Eight Six Seven Five Three O Nine

The screen shifted as everyone’s BP was added to their current scores.

1. Mary – 4100 BP + 2000 BP = 6100 BP

2. Carly – 3600 BP + 2000 BP = 5600 BP

3. Dani – 3600 BP + 2000 BP = 5600 BP

4. Kim – 3200 BP + 2000 BP = 5200 BP

5. Gina – 2600 BP + 2000 BP = 4600 BP

6. Dakota – 3200 BP + 1000 BP = 4200 BP

7. Dawn – 1900 BP + 1500 BP = 3400 BP

8. Holly – 1700 BP + 1500 BP = 3200 BP

9. Rose – 0 BP + 1000 BP = 1000 BP

Dakota watched with furious eyes as Gina slid above her in the rankings. But her reaction wasn’t the strongest out of everyone there.

Rose’s mask had broken. The genius actress put on no performance in that moment, no coy smiles, no flirty winks. Her face wore a look of shock and horror as she paled, staring at her name at the bottom on the list.

Last place. She was last place in the popularity polls. The writing was on the wall, and there was no denying it. But I thought… the point of this show… didn’t the audience want to see sexy things happen? Her head was caught in a fog. In that moment she didn’t give a damn about her image with the others, she was too busy trying to figure out what was going on.

Sylvia’s obnoxious laugh brought her out of her murky thoughts.

“Well! This is quite something, isn’t it my girls? To start, let’s give a congratulations to our Pretty Mary Sunlight! From the low, low ranking of seventh place, she managed to claw her way up into a first place victory!” Sylvia wiped a tear from her eye. “I’m so proud of you my girl! And that’s not all, Kim, our previous frontrunner, managed to maintain a tight grasp on second place as well, which is even more impressive! I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team so dominate their competitors before!”

Sylvia kept going, moving her cane down the list of names. “I think some congratulations are due to Carly and Gina as well! Third and fourth place! Considering you gals were at the very bottom of our last popularity poll, I’ll say again, great hustle! Especially you, Gina. Last week you were the only one to get below 10% of the vote, but this time? Well, that’s what we call ‘hustle’ my girls!”

Her eyes scanned the audience. “And I think we can all see why that happened. Let me think! What could have possibly turned things in their favor? What would make girls at the very bottom of the popularity rankings shoot this high up, I wonder?” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, staring up at the ceiling. Then she gasped as she “realized” what it was. “Oh! I know! Those two were the only ones who had sex with the master! That must be it! You know what that means, my girls. If you’re worried about your place in the popularity rankings… if you want some extra BP to spend on your special someone… well, better get those legs open and get to work!”

Her cackling words seemed to be aimed at Rose, who trembled as Sylvia’s piercing eyes landed on her.

“But I must say… for our poor Auditionee to be in last place…” Sylvia clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Tsk, tsk. I had such high hopes for you, my girl. I really did. A breath of fresh air to get our girls thinking, exciting the master with your sexual advances… but alas, it just didn’t seem to go over well with the audience. And today’s your last day!”

Sylvia’s voice deepened as she approached Rose, staring her dead in the eye. “If I were you… I’d be thinking very, very hard about what you should do tonight.”

Rose gulped, and trembled. She wasn’t acting anymore. “Rose the Seductress” had disappeared, leaving behind a girl who was finally starting to realize the depth of the situation she found herself in.

And just like that, Sylvia’s smile returned and she flounced out of Rose’s personal space, twirling around to address the crowd.

“And those are our popularity poll results! I’m sure some of you must be surprised.”

Dawn scowled. She’d been pretty high up just a week before. And yet it had all come crashing down around her. As angry as she was at her position, she knew she only had herself to blame. It’s like Sylvia had said. Carly and Gina had been willing to sleep with Nick. All she’d given him was a blowjob. Of course someone who worked harder for something would perform better than someone who didn’t give it their all.

The delta between Dawn’s legs throbbed and she bit her lip. Was she ready to give it her “all” next time?

If there’ll even be a next time, she darkly noted. Unlike Carly who had her own personal simp and Team Virgin who practically shared a brain at this point, Dawn had no one in her corner. She’d antagonized her teammate, so there was no way Gina would choose her if she had the option. The only other person she was even that friendly with was Rose, and Rose couldn’t do anything to save her.

