I tried my best to relax as I sat near Tomichii in his relaxation room. Nearby, I could hear the moans of another courtesan as she lay backwards over a table, a man burying himself over and over again inside her.

We'd been here since lunchtime, Yaru not wasting any time in reminding me Tomichii was still the most overtly interested person to come to my unveiling. Besides the other resurrected, anyway. Yaru hadn't brought him up again so neither had I.

"Tired?" Tomichii asked when I failed to stifle a yawn. I saw Yaru's eyebrows raise. Apparently appearing tired was a big no-no, something he'd mentioned on the drive over when I'd told him of my night full of adventures.

"A little," I replied, doing my best to look sheepish and apologetic. "I confess I didn't sleep very well last night. I was too excited."

"Oh, really? And what could have caused that?"

"I was thinking about coming back here. You have a wonderful building here, especially the garden. And..." I pretended to be embarrassed, looking away and hoping I wasn't being too coy.

"And?" he asked, taking my bait.

"And I very much enjoyed the company."

"Did you now?" He grinned, a warmth in his eyes that made me feel genuinely pleased. I didn't think I'd have to fake much more interest in him. Of every guy I'd met so far, he had been one of the few to treat me like a human being, even if he hadn't hid the expectation that I'd follow the courtesan path and allow myself to be bought at some point.

The mixture of respect with honest acceptance of the current culture was enough. I liked him. Possibly even liked him a lot.

"Would you like to stay for dinner this evening?" he asked as if he'd suddenly thought of it. "I have some visitors from one of our off-world branches of the company, and I know they'd appreciate the artwork you've wrapped yourself in."

"I don't think we have any prior engagements," I replied, glancing at Yaru to check. He merely lifted a hand to signal his approval before turning his attention back to his crystal pad. "I'd love to stay for dinner, and I'm sure I'll like anyone you'd wish to introduce me to."

With this Tomichii excused himself, using the need to organise the extra seating as a reason to leave. I almost immediately felt bereft, finding myself sitting with just Yaru.

"Well done, my dear," Yaru said, barely louder than a whisper. "He appears quite smitten."

"He's nice. Easy to get along with."

"As long as I don't have to remind you that falling for any of these men is a bad idea."

I rolled my eyes without thinking. It was probably the piece of advice I'd heard most. Don't fall in love. Don't let emotion cloud your judgement.

I didn't plan to.

How could I ever truly love any man who was comfortable paying to screw a woman who had no choice?

***

I spent most of the rest of the day at Tomichii's office, in the relaxation room, steering clear of the more explicitly active courtesans, or in the garden, talking to Tomichii and anyone else who'd engage me in conversations.

A couple of times I saw Kioshi, but only from a distance. He never stepped foot in the relaxation room, and only used the garden to get between several of the offices the more senior staff in the company occupied.

During one of my walks in the garden, towards the evening, I spotted Benton. He sat eating something from another paper bag while reading a book. With no one else to talk to, and Yaru once more immersed in something on his crystal, I wandered closer.

"Is it a good book?" I asked as soon as I could do so without shouting. He didn't seem to notice. Repeating the question a little louder only made him jump. He dropped the book and almost did the same with his food.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry." I grabbed the book, smoothing out the pages as he rescued his food and resettled it onto his lap. For a moment he merely stared at me.

To end the awkwardness I held out the book. "Benton, isn't it?"

He nodded, his mouth seemingly glued shut.

"We met yesterday."

"I remember."

Way to help a woman make conversation, I thought, trying to keep the smile on my face without looking fake.

"And the book is excellent, thank you," he eventually said, reopening it.

I nodded, caught off guard by the sudden response. The pause was enough for him to carry on reading.

Frowning, I waited a moment, wondering if he'd want to talk more at all, but his eyes scanned back and forth, completely focused on his book, the cover very clearly fantasy.

Good to know fantasy is still a thing, I thought. I'd loved reading about elves and dragons when I'd been alive before.

I considered saying this aloud, trying to engage on the topic, but it was clear he wasn't interested right now, and I remembered how annoying it could be to be interrupted when enjoying a good book.

Given I also had no idea if this guy had enough wealth to be worth trying to charm, I slowly walked away. Almost immediately I spotted Yaru, standing just out of sight, his eyes fixed on me. I could only assume he'd seen the entire exchange.

"Is that the guy from yesterday?" Yaru asked. I nodded, glancing back at him. As I did, I could have sworn he had hastily looked back at the book. Had he been watching me after all? "Benton?"

Once more, I moved my head in the affirmative.

"Hmmmm. Interesting person. But it's time to come inside. Tomichii is looking for you. I think he would like to ask you a few questions. Something about having a dinner menu that you'll like."

"That sounds like a lot of effort for someone whom he's only recently met."

"He likes you," Yaru said, walking me towards the offices. "I must admit, I had some fears about this artistic endeavour of yours, but between you and Mhairi, it is working wonders."

