Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27724 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 92(@300wpm)
The beautiful brunette whose name is Lily stares at me again.
“You don’t know?”
I shake my head.
“I mean, I do. We’re dancing for a group of men, right? Shimmying and shaking, and making sure they have a good time. We’re providing entertainment.”
The two ladies exchange a look.
“Yes, but it’s a little beyond just dancing.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, my heart racing at light-speed. “Maybe I didn’t get the right impression...”
“No, it’s nothing so horrible,” the brunette laughs. “Have you ever heard of hostessing? It’s something that’s pretty common in Japan.”
“No, I haven’t,” I say with confusion. “Do we serve sake, you mean? Engage in formal tea ceremonies?”
“No, no,” Minky replies with a giggle. “It’s just that some clubs in Japan provide hostesses for their male customers. Guys come to a venue, and the space provides professional female companionship. You know, someone who’s beautiful, yet intelligent and conversant in a number of subjects. We’re all college grads, or at least getting there, and we’re expected to entertain with our minds, as well as our manners.”
I stare.
“No way. I thought this was more ... I don’t know...”
“Stripperish?” Minky asks with a smile. “That we’d be paid escorts?”
“Well, kind of yes,” I say helplessly. “I mean, I don’t think the Japanese hostess experience is very common in these parts of Minnesota.”
“Oh, it’s more common than you think,” the gorgeous brunette says in a lofty voice. “Actually, I’d say that exclusive gentlemen’s clubs all work this way. You get the most beautiful women, but they’re ladies who have manners, breeding, and an ability to make a guy feel seen. It’s the ultimate girlfriend experience, and that’s why we get paid the big bucks.”
I stop there because I didn’t ask how much Kiki’s getting for tonight, nor do I really want to know because my thinking is this: the more cash on the table, the more that’s expected of us. We really will need to make sure the men get their money’s worth if they’re paying through the nose, and I’m feeling more and more nervous by the second.
Stop, the voice in my head whispers. You’ll be fine, Cindy. If you hate the party, just call an Uber and get yourself out of there. So what if Kiki doesn’t get her cash? She’ll have to find another way to pay her bills.
I straighten my shoulders because it’s true. While I’m loyal to my friend, I’m not going to go berserk and do things that are wild and crazy ... or will I?
Even more bewildering, the car ride seems to last for hours as we glide past fields, small towns, and then more fields before entering a forest. The limo does all sorts of turns up and down a hill, and when I glance down at my phone, my heart drops because GPS no longer works. Then, I open up Google Maps, and it’s the same problem. There doesn’t seem to be any signal, and there’s no blue dot steadily indicating our whereabouts.
“Are you guys able to use your phones?” I ask, trying to keep my panic at bay.
A gorgeous platinum-haired girl named Katy glances down at her handheld, and shakes her head.
“No, I think it’s the trees doing it,” she says. “We’re deep in the middle of nowhere, and there’s no signal. Or maybe it’s the mountain range,” she says, staring out the window. “I feel like we’ve been going up this behemoth forever, and sometimes, signal can’t get through.”
“It’s definitely the mountain,” says Rachel, an especially pretty brunette, even if she looks a bit green at the moment. “And all these turns, oh my god! I’m feeling dizzy and carsick, in case you can’t tell.”
“Girlfriend, if you’re going to puke, please say so,” Winky warns. “Don’t get any vomit on my dress.”
Rachel clutches her midsection but manages a wan smile.
“No, I’m not going to vomit ... yet,” she says. “Just crack open the window, will you? The fresh air will help.”
We do as she asks, and the chill air does seem to help Rachel’s nausea abate even while bringing goosebumps to our arms. I look out the window, my heart pounding erratically because by now, dusk has descended and the forest is slowly being cloaked in darkness as the limo continues to wind up a mighty mountain.
“I wonder where we’re going,” I say in a slightly nervous tone. “Why would a group of men book a party up here, in the middle of nowhere? I thought we’d be at a fancy hotel or something.”
Katy just smiles and shrugs.
“Rich men have their ways,” she intones, not at all alarmed. “There’s no point in trying to make sense of what they do because rich men always get what they want, and they’re not going to reveal their motives to us. But I see a light in the distance, so maybe that’s our destination!”