"You're awfully quiet," said Dr. Brovachik as he drove through Nulmara City, back toward the university.
Olivia sullenly looked out the backseat window. She could not help but feel that she had humiliated herself for nothing. She was sure that Dr. Brovachik had made a fool of her. Worse than that. He had made a whore of her.
"I don't believe that you're going to use the money for my escape," she angrily stated. "I think you and Lomar are going to keep all of the money for yourselves."
"Well, as the owner of the club, Lomar does get to keep fifty percent of the cover charge and the auction. And also the videos. I, of course, am going to charge a certain percentage since I went to the trouble of organizing the whole thing for you. But you'll still get alot of money going toward your escape. And like I told you before, you get to keep all of your tips," he explained as he pulled into the university's medical school parking lot.
"Exactly where are my tips?" Olivia demanded to know.
"Don't worry, they're right here." Dr. Brovachik pointed at a manila envelope on the dashboard of his car. "I was just keeping them safe for you," he said. "And you're going to want me to keep them for now. We need to put that money toward paying for your escape."
"I don't believe you," Olivia said, trying to hold back tears.
"Listen," Dr. Brovachik sighed as he put the car in park and turned off the engine. He opened his glove compartment and pulled out a smaller white envelope. He counted out a few bills from Olivia's tips and then slid them into the white envelope. "Here's two hundred ruettes. Take it," he said, thrusting the smaller envelope at her.
"What am I suppose to do with this?" she asked.
"Whatever you want," the doctor shrugged. "But I can't give you much more than that. Like I told you before, I still need to get you a fake passport."
"Why can't I use my real one? I mean, if I can find it."
"If you try to use your real passport, you'll never get through boarder security. Since you're under Judge Thorsky's legal custody, it'll get flagged. You're not suppose to leave the country without the judge's permission while he's your legal guardian."
"Oh," said Olivia, realizing how complicated her predicament really was.
"And think about what'll happen if he gets you pregnant," Dr. Brovachik reminded her. "Even if you did manage to make it out of Vulmonia, if you tried to use your passport in a neighboring country, you'd get deported back to Vulmonia. The countries that have signed the paternity treaty would have to send you back here. Because as the father of your unborn baby, Judge Thorsky would have father's rights."
"What about my plane ticket and train ticket?" Olivia inquired.
"There's no point in booking those until after we've sorted out your new passport. We'll probably also have to pay a hefty sum to the guards working boarder security at the train station. Even if you have a fake passport, you might still get caught if someone recognizes you. Your face ... and other parts of you ... were all over the news a few days ago. So we may need to bribe a few people."
Olivia began to fell a new wave of anxiety come over her. "Are you sure we made enough money today?" she nervously asked.
"Maybe," Dr. Brovachik said with cautious optimism. "I'll know once I start making arrangements."
"What if it's not enough?" Olivia asked, even though she already knew the answer.
"Well, Lomar's gentlemen's club isn't going anywhere," Dr. Brovachik snickered.
Olivia scowled at him from the backseat.
"Hey, look on the bright side. If you need to make more money, at least now, you already know what to do!" the physician laughed.
Olivia crossed her arms over her chest and angrily looked out the window. Performing at Lomar's establishment was not something she looked forward to ever doing again.
"Listen, try not to let Judge Thorsky see the money I just gave you. But if he does see it and asks you where it came from, just tell him that I paid you for volunteering for the anatomy lecture. I don't think he'd approve of you performing at a strip club," said the doctor.
Olivia stuffed the envelope of money into the pocket of her skirt.
"Alright, I think the judge's butler will be here soon to pick you up. Let's go wait for him by the front door," Dr. Brovachik said as he got out of his car.
As Olivia got out from the backseat a thought occurred to her. "Dr. Brovachik, what if the judge finds out what I did today?"
"Why? Do you plan on telling him?"
"No, of course not. But there were so many people there this morning. What if some of them are friends with Judge Thorsky and they tell him? Or ... or ... what if someone posts the video online and he sees it?" Olivia almost burst out crying at the idea of her humiliating performance being available on the world wide web for all to see.
