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“A woman is like a tea bag — you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
— Eleanor Roosevelt
Sky Morgan smiled with bright, eager-to-please eyes. Like Tina, she was also wearing a mask, one she strapped on every morning from the moment she woke up. It was a disguise, hiding her fear, her pissed-off-with-the-world anger, and anxiety. She prayed that some new crisis wouldn’t rip her mask off, revealing to the world just how terrified she was.
Sitting across from Mr. O’Neal, Sky held her right knee to stop it from bouncing up and down with apprehension. The more her life was flushed down the toilet, the happier she pretended to be.
Her father was a builder. Her mother worked part-time as a waitress. When she was ten, her dad got ill from long term exposure to asbestos. Four months later he died, leaving the whole family in utter misery.
After she lost her father, her mom had to take on a second job, coming home every day stressed and tired. Sky got her little brother off to school, did the cooking, washing, and helped him with his homework. As time went on, they lost their apartment. Sky soon learned debts could never be paid, that no address was permanent, and sleeping in a station wagon wasn’t so bad.
When Sky was thirteen, her family rented a rundown house in the burbs. Mom quit both jobs for “a different occupation” she informed the kids vaguely. She began coming home late, depressed, and drunk. Months later Sky discovered her mom’s secret: she was turning tricks to make ends meet. They never talked about it. Sky couldn’t imagine how hard it must have been to sell herself, but mom would have done anything for her family.
At fourteen, Sky left her twelve-year-old little brother home alone so she could work twenty-three hours a week at McDonalds when not at school. At fifteen she discovered that girls, particularly girls with absentee parents, were not always safe. Sky bought mace.
After Sky graduated and started working full-time, they got on top of their bills, and life improved. Then her mother got sick with leukemia. Soon there wasn’t enough money for medication much less doctor’s bills. Sky worked 70 to 80 hours a week at minimum wage. Her brother worked part-time while still in school. Their wages didn’t come close to supporting the family.
Now they were behind on their rent and about to lose their home. Again. Sky had been on countless job interviews where the personnel managers rolled their eyes at her for the audacity of applying for a well-paying job. Granted this interview was for a temporary position, but hopefully if she got it, it would become permanent.
Money, money, money, she thought, the song from ABBA in her mind. It always comes back to cold, hard cash.
How much would someone pay for her virginity? Resorting to prostitution was beginning to seem the only option for paying the rent, much less keeping her family together. That was why she was so desperate. Sky had to find a steady job with a higher income.
Chill out, stupid! she told herself. No need to panic. I’ve got this. It’s OK. It’s OK. I’m going to get the job.
Sky managed to get through the initial temporary PA interview with flying colors, even though she felt clumsy, stupid, and fake as a two-dollar bill. Now, she stared at the bearded business owner as if he were an executioner. It didn’t look good.
She knew the signs of impending doom. Her heart pounded against her ribs as his kind brown eyes gave it away. Why did she feel she was about to get the axe before she was even offered a job?
No! she thought frantically, a picture of her little brother and her sick, exhausted mother flashing into her mind. Oh, God! Why do I even try? I’m a loser from a loser family. There’s no hope. I may as well put a picture of myself online and auction off my virginity today. Then I can start hooking like my mother was forced to do.
“I’m sorry,” Mr. O’Neal of the kind brown eyes said, “You interviewed well, but another candidate was more qualified.”
Sky Morgan’s chest tightened as her limbs went cold. She thought she had it together, but she was wrong. As he pronounced the death knell, killing her last hope, Sky burst into tears.
O’Neal jumped up, shut the blinds, and returned to his desk. He brought out a box of tissues from a drawer, placing it near her. Sky took a few, using them to wipe her eyes and blow her nose. Saying nothing, he patiently waited for the storm to end.
“Sorry,” Sky hiccupped, ashamed of her emotional outbreak.
“Nothing to be sorry for,” O’Neal replied in a gentle voice.
Something about his tone or his kindness had her considering. He wasn’t old or creepy. No ring, so he’s not married. Forget the job—could he be a lifeline? As if she were drowning and going down for the last time (which wasn’t far from the truth) Sky was prepared to latch onto anyone who might keep her afloat.
Gathering her shaking nerves, she took a slow, steady breath. Just ask. Just ask, she told herself, but it was so embarrassing! Beginning this conversation felt kind of like jumping out of an airplane...
...without a parachute.
“Mr. O’Neal,” she impulsively began, barely able to meet his sharp gaze. “Do you like virgins?”
O’Neal frowned.
She sat up straight, nervously speaking faster. “I...I’m only asking because I’m a virgin and I recently decided I would sell my virginity. You know, for money. But I thought I’d give you first choice.”
