I saved the best for last.” Trixie held up the purple vibrator that looked like a thumb and index finger held out. Except the thumb part had rabbit ears on the end. The demo for this toy was one of her favorite parts of her sales show. Everyone was hanging on her every word. “Meet Jack.”
“Hi, Jack!” multiple voices rang out, as if they were vying for a red rose on The Bachelor.
“His full name is Jack of All Trades because”—she paused for extra suspense. The crowd leaned closer—“he does everything except take out the garbage and load your dishwasher.”
More laughter. That joke was always a hit. When she took this job last year, she’d used the sales script provided by the company. She’d read about sex toys in erotica and romances but hadn’t tried one out until she started this job. As she became more comfortable with the products and talking about them in front of strangers, Trixie came up with her own sales pitch.
“This bad boy is designed for both inner and outer play. The rabbit ears tuck around your clit, while the other part—let me show you.” Without taking her eyes off the women, she pressed a button and the beads inside the toy’s base began to rotate. Jack’s shaft twirled clockwise, then, with the press of another button, twirled counterclockwise.
Everyone gasped in amazement.
“Hell, Jack can load me up anytime!” shouted out the tipsy bride-to-be. Giggles and murmurs of agreement erupted among her friends.
“There you have it. Our bride is adding Jack to her wish list. Don’t forget you can purchase items from her list to help her build her passion trunk.” Trixie winked at the bride. “I’ll make sure everything arrives in time for the honeymoon.”
Her friends cheered and encouraged the bride to add more items to her wish list. Turning the bachelorette shows into sex toy bridal showers had been such a hit, other reps at Bedroom Frenzy now incorporated this strategy into their shows.
A woman in the front made an impatient grabby hand motion, so Trixie passed Jack to her. She knew it would be her top seller tonight—just like it was at all her shows. Part of her job was to explain each item’s features, but putting the toys into the customers’ hands sold the toy. Once they felt the smooth silicone and wrapped their hand around the rumbly vibrations, they could imagine how it would feel on more intimate body parts.
As the final products made their way around the room and back up front to Trixie, she wrapped up the demo part of the show. “When you’re ready, meet me in my office”—she pointed at the table she’d shared with Reina earlier—“and I’ll process them. Everything you order is confidential, as are any questions you have about them. Your items will be shipped directly to you in the mail.”
“What does the box look like?” asked the maid of honor.
“It’s a plain brown box. The packaging won’t say anything about sex toys on it,” Trixie assured her guests.
“My delivery guy is hot,” grabby hands lady said. “Can you put Dick in a Box on mine?”
The crowd roared, and Trixie joined them in laughter.
One by one, the women sat down with Trixie to place their orders. Here was the part she looked forward to. This private time with the guests was when she was truly able to help them. Even though she’d only met them a couple of hours before, they whispered their deepest fears to her.
A woman confessed that she’d never had an orgasm before and thought something was wrong with her until tonight’s show. Another worried about emasculating her partner if she asked to use a toy during sex. Grabby hands lady was no longer interested in sex, but tonight made her want to give it another try.
Finally, it was the bride’s turn.
“I can’t wait to tell Wyatt about all the fun stuff we’re getting!” Her friends had purchased everything on her wish list for her. Trixie only suggested the addition of lube and toy cleaner, which the bride happily added to her order. “I couldn’t have had a better bachelorette party. Thank you!”
Once the bride was done, the bachelorette party moved their festivities over to the bar.
Trixie grinned as the intoxicated bride-to-be knocked back her buttery nipple shot and pumped her fist in the air. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m getting married!” The rest of her friends followed suit and cheered along.
There was something about good food and frank discussions about sex that encouraged her customers to open their wallets. Though Trixie hadn’t done all the math yet, tonight’s show had been her most successful one this year. It wasn’t just the income—she loved being able to help the women. Not just the ones who came in for the one-on-one “consultation” when they ordered, but the women who sat quietly in the back absorbing every second of her presentation.