Dawn needed to do better than Gina in this upcoming challenge. If she didn’t, there was a very real chance it would be her getting an exit transformation. She’d probably turn into a full-on cat girl in perpetual heat, chained to Nick’s bed so he could take her out on walks.

Which may have sounded hot to some people, but Dawn was still a novice when it came to her sexuality.

“Now then!” Sylvia clapped her hands together. “We’ve finished discussing your popularity poll results, so you’re free to use the rest of the day however you wish. …Is what I would like to say. But we have a fun activity planned instead!”

Nick groaned, and he wasn’t the only one. Whatever Sylvia considered to be a “fun” activity would probably result in a lot of humiliation for them.

Sensing the negativity in the room, Sylvia pouted. “I’m serious! …Okay, well, it’s not exactly ‘fun’ but it’s a nice gesture on our part.”

She put on a smile that Kim recognized. It was the same sort of smile the slimiest of her slimy managers would wear when they were doing PR and trying to keep someone from filing a workplace grievance.

Sylvia’s voice was all business. “Here at Harem Hotel: Island Holiday Season, we like to make it a point to take care of our girls.” She paused to let the annoying recorded applause finish. “We understand that this is a difficult time. You’ve all gotten so close these past few weeks, but tomorrow, that’s all going to change. One of you will be walking away with a transformation that will no-doubt change their life forever. It could even be you! So in order to help you come to terms with that possibility, the host of the show (that’s me) decided that it would be best if we gave you each a chance for some closure.”

Mary frowned. “What do you mean by closure?”

Sylvia grinned back at her with that saleswoman smile of hers. “I’m so glad you asked! Now you see, I believe I said at the beginning of the season that time flows differently in this dimension, correct?”

“That’s right,” Dawn nodded. “You said I wouldn’t have to worry about feeding my cats, because when I got back, it would be like I never left.”

A wave of guilt passed over Sylvia’s face, and Dawn tensed.

“That… was not entirely true.”

“What?!” Dawn exploded. She nearly threw herself at Sylvia, and would have done so if not for Dani’s inhuman strength holding her back.

“No, no, don’t worry, your pretty pussies are fine,” Sylvia assured her, raising her hands defensively. “It just happens to be that time is not exactly… stopped. It’s just passing at a much slower rate. That’s my fault, I apologize. You see, this season is set to run a lot longer than the average season of Harem Hotel, so I miscalculated.”

“What are you trying to say, then?” Kim asked.

“Well, one week here is ten days now, right?” Sylvia reminded them. “Well, ten days in this dimension is about the equivalent of one day back on Earth. Meaning you all have been gone for approximately-”

“Two days,” Dawn cut her off, glowering at Sylvia. Her cats had enough food and water for two days, but not another eight. “I need to go back! I need to give them food and water, change their litterboxes-”

“Nope, nope, none of that, no,” Sylvia said, cutting her off right back in turn. “It is against policy to allow any of you girls to return to Earth unless a challenge necessitates it. I’m sorry my girl, but you’ll just have to wait.”

“No!” Dawn wailed. “My cats-”

“Will. Be. Fine. You aren’t listening to me,” Sylvia groaned. “Here is what I am offering you. Today, each of you will get the chance to make one single phone call to anyone you wish. You will have five minutes of uninterrupted phone time. In that time, I would like you to get your affairs in order. Take care of the cats, potentially say farewell to friends and relatives, anything you like.”

She paused, and then her eyes widened. “Ah! But no mentioning the Harem Hotel, of course. You can’t tell anyone where you are, what you’re doing, or why. If you break this rule, then… well, it won’t end well for you, I can promise that,” she said threateningly. “And it certainly won’t end well for whomever it is you’re telling.”

Everyone felt a chill go through the air. Sylvia continued to smile.

“Shall we go?” She raised her cane and the room started to spin. Nick tried to grab onto a table to keep from falling over, but the tables shifted away as well. Suddenly, they were in a white room that was completely empty save for a giant reinforced vault.

“That right there is your phone booth.” Sylvia gestured to the vault. “While inside, anything you have to say is completely confidential! Not even the audience nor I will be able to eavesdrop on your private conversations!”

Somehow, Nick doubted that. As if she could read his mind, Sylvia placed her hands on her hips and pouted.

“I’m being honest here! This is an order from way high up, you know! So just trust me for once!”

Of course, nobody did. But the fact that she mentioned producers did lend some credence to her statements.