Sky’s face colored, embarrassed by O’Neal’s impassive reaction to her blatantly offering her body in exchange for cash. Was he pissed, hiding anger and judgment? Then again, she bet he got this kind of proposal all the time. He was rich and powerful, tough-guy handsome, and well... again, he’s rich!
Max scratched his beard, considering. He had a rule to always be generous when he could. Life had taught him that hard work and luck only went so far. No matter how charmed a life anyone led, there would always be ups and downs. If he fell on hard times like this girl had, he hoped someone would be there to help him.
“Which would you prefer,” he said. “Selling your virginity or be given a job with benefits that pays well?”
Stunned, a strange sound escaped from her throat. Her voice came out in barely a whisper, “A job.”
Max O’Neal leaned back in his chair. “Looks like you’re in trouble.” Sitting forward, he slapped his desk as though suddenly making up his mind. “You’re a bit young, but so are our customers. You’re pretty, personable, and smart. With time and effort, you’d probably make a decent tour operator.”
Surprised, Sky’s mouth dropped open, but no sound came out. A tour operator’s job pays more than twice what I make now, she thought. Would the health insurance he offered cover her family?
Sitting forward, he met her eyes in a disturbingly intense manner. “Before I offer you anything, tell me what’s going on in your life and with your family,” he softly commanded. “Drug addiction? Gambling debts? I don’t care, I want to hear it. Leave nothing out. Then explain to me exactly why I should hire you.”
Sky Morgan had been through a lot of shit in her short life, mainly due to rotten luck. Susceptible to kindness, she spilled her guts. She spoke of her father’s death, her little brother still in school who relied on her, her mom who was ill with leukemia, their prehistoric POS junker car. Sky said she was a hard worker and would do anything for a good job. If she could earn a decent wage, they would get out of debt.
“That I believe,” he said, thinking about her offer to sell her virginity.
Sky blushed. “Sorry. Guess I’ve hit the desperate stage.”
“Yeah, I got that.” He paused, then said “You don’t have to tell me, but how sick is your mom? Should she be in the hospital?”
“Chemo is the recommended treatment, but we can’t afford that,” Sky said with a sigh. “Mom doesn’t look especially ill, but she’s rarely hungry, and she’s always exhausted. She got pneumonia a while ago and got her appetite back. Her joint pain went away too. It seems any fever causes temporary remission and reverses symptoms. She was able to go back to work for a couple months, but she’s too weak to work now. It goes like that, sick, then well. Sick, then well. It’s a dwindling spiral until one day...” her voice trailed off.
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you,” Sky said, thinking of her mom’s cancer prognosis of five years left to live, she paused. Swallowing, she tried not to choke up. “Don’t worry, it isn’t contagious. You can’t catch it even if you get a blood transfusion from someone with leukemia, and it doesn’t run in families. It’s just bad luck.” Tears ran slowly down her cheeks.
Calm, yet interested in her problems, O’Neal offered her another tissue. Her prospective boss’s manner led her to believe she might have a shot at a job.
“Thanks,” she sniffed.
After getting past that difficult subject, he asked penetrating questions. Sky fielded each one truthfully, excruciatingly over-eager, and hopeful. She told him how her little brother became quiet, introverted, and anxious after losing their dad. He had been ten, two years younger than her when the rug was pulled out from under his world. As assholes have a sixth sense for the vulnerable, Jamie was constantly bullied at school. Sky couldn’t always be there to protect him.
“So it was up to you to be the strong one. To hold the family together. That takes a lot of determination. Someone like that might make a dependable employee.”
“I’m reliable! You won’t regret giving me a job,” she assured him, then added with a sheepish look, “That is, if you do.”
O’Neal went on. “If I give you a job it won’t be out of the goodness of my heart. My business isn’t a charity. When I recruit an employee, I look for honesty, loyalty, and dependability. I’ll expect you to work hard.”
“I can give you all that!” Sky gasped. “I’ll be the best employee you’ve ever had!”
“I don’t doubt it,” he said with a smile.
O’Neal stood up, held out his hand for her to shake. “You start immediately, on probation for three months. Since you’re short of cash, I’ll give you two weeks wages in advance.”
Sky began crying even harder now, but this time from happiness and overwhelming gratitude. She flew into O’Neal’s arms, thanking him, and hugging him for all she was worth. He stood immobile, uncomfortable, and uncertain how to respond. He would never touch anyone without their permission. Why did people do it to him?
Unfortunately, at that exact moment, Tina Kirkner discovered a cracked off piece of blind to spy through. When she peeked inside, she saw her disloyal Dominant locked in an embrace with the sweet young thing.
