Best Served Hot and Humid

Life had slowed down quite a bit. It wasn't as bad as the drama-ridden hellhole that she had to endure throughout high school and the early years of college, but something was missing. She needed a purpose in life, not just working at the grocery store Monday through Saturday and taking Sunday off to rest.

"Damn, it's only 6:30?" the dirty blonde haired girl said with resignation. "I thought it was way later than that."

She had picked up extra shifts to try and make a little bit of extra money to pay off student loan debts, but that extra time mostly contributed to her sense of loss, with no direction in the world.

Times like this was when she thought back to Turner. Why had she been so stupid? Sure, she had been hot-tempered in high school, but she didn't even think she was capable of **** like she had done then. He was a great guy, he just got on her nerves sometimes with his overanalyzing and childlike naïvety. But now he was on a crash course for success in a lucrative sector of work, and Paige was here checking out people's frozen TV dinners.

"That'll be $58.42," Paige said in a monotone, almost robotic, rehearsed line. "Would you like your receipt printed or emailed to you?"

Day in, day out, her life was shit. Living in an apartment in a not-so-nice part of town, most of her closest friends gone or cut out of her life, she had gone into quite a miserable life.

"I'm taking a break, Cheryl," she said to her coworker with almost closed eyelids. "Can you take over for me?"

"Sure thing," came the response, but Paige didn't necessarily care about the response. She just cared that she could take a load off for a few minutes.

Entering the empty and dimly lit break room, she sat down on a chair and looked up at the bright LED light which gave a faint buzzing noise.

"I don't know what he sees in Becca," she mused. "I mean, she gets so high tempered that it's almost a matter of time before he's acting meek and submissive again, and she's just gonna walk all over him."

Paige thought that she herself had turned a new leaf, in part due to her lack of direction and motive. She had gone through relationship after relationship in college, and none of them had stuck, but she had been able to learn a lot about what makes people tick.

"I mean, what is Turner even doing with her?" she continued to think out loud in a small whisper. "He should be able to see that she's just using him for his money, stability, and all that jazz. She's gonna have hundreds of thousands of dollars in college debt by the time she's done with her graduate program, and where's that money gonna come from?"

She grabbed a stress ball that was randomly placed on the table and began to bounce it against the wall.

"It's not like he's with her for looks either. He's a smart guy, he should know that looks aren't everything. Plus, I wouldn't say she's the best looking out there. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think I beat Becca in that department."

Her straight dark blonde hair flowed down around her, reaching to about her shoulders. Blue eyes were framed with glasses to give her a "girl next door" look, almost. She was thin, but not underweight, with moderately small breasts, a well-toned waist, and long, slender legs.

"Heck if I know," she resigned. "But one thing's for sure, if I ever get a chance to let that bitch have it, she's gonna be gone faster than you can say 'Sayonara'...fuck me, I need a drink or something."

Her head began to swirl as she thought she was getting dehydrated from standing at a register all day. As she walked over to the vending machine and began to put a quarter in, the world went dark.

A small _ping _noise was the first thing heard. The overbearing, strong white lights beamed down on Paige as she awoke, her hair all tangled up around her face.

"Ugh, what the hell?" she said, regaining her senses. "What is this, the insane asylum waiting room? Sounds about right for what's been going on with me lately."

"Welcome to Harem Hotel," a robotic voice sounded, similar to ones you'd hear at the DMV or grocery store deli. "Please sign the paper on the table, and proceed out the door towards the courtyard."

Paige stood up and looked at the table. It had the same paper that Becca had signed just minutes prior, but her signature was gone, as if someone had come in between people to change it.

After signing the paper and being led through the luxurious hallways that almost resembled a ballroom with their size, Paige entered the courtyard and was blown away.

"Jesus," she said in awe. "I'm not even upset with having to sign up for someone's harem or whatever the hell they want me to do so here, I'm just glad they brought me here instead of some dirty basement. Heck, I'm sure half of the guys here probably come from that sort of background, so I don't have to play along or anything..." she continued in her thoughts before something made her stop in her tracks.

It was Turner. Not only that, but Becca was there too, scowling at her. There was also this third woman who she had never seen before. Maybe she was also someone Turner knew?

"Hey darlin'", the mysterious lady said to Paige. "You must be Paige. I'm Kendra, and I'll be the host of this here season of Harem Hotel. You must be mighty confused as to a lot of things, but I promise, we'll get it all explained once everyone's here."

"I just have a question, if I may," Becca said.

"Great", Paige thought. "She's just as annoying as I remember."

Without prompting from Kendra, Becca continued with, "Um, yeah, why is she here? Last I checked, Turner isn't exactly on great terms with her." Becca then turned her attention to Paige. "Unless you've been trying to get back with him, which I wouldn't exactly put past you."

"Nice to meet you Becca, still assuming the worst in everyone, I see," Paige said, her icy tone filled with malice. "I'll have you know that I didn't exactly sign up for this, but I would love nothing more than to compete with you if it gives me a chance to see you apart from Turner."

That elicited a gasp from Becca. That was Paige's main goal of saying that.

"You bitch," Becca said, her anger mounting. "We already DID compete for Turner. It was when you punched him in the face, and I found him on the floor and picked him back up again."

"Ladies, ladies," Kendra said, her southern drawl cutting through the two of them. "I'm sure you'll have enough time to sort out your differences later, but we have to keep this show rolling. Paige, why don't you sit down right there." She pointed to the cushion right next to where Becca was sitting before she stood up to confront Paige.

With a smirk, Paige sat down on the couch. Becca resigned and plopped back down in her seat, although she shuffled to be farther from Paige, almost hugging the armrest of the couch. Her glares were now diverted to Paige, which gave Kendra a little bit more breathing room.

"Thank you," Kendra said. "Our next contestant is someone who's seen Turner as a mentor over the last few years. Please welcome to the harem...Emma!"