Step Darkly Page 24

  “I’m Kelly. I’ll be handling you tonight. Anything you need or if you have any questions, let me know. If you don’t see me, just tell anyone who works here that you need to see Kelly. Do you understand?” The woman smiles politely but she’s all business and I nod my head as she spins on her heels and talks as she begins to walk and I fall in line. “I’m going to take you into the auction area but we need to go through part of the club first. Keep your eyes on the back of my head and follow me. Don’t stop or speak to anyone, even if they speak to you first. They probably won’t. We have strict rules for everyone tonight, but if they do, just keep moving. Andrew here will deal with them.”

  I look over my shoulder to see the man from the alley walking behind us with my luggage as another man takes his place at the door. As we walk further from the exit, the music becomes more defined along with some voices and other sounds I can’t make out.

  Pushing through the doors, I realize the other sounds are moans and grunts coming from different areas in the larger room. I try to keep my eyes on Kelly but my curiosity gets the better of me and I steal glances out of the corner of my eye as I continue to follow her through the area.

  The club is designed to suit many comforts. From tables and seats to sofas and more comfortable sitting areas. There is even a stage area and dance floor.

  As I look around the room, I notice some of the people in the room looking back at me. I feel like I’m being assessed and I wonder if anyone in here will be bidding on me tonight, then I suddenly feel light-headed. Reality sinks in and, even though the room is warm, I feel cold.

  Out of the corner of my eye, a woman is naked and stretched across someone’s lap as he raises his hand to spank her bottom and another man caresses her hair and I’m reminded of Joshua as he punished me in the shower and how good it felt. It was a harsh act but I felt cared for, which is now a ridiculous thought.

  Nearing the next set of doors, Kelly stops to pull a card out of her pocket. Swiping a reader off to the side, the door opens and we step through. Andrew turns to make sure the door closes behind us and it locks, cutting out the sound from the club considerably.

  Kelly turns to look at me and smiles. “That’s done. That is our main club area. All of our members have access to it, but it is separate from what we are doing this evening. This is our auction and special event area. It’s completely secure. The people who are interested in bidding have paid the entrance fee and will be arriving through a private entrance in a little while. The auction doesn’t start for a couple of hours. We ask you to come early so we can have a proper meeting, answer any questions you have and make this a better experience for you. I’m going to set you up in a room. It is your room for the evening and Andrew is assigned solely to you. He’s here for anything you need and he’ll be just outside your room at all times so you can leave your things in there. Shall we?” She stretches out her hand and I turn to see a number four on a door.

  The room is about the size of my old bedroom. Soft lights caress along light grey walls and some beautiful artwork covers a couple of areas. There are no windows looking outside and it feels comfortable. An oversized chaise sits in one corner and it looks cozy enough to sleep on. As Kelly speaks, I continue to look around the area.

  “The room has everything you might need for the next couple of hours. There’s a remote on the table. You can watch TV, movies, or listen to music and there is some food in the small fridge. If you would like anything larger to eat, just let Andrew know and he’ll bring it in. There is a washroom through that door, it has a shower, bathtub and a vanity area so you can touch up anything you need. We also have a stylist who can assist you if you require. We ask for your phone and any other devices you may have on you. We had a social media incident a few years back. At all times and until you sign the papers to accept your auction, you are within your rights to ask to leave. We are not and we will not hold you against your will? Do you understand?” She pauses and I answer I do. “We ask you not to leave this room and Andrew will not allow you to unless it is to leave the auction. Some of our guests may arrive early and we do not want you to run into anyone or speaking to anyone before bidding. Remember to ask for me if you need anything that Andrew can not help you with. Now, let’s get you out of that coat and see what we’re working with. Do you have any questions?”

  “How many others are there here tonight?” Feeling shell-shocked, I honestly don’t know what to ask.

  “Normally there are five. Two cancelled which is unusual and we almost postponed but you saved the auction. There are a total of four tonight.” Kelly answers me and she isn’t rushed or trying to get out of the room so I feel a little more relaxed and I ask another.

  “And those people in the club bid on us?”

  “No. Most of our club members already have partners and they come here to relax and enjoy themselves either in private or with an audience. The auction is open to more of an elite membership. These are men and women who value a higher level of privacy or who are looking for something specific.” As Kelly answers, she walks over to the table and sets some of the papers she was holding down and pulls a pen out of her pocket. “These are for you to look over and sign. You have a couple of hours, so take your time and I’m here to answer any other questions you have. Before I leave you for a bit, I need to go over the items I need from you.”

  Pulling out a pen for herself, she flips a little notebook to a blank page. “Let’s start with your name.”

  “Right. It’s Emilia Connor.” I answer and wait for her to write it down but she just looks back up at me and I suddenly become apprehensive. “Is everything okay?”

  “Hmm? Oh, sorry. I just remembered I forgot to do something. I apologize. Emilia Connor?” She confirms and I nod. “Thank you, Emilia. To verify, I need your mother and father’s names and your date of birth and this is a good time to get me that ID of yours.” She smiles and starts writing as I answer her while I pull out my wallet.

