Havoc

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie sat on her bed, staring up at the ceiling and trying to find shapes in the bumps. She huffed, glancing at the clock knowing she'd have to start getting pretty soon. Her roommate was across from her, blowing smoke into the air as she flipped through a magazine. "What a life," Maritza muttered, closing her magazine and looking over at Charlie. "We got all this," she gestured around her, "But nothing, huh?"

Charlie chuckled, sitting up to look at Maritza before pulling a wad of 100s from inside her pillow case. "We got all of this," she said, flicking the cash and sucking in a deep breath. Both the girls giggled, but a sort of quiet settled over them. The new boss had just retired and with a shift in power, came a shift in everything else. They wondered how their payment, safety and treatment would be handled now that someone new was in charge; though the power didn't travel far, it traveled none the less.

"You know," Maritza commented, "I hear he's coming around today, giving us new assignments, new jobs, shaking hands. It's not like we don't know who he is," she added, stubbing her cigarette on the table. "Like they don't have to act like they actually care or whatever. We all know that we just make them good money pero like they have to come her with all the formalities. You're important to us. Pendejada, if you ask me," she said, flipping her dark brown curls.

"Pendejada?" Charlie asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah, bullshit," Maritza replied, practically spiting the words as someone knocked on the door.

@ honeysucklelips

It was the first day that Derek had been instated as the current boss of an underground prostitution ring called "Nightly". His father had decided to hand over the company a few months ago, deciding he was too old to continue on. Derek had an adequate grasp on the knowledge of the business. After all, his father had taught him from childhood. Now, at the prime age of twenty-two, Derek Langton was in-charge of the company while his father was off traveling the world. It was his duty to take care of all the girls underneath his protection, only giving them to the most loyal and trusted customers. Others would be properly disposed of. Their bodies had to be taken care of properly and given anything that they needed.

Derek sat at his desk in the most secured part of the underground building while checking over the list of his girls with their prices. Caitlin. Carolyn. Charlotte. There was a special asterisk next to Charlotte Maritzo's name. To pique his curiosity even further, he saw that her price had soared above all of the rest. Charlotte was easily double per hour compared to the others. "Sam!" He called out before a man came in. "Tell me, why is there an asterisk next to Charlotte Maritzo's name?" He questioned, placing the paper down onto the desk. "Um, sir. Unlike the rest of the girls, she is still a virgin. The only one of the all the girls. Many men and women are willing to pay a lot of money for that, but we make sure that things do not get out of hand." Sam explained, hoping that satisfied the question. Derek was surprised to hear the information but still kept his stoic demeanor. "I want to meet her. Bring me to Charlotte." He stated stood up from the chair, following shortly behind his lackey.

Entering into the hallways, he breathed in the scent of cigarettes and the sounds of girls giggling in their rooms. This was all his. His father had entrusted him to take care of the family business, and he would do it. Moving down the hallway, he pushed past the curtain that gave the girls the smallest amount of privacy. "This is Charlotte, sir," He stated, glancing over at Derek. A small hint of a grin played on his lips as he drank her in. It was starting to all make sense now. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Intoxicating almost. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Charlotte. I'm Derek Langton," He stated, reaching out his hand for her to take.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie looked up, surprised at the newest boss and his beautiful features. He was commanding, his presence was strong and in control and she suddenly understood why the Boss had given the reigns to him. The Boss before was getting old, almost creepy when he made the exchange but Charlie had a feeling that this guy could make any deal sound like butter melting on pancakes. She would take any job he gave her, she'd do anything he wanted really just because of those shining eyes.

She stood, swish her blonde hair behind her back and hoping her boobs looked good enough in this sports bra. She walked over to him and grabbed his hand, shaking it firmly like her father taught her. "I believe the pleasure is all mine, Mr. Langton," she said, purring a little. "What can I do for you today?" She asked, quirking a brow. She didn't have any makeup on and hoped that an extra spark would show him what she's worth.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek was pleasantly surprised by her firm handshake as the corners of his lips quirked. "I decided that I would stop by and greet all of the women, especially on the first day," He stated, concealing the whole purpose of his visit. It was quite obvious from her whole ensemble that she was clearly worth ten times the rest of the girls. Any man would want to have Charlotte. Quite honestly, even he would. His eyes darkened for a moment at the lingering thought, especially knowing that she was merchandise. His father would have smacked him over the head for even thinking about possibly having her.

