"Do you want to play a game? A sexual game?" Those were the words that got me into this and just what have I got myself into?
The room was a bare grey conference room with faded carpets and beige walls. I conference table stood at one end, testament to its previous purpose. Right now, it was full of people. Young women, like me. Twenty women of us. All fit, and young, and many, like me, wide eyed as they wondered just what they had signed up for. The money was good and I didn't have to do anything I really didn't want to do. That was the promise the recruiter made. A mature man with a smooth voice, blue eyes and a slight grey twinge to his hair, his pitch had been flawless but it was Holly who sealed the deal.
"You'll have to be open minded," Holly said. She'd played before. Holly of course was open minded. As a stripper, she had to be. Her flowing brown locks and deep brown eyes drew almost as much attention as her lithe, fit body and long legs. And, she'd talked me into it.
"It's a thrill like no other," she'd said. "You won't believe the feeling. It's amazing."
Me? I was her oldest and dearest friend, in need of a buck and not afraid of a little sex to get there. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, if the money was to be believed. Now, as the event was closer, I started to think about things other than the money.
The door behind the conference table opened and our recruiter entered along with three other women. They were all dressed in karkhi hunting gear and pith helmets. The room fell silent in expectation. He glanced around the room approvingly then spoke in his deep rumbling voice. "Ladies, welcome to our event. You are here as part of what we like to call The Hunt. It's a game in which you will be well rewarded. Extremely well, if you follow the rules and participate fully."
A tall blonde called Stacey, another newcomer like me, spoke up. "What do we have to do?"
"You have to participate in our game. You need to agree to take part and then follow the rules. Taking part, earns you $500, then each hour you follow the rules, you earn another $500. Getting to the end of the game wins the $5,000 bonus. If you quit out of the game, you stop earning and leave with the cash earned up to that point."
This hardly explained anything about the game. Half of the women in the room started murmuring and talking amongst themselves as they tried to make sense of it.
Stacey persisted. "Just what is this game about?"
"We call it The Hunt, because the people in this room are, the prey. You will be released into the game area, which we like to call the game park." He smiled at the term. "Then we will release the hunters who will try to catch you. That's it."
That was all Holly told me too. She said it was worth it but she couldn't say more, not without breaking her non-disclosure agreement.
The tall blonde stood with her hands on her hips. "What about these rules? The ones that earn us more cash." She turned her head to the rest of the room as she finished looking for reassurance. When she saw some of the girls nodding, she cocked her hip and waited for the answer.
He smirked as he responded. "Very well. You will be separated into two groups. herds and loners. Loners are those who have played previously and earned the right to play that role. The rest of you, including all you new girls," he glared at her before his gaze flicked to me, "will form the herd." He then turned to one of the ladies. Vanessa, can you please take the loners out to get them ready.
Vanessa, stepped forward and called out. "Will the following girls, please follow me. Natalie."
A blond with blue eyes and breasts that pushed tight against her tee shirt stepped forward.
"Simone."
Simone was a red head with freckles and green eyes.
"Roxanne."
Roxanne looked like her name. Dusky with fiery eyes and flowing black curls.
Vanessa nodded at them. "Congratulations. You are the loners for this running of the game. Follow me to get made up."
The three smiling women followed Vanessa out of the room, walking heads high and backs straight like they owned the joint.
Holly whispered to me, "That's what I want to do."
I nodded in agreement. "They certainly look happy." Strangely, the butterflies in my stomach settled. If these women had returned and were happy to participate, it meant that whatever the game entailed couldn't be that terrifying or unusual. I couldn't have anticipated how wrong I was. I couldn't also have foreseen the thrill either.
The recruiter, who had been watching the women leave, turned back to the rest of us. "Ladies. Those of who have played before, please follow, Sharon here. She will take you to get prepared."
Sharon, a middle-aged lady with elegant features held a clipboard, called out the names of six girls.
"Holly," was the sixth name she called out.
Holly reached out, gave my hand a squeeze, shot me a quick smile then walked over to Sharon. A quick word from Sharon then Holly too was gone. Once Holly had left, Sharon followed. Eleven of us remained along with the recruiter and his final assistant.
"Congratulations," The recruiter said, "you are this game's new intake. You'll need to go through the standard presentation to learn the rules. Before that happens, you'll be made ready to play the game." He paced back and forth in front of us as he spoke. "You will now be introduced to your personal trainer. They will make sure that you are ready to play the game and that you understand the rules. Please be aware that the game starts for you the moment that you walk through that door. That's your first $500. Then for each hour you are in the game and, as long as you follow the rules, you will earn another $500. The first rule is that you must follow the instructions from your personal trainer. They are to be obeyed completely. If you do not immediately obey your trainer's instruction then you will forfeit the payment for that hour. Do you understand."
There was no clear answer, just a nervous mumbling from the remaining women.
"No matter. Jane here will make it clear as you are introduced to your personal trainer." He turned to his assistant. "Jane, you can take it from here."
Jane held up her clipboard. "Stacey." she called out.
The tall blond who spoke up earlier, stepped forward.
Jane waited until Stacey stood in front of her. "Follow me Stacey," she said and turned towards the door, Stacey following behind. The door closed behind them and we waited in silence. Within a minute, Jane returned.
Jane repeated this one girl at a time. I was third to last.
"Michelle," she called out.
The butterflies had returned and with weak knees I walked in front of her. "Follow me, Michelle."
I followed her out the door, her white pith helmet bobbing in front of me as we walked. Just exiting the door gave me a rush - it was another threshold. I could quit now and I would already be $500 richer. I could settle the butterflies then and there but then I'd have to live with the regret. How much more could I have made. And what about the thrill Holly talked about. I was going to earn as much as I could. I squared my shoulders and put purpose into my stride.
Jane stopped next to the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. Obviously an athlete, he wore black training trousers and nothing else. His feet and chest were bare and that chest was the chest of a Greek God, cut with every muscle standing out. Dark black hair covered his head. He must have been in his late twenties.
Jane turned to me, "Michelle, this is your personal trainer. His name is Dan."
I nodded and opened my mouth. 'Hi, Dan' died on my lips as Jane cut me off.
She spoke quickly. "Michelle, do you accept Dan as your personal trainer?"
"Yes," I replied slightly breathless. How could I not?
"Michelle, do you promise to follow every instruction given to you by your personal trainer?"
I hesitated for a moment then Dan's abs filled my vision. "Yes."
"Say, it."
'Say what?"
"Say your name and that you promise to follow each and every instruction given to you by your personal trainer."
"Um. I'm Michelle and I agree to follow your instructions."