Chapter 9

Aurora

In my baggy jeans and T-shirt, I walk the line of luxury stores.

I’m no stranger to this street of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi. I shop here a lot. They know me by name.

I came here a lot with my Mom. She loved to buy all manner of luxury and didn’t mind throwing down several thousand dollars for me. I was her baby girl—sweet, innocent, and good.

The world has changed so much since she died.

And Anders is responsible.

Because of him, I’m losing my virginity that I worked so hard to protect. While once he was my parent’s problem to deal with, he’s now become mine. His fall from grace makes their death even more dramatic.

I feel like I’m responsible for everything, and frankly, the pressure’s too much sometimes.

Highmore Chocolates is in a precarious position—or at least, it has been until the virgin auction.

I can’t believe Anders forced me into doing that. I’m still livid.

I check my bank account to see that the funds are there. No way am I going through with this without the three billion.

Yes, my masked men seemed handsome and powerful in the moment, but now I’ve become a bit nervous…

Okay, a lot nervous.

What do I know about men? I’ve barely even kissed a guy, and now I’m expected to shop for an outfit to lose my virginity in.

It hardly seems real. My life has taken a sudden turn for the worse, and I totally blame Anders. How he blew through my parent’s fortune, I’ll never know.

I need to be tougher on him. I need to yell at him and to make him see that he’s ruining us.

If only I could take in the reins of our lives and arrange that everything flows smoothly. But this isn’t in my nature. I’m used to deflecting to my parents, to Anders, to anybody beside myself.

I trusted him. I thought for sure he had our business and our lives going in the right direction. Yes, his addiction was obvious, but I never doubted him for a second.

Now, all of that is gone. He’s sold me off like a common whore, and the virginity that I’ve kept so intact is about to become a thing of the past.

I walk into Chanel, and the salesperson greets me warmly.

“Aurora, we haven’t seen you in ages. Simply ages. How have you been?” he says, kissing both of my cheeks.

“Hi, Patrick, yes, I’ve been really busy. But I need to get an outfit, a very sexy outfit.”

He looks at me like what I’ve said isn’t quite registering. Patrick has known me for years and never once have I asked for a sexy outfit. I’m more conservative than that, not used to showing so much skin.

These guys, the masked men who will deflower me, paid three billion dollars for me. So I’m guessing they’re expecting something beyond jeans. Besides, I’ve waited my whole life for this moment.

I might as well dress the part. And a part it is.

I’m playing a character.

That’s what I tell myself.

That’s what will get me through this evening.

“Sexy, you say?” he says. “That’s surprising coming from you, Aurora, but trust me, we have everything you’ll need. Let’s start with lingerie.”

By the time I leave the store, I’ve had two glasses of champagne, a bag full of black lingerie, and a corresponding lace black dress.

Playing dress-up is fun, and I’ve determined to give myself over to the character of the wanton virgin. That’s all this is. It’s me playing a character.

I can be a sex symbol for one night. These guys are never gonna really know who I really am.

My nerves are at an all-time high. I haven’t been able to eat a thing all day. I don’t know what to expect, and it’s driving me crazy.

What does it feel like to lose one’s virginity? What does it feel like to have it done by three guys at once? And how is it gonna be when love is out of the picture?

I stop by a coffee shop and order a chamomile tea, hoping it’ll do something to calm my nerves. I take it to-go and walk home in a kind of silent rage.

I’m raging at Anders, at what he’s done to my life. I need to stand up to him and to tell him that this is all his fault. My older brother is supposed to protect me from this kind of thing.

Instead, I find myself protecting him.

I walk into the familiar Park Avenue building where I’ve lived all my life. The doorman, Henry, is as nice as ever.

“Aurora, nice to see you. Have you been out shopping?” he says kindly.

“Oh, yes,” I say, suddenly feeling embarrassed of my recent sexy purchases. “I just picked up a few things.”

“That’s nice,” he says.

“Oh, Henry, I have a date tonight. There’s gonna be a limo arriving for me. Please tell me when it gets here,” I say.

