Chapter 14 MY VERSION

Nine years ago

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

R O X Y

The warm water laps against me, soothing the tiredness from my body.

I sigh contentedly and take a look around my surroundings.

My bathroom is bigger than the normal contemporary bathrooms featured in most houses.

As for all my other possessions, let's just say I've come a long way from the doe-eyed, poverty-stricken, female I used to be.

Not bad for a small town girl from Mexico, eh?

But these things just didn't fall into my laps, I had to work hard for them.

As I close my eyes and sink further into the warm lavender-scented bath water, memories flood my mind like pictures.

I ran away from the orphanage when I was just fifteen years and started living on the streets.

Three months later, I got a job.

I was over the moon, because that meant I would finally have a roof over my head and good food to eat everyday. Something that I'd been sorely lacking.

But it came at a very steep price.

I was to be a call girl and allow hombres (men) sleep with me every single night, without exception.

At first I kicked against it, because I didn't like the idea of anyone poring my body, so I was left alone for a few days.

Then one night, I was tied and gang raped by three men and beaten to within an inch of my life, thereafter, locked up in a room with no food. I lost my virginity and dignity that same night, but the torture had just begun.

Night after night, I was forcefully tied and raped by different men. They were so many, that I eventually lost count.

After awhile I zoned out and allowed them do whatever they wanted to me, because that way, I'd spare myself further beatings.

I heard from some of the girls that when you become twenty one years old, they deem you too old to work and put you in a much darker and sordid place where you'd never see the light of day again.

I was going on twenty one the following year.

My fate had been sealed.

But everything changed, one night when Abdul strolled in. He took one good look at me and recruited me on the spot. To say I was grateful was an understatement.

When he explained to me the pros and cons of what I'd be doing, I didn't even blink before accepting it, because if I was caught and sent to jail, which I didnt plan on that happening, he said I'd be out within a twinkling of an eye.

And so that night, he paid off my pimp and I exchanged one master for another.

We left for America that night. Hours later, I found myself in a new, strange and exciting city ---- Michigan, Detroit. He was the one who showed me the ropes of the job as a drug-mule, strapping drugs to my body from pick up and trying to stay out of the radar of the cops till I made the drop off at the designated place. When I got the hang of it, I was moved to the scouting department, where I did excellently well. After awhile, I was further moved up to the role of 'head-scout,' for Michigan area in Detroit, after only just one year.

As I look back at how it all started, I remember it hadn't taken much to convince me to join the drug trade. I wasn't new to taking drugs either.

Back where I worked, all the girls were given a snot of cocaine to tip us over the edge and make us ready to play ball with the numerous customers that ravished our bodies, night after night.

Much later when I asked Abdul why me, he said he'd seen potential in me.

During the course of my work, we became lovers.

He was my first real lover.

He showed me hidden pleasures in my body I didn't know existed.

He taught me how to give as well as receive physical body pleasure.

He was surprisingly gentle, and I learnt a lot of what I know today, through him.

But just when I thought there was nothing more to learn and that I'd reached the zenith of pleasure, I met him . . .

Aureliano.

Thinking of him alone, makes me puddle down south.

A mass of chocolate goodness, standing at over six feet.

He had an animal magnetism he wasn't even aware of and it drew the eyes of all the females wherever he went.

First day I set my eyes on him, I knew I had to have him --- by all means necessary.

Truth be told, I wasn't supposed to sleep with him. It was totally against the rules to sleep with someone you were trying to recruit, to avoid distraction from the job.

Abdul warned me it wouldn't end well, but did I listen?

Nope.

I always want to experience things, first hand by myself and learn from my mistakes.

I was sitting at the cafeteria all by myself after having a word on the phone with Mr. Brown, the sub - division head for Michigan. Since he's the head of the student council in Wayne state uni, he'd call me up whenever students were in their final year, so I could start my hands-on scout watch.

But I wasn't prepared for the person he'd pointed out . . .

Aureliano strode in like a black Greek god. He was dressed simply in a white tee, black jeans and dark brown lace up combat boots. He commanded respect as his strong form strode towards the counter where he leaned against it, exchanging a few words with the woman behind it.

