The Price of Bought Passion

Alright, that’s it! I’m going to do it! Enough chickening out! I’m twenty-three already, and I’m still a virgin! What a disgrace!Some girls have already been married a couple of times and have two kids, while I can’t even get past first base!This time—no more talking, straight to action! And less thinking. Thinking is bad in this case! I just need to go with the flow and let the man seduce me. After all, he’s getting paid for that!Twice already I’ve thrown money to the wind. At this rate, I’ll go broke, and my so-called “honor” will stay perfectly intact.No, no, no—away with it! I don’t need that kind of “treasure”!Maybe if I knew what it was like to actually be with a man, I wouldn’t bury my brain in dry formulas at work all the time. Maybe I’d even try to build some kind of personal life. And when the right guy comes along, I want to be at least a little prepared for it—and not shaking like a coward.Better my first time be with a stranger who knows exactly what he’s doing and

Setting the wineglass aside, I quickly glance at myself in the mirror.Sure, the man is… technically hired, but what woman wouldn’t want to look attractive — seductive, even — in such a situation?For that very purpose, I bought myself an outrageously beautiful black lingerie set and endured the torturous depilation session performed by my sadistic colleague Anya.But that’s for later.Right now, I straighten my short, tight black dress, toss my soft, curled light-brown hair over my shoulders, and check if my red lipstick hasn’t smudged.My big blue eyes look terrified, but I try to give my face an expression of confidence and boldness.No fear this time. No hesitation.With a deep breath, I walk toward the door and open it.“Hi,” Nazar greets me with that white-toothed smile of his — the kind that freezes me for a second.“Hi. Come in,” I reply, stepping aside to let him into the hotel room.As soon as the door closes behind us, I turn around — and once again can’t help but marvel at

I woke up very early, after only a couple of hours of sleep. But that was enough to recharge my body a little after yesterday’s… race. It’s hard to call everything that happened last night just a “first time.” I didn’t expect such madness from myself, or from my first experience, that completely overwhelmed me and knocked sense clean out of my head.My body felt unbearably hot, wrapped in enormous, strong arms and long, warm legs. Like a helpless insect in a bloodthirsty spider’s cocoon, I was pressed beneath his powerful body, entwined in his limbs.I reached my phone in the bag on the nightstand and saw it was just past six. Time to go before the rake wakes up.Quietly, I slipped out of the man’s embrace, though, to be honest, I could have stayed there a little longer. It was so cozy, warm, and… womanly, as if this was my own man, not one of public use. But those thoughts had to go. I needed to leave the room quickly before I could meet the eyes of that perfectly groomed stallion. A

The music thumped in my ears, and the first cocktail was starting to make itself known, spreading a pleasant warmth through my veins and lifting my mood.We settled at a free table in the corner of the lounge area, not far from the dance floor. It was Sunday, so the crowd was sparse — tomorrow marked the start of the workweek.Breeze was a great club, especially after the recent renovation. Mirrors lined the walls, and the floor was lit from within, reflecting multicolored spotlights that made the space feel like a surreal wonderland.“Come on, confess — what made you suddenly decide to hit the club, and right before a workday?” Marina yelled over the booming music, trying to get into my head.“Maybe I’ll tell you someday, but not today,” I waved her off, not wanting to dig into everything that had happened. “I just want to dance.”Marina, sly as ever, knew when to back off, so she shifted the focus to herself. After finishing another drink, we were ready to really let loose.Honestly

One and a Half Years Later---“Vicky—Vicky—Vicky! It’s a total disaster! Help me, please!” Polina chattered on the phone, using her dramatic voice. “I’ll do anything you want! Just help me, pleeeease…”“Polya, stop begging,” I laughed at her. “You know it’s tricky for me, today’s my day off, and I wasn’t planning on going anywhere, so…”“I know! I’ll help! I’ll be your watchful eye and overseer,” my colleague promised passionately, and I laughed. That restless girl.“Fine,” I gave in, astonished at how weak-willed I was. “You owe me big time!” I tried to sound stern, but it’s impossible to be mad at her, and she knows it perfectly well.After ending the call, I looked at my little treasures and realized I’d just agreed to a complete headache. Getting myself ready, rounding them up, the commute… everything.“Well, my handsome little ones, we’ve got an unplanned outing ahead,” I smiled at my boys, and they returned my smile, babbling something incoherent.Yes, when I hired a man for th