New Job

"Reserving?"

The woman smirked. "You are a virgin. Never been touched and that makes you marketable at a high price. If someone asks for you and with the right price, then I will sell you."

She didn't answer. She couldn't. Was she that desperate to get away from her aunt? Yes, she was like her evil stepmother. But still, she gave her a space to sleep in.

Should she just go out of that place and apologize to her aunt? She thought to herself. Yet she wanted to stand on her own, even if she had to sell herself.

"By the way, I'm Matilda, the manager of Club Montefalco. They call me Mama. You can also call me that. All you have to do is sign a contract with us." Mama smiled.

"Contract? Can I read it first?"

Mama nodded. "Sure. Here." Then she handed her a five page document.

"You will entrust yourself, your life to us. As long as you work here, don't worry about those customers who will try to take advantage of you. Like that fatty earlier. Just say that you're from Club Montefalco and they won't dare to touch you. You will be protected here."

"How about the pay?" She asked.

"You will be compensated fairly. But do not compare yourself to other women working here because as a waitress, you will be paid just above the minimum wage."

She nodded. "It says here that you will provide a room for me. Is this free?"

Mama chuckled. "Nothing misses your eyes. I like that. Well, yes. You may be just a waitress, but you're a virgin. I have to make sure you will stay like that until someone buys you so you have to stay here."

She gulfed. "When you say buy me, will it be someone who will offer the highest price? I won't be able to choose?"

"Yes. Whether it's someone with a ridiculous appearance like that fat guy, I don't care. As long as he could pay."

She bit her lower lip and didn't answer back. Then she saw the last page of the document.

"I can get out of here?" She asked.

Mama raised her eyebrow and nodded.

"You can. The girls who work here either have debts to pay or runaways. We pay their debts or pay their family if they want to. But in your case, it's different. I assume you don't have any debt to pay, right?"

She shook her head. "I don't have any. And you don't need to pay my aunt either. It's been taken care of."

Mama frowned. "Then you don't owe us any. As it says in the contract, as long as you find yourself a man who can buy your freedom then you can go. But if no one wants you, you have to stay and work here until you die."

Until she die was a bit too much, but Mama looked serious so it could be possible.

"How about you think about it first? We're not like other clubs. We don't force someone to work here. My boss will kill me if I do that." Mama said.

She took a deep sigh. "I don't have a place to stay for the night."

Mama scratched her temple. The girl was not fit to work in this kind of place. But she couldn't just let her go.

"Fine. Fine. I will let you stay tonight. It's seven and we'll open at nine. Help me out in exchange for tonight's meal and room"

She felt relieved. "Thank you Mama."

A young man in black shirt walked inside and greeted Mama.

"This is Dylan, one of the guards here. He will take you to one of the rooms. And by the way, your name here will be Lia."

As the new girl followed Dylan outside, Mama wondered about her.

"Interesting." She whispered.

Then she took the phone in front of her and dialed a number.

"Amelia Lane. She was expelled from Bloomberg University. I want information about her. I need it now."

Mama waited while the other person on the line searched about Mia.

"Her mom's dead. She lived with her aunt, her mom's sister–"

"I know that. Any other information? Like who her father is?"

"Whoa! This is huge. Price?"

Mama clicked her tongue. "Thirty percent. Now, talk!"

"Harry Grayson. Her mom's name is Athena Lane, a part time model fifteen years ago. But she was based in Paris."

Mama had a wide smile on her face. The additional thirty percent payment for the information she got was worth it.

"Harry Grayson, the most decent business tycoon in this city."

She laughed and she couldn't stop it. Who would have thought that Harry Grayson had a secret?

In Mama's mind, she had to make Amelia stay in the club. Because the girl's worth was unimaginable.

The club opened at exactly nine in the evening. Amelia was given a uniform to wear to serve the customers. She hadn't met any of the girls who worked as scarlets.

Mama said the girls here were not called prostitutes. They called them scarlets.

"Are you Lia?" One girl who looked around her age asked.

She nodded. "Yes. I'm here to help tonight. I'm not officially working here."

The girl chuckled. "For now. But after tonight, you will be officially working here."

She reiterated the word officially and she sounded sarcastic with her words.

"Name's Ady. I'm a waitress during weekdays and a scarlet during weekends. Come, I'll teach you."

Ady wasn't that nice, but she wasn't that bad either. She was prank and vulgar, but for some reason, Mia liked her. She taught her everything she needed to know before the club opened.

"She's pretty. So what's her story?" Ady asked Mama while they watched Mia work.

"Her story? There's nothing to tell. She has a boring life." Mama smirked.

"Seeing you watching a girl so close, I don't think she's boring."

Mama rolled her eyes. Before she could answer Ady, Dylan whispered something in her ear.

"Oh, great! Why now?"

"What?" Ady frowned.

Mama clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"He's here. Look alive people! Nicholas Hudson will be here in a minute." She shouted.