Back in the car, I could finally think straight.

"What now?" Edward asked. "Have you earned enough to return to the court without Daniel going nuts?"

I shook my head. I needed another eighty-five unless I used my tips. And that would only be enough to break even. It wouldn't help repay any of the massive amount of debt I had.

"Go to the restaurant. I'll see if I can find James, or some of those other men that sometimes hang around." Although I said the last part, I didn't entirely mean it. I didn't want to find anyone else. Just James. He understood so much more. And maybe he'd have a few credits to spend and get me over the amount I needed. I didn't need a lot more.

I knew I couldn't go back to Daniel making a loss though. I just couldn't. But the thought made my stomach turn. I wanted to go home, such as it was. I didn't want to be out late desperately looking for someone else to have sex with so I didn't have to face the wrath of my debtor. And it felt awful.

Knowing if I dwelt on the feeling it would freeze me in place and make me far more desperate than I ought to be, I tried instead to think of James and how good he would be to see. Out of all of the men at the unveiling he'd been the most caring. It really had been about the mutual desire for each other. And he was another resurrected. Someone who had been frozen long ago and brought back into this strange new world.

Trying not to worry, I got out of the car as soon as it stopped and strode inside. Immediately I noticed how quiet it already was, more than a few patrons already cuddled up with women or finishing up meals and leaving. For a moment I panicked, but then I spotted James.

Coming out of the bathrooms he swaggered back to a small table, motioning for another whiskey as he plonked himself down. I strode straight to him, grinning as he noticed me. Instantly he got up and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into the warmest welcome I'd had all day.

"Resurrected, I'd heard you came out a day early. Didn't think you'd pay a bum like me a visit though." I let him hold me for a moment, inhaling the mix of leather, spice and alcohol emanating from him. It was perfect.

"How could I not come see you," I said, still in his arms, looking up at him.

He looked away and pulled back a little.

"Careful, resurrected. I can't be your salvation."

"I'm not asking you to save me," I replied, struck by the seriousness in his tone. "But you're still my favourite person."

He slipped away from me and shook his head.

"I mean it, resurrected." His voice was soft. "I can't afford you. And without that nothing can happen between us. I'm not going to let anything happen."

The waiter brought the whiskey he'd ordered over, looking between us and picking up on the tension before hurrying away. James downed it and went to leave, but I grabbed his arm.

"I'm not asking you to pay for me. I'm asking you to be a friend. Someone I can spend time with who doesn't want to just use me. Who gets how tough it is to live in this world. Who doesn't just want to fuck me."

James sighed and looked at me again.

"But that's the think, resurrected, I do want to fuck you. I can't just be friends with you. I want what we might have had two-hundred years ago. I'd want you to myself. And I can't afford that. If we keep meeting up, and talking I'm going to go crazy. I can't do it."

He leaned in briefly, kissed my cheek and then rubbed it with his thumb.

"I'm sorry, resurrected. I can't be what you need."

Without another word he left, leaving my emotions reeling. I felt like crying, this emotional moment yet another after what had felt like so many already. How did I carry on now. The thought of seeing James and having him to talk to had been keeping me going, had guided my feet.

"Wow, can't believe any man could turn down a woman like you," a man said as he came wandering up.

He was dressed in a well-tailored suit and his eyes wandered over me. I sucked in my breath, knowing where this was about to go and still not sure how to respond. Instead, I let him look and I studied him back. His dark hair was swept back, soft looking, and his eyes were a brilliant blue. If he smiled he'd have looked like some prince charming, but at the moment he looked almost severe.

He was a little taller than me, but not so tall I'd feel dwarfed by him, and although he was fairly broad shouldered, he wasn't so muscular he looked intimidating. In a lot of ways he was fairly average, but he was clean, and as he looked up at me and held a hand out, I went to him, slipping into a sideways hug.

Without either of us saying another word he led me over to a small booth with a table. He'd clearly been eating dinner, an almost empty plate pushed across the table and an almost finished beer beside it. He sat down and then pulled me over him so I straddled his lap. Then he raised his wrist.

"Whatever your hourly rate is plus five percent to ride me hard, right here, right now," he said. Not even knowing his name, I pulled out my device, understanding it enough now to know to scan his wrist, press the buttons that pulled up the next hour of my time and then let him do the rest. He added the percentage he wanted and pressed the okay button.

While I put it aside he reached for his trousers, freeing his hardness before I could even finish putting my schedule manager away. Byt the time I had dropped my purse to the side he was pushing against my entrance, waiting for me to drive down onto him.