“Now then! I think it will be best if we do this simply and start from the order of most to least popular! That’s fair!” Sylvia said, turning to Mary. “Would you like to go first, my girl? Remember, you can talk to anyone you wish. They haven’t seen you for like two days at this point, so keep that in mind.”

Mary took a deep breath and nodded, heading into the phone booth.

Mary’s Phone Call

There was only one person Mary wanted to talk to. Well, two people, but their house had a shared phone. She dialed quickly, and didn’t let out a breath until she heard someone on the other end of the line pick up.

“Momma? Daddy? Is that you?” She asked quietly.

“Mary?!” Her mother. Mary sighed in relief.

“It’s me, momma, I-”

“Where have you been, baby girl?!” Mrs. MacTaggert exclaimed. “What’s going on here?! I went up to your room two nights ago, only to find you were completely gone!’

“Momma, I can explain, I-”

“Do you have any idea how worried your father and I were?! You live under our roof young lady, and we have a curfew! Now where is it you got off to? On foot, no less? I swear if you were picked up by some boy-”

“MOMMA!” Mary shouted. “Let me talk! I only have five minutes!”

And that clock was counting down fast.

“Five minutes? What’s the matter? Are you in danger? Baby-”

“MOMMA!” Mary shouted at the top of her lungs. Her gabby mother finally shut up from shock. “Momma… I’m getting married.”

“What?!” Her mother exclaimed. “Marriage?!”

“What’s going on here?” Mr. Mactaggert ripped the phone away from his wife. “Mary? What’s this about you getting married?! I swear, if you’re pregnant I’ll-”

“No! I’m not! It’s not like that, daddy!” Mary protested. A twinge in her loins made her wish otherwise, though. “I’m still pure, I promise. I won’t have sex until we’re married. You can trust me.”

“How can I trust you if you’re not here?” Her father asked weakly. “Mary, just come home, we can talk this out-”

“We don’t need to, daddy!” Mary said cheerfully. “The man I love is the most wonderful, sweetest guy in the world. I just know that when we’re finally united together in the eyes of the lord, he’ll be a better husband and father than I ever deserved. Please just be happy for me?”

“How can I be happy for you if I haven’t even seen this fellow?” He demanded. “Because it’s not some boy in town, I can tell you that! We’ve torn this place apart trying to find you! He’s some city boy, isn’t he?! Does he at least go to church? Oh, heavens, Mary, please, tell me he’s a Christian! He’s a Christian, isn’t he? A good, honest 'Church-on-Sunday' Christian? I promise, if you’re planning to marry one of those crazy Seventh-day Adventists then-”

The phone clicked off. Her five minutes were up. Mary sighed.

They would be happy for her. She’d make them understand. She skipped out of the phone booth with a smile on her face as Kim came in after her.

Kim’s Phone Call

It took Kim even longer to work up the courage to dial than Mary. The clock wouldn’t start until she picked up the phone, so she had a decent amount of time to prepare herself. Finally, she just did it.

“Hello? Who is this?” A gruff, familiar voice soothed all the anxiety in Kim’s chest.

“It’s me, dad.”

“KIMMY?!” Her step-father roared. “Kimmy, is that you? Are you okay?! What happened?! Where did you go?!”

Her dad’s frantic worry caused Kim to remember the circumstances leading up to her abduction. She’d been on the phone with him while at work, and had just snapped out of existence. Her phone hadn’t come with her, either.

“Okay, dad, calm down, I know this looks bad-”

“We called the police! They said it looked like an abduction! But when they checked the security footage, everything was wiped!”

That figures. Sylvia probably tampered with it, Kim thought, biting her lip.

“Look, dad, I can’t explain everything right now, but I’m fine,” she said. “Come on. You can trust me. It’s just… things are complicated right now.”

“Kim…” He wasn’t using her pet name for her anymore. He sounded really anxious on the phone.

“I-I got a new job,” she lied. It made her sick to her stomach, telling lies to the man who’d taken her into his home and treated her like his own flesh and blood. But she couldn’t tell him the truth.

“You disappeared without your phone in the middle of the night for a job?”

Okay, when he put it like that, it sounded really fucking stupid. She wished she had more experience with lying, because she was pretty awful at it.

“I promise, I’ll explain everything when I see you again. It’s a long story. You just have to trust me for now, okay? I’m fine.”

