Book Title: Black Dog Nights
Author: Ren Monterrey
Genre: New Adult (Serial Novel)
Release Date: August 8, 2014
Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions
My student loans are due and I still
haven’t found a job that pays more than minimum wage. So I decide to make an
arrangement through The Club. I’ll get what I need…money to pay my loans. And
he’ll get what he wants…access to my body…whenever and however he wants it.
ROSE COLLINS is a recent art school
graduate with overwhelming student loan debt and no way to pay it.
JAE ROTHKO is a wealthy and renowned
artist who doesn’t have the time or patience for a relationship.
Jae joins The Club so he can have one
woman when he wants and how he wants with no attachments and no expectations.
He selects Rose to be that woman.
BLACK DOG NIGHTS is a SERIAL NOVEL, which
unfolds in THREE PARTS (approximately 80 pages each). EACH PART has a
CLIFFHANGER and EACH PART is .99 cents. (That’s $2.97 for ALL THREE PARTS.)
By
the time we get to The Rock Stop, the dance club is already crowded with
twenty-somethings who all look eager to hook up with anyone who’s willing.
Two
guys, who are already half-drunk, gawk at my breasts as I walk by. I wish there
was another feature of my anatomy that garnered as much attention as my mammary
glands.
I
breathe a sigh of relief when I hit the relative safety of the bar area.
“What
do you want to drink?” Cali yells over the loud Top Forty music.
“Would
I look too conspicuous just holding a glass of water?”
She
purses her lips at me. I tell her she looks like a duck when she does that but
it doesn’t stop her.
“I’ll
get you a beer. You don’t have to drink it but I don’t want you to embarrass
me, or yourself.”
“Yes,
Daffy,” I tease.
“I do
not have duck lips,” she insists.
“You
do when you pucker them like that.”
“I
think you’re on crack.”
“Just
get the beer.”
She
waves in order to get the bartender’s attention but no such luck. He’s busy
with a group of girls at the other end of the bar.
“Hey,
Babe.” An arm reaches over Cali’s shoulder. “I wasn’t sure I’d see you
tonight.”
David
nods in my direction. “What’s up?”
He
never addresses me by my name even though he’s been hooking up with Cali for
over a year and I’ve seen him dozens of times.
David
is the kind of guy I always hated in high school. His family has money and he’s
never had to work a day in his life for anything. Cars, clothes, expensive
vacations, you name it, and his parents have handed it to him on a silver
platter. As a result he has a sense of entitlement that knows no bounds.
No
doubt that’s why he feels like he can treat Cali any way he pleases and she’ll
just keep coming back for more.
He
runs his fingers through his short brown hair. I’m not sure whether it’s a
nervous habit, or if he thinks that his fingers are like some kind of comb, but
he does it all the time.
David
is a good-looking guy in a frat-boy kind of way. Cali says he played baseball
in high school, and he looks like he probably still plays sports. He’s not
huge, but he’s definitely in good shape.
Cali
met him at a frat party. Even though she’s never set foot in a college class
she’s spent a lot of time at college parties. David likes to brag about the
fact that he’s a business major. I don’t see what the big deal is though. I
feel like business is a major for people who don’t really know what they want
to do with their lives.
Not
that I have any room to talk. Apparently I earned a degree for people who don’t
really want a job.
Before
I know it, Cali and David have disappeared somewhere and I’m alone at the bar.
Great.
I
didn’t even want to come here in the first place.
I
have a choice. I can leave or I can order a drink. After the day I’ve had a
drink is actually starting to sound appealing.
As
soon as the DJ starts mixing, nearly everyone moves to the dance floor. The bar
area is now pretty empty except for a young woman seated at the far end. She
glances up at me when I approach and gives me the faintest of smiles.
She’s
an attractive blonde with stunning ocean blue eyes. She’s the definition of a
blonde bombshell. She’s got curves that would give Marilyn Monroe a run for her
money.
I
order a Crantini and the bartender wastes no time filling my order.
“Tough
day?” the blonde asks.
I
nod.
“Have
a seat.” She points at the stool next to her.
“Thanks.”
I
climb onto the stool and take a sip of my drink. It’s strong and I cough a
little as it goes down.
“Russ
likes to make them strong.” She laughs. “Maybe he thinks he’ll get lucky at the
end of the night.”
The
bartender, who looks like he’s in his mid-thirties, is completely bald and
built like a brick house. Definitely someone I would want to have on my side if
a fight broke out.
“Are
you waiting for someone?” I ask. She looks a little too dressed up for the
place we’re in. It’s mostly a denim crowd and she’s in a little black dress and
pumps.
“You
could say that.”
I
nod. A cryptic response, but I get the impression that she’s not going to say
much more about who she’s waiting for.
“So
what’s your story?” she asks.
I
laugh. “Do I look like I have a story?”
“You
definitely look like you have a story.”
“You’ve
probably heard it a million times before.”
She
glances at her watch. I can’t help but notice it’s a gorgeous Rolex. The blonde
doesn’t look that much older than me. I doubt she’s even twenty-five. It makes
me wonder how she can afford such an expensive watch. When I look at her more
closely, I notice she’s also wearing a diamond tennis bracelet and huge diamond
stud earrings. Also very expensive.