I tried not to think about what I was doing as I did what he expected, taking him into me in one quick downward thrust. I gasped at the sudden sensation, half pain and half a fullness that felt satisfying in its own way. Back and forth I moved my hips, our eyes locked on each other. It was intense, wrong and yet right, all at the same time.

I concentrated on the rhythm of my body, feeling myself respond once more to the stimulation, and I wasn't the only one. Soon he was breathing heavier, his hand reaching for my breasts to cup each one and tug on my nipples as I moved.

Moaning, I acted as if it was exactly what I'd wanted him to do and tried to drive down a little harder on him. He groaned his own response, his gaze now on my body, breaking the eye contact.

We moved like that for some time, everything else in the restaurant fading into the background as I screwed him, completely publicly. As he slowly reached his peak, clearly fighting it, trying to hold on as long as possible, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

I found myself wondering what he was thinking, if he was imagining someone else, or if he was simply trying to keep his body from peaking too soon. And I considered slowing, but instead I drove harder and faster, pushing him even more. He moaned again, but his hands reached for my hips, pulling them into an even more rapid pace.

"Oh, that's it, beautiful," he said, letting me know I'd guessed right. "That's my girl."

I didn't doubt it now. He was imagining someone else. Someone he obviously couldn't have, and I was the stand in, the solace. I kept quiet as I slowly increased the speed, until letting out a deep moan he tipped over the edge and filled me with his seed.

As he came back down he stayed where he was for a moment, eyes closed, regaining his breath. I stilled over him, almost grateful I hadn't enjoyed it enough to lose control or my possession of thought.

Eventually he opened his eyes again and looked at me, still straddling his lap. I didn't move as he reached for my breasts again, watching them as he rubbed a thumb over each nipple.

"You were perfect," he said. "Exactly what I needed. If you're not otherwise engaged the rest of the week, I'm here on business for another five nights. I'd love to end each day with you."

"Of course," I said, not sure what else to. I had no other late night engagements and I wasn't going to complain about someone handing me a quick easy way to earn some money, especially when I had to do little more than take him inside and set a pace. He clearly didn't want anything else from me.

Getting off him, and letting him clean himself up, I reached for my purse once more. But that was were the smoothness ended. I still didn't know how to book anyone else into my calender. Only after I'd fumbled with the controls, having to back up several times, did my mystery companion realise.

"You've not had a booking before?" he asked, taking it from me.

"No. It's my first day since I was unveiled," I replied, assuming he didn't know about me because he didn't live here normally.

"Ah, does that make you the courtesan who broke that record?"

I nodded, watching him as he selected the same hour each day for the next five days and offered the same amount again each time. We confirmed the arrangement and then he scanned his wrist again.

This time I noticed a small name popped up on the screen, Jack Turner. A generic enough name.

"So, Jack, what business brings you to town?" I asked as he pulled up the menu on the table, ordered himself another beer and offered me something. I picked a small glass of wine while I waited for him to respond. It was late enough I was happy to drink again and it didn't matter if I didn't earn any more finally. He'd paid me over a hundred credits. I'd taken a little off my debt, even if only a little.

"I'm a producer. Film, mostly. Trying to get a new face into the film studio I work for. There's a couple of options here. Trying to work out which one would be the best fit. Tell me, that guy you were just talking to. He's an actor right?"

I nodded, aware the question wasn't as casual as it sounded. He was scoping James out.

For a moment I considered saying something cruel, of putting this man off any idea of ever hiring James, to see if I could keep him here and give myself a chance to win him over, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to become that person.

"James, yes, he's another actor. He was at my unveiling," I said, instead.

"You know him well, then?" I suddenly had the man's attention, almost all pretence of casualness gone.

"Not very well, and not as well as I'd like, but well enough."

"Seen him act?" he asked. I shook my head.

"But you like him?"

"Yes. Although he's decided not to engage my services regularly. He wants to focus on his career. Doesn't want a distraction. If you're looking for someone hardworking who will dedicate himself to the craft, then you can't pick someone worse."

"He drinks a lot though."

"No more than he can handle. He's got old blood in him. It can take more than you'd think. And we all need some way to unwind at the end of a long hard day." I leaned in a little closer, reminding him of what we'd just done. He laughed.

"Good point. Now, time for me to get some sleep." As he spoke he lifted my chin with a finger. For a moment he looked into my eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, beautiful."

