Madam Alana went back to the center of the room and looked each of us in the eye one at a time before she spoke. “ Let’s breathe together,” she requested. “I want you all to inhale confidence, strength, and good fortune.” She inhaled deeply, and we mimicked her instruction. “At the top of the breath, I want you to exhale any negative thoughts, feelings, or doubts.” She let the breath go, stretching her arms out in a flourish.
We all followed along with her. The vibe in the room became entirely cool, calm, and collected as though something powerful locked perfectly into place within us all.
“Tonight…your entire life changes.”
Episode 10
Ruby’s Auction
RUBY
There were moments in my life where I could almost feel the air touching my skin, thick and weighted with anticipation. My vision becoming sharper, picking up the tiniest dust mites floating in the air. It’s as if my hearing turned so acute, my own heartbeat sounded overly loud. Taste was nonexistent. An unnecessary sense when true, primal fear surfaced. That fear manifested from the tips of my toes and climbed up to sizzle and prickle along the surface of my scalp and skin. But I wouldn’t let my reservations control me. Everything that was about to happen was my choice.
I stood closer to the front of the line, just after Stephanie and Elizabeth, who weren’t part of our original Candidates Club. However, I had found out while walking over to the stage they had been in the auction three months before and hadn’t been chosen. This was a second chance for them. I appreciated this information because it meant that if I didn’t get picked, I too could possibly have another go at being chosen.
Stephanie went first, and things must not have gone well. As Elizabeth’s name was called and she entered the stage, Stephanie came down the back side in tears. She was wiping her face and sniffling somberly. I couldn’t believe it. She was magnificent to look at. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed with a great body. And yet she left the stage crying, which was a clear sign that she hadn’t been picked for the second time. My heart broke for her, and myself because I too was blonde, blue-eyed, with a body that I knew for a fact men liked seeing. Especially unclothed, as I was a damn fine stripper back home.
Seeing Stephanie come back in tears had the ripple effect of making us all quiet, as we stood in our positions backstage, each of us in our own world.
I stared at the shiny black staircase that led up to the stage where a heavy curtain was closed, cutting off our view of the room beyond.
Suddenly, I felt a touch as Jade took my hand in hers. Then she turned to the side and interlaced her fingers with Dakota’s, who did the same with her sister Savannah’s hand. Savannah held on to Faith who reached out to Memphis.
We were in this together. Even though we weren’t.
Once we signed on the dotted line after the bidding and auction ended, each one of us would be on our own.
Alone.
I shivered, and Jade squeezed my hand.
Dakota tapped my shoulder. “You’re going to do great. Just remember why you’re here. Focus on the reason behind this decision. That’s all any of us can do,” she said softly. “Don’t worry that Stephanie didn’t get picked. You’re not her.”
“We look a lot alike though…” I swallowed against the dryness in my throat.
“Doesn’t matter. Just do your thing out there. Sell it, girl. We believe in you,” Dakota whispered, and I took her belief to heart. They believed in me. My sister back home believed in me. I just needed to believe in myself. I could do this.
I inhaled fully and let it out, my spine straightening as I filled up on hope, security, and the endless possibilities ahead .
“Our third candidate tonight is Ms. Ruby Dawson. Please enter the stage, Ruby,” Madam Alana announced over a speaker. Then the black drapes opened.
I let go of Jade’s hand along with any lingering fear. This was just like stepping out on the stage to do a routine back home. Only tonight, I was dressed to impress. My stunning red gown cut across my shoulders in a wide sweep of fabric. Underneath, I wore a red strapless bustier that highlighted my amble bosom, making the dress ultra-sexy. I felt like a million dollars as I took the stairs carefully. The dress flowed along my form in an hourglass shape that made me look long and curvy. There was a short train that trailed behind the glittering red stilettos on my feet.
The moment I hit the top step, the lights were blinding. My instinct was to cover my eyes to try and shade my view so I could see the audience, but that wouldn’t look pretty or elegant. I was shooting for both. Instead, I smiled wide as though I were on the runway for a Miss America pageant, not about to be auctioned off for an arranged marriage.