For now…

Her step-father clearly didn’t like obeying her wishes, the tense silence on his end of the line said that more than clearly.

But he sighed and agreed. “Alright. I’ll tell the police to drop the search, and I’ll let your mother know you’re doing okay. Just… come home soon, alright?”

“I will, dad,” she said. “No matter what happens, I’m coming back.”

And if I’m lucky, I’ll have more money than we could ever dream of. I just need to win.

She said her final goodbyes to the only man she ever considered a father, and hung up the phone. As she left, Carly came in next.

Carly’s Phone Call

“Hey Stace!” Unlike the first two girls, Carly had no apprehensions calling up her best friend for a chat. After all, she lived alone, so there was no one she was really “obligated” to call, like Kim and Mary. “How are you doing, slut?”

“You bitch!” Stacy groaned on the other end of the line. “What are you doing, leaving me on ‘read’ for two whole days? I was worried as fuck! You didn’t update your page at all, either, it’s like you dropped off the face of the planet or something!”

“Ha!” Carly laughed. “Nah, see, I dropped my phone in the toilet. I’m shacking up with a guy right now, and I’m using his phone.”

“Oof, sucks to suck,” Stacy winced. That was about the closest she could get to sympathy. “Hope you get a new one soon! I can’t wait to see what you post next. You still want to plan shit for AnimeExpo next month?”

AnimeExpo. Carly had almost forgotten. That seemed a lifetime ago.

“Nah, actually, I was thinking of giving it a miss,” she admitted. “Got a lot on my plate right now, so I can’t make any big commitments. You can plan out your own shit, sound good?”

“No way you’re missing the biggest con in summer!” Stace gasped. “We’ve been planning for weeks! Girl, just how good IS this new boytoy of yours?”

Carly couldn’t hide the grin on her face. “Wouldn’t YOU like to know?” She teased. “Still, he’s pretty open-minded. You never know, maybe I could introduce you to him, see if you hit it off.”

“Okay, now I know you’re just torturing me!” Carly could hear her pouting on the other end of the line.

“…Yeah, I am. This one’s a little different Stace, sorry. Been angling for him for a while now, and he finally took the bait!”

“Wait, for real?” Stacy’s voice turned serious. “Like, wait, are you saying he could be ‘the one’? Like, ‘the guy’? I never thought I’d see the day when YOU of all people got all up in the commitment business.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “Come on, you see me settling down any time soon? Hey, give me a week, and I’ll be back ready to hang, and we can talk about AnimeExpo shit. Who knows, by the time you see me, I could be a whole new person!”

Stacy cackled. “Wow, a dick good enough to change you into a completely different Carly? Now I really do want a taste!”

Carly smirked. Stacy had no idea how much she might change by the time they reunited. She said goodbye to her cosplay bestie and headed out.

Gina came in about a minute later with a complex look on her face.

Gina’s Phone Call

Gina paced back and forth in the phone booth, not sure who she should even call. One of her friends? Please, if she’d had any “real” friends she wouldn’t have fallen this far in the first place. And she had no intention of ringing any casual hookups.

There was really only one number she could call. The problem was, she really didn’t want to. She knew that the people on the other end of the line wouldn’t be the parents of the Gina in her fake memories. The loving family who cared about their amazing and generous daughter. They would be her real parents.

“You really look like someone who’s gotten her life together.”

Dakota’s words burned in her ears.

Who was she fooling? A sundress and a blouse couldn’t hide what she was. Her hair-dye, piercings, and tattoos may have been washed away, but that didn’t make her clean.

Nick had loved her tenderly, but she still felt like a tramp deserving ****.

What should I do? She asked herself. Her dilemma right now was about more than just a phone call. She felt like she was at a crossroads.

Did she keep going down this path of self-destruction, abusing her body to drown out the suffering she felt every day? Or did she take a risk and go down a new path? Become the sort of girl that Nick thought she could be?

She still remembered his eyes from that night. He didn’t look at her like a piece of meat like so many other guys. He’d seen the real her. And unlike everyone else who saw the real her, he didn’t push her away or recoil in disgust.

Gina swallowed. She wanted to be the kind of girl who deserved to have Nick look at her like that. But she felt like she’d come too far to be anything different.

How did that song go again? “Take a risk, take a chance, and break away”?

Tears started to well up in her eyes. She remembered sitting in the front seat with her mom on the way to get ice cream after her dance lessons, singing to songs on the radio.

