Chapter 2
The next day, Laurel had her hands full, going up and down preparing for the big day. They were making the extra effort because it would bring in quite the revenue. Julia knew that if they got Collin Randal to buy one of them, then La Boheme would become even more famous, and patrons would flock there.
That was definitely good for business.
Laurel watched all of this with detached amusement. She knew that a part of her was excited about the infamous Collin Randal, but there was another part of her that just wanted him gone, so that she could focus on finding a patron.
She was ready to take that leap.
She knew it was a big deal, and she couldn’t enter in to it lightly, but Laurel had other dreams once. She dreamed of becoming a photo journalist in her dingy, crumbling room that was basically an attic. She recalled sitting on the dusty floor and staring out the window, dreaming of all the ways she could change the world by traveling, taking pictures and getting people to see the truth.
It was what got her through life.
The first time she picked up a camera, snapped a picture and took a look at the way a lens could capture an instant and immortalize it, she knew then that this was what she was meant to do for the rest of her life.
She had to give that up, of course, when she ended up here.
In the middle of the cacophony of voices and the flurry, Laurel escaped up to her room and leaned against the door. She sighed as she massaged her temples and took deep breaths. It could all be a little overwhelming at times, but she just kept pushing through.
She walked towards her bed, pulled out a box and sat with her legs crossed on the floor to examine the contents of the box. Inside were small worn out photographs and a camera. She took out one of the photographs and smiled as the image of her parents danced in front of her eyes.
They looked so happy then; so young, and so full of promise, free of the burdens and weights of life. Laurel traced her father’s face; young and handsome, wishing she could somehow go back and warn him of what would happen. She then traced her mother’s face; a relaxed and happy smile painted on her face, and she tried to reconcile it with the image of the bitter woman she now knew.
It was like they were two different people. Grief sometimes did that to people.
She couldn’t pretend to understand why, nor could she begin to understand its scope, but she did know one thing. Regardless of the grief you feel, you should always try to remember the people you still have, the people who still need you. She bitterly wished she could tell her mother that, but she knew she couldn’t.
She knew her mother probably wouldn’t listen. She remembered a time when things were different. When she and her mother would stay up giggling like school girls as they talked about TV shows or boys, and Laurel would think that there was nothing more perfect than her little kingdom.
Her dad would barge in on them, pretend that he didn’t want to hear any of the girl talk, but in reality, he loved being in on the gossip, and he even offered some sage advice. They were like the Three Musketeers.
That’s why when her Dad died, it was like somebody had picked up their entire world and deposited it in the middle of a wasteland. Dazed, disoriented and confused, they didn’t know what to do in this new world that had suddenly been dumped onto their laps. Laurel retreated into her world of books and taking pictures, taking solace in the things she loved that her Dad had encouraged her to pursue. She kept his memory alive in her heart, and let it fuel her passion.
Her mother was another matter entirely.
Laurel shook her head to dispel the remnants of her memories, and abruptly shut the box. She stood up, dusted off her sweatpants and began to stretch her muscles. She tried to shake off some of the tension.
When she came out of her room, Julia was waiting for her outside. She was dressed in a pencil skirt and blouse, looking every inch the professional woman.
“Faith said that you were looking for me.”
They walked together in sync towards the changing rooms, knowing that they had very little time before Laurel had to start getting ready. “I was, actually. I’m not sure if now is a good time to bring it up.”
Julia studied her carefully. “Now is a good time. You want to begin your formal introduction, don’t you?”
Laurel’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “How did you know?”
Julia gave her a rueful smile. “I’ve been in this business a long time, Laurel. You think I can’t tell by now, the difference between a woman who is ready, and one who isn’t quite there yet?”
Laurel tilted her head. “I guess you’re right. I just wanted to let you know anyway.”
Julia placed her hand on Laurel’s. “We still have a few minutes before you have to go get ready. Let’s talk, okay?”
Julia took her hand and steered her to a bunch of bean bags in the corner. Julia unbuttoned the first button of the tweed jacket and smoothed out the edges of her skirt. She rubbed her temples, and turned the force of her brown eyes on Laurel.
“I know that a lot of the girls here consider this place a job, and I’m just their boss. The big woman in charge that you need to please. Technically, it is true, but you know that La Boheme is so much more than that. I like to think of it as a home for a lot of people.”
Laurel gave her a warm smile. “It is a home, Julia. I can’t speak for a lot of girls here, but I can speak for myself. I was on the street when you found me, cold, alone and hungry. You did give me a home. An unusual home, but a home nonetheless.”
Julia’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “I’m glad you think so. It’s not exactly a place anyone wants to inherit, but I am doing the best I can with what I’ve been given.”