He turned round and did a lazy sweep of the cafetaria with his eyes. It was brief, but I have a photographic memory. I had already taken a picture of his face with my eyes.

He had extremely expressive hooded honey-brown eyes that were fringed with natural full, long, thick eyelashes. His nose was long and of aristocratic bearing, while his full brown lips made me want to sink my teeth into them. Let's not start on his jaw line; it was strong and well-defined. Aureliano worked a teddy like no other --- a 5'oclock, barely-there shadow that I dreamt of snuggling against.

I watched as the girl behind the counter blushed an ugly shade of red.

His eyes swept right over me without even pausing, like I was non-existent. He turned right back to the counter and continued chatting with ugly red-shade, leaving awed expressions on the faces of all the females in the cafetaria, well . . . including me.

There was a visible change in them. They perked up and began giving him the eye. Some of them fluffed their hair, while others slid down their spandex tops, such that their boobs almost popped out of them. Others smiled foolishly. They became self conscious bitches, acting like they'd never seen a hot man in their entire lives before.

Actually I couldn't blame them.

Aureliano wasn't just hot, he spat fire from every pore of his body.

But I was riled up.

He was supposed to have eyes for only me.

I fingered my dirty blonde hair that had always clashed with my skin colour.

There and then, I decided to shake things up a bit.

I needed to stand out. I'd been taught a trick or two on how to make a guy notice a woman; one of the perks of being a call girl.

I knew it was time to put it to good use.

After that day, I tailed him. For the business, and for myself.

Truth be told, I did it mostly for myself.

One day, I purposely bumped into him in the hallway, but he didn't even glance at me. He kept right on walking.

Arrogant dick.

I knew I had to go back to the drawing table. I had to restrategise.

First thing a man see's in a woman is her face and her body. They've got a one track mind that way, so I decided to visit a beauty parlour to find out what particular hair colour would be aesthetically pleasing to match my skin colour.

I was advised to use the colour black which would make my skin pop, and so I had my hair dyed black, with a few well strategized blue highlights, stylishly mixed into it. I also got long hair extensions fixed and was styled with long black waves circling my face and down my back, with a lot of bounce in it.

One of the perks of the drug business, is that you have a lot of money to play with.

Play with it I did, as I decided to change my facial structure.

I visited a surgeon for a better-shaped face, making sure to tuck in extra flesh here and there.

Next, I got some injections into my thin lips to plump them up and make them fuller.

Finally, I visited another doctor and told him I wanted a bigger and rounder bum. Not too much that would look obscene, but enough to have a shapely derriere.

By the time I was done with everything, I sat back and smiled.

Time for part two.

I did my homework and found out that Aureliano had a best friend he envied. Dipo had everything he wished he had.

A mom and dad living together, a loving stable home and money to spend whenever he liked.

It was very easy for Dipo to fall into my trap.

As a fake student, I'd been attending lectures, just like other bonafide university students. After lectures one day, I walked leisurely to my locker and began putting my books away. Dipo happened at that moment to pass by, so I stumbled into him and fell ---- right into his arms.

We stared at each other for a few seconds and he righted me, all the while apologising profusely.

After that day, he'd go out of his way to send me fresh flowers and chocolates. I knew he liked me, but was the shy, recitent type.

He just needed a little nudge. And nudge him, I did.

I popped up everywhere he went.

Poor young man fell in love with me without even knowing I was pulling his strings.

He invited me to a club the following week, said he wanted us to hang out with his friends.

I was glad, because I knew I'd meet Aureliano there.

What I didn't know, was that Aureliano would be absolutely enamoured with me without even knowing I was the same person he'd bumped into and ignored. He couldn't keep his eyes off me that night.

And when he leaned close to me, his warm breath washing over my face, I'd almost lost it and kissed him. But I held myself back at the last minute.

I'd slipped my number into his pocket before leaving the club and that was all it took.

The moment he laid his hands on me, I literally exploded. It felt like I was on fire. He handled my body with an expertise that belied his nineteen years of age.

I became a huge fan of the saying --- Once you go black, you can never go back.

I couldn't get enough of him.

