MEREDITH'S POV
After crying and feeling sorry for myself, I went back inside my mother's hospital room. “Hey cupcake.” Her voice was hoarse. “Hey mom, how are you feeling?” I smiled. “Like I could run a marathon,” she lied. Her blue eyes that once sparkled so bright was pale and tired. “Come here, honey,” she opened her arms, and I gave her a hug. She hissed when I lie on her chest. “Does it hurt?” I asked. “Yes, but not as much as seeing my only child sad. You will be OK, honey. You just finish up school and get your degree. You don't worry about little old me,” my mother insisted. She had no clue that I dropped out of school and used my remanding tuition to help with her medical expenses. “OK mom. I will.” I spent the next hour with her until the doctors put her to sleep again. I went to the women's ward and got myself washed out because Simon didn't use a condom. I explained to the nurse that I was raped, she advised me to go to the police, but I told her I'd be fine. Being that I was not a minor, the nurse couldn't do much other than give me the proper medicines and injections to stop me from contracting HIV in case I was exposed. After that, I phoned Brenda. “Hey Mer I was just about to call you,” she answered. “Why weren't you at work last night? I stopped by, and your boss told me you didn't show up.” “I had some stuff to take care of for mom.” I hoped Brenda bought my story. “Well I'm in the parking lot in the hospital, come meet me,” she said then hung up. I checked on mom once more, she was fast asleep then I went outside to meet my bestie. I saw Brenda leaning against a limo. She was dressed to impressed in a leather pleated skirt and a white shirt tucked inside the skirt. Her black combat boots gave the outfit a striking appeal. “Don't you look like a million bucks,” I hugged her. She passed me a letter. “What's this?” I smiled. “It's your check.” “What are you doing with it?” I asked while I opened it. “Well, your boss says to give it to you and that you are fired,” Brenda barked out. “What? This cannot be happening, Bren. My mother needs the money and I —” "It's OK. Calm down. Here,” she handed me a stack of cash. “This is five thousand dollars. Give Mr. Smith the rest of the money that you owe him, and the rest is for you.” “Brenda. I can't take this money,” I gasped. “Where do you keep getting so much money from? Brenda, you'd tell me if you were doing anything illegal, right?” “Of course I would, but I promise I am not doing anything illegal. I told you I'm seeing someone,” she deadpanned. “So your boyfriend gave you all this money?” I asked. “Yes, he did, and he's here. He wants to meet you,” she gestured to the limo. “Brenda, don't play around.” I quirked my brow. “I'm not. Lenox is here, and he would like to meet you. Come on, don't be rude and come meet my man,” she pulled on my arm. “OK fine,” I gave in and Brenda opened the door and jumped inside, and I followed behind her. Brenda was quick to straddle her man's lap, sucking on his face. His palms moulded her ass cheeks, and I was sitting in front of them, getting nauseous. I cleared my throat. “Oh sorry, girl.” She left his lap and sat beside him. “This is my boyfriend, Lenox. Lenox, this is my bestie Meredith.” I almost swallowed my damn tonsil when I saw the man looking at me. He wasn't a boy at all. This was a man, not a young man, but someone girls like me and Brenda should always call Sir. The grey hair grandpa stretched his palm for me to shake. “Nice to finally meet my darling's best friend,” Lenox said. My eyes scanned him for a quick second. He couldn’t be younger than sixty. “Likewise.” I swallowed. He dropped my hand when he realized I was uncomfortable. “I'm just going to cut to the chase,” he began. “Brenda tells me you are in some financial difficulties, and I'd like to offer you a job.” “Let me stop you right there. I'm not selling myself to you,” I scoffed. When I said I’d do anything to get the money for my mother’s medical bills, I didn’t mean prostitution. “Brenda I can't believe this is what you are doing.” No wonder Mr. Smith thought I was selling my goods. “No, Mer. That's not what he's saying. Just hear him out. It's not what you think,” Brenda explained, but I couldn’t keep what I was feeling inside to myself. I had to tell her my mind. “Brenda wake up and smell the adult diapers!” I