In no time, they would be assigned their sessions for the day. It was only matter of time before she would finally be forced to rid of her virginity, especially for the right price. "Sir, you have a meeting with a vendor in a few minutes," Sam warned from behind him. Clearing his throat, he gave a small nod in Charlotte's direction as well as her friend's. "I believe that I have some business to attend to now. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come by my office," He offered before turning on his heel. They needed a few more girls after a couple had finally decided to leave to obtain another job. Competition was starting to become more tough as the days passed.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie smiled at him as he excused himself, uttering some promise about how she'll keep his offer in mind. She sat there and waited a minute or two before turning to Maritza. Maritza's eyes were wide and she was fanning herself with her legs sprawled open, huffing dramatically. Charlie shushed her, walking to the curtain and peeling it back, making sure the hallway was clear before turning around and screaming, giggling at high pitched levels.

"Oh my god, mija, he was just going to eat you up," Maritza muttered, laughing and lighting another cigarette. Charlie smiled, almost embarrassed by the attention she had just received. She walked over to her makeup stand, covered in make-up and hairspray and started 'putting her face on.' It was only when the glitter eyeshadow was finished that she slipped into her red lingerie and the rest of her clothes.

She felt nervous, suddenly. Sex, well at least the kind that Charlie did, was nothing. It was mindless and easy, but actual sex she wasn't sure about. She'd heard good things and bad things about sex and she had all these romantic ideas in her head about what it would be like. She wondered, just a moment, how she ended up here and not losing her virginity under the bleachers or in the back of some boy's that she loved car. She looked at herself in the mirror and while she knew she looked good, she didn't feel so good all of the sudden.

Maritza was getting ready too, cloaked in full black and smirking. "It's a good thing we have different customers, Charlie, or I'd be really pissed at you," she said, snapping her fingers and throwing a sheer shirt over her undergarments. She walked to the mirror, behind Charlie, and grabbed her curls, twisting them in her fingers. "You're gonna be fine, mija."

---

Jonathan Anderson tapped his fingers against the table, waiting patiently on the man he was suppose to meet with. He glanced at his watch: Late. Someone being late was his biggest pet peeve and he needed to finish this transaction and leave before someone figured how where he was. He needed a beautiful piece of arm candy; innocent and beautiful, old enough to fool the press and good enough to end the night on a nice note. He checked his watch again and huffed, thinking that she better be perfect at this rate.

@ honeysucklelips

As Derek moved back toward his office, Sam gave a light jog to catch up with him, easily recognizing the expression of longing. "Sir, I saw that expression in there. With all due respect, you have to remember that she is merchandise. It may even be possible that the vendor may want to buy her," Sam warned, knowing it was easy to become attached to the physically attractive ones. Derek's eyes darkened as his gaze slid over toward Sam with his mouth pressed into a firm line. This he knew. His father had repeatedly reminded him that these women were all for sale and that Derek had a business to run. There was no time for him to evaluate what he wanted. "I know that," He gruffly responded, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Before opening the door for Derek to his office, Sam quickly informed that Jonathan Anderson was a longtime customer and was in need a new girl. The Anderson family had formed an irreplaceable bond with the Langton family. One that Derek swore to his father that he would uphold, especially since they were extremely difficult to come by within the mafia world. "Mr. Anderson, I apologize for my lateness," Derek greeted with a small grin, reaching out his hand to firmly shake his business partner's. "We're both busy men, so I hear you're looking for a beautiful girl for your arm, and I am sure you will find a girl here," He stated, unbuttoning his jacket to take a seat.