Maybe
she’s like David and has a generous daddy with lots of money.
“I’ve
got a few minutes before my friend gets here. Tell me this story I’ve heard a
million times before.”
I
take another sip of my drink. She’s right. Russ does like to make them strong.
“I
recently graduated from art school. I have a fine arts degree but no
professional job and no prospects. My student loans are set to go into
repayment and I have no way to pay them. I’m barely making ends meet on my
salary busting my ass at the local coffee shop. Pathetic, right?”
She
shakes her head. “It’s not pathetic, but you’re right, it’s a story I’ve heard
a lot. Maybe not a million times. Half a million tops.”
We
both laugh. It feels good to laugh about it. At least for one night.
She
reaches into her purse, a pricey Coach bag, and pulls out a business card. I
expect her to hand it to me but she places it on the bar between us instead.
“I
don’t do this very often but I feel bad for you, so I’m making an exception.”
She points to the card. “You can pick it up if you want to, after I tell you
what it’s about. Or you can leave it on the bar. It’s completely up to you.”
My
curiosity is definitely piqued. When I glance down at the card I notice it only
has two words: The Club followed by a
phone number.
“What’s
The Club?”
“It’s
a kind of dating service.”
I
frown. “Do I look like need a date?”
“No,
but you said you need money. This is a special kind of dating service for
extremely wealthy men.”
I
assume that’s how she got her Rolex and other jewelry, but I don’t want to be
rude by asking. “Are you saying it’s kind of like having a sugar daddy?”
She
laughs. “That’s kind of an antiquated term but sort of. Most of the men in The
Club are older and they have very specific tastes. Most of them want younger
women, but more importantly, they want women who will be there whenever and
however they want.”
I
gulp. Then I whisper. “Are you talking about prostitution?”
She
gives me a little smile. “Prostitution implies that you’re with multiple men
and they’re paying you for sex. It’s not like that. It’s more like you’re being
paid to be one man’s mistress.”
“Are
they married?”
She
laughs. “Some are. Some aren’t. Does it matter?”
“I
think it would to me.”
“Why?”
It’s
a good question. I’m not married. He’d be the one doing the cheating.
“Do
you mind if I ask how much money you’re talking about?”
“That’s
negotiable between you and the man who selects you. It’s called an arrangement.
You can negotiate any sort of arrangement you want.”
“Could
you give me a ballpark figure?”
“Usually
between three and five thousand a month.”
My
eyes grow wide at the thought of that kind of money. My salary at the coffee
shop, even with overtime and tips, doesn’t come close to that.
“And
that doesn’t include all of the perks. A lot of the men like to provide their
girlfriends with generous gifts in addition to their arrangement.”
“You
said a lot of the guys are older. How old?”
An
image of a geriatric using a walker crosses my mind. I’m not sure I’d be able
to have sex with someone that old, if he could still even have sex.
“The
guy I have an arrangement with is fifty-four.”
That’s
ten years older than my dad. I can feel my stomach churn. Am I really
considering getting involved with some kind of club and being paid to have sex
with a guy who could be older than my father?
The
blonde leans in close. “Don’t let his age fool you. He can still perform in
bed. And I only have to see him two days a week for a few hours. And my
arrangement is non-exclusive. He doesn’t mind if I date other guys.”
“I
don’t really date that much,” I confess.
“That’s
even better. There are a lot of guys who want exclusive arrangements. Not many
girls will commit to that.”
I
stare at the business card for a few seconds. Is this something I’m actually
considering? I’m just not sure. There’s no doubt that I need the money but I’m
not sure about having sex with someone I don’t even know…for money.
“It’s
really not that bad,” she insists. “I wasn’t sure at first either but you get
used to it. And Alex can be a really sweet guy.”
She
makes a point of pushing the business card a little closer to me. “At least
meet with Claudia. You can always back out if a guy selects you and you don’t
like him.”
I
pass my hand over the card and hesitate for a moment. I feel like this is a
pivotal moment. Like my whole life could change just by picking up the card.
I
take in a deep breath then grab the card from the bar. Now that it’s actually
in my hand I feel like calling the phone number is inevitable.
“Tell
Claudia that December sent you.”
My
eyes widen and I can’t help the look of surprise on my face. “Your name is
December?”
She
laughs. “It’s my real name too. And I wasn’t even born in December. My birthday
is November 28. I was an early arrival. But my parents already picked out the
name and they really liked it.”
She
holds out a hand for me to shake. “December Reynolds.”
“Rose
Collins,” I reply as I shake her hand.
“Claudia
just accepted several new members into The Club and she’s looking for a few
more girls. I think she’ll really like you. You’re cute and classy.”
I’m
not sure whether to take that as a compliment. “Thanks,” I say anyway.
December
looks at her watch. “I’ve got to split. I’m supposed see Alex in a few
minutes.”
She
hops down from her barstool then reaches into her purse, grabs two twenties and
throws them on the bar. The drinks here aren’t cheap but they’re not that
expensive. “The Crantini is on me. I’m sure I’ll see you around. Give my best
to Claudia.”
Before
I have a chance to respond, December is hurrying out the door.
Ren Monterrey lives in a small town outside Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and their bloodhounds. She writes New Adult and Contemporary romance under a number of different pen names.
No comments:
Post a Comment