"I guess we'll see if it's enough to earn back the investment soon enough," I replied, not sure how much I should hope. Or if I even wanted to. There were times over the last two days that I'd felt amazing, glamorous even. But other moments when I felt like a piece of meat.

"That, we shall. But you're making good progress."

I smiled at Yaru, grateful for his words. Feeling a little bit more like I could face a room full of men to try and impress, I let him lead me inside. How bad could it be?

***

The thought of dinner continued to be a pleasant one, until I walked into the room. Normally being on Tomichii's arm was a delight, but then I spotted Bernice. Her eyes were already on me as she sat between two men. Her grin said everything. A cat with all the cream.

And there was one more surprise. Kioshi.

The surly businessman sat near one end of the table, a drink in one hand, listening to the person next to him, another serious-looking Asian man in a well-tailored suit. It was towards this end of the table that Tomichii led me first.

I was introduced to the guests, one by one, each of them bowing as they heard my name. I returned the gesture on hearing theirs and gave a slight bow whenever any of them complimented the painted design I wore. I knew Mhairi should have been getting the credit, but the conversations never allowed me to sing her praises.

It was quickly clear that I was mostly there to listen and look pretty. Eventually, Tomichii had engaged everyone in conversation except for Kioshi, having worked the opposite way around the table to finish at his side.

"And, of course, you briefly met Kioshi yesterday," he said. I bowed at him. This time Kioshi inclined a little, but he remained impassive, no warmth in the eyes as he turned them on me.

"Tomichii informs me that you're to thank for the cure to my MND," I said before he could turn away again. "I can't express in words how grateful I am for what you achieved."

I'd considered the words I wanted to use carefully, but I found myself stumbling over them, emotion choking me up slightly. A frown deepened the lines on his forehead.

"I didn't provide a cure for it to be used to turn the resurrected into eye candy for the rich," he replied, growling the words. I found myself biting my lip, at a loss for how to reply, but I was alone in my shock. Bernice leaned in closer, evidently eager to respond on my behalf.

"Oh, but Kioshi, I'm sure Auralia here is just dying to thank you more personally. After all, she was chosen by her sponsor for such an expensive treatment. Daniel must know something we don't about her."

I gulped, watching the effect this had on him, his fists clenching.

Again, I froze.

I'd been genuinely grateful, no part of me offering him anything more, as Bernice had implied.

Thankfully Bernice was distracted, a new arrival exclaiming in delight to both her and Tomichii, allowing me to go unnoticed by everyone.

I stepped a little closer to Kioshi, seeing his eyebrows raise as he fixed his eyes on me.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It wasn't my intention to insult your judgement or motivations. I truly am grateful to just be alive."

He gave me a small nod, still not uttering a word. Not sure what else to say, I told him about my condition when I'd been frozen and how it had made me feel. Part way through, I felt Yaru's hand on the small of my back.

"Come, Auralia. Kioshi is a patient man, but let's not bore him with talk of centuries ago."

Yaru's hand applied just enough pressure to make it clear I was meant to walk away. It was a not-so-subtle way of telling me my focus was on the wrong man, but I knew I had to make amends.

"My apologies once again, Kioshi. And thank you, for all you do."

"I find great motivation and interest in giving hope and life back to those who've lost it, especially when they've strived to make the world a better place," Kioshi replied. Yaru stopped as I bowed, pretty sure I'd just been told I was forgiven and not boring in the same breath.

Before anyone could say anything else, Tomichii reappeared, making it clear he'd heard Kioshi's words.

Bernice was on his arm, her grin widening as she also came in closer.

"And surely even you can admit," she said to Kioshi. "She's tried incredibly hard to be unique. Just look at that artwork. Shame she didn't paint it herself."

Bitch, I thought, wishing I could think of any reply, and barely keeping the desire to tell her to shove her opinion somewhere unpleasant to myself.

Kioshi evidently didn't appreciate her interference either. This time he scowled, his eyes flicking over my body and the painting it was wrapped in, before bowing again part way between us.

"I find more beauty in the real trees," he said before walking out of the room. I gulped. That hadn't gone well, but Bernice evidently thought the opposite. She gave me a delighted look before turning her back to me and engaging the closest businessman in conversation again.

I let out a small sigh, trying to rein my mixed emotions back in. Thankfully Tomichii was the only other person paying us any attention, and his look said everything. He gave me a small smile and offered me a chair. I sat down, grateful when he encouraged everyone else to do so.

For the next few minutes I could lose myself in choosing a meal and accepting a drink poured by the main waiters.

Just as the first course arrived, Tomichii leaned in close to whisper, "You have a sweet nature. I'm sure Daniel saw something wonderful in you that others will also see in time. He's a wise man."

I gave him a grateful smile, seeing the kindness in his eyes. At least Bernice wasn't putting him off me.

The rest of dinner passed less eventfully, the other two men in easy talking distance good at making small talk. Within minutes we were all talking of music and how it had changed since I was frozen. I felt myself relaxing, delighted to be shown how some of the new technology worked, the crystal computers everyone had seemingly able to also play music.