yelled. “You're dating a man three times your age. He gives you money for sex. That makes you a whore,” I declared. “Not that I have a problem with that. It's your body and life. But don't you try to get me to do what you are doing because I won't.” “Just shut the fuck up, Meredith, and listen for once in your life,” Brenda shook my shoulders. “Just hear him out and if you don't want to do it, then you can say no, and we can go back to being best friends who stay out of each other’s personal business.” “OK,” I said. Lenox opened a small box and took out a cigar. Brenda lit it for him, and he took two puffs before he spoke. “I see you are not as wild as my darling Brenda. She told me you wouldn't do this type of thing, but she also stated you needed money, so I'm offering you a job.” “What kind of job?” I asked again. “It's a bartending job, but you won't be serving low lifes and town drunks. You'd be working for my business, serving only the finest, wealthiest men in America and occasionally the world.” “And all I have to do is pour them alcohol?” I inquired. I didn’t like loopholes, so I had to make sure this man wasn’t hiding any. “Yes. Whatever you choose to do with them after is up to you. All you have to do is serve the men and women refreshments and also clean up after, and it's only for three days every week.” “Women?” “Yes, we have girls to service the needs you are too afraid to give,” he chuckled. “OK. This sounds like it's doable. And the pay?” I queried. “I'll start you at $15,000 for the three nights. plus if you are lucky, you could get some big tips.” I almost spit my tongue out. With pay like that, who needed tips? “And I am not required to sleep with anybody?” This sounded too good to be true. “No, Mer. They have girls for that. You will only be serving the booze,” Brenda assured me. “This isn’t like selling your body on the sidewalk. Believe me, some of these men pay you only to have conversations with them. There are no sex involved majority of the time.” “This was what you've been up to?” I asked her. “I had to pay my tuition somehow. And it's not like what you are thinking. The men are respectable and they treat you right. And since I've met Lenox. I only service his needs.” “You mean he became your boyfriend,” I corrected her. She spoke like their relationship was still only a business transaction. “Yes, my boyfriend. So what do you say, Mer?” “I guess I could give it a try.” I sighed. “Yesssss!” Brenda squealed. Lenox’s eyes squinted as it glimmered at my answer. “OK then. Here are the contracts that you need to sign. This one is a nondisclosure contract, meaning you cannot discuss nothing that you see inside the walls of the parties,” Lenox stated. "Do you understand?” “Yes I understand,” I nodded. “Now where do I sign?”MAXIMILIAN'S POV“Do you smell that, buddy?” Paxton sniffed the air as soon as we stepped out of my chopper. The night was hot and the air dry, making me uncomfortable. "That's the smell of booze and pussy, my friend," he grinned, patting me on the back. I snickered. I didn't feel like partying tonight or any other night for the rest of my life. Not after what Kimberly did to me. I just didn't find pleasure or happiness in things I normally liked. I told myself that those things were temporary, but money and success could last a lifetime if you were smart enough. "C'mon man, don't be a party pooper," Paxton whined. “They'll be other women. You're Maximilian McTavish for Christ's sake. Women are literally lined up to suck the fart out your ass.” His last remark made me chuckle. “See, buddy. That's the spirit. There's no place to go fuck someone out your system better than Las Vegas.” “What if I don't want to fuck her out of my system?” I grunted, bending my collar while the both of us
MEREDITH'S POV Six months had passed since I'd been working for Mr. Fuller, and he was true to his word, I only had to pour the liquor and light the occasional cigar. I thought for sure I would be groped and belittled by now. God knows how many times I had my ass smacked while I was serving as a waitress. I stepped out of the car and was ushered inside the hotel's lobby by Brenda. I was nervous. This was the first time I'd been away from home since my mother was sick. The money I had been making as Mr. Fuller's bartender was enough to pay the hospital bills and buy my mother's medication. The tips I made were suitable to pay my rent and buy my food. Now I just needed a raise so I could save for the down payment on my mother's heart transplant. A ping came in on Brenda's phone. “Wait! It's a voice note from Lenox,” she informed me. She clicked the play button. 'Hey, Darling. Did you ask Meredith to work the floor tonight? If so, please let me know. I miss you my little sugar pus