Reaching down into the bottom left drawer, he produced a book filled with pictures of each girl. "Have a gander," He encouraged as he reached across to pass over the binder. "I am sure that we could negotiate a reasonable price on every girl, especially since you are a loyal customer," Derek continued on, diving straight into the business.

@ Dandy Darling;
Anderson tapped his fingers on the table, grabbing the book from Mr. Langton and flipping through. Many go these girls he had seen before, had enjoyed their company before but somehow, they all fizzled out into nothing more than sex. They had no life or emotion to them, just sex. He needed someone that could stimulate him in both a mental and physical way and as he flipped through the book, he just felt like he was seeing the same boring women. Until, he landed on the 20th page and found a girl with a star next to her name.

He looked at up Mr. Langton, pointing at Charlie's picture, "Who is she?" He asked, "And why the star? What's the price?" He glanced down at the picture again, believing that an initial spark was needed, but he wanted to meet her. He glanced down at his watch, knowing that he was needed at a premiere soon and would have to go without a date tonight. He sighed. "Well, due to the time constraint, I cannot purchase tonight. I would like two evenings with this one, I require red carpet attire and intelligence in that case before I make a decision. Thank you for your time, Mr. Langston. You can bill me directly for both the clothes and whatever the dates will cost. I'll be back next friday for her, plan accordingly."

(Figured that maybe Derek felt that he needed to groom Charlie a little and that's how it starts!)

@ honeysucklelips

(Okay! Great idea!)

Derek froze at the mention of the star, pausing for a moment to chuckle nervously. "Oh, yes, that's Charlotte. Well, she prefers to be called Charlie," He corrected. It was no surprise that Anderson would be physically attracted to her. "The star is to indicate that she is still a virgin. As for the price, there is no set one yet. There are men waiting to make offers. Someone will call you to confirm when we have a set one. We'll keep you are the top of the priority list until then." It seemed that Anderson's demand for more than just a pretty face would be difficult to accomplish. Probably a matter he would have to deal with personally. "I will have that done right away, Mr. Anderson," He stated while standing up to give Anderson's hand a firm shake.

After Anderson's departure, Derek sighed while running a hand through his hair from the distress. There was a lot of work to be done. For the second time today, he would have to make a visit to Charlotte. "Charlotte?" He called out past the curtain, pushing it back slightly. Derek had informed Sam ahead of time that his schedule would have to be shifted around to accommodate a purchase. "For the next few days, I will be teaching you. Mannerisms. More knowledge about the world around you. Carrying conversations. That is just to name a few," He informed, already feeling the pressure. All of this had to be accomplished in a week and a half.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie had just pushed her boobs up in her bra, making them press together just the way she liked when she heard Mr. Langston call her name. She glanced at Maritza who winked and slapped her ass as Charlie walked out. The hallway suddenly felt longer and even though she didn't have to walk far, she felt so nervous that she almost vomited. Mr. Langston was already looking out at her so she paused just outside of his door.

When he instructed her, she felt extremely confused. What was the wrong with the way she acted about what didn't she know about the world? She almost knew more about the world than most people did, she was no bystander in the world. "I'm sorry, sir. I just don't understand. When would that be happening? Would I still be working at night? Like tonight?" She asked, feeling a little sick to her stomach.

Her usually confidence had evaporated and perfectly glossed lips almost trembled with her nerves. She held the fabric at the end of her shirt and twisted it between her fingers. "I think I got pretty good manners and knowledge," she muttered. "Besides, what's the point?"

@ honeysucklelips

Glancing down at his watch, Derek watched the precious seconds tick away the more they spoke. "We don't have that much time for me to explain. I cleared your schedule from tonight until next Friday," He stated, already planning their evening for tonight. For now, they would work on the basics. Proper posture and speech. Anderson would never settle for anything less than the best, which Derek would have to deliver. Gesturing for her to follow him, they walked down the corridor back toward his office.

He quickened his pace slightly, only glancing over in Charlotte's direction for brief moments. It was a little difficult for him not to catch a glimpse of her cleavage in the process. "The point is, is that a man is interested in you, but he wants more than just a physical attraction. He wants you to be completely groomed. So, I have to be the one to do it," Derek summarized, arriving back in his office in record time. He reached out to close the blinds and lock the door behind Charlotte, making it more private. Rubbing his hands together, he sauntered over to the bookcase. "Let's start with posture. You need to walk tall, graceful."

