Chapter 8

 

The Agreement

 

Melissa

 

 

That night, I sat in the large hotel bed with the packet Karen had given me. The first document was the nondisclosure agreement I’d signed before the interview began. And behind it was a thick stack of forms I needed to review and complete.

I placed the NDA on the bottom of the stack and proceeded to read the requirements to be an Infidelity employee. I would be required to provide one year of companionship to a client in exchange for a full scholarship with guaranteed admittance to Northwestern, housing, a monthly allowance, and a large sum of money at the end of the contract. My employer had the option to renew the agreement yearly, and I had the choice not to sign for an additional year. If I chose not to renew, I was still entitled to continue my education at Northwestern, but I would be required to pay for all my expenses, including tuition. In return, I agreed to all the terms and conditions that my employer requested. Faithfulness to your employer was mandated. Also, once I signed the agreement, the decision of who I worked for was out of my hands.

My profile would be seen only by Karen until it was presented to those clients she deemed match-worthy. If the first benefactor chose another employee, my profile would remain open until Karen tried again with someone else.

The only clause to void the contract was physical abuse. Once reported, Infidelity would then review and confirm that such abuse took place. Sexual acts agreed to could not be considered a violation or abuse if they fell within the bounds of the contract. If claims of abuse were proven, the employee was entitled to keep all compensation paid as well as unfulfilled months of the contract. If no proof of physical violence was found, the employee would be required to fulfill the contract or repay any funds previously paid and void the contract.

The paper under the requirements was a detailed list of sexual and nonsexual limits. It was required to be completed and added to my profile, so Karen could match another possible employer. Karen never said sex was required, but the information would be pertinent in case a sexual relationship developed. It also lowered the risk of incompatibility. The four-page questionnaire asked about explicit and detailed sexual acts, including those of BDSM.

I spent the next few hours with my phone in one hand and the document in the other and researched as I read. Some of it I’d never even heard before. I marked each one with yes, soft or hard. The difference between hard and soft limits was one of the many things I learned with my research. The hard limits were the most important because it would include things I refused to perform or have done to me. I always knew sex sold, but until now, I hadn’t grasped how much.

I didn’t have enough sexual experience to know what I liked and didn’t like. One night with a study partner was the only reference I had. We’d stayed up all night studying for finals and decided we should celebrate the next day. We headed to the beach for relaxation and fun. It was too cold to swim in the ocean, but the sun was bright as waves crashed the shore. Our fingers interlinked, and we took off running when water sprayed up and splashed us. Our hands were the first thing that connected but not the last. Our bodies molded together into a hug. One hug led to a kiss, and one kiss led to us naked in the backseat of his car on a deserted part of the beach. We’d spent so much time studying the last few weeks that I thought we both had feelings for one another. I was wrong. The only thing between us was the girlfriend he never mentioned. Heartbreak was just another hurdle I had learned to overcome.

No matter how Infidelity dressed it up, they sold sex; it was just called companionship. There was no way someone paid the insane amount of money these clients paid without some additional benefits to companionship. I almost guaranteed sex was that additional benefit. I needed to decide how badly I wanted Northwestern and if I would sell my soul and my body to an unknown person for one year for that goal.

I read all the documents, then read them again and again until I knew them by heart. I knew that without this opportunity I wouldn’t attend Northwestern.

As I sat there in the big bed, reviewing and completing the documents, Karen called to tell me I passed the interview and the examinations. How she was able to get all the test results, including lab work, in just a few hours was beyond me. This too must have been the norm for Infidelity's clientele.

She ended the conversation as usual: short and to the point. James would be at the hotel at eighty thirty in the morning to pick me up. The compensation for our meeting would be transferred to my account at that time. My decision would dictate if the interview progressed or not.

My mind overran with possibilities and what-ifs. I needed some fresh air to clear my head. Throwing on the more casual clothes I’d worn from home, I decided to walk in Central Park and think.

As I strolled, I thought about all of my dreams and all of the things that had gone wrong. I remembered the hurt I’d felt from the girls at the restaurant and from the rejection letter. I thought of my parents and what they would think if I signed an agreement to be owned. My mother and father had always supported and loved me. Their expectations were high, but they’d always been there for me. The loss of finances hadn’t been their fault.

Would I have their support if they didn’t think my choice was right?

I always considered my parents in every decision I made. I’d never wanted to hurt or disappoint them—I still didn’t.

