Bride for rent

Rebecca Gonzales stood across the full-length mirror,her bright ginger hair flowed to her waist.

Money meant everything to her at this point of her life, she needed money to pay for her college tuition,money to support her mother's failing business.

Their house rent was due in two days and the landlord had told her earlier that morning that he would waste no time in kicking her and her mother out of the house.

"Would you put on your mask and get going,you can't make me loose customers"Veronica,the owner of the strip club hissed as she walked into the room.

"Yes ma'am"Rebecca replied,her head bowed.

She watched Veronica storm off,out of the room. Tears filled her eyes,she couldn't believe she was doing this, working in a strip club for money.

The cold air gave her goosebumps as her pale skin was exposed.

Veronica had given her a see through catsuit,boots and a mask as her outfit for the night. Her instructions were to dance on the pole,seduce any of the rich men, lure them to bed and get paid.

The agreement was to split the money in half.

Rebecca blinked back hot tears,not wanting to ruin the heavy make-up she had on.

Her instructions were simple and straightforward but Rebecca's issue was how to carry it out.

Sadly,she put on the mask and walked up to the 'stage of fate' as Veronica had called it.

Other girls were dancing already, beckoning on some of the men who were drinking and smoking.

The stale smell of cigarettes, sweat, perfume and beer almost made her gag.

Her eyes locked with Veronica's who sat across the room with some men,she shot her a dirty look. It was a signal for her to start dancing or get fired.

She was at complete loss,she had no idea of what she was doing as she grabbed the dancing pole. She decided to copy the dance moves of the girl in front of her. The girl twisted and twirled like a pro.

Rebecca tried her best to place herself on the pole and move her body seductively.

She knew she has failed when other girls were taken by the men who were watching them,she was left alone on the stage.

She searched the room for anyone who was paying her attention,no one was.

She wanted to burst into tears when she remembered that when her rent had expired,she and her mother had no place to go to.

She let her eyes wandered from table to table,she noticed a man in a suit sitting across the bar. He seemed very uninterested in what was going on around him.

She decided to walk up to him,he was the only decent looking man around.

"Kind sir,would you please take me?"she asked nervously as she stood in front of him.

He lifted his eyes to her,he had the saddest pair of eyes she had ever seen.

She took note of his expensive suit and wristwatch. She wondered what in the world would ever make a rich man sad,they literally had everything they wanted at their beck and call.

"Go away"he said in a crisp voice,he had been drinking.

"Sir could you please give me some money, my rent is due in two days,I have nowhere to go to"she begged desperately,out of frustration.

"I said go away"he said,this time he raised his voice.

She turned slowly and walked back to the room,her eyes filled with tears,she let it all out,life was unfair to her,she lost her father and brother when she was younger,her father's properties and assests got seized leaving her and her mother with nothing to live on. She cried harder and banged her fist against the wall as she recalled how much she had suffered all her life.

"Stop"

She spun on her heels to see who had the commanding voice,it was the man from the bar. She wiped her tears frantically with the back of her palm,not wanting him to see her in such dire state. Her make-up was ruined and she looked terrible,there was no way she could seduce him looking like a girl from a horror movie.

"I could use some company tonight"he said"come to meet me at the bar in nothing less than ten minutes,make sure you look presentable"

Rebecca stared in awe at his retreating figure,he didn't await her reply.

She grabbed some wipes and began taking off the layers of makeup she had applied.

When she was done,she grabbed her coat and purse and went to meet the man.

"I'm done"she said quietly

The man ran his eyes quickly on her body, she'd thought she saw a ghostly hint of surprise in his eyes.

"What's your name?"he asked and motioned for her to take the empty seat beside him.

"Rebecca"she answered"Rebecca Gonzales"

He nodded and lifted his glass of wine to his mouth

"What brings you here? I've never seen you here before"he asked

It was her first time working at Veronica's strip club,she was surprised that a client was interested in her life. She thought all they wanted was sex in exchange for money.

"I need money"

"Hmmm"he sighed

She stared at his face which was barely visible in the dim light. She wanted to ask him why he looked sad,why a man of his caliber would visit a strip club.

"I'll help you with money then"he said after a long pause.

Her eyes flashed with hope.

The man,whose name she was yet to find out drove her to a hotel,he refused to use the cheap room service Veronica's club had to offer. She was very much aware of the luxury the man had as she sat in the plush seat of his Cadillac. She feared he would send her out of the car and tell her to take a cab and come meet him at the hotel,she felt undeserving of such luxury as she had never experienced it before.