MAXIMILIAN’S POV My meeting was a success. I finally closed that deal with Addison Corporation after five years. It wasn't an easy road, but my patience and dedication had finally paid off. I turned down celebratory drinks in the Valley with my workers so that I could have my driver take me home to my girlfriend, Kimberly. A text or phone call wouldn't suffice to share my good news with her. I wanted to do it in person. Seven hours later and I was back in my Penthouse Suite overlooking the heart of New York City. But one would think the city was experiencing a blackout if it wasn't for the lights pelting in through the enormous glass windows. “Why was it so dark in here?” I muttered under my breath, shrugging my coat off and then setting it on the rack by the door. I peeled off my shoes and flexed my tired muscles before placing my boots on the stand next to the coat rack. Undoing my cufflinks, I called out; “Kimberly.” But the sound of thunder crashing through the sky d
MAXIMILIAN'S POV "HOW LONG?” I yelled, my voice nearly breaking. Kimmy was full-on bawling, so it was Asher who answered. "A little over a year.” My heart absorbed the words upon impact. I couldn't fucking believe it. My girlfriend and my little brother. Fucking… For a year… Under my roof… While I was still fucking her. Disgust slammed into my body with the force of a tidal wave. I rushed into the bedroom, shoving both of them out of the way. My mind was spiralling and my heart was grieving. I needed to know something. I checked the floor, the bin, under the fucking bed for it. I peeled the remaining covers off the bed. My eyes darted around everywhere, but they didn't find what I was looking for. “Where is it?” I asked, the two cheaters looked at each other like I was speaking a foreign language they couldn't understand. “Where the fuck is the condom wrapper? Please tell me you at least used one.” But the looks on their faces told me otherwise. “JESUS FUCKING CHRIS
MEREDITH'S POV Tired, stressed, hungry, and depressed. These were the emotions I was living with these days. Brenda, my best friend, pulled up to my building. “No, not the front. Take me around the back,” I told her. “Mer, don't tell me you owe Mr. Smith rent again.” “OK Bren, I don't owe Mr. Smith rent,” I snickered. Brenda pulled up around the back. “How much?” She asked. “Three thousand six hundred dollars,” I sighed. “That's three months!” Brenda exclaimed. “Why didn't you tell me sooner?” “Brenda, I can't keep taking money from you. You already helped me out with food and meds for my mother. I can't keep pressuring you like this.” “Are you fucking kidding me? I am your best friend, and you and your mom had been there for me since I was eight and going through shit with my step-father. I could never repay you guys for what you did for me,” she hugged me, then she opened her purse. “This is all the cash I have on me now. Give it to Mr. Smith and tell him you'll
MEREDITH'S POVI was still numb the next morning. My lips were cracked, and my throat was dry. I didn't sleep much last night, mainly because of what happened with Simon. I lost mobility for an hour or two and apart of me worried he was going to come back to my flat and have another go at me. My vagina was rubbed raw and sore. I'd been saving myself for the one and to think this was how I lost my virginity. I drank some water, then got myself ready for the hospital. I needed to take some clean clothes for my mom. She should wake up any time now since she just had her first surgery. If this didn't work, and she didn't get any better then our next stop was a heart transplant. I mustered up the strength I needed to get through the rest of the day. I just couldn't pity myself right now. So what if I was raped by my neighbour? My mother was in the hospital fighting for her life. I couldn't act selfish and think about myself now. Plus, Simon warned me he would kill my mom if I ever told