Chapter 1: Introduction
My phone buzzes ominously in my hand. My heart gives a traitorous lurch. The last thing I needed was some telemarketer calling me at dinnertime. With a flick of my thumb, I send the call to voicemail. The buzzing, however, persists. A new text message. Great.
Wiping off the counter, I glance at my cell. My eyes widen, and I hesitate. Unknown number.
Hey. I can give you $10,000 per hour for three hours.
Bondage, stripping, & tease, but not intercourse. Interested? Reply if yes
My eyes widen further, and I gasp at the sum. $30,000 to just do - what, let them tie me up? Was this a joke? I couldn’t believe it. But, I thought of my rent, debts, and creditors, and they did not care if this was believable. The clock was ticking.
I glance at my phone again and ponder my options.
My rent is due next week, and I’ve maxed out all my credit cards. I’ve lost count of how many bills I let pile up in hopes that my bank account would suddenly fill. I’m hanging on by a thread, drowning in my issues. The persisting message on my phone brings with it a glimmer of hope.
“If only it were that simple,” I mutter under my breath and consider texting back, but I hesitate.
As the phone screen dims, I lean back against the cool, tiled backsplash, letting out a low sigh. I always seemed to attract trouble like a moth to a flame. I glanced down at my faded and worn jeans and wondered yet again how this life had become my reality.
Me, Sarah Johnson, a small-town girl, struggling financially while working in a dead-end job, being offered a fortune for one night of “work” I had yet to determine. My survival instincts kicked in, and a flutter of excitement warred with the anxiety building in my chest.
I gnawed furiously on my lip, contemplating my situation. The text on my screen offered me the key out of a desperate financial situation, and while my pride screamed in protest, an audacious part of me craved a taste of this surreal world.