"First of all, when Lomar called up his customers yesterday, he informed them of your situation. You being under the legal custody of the judge and all. He made it very clear to them that this morning's performance was to be top secret. When they arrived at the club, he made them all sign non-disclosure agreements," Dr. Brovachik said as they walked around the building toward the main entrance.
"Oh, okay ..." This made Olivia feel slightly better. But it did not put her mind at ease completely.
"And as for the video ending up online, well ... if it ends up on a legitimate porn site, then legally it will have to be taken down. The producers of the video - myself and Lomar - will not give our permission for it to be publicly shown. We are selling the videos for private viewing only," he assured her as they walked up the front steps to stand in front of the doors.
Olivia breathed a big sigh of relief. At least the entire internet would not be made privy to her strip club ordeal.
"But if it ends up on the dark web, then there's nothing we can do," the doctor explained.
"What? What do you mean there's nothing you can do?" Olivia cried.
"When something ends up on the dark web, there really isn't anything that any of us can do," he said, sounding less than apologetic.
"But what if people see it? What if my family sees it? Oh god, the things I did ..." Olivia wailed in despair.
"Olivia, there's no point in crying over spilled milk," the doctor chastised her. "We needed to film and sell the video. Or else there wouldn't have been enough money. Instead of whining and complaining, you should be thanking me, young lady!" He shot her an disapproving look.
Olivia looked down at the stone steps. "Sorry Dr. Brovachik," she mumbled. "Thank you." She could not believe what she was saying. But she could not afford to anger the irate doctor. Not when he seemed to be the only one who was willing to get her out of Vulmonia.
"That's alright. Just remember, all of this is for your own good. All I ask is that you show a little gratitude."
"I really am thankful," she said, trying to sound genuine.
Suddenly they both turned their heads to look as a car beeped its horn.
"Ah, Judge Thorsky's butler is here. So remember, Olivia, try to hide the money. But if he sees it, tell him that I gave you the money for helping out wit my lecture."
"Yes, I understand," Olivia nodded.
"Alright then, I'll contact you soon," he said as he opened the heavy wooden door and walked into the university's medical school. As Olivia walked toward the black town car, she hoped that he was telling the truth.
"Did the lecture go well?" asked Bogdan as she got into the backseat.
"Um ... as well as could be expected I guess," she replied as she closed her door and fastened her seat belt.
"So, it was an anatomy lecture, huh," Bogdan said as he started the engine. Then slightly sheepishly, he asked, "Did that involve you ... uh ... how do I put this? ... showing ... your body?"
Olivia closed her eyes and sighed as they pulled out onto the road. "You have no idea!"
As they entered the judge's house, Olivia was relieved that Bogdan did not ask her to get undressed. She would not be required to take off her clothes until Judge Thorsky returned from work. But she figured that she had better disrobe by about five-thirty, just to be on the safe side.
"Come on, there's still a bunch of stuff that needs to be done before tomorrow night's party," he said as he led her into the kitchen.
"So, why exactly is Judge Thorky throwing a party?" Olivia asked as she sat down at the table. Bogdan placed some vegetables, a cutting board and knife in front of her. "What exactly is he celebrating?" she asked, picking up a cucumber.
"Oh ... um ... I'm not exactly sure," Bogdan hesitantly replied. "The judge likes to throw parties every now and then," he said as he opened the refrigerator to get started on dinner.
"Dinner parties?" Olivia asked. She was pretty sure that Bogdan had told her the day before that it was going to be a dinner party.
"Um, sort of ... I guess," the butler shrugged.
"So, he invites over his friends and they all just sit down and have dinner?"
"Uh, not exactly. There is food, obviously. But they don't all sit down together. Everyone's up mingling and moving about."
"So ... it's more like a cocktail party?" Olivia asked, puzzled.
"I guess some people might call it a cock ... tail party," Bogdan said with just the hint of a smile.
Olivia raised a skeptical eyebrow. Why did he say it like that?
Then a frightening thought struck her. Since arriving in Vulmonia, Olivia had been subjected to numerous mortifying situations where she had been the only female in the room full of men. And horrible indignities had been inflicted upon her. What if tomorrow evening's party was going to be like that? What if Judge Thorsky was planning to humiliate her and violate her in front of an all male audience.
"Um ... is the party only going to be men only?" she asked with no small degree of trepidation.
