His Contract Luna

5. Ivy

My stomach has been in knots since I left Blackthorn yesterday. I don’t think I’m terribly unattractive. I am a decent 5 feet 11 inches tall. I’m a little underweight right now because of the stress, but you can still see my hourglass figure. My breasts aren’t huge, but they’re full and perky enough to have cleavage. My teeth are straight and white. My hair is long and healthy. My skin is clear. I might not be the most beautiful girl in the world, but I’m at least a little pretty. I should really stop thinking so low of myself, but that is the least of my problems right now.

“Have you heard anything?” Chloe’s voice asks, tearing me from my lowly thoughts. “You know… From the Madam?”

“No, not yet. She said it could take a little bit to find a match,” I reply, shrugging like I wasn’t dying for my phone to ring or ping with an alert from Madam Blackthorn. As if she could hear my thinking from the other side of Sundown Bluff. I pick up my phone and see the email alert with the subject title “Meet Your Match.”

“What was that? Is that her?!” Chloe says giddily, moving towards the edge of her seat. “IVY! Did you get a match?!”

“The subject says ‘meet your match’ so I think so,” I whisper, staring at the phone. I had been waiting on pins and needles for this, but now it is here and I’m terrified. “I’m too scared to open it.”

“Well I’m not,” my best friend says as she snatches my phone from my hand. She taps on my phone a couple of times, opening the email and attachment, and gasps, nearly dropping my phone. “No f*****g way.” I cover my face instinctively, shielding myself from embarrassment or horror, whichever it is.

“Is it bad?” I ask, peeking between my fingers at Chloe. Her eyes are wide and her mouth is dropped open as she looks at the file.

“It isn’t bad at all. You're the luckiest girl in Texas. I’m just in shock at who my brother in law is about to be,” she says, looking up at me. “She matched you to Emerson Ward.”

“Should I know who that is?” I ask, wincing at her gasp and shriek combination.

“What?! Earth to Ivy. Have you been living under a rock?! He’s a billionaire. The only heir to his family’s entire empire at Ward Security.”

“I work 3 jobs, Chloe. I don’t know anything about the elites and their world.” I roll my eyes and sit back, laying my head back on the chair to stare at the ceiling. "I barely look at my social media or watch TV. How would I know any of this?"

“Well it looks like you’ll be done doing that,” she remarks. “$700,000 up front and a $10,000 monthly allowance with health insurance and no rent. You should really read this. You got a good deal.” I reach my hand out for my phone without lifting my head, Chloe dropping the device into my palm before standing up from her seat and going to my bedroom. I sit up, perusing the information provided in the email while I hear Chloe rifling through the contents of my closet.

“There’s no picture,” I shout, Chloe audibly scoffing from my room. “How am I supposed to know what he looks like?”

“Most people aren’t so out of the loop, Ivy. Google him,” she replies, annoyed with my lack of interest in people in a different tax bracket from me. I sit up, opening my laptop on the coffee table to search him up like she suggested.

"E-m-e-r-s-o-n. Space. W-a-r-d. Search," I say out loud, staring at the screen as I wait for my results. The very first article that pops up is about Sundown Bluff's most eligible bachelor. The picture shows a breathtaking man. Short, black hair that is faded on the sides and perfectly styled on top. Bright blue eyes, dazzling smile, dimples to die for, and short facial hair. His skin has a light tan and the top button of his white dress shirt was undone, revealing an array of colorful tattoos. His suit jacket strained against his biceps in the photo, making my jaw drop. "Oh... Oh my."

"Oh my is right," Chloe says as she walks back from my bedroom. "Your new fiancé is a walking s*x icon, girl. Now put this on so we can go out and celebrate." She hands me a pair of shiny leather pants, an emerald-green cropped halter top, and chunky-heeled boots. "I am going to borrow an outfit so we can go straight out instead of stopping at my house." I nod at her, proceeding to change into the outfit she gave me. 10 minutes later and she comes out of my room in fish net stockings, a pink leather mini skirt and matching halter top, with black boots. Her bangs hang down, framing her face while the rest of her hair is up in pig tails.

"It's giving Barbie meets Harley Quinn," I say, tilting my head side to side as I look at her. "You're the only person I know that could pull this off." She does a little spin, smiling as she sits down beside me.

