The following day seemed to arrive quickly, even Daniel wishing me luck as I headed to the club to join Keaton. Mhairi had helped me put on the design he’d requested, touching it up where it had stretched, chipped, or faded a bit, and then I’d grabbed breakfast on the way, too late to eat it before I left the court.I felt a little nervous as I went into the club and hurried across the dance floor. Giving out invitations seemed to be an important task and I wanted to get it right.“Don’t fret,” Edward said as he pulled the door to the stairs open for me. “He’ll make it clear how formal he wants you to be. And everyone loves you.”I sighed and tried to smile, but I don’t think I was very convincing, as Edward opened the final door for me too.“You’ll be perfect,” he whispered.“There you are,” Keaton said a fraction of a second later, drawing everyone’s attention to me.“Sorry I kept you waiting,” I replied, although I knew I wasn’t late. I thought I saw Erin smirk, however, as I came c
The waiter pointed out the guests we wanted on one side of the room, standing in a circle by what looked like a fireplace except for the lack of heat one so large would create. Keaton then led me up to them.Heads turned as I noticed an interesting mix of people. Some of the women in the room were dressed more normally, almost conservatively, including two we were heading towards. But just over half of the women were clearly courtesans, although again, they were wearing more clothing and were more restrained. No one was having sex out in the open, or being anywhere near as lewd.I, on the other hand, was wearing nothing but paint. For a moment I wanted to run from the room and cover myself up, but then I reminded myself that Keaton had chosen me for this task. He wasn’t a fool. If I should have been dressed differently he’d have had me put something else on while in the car on the way here instead of screwing me as swiftly as possible.As we reached the circle of people, it opened natu
Walking along in the garden almost at the top of Tomichii and Kioshi’s building, I sighed. I was done with my regular appointments for the day, and Edward had indulged me in a moment to walk among the plants and stars. I tried to calm myself. It had been a full-on day, and I’d just said goodbye to a man called Ferg, a businessman who was a good friend of Tomichii’s and now one of my regulars.Deciding to accept his request had been a hard thing to do. I didn’t doubt that Tomichii would realize I was sleeping with them both. And I knew it would hurt him a little, something I didn’t want to cause at all. Of all my companions, he was one of my favorites. But I’d not been able to afford to say no.I had several regular companions now. My schedule was almost full each day, especially on Thursdays and Fridays. The most frustrating thing, however, was how little financial progress I was making. Despite Daniel’s attempt to introduce me to wealthier men, and Mhairi’s help at her club, I had nee
March 23rd 2273Today, I woke up.It felt like barely a moment had gone by since I was frozen, but apparently it was over two-hundred and fifty years. Two-hundred and fifty years since I'd said goodbye to my husband and son.Now I was sat in a small room, dressed in a skin-tight leotard that somehow kept me warm despite being thin as paper. Now I had to try and adapt.I woke up only half an hour ago. Apparently I’d been in surgery for several days, but I’d been woken slowly, my body now perfectly healed.They’d tried to prepare me for this. For waking up and everything feeling surreal. It hadn’t worked, not one bit. But the nurse had been nice, offered me a drink, some clothes, and waited nearby while I got dressed, answering my questions.I’d gone to sleep one day, unable to move my entire body. Within fifteen minutes of waking, I’d dressed myself. It felt like a miracle, but my emotions hadn’t caught up. Instead, I sat in a chair, waiting.In a small bag at my feet I already had a bu
I tried not to shiver as I was led inside the ornate, almost Chinese-style house nestled among identical buildings.As we’d travelled the last few hundred metres, I’d noticed even more of the seductively dressed women, several of which lingered in the foyer of Daniel’s home.There were also more bodyguards on the door, one opening it for us as we approached.Feeling all their eyes on me, I followed Daniel through the entrance way. Jake and Edward came inside with us.I wondered if I could run. If there might be somewhere else I could go. But where? And what about the document I’d just signed? It had referred to Daniel as the person responsible for me until my debt was paid. If I did try and run, would I just be brought back here?So many questions.“Daniel, Yaru is here,” a woman said as she approached. “He’s in the smaller sitting room.”I caught a glimpse of the room she’d just left as she paused to look me over. The floor was covered in cushions and soft rugs. Here and there a low t
The calm Yaru expressed had finally begun to settle on me as well. I sat in front of him, sipping tea and wondering when my first lesson would begin. And what it might entail.Yaru had been almost silent since I’d confirmed I would become a courtesan to pay back my debt. Several times he’d glanced at me, but for the most part he stared into the nothingness of air, his face thoughtful.With nothing else to do, I found my mind wandering, starting to think about when I might have to begin. Would it be that night?My stomach churned and I shuddered. This drew Yaru’s attention, but he merely raised his eyebrows and waited for me to speak.“How big is my debt?” I asked, not ready to talk about the finer points.Yaru pulled a thin, transparent rectangle from inside his robe. As his fingers swiped the surface, a liquid inside coloured and formed a detailed screen like those of the tablets that had existed when I’d been frozen.After a little tapping and swiping, he brought up a view that inclu
Yaru still sat on the same pile of cushions. Our tea was gone, long ago drunk, neither Jake nor Edward willing to do anything about getting us any more.“So, that brings us back to your skill,” Yaru said, finishing off an explanation of what the next few weeks would hold for me.I sighed. Talking at length about my future, how I would live each day, and the sorts of things Yaru would teach me had gone a long way to calming me. Some of it even sounded pleasant.“You have a think for a moment, my dear,” Yaru said, pushing his bulk up onto his own feet with a small grunt. “That tea all needs to go somewhere.”Before I could object at being left alone, he headed towards the door, a slight waddle to his gait. Edward and Jake parted for him, both their expressions blank as they stared ahead until he was out of sight. Immediately Jake screwed his nose up, evidently disgusted. Edward shook his head, and shuddered.Their attention then turned to me, both of them grinning as they glanced at each
“Which way will Daniel be?” I asked when Edward and Jake both looked to me. There was no way I was going to stick around and let them ogle me or make any more moves. “I’ll show you,” Jake said, motioning for me to follow him. I tried not to show my relief as I let him lead me down several corridors, deeper into the building. He remained silent, letting me look around. Not a single soul lingered anywhere I could see, all the other women gone from the room they’d lounged in before. Near the back and up a small flight of stairs was a large room. One end was decked out like an office, a desk with several chairs at it. Bookshelves lined the wall behind the desk, and a large screen showing stats and schedules was fixed to the desk’s left. The other end of the room featured several low sofas and a cushioned mattress. It was the epitome of comfort. Daniel sat at the desk, another crystal device in his hands. The second he saw me, he looked up and grinned. “Thank you, Jake. You can go bac