After pressing a quick kiss to my lips and dropping a credit token onto the table, he got up and walked off. I sighed, noticing it was twenty credits, slowly gathered my things and got up as well. I'd only taken a few steps towards the door, the restaurant now almost empty when Edward appeared at my side again.

"Home, princess?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yes, home."

"Daniel will want to see you," he added.

"I know. At least I earned enough," I said, grateful for at least that, although I was sore inside and out. Exhausted and weary, and emotionally raw.

The car journey went quickly, Edward holding me in a hug against him. Tiredness threatened to steal me away, but I quickly noticed he was as aroused as some of my companions had been that night. I didn't think I could pretend not to notice. I'd promised I'd take care of Edward's needs to. A way to gain his protection from the rest of the men in the court. We were the closest thing I was allowed to a steady relationship.

I reached to unzip him, my heart not in it, but he stayed my hand.

"I'm not allowed today, you're not officially back on the menu till tomorrow. And besides, you're exhausted. I'm not entirely heartless." He pulled me into a hug instead.

I relaxed against him, grateful. At least I'd chosen him well from the guards Daniel employed. At first he hadn't seemed that way, but he had a sort of bravado the others saw. Underneath he could be more considerate, and he'd been an ally to my plans more than once.

Edward escorted me inside, but only as far as the door.

"See you tomorrow, princess. You'd better hurry to Daniel and for your sake I hope he's in a good mood."

I nodded, wondering what he meant about Daniel but sure I was about to find out. I hurried along the corridor, a brief moment in the cool night air and the trepidation of what I'd find enough to make me feel awake once more.

As I climbed the steps I realised a tiredness lay underneath it all, however, just beneath the surface.

I found Daniel sitting at his desk, Bernice with her head in his lap, moving rapidly. I hesitated, not sure if I should interrupt or not, but he orgasmed, moaning as he held her head in place and came into her.

As soon as she was done, he took his hands away and she pulled up, standing.

"Go on," he said, "And make sure you earn some fucking more tomorrow. You might not be my biggest earner any more, but I won't have you slacking and pissing off your regulars."

As Bernice hurried away, not replying, he noticed me.

"And talking of my new biggest earner, Well done," he said, holding out a hand as if he expected me to go to him. "Green on your first day, but only just."

I couldn't tell if he was pleased or not, but I went to him anyway, letting him wrap his arms around me and study me.

"You went to Keaton to begin with. How did that go?"

"He wants me as a regular. Passed me around a bit to his friends, but he pays well."

"Not well enough. Not for how much better you are. I want you to demand more tomorrow, especially if he's letting other men stick their cocks in you."

"I don't want to piss him off, he's got big plans," I replied, trying to pull away, not liking how Daniel was commanding me, but his grip was unyielding and he kept my body pressed against his.

"You'll demand more. Men like him always have big plans. But only money now is for sure. You're worth it. He'll pay it, even if he's reluctant."

"Do you always intend to dictate my days to me like this?" I suddenly demanded, something inside me snapping. I'd had an awful day, and I'd done my best, I didn't need to come back to crap like this.

"I own you. Of course I do."

"You don't officially own me. I owe you money." I tried to pull away again, but he laughed.

"We both know that's the same thing." He jerked his hips, rubbing his manhood against me, stiff, ready for action again. I froze, the fight leaving me. Not another screwing. I didn't think I could take another.

"Don't worry," he said. "I know you can't handle any more today as well. But save something for me tomorrow. I've been waiting a long time to screw you. I won't wait any longer."

I opened my mouth to retort, to tell him to piss off, but I remembered the first time I'd gone to him. What he'd said. He'd never make me, but if I refused he'd find a way to make me regret it.

And what difference was it really? I was letting so many other men use me. What was one more?

Exhausted, I nodded and left. He'd said enough. I had my orders. I just had to work out how to keep Keaton happy, and him.

As I slipped back into the courtesan area and the common room we all relaxed, it was already mostly quiet, a lot of the bedroom doors shut. Mine stood open, a small light glowing from the doorway.

I walked in to find Mhairi sitting in the bed reading. She looked up, smiling and getting out.

"Come on," she said, waving me towards a massive bathtub full of hot bubbly water. "Edward said you were on your way."

I sighed, feeling the first ear well up and trickle down my face as I walked over to it.

"Let's get this paint off and you in the tub," she said, wiping the tear away. "The first day is the hardest. It gets easier."

Nodding, I let her guide me. It needed to. It really needed to.