CHAPTER THREE
“Did you enjoy that?” Michael asks as he holds out my chair.
“I ummm… I don’t know.”
He sits across from me, and I notice his small frown. “That’s a lazy answer. It’s an important question. Did you enjoy it?”
What does he want from me? This is the worst job interview ever.
“It was embarrassing,” I confess, my hands twisting together.
He nods and waits for me to continue.
“But it was also… I don’t know. A bit of a thrill.” I feel my face heating with this admission.
“Good.” He nods again. “Would you do something for me?” It’s my turn to nod. “Stand up.”
My legs shake as I stand. I look around the dining room. Almost all the tables are filled, and the wait staff bustles around, taking orders, and delivering delicacies. One entire side of the room is made up of windows that overlook the boardwalk. It’s also crowded with people taking advantage of a lovely spring evening.
He crooks a finger at me. “Come here.” On stiff legs, I walk around the table to him and lick my dry lips, fearful of what he’ll ask next. He looks up into my eyes and holds his gaze steady with mine. “Rub my cock.”
I stare at him, my mouth dropping open. “Are you serious?” He hadn’t whispered, and I’m dying inside, wondering how many people heard what he said.
He reaches up and caresses my cheek, and I know I still want him. I can’t deny the attraction. His slightest touch sucks all the oxygen from the room, and I wish for a moment that we are back at the bar so he can continue his wicked fondling of me.
“If you can’t do this then there’s no point in moving on to the next stage of this interview.”
I force myself not to look around. I don’t want to know how many people are watching. It’s like not looking down when you’re climbing a mountain.
With a pretense of whispering in his ear, I bend down and rest my hand on his chest. Very slowly, I slide it down until I’m cupping him. He twitches, and I almost pull back, but I haven’t rubbed it yet. He told me to rub.
And I want to.
I want to sink to my knees and take him into my mouth before straddling his lap and connecting our bodies. I want to ride him until the longing he’s created inside me is satisfied.
That scares me. Who am I?
I’m apparently a girl who runs her hand down a stranger’s lap, watching the hard lines of his face soften as he makes a low, pleased sound in the back of his throat. Emboldened, I do it once more before taking my hand away.
I watch him swallow and collect himself, shifting in his seat.
He motions for me to retake my seat, and I gladly do, sinking into it and wondering if I could disappear beneath the table. “You never told me your name.”
“Is Michael your real name?” I ask by way of replying.
He laughs. “Tell me your name, truth or lie.” He leans in. “When we’re in the throes of passion, I need something to call out.” He looks at me, waiting, that pleased little cocky smile plastered on his face again.
“I don’t know a thing about you.”
“And I already know a great deal about you… except for your name. C’mon, give.”
“What do you know about me?” Anything to steer the conversation away from my name. I don’t know why giving it to Michael is such a big deal, but it is.
“Alright, alright.” He raises his hands in mock defeat. “I’ll play along with you… for now.” Again he gives me that appraising up and down stare. I glance down at myself to make sure I’m still dressed. I don’t feel like I am.
A waitress arrives, and we order. The meals are expensive. Everything on the menu is expensive.
When she’s gone, Michael continues. “You need money. That makes you unemployed.” I nod and motion for him to continue. “You’re divorced. You’ve had your heart broken. Recently. You look much younger than you are, so I’d put you at thirty-five, forty.”
I stare at him in open-mouthed bafflement. He laughs and reaches out with a finger and places it under my chin to help me close it back up. “How… how’d you do that?”
“How old are you? Was I close?”
“I’m thirty-seven. Close enough. How’d you do that? How’d you know?”
He shrugs. “I can read people. It’s a gift. Now. Your name?”
I bat my eyelashes at him. “You can’t divine it from thin air?”
“And you’re still playing hard to get? This is starting to weary me.”
“Kim,” I blurt out quickly. A game is a game, but I don’t want him to lose interest.
“Kim,” he repeats. “Good. Let’s enjoy our meal.”
The salad arrives, and I stab a tomato with my fork. Michael says little during this course; it’s almost like he’s trying to make me uncomfortable. Eating isn’t very glamorous, and I get that he’s giving me the voyeur experience, staring at me while I shove the first food besides toxic noodles in my face.
