Chapter Five [The Solution]

 It had only been two days since Todd’s Grandfather had turned his life upside down, and he was still at a loss for what he was going to do. He had come to the club just out of habit and sat down in his usual VIP spot on the second-floor balcony overlooking the crowded dance floor. His friend, Vincent AKA DJ Phantom, was performing. He was well known in the Bay Area, but he had been making a name for himself on a global scale over the past couple of years, even being invited to play in the hottest venues in Ibiza. 

The music was literally vibrating the floor beneath his feet; the people dancing in a rhythmic pulse. Meanwhile, he held a glass of high-end whiskey and stared into the distance, lost in thought.

“Why such a long face, babe?”  

Todd tried not to cringe at the overly sweet voice whispering in his ear as a hand slid along his shoulders. Jessica slinked her arm around his neck as her bottom rested on his lap, moving in for a kiss. Todd moved his head to the side, her lips smashing into his cheek. She pouted, letting out a little whine, and Todd tried to resist the urge to push her off him. He kept his hands on the sides of the chair, not moving to wrap his arms around his waist like he usually would.  

“Not tonight.” He said, lifting the glass to his lips to take a generous sip.

Typically, Todd never slept with the same woman more than once. It kept women from thinking they could get closer. Jessica, however, he had known since childhood. She, Vincent, and he ran in the same social circles all their lives.  So, he had made the foolish mistake of taking her to his bed multiple times. Usually when he was drunk and in search of a quick release.  

She pouted, her overly plump lips, which had a bit too much filler, looking even more ridiculous. She let out a childish humph before pushing off his lap and stomping back to the dance floor downstairs, most likely to find a man who would actually give her the attention she craved. Todd watched her leave as Vincent came up the stairs, raising his hands as she pushed past him.

“Okay, I have to ask. What the hell is wrong with you, man?” Vincent asked, reaching for a water bottle on the table in the middle of the VIP lounge. 

He had just come off his final set of the night, the regular DJ taking over. His white T-shirt was soaked through after working under the stage's hot lights for the past hour. It was normal for Todd to come to his shows, but usually he already had a group of women waiting for his friend. Today he was sitting alone with a few bottles of whiskey, some already empty. It made sense that Vincent was concerned. 

“I went to see my Grandfather. He decided he is finally going to hand the business over to me.” Todd replied, finishing off his half-full glass of whiskey. 

“Considering you are sitting here drinking yourself to oblivion and not trying to take a few ladies home to celebrate, I’m sensing a but…” Vincent insinuated, reaching to pour himself a glass. 

“In order to take over, I have to get married.” He answered, filling another glass as well. 

Vincent froze, accidentally overfilling the glass and letting out a curse before setting it down and shaking off his now wet hand. 

“Fuck, dude, does your grandpa still think this is the 1800s or something?” he asked, grabbing a napkin to dry off his hand.

“ That is what I asked, but I guess the shareholders need to know I am serious and not some wild playboy or something like that…” Todd replied. 

“Well, I mean, how hard is it to find someone to marry? I’m sure if you put it out there, women would come lining up.” Vincent reasoned, sipping his overfilled glass.

Todd thought about Jessica; he knew she would jump at the chance to be Mrs. Vandenburg. The problem was she was far from the virginal bride his grandfather wanted. On top of that. The idea of being married to her left a bad taste in his mouth. She was good for a fun time, but she was far too immature and a notorious party girl. She was not the kind of woman you took to an event and got taken seriously by business partners.  

“The problem is my Grandfather has made a contract stating that my bride had to be a virgin…”

Vincent spat out his drink this time, coughing as he set down the glass and reached for another napkin.

“Shit! Your grandfather really is stuck in the past! What woman nowadays is still a Virgin in their twenties?” Vincent reasoned.

That was the problem, wasn’t it? It's not like Todd could go to a high class soriee and pick the most eligible Miss. It was indeed no longer the Victorian era. Plus, making a marriage alliance with some business partner's daughter was not what his grandfather wanted. Maybe it would have been better if he had gone to Church with his grandfather all these years; religious girls always saved themselves before marriage, right?

The idea of walking into a church again made his skin crawl. The last time had been for his parents' funeral. Since then, he had forsaken all ideas of a just God. 

“I have an idea!” Vincent suddenly shouted, pulling Todd out of his thoughts.

 “What?” Todd asked, feeling a bit uneasy. Vincent tended to be the more adventurous of the two, and his ideas leaned towards the crazy side.

“I have this friend. He is a DJ, but he is also big into computers. He tells me some wild things he finds on the dark web sometimes, and last time he was talking about this website that auctions off women and men who are looking to sell their virginity to the highest bidder.” He began.

“Sounds illegal,” Todd replied offhandedly.

“Well, of course it is Dude! It's the dark web…However, these people are willingly doing it themselves. No shady human trafficking or anything. They even do a purity test, and the higher the purity, the more desired they are. Shits wild.” Vincent explained.  

Todd thought about it for a moment, pouring his probably tenth glass of the night. A contract marriage was really his best option. Just long enough to fulfill the contract with his grandfather and take over. It was the virginal part that stood in his way, along with the need to convince the board he was the right choice for the job. Maybe looking at this auction was not a bad idea? It seemed the people running it vetted the people beforehand, so he would not have to go to the trouble of hunting out a virgin himself. These people are already willingly offering themselves, right?

“Could you friend possibly help us check this auction out?” Todd asked.

“Of course!” Vincent replied, already pulling out his phone to message his friend.

For the first time in the past few days, Todd finally relaxed a little. He had a plan, and even if it did not work out, at least there was hope. Just then, Jessica came back up the stairs from the dance floor, headed straight for him, and sat back down on his lap.

“In a better mood?” She asked, her long red fingernails trailing along his jaw.

“A little, but you could help it get even better.” He replied, this time going to kiss her, getting lost in it through his drunken haze.