How long had it been since she’d heard her mother’s voice?

That was what did it. Fighting back her tears she grabbed the phone and started to dial.

“Hello?”

It wasn’t her mother who answered. But her father’s gruff voice made her heart ache, and she tried not to burst out crying immediately.

“Dad?” She managed to squeak out in a voice that sounded like a scared little girl.

A deathly silence hung in the air. Finally, in a tired voice filled with a lifetime of exasperation, her father finally said, “I thought we told you not to call this number again?”

Her heart broke a little when she heard that.

“I-I know, dad, I just-”

“If this is about money, forget it. I told you, I’m not going to give you cash just so you can shoot it up into your arm again. We’re done watching you destroy yourself.”

“Daddy please!” She cried. “It’s not what you think! I promise!”

It had been a long time since Gina believed in anything related to God, but there had to be somebody granting her a miracle since her father didn’t hang up the phone.

“…What is it?”

“I-I just… I just wanted to let you know I’m clean,” Gina stammered out. “Almost two weeks now. I-I checked into a rehab place. They only let me use the phone for five minutes, but I-”

“That’s great, sweetheart,” he sighed, and she could hear the doubt in his voice. She only felt worse. After all, she had no one to blame but herself that her parents didn’t trust her.

On the outside looking in, remembering all the times she’d lied to them, stolen from them, and manipulated their good will to chase her fixes, she wouldn’t have believed her, either.

“I’m really trying to turn things around, daddy,” she whimpered. “For real this time. I don’t want to use anymore.”

He sighed again. Because he’d heard it all before. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“So can I… can I talk to mom? Is she…”

“Your mother is busy right now. She has a very important promotion lined up. I don’t want to bother her with any… distractions.”

Gina’s fragile heart cracked right down the center.

“Y-Yeah, you’re right. Okay then… just… just thought I’d ask…”

“Take care of yourself, Gina. And please try to stay clean. For your mother’s sake at least.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna do it this time,” she promised. “I swear.”

“Uh-huh. Goodbye, sweetheart.”

“Wait!” Gina cried. “I-!”

CLICK

She dropped the phone and it clattered against the machine, bungeeing on the cord.

“…I love you…” She mumbled, wiping away the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Dani’s Phone Call

Dani planned to call her parents, too. She just felt a little awkward doing it.

“Hey, mom. It’s me.”

“Dani, is everything alright? I came down to check on you the other day and you were gone! I haven’t heard from you in days!” Unlike Mary and Kim’s parents, Dani’s mother was a lot more nonchalant about her daughter’s disappearance. Dani was a grown girl, after all. She could take care of herself.

“It’s fine, mom. I just needed a break from the house for a few days. So I went camping.”

“Camping?!” Mrs. Montenue was shocked to hear that her daughter had gone somewhere without wi-fi. “But… you left your phone, your laptop, everything!”

“Yeah, well, it was sort of a sudden thing,” Dani mumbled. “You know, I met up with an old pal at the gym, and just… spur of the moment! I’m calling from her phone.”

“I see… well, I’m glad you’re getting out and meeting people, but could you at least let me know next time? I had a heart attack when I came down to bring you dinner and saw you were gone!

Dani winced. “Yeah, you’re right, mom.”

Next time a supernatural being abducts me to an island to be in the harem of my best friend from high school I’ll totally be sure to give you a heads up.

“Oh, by the way, since you were gone, I’ve been cleaning your room,” her mother continued, already changing the subject now that she knew her daughter was safe. “I found your old sketchbooks and pencils. What do you want me to do with them?”

Ugh, her art supplies. She’d completely forgotten. “Just throw them-wait, no.” She caught herself. “Keep ‘em there for now.”

Dani had experienced a lot of new stuff since she’d come to this island. She’d gone through more changes on a physical level than anyone else here, but it also felt like she’d grown a decent amount as a person, too.

If I make it back, maybe I’ll give art school a try again, she decided. It’s better than just sitting in front of a computer all day.

At least that way, she’d be taking a step forward.

After Dani left, Holly came in next, practically skipping.

Holly’s Phone Call

Holly didn’t hesitate for a second to dial up her parents and let them know the good news.

“Hey, mom!”

“Holly!” Mrs. Anderson greeted her daughter cheerfully. “You never call during the week! And you sound so chipper! Did you get another article approved already?”