“For what it’s worth, I think you’ve done a great job.”
“Thank you. Well, anyway, I didn’t call you here to reminisce, as much as I actually enjoy the trip down memory lane. I called you here on another matter.”
“To congratulate me on my witty sense of humor and flawless work ethic?” Laurel commented, very dryly.
Julia laughed. “That’s a given, honey. But, no. Not the topic at hand.”
Julia turned to face her, and she let her gaze travel over her face, slowly categorizing every detail, with a sad smile on her face. “Laurel, I never told you this, but when I found you on the street two years ago, I felt like I had to get you out of there. You look so much like my daughter, and you remind me of her, and I felt like she’d approve, you know.”
“I know.” Laurel patted her shoulder briefly, knowing that it wasn’t easy for Julia to talk about her daughter who was killed in a random mugging a few years ago. It was a side of her that people rarely got to see.
“In any case, I brought you here to this place that caters to unusual tastes. I know it isn’t exactly the kind of life anyone envisions for themselves. I can’t pretend that I know what would drive a woman to come here, whether it’s of their own accord, or they somehow wound up here because of some other circumstance. Either way, I try to make this place as smooth as possible because I know many of you don’t really want to be here. It’s a means to an end. Once you go through with it, you’re pretty much set for life. It’s not exactly a bad option.”
“Just not exactly the first one,” Laurel supplied.
Julia turned her brown eyes on Laurel. “Exactly. I don’t know much about your story, I’ve only seen the faded scars on your body, and the ones that no doubt linger in your soul, and I can’t imagine the kind of pain you must’ve endured. All I know is, La Boheme can be a place for you to start over, but only if you’re ready. Taking care of your vessel isn’t easy, and giving up control like that is harder still, but I know you ladies are brave for undertaking such a task.”
“I guess so.”
“I just wanted to be sure that you’re actually ready and that you aren’t just saying that because you think it’s what I want to hear. You know that I think you’d fetch an excellent price, particularly with your blue blood.”
“It’s so far back though,” Laurel pointed out as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip.
“Trust me, it doesn’t matter. If they get even a hint of blue blood, some men go weak in the knees. I’ve personally never been able to understand it. Not that it keeps me from doing my job.”
“Alright.”
“What I’m trying to say is, there is no hurry. Take your time, Laurel. Once you make that decision, you can’t go back, and it isn’t something you could ever get back. You need to find out if you really are okay with it, and not because you’re in some kind of financial trouble.”
Laurel shook her head. “I’m not. I’ve thought about it. It’s time for me to get out of here.”
Julia gazed at her sympathetically before she gave her a small smile. “Alright, I wanted to make sure. Well, then. Get ready for your big night. Let’s see if you can catch the eye of world infamous Collin Randal.”
Laurel felt an uneasy feeling settle in the pit of her stomach. “You want me to do that?”
“Wouldn’t you rather give it to someone more confident, or more experienced?”
Julia gave her a peculiar look. “Why would I want to do that? If I wanted to do that, I’d just ask someone else. No, I think he needs to see someone new, bright eyed and bushy tailed, so to speak. You might be just what he’s looking for. No one else has been able to get his attention.”
“I’ll do my best, Julia. Is there anything you can tell me about him that might help?”
Julia paused. “I’m not sure, to be honest. Nobody has been able to crack him just yet. I’m sure you’ll figure it out though, and if not, at least when you set the bar really high, if you don’t succeed, you’ll still get a satisfactory outcome.”
“That’s very comforting,” Laurel commented, very dryly.
“Who said I was trying to be comforting?” Julia gave her a quick wink before she stood up and buttoned up her jacket. “I’ll give you a minute to process. It’s okay if you want to back out, Laurel. Just know that. Sometimes it’s the things that scare you the most that you have to do.”
“Sounds like some Yoda wisdom right there.”
Julia gave a quick laugh. “A Star Wars fan. A girl after my own heart. I knew there was a reason we got along so well.”
Julia gave her shoulder a quick squeeze as she breezed out of the room, all confidence, poise and legs. The sound of her high heels echoed across the room, and Laurel watched her go with a melancholy feeling.
Laurel sat there a while longer on the bean bag, twirling her hair around her fingers and wondering if she was making the right decision. It’s not that she planned on staying there forever, but she knew that at some moments you had to take the leap, or you never would.
She stood up, dusted off her clothes and headed to the wardrobe. Each step bringing her closer and closer to what she hoped was the start of a new and better life.
***
Laurel breathed nervously as she prepared her outfit for the night. She was supposed to be wearing a strapless green dress that brought out the flecks of gold in her eyes, with matching peep toe shoes and her curly brown hair in long tresses down her back. She had no problems with the first outfit she was supposed to wear, it was after all a classy dress, and she’d practiced in it before. She’d never been introduced as one of the auction girls before. She’d mostly been there in between shows to collect money. She’d garnered quite a bit of attention. She was never ready to acknowledge it though.
