Chapter 2

I was having a racy dream that involved a certain man in a three-piece suit, except in my dream he was stepping out of a pool wearing nothing but a smile, when my phone woke me up abruptly. I felt around for it, knocking it onto the floor.

Opening one eye, I stuck my hand out and searched for it blindly. The ringing stopped but as soon as I had the phone in my hand the ringing began again. Whoever it was, they were persistent.

I answered with a sleepy, “Hey, this is Nina.”

“Hi, Nina. Sorry to call so early in the morning, but we have an opening at the resort and I was wondering if you would be interested. Sorry for the short notice, but we had a last-minute cancellation.”

“Who is this? I’m sorry… I’m just waking up,” I said. I’d gone out drinking with Kenny and Cyril the night before. I was a light weight, I only needed a couple of beers, but I felt as if I had had a whole case by myself.

“I’m sorry. This is Richard. You gave me your portfolio…”

“Oh yeah, the guy with the cranky old lady,” I said sleepily and then immediately slapped my hand over my mouth and was suddenly wide awake. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that out loud.

But apparently, Richard wasn’t in the least bothered. In fact, he laughed at my faux pas.

“Yep. I guess she made quite an impression.”

“You can say that again. So, can you tell me more about what you need me to do? Is this for the entertainment specialist position?”

“Yep. The entertainment specialist keeps the guests happy and attends to their needs. Think of it as a glorified hostess meets babysitter, but for adults.” I laughed at his description and he continued, “We’ll need you for seven days. Would that be a problem? And I assume you have a passport, right?”

I nodded and then realized that he couldn’t see me. “Yeah, I have one. Never been used.”

“Well, great. Now’s the chance. So, I’m going to have my assistant, Gertrude, get in touch with you. She’ll go over all the logistics.”

“Ok. Great. Before you go, I forgot to ask. How much does it pay? And when would I need to be there?”

“You’ll need to leave today, as soon as possible actually. And we pay one thousand a week and, of course, we provide you with free food and lodging while you’re on the island. Top of the line accommodation. Every specialist has her own room and an extensive wardrobe, so you don’t even need to pack a lot of clothes.”

I was speechless for a second. In my hometown, working at the local movie theater, I barely made $1000 a month as the manager.

“Nina, you still there?”

“Yes, so let me get this right… One thousand for a week? And I leave right away?”

He must have taken my hesitation for uncertainty, as he rushed to reassure me saying, “I understand it’s short notice, so I can up the rate to fifteen hundred if that works for you?”

“Sure. I mean, that’s great. Thanks for that.” I was now standing and pacing the floor, super-excited at the prospect of earning $1500 in a week. My luck was clearly turning around.

“Excellent! I think this will be a wonderful opportunity for you. Gertrude will call you in about half an hour.”

“Ok… great… great…” I couldn’t stop saying “great”. I felt like such a dork. “Thanks, Richard. I really appreciate the opportunity.”

“No, thank you, Nina. I’m sure you’ll be the perfect companion for our guest.” He thanked me again before hanging up.

“Perfect companion?” I said to myself, curious about his last statement. He made it sound as if someone was renting me for the night.

I paused. Oh, God. I hoped I hadn’t just signed on to be an escort. I groaned, feeling stupid. But then I thought to myself, surely that old woman with pretentious sensibilities wouldn’t be interviewing people for an escort position. Unless she was some sort of pimp. I giggled at the thought and made a note to ask Gertrude for more details when she called.

* * *

Six hours later, I found myself sitting with a group of five other women. We were all chatting excitedly. Well, I wasn’t chatting, but I was excited even though no one was actually talking to me. I noticed that I was the only girl with dark hair in the group. Everyone else had long blonde hair and light-colored eyes. There were a few dirty blondes, but I was the only one with straight jet-black hair, dark brown eyes and slightly tanned skin. My mother was Turkish and my biological dad was Colombian, at least that’s what my mom told me. She hadn’t been too sure since she had only talked to him for a few hours in a bar before conceiving me in the back of his car, a story only made known to me after my Aunt Akila got drunk one night and blurted it out at a family get together when I was about twelve.

My mother had been furious, and Aunt Akila wasn’t invited to another family gathering ever again. I hadn’t known my high-achieving mother had such a colored past. After all, Mom was a pillar of the community, having become a well-respected doctor in our hometown. She had met and married David Charles, a nice business consultant from Atlanta who was a sarcastic, no-nonsense type, but nevertheless, he’d been a great dad to me. He’d even adopted me and given me his last name once he and my mom got married. I’d been about five at the time. My parents were pretty laid-back and open minded, but I knew my mom and dad would not be happy to know my first job in L.A. was as an entertainment specialist, whatever that meant.

