The Perfect Gift

“You will do it,” Raquel interrupts me, suddenly serious. “Look, they want to surprise their billionaire buddy with an escort. He’s coming to the island next week on a vacation and you know where he’s staying? The mansion on the cliff. You know the one that costs more than the whole rest of the island combined?”

“Yes, I know it,” I manage.

“He bought it free and clear,” Raquel continues. “Just so he could come stay for a week. Do you have any idea what this dude’s bank account must look like? It’s overflowing.”

“And we’re going to get our share of it,” Constance adds, giving me a once-over. “You’re going to do it for us, rather.”

They want me to have sex with a stranger? I’ve never even kissed a boy. Never accepted any of the date requests from customers or even watched an R-rated movie. The fear of the unknown is bad enough, but being used by my sisters, no matter how many times it has happened before, is excruciating.

“Please, don’t make me do this,” I say, trying to back away, but coming up short when my back hits the kitchen wall. “They can’t be offering so much money that it’s worth taking this kind of risk. What i-if he’s mean?”

Constance mimics me with an eye roll. “What if he’s mean? Grow up, Nova.”

“And yeah,” Raquel hisses. “The kind of money they’re offering for a week of your time is definitely worth the risk.”

“A week?” I lift my chin as much as my limited courage will allow. “M-maybe one of you should do it.”

Raquel’s upper lip curls. “Don’t act like you don’t know what you look like, little sister. Those businessmen barely gave us a glance. When you walked out, they were practically foaming at the mouth.”

“They said it was going to be hard not taking you for themselves.”

Is one of the reasons my sisters hate me because of how I look?

That possibility occurs to me for the first time in my life. Of the three of us, I’m the one who bears the strongest resemblance to our mother. She was an incredible beauty, but I always considered myself a flawed version of the original. After all, I can’t sing like her. I’m six inches shorter. I’m clumsy as sin, where she was graceful. Still, the venom my sisters are spitting at me makes me think I’m right.

It’s been partly about how I look all along.

I know the rest of their reasoning all too well.

More than anything, the realization they begrudge my resemblance to our mother makes me sad. Of course, they wish they looked like her. It’s unfair that I’m the only one when we all loved her equally.

“I don’t know what to say…” I murmur softly. “I know we could use the money, but—”

“You think?” Constance sneers. “That storm a few months ago almost put us out of business. We’re barely making ends meet.”

“Do you really want the restaurant to close, Nova?” Constance asks, getting in my face. “Are you going to let Mom and Dad’s legacy vanish, just like that?”

“No,” I whisper, horrified. “I don’t want that. But—”

“But nothing.” Raquel pokes me in the shoulder hard and I struggle not to wince. “You listen to me, little Nova. We do all the hard work around here. You dance around all day and look pretty. You sneak off to go play in the ocean while we figure out how to cover the bills. You owe us. You owe Mom and Dad.”

Are they right?

I’m definitely a daydreamer, but have I been letting them pick up all the slack?

Will I let my parents down if I don’t help make this money?

Even if it’ll come at the cost of my virginity?

“And don’t forget…” Constance raises an eyebrow. “Mom and Dad were on their way to pick you up from dance class when the accident happened. Otherwise they’d still be here.”

A sob escapes my mouth, heat searing the backs of my eyelids. They are right. I’m responsible for my parents being on the road in the rain that horrible evening. I do owe their legacy this sacrifice. I owe it to my sisters too for taking away their parents. “H-how much did they offer?”

“A lot,” Raquel says, trading a covert look with Constance. “But that’s just the initial payout. We have to take advantage of this. Of him. We won’t get another chance like this again.”

I shake my head. “I don’t understand.”

“You tell that billionaire you’re on the pill. Understand, Nova?”

My brow knits. “Like birth control? But…I’m not taking any.”

Constance’s face splits with a grin. “We know. But he’s going to get one look at you and take any excuse to hit it raw. Nine months later? Ding dong. Hello, Mister Billionaire. I’m having your baby and if you want me to stay quiet, I’ll take a nice, fat check, please.”