When she first started this job a year ago, she was shocked by how little women knew about their bodies—herself included. Sex had been a taboo topic in her family, like in most Vietnamese families. Because of this, sex had felt serious and mysterious to her. Even when she became sexually active in college. She learned about sex from books and searching the Web. She had taken this job because she needed the work, but it was one of the best things to ever happen to her. Doing this helped her to realize how many misconceptions she’d had about pleasure and sexuality. Bedroom Frenzy taught her to embrace the fun of sex. Now it was her turn to teach others.
Behind the swarm of women at the bar, she could see a blur of tight black T-shirt and dark brown skin as Andre poured another round of shots. He seemed thinner, and she’d caught a glimpse of sadness in his eyes during their earlier exchange. He still kept his black hair in a short fade, but now he sported a light beard. She didn’t care for beards on her men, but the tight coarse curls around his mouth and on his chin were sexy on Andre.
Seeing him again combined with the smell of fried chicken reminded her of their time together in New Orleans. He’d kissed her, clothes and hair exuding a mix of his masculine scent and Fleur de Lis, the bar where he worked. After he showered off the smells of fried food and spilled beer, she’d lain on his chest and inhaled his clean, woodsy scent while they watched cooking shows in bed. Thinking about the two of them in bed reminded her of the orgasmic high and musk of their post-sex bliss.
Now wasn’t the time to rehash those memories. She wouldn’t let their past ruin her sales-show high. Not even the unpleasant encounter when he’d brought the drinks to her table. Trixie was glad she wouldn’t have to see him again after tonight.
She didn’t need his restaurant to do her job. Most of her clients preferred buying sex toys in the privacy of their own home, surrounded by friends. This pop-up was a one-time event at Mama Hazel’s. Trixie vowed to never see or speak to Andre ever again. This time it would be her decision. Not his.
“I love watching you in your element!” Reina handed her the stray order forms, catalogs, and penis pencil toppers that she’d picked up from the tables. “You’re going to kick ass in Bedroom Frenzy’s contest.”
“I’d better. I’ve been stuck in third place all summer. And a new laptop is cool, but the money would be better.” Trixie placed all the papers into her worn brown leather tote. “Thanks again for your help.”
“If by helping you mean sitting here and eating the most amazing chicken and waffles I’ve ever put in my mouth, then you’re welcome.” Reina lowered her voice. “Andre may be a jerk, but he serves the best food I’ve had since I moved up here.”
Trixie gave a half-hearted laugh. Her friend was right about the food. It was delicious. Like Trixie, Reina was a New Orleans native. A native who constantly moaned how Washington, DC, was not really the South—especially in the food department.
“Tonight was my best show this year!” Trixie resisted the urge to jump up and down as she changed the subject from Andre. “If I could have at least one like this every month for the rest of the year, I’m a shoo-in for first place.”
“You can’t go wrong with booze, good food, and battery-operated boyfriends,” Reina said. “I think I just described my Friday night date!”
Reina waggled her eyebrows. Trixie laughed.
“Which boyfriend do you want? It’s my gift to you for being my chauffeur and assistant tonight. I’ll even toss in batteries.” Her company never included batteries with any of their products. Sometimes Trixie would offer them free of charge to encourage customers who were on the fence. What was the point of buying a sex toy when they had to steal AAs out of their TV remotes?
“Now, that’s friendship!” Reina chuckled. “Hanging out with you is the only gift I want. Though I’d like my own suction-cup, glow-in-the-dark dildo so I can play ring toss in my office.”
“He’s yours! I’ll order you a brand-new Glo-Man.”
“Oooh, a virgin.”
“You are so bad!”
“I’m just being my fabulous self.” Reina winked and tossed her red hair.
“Yes, you are.” Trixie hugged Reina.
“Which reminds me. My offer is still good.” Reina shot a look toward the bar. “Say the word and I’ll kick his ass.”
“I love that you have my back, but I don’t want you arrested because of him. He’s not worth it. I’m over him.”
Except she wasn’t. Seeing him again stirred up conflicting emotions. She wanted more closure than the note he’d left. And standing so close to his warm, muscular body had aroused her in ways a vibrator couldn’t take care of.
Trixie needed to stay focused on her career. She wasn’t about to give Andre Walker the chance to derail her dreams—or break her heart a second time.