As Amelia and I walk down the hall together, we pass what can only be the triplets’ room. Moans sound out, breathy and high, along with some loud smacking sounds. Then come the voices:
“More, more,” comes a woman’s pant.
“Oh I’ll give you more,” is a low male growl.
Another smack, and then:
“Goddamn, with nine holes I might be in over my head. What the hell was I thinking, ordering triplets? Fuck baby, come here. Come to Daddy.”
Amelia and I stare at each other with huge eyes, but then keep scurrying down the hall until we’re out of earshot.
“Holy cow,” I breathe.
“Indeed,” she adds, her eyes like saucers. I stop in the middle of walking and turn to her.
“Amelia, we have to be real. That was the triplets’ room, and you know what was happening in there. The X-rated stuff.”
She nods silently, merely looking at me with big eyes. I take a deep breath.
“I have to ask,” I say in a whisper. “Did you meet your billionaire too?”
She bites her lips and nods silently.
“Did you?”
I nod.
“Yes. Did you have any inkling when we got on the plane that this was going to happen?” I ask. “I mean, I genuinely thought we were coming to Maruba to work as hostesses, and now my billionaire tells me that the real name of Maruba is Billionaires Island? Supposedly they’re a debauched group of guys who want to indulge in all sorts of shenanigans without the press watching.”
Amelia bites her lips and nods.
“Yeah, that’s what Evan told me too,” she says. “He’s my billionaire,” she clarifies quickly as her cheeks go pink. “We met right after I left you.”
I nod, and we continue to scurry to the cafeteria.
“Did he come by your room?” I ask in a hesitant tone.
She nods and then smiles brilliantly.
“Yeah, and he was so nice and so handsome too,” she says with flushed cheeks. “Evan, I mean. We sat on the bed and talked a little and he told me a little about this place, and what it means to him, and how much he enjoys it here.”
I try to look casual as we enter the dining area and pick up our trays. It’s like a big college mess hall, except that only a few food items are set out, and I begin scooping some macaroni and cheese, as well as some steamed broccoli onto my plate.
“Did he say anything else?” I ask in a nonchalant tone. “It’s so great that you guys met and seem to get along so well.”
She nods, her cheeks flushed.
“I know right? Usually boys don’t like me back home, but Evan was so attentive and so nice. And yes, there was more,” she confesses.
Ah ha. Here it is. Here’s where she’s going to admit that she’s actually carrying Evan’s baby now after a half-hour of wild, no holds barred, steaminess. Amelia blushes even pinker and sets her tray down at a long table.
“Well, he held my hand and then we kissed,” she finishes almost in a whisper while shooting me a shy smile. “It was my first kiss, but it was so passionate and loving,” she breathes. “He had his hand on the back of my head just so, like this,” she demonstrates on her own skull, “and then he brought my face forward, and his lips were open like this,” she says while miming the action. Now, Amelia looks like she’s blowing bubbles underwater with her arms in contorted positions.
But I force myself to be patient.
“That sounds amazing,” I gush, as if she’s just let me in on a huge, wonderful secret. “But was there anything else? Did you guys do anything, you know, more than that?”
Amelia shakes her head, but then nods.
“He held my hand and told me we’d go slow when the time came,” she murmurs shyly. “Isn’t that crazy? I know I shouldn’t be like this because I’ve only met Evan once, but I can’t wait,” she admits. “He’s so handsome and absolutely mind-blowing, and the truth is Ava, I’ve been waiting for the right one for a really long time.”
I stare at her. Am I the only one who’s sane on this island?
“Amelia, wait just a moment. Slow down. Do you hear yourself? You just said yourself that you’ve only met Evan once. So why would you be ready to give your virginity to him? You are a virgin, aren’t you?”
The plump girl nods and blushes again.
“Well, I suppose so, yes. I know it doesn’t really make sense, but Evan makes me feel so comfortable. It’s like I already knew him from a past life, don’t you see? It’s so easy to be around him, and the conversation really flows between us,” she says hesitantly before taking a bite of her corn. “Besides, for someone like me, Ava, that’s a lot. I mean, I don’t get guys. Ever. So to have a rich billionaire interested in me? Well, it makes me feel really wanted for the first time in my life.”
I take a moment to think. My new friend has a point because it’s not like men are lining up to meet me either. In fact, I’d say the opposite is true. Usually I'm so sassy and feisty, that if anything, I drive men away. Call me the Man Repeller. So maybe Amelia has a point. She reads my mind while taking another bite of her corn.