"I think I need one of these," I said when Tomichii opened up a list of songs and began playing one I instantly loved. It was a piano and flute duet, haunting in its style. It earnt me a small laugh that made me wonder if I'd said something wrong, but I never got to ask, a great deal of laughter suddenly coming from the other end of the table.

Everyone was fixed on Bernice, who was laughing loudest of them all.

"I think our courtesans are both delightfully amusing this evening," Tomichii said loud enough everyone could hear him and turning the music off again. It seemed he wanted to get everyone's attention. I smiled his way, deliberately not looking towards Bernice. I didn't want to give her any more of my focus.

"So why are we all truly here?" one of the men near Bernice said. It earnt another chuckle and some raised glasses.

"As you're all aware, Kioshi recently had a breakthrough in his latest version of our technology, but he still wishes to perfect it further, reducing the time a human needs to spend operating it, reducing the cost to heal someone, and many other minor improvements."

"So you want our money?" the same guy spoke up. I'd forgotten his name.

Tomichii gave him a small bow, acknowledging the request.

"Forgive my bluntness, but if this is Kioshi's idea, then why isn't Kioshi here himself to ask for it?"

"I've worked with Kioshi for years. Anything he thinks is worth funding, I'm willing to back."

"Not to mention Kioshi would never have thought to sweeten our appetites with a couple of stunning courtesans first," someone else said, earning some more polite chuckles. Even Tomichii grinned, looking more towards me than Bernice. I found myself blushing, both pleased to help Kioshi get more funding, but frustrated at being seen as eye candy. Exactly as unhappy with it as Kioshi himself had been.

"It's all right, gentlemen," Bernice said. "Think of us as being here to help represent the wishes of each man. I'm here, just like Tomichii, because I respect you. And Auralia, still veiled, is here to represent Kioshi and his views on courtesans being all for show. You can look at her but she can't deliver."

I blinked, the room going silent. Bernice had evidently meant the comment to be funny, but no one found it so, least of all me.

"So, tell us more of his plans," the guy added, rescuing the awkward silence. Tomichii nodded, tapping on the table. Instantly, it turned into a giant display.

The men spent the next hour discussing ideas that were way over my head. Technology had leapt forward while I'd been on ice. Suddenly I was ignored by everyone, their attention either directly on Tomichii, or as I noticed a few minutes in, Bernice, who had her head in one man's lap, her mouth working hard to please him, and her hand in another's.

My stomach churned as I wondered if Tomichii expected me to perform in a similar fashion, but he must have seen my realisation. When I looked to him, our eyes met. Almost immediately, he set a small video playing in front of each man and leant in towards me.

"Take a break for an hour or so," he whispered. "I'll send someone to fetch you when this part is over."

I nodded, getting up as silently as I could and slipping from the room, not sure even Yaru had noticed I'd gone. My feet automatically took me towards the garden. I wondered if it was as stunning at night as it was during the day.

Before I'd even reached it the first few tears fell, coming out of me along with a big sigh. How had my life taken such a turn for the worse? And why did Bernice take such delight in attacking my every moment?

I stepped outside into the garden, glad to find it quiet while I let myself indulge my tears. Everyone still working that late must have been at the meal.

Or in the relaxation room.

The thought made me shudder. I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to being in there, so many men using the women like they were toys. And so blatantly.

But you've already got used to being almost naked constantly.

My thoughts were right. I just needed to find a way to stop Bernice.

I wiped my eyes with my hands as I began to calm, realising I didn't have anything even remotely like a tissue, or my little purse.

I let out an exasperated sigh. I'd left it back at the dinner party in my haste to get away.

A cough from behind me made me jump. Whirling around, I saw Kioshi holding out a handkerchief.

I quickly looked away and down, realising I must have been red-faced and puffy-eyed from all the crying, but he just came closer and lifted my chin with his hand, his touch gentle.

"There should be no shame in genuine emotion, Courtesan," he said, wiping my tears away for me. I couldn't breathe, lost in his deep hazel eyes, so full of emotion themselves.

When he'd finished he didn't step away, his eyes fixed on my face. I held still, mesmerised by the moment.

Suddenly a sadness filled his face and he looked away, letting go of me. His shoulders hunched and he turned as if to go.

Acting braver than I felt, I reached for his hand.

"Thank you," I said, barely above a whisper. "For not judging me as the others do."

"You're very welcome," he replied, giving my hand a squeeze. "Why don't you come sit with me? Would you tell me of your life before? What it was like to get sick? I want to try and make it cheaper and quicker to heal."

"Tomichii said. I'd love to help you, in any way I can."

Giving me a nod and a smile, he led me over to a bench tucked beneath the branches of a cherry tree, still holding my hand. No wonder I hadn't noticed him.

Sitting beside him, both my hands held in his, we talked. The first real conversation I'd had since I'd woken up.