  “Have you thought about your reserve price?” She asks, pocketing my identification and I pause for a moment as she continues. “It’s the lowest price you will accept in a bid for you. I assume you have an idea of how much money you require for whatever you need.” And I nod in understanding.

  “Yes, sorry. I was thinking no less than 25,000 dollars?” It comes out in a question. I’ve never done this before. How do I know what the going rate for me is? “I was thinking after the club’s commission… I was thinking I need about twenty thousand to…” As I ramble, she stops writing and looks up, measuring my answer. Her eyes meet mine and I feel the hot sting of tears at the corners of my eyes. I’m not sure if it’s the fact I am utterly clueless or that I just put a dollar sign on my worth but I suddenly feel out of place and I know it shows.

  “Can I help you, Emilia?” She asks quietly and I nod, reaching across the table for a tissue to dab my eyes. “The people bidding tonight are paying $5000 just to enter the room to see you. Some of them won’t even bid on anyone as they are waiting for a perfect fit. If you happen to be that match for one of our members, the price they are willing to pay will be much higher than 25,000 dollars. Setting a low price invites fence sitters. Can I write down 90,000 dollars with the term of one week? This way, the time you spend standing in front of everyone is shorter and only those who are serious will bid. You are the last auction of the evening so many will clear out of the room at your solid reserve and it might be less stressful for you.” I nod as I sniffle back my tears and try to clear my mind.

  “How do I know I’ll be safe?” My stomach flutters as I realize I’m probably asking this question a little late in the game and Kelly pulls out one of the chairs at the table and motions for me to take a seat.

  “It’s okay. It’s a valid question, Emilia. We vet each of our members carefully. Our regular members are required to submit a full background check each time their membership renews so it’s once a year. Our elite members are required to submit every six months as their members
hips are reviewed more frequently to make sure they should retain their higher status. These are very important, high ranking members in their communities. They have a lot at stake should they not adhere to our rules. The safety of everyone in our club is our top priority.”

  “When do we know each other’s names?”

  “They are bidding on you, your body, your face and the answers you provided on the questionnaire you filled in. If there is an accepted bid, you will be offered a mutual agreement to sign, this is your contract. Once signed, they can give you their name if they choose or they can have you call them by a title. They can ask your name if they wish to know it. Some don’t want that information and may give you a name they will call you during your time with them.” She finishes and takes a long look at me.

  “Okay. I think I’m good now. Thank you.” She smiles ad stands at my answer.

  “I’ll leave you with these papers for you to sign. My last item, from the email we sent you. We have a staff nurse who will be in shortly to do some blood work and take a urine sample. There is a cup in the washroom for you to use the next time you go. Since we don’t know ahead of time, what the arrangements will be, we test everyone involved. I’ll be back in awhile. Please, help yourself to anything in the room.” She walks to the door then turns back to face me. “I almost forgot. I need to take your phone and any other electronics you may have. It will be returned to you before you leave.

  “Right.” Reaching into my backpack, I locate it quickly out of habit and hand it over. “Thank you, Kelly.” She smiles at her name and knocks twice on the door before Andrew opens it and she leaves me alone with my thoughts.

  53

  Joshua

  “Thank you for seeing us on a Sunday, Jim. You remember Noah?” The two nod at each other as Jim and his team enter the office and I make quick reintroductions.

  We’ve been sitting here for an hour already, waiting. It’s not their fault for being late, we were early. I couldn’t sit at home any longer and Emilia is still nowhere to be found.

  “Sorry it couldn’t be sooner, Mr. Darkly. It took awhile to assemble everyone we need for this.” He apologizes as he extends his hand for us to walk through the door one of his members just unlocked for us.

  “Don’t apologize. I feel terrible you are here during your daughter’s wedding reception. This just can’t wait.”

  As we enter the office, the men and women casually hang their coats over chairs and we continue into one of their conference rooms and pull out chairs while one of the guys walks over to the coffee maker and turns it on.

  “I have to agree with you there, Joshua.” He says with no hint of a smile. “You have a couple of serious issues that need to have solutions before business tomorrow morning. Which one do you want to start with?” As Jim asks the question, everyone stops to look at me.

  “Emilia Connor.” At my answer, the lawyers around the table open their briefcases and folders and shuffle to the information they need and Jim slides a piece of paper across the table to Noah and I.

  “Greg. Thank you, we will get our own coffee from here. Please leave us for this portion. I will let you know when we need anything.” The guy at the coffee maker puts the cups he’s holding down and nods as he quietly excuses himself and Jim turns back to explain. “He’s an intern and from what you’ve told me, this will be a highly classified discussion.” And I nod, then look at the paper.

  I see nothing else on the page except her signature and a couple of initials at the bottom. My eyes trace the soft curves she made as she signed everything away.

