No sexual activity by a younger than 18 years old is mentioned.
....................................................................................................................................................
My father died when I was 10 years old. I never forgot what he told me just before his death, "Sonia, despite our flaws, always love your family members. On the other hand, certain others will pretend to be your friends, and trusting them might turn out to be a mistake. Money by itself will not bring you happiness, but the chances are much better with it than without it." He expired the next day. We knew he wouldn't survive the summer. His end-stage cancer was too advanced, but we hoped he'd stay with us longer. Mom and I cried together for days. We were fortunate Dad had generous life insurance, which allowed us good living for several years.
When I started high school, Mom found work as a secretary at a lawyer's office. Two years later, in my first week at junior high, I noticed Mom looked more smiley than usual. I asked her if she got a bonus or a promotion. She said, "Something better. My employer asked to date me. He claimed he was smitten by me and wanted to go out with me. He got a divorce 3 years ago and said he found me irresistible."
I grinned, "Good for you, Mom. I've never met him, and I hope he is a good man."
"Honey, I Invited him for dinner on Friday. Please be here."
"OK, I'll stay for dinner."
Mom knew she had to beg me to remain at home; most Friday evenings, I was out of the house early.
...
By then, my body had undergone substantive changes: I was 5'4", 128 pounds, with long, dark brown hair, C-cup breasts, narrow waist, and hips that were slightly wider than I liked. I was a good student and very social. I kept in touch with a few girlfriends, with whom I frequently went out to Starbucks, movies, or shopping downtown. My face became prettier compared to the ugly duckling appearance of my youth. Boys, my age and older, noticed the changes in me and attempted to get my attention. At 17 I had my first boyfriend. It was Jay. He was a senior, very handsome, and on our football team. I went out 4 times with him. On our 5th date, he suggested we should get intimate. I said it was too early for me. It was the last time he talked to me. Jay's behavior reminded me what my father said, 'others will pretend to be your friends, and trusting them might turn out to be a mistake.'
In retrospect, the fact that Jay could leave me just because I was not ready for sex, probably affected my behavior later in life. My trust in other people was shaken, and I became more suspicious.
I had my second boyfriend, Sergei, 6 months after turning 18. He was the son of a Russian oligarch, who chose to study in America. He was good-looking, loved partying, and was very rich. Sergei persuaded me to use weed and drink vodka. I fell for his charms, and soon we started having sex. He showered me with presents and complimented me on my gorgeous body and my skills in bed. I fell for him and thought one day we would get married.
One day, at one of his parties at home, Sergei got drunk. He pulled me to his bedroom and undressed me. I thought he wanted to have sex with me and smirked, "Sergei, can't you wait to fuck me after all the guests have left?"
He stuttered, "No I caan't. In fact, I invited Steeeve and Oleg to jooin us."
He barely finished, and his 2 friends barged in. I tried to cover myself, but to no avail. The 3 guys were stronger. They pushed me to bed and forced themselves on me. I was so shocked, that later on, I could not remember details except that I left the house partially dressed, crying. At home, I stayed in the tub for hours. My mother tried to find out what happened, but I refused to talk. In the following days, Sergei attempted to apologize, but I avoided him.
Once again I learned the hard way that my father was right. ONLY family members deserve full trust.
...
After ending my affair with Sergei, I stopped drinking and using grass. I concentrated on achieving good grades in school, and finished in the top 20% of my class. Mom suggested I register at the local college, but I chose to become a flight attendant. I passed a background check, and following 7 weeks of rigorous training, I graduated. After 6 months of being on probation, I became a regular attendant for United, working mostly from Newark.
I was now 20, eager to exploit life. My dream of the glorious life, traveling abroad was soon crushed by reality: Most of my flights were in the USA, my service hours were unpredictable, my sleeping times were frequently interrupted, and many passengers were annoying. After my first full year on the job, I began regretting my decision.
One afternoon, I was assigned to a nonstop flight from Newark to San Francisco. Many seats were empty, and our job turned out to be much easier than usual. I was assigned to the first class passengers. When I finished serving dinner, I noticed a middle aged passenger staring at me. I approached him, smiled, and asked if he needed something.
He mumbled, "Yes, I'd like to talk to you. Please sit down for a moment in the empty seat by me."
I continued smiling, "Sir, it's an unusual request. We are not that busy now, so I can do it, but for a short time only."
He said, "Lady, it will be very short."
I sat down and gazed at him. He blurted, "I have never been married. I am very wealthy. I arranged a big party for tomorrow night to celebrate acquiring a startup company for 1.2 billion dollars. My sister was supposed to join me, but she got sick. I hate to go there by myself. If you join me at the party, I'll introduce you as my girlfriend. We'll sit together, and probably have a couple of dances. My private driver will bring you to the party and back to your hotel. You will not be required to do anything else. If you agree, I'll pay you $20,000. What do you say?"
"Sir, I don't know you. How do I know you are legit, or that your intentions are kosher?"
He pulled his ID from his wallet and showed me. The name was Jonathan Lillard, and he was 43 years old. The name sounded familiar, but I could not remember the connotation. He said, "Now google my name on your phone and read about me."
There were several articles about him, some with his picture. He was a well-known Silicon Valley personality worth an estimated 12 billion dollars according to Forbes. In an article from a week earlier, the purchase of an unfamiliar company was mentioned. He definitely was who he said.
I grinned, "Mr. Lillard, nice to meet you, but even if I was willing to do it, I didn't bring the proper clothes for an occasion of that magnitude."
"Not a problem. Tomorrow morning, my chauffeur will arrive to pick you up and drive you to Union Square. He will accompany you to any store you choose. Take 2 sets of clothes and shoes, and he will pay for everything you selected."
"May I think about it and give my answer in an hour?"
He smiled again, "Take all the time you wish, but I need an answer before we land."
I stood up and went to the back of the plane to talk to my friend. Without giving too many details, I asked her how often she got offers from passengers. She chuckled, "Obviously, one of the guys in First Class approached you. It's fairly common to get offers of 'going out'. Of course, the pretty, young attendants get more offers than me. If you have nothing better to do while there, and the guy can prove he is serious, why not?"
I returned to Mr. Lillard and said I'd agree. He thanked me and blurted, "At the party, I'll introduce you as my girlfriend, so I'd rather you call me John. When we sit at the table, I might put my hand around your shoulder, so people won't suspect, but I promise not to do anything else to invade your space."
I gave him my phone number and told him I stayed at the Holliday Inn. When we landed, John winked at me and said that Lance, his driver, would wait for me at the lobby at 9:30 am.
...
The next morning, I checked several stores, and after hours of shopping around, I ended up with 2 elegant evening gowns and matching shoes.
In the evening, the driver brought me to John's house. It was a mansion in Pacific Heights. John inspected me up and down and smiled, "Sonia, you are the prettiest woman I ever saw. That is why I approached you on the flight. With this dress, you look perfect. At the party, I'll tell people we met on a flight a few months ago, and since then, we started going out together. I'll tell them you are recovering from an illness and very tired, making sure nobody bothers you too much. So your job will be to smile during introductions, now and then say a word, and once or twice dance with me. After staying at least 2 hours at the party, you can leave whenever you feel like it. The driver will bring you to the Holliday Inn and will hand you the check for $20,000, as agreed."
At the party, John and I sat at the front table with 3 other older couples. He introduced us. They stared at me curiously, and one of the guys leaned and whispered in my ear, "Every woman is jealous of you. You look wonderful, and you captured the eternal bachelor's heart. Most men ogle you, wishing THEY had a chance with you."
I grinned and whispered, "Thank you, sir. You are very kind."