Then I thought about something they’d taught me. Entering the competition wouldn’t win me the race. You wouldn't get anywhere if you only showed up to the track. The only way to win and succeed was to take the first step, the second, and then the third. Each step along the road empowered the next until you reached accomplishments along the way. I’m sure they weren’t referring to being a paid prostitute—or was companion the right word? But nevertheless, I applied the same principle to this situation. If I didn’t take the next step, my dream could be gone forever.

The more I thought about my goals and dreams, the more I realized what I wanted in life. To some, it may be the walk of shame, but for me, it was liberating. And for the first time in my life, I didn’t care what people thought. It was my fucking life, and it was about damn time I lived it for me. I hadn’t planned it, but now the first step to my future and my dreams was Infidelity.

I’d managed hurdles. Now I had a possibility.

I was going to take it.

The world needed to fuck itself and let me finally be who I wanted to be—me.

The next morning, James picked me up at precisely eight thirty and drove me to Infidelity. Karen met me at the elevator and took me straight to her office.

“Melissa, have you made a decision?”

My voice was sure. “I want to sign.”

“Good, do you have all the paperwork completed? Once everything is processed, you’ll go downstairs for pictures.”

Karen accepted all the paperwork I’d filled out the night before; glancing at it, she slid it into a file folder. My hand shook, and I felt nauseous as I looked at the contract in front of me. I blinked a few times and decided it was now or never.

I picked up the black pen off Karen’s desk and scrolled my name across the places where she instructed me to. Every curve and stroke of my name on the dotted lines took me closer to my dream but also closer to the nightmare that possibly awaited me. Figuratively speaking, every i dotted and t crossed locked me into a new world. What I didn’t know was if I was prepared to live in that new place.

Time would tell, and I could only hope for the best.

The next day, I flew home and waited for Karen to call. From that moment on, my life changed, and so did the way I viewed the world. My signing with Infidelity wasn’t a sure thing to become a companion. It was just an opportunity to be chosen. Weeks after I returned from New York, I still hadn't heard from Karen. I started to think that maybe I wouldn’t. Doubt crept back in.

I knew Karen had mentioned that placements usually took many months. However, if I wanted to register for spring classes, I didn't have months. Courses were limited, and I needed to sign up soon. It was as I struggled with the doubts of the spring semester that my phone rang, and the call had a New York area code.

“Hello,” I said, answering my phone just as I reached my parked car.

“Miss Summers, your agreement has been picked up.” I recognized Karen’s voice. “Please remember that you signed an NDA. We will be in touch.” That was all that was said before the line went dead.

I looked around; it felt like déjà vu. Had someone waited to call me, watching me until I opened my car door? My gut told me that if I was being watched it was by Infidelity, but that reasoning didn’t stop the fear that ran up my spine. I jumped in the car and locked the doors.

I spent the next week walking on eggshells. Food and sleep weren't in my thoughts, only questions.

Who bought the agreement? Was he handsome? How would he treat me?

So many questions...all with no answers.

I had to wait until they decided it was the right time. I just hoped I wouldn’t lose my mind until that time came.

I finally calmed down enough to eat and sleep again, and an envelope magically appeared in the front seat of my car, again while my doors were locked. Sweat poured down my back as I reached for the thick paper. Panic set in.

This was real; I’d sold myself.

I would have sex with a complete stranger.

I prayed he wasn’t old. Then I reconsidered. Maybe old was better. He wouldn't want sex because he wouldn’t be able to get it up. Fuck, he probably takes that damn blue pill to stay hard for hours. Thoughts kept firing through my head. What if someone bought me to give to someone else?

What if…OMG, what the hell did I agree to?

I needed answers, and the only way to get them was to open the envelope. I pulled on the top, not even bothering with the red wax seal. I scanned the documents. It was just copies of what I signed and my letter of acceptance to Northwestern. I cried and laughed; between that, I screamed and yelled my excitement. Anyone who walked by my car would think I was insane. Hell, I might have been to take this risk, but I needed to follow the path I chose.

A white box was on the bottom of the envelope with a heart-shaped tag attached to the top.

 

Melissa,

May this next year open more than doors—

 

I flipped the top open. Inside was a gold necklace with a small diamond pendant in the shape of a key. I fingered the charm—it was beautiful. I pulled it out and fastened it around my neck. I wasn’t sure how I could explain the necklace to my parents, so I tucked it under my shirt. They knew I saved every dime and would never splurge on jewelry. I had fed them enough lies already, so I chose avoidance instead.