Thankfully, when the main course arrives, he starts to loosen up and talk. The small talk is innocuous, and I get the feeling that on Michael’s part, it’s practiced. I wonder how many interviews he’s already held.
“Was I the first to answer your ad?”
Do I really want to know? This just leaves it open for him to compare me to others.
“No,” he says. “There have been others before you.”
I don’t know if he means other interviews or others that he’s hired, but this time I keep my mouth shut and don’t ask for details.
“Are you, ummm… safe?” I laugh a bit in embarrassment. “I mean…”
“It’s alright, Kim, I know what you mean. Yes, I’m safe. I’m not here to rape you or harm you in any way. I’m sizing you up for a legitimate job that will pay well if I hire you. It’s not exactly a job that you can write home about, but I can promise you a lot of fun.”
I chew my bottom lip, wondering how honest men who pay women for kinky fun are.
He laughs, reading my mind. “There’s no way to know if I’m telling the truth except to go through with it, correct?”
I laugh a little too. “Yeah.”
He sets his fork down and leans forward to look at me intently. “Is this interview finished?”
“No, no!” I answer without hesitation, and in that moment, I know he’s won me over. I want the job. If he’s another Craig’s List Killer, I’ve made a very poor decision.
He smiles. “Are you finished with your meal?”
I look down at my almost empty plate. I ate too much, especially for someone who needs to lose at least twenty pounds. I wipe my mouth with a cloth napkin and nod. “Yes. It was delicious. Thank you.”
“Good. Then let’s go upstairs and fuck. What do you say?”
My mouth drops open as I fumble for words. This time, I’m saved by someone who stops next to our table. “She’s a winner, man. A little on the chubby side but look at those tits.”
What the hell? I turn in my seat to see the runner up in the pick-Michael-out-from-the-crowd contest earlier. The one with the Lacoste polo shirt.
“I did.” Michael chuckles and looks at me. “This is Jack, a friend of mine. He’ll be the first one to watch us fuck.” He gauges my open-mouthed reaction and looks up at Jack. “This is Kim. We were just heading upstairs, isn’t that right?”
“I… umm… wait. You? One of the newspaper men? You’re going to watch?” I glare at him. “In that case, you better apologize.”
Jack winks at me, and it pushes all the wrong buttons. I open my mouth to spit out some more anger, but this insulting friend of Michael’s beats me to the punch.
“Ah, so you don’t like being called chubby? Alright, then, terribly sorry for pointing it out.”
I expel a breath of exasperation, but Michael cuts in.
“Jack, stop being an ass.”
The ass starts to laugh. It’s a boyish and appealing sound. “Right on, I’m going to enjoy watching this one, Mikey. Damn straight I am. She’s fiery.” His eyes land on my breasts and stay there. “Did he tell you he’s a sucker for breasts? Me, I’m more of an ass man. Not that I’m gonna mind seeing your tits worked over. Damn, Mikey. You lucked out this time, didn’t ya?”
Michael stands up and offers me his hand. I take it in dumbfounded silence and get up too. I can’t believe I’m living this conversation. “Jack’s a little crass, but you’ll get used to him. Normally, you wouldn’t speak or get to know the voyeurs, but Jack is a friend and helps me with the trial runs.”
“Yeah, well, I might be a little overweight, but he’s no god’s gift either,” I say loud enough for Jack to hear. In reality, Jack isn’t ugly, just normal average looking, but I’d never tell him that now. I’m still nervous about all this. “Is he going to watch now?”
Jack laughs and wiggles his eyebrows at me. “Not tonight, Kimmy. Tonight, you get Michael all to yourself. You gotta feel each other out… pardon the pun, before you start performing for customers.” He winks, waves to Michael and disappears into the crowded restaurant.
Still holding my hand, Michael leads me toward the exit. “Don’t mind him.” He gives my hand a little reassuring squeeze. “But he’s right. I can’t put you in front of paying customers until I know you’ll be alright.”
“Oh,” is all I can think to say. I’m letting him lead me across the room to the elevator, and we’re going to have sex. I’m nervous, no denying that, but I’m hella excited too. I’m about to jump into bed with the hottest guy in the hotel, maybe even the entire planet. Even better? I’ve got just enough of a wine buzz to get me through this stage of my very strange job interview. And just enough of a wine buzz to let me forget the business part and just have fun.
I’m going to have sex. Yay me!
TO BE CONTINUED…
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