Excerpt of For a Price by Olivia Brynn

"Is this some kind of joke?"

The stumpy, balding man’s complexion went from grey to splotchy red after he’d listened to her proposal, and looked from one woman to the other.

"No, Mr. Green, I’m not joking," Maureen answered, not missing a beat. She’d prepared herself for this reaction. What she planned to do was off the wall, even for a place as open minded as Las Vegas, Nevada.

"So you ... want to sell ... uh ... auction..." Lawrence Green, attorney at law, tugged his outdated suit vest over his rotund belly in an uncomfortable gesture.

"Surely it’s a basic contract," Lottie interrupted, "You’ve handled agreements such as this for me in the past."

Maureen was again thankful for her aunt’s presence. Lottie had been in the business for almost twenty years. Her name was synonymous with the profession. One couldn’t think of Lottie Davis without being just a little in awe of her. Whether due to her business savvy or controversial business itself, Lottie Davis was a local hero. "Well ... yes, I have, but nothing quite like this," he stood to pace the small area between his desk and the bookcase behind it, which was filled with old musty-looking law books.

"Alright, forget for one minute about the product I’m selling. Surely you can write up a quick legal document regarding a sale? I’m thinking there are even internet auction sites that would be able to figure out the logistics."

"Oh no ... I can do this. That’s not the problem. I just..." he floundered.

By the deepening grooves on Lottie’s mouth, Maureen could tell that the woman’s patience had slipped. "Then what is the problem, Mr. Green?"

"I need to make sure she knows what she’s doing," he blustered, pointing one blunt finger at Maureen before facing the younger woman, "Once you get this ball rolling, it would be difficult to back out."

"I don’t plan on backing out," Maureen assured him, "but if it makes you feel better, put a clause in the contract."

Lawrence Green stopped pacing, and faced her. She was subjected to a thorough study, as if he were looking for a sign of insanity. When his eyes continued their journey down her body, his expression grew even more confused. His assessment flitted across her with astute lawyer eyes: she was a shapely auburn-haired beauty, so why would she want to do this? He had to be wondering if there was something wrong with her.

She allowed his perusal longer than she would have allowed any other man to ogle her in such a way. She almost stood to her full five-foot-ten, knowing that she would tower over this man, which she found was a good way to put a stop to any man’s wandering eye. She didn’t stand though.

She bit her tongue, reminding herself that she’d asked for this. She’d be under more of a microscope with this ball of fire she was igniting than just the curious undressing by Mr. Green. His eyes lingered on her full breasts.

Finally, he met her eyes, and in a voice lower and raspier than she’d heard him speak with to this point, addressed her again. "How will you prove to ... your customer that you are what you say you are?"

Maureen raised one dark brow in amusement. "I was told it would be obvious." She allowed him to shift in embarrassment for only a moment. "To be blunt, Mr. Green, my hymen is intact. It didn’t tear during tampon usage or strenuous activities. I have documents from my physician, and I’m willing to be examined by a physician of the customer’s choice." She nodded toward the manila folder she’d laid on his desk at the start of the meeting. "It’s all in there."

"This isn’t a con, Lawrence," Lottie added. "Maureen has never been with a man. Can you do this, or shall we find another attorney?"

Lawrence’s posture deflated. He even collapsed back into his chair. "I’ve got a daughter her age," he began, a sad smile softening his otherwise sandpapery face. "She’s the mother of three."

Maureen wasn’t sure what that was supposed to mean, but she suddenly felt both comforted and complimented.

"What I’m doing isn’t all that strange, if you think about it. Both men and women do it all the time, both legally and otherwise. And as far as the other ... you’ll have to agree with me that I’m a minority. The product I’m selling is normally given away without a thought." Maureen turned to the twin armchair where she’d laid out her briefs, and she began methodically returning them to her briefcase. "Will you accept the assignment, Mr. Green?"

He took in a huge amount of air into his lungs, closed his eyes briefly, then nodded. "I’ll get started on it this afternoon. If you change your mind, call me." He stood politely and escorted them to the door.

Maureen stopped and faced him. "Don’t worry, I won’t change my mind," she offered her hand, and he shook it.

"When can we expect to hear from you?" Lottie’s irritation gone, she was now back to the poised business woman.

"I should have it ready by tomorrow."

"Wonderful. I’ll get started on my ad campaign then. Goodbye Mr. Green."

Maureen’s held-together countenance lasted until she’d secured the seatbelt of her car, where she collapsed in relief.

Well, she’d done it. The tiger’s tail was in her sight, next step is to grab it. She could scarcely believe that she was able to follow through with her plan, and now that she did, she was feeling anything but nervous. What was the big deal anyway?