“My guy is really hot, Ava. Is yours too? I mean, Evan told me a little about what they do here. The island was set up to be a private idyll for them, so that the billionaires can do whatever they want. Every billionaire is different, but he assured me that all the girls are treated really well, and some even ask to come back. Plus, Evan said that there are only three billionaires on the island right now: himself, your guy, and the guy who requested the triplets. They’re are all friends too. Brett, the guy who requested Mandy, Tandy and Candy, is the most depraved one which is why I wasn’t surprised when we walked by their room and heard all those sounds, but Evan says that he’s not like that. He likes curvy women one at a time, is what he told me.”
I nod.
“Yeah, my guy was a little more vague but I like him,” I say slowly, leaving out the steamy bits. “My guy’s name is Carver and he said that they are all literally billionaires back in the real world actually. Did Evan tell you that as well?” I ask while taking a bite of my macaroni.
Amelia nods.
“Yeah, he said the Billionaires Club is a super-exclusive male club catering to the needs of ultra-wealthy guys. I guess he didn’t tell me exactly how much everyone was worth, but even if they’re not billionaires, it doesn’t matter, does it? I mean, they must be multi-millionaires at least, and that’s a lot.”
I consider that for a moment.
“Amelia, let me ask you this. Did they also offer you thirty thousand dollars for three months here? Is that what you’re getting?”
My new friend nods while blushing.
“Yeah, but Evan made me a special deal on the side. He said that because I’m a virgin, he’s going to add a ten thousand dollar bonus, and also if he likes me, he’ll tip me at the end. It’s going to be a lot of money when you add it all up,” she whispers, eyes wide.
I stop eating for a moment and put my fork down.
“Do you realize how terrible this makes us? We’re basically forking over our bodies for money. How can that be happening? And the amount of money doesn’t matter because let’s be serious – what we’re giving up is priceless, right?”
But Amelia merely keeps chewing while looking at her plate.
“Yes, but Ava, like I said, Evan is really nice and really handsome. Plus, it’s not really about the money anymore. I want to,” she confesses, looking up at me with slightly guilty eyes. “He’s so hot, and I know it sounds bad, but I want to give him my virginity. I mean, how was your guy? Was he really good-looking as well? Did he offer any special perks?”
I think my new friend is too innocent for me to tell her how Carver and I really met: which is that he caught me in a compromising position and started pounding me with my toy before bringing me to the brink of ecstasy. Instead, I just smile weakly at her.
“He didn’t offer me money, no. But Carver offered to let me stay with him. He said that the dorm setting was a little spartan, and said that I could stay in his suite.”
“Oh my god, you have to go!” squeals Amelia with bright eyes. “It’s going to be so fun! You guys can play cards, read books together, and snuggle and then kiss before anything really exciting happens. You should totally do it!”
I nod, shooting her another weak smile. The fact is that I was thinking of saying “No” to Carver and rejecting this set-up on Billionaires Island. After all, they have to let me off the island if I protest, right? They can’t keep me a prisoner here. There must be some pilot who will fly me away from Maruba.
And yet, after talking to Amelia, I’m not so sure anymore. My friend’s so excited about meeting her billionaire, and her excitement is rubbing off on me too. It’s kind of sweet, in a way, although I’m hardly a virgin like her.
But what could go wrong? A lot of things, if I’m being honest with myself. Carver could end up being a BDSM guy with lots of chains and whips and a predilection for inflicting pain. Or maybe this whole Billionaires Club thing is a front. They really are a drug-running cartel, and Amelia and I are going to be forced into becoming mules. Or maybe, they are a club of billionaires, but they’re not going to pay us a cent once we’re back on the mainland.
A bunch of possibilities run through my head, but then Amelia cuts me off. She takes a bite of her sandwich and asks, “What do you have to lose, Ava? It’s not like we have ace jobs waiting for us back in New York. And you don’t have a boyfriend either right? So why not see if your guy delivers? Give him a chance, and just go day by day. Maybe it’ll be better than you think,” she adds with a smile.
I take another bite of my macaroni. There is some truth to Amelia’s words. I’m currently single, and frankly, have been single for longer than I’d like. And Carver is really handsome, although of course, Amelia doesn’t know how we really met. She doesn’t realize that my man is handsome, dominant, sly, cocky, and as hung as a horse. She doesn’t realize that I’ve already engaged in the dirty with him, and that it was oh-so-good. She doesn’t know that at this very moment, I’m starting to heat up thinking about Carver, and that maybe, a three month session of debauchery with him is exactly what I need. After all, maybe this could be a way to relax and let go of my deepest inhibitions … all at the hands of an ungodly gorgeous man.