It was still unclear to me what I would be doing on the island. Gertrude didn’t seem to know any more than I did. She was a jolly person, which had surprised me. For some reason, I thought she was would be more like the cranky old woman I’d met. The only bad thing about Gertrude was that she was so efficient that just talking to her made me feel inept at life. Within 15 minutes of being on the phone with her, I had my direct deposit set up, room and food preferences noted and all the transportation to and from the island arranged.

Kenny had already left to teach his early morning cycling classes when Richard had called me. I knew Kenny wouldn’t have his phone on him, so I’d called Cyril to tell him I was leaving. Cyril had been ecstatic. I hadn’t shared with him how much they were going to pay me because I felt he might get suspicious, as I had been. I didn’t need him convincing me of someone’s nefarious plan to sell me into white slavery or something. To say the least, Cyril could be quite dramatic.

I reached into my purse and pulled out a lip balm. My lips were dry and I knew that was because I was not only parched but nervous. I then reached into my bag for a bottle of water and the other women started moving towards the windows of the exquisite yacht transporting us to the island. I’d never been on a yacht before. My dad loved to go fishing and I’d accompanied him on several fishing trips, but we always rented a small boat. The yacht we were on was easily several million dollars. I figured it belonged to Richard or probably was the property of his company. I wondered if the guests were transported over in a similar fashion. I looked out across the gorgeous blue water as we neared the island. I could see the white sandy beaches from the boat and the lush green landscape went on for miles. A tropical paradise awaited us.

The other girls were giggling and I couldn’t help but share in their excitement. As far as the eye could see, everything was beautiful.

Huge blue umbrellas dotted the coastline and as we approached, I could see the water went from a dark blue to an almost transparent emerald with hints of aquamarine. Even the water looked expensive. Beyond the beaches I could see rows of rich forest, all so green and lush. Within the greenery, barely perceptible, were tree houses the likes of which I’d only ever seen on TV. It was as if someone had built mansions not only among the trees but within the trees themselves.

I started to rethink my “I hate nature” attitude.

We pulled up to the port and made our way down the platform. We were told to leave our luggage on board so that the porter could attend to them. I hadn’t felt comfortable with the idea because I hated to be separated from my belongings, but I didn’t want to be difficult.

As we all left the ship, someone was approaching us, coming down a path from the forest. The person waved and I realized it was Richard. Happily, I waved back.

“Nina! Of course, you’re leading the pack,” he said, giving a big grin. He was wearing a loose linen suit and he looked very handsome. I told him so and he gave me a grateful smile. “It’s hard to look professional and relaxed at the same time.”

The rest of the ladies had caught up with me and so Richard excused himself and greeted all of them personally as well. I was impressed that he knew us all by name.

“So, continue up this path to the resort. The on-site manager will be there to meet you all. Have fun ladies!” he called, heading towards the yacht.

We did as he said. There was a lot of excited squeaking and exclamations of “Oh my God, look at that!” as we made our way to the resort. Various man-made waterfalls lined the path, making the island seem like an absolute utopia.

And then we saw the resort. It was a like a giant tree house, but modern and sleek with walls of windows.

“Wow, just wow,” I whispered to myself.

“It’s something, isn’t it?” said one of the girls, finally talking to me. “My friend stayed here last week and she said it’s even more impressive inside.”

“Your friend works here too?”

“Well, no one really works here. They use different girls depending on what the client requests.”

“Yeah, I knew that,” I lied. Now I was even more curious about what the entertainment specialist position really entailed.

“No, you didn’t,” she shot back and I immediately stiffened up. She noticed my body language and was immediately apologetic. “Sorry.”

“Anyway,” I said wishing she would go away, but figuring she wouldn’t now. “Since your friend was here… what do you know about this place? What exactly can we expect? They just keep telling me that we’re expected to entertain the guests.”

“Yep, that’s pretty much it. Except that each entertainment specialist is assigned to one guest.”

I glanced at the other girls and said, “Isn’t it a bit weird that we’re all relatively attractive women?”

“Nope. The clients are mostly rich guys coming here for bachelor parties and stuff.”

I groaned. “So I signed up to be a glorified babysitter for a client who will probably think I’m a stripper.”

She laughed. “No. These guys are high class. You don’t have to worry about that. My friend had the best time. She said all the girls she worked with had the same feedback. The guys go out of their way to please you, so it’s almost as if they work for us, not the other way around.”

We entered the resort and a short red-head wearing a linen dress and a big sunhat waved at us happily.

“Hi, ladies! I’m Gertrude! Welcome to Solomon’s Paradise!” she said, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Come on. Let me show you to your rooms.”

