Total pages in book: 30
Estimated words: 27763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 139(@200wpm)___ 111(@250wpm)___ 93(@300wpm)
“And you declined, right?” she asks pointedly.
I twist my mouth with agony.
“How could I?” I reply. “Wouldn’t that be super suspicious? I mean, the man puts a roof over our heads. It would be fishy to say no.”
Mom sighs and puts down her nail polish, thinking.
“You’re right,” she agrees. “You have to go. You don’t have a choice now.” A wave of excitement washes over me at the thrilling prospect that tonight is actually going to happen. “And you have to go without me,” Mom continues, to my relief. “Because I don’t want Mr. Daniels to suspect that you’re my daughter. If he sees us together, he’ll know.”
I smile wanly.
“I can make an excuse.”
Lily nods, thinking quickly.
“Yeah, just tell him I have a migraine or that I ate something bad,” she says. But then Lily stands up and starts pacing the floor with a pained look, as she blows on her nails to dry them.
“What?” I ask, suddenly concerned. “I think those are good excuses. He doesn’t want you barfing during a movie.” But my mother doesn’t immediately answer, and I worry that I’ve upset her. Even though the conditions aren’t exactly ideal, this is the closest I’ve been to her since I was little, and I’d hate for us to lose this connection before it even has a chance to blossom.
“It’s just,” Lily sighs, “this is not the life I wanted for you, Jasmine. I never wanted you to be exposed to any of this to begin with. It’s why I didn’t want you to come live here. What mother would? You’re a smart girl and you’re going places. You deserve better than this.”
Affection for her swells within me as I understand that it wasn’t because she didn’t want to live with me. She was trying to keep me safe.
“It’s okay, Mom,” I smile reassuringly. “It’s just a movie night. It’s not going to be a big deal. One movie, and then we’re off the hook.”
But the look Lily throws me immediately wipes the smile off my face. It’s a look that says, “You innocent fool.”
“That’s the thing Jasmine - it’s not ‘just a movie night,’” she says in a tight voice. “The fact is that Logan Daniels has invited you to his private quarters. He’ll want something. This isn’t just chit chat and fun and games, honey. You’re old enough to know that.”
She’s right. I do know.
“So what do I do?” I whisper.
“You have to keep Mr. Daniels happy,” Mom says resolutely, fixing me with her green eyes. “If you don’t, you may stand out too much, and he might start asking questions. And if he finds out the truth about who you are… well, we could end up on the street.”
“But how do I keep him happy?” I squeak. “I’ve never… you know…I’m a virgin, Mom!”
“I know,” sighs Lily. Suddenly, my mother looks very tired and every one of her forty years. “But don’t worry, honey. We’ll figure it out because we have to. We have no place to go if this doesn’t work out. Willy’s in jail, Aunt Cathy hates my guts, and you know I haven’t had a job in years. So it’s either the Daniels mansion or the women’s shelter. Please, please, please try to make it work, okay? I’m so sorry, Jasmine. This is not what I wanted, you have to believe me.”
I lay a hand on my mother’s shoulder while gulping heavily around the frog in my throat.
“I know, Lily,” I say in a soft voice. “It’s not your fault. And yes, I’ll find a way.”
After all, like my mom said, I have to make it work. We have so much at stake … and Logan Daniels is the man who holds all the cards.
4
Jasmine
Around noon, a small gold envelope is slipped under the bedroom door. It contains a simple white card with directions to Logan’s private quarters in gold lettering, along with a time: 8 p.m. When I turn the card over, I see a dress code printed in the same gold lettering: lingerie. Wow, fancy. After all, I’m literally living on his estate and yet the billionaire sent me an actual invitation. Clearly, I’ve entered a whole new world.
Unable to focus on anything else, I spend the rest of the day pampering and primping in anticipation of my upcoming encounter with the handsome man. I take a long bubble bath scented with vanilla, and then dry my hair slowly using the diffuser so that my curls are bouncy and frizz-free. Carefully, I apply subtle make-up, making sure to emphasize my full lips and big brown eyes. I hope Mr. Daniels likes them innocent because despite my best efforts, I never appear sultry and seductive. The Megan Fox vampy look has never worked for me; I just look clown-like with all that make-up.