  “As everyone in this room knows, yesterday, Emilia Connor visited myself here at the offices and signed over everything in Adam Connor’s will. This document states she is not willing to complete the requirements of the caveat and she understands and agrees that she will hold no further standing as an heir to Adam Connor’s estate.” Noah sits quietly beside me as my stomach sinks with each word as Jim looks at me and continues, “This leaves you as the sole heir to his company and all personal assets. We were going to notify you on Monday morning when the offices opened again and we officially file the paperwork. Now, your call yesterday leads me to believe you have some information pertaining to this.”

  My mouth wants to say a million things at once as my brain bounces around like a five year old on a sugar high. I need to stay focused for Emilia’s sake. I’ll deal with her later. Right now, it is time to do business.

  “Yes. I’m here to block this from happening.” Everyone seated around the table look up from their notes, surprised.

  I mean really, who wouldn’t want a fortune so vast that even their great grandchildren couldn’t burn through it all?

  Me, that’s who. I have more than enough money and a company that challenges me. What I don’t have is Emilia. And she belongs to me.

  “Mr. Darkly,” Jim speaks slowly and looks over his glasses at Noah and I, “This is a legally binding document that she signed. This isn’t just something we can ignore. She was explained her rights—as a favour to Adam’s memory, I explained them twice. She declined to have her own lawyer present and she signed.

  “I understand, but I’m here, legally, to request a block due to the fact she was under duress and not of sound mind when she signed. And it is related to the second issue we will be discussing.” Noah pats me on the back as I speak and I realize I am properly holding control over myself and the situation.

  Jim looks between Noah and I as he considers my words, then exchanges glances with the others on his team.

  “Fair enough. I’m tabling this part of the discussion until we handle the next issue. We will return to this before we leave today. I believe you have some information for us.”

  “My colleague, Noah will be speaking for most of this as he did most of the work putting these files together for presentation.” I say as Noah stands and walks around the table, placing a blue file in front of each person including our own copies.

  The truth is, Noah did everything last night after I spoke to Jim and found out what Emilia did. Just like that, she signed everything away and said goodbye. Our communication has never been strong and now it is costing her everything and it is costing me, her.

  I couldn’t focus. Knowing I missed her. She was here, in these offices yesterday and if only I had called sooner, I could have had Jim detain her or ask to speak with her. She’s out there, alone and she believes she’s fully cut her ties here. It took everything in me to suppress the rage I felt and I couldn’t focus.

  “Good afternoon,” Noah starts, then he begins to speak about Sean and Brent’s time with our company. Minutes turn into an hour as he goes through document after document and we flip our pages in unison as we listen along to several counts of harassment, forgery, embezzlement and cover ups thanks to support from Keith and Chad.

  It turns out they’ve been siphoning sales off of their colleagues by adding themselves on as co listers and buyers. This gained them thousands in commissions and it pushed them up to the top for the sales awards which got them paid trips each year for the past three years. And all of it was approved through both finance and HR.

  There was one instance of harassment that ended in a company payout to one of our female employees who, as I believed, had quit because she was moving to a new city. This payout actually happened and, thankfully, it was my signature they had asked for because Adam is no longer here to deny it. Finance and human resources are clearly involved as the money was paid as an invoice to a fraudulent company name and human resources had to sign off on the employee termination indicating they spoke to the employee and handed over the payment.

  Every now and then, someone different muttered their shock under their breath as Noah touched on a new scheme and uncovered more details.

  As the hour came to a close, Noah sat back and asked if anyone had any questions and everyone around the table nodded and began to ask, one at a time. Noah and I spent the next hour answering everything we could, then Ji
m asked the million dollar question.

  “So how does this tie into Ms. Connor being under duress and not in the proper frame of mind to sign this paper?” Jim holds up the forfeiture notice.

  “She’s the one who uncovered all of this? She has a history with all four of these men from her high school. It turns out they had caused her issues years ago.” I answer.

  “What issues?” The name of the lawyer asking escapes me.

  “I don’t know the extent, but they had tormented her at one point. This all just came to light yesterday. The point is, she found this hidden in their files. We—I trust our teams to do what we pay them to do. I don’t go through individual files unless something is brought to my attention. This system failed us.”

  “And so she brought this to your attention?” Jim asks, confused.

  “Not entirely. She was to read out the award recipients. When she found out they were receiving an award, she came to me and told me she couldn’t do it. I misunderstood the entire situation and told her I wouldn’t hear it and she would be reading the names…” My voice trails off as my thoughts kick in and I turn to Noah.

  “Wait a minute. How did she know who was receiving the awards before she opened the envelope?” And Noah sits back in his seat tapping his fingers as he thinks.

  “Both Chad and Keith knew the names on the list because they put them there. Chances are Brent and Sean already knew they would be awarded, too.” He answers and I feel a rush of excitement.

  “One of them must have spoken to her before she came back to the table and opened the file. That’s why she was so visibly upset.” I respond and Noah nods his head.

  “Gentlemen, can you enlighten the rest of us at the table as to what is happening?” Jim asks as we look back to everyone staring quietly at us.