The drive to the hotel was quiet except for the humming of the air conditioner in the background .

She had tried to start conversations with him but he ignored her.

The man led her to the room he booked. He had remained quiet all through,to her,there was a lot of mystery behind his face.

"Are you going to tell me your name?"she asked timidly as they stepped into the elevator.

He turned to her in annoyance like a parent would turn to a nagging child.

"You need money and that's what I'm going to help you with"he said sternly.

She took it as a cue to remain silent.

Her eyes widened at the interior of the master suite her booked. She had never been in a place like that,it looked exactly how it was on television adverts. There was a little fish tank that held small gold fishes. She squeaked in excitement as she was unable to control herself.

"These are so beautiful"she gushed"they must have cost a fortune,mama would be so happy if she saw this"

The man stared at her, completely taken aback by her reaction.

"Oh look at the flat screen TV,you know my family was never able to afford this,I wanted it so much"her eyes danced in glee.

"So you really are that poor?"the man asked,still surprised. He had never seen anyone gush at the sight of a mere TV.

"Papa died when I was younger"she said and continued to explore the room.

"Well,I didn't bring you here to admire things"he said in a serious tone.

She stopped in her tracks,she felt her heart pound very fast. She knew he had brought her to the hotel to have sex with her but she has never been with a man.

"What do you want?"she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"Company and sex"he answered without hesitation.

She watched the man closely as he walked to her. Her easily towered above her. It was the first time they had stared into each other's eyes since they met that night. His blue sparkly eyes reminded her of the ocean,his hair was as dark as midnight,his jaw well chiselled.

She felt his hot breath on her face. He wrapped a strong arm around her tiny waist and pulled her close. A sigh escaped her as she felt her breast crash into his rock hard chest. It was then she became fully aware of what she had on,the catsuit was made of flimsy material which made her feel exposed.

He tilted her chin upwards,placing a soft kiss on her mouth,she parted her lips slightly to let him in,she felt the strong taste of strawberry vodka on his lips but didn't mind.

She had never felt the way the stranger made her felt before, everything felt so wrong at the same time it felt really good,she let the man continue with what he was doing.

He left a trail of kisses from her neck to the rise of her breasts then he stopped.

"Did I do something wrong?"she asked worriedly

He shook his head and continued to kiss her.

Rebecca has read so many romance novels with steamy sex scenes but now she was at complete loss as to what to do. She wasn't sure of the right place to touch him. She wanted to please him just like he was pleasing her.

She let out a sharp cry of pleasure as he took her nipples in between her teeth through her catsuit and sucked on then lightly. She bit back a moan.

Her body ached for him,a total stranger!

"Take off your cloth"he commanded

Slowly,she peeled off her clothes,it was the first time she was naked in front of a man. She wrapped her arms around her,she watched as his eyes devoured her hungrily.

"You're so beautiful"he said and wrapped his hands around her, burying his head in her soft hair.

Rebecca felt a surge of confidence rise through her as she straddled his lap and moved her hips slowly,back and forth against him. He picked up and moved his hips in rhythm with hers.

She reached for his belt and unbuckled it. His trousers fell to the floor,she gasped at how big his lower member was even though he was in briefs. She cupped it in her small hands,she heard a low groan from him. A small smile made it's way to his handsome face. He placed her on the bed and spread her legs. He ran his tongue down her lower belly to her mound.

She moaned loudly,this time not holding back what she felt.

She shuddered in bitter sweet pleasure as he entered into her.

The sun rays forced itself into the room, awakening her. She yawned lazily, stretching herself across the bed. Her body felt sore and she noticed the sheets were nothing like what she slept in at home,she sighed, recalling the event of the previous night.

She turned to the side of the bed where he slept,he wasn't there,she noticed his clothes were missing.

She ran to the bathroom, covering her body with the white sheets,he wasn't there too.

She dialled the number for the receptionist.

"Hi,I was here with a man last night,he isn't here anymore"she shot immediately

She realized how stupid she sounded,she has a one night stand with a man and never found out his name till he left.

"Good morning madam,he checked out this morning"the receptionist said

Rebecca blinked in confusion

"What do you mean he checked out?"

"He left ma'am,he had other business to attend to"

"Can I have his name please?"

She felt very ashamed

"I'm sorry but we don't disclose our customers information without their consent"

She slammed the phone back into it's place. She resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room.

Not only had she slept with him but he also left her without any money or trace.

Angrily, she got dressed. She pulled open the little wardrobe were are kept her purse.