"Drinks are on me tonight. Let's go celebrate your pending marriage," she says happily, my only response a nervous smile and nod. She orders a car on her phone, reminding me that I need to email the Blackthorn Madam back accepting her match. I open my email and send my acceptance message, dropping my phone into my clutch with the change purse holding my cards and ID. "We might be standing outside for a while, but I want to get there early so we have a better shot of getting in."

"That's fine with me," I reply, following her out the door and locking it behind me. A red car pulls up in front of my apartment building just as we reach the steps, a young man stepping out and asking if one of us is Chloe Foster. We confirm the ride and climb in, making the quick drive across town to the Velvet Mirage. We get out of the car and run to get in line behind the velvet ropes. "There's only like 10 people ahead of us. We are definitely getting in."

"We've been in line for 2 hours," the girl in front of us says. "One more hour to go."

"Oh my gosh! I didn't realize people lined up that early," Chloe exclaims, the girl and her two friends nodding in response. "I have to know... Why?"

"This is the only place you'll stand a chance at seeing Emerson Ward in person," one of the girls says with a smile. "Him and all of his delicious friends only come to this club."

"Oh, you like Emerson that much, huh?" I say, attempting not to grit my teeth. I can't be possessive and jealous over someone I literally have never met. Even if he is to be my fiancé in a few short days. Chloe grips my hand, trying to keep me from looking foolish in front of these people.

"Doesn't everyone? He's gorgeous and rich. What else could you possibly want?" the girl responds.

"I mean, a good, faithful man with a kind heart doesn't always come with looks and money," I retort, all three girls chuckling to themselves. "I can't imagine being okay with being cheated on or abused for money."

"To each their own," one girl shrugs, their group turning around and engaging in conversation I have no interest in being a part of. I turn around, Chloe coming to stand in front of me.

"I told you, girl. Everyone wants him. There will be an article soon enough about him being off the market," she assures me, my head nodding in response.

"What if he is a cheater or hits me?"

"I'll kill him with my bare hands," she shrugs. "Don't worry about it right now, babe. The Blackthorn Madam surely checks that out." We stand in place, talking back and forth with our backs to the girls in front of us until we hear the doors open. The bouncer shouts for everyone to have their IDs ready before stepping next to his partner. They start scanning IDs and letting people in until they get to the 3 girls in front of us. Both bouncers scan an ID, the scanners flashing red instead of green.

"Are these fake IDs?" he asks sternly, looking at the girl without blinking.

"N.. No, sir. That's my ID," she stammers nervously, the bouncer holding the ID in front of him.

"What's your name?"

"Sydney Frost."

"Birth Date?"

"August 29, 1996."

"Address?"

"1748 Winnebago Dr, Sundown Bluff, TX 83743."

"Do you want to walk away or should I call the police and let them deal with the three of you?"

"What do you mean?!" the girl exclaims, her voice cracking as she looks at her friends for support.

"You answered every single question wrong. This is clearly a fake ID. Do you three want to walk away or should I call the police? This is the last time I'll ask," he says, all three girls hanging their heads in defeat.

"We'll go," she says, reaching for her fake ID, but he snatches it back from her.

"I'm legally required to confiscate all of these. You too, ma'am. Give me the fake ID or I can call the police," he says to the girl behind "Sydney". She hands him her ID and the three of them walk past him down the sidewalk, sniffling about their lost chance to see Emerson Ward. The bouncer sighs, stuffing them into his pocket before scanning mine and Chloe's. When the scanner lights up green, they gesture toward the door and we walk through the threshold into a world of loud music and multicolored lights.

"Let's go get a drink before the club is full and its impossible to get one," Chloe shouts over the music, dragging me over to the bar.

"What can I get for you ladies?" the woman behind the counter asks us with a bright smile as we walk up to the counter.

"I'm feeling spicy tonight so give me... Oh! A Fiery Flamingo," she says, turning to look at me while I peruse the menu of cocktails.

"I will take a Crimson Sunset," I tell her, matching her smile. The bartender slides our drinks in front of us, taking Chloe's card to pay for the drinks while I pull cash from my wallet and slide her a $10 tip. Chloe looks at me with daggers in her eyes for sliding the cash across the bar and I raise my hands in mock surrender. "Fine. Celebration on you tonight. I won't even pay for the tips."

"Good. Now let's take these drinks and go dance," she says, proud of her victory against me. We move ourselves to the dance floor, dancing the night away to every song that comes on and, for just a moment, I forget that my brother is dying and I'm selling myself to pay for his surgery. Right now, I'm just a 25 year old girl having fun with her best friend.