“Twenty percent.”
I have no idea if that’s normal or not. On twenty thousand dollars, I would still get sixteen thousand, which is a mind-boggling amount for one night’s work. Or less than that.
“What happens if, like, people find out?”
“What people? How would they find out?”
“I don’t know. Just—could I get in trouble?”
“Look, Virginia, this is work. It’s an acting gig. My agency rounds up the talent, if the talent is selected and booked, my agency gets paid, and the talent gets paid. Some acting gigs call for t
hings like nudity. You’ve seen movies like Basic Instinct or Showgirls. It’s just like that.”
The thought that I’m just an actor playing a part reassures me. A little. But maybe I’m just trying to find reasons to justify a bad idea.
I fill out the paperwork, which includes a lengthy nondisclosure agreement. I hesitate before signing. “What if I decide, at the last minute, that I can’t go through with it?”
“Then you don’t. But the NDA still stands—to protect everyone’s privacy, you know. And of course you don’t get paid. But I bet you could do a lot with twenty thousand extra dollars. Buy yourself some nice boots. Take a trip to Hawaii. Pamper yourself with a spa and shopping spree.”
I look down at my pair of worn UGGs that I found at the Goodwill. They’re a little big on me, but they were a steal. Maybe I could indulge in buying a pair of brand new UGGs that are actually my size.
After I finish the paperwork, Dan calls in the woman who had examined me and proceeds to notarize the NDA.
“I started out as a notary,” he explains. He collects my thumbprint, then says, “You’re all set, Virginia. Welcome aboard the Pullman Model and Talent Agency.”
All of a sudden I feel like throwing up. I hurry out of the office and head to the restroom down the hall.
Just ’cause you signed some paper, doesn’t mean you have to go through with it.
At a sink, I splash cold water onto my face.
It’s a two-way street. The client has to like you, and you have to like him. Or at least find him tolerable.
But how could I find a man wanting to pay for sex with a virgin tolerable? And what if he’s not gentle? Will he ruin sex for me?
I spend the rest of the day vacillating on my decision. I even think about asking Sierra what her experiences with Pullman have been. I stop by the hotel to see if Sierra is there and if they need extra staff. That’s when I learn Mr. Lee has checked out. I find myself a little bummed. I wanted to get one more look at him—from a safe distance. I’m not sure why I find him intriguing even while he unsettles me. Maybe it’s because he seems like he’s from another place in time. Like he belongs in some 1930s gangster movie.
“She’s preparing for some acting job,” Tracy tells me when I ask about Sierra.
A few minutes later my cellphone rings. It’s the Pullman Agency. With trembling hands, I take the call.
“Hey, Virginia,” says Dan, “you got your first audition.”
CHAPTER FIVE
“I can’t take a week off from work on such short notice,” I protest into the cellphone, hoping no one walks in on me in the break room. “I might lose my job. And it’s the week before my econ midterm—”
“This client’s willing to go twenty-five grand,” Dan replies. “Clients like this don’t come around every day.”
“You said you had a model who got thirty thousand just last week.”
“I don’t usually get such high numbers back to back. Look, you interested in the pay or not? If not, I’ve got other talent I can send.”
I put a hand to my brow. “I don’t know. I thought this kind of thing was just a one-night deal.”
“How many people you know make this much money in just one night?”
Silly me. I guess I don’t know this business well.