We followed behind her. She led us down a hall and then up a staircase made from gorgeous wood. I stroked it lovingly as I walked by.

“Top of the line. We spared no expense,” she assured me with a smile. “Ladies, this wing of the resort is for you only.”

She reached into her pocket and pulled out fancy, little envelopes. She started calling our names one at a time and each girl happily grabbed an envelope, found their key and assigned room inside. They were gorgeous rooms. I peeked in every time someone else opened their door.

Finally, I received mine. I was so thrilled, probably even more so than the others. They were probably used to extravagance. I certainly wasn’t.

I opened my room and realized that unlike all the others, mine had a view of the forest. It was beautiful. The floor of my room extended into the forest and sat above the trees. If I looked down, it appeared as if my room was part of the nature around me. The architecture was bordering on divine.

I was in awe and apparently so were the rest of the girls who had decided to invite themselves in to stare at my view.

“Oh my gosh! This is sooo nice,” one gushed. “You’re so lucky.”

I nodded, speechless. If this was what it felt like to work for the rich, then I should have sought them out a long time ago, I decided.

And then I saw my uniform, which was a long, strapless maxi dress. The bodice featured an intricate white floral detail and the bottom from just above the knee down to the ankles was made from sheer, delicate material. I felt I’d rip it just by touching it.

“Oh my gosh. Your dress is so beautiful. It’s like you got the best of everything.”

I was confused. “You guys don’t have the same dress?”

They all shook their heads. “No, everyone has a different dress. Yours is the only one that is white.”

“Maybe you’re the virginal sacrifice,” one said. A few of the other girls snickered, and Gertrude cleared her throat.

“Leave the cattiness for another day, ladies. It won’t be tolerated here. Everyone’s here to have a good time. If I even feel that one of you is making life difficult for someone else, I’ll have you replaced and you won’t be compensated for your time.”

I smiled to myself. I liked Gertrude… maybe when I grew up I’d be just like her. I smiled at my thought. I had just turned 22 and Gertrude looked to be around 30. There wasn’t a huge gap between us, but I admired how confident and self-assured she was. She was the type of woman who demanded respect and received it. I could learn a lot from her.

“Your assignments are eagerly waiting to meet you all. I would suggest that you get dressed and refreshed quickly.” At that moment, the porter came in with my bag and set it on my bed.

I smiled and mumbled thanks, and he gave me a small wave in acknowledgment.

The other girls disappeared and Gertrude along with them.

I freshened up in the bathroom, which was just as fancy as the rest of the room. I applied mascara and eyeliner, hoping to make my already large dark eyes seem even bigger. I was frequently told I had a natural “deer caught in headlights” look. My eyes were my best feature, large and almond shaped like my mother’s. I applied a nude lipstick to my full lips and smiled in the mirror. I decided to braid my hair into a goddess braid around my head and took a flower from a vase and stuck it behind my ear.

I inspected myself after I was fully dressed and totally approved. I was a knock out. I was ready to entertain… or be entertained.

I made my way down the hall where an attendant pointed me in the direction of the dining room. When I walked in, I saw the other women from my group already there and there were about five men chatting with them. Waiters bearing food and drinks made their rounds and I nervously reached for a glass of wine, hoping for a little “liquid courage.”

I was assigned to G. L. Wallace. That’s what the note had said in my envelope. I nervously approached the group of men who thankfully were wearing name tags. Not one said G. L. Wallace.

Where was my assignment?

And then I noticed a figure standing on the balcony overlooking the jungle. I made my way to the French doors that led to the balcony and stood at the threshold, my heart racing. I didn’t know why I was so nervous.

A million thoughts were racing through my mind. What if he didn’t like me? What if he thought I was ugly? What if he was ugly? I mean, not unattractive, but an ugly person? Mean and cranky? God, what had I gotten myself into?

As that last thought entered my head, the man turned around and my breath caught.

“G.L. Wallace?” I asked with a shaky voice as I showed him my assignment card.

He gave me a small smile that served to make my pulse quicken, “Griffin. My friends call me Griff. And as luck would have it, you’re Parking Lot Girl?”

I laughed nervously. “It’s Nina. Nina Charles.”

“Nina,” he said, putting down the glass of champagne and approaching me. He stopped right in front of me and said, “You’re the last person I expected to see here. I thought all the entertainment specialists were going to be sorority sisters. At least that’s what the guys told me ad nauseam.”

“Definitely not a sorority girl. Disappointed?”

He shook his head slowly, letting his eyes look over me. He took his time, slowly starting at my face and then slowly moving down my body.

I could feel myself blushing as he got an eyeful. My breasts, though on the smaller side, looked huge in the dress I was wearing because of the deep V-neck that left little to the imagination.