“Huh? Oh, you mean work, no, forget about that,” Holly laughed, shaking her head. “I’m quitting as soon as I get the chance anyway.”

“What?! But you worked so hard to get that job! What’s the matter?”

Well, for one thing, her boss kept sexually harassing her. But that didn’t matter anymore.

“I found somebody, that’s what!” She was filled with excitement, thrilled to share the best news of her life with her parents who’d supported her every step of the way through her hypersexuality affliction- or as she now thought of it, her blessing.

“W-Well, that’s very nice, dear, but about your job-”

“He’s the best, most amazing guy ever!” Holly gushed. “Just talking to him makes me feel like I’m about to orgasm!”

“Honey?!”

But Holly was on a roll. “I’ve never found a guy who could better please me sexually! Remember mom? I was always talking about how I’d never meet someone who understands me, but Nick totally does! I’m so hot and ready every second it’s like I’m living in a sex dream!”

“N-Now, honey, your doctor warned you of the importance of moderation-”

“Forget that!” Holly exclaimed. “And a job? Who needs it! The only thing I want to do is be Nick’s perfect little sex toy for the rest of my life! Gosh, just feeling his hands on me… or even better, seeing his hands on someone else, knowing that she’s so much better than me, that she could please him in ways I never could… that’s so much more fulfilling than some job! This is the entire reason I was BORN! I’ve always wondered why I was cursed with being a nymphomaniac, but…”

She sighed, taking a deep whiff of the air. It was like she could smell Nick even now, even though he’d never set foot inside this box.

“I know now that the purpose of my hypersexuality is to please my master however I can.”

“Your MASTER?!” Holly’s mother had no idea how to process what her daughter was saying. And Holly didn’t give her a chance, spending the remainder of her time on the phone boasting about just how special and awesome Nick was, and how hot she felt getting to serve him sexually.

By the time the phone conversation cut out and her five minutes were over, she had almost orgasmed four times. It was only thanks to the chastity belt around her waist that the floor wasn’t soaked when Dawn walked inside.

Dawn’s Phone Call

“Dawn? Why are you calling me? Shouldn’t you be at work right now?” Her mother asked.

“Um, actually, mom, there’s something I wanted to talk about,” Dawn said. “I took a bit of a break from work. I went on vacation, actually, and I was wondering… could you take care of my cats while I’m away, please?”

“Oh, um, certainly,” her mother agreed. That was a relief. Dawn felt her body relax, her tail dropping to rest between her legs. She didn’t have to worry now that she knew there would be someone to watch over her fur babies.

“You know, this is why it’s important to have a husband. Someone to take care of things for you, if you won’t do it yourself?”

Dawn sighed. Every time. Her mother was relentless when it came to setting Dawn up with someone.

At the same time though… Dawn could use a little bit of relentless.

“Actually, that’s the other reason I wanted to call,” she said. “I actually, um… I may have found a guy. You know. To date.”

Her mother gasped so loudly Dawn had to pull the phone away from both sets of ears.

“You found someone? Really? Are you seeing him now?!”

“W-Well… that’s the thing,” Dawn mumbled. “See… he’s got a lot of female friends in his life, and well… he could have any of them he wanted, if he set his mind to it, so I just…”

“You want to know what you can do to make him look your way?” Mrs. Willowbrook always knew how to see what her daughter was feeling. As long as it was convenient to her, anyway.

Dawn nodded glumly. “Yeah. I mean… have you looked at me lately? I haven’t grown an inch since middle school, I’m practically a child. I don’t have boobs, my butt isn’t that big… and just because my body is tight from gymnastics, that doesn’t mean-”

“None of that matters, though,” Mrs. Willowbrook cut off her daughter. “Listen, Dawnie, those things you’re talking about, the big boobs, the pretty faces, the nice smiles, those things are all useful for meeting the right guy, getting them to talk to you and be interested in you. But once you’ve already found someone, in my experience, that’s not what’s most important. I know you want to be the best, but love isn’t a competition.”

Dawn begged to disagree. But she couldn’t exactly tell her mother about the Harem Hotel, could she?

“So how should I appeal to him, then?” She asked.

“Just be yourself.”

…Okay, well, THAT wasn’t helpful.

“Mom-”

“I’m serious. People respond to honesty, Dawn. If you’ve met a guy, and you really think he could be the one for you, then you have to show him that you’re the one for him. And the only way you can do that is to let him inside.”

