She smiled. "Come along, my dear, introduce me to your parents."

Hesitantly, not wanting to cause a scene or to argue with Wyatt's mother, I acquiesced, gesturing for her to preceed me up the small cracked cement walkway, past the dried grass of our front lawn and up to the door. I opened it, stepped inside, and invited her in.

"Please, sit down," I said, gesturing toward the worn but clean floral fabric of the sofa in the small living room. "Can I get you something to drink? Some water or iced tea?"

"No thank you," she said, sitting daintily on the edge of the sofa seat.

"I'll go get my parents," I said. My heart pounding in my chest, my hands trembling and my mouth dry, I went and got my parents, who were indeed, in the bedroom watching television. "Mom, Dad, there's someone out in the living room that I'd like you to meet."

My mother sat in her wheelchair, holding hands with my father, who sat on the edge of the bed. They both looked at me, a frown marring my mother's brow.

"Riley, why didn't you warn me?" She gasped, lifting a hand to her short hair. “I look awful!"

I smiled. "Mom, you couldn't look awful if you tried."

"Here, here," Dad agreed,

"Who is it?" Mom asked.

"In a nutshell, I met a guy, and it's his mother."

They both stared at me as if I'd gone off my rocker. "I'll explain later, I promise, but could you… would you mind?"

"What does she want?" Mom said, brushing her fingers through her hair as she glanced at Dad. "How do I look, Tony?"

He smiled and the look that passed between them warmed my heart. I hoped that someday, I would be fortunate enough to find an enduring love like that.

"You look fine, honey, now let's go back up our daughter and see what this woman wants."

As it turned out, it wasn't good. I made the introductions, introducing my parents to Iva Cross, and she nodded politely, if stiffly. I had seen the way she cast her eyes about our living room, doing her best to hide her grimace and judgmental demeanor, yet it was emblazoned in her expression like a billboard. I quickly glanced at my parents but if they noticed the look, they didn't let on.

The moment Iva opened her mouth, I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. As she continued, speaking firmly, the room began to spin, my eyes wide and focused in shock on Wyatt's mother, who launched into a speech that took my breath away and shifted my equilibrium.

"Your daughter has been seeing my son, Wyatt—"

"Wyatt Cross?" Dad asked. "Of TC Corp. Financial?"

"Yes, indeed," Iva said.

I saw my father's frown, the glance he sent my way, but I also knew that he would refrain from questions for me until this woman said what she had come to say. It got worse.

"Now mind you, I'm sure that your daughter is a fine young woman, but I'm looking after the best interests of my son."

She paused briefly to give my parents a chance to speak, but they didn't, apparently as confused as I. What was she getting at?

"I've learned, through a manner which I cannot divulge of course, that your daughter broached a… let's say an extremely unusual proposal to my son."

She glanced at me and I stared at her, horrified. She wouldn't! How had she found out? Had Wyatt told her, confided in his mother? Why?

And then, to my horror, she launched into the whole sordid deal. My proposal to exchange my virginity for a six-month zero-interest loan. My ears buzzed, I felt the blood drain from my face, and I felt a clammy sweat break out on my skin. I almost fainted. I wanted to throw up. I couldn't look at my parents, didn't want to see the devastation in their faces, the shock. I glared at Iva Cross, wondering how anyone could be so cruel, so thoughtless.

"So now you know." Iva finished. She stood, glancing around the house, her disdain now obvious and palpable. "My son introduced Riley to our friends, our associates and peers the other night, but I wanted to come and tell you one thing. All of you."

Iva's cold gaze passed over me, my mother, and my father. I felt fury rising within me, the heat in my face replacing the shock, anger prompting me to ball my fists. Of course, I would never strike an older woman, but I was tempted. More than a little.

"There will be no scheming, no blackmailing, no more negotiations. My son is a grown man and can date whomever he pleases, but I'm telling you, Riley, and that goes for your parents too, there will be no further exchange in finances, bribes, perks, or other benefits from this moment forward. Is that understood?"

I stared, shocked to the core as Iva Cross strode from the living room, opened the front door, stepped out, and closed it softly behind her. I felt sick and devastated as I turned my gaze toward my parents. They stared back at me, mouths open in shock. My father's face turned red and my mother closed her eyes tight, her face pinched and pale. I saw the disappointment on their faces—

"Riley, what the hell did you do?" Dad said.

His tone brought tears to my eyes. He should have shouted. I wish he had, but no, he used a low, calm tone of voice that I knew he used only when he was very upset.

"I believe that was pretty plain, dear," Mom said, her voice tremulous.

My father stood, scowling, one of the few times I could ever remember him being so angry. The look of disappointment and shame in his eyes prompted a surge of warm tears to form in mine. I open my mouth to explain, then shut it, realizing that there was no way that they would understand that what I had done I had done for them.

"Your mother and I didn't raise you that way. To sell… to sell your virginity? Using the pretense that you were helping us? How dare you!"

"Dad." I protested. "You were in jail! We're already behind on the mortgage and I was afraid that we might lose the house, that Mom—"

"That's my responsibility!" he shouted, then clamped his lips shut, breathing deeply before he spoke again. "I can't believe…" he closed his eyes and cleared his throat, then snapped one more sentence before he turned and left the room.

"You will end things with this man, Riley, do you hear me? End it!"

With that, he strode down the hallway to the bedroom and slammed the door shut. I turned to look at my mother, my heart broken when I saw the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom, I just…"

What a sad, tired nod, she turned her wheelchair and followed in my father's footsteps down the hallway.