While he checked me out, I did the same, I’m not ashamed to admit. It was like heat was filling the space between us as we studied each other. He wasn’t dressed as formally as before. This time he wore plain white jeans and a nautical-themed shirt. It was topped with a flawlessly cut white blazer. He looked handsomely untouchable, yet his body language showed he was completely relaxed.

“I hope you approve.”

“I do,” I said. “You’re very attractive when you and your driver aren’t trying to run me over.”

I expected him to say something equally flirtatious back to me, but he didn’t. He was just studying me. I immediately felt a little unsure of myself. Noticing, he quickly reassured me saying, “Don’t mind me. I don’t know how to flirt. I’m pretty terrible at anything that comes before foreplay.”

I opened my mouth and then closed it, not sure what to say. I blurted, “I have no plans to sleep with you.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Maybe not now, but eventually.”

“Wow, you’re arrogant.”

“I’m honest.”

I tried to be angry, because being angry would allow me to ignore the effect his words had on my body. I could already feel myself growing wet at the thought of being intimate with him. And I knew if I looked down, I would notice that my nipples were now peaked against the fabric of my dress, revealing my desire to let him do exactly what he wanted to every part of my body.

Woah, where had that thought come from? I felt out of my element and nervously fingered my dress.

I vowed to myself that if he noticed my erect nipples, I’d just blame their hardness on the light breeze in the air. He chose to ignore them.

“What do you say we take a walk and get to know each other better? You’re supposed to keep me entertained, right?”

“According to the itinerary, we’re supposed to have dinner and drinks with the others soon.”

He looked towards the room and grimaced. “I don’t know about you, but that sounds like torture to me.”

I could tell from his face that he meant it. “I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “They don’t look so bad. They seem friendly enough to me. And aren’t they your friends?”

“God, no. They’re my brother’s friends. His best man backed out or got arrested, or both. I can’t remember, so I’m the last-minute fill in to take his place. If I could run away screaming from this place, I would.”

It was all starting to make sense. “So, I’m here to replace the girl who should have been here. No wonder the other women were giving me dirty looks. I guessed I replaced their friend. So, let me guess, you like brunettes?” I remembered one of the sorority sisters explaining each girl was matched according to the client’s preferences.

“Yep.”

“And the others all prefer blondes?”

“I guess. I haven’t bothered to ask. I try to talk to them as little as possible.”

I laughed again. “It can’t be that bad.”

“Oh, you’re right. It’s worse. Their interests include sex, drinking, golf and television.”

I giggled again. I loved his frank way of speaking.

“I’ll admit I enjoy sex as much as the next person, maybe even more so,” he said pointedly giving me a devilish look that made my heart race. “But I hate golf. Beer disgusts me and I rarely have time to watch TV. Clearly, I don’t have much in common with my brother and his friends… most of whom are grown men determined to behave like frat boys this weekend. The whole idea of this island is ridiculous and borderline immoral. I can’t believe Richard pulled this off. One woman to meet your every need? I had to double check the legitimacy of the establishment before I agreed to come. I wouldn’t put it past my brother to try to arrange an escort for me as a joke.”

“Is that how this place is marketed? One woman to meet your every need?” I’d taken a women’s studies class during my freshman year of college and I knew my professor wouldn’t be pleased if she could see me now.

“Well, those were my brother’s words.”

“Yikes.”

“Tell me about it. I might not be a feminist, but I’m not misogynistic either. The premise behind this place is just creepy.”

“Yet, you came…”

“And yet, you work here…”

“Hey, I was hired to be an entertainment specialist.”

He laughed then and it caught me off-guard. His laugh was unselfconscious, deep and rich. And I found myself laughing along.

“I’m a glorified Hooters girl, aren’t I?”

“Bingo,” he said, and I shook my head in disbelief.

“Well, at least the pay is good.”

He smiled at me. “That’s good to know. I was afraid this whole thing might have been a front for human trafficking.”

I giggled. “Are you always this cynical?”

He shrugged. “It’s in my nature.”

“We’ll make quite a pair this week.”

“I’m looking forward to it. So how about that walk?”

I looked towards the dining room where everyone was gathering but us, but I didn’t feel like they would be even half as much fun as Griffin.

“I’d gladly take you up on that offer.”

He took my hand in his and I remembered the other day, how it felt to be comforted by him. Griffin was virtually a stranger to me and I was agreeing to join him on a walk in a strange place. I should have been afraid, or at the very least cautious. But I didn’t feel fear… just excitement.

The evening was turning out to be quite an adventure, I thought to myself, as we disappeared through a door and stepped out into paradise.