Pulling a law book off of the shelf, he moved over toward Charlotte. "Okay, I'm going to place it on your head, and you have to walk in a straight line. Start with the basics. Shoulders back. Chin up. Back straight," He instructed, walking just close enough to take in her perfume. It was sweet and alluring. Derek quickly handed the book to her before backing away, needing to keep a certain distance. "Now, walk," He stated, leaning against the side of his desk. As his arms crossed over his chest, he waited with anticipation.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie followed Mr. Langton obediently, feeling extreme relief that she didn't have to work for the rest of the week. She let her hands fall to her stomach, as if to ease the butterflies and remind herself that for now everything was okay. She walked to his office, mindlessly, reminding herself that her virginity was not special, not in this line or work, and one day she'd have to get rid of it. It wasn't until she was handed a law book that she looked at Mr. Langton with a corked brow.

She took it in her hands, trying to process his instructions as well as remember why she was doing this. She placed the book on her head, feeling confident about this first task. She walked with ease across the room, turning and looking at him from across the office. "When I was a little girl, I read this book called the Princess Academy and they did this. I'm good at it," she said, curtsying and taking the book off her head.

"Does that mean we're done for tonight?" She asked. "And," she added, walking back to him to hand him the book. She was getting a little closer than what was acceptable, but she figured if she wasn't getting paid, she'd have a little fun. "If we have to do this all night, can I please go put on something else?" Though she enjoyed his glances at her body and how he didn't hide his appreciation for her body, she didn't feel like her boobs needed to be so high if she was just going to be walking back and forth all night.

@ honeysucklelips

Derek was pleasantly surprised by how rapidly she had been able to pick it up, watching Charlotte pace back and forth with ease. The book barely moved a centimeter on her head. "Clearly," He muttered with a curt nod, feeling a bit of tension lift from his shoulders. Perhaps it would not be as challenging as he had anticipated. That would work out in his favor. They could cover more and possibly even get her back on the working schedule before the week and a half was up.

"No, we are not done for the night," He clarified, taking the book from her hand. Her eyes peered up at him through her long lashes, transfixing him for a brief moment. Clearing his throat, Derek pushed off of his desk and walked across the room to place the book back onto the shelf. "I suppose so. Just don't take too long," He instructed with a small sigh, running through his mental to-do list. "When you return, we will move on to speech," Derek informed her, ushering for her to hurry.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie felt like a school girl, pivoting from the principal's room and running away. When she got back to her room Martiza was clouding herself in perfume. "What are you doing, mija?" She inquired, though Charlie couldn't really see her face.

Charlie grabbed comfier clothes, opting for an off the shoulder t-shirt and shorts and even ditching her bejeweled bra. "Lessons," Charlie said, throwing the shirt on lazily. "I don't really get it, but I don't have to work the rest of the week," she said with a bright smile. Maritza smiled at, acknowledging that what she was fearing was now delayed.

Charlie blew her kiss, "Take care of you," she said, mimicking their favorite movie that was just too much like their lives. She walked back down the hallway, again feeling like it was stretching even though it was only a few feet. She stood outside the door, trying to process her nerves before tapping on the doorframe.

"It's only me," she said, walking in and plopping on his desk. "What's next?"

@ honeysucklelips

As Charlotte bolted from the room, Derek heaved out a sigh and ran an irritated hand through his hair. At this rate, she would be ready for Anderson within a week. Of course, this was beneficial for his business, but there was a lingering twinge of something Derek could not place. All he did acknowledge was that it irked him more so than it should.

It was practically impossible for Derek to push her out of his mind. The scent of her perfume had invaded his personal space. Even the glitter that had fallen from her clothes clung to the floor. Once again, a frustrated sigh escaped his lips. His father would be immensely disappointed in him.

