Bought for Love
Chapter One
Greed
“This shit right here is what I’ve been talking about. People have no respect these days.”
Kim was already on a rampage and I hadn’t even had my morning coffee yet. I wondered what was making her mad at the world today. But it was going to have to wait until I poured my first cup. Last night I’d barely slept worrying about our financial situation. I loved my older sister¸ but she got angry at the stupidest things. Sitting down at the worn kitchen table, I had my warm cup held in my hands protectively, and took a deep sip.
Kim shook her head and gritted her teeth as she continued to read through some article on her outdated laptop. “Can you believe the nerve of this asshole? He thinks he can buy women like cars or something!”
Okay. That caught my attention. A man was buying women? Was that even allowed in today’s society? “That can’t be legal.” I’d regret getting into this conversation, but the topic was too interesting to not ask.
You have to understand my sister. She works at a homeless shelter, making minimum wage. Seeing the things she has, well, it made her bitter toward the world’s upper one percent. Her resentment was for the people living in the shelters, but we were on the brink of poverty ourselves. I guess it was selfish but I worried about us instead.
“Of course it’s legal if you’re a billionaire. Hell, they get away with raping people and serving probation instead of jail time because it ‘might not be good for them’.”
She was still rightly angry at that heir who supposedly got away with raping his daughter. I had trouble sleeping at night after finding out the truth behind that story. Unlike Kim, though, I knew there was nothing I could do about the situation, and focused on keeping our rent paid.
“The bastard even states he wants an inexperienced woman that he can mold into becoming his perfect partner! Basically, he wants some virgin who won’t know how bad he sucks in bed so he can make her his personal love slave. Fucking asshole.” She turned the computer toward me, and my breath caught in my throat.
The man was unbelievably gorgeous. As in, stepped right off the big screen handsome. Dark brown hair, cut just above the collar of his button down. Deep blue eyes that almost matched his jacket, and that dimple in his chin? I wondered why he had to buy anyone. He could probably charm a girl by giving her a smile.
“Just goes to show, you can’t judge a guy by looks. You’d think he’d have some class. But he’s no different than some of the pimps you see hustling girls on the street.”
I almost sighed as Kim turned the laptop back. You definitely didn’t see men that looked like that in our neighborhood. Not that I was paying attention. When I walked home from the library or my part-time job I was more worried about getting mugged than caring what the person next to me looked like. Since neither of us owned a car, public transportation was our only travel option. Lately the transit system had gotten even worse than before. Muggings were not only possible but likely.
“What’s he offering the woman?” I drank another sip of my coffee, and wondered what it would be like to belong to a man like him. No worrying about bills, or groceries, just living the good life.
“Get this shit. A long-term relationship with monetary value to be discussed at the interview.” Kim scoffed before closing the lid on her computer. “I hope someone kicks his ass.” She stood up and put her used coffee cup in the sink. “I’m staying over at the shelter tonight. You want to come hang out?”
Just like that her mind was on work. I guess I should’ve been thankful that she had a job to do. When she went off on one of her rampages, they sometimes lasted for hours. “Actually, I was hoping you’d leave the computer with me so I could look for another job. They’re cutting my hours at the store again and I need something better.”
I worked at a little convenience store at the end of the block. Besides being dangerous, I really needed at least forty hours if we were going to eat something more than sandwiches next month.
“This damn economy is killing us all. Of course I’ll leave it. Just remember to check out the bus situation for any jobs you apply for.” She bent down and kissed my cheek.
“Yes, Mom.” I smiled at the familiarity of the situation. Kim was ten years older than me and had been my mother since our own passed away five years back. I was a freshman in high school when my mom had been hit by a drunk driver, changing our lives forever. I owed her so much for stepping up to the plate.
“I wish I had her skills. Need to run, baby girl. If you get freaked out, just come on down.”
Greed
“This shit right here is what I’ve been talking about. People have no respect these days.”
Kim was already on a rampage and I hadn’t even had my morning coffee yet. I wondered what was making her mad at the world today. But it was going to have to wait until I poured my first cup. Last night I’d barely slept worrying about our financial situation. I loved my older sister¸ but she got angry at the stupidest things. Sitting down at the worn kitchen table, I had my warm cup held in my hands protectively, and took a deep sip.
Kim shook her head and gritted her teeth as she continued to read through some article on her outdated laptop. “Can you believe the nerve of this asshole? He thinks he can buy women like cars or something!”
Okay. That caught my attention. A man was buying women? Was that even allowed in today’s society? “That can’t be legal.” I’d regret getting into this conversation, but the topic was too interesting to not ask.
You have to understand my sister. She works at a homeless shelter, making minimum wage. Seeing the things she has, well, it made her bitter toward the world’s upper one percent. Her resentment was for the people living in the shelters, but we were on the brink of poverty ourselves. I guess it was selfish but I worried about us instead.
“Of course it’s legal if you’re a billionaire. Hell, they get away with raping people and serving probation instead of jail time because it ‘might not be good for them’.”
She was still rightly angry at that heir who supposedly got away with raping his daughter. I had trouble sleeping at night after finding out the truth behind that story. Unlike Kim, though, I knew there was nothing I could do about the situation, and focused on keeping our rent paid.
“The bastard even states he wants an inexperienced woman that he can mold into becoming his perfect partner! Basically, he wants some virgin who won’t know how bad he sucks in bed so he can make her his personal love slave. Fucking asshole.” She turned the computer toward me, and my breath caught in my throat.
The man was unbelievably gorgeous. As in, stepped right off the big screen handsome. Dark brown hair, cut just above the collar of his button down. Deep blue eyes that almost matched his jacket, and that dimple in his chin? I wondered why he had to buy anyone. He could probably charm a girl by giving her a smile.
“Just goes to show, you can’t judge a guy by looks. You’d think he’d have some class. But he’s no different than some of the pimps you see hustling girls on the street.”
I almost sighed as Kim turned the laptop back. You definitely didn’t see men that looked like that in our neighborhood. Not that I was paying attention. When I walked home from the library or my part-time job I was more worried about getting mugged than caring what the person next to me looked like. Since neither of us owned a car, public transportation was our only travel option. Lately the transit system had gotten even worse than before. Muggings were not only possible but likely.
“What’s he offering the woman?” I drank another sip of my coffee, and wondered what it would be like to belong to a man like him. No worrying about bills, or groceries, just living the good life.
“Get this shit. A long-term relationship with monetary value to be discussed at the interview.” Kim scoffed before closing the lid on her computer. “I hope someone kicks his ass.” She stood up and put her used coffee cup in the sink. “I’m staying over at the shelter tonight. You want to come hang out?”
Just like that her mind was on work. I guess I should’ve been thankful that she had a job to do. When she went off on one of her rampages, they sometimes lasted for hours. “Actually, I was hoping you’d leave the computer with me so I could look for another job. They’re cutting my hours at the store again and I need something better.”
I worked at a little convenience store at the end of the block. Besides being dangerous, I really needed at least forty hours if we were going to eat something more than sandwiches next month.
“This damn economy is killing us all. Of course I’ll leave it. Just remember to check out the bus situation for any jobs you apply for.” She bent down and kissed my cheek.
“Yes, Mom.” I smiled at the familiarity of the situation. Kim was ten years older than me and had been my mother since our own passed away five years back. I was a freshman in high school when my mom had been hit by a drunk driver, changing our lives forever. I owed her so much for stepping up to the plate.
“I wish I had her skills. Need to run, baby girl. If you get freaked out, just come on down.”