His eyes widen at the prospect of my date. It’s funny how a doorman gets to know your life so intimately. He’s watched me grow up, after all.

I get into the elevator and think about all the things I’d like to say to Anders. He deserves my wrath, and yet I’m not sure how to give it to him. It suits me fine to stay away from drama and conflict.

But suddenly, it’s encroaching upon my life in a way that’s forcing me to face it.

I don’t expect Anders to be home, but to my surprise, he is. I can tell he’s home by the way he’s messed up the place.

I find him in the kitchen going through everything we have.

“Anders, I’d like to talk to you,” I say, trying to hide the hesitancy in my voice.

He looks up at me with glassy eyes, and I see this might not be the time. He’s high.

He’s not even here with me.

The familiar feeling of my heart dropping is there. Every time I see him like this, I feel worried. I think I’m losing a little piece of my brother every day.

What would my parents do if they were here?

“What do you want to talk about?” he says, stuffing his face with a sandwich.

He looks like hell. He looks like he’s been out for a month straight without a shower.

“Well, I just think you should know that I don’t appreciate you selling my body like this. I have a date with those men tonight, and they’re gonna take my virginity, and I’m very scared. You should’ve protected me from something like this,” I say, feeling proud of myself for summoning the nerve to talk to him.

He turns to me, and there’s wickedness in his eyes. I hate when he gets like this.

“Aurora,” he nearly spits the word. “You think you’re such a good little girl, don’t you? Without mom and dad here, there’s no use trying to impress them anymore. You’re losing your virginity to the tune of three billion dollars. You should be happy. You should be thanking me that I made us this rich.”

My eyes fill with tears as I realize there’s nothing more I can say to him. He’s in a foul mood, and he’s being mean. I turn to go to my room without another word.

I stuff my feelings back down inside like I’ve been doing for years. I try to set him out of my mind. My brother can be such a jerk.

Sad and full of emotion, I run a warm bath, complete with rose petals and all manner of essential oils. Maybe the bath will melt away my anger.

For some reason, I want to look my best tonight. Maybe it’s because I’ve been waiting for this moment to happen for years. Maybe there’s something about those masked men that makes me feel strangely excited…

Whatever the case, I need the bath to unwind and to try to relax my nerves.

It’s gonna be okay. You can do this, Aurora. It’s not a big deal. Everyone has sex.

I take a long, soapy bath, and I’m sure to use my imported shampoo. I’m going to be in top form tonight. Whether I’m being paid or not, it’s still a night to celebrate…I’m losing my virginity after all.

Once done, I sit on the side of the tub and oil myself up. I spray perfume in all the right places, and then I sit naked on my vanity stool and apply my makeup. I dry my long hair, curl it, and savor my last moments as a virgin.

Everything I do is with a trembling hand, because I’m so nervous. I wish that I had a mother to talk to about this night. I wish I had anyone to talk to.

As it is, my life is pretty sequestered to the business and to Anders. I have so much on my plate with him that it’s hard to even think about making friends.

Checking the time, I realize the limo will be here soon.

I pull the Chanel dress from the bag and lay it down on the bed. Then I step into the itty-bitty lingerie that Patrick picked out. I put on my favorite heels, slip the dress over my head, and wait with nervous anticipation.

I dare not leave my room, lest Anders is out there. I don’t need his verbal abuse right now; I have enough on my mind. Nervously, I look outside, waiting for the car to arrive.

Right on time, the limousine shows up. I take a deep breath, grab my purse, and leave the apartment.

Storming past Anders, not wanting to engage in another conflict, I hear him say sarcastically, “Good luck.”

“Maybe you could stay clean for once,” I say, slamming the door before he can respond.

I feel worried about him despite my anger. But no time for that now. I have three guys to contend with.

I take the elevator down and walk past Henry.

“My date’s arrived,” I say to him. “I’ll be home late.”

He smiles at me, and I know he’s wondering what kind what kind of man I’m meeting.

I don’t go on many dates, and he knows it. Henry has become part of the family. He knew my parents, and I know he feels a special protectiveness over me.

Little does he know that I’m losing my virginity tonight…