He patiently waited for her to return while pacing about the room, arms crossed over his chest. Hearing a light knock at the door, he commanded her to enter inside. Now that she had changing, Derek drank in her new appearance. It was more relaxed. Everything was more loose and hung off of her slender build.

"Conversational skills. I want to test your knowledge," He simply stated, taking a place at his desk. Derek glanced up to meet her gaze before moving his eyes toward the chair, silently asking her to take the seat. "Since I supply you with televisions, I hope you've been keeping up with the news. Do you know about the Supreme Court's recent decision? Could you explain to me what it was about, and how it affected the country?"

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie sensed his disapproval in her bones and she hopped off his desk and into the chair. The leather was as cold as she was starting to feel when he asked his first question. She really wasn't one to watch the news, maybe the Today show every once in awhile (if she woke up that early), but she didn't care that much. She didn't even vote in the last election, let alone pay attention to anything else. She tried to scour through things that she had seen, even if her news came solely from Facebook, before deciding that she had spent a lot more of her time focusing on movies and books and not the real issues.

"You know," she commented, looking down at her nails and assessing if she needed to get her nails done again. "I'm more of a Pretty Woman, kind of girl. Like get off on my wits and casual charm," she said, chuckling slightly. "Besides, what's the point of talking about all this stuff if it isn't really me," she spat, defensively. It wasn't her job to sit there and tantalize some political conversation. It wasn't her job to discuss the economy or the next presidential election.

"That's not what I get paid for. If somebody wants a girl to sit pretty at dinner, give cheeky laughs at all these political jokes she doesn't understand and praise his Majesty to all these other rich assholes it isn't for me. The ending up drinking champagne to have really shitty drunk sex and wake up to Eggs Benedict or something is what I get paid for, lest you forgot how you became so rich," she felt that mistake as soon as she said. Trying to save her ass, she added, "As much as I love it, this isn't Pretty Woman."

She sat criss-cross applesauce and looked down at her nails again. She felt a little agitated at needing training (though she felt excited at first she was wondering why she was so excited). She glanced up at Mr. Langton and thought perhaps (aside from taking a whole week of work) she was more excited about spending time with the boss. He was handsome and smart and though she knew nothing could come of her attraction to him, she thought maybe she'd get some perks of being his favorite. That thought didn't stop her quick tongue though as she already blurted out her sassiest comment and was merely waiting for his comment.

@ honeysucklelips

A pregnant pause passed before Charlotte started to speak, automatically answering his question. No, she did not know about the world around her nor could she converse about politics. Derek was slightly disappointed since she had built up his expectations from the previous assessment. Anderson would never go through with the deal without Charlotte being able to have some sort of knowledge for small talk. No matter. There was a reason why he had cleared his schedule. Derek dropped his eyes from her gaze for a moment, quickly assessing and changing the plan of attack.

As Charlotte began to speak, his eyes shot back up to meet her own with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. What could she pull together? Could she actually know about the situation? Derek's immediate interest collapsed as she started to spew excuses for her lack of knowledge. A mere 'I don't know' would have been sufficient enough, but, now, they were wasting time. Not to mention that she had clearly disrespected the business that had been running through the Langton family for numerous generations. Without the ring taking her in, there was no telling where Charlotte could have ended up. He clenched his jaw out of frustration, protruding it further.

"And, as much as I would prefer to not have petty excuses, it seems we are both unfortunate today," Derek snidely remarked, giving a tight smile. "Charlotte, there seems to be something that you're missing here..." He trailed off. After a moment, he continued on to complete the thought, "You don't have a choice. You are merchandise here. Ever since we found you along those streets, and you came into this ring. You voluntarily gave up your freedom." Neatly folding his hands together, his temper started to simmer down ever so slowly, "The man that wants to buy your services is a family friend. I have to uphold his wishes and that comes along with humoring him with conversation among other things."