It was her second outfit that she was worried about.
There was no other way to describe it other than it made her look like a sexy air stewardess. It exposed part of her midriff, and the skirt barely covered her thighs, the top included a tie in the front, but showed a lot of cleavage. She had to put on a hat as well.
She shook her head at some of the things men preferred, not really understanding the appeal. She shrugged as she turned her back on the outfit, deciding to deal with one thing at a time. She just had to get through the first part of her routine, and she’d worry about the second part later. The first part was in a group, so she wouldn’t have to worry too much about the spotlight being on her.
She took a deep breath as she watched them from behind the curtain as they set up the stage. Faith came up to her and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. Just keep watching me out of the corner of your eye if you forget anything.”
“Because you’re such an expert,” Laurel teased, trying hard to calm her erratic heartbeat.
“Not really. I just fake it, but they seem to like it, so go figure.”
They stepped onto the stage in a line and began their routine. Laurel stood between Faith and another girl called Harmony, and they began their routine, and it went off without a hitch. They bowed as the men clapped and hollered.
When they went off the stage, Laurel started to feel the butterflies in her stomach come out full force. She leaned against the wall and tried to visualize happy things. Faith gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and wished her luck as she went off to her own fitting.
Laurel put on the second outfit and took a quick glance in the mirror before she smoothed out her outfit and made her way out to the stage. She closed her eyes and stepped onto the stage.
***
She leaned on the chair in front of her and gave a quick wink.
When the music started, she shook her ass and faced the wall. She swung her hips to the left, then the right, then swung around and faced the front. Her eyes sought out Collin Randal’s in the audience based on his description.
When her eyes landed on a tall and muscular brunette in the back of the audience with honey colored eyes, she had a feeling she had the right person, especially with the look of boredom etched onto his face.
She pursed her mouth and bit her lips much to the delight of the male audience. They hooted and hollered, especially as she tied her top and exposed her midriff. She began to rotate her body and lick her lips suggestively.
Out of the corner of her eye, Laurel noticed that Collin sat up and began to take notice. His eyes followed her every movement, but she couldn’t figure out what look he had on his face. His honey colored eyes were unfathomable as they watched her. His muscles flexed as he took off his jacket and draped it across the back of the chair. He undid his tie and popped open the first few buttons of his shirt, showing off a smattering of chest hair.
A bolt of desire shot through her, and Laurel crossed her legs uncomfortably as she tried to focus on the rest of her routine. Collin bit his lips as he shifted in his chair, and Laurel wondered if he was turned on.
She was surprised that she was able to do that her first time around.
Someone backstage handed her a camera, and she strutted off the stage and headed towards Collin who looked surprised to see her standing in front of him. She leaned down in front of him and whispered in his ear. “Can you take pictures of me?”
Collin stared at the camera before nodding. The camera was connected to the projector, so that the pictures would show up on the big screen.Laurel began to do an assortment of poses that were considered suggestive but tasteful, and the men all around her were drooling, especially as the pictures popped up on the black screen.
Collin kept a professional look on his face as he snapped the pictures, and Laurel wondered if her plan to get him to engage was failing. She tossed him a look over her shoulder and caught an unguarded look on his face, and that was all she needed to continue. She strutted towards the stage and stood behind the black screen.
She began to dance behind it, causing everyone up front to see her movements as if it were a shadow show. As the song drew to a climactic finale, Laurel draped herself over a chair, and the black screen rose up. Laurel tossed them all a playful look over her shoulder before she tugged on the lever and water came pouring down all over her body, drenching her.
She tossed her hair back as she stood up to a thunderous applause. She carefully stood up and took a deep bow as she smiled and waved. Her eyes gazed at the room searching out Collin, but what she found wasn’t exactly what she was hoping for.
Sure, she’d gotten Collin’s attention, but he looked more annoyed than turned on.
He was standing up, had his arms crossed over his chest, and a blank expression on his face as he pursed his lips in either distaste or disapproval.
Laurel’s heart sank in her chest as she wondered if maybe she misread him. She was going to go for something simpler and classier, but when she tried to get a read on him earlier, she thought maybe he was the type who liked women who were bold and adventurous. She tried to do that by incorporating the camera and water in her act, but clearly she misread the situation.
She tried to keep the disappointment from flooding through her. He was after all, a hard person to catch, and Julia did warn her about that. At least she’d gotten the attention of every other man in this room. She blew them all a huge kiss, and strutted off stage, making sure to add a little extra sway to her hips.