She put her hand to her mouth, suppressing the scream that almost left her. Wads of cash stared at her. The money was more than enough to pay three years of her house rent,pay her tuition and even help her mother's business rise to it's feet.

FIVE YEARS LATER

Ricardo sat in his car,his head bowed,he ran a ran a hand through his disheveled hair,his tie hung loosely around his neck. He reeked of alcohol.

"Mr Velazquez"his personal assistant Marco called"the phone is for you"

"Who is it?"Ricardo asked, arching his perfect brows

"The secretary from Zion company,she wants to have a word with you"Marco mouthed

Ricardo sighed deeply. His eyes were tired from lack of sleep and overthinking.

He reluctantly took the phone from Marco.

"Ricardo Velazquez"he said coldly

"Hello sir,this is to remind you that you have two days left to sign the contract"a chirpy voice said at the end of the line.

He rolled his eyes for the millionth time for that week.

"I would ensure I sign the contract before the deadline"

"Very good sir, remember if you don't sign it on time,we would have to give it your cousin Mr......."

Ricardo hit the red button to end the call immediately.

"Sir,are you okay?"Marco asked,his voice laced with concern.

Ricardo shook his head and pulled out his favorite strawberry vodka from a compartment in the car.

"The contract would be given to my cousin if I don't sign it before the deadline"Ricardo said after taking a long swig from the bottle.

Marco's face was masked in despair.

Velazquez Inc was in debt,they owed millions of dollars to a company after a failed business plan.

Ricardo's company was on the line if he couldn't pay his debts.

"Sir, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know Marco! How am I supposed to get a bride in two days? My father was very much aware of what he did when he said I have to be married before I sign the contract"he lamented

Joe Velazquez,Ricardo's father was a prominent business man. He had passed away two years ago. He instructed that his will be read a year after his demise. In his will,he left his company Zion to his son. He said Ricardo had to successfully sign a contract with the company. Signing a contract sounded very easy until the lawyer told him he had to be married first. Whereas he was unable to get married and sign the contract,his father requested the company should be given to his nephew Alfredo,Ricardo's cousin and archenemy.

"How am I supposed to clear off my debts? Tell me Marco,tell me!"Ricardo resumed his lamentation

"I do have a suggestion sir"Marco said nervously

"Spill it already!"Ricardo exclaimed desperately

"I know a place where you can rent a bride for a period of time"

Ricardo blinked in confusion.

"Rent a bride?"he asked"how can you rent a bride? Makes no sense"

"Well,all you have to do is to pick a bride of your choice,she would act like your wife for a particular time and when her time is up,you pay her and you both go your separate ways"Marco explained shrugging his shoulders.

"That's impossible,I've never heard of such thing as a bride for rent"Ricardo said in disbelief

"We can already give it a try"

"So, when her services are up,she just leaves like that? What am I to tell everyone happened to my wife?"

"We can say it was a failed marriage,you would pretend like you are hurt,tell them you want to keep the details private"Marco said,his small eyes gleaming with tricks.

"We have just two days to sign the contract,also,we are in debt,we don't have any choice"Marco said, trying to convince him.

Ricardo nodded in his head in agreement,he saw much sense in what Marco said,it was better trying than not doing anything at all. He couldn't bear the thought of loosing his father's company to Alfredo,the mere thought made him angry. Alfredo and Ricardo had been at loggerheads since they were kids,it started off with fighting for toys or treats as they grew older it turned into a fierce competition about who was the better business man,who had the more successful company.

Ricardo's company was falling apart gradually, signing the contract with his father's company would help elevate his company's name a lot. It would also help clear of whatever debt he owed.

"Let's do this"

The inside of Mama Philips bridal house held more chaos than ever in sharp contrast to outside which looking very welcoming and peaceful with brilliant red bougainvillea framing the door.

The incessant chatter and argument of the girls almost drowned the shrill ringing of the phone.

"Regina answer the god-damned phone"Mama Philip shouted over the noise.

Regina rolled her eyes and put the phone to her ears.

"Hello, Mama Philips bridal house"she said drily

After a while of conversing back and forth,she put the phone it's place and walked to mama Philip and the girls.

"A client is coming today,he's in search of a bride"she announced

Some of the girls squeaked in excitement, mama Philip clapped her hands in joy,they had not received a client in three weeks,things were already going south for her business. The girls wanted to get paid hence the chaos. A new client meant a decent amount of money.

"Get dressed girls,you gave to look presentable"she said to them