Clearing his throat, Derek reached up to adjust his necktie by loosening it slightly. Sometimes it felt as though the suit was choking him. Perhaps it was the opportune time to end their session. "Now, you're going to start by watching the news every morning before you meet me for at least an hour. Now that you don't have any clients, I'm sure that it won't be too difficult to find some spare time," He advised as his thoughts began to wander once more. "Good night, Charlotte," He concluded, standing up from his chair to gesture toward the door. In any other circumstance, maybe Derek would have escorted Charlotte back to her room but that idea had been completely shot down. "See you tomorrow at seven in the morning."

@ Dandy Darling;
(I didn't get the notification! So sorry!)

Charlie's eyes started to water with frustration because for the first time in her life, she felt trapped by her job. She always knew that was how she was viewed, but to have it expressed so bluntly made her insides twist. She glanced down at her lap to let the tears fall onto the leather seat instead of giving Mr. Langton the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Where she had at first felt an attraction, it was now replaced with a deep feeling of dislike; she had never felt so cheap in her life.

She didn't look up or mutter a word until she was just barely out of his office. "Your father would have never spoken to me like that," she muttered before continuing through the quiet halls. At least, his father had made Charlie feel safe, accepted and a part of a family. Derek wouldn't make it far if he treated every one of his girls as whores because that's where his father succeeded, he made you feel important. If nothing else, Derek (for the first time yet) seemed like a child.

Everyone was gone and whether or not Mr. Langton followed her to yell at her more didn't matter. She just cried, flopping onto her bed and flicking on the 11 o'clock news. She truly hoped he didn't follow and she also didn't know why she decided to listen to him. If anything, insubordination was the only logical thing to do following such an insult. She felt a deep pain in how little of a person he saw her, as if she didn't have books by her bedside table or a brain in her head. She muttered to herself, watching the news with a numb feeling settling over her.

@ honeysucklelips

(It's no problem!)

As Charlotte fled the office, Derek allowed his words to finally sink in. His father would have been so disappointed in how he had reacted to the situation, allowing his temper to flare like that. It was his job to make the girls feel as though they were at home and were important, respected women, but Derek just destroyed all of that in one fatal swoop. Glancing at the empty space that Charlotte had occupied, he noted the markings of tears that pooled on the black leather. And he managed to make her cry as well. Great.

Thoughts of incompetence started to flood his mind: maybe he had inherited the company too early, maybe he should have spent more time adequately learning the ropes, or maybe his younger brother should have been the successor. Derek did not have much of a choice though. Few knew of the true reason for his father's retirement: lung cancer. All those years of chain smoking had finally caught up to his old man, leaving the Langstons with a small window of opportunity to keep the business alive. Derek could feel the weight of the expectations upon his shoulders, almost crushing him with every step.

There was little time for Derek to question himself, considering that he was already in the position of power. All he could do now was to push forward and learn from his mistakes, starting with this one. Langston men seldom apologized for their actions, especially since they had an ego to maintain. This was different though. Even if Derek needed to swallow his pride, he would make this right with Charlotte. Yes, she pushed his buttons, but no one deserved to be belittled in that regard.

"Charlotte," He softly called out, slowly peaking his head through the thin veil into her room. Luckily, most of the girls were still out for the night, giving them some sort of privacy. "Please, can we speak for a little? Will you at least lend me your ear?" Derek requested as he took one step inside, allowing her to have space.

@ Dandy Darling;
Charlie glanced up as Mr. Langton peaked his head inside her room. She said nothing, but responded by simply clicking the television off and pulling her knees to her chin. She made room for him to sit on the bed if he chose to do so. While she knew she was overacting, if she tried to speak she would most likely start crying again. She was, at least, glad that Maritza was not in the room or this experience would be exhausting and embarrassing.

She felt weird when Mr. Langton asked to come into her room. The first time she was surrounded by people, but this time she was acutely aware of how alone they were. She had, in fact, never been alone with a man in [her room and that suddenly made her feel flustered; another feeling to add to the cocktail of emotion she was sipping. She was drunk on an overflow of emotions and it almost disgusted her for acting this way. She actually felt as petty as Mr. Langton made her feel. She decided then to wipe the tears off her face and not be such a stupid little girl.

"No one actually calls me Charlotte," she muttered.