Dawn winced. “…You mean have sex.”

“What?! No!” Her mother groaned. “Okay, well, yes, eventually, but that’s not what I’m talking about! I swear, it’s like I gave birth to a robot… no, Dawnie, I mean open up to him with your heart. Be genuine with him, let him get to know you on a personal, intimate level. I promise, that intimacy, that bond of closeness, that’s sexier than big boobs. He’s not going to fall in love with your body. But he might just fall in love with your heart.”

Dawn bit her lip. “That… that sounds really hard, mom, I don’t know…”

Her mother sighed. “Dawn, you have so many pets. You spend every day taking care of animals. You’re a tender, gentle person on the inside. But you’re so cold and prickly on the surface that hardly anyone ever gets to see it. This isn’t like your doctoral exams where you have to follow the proper procedures and need to do better than everyone else. Be willing to just… go with the flow. Let him see who you are, and show him love like you would anything else you care about. If you do that, I promise he won’t be able to resist.”

A smile crept up Dawn’s face. How long had it been since she felt this much support from her mother’s advice? She’d always believed that she knew everything best, but maybe it wasn’t wrong to listen to other people sometimes. It worked with Rose. And now her mother.

Maybe this could work out after all.

“Thanks, mom.”

Dawn exited the booth with a smile on her face, and Dakota entered. Nick watched her walk inside with trepidation. Who was she even going to call? She’d been dead for 15 years, and in that time, her only living relative, her father, had passed away.

Dakota’s Phone Call

**[SYSTEM ERROR. FOOTAGE COULD NOT BE FOUND. REBOOTING...]- - - - - -

**

Dakota stepped out of the booth five minutes later, her expression completely unreadable.

Sylvia shook off her confused look and turned to Rose with a smile. “And last but not least, our little Auditionee. Take care!”

Rose’s heart pounded in her chest as she stepped into the phone booth and closed the door behind her.

Rose’s Phone Call

This is it. My last chance to say goodbye… Rose took a deep breath and put on a mask, pretending to be happy and cheerful when really her heart was a tempest.

“Hello?”

“Hi, honey! What are you wearing?” Rose tittered.

“Very funny, sis. What’s this about? I haven’t seen you in days,” her brother grumbled on the other end of the line.

“Oh, you know how it is. I’ve been researching for a part, don’t worry about it,” she said. “I’ve been trying my best to find work. But you know as well as I do how hard it is. You found anything yet?”

Her brother sighed. “No. The best I’ve been able to get is an extra. I guess Hollywood is a lot different from back home, huh?”

“Yeah, it really is,” Rose sighed. “But you’ll be fine. You’re maman’s son, you’ve got her looks, her talent, you’ve got a promising future ahead of you, Chrysanthemum.”

“…Please don’t call me that,” he begged.

“Blame maman for naming you that, not me,” Rose tittered. “Listen, I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I’ve got a really big job lined up right now. If it all goes well, we’ll be set. You’ll be able to pay for a new apartment, a better agent, all sorts of stuff.”

“You’re going to be in a movie?” Chrys asked curiously. “Which one? What’s it about? How am I just now hearing about this?”

“No, no, it’s not an acting job,” Rose clarified. “Okay, well, it’s KIND OF an acting job, but not the kind you’re thinking. Don’t worry, your super-cute big sis has got it all figured out!”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“…Rosemary…”

Rose winced. Her brother only used her full name when he was being serious.

“Chrys…”

“You remember your promise to me, right?” He asked. “You said you weren’t going to be like maman. You weren’t going to use your body to get ahead.”

Her brother’s words peeled back the layers she’d put up to defend her heart. Rose wished she could tell him why she’d done the things she’d done, why she’d had to bend her promise, why she’d do anything if it meant her brother would succeed.

But she wasn’t allowed to.

“Don’t worry Chrys! I promised, after all. You know me, I’m not the kind of girl who would give up her first time just to make some money. I’m saving that for someone I love. You trust me, right?”

She put all of her acting skills into that lie, hoping he wouldn’t see through it. Because tonight she would have to break that promise. As much as her brother didn’t want her to use her body to get ahead, the world wasn’t so nice of a place.

Sylvia had been right. If she wanted to pull herself up from the bottom like Carly and Gina did, she would have to give Nick her virginity, even if it made her feel sick to her stomach.