Let me rephrase that --- we couldn't get enough of each other.

But there was a problem. I had a problem.

Aureliano was a man-bitch as well as a chick magnet.

Girls threw themselves at him all the time and he used them all up.

He didn't believe in dating and being exclusive.

Let's 'free-style,' he'd said.

I found out I wasn't the only one he was sleeping with.

He was so damn greedy, and I hated that.

But I still wanted more.

I wanted him, solely, wholly, exclusively, singularly, entirely . . . without any distractions.

I wanted him. All of him.

I also wanted his babies. But Aureliano always, always, ALWAYS used protection.

Plus how on Earth was I going to tell him that without freaking him out.

And that's when I decided to do something as old as time.

I acted like I didn't give a fuck about him, when in essence, I was burning up inside.

I made sure I began to distance myself from him and be with Dipo more.

He noticed this, and began tailing Dipo and I whenever we went out on dates.

I decided to tell him I didn't want anything more to do with him, that he and I were done.

I expected him to drag me back or beg, to do something, anything drama related, but I definitely didn't expect him to let me walk away.

I almost ran back and told him it was all a lie, but I willed my feet to keep moving.

I was miserable the days after. I didn't hear from him.

He didn't call, he didn't text ---- nothing. He went zero silence on me.

I began slipping up on my job and Abdul took notice of this and gave me a serious talk.

He tried. He really did try to reign me in, but I was far gone.

So he put Zakhil on second watch with me in class.

I didn't know at that time he would become a weapon, so I kicked vehemently against him being with me, because in all my one year of being on scout-watch, it had never happened that someone else would be there to watch me do my job.

But Abdul was adamant about it, so I reluctantly swallowed any more protests.

The next day, a rare opportunity presented itself, when, as I was sitting in class, I happened to see Aureliano hanging around outside. I knew he was waiting to talk to me.

I leaned into Zakhil at that exact moment, and he looked shocked, at first, but I jerked my head to the door and he understood immediately and flowed with it.

And just as we were about to kiss, we were wrenched apart by no other person, but Aureliano.

They exchanged a few choice words, thereafter, but poor Zakhil said the wrong words, because Aureliano's fist went smashing into his face.

I did nothing as I watched Aureliano beat Zakhil to a pulp.

Now I know what you're probably thinking . . .

Why didn't I do something to stop him?

But you just don't get it.

You weren't there. You didn't see what I saw.

Aureliano was like a raging bull.

I was fascinated.

Mesmerized.

It excited me.

It made me hot, and then it made me cold. And so the cycle continued as I watched Aureliano beat Zakhil into the ground. I oscillated between those two emotions that I began to feel something was terribly wrong with my body.

I didn't know what to make of it.

And suddenly, it clicked.

I loved Aureliano so much that I hated him.

By the time he ran out his anger, Zakhil never had a chance. He lay stone cold on the floor, and I stood there transfixed. Unfortunately for Aureliano, so did the whole class.

Mr. Brown showed up, winked at me and decided to amp up the situation by telling Aureliano what exactly he felt about what he'd just done.

I chose that minute to walk away, but Aureliano saw me and stopped me in my tracks with his next words.

Anger surged through my veins, then, because how dare he call me a bitch. I went ape shit on him and niggled him with a few choice words.

I lied to him that Dipo and I had slept with each other, but in all honesty, I could never allow Dipo touch me.

Last time we were alone in his room and his back was turned, I slipped some cocaine into his drink and quickly undressed both of us and lay beside him. He slept like a log of wood for twelve good hours straight thereafter, and I had to lay by his side, acting like the dutiful girlfriend that I wasn't. When he finally woke up, he looked at me with awe in his eyes and held me close.

I felt like puking.

Unfortunately, Mr. Brown decided to take matters into his hands with Aureliano. Abdul agreed he did the best thing, by fake-expelling him.

And now, it looks like Aureliano has no choice but to play ball and join us in the drug trade.

I slip out of the water, almost tripping on my feet as I rush to the sink where I deposited the stick.

A smile slowly finds its way to my lips, as two pink stripes stare up at me.

"Increíble! Finalmente." I breathe.