Rated: PG-13
A/N: BJ is my OC, the adopted daughter of Mick and Beth. She was first introduced in Milestones, Part 1. It is not absolutely necessary to read that first, but it might help. BJ also has her own Halloween and Christmas stories.
Huge thanks to Moonlighter for being my idea bouncer this time as well as my beta. You would not be reading this if it hadn't been for her.
I update every other night.
Previously in BJ’s Freshman Adventure ...
Dana began to weep softly. “Dana?” BJ said softly. “Tell me how this happened.”
Chapter 2
The two girls sat cross-legged on Dana’s bed as she began her story. “School was going fine. Then about three weeks ago I got a notice that the director of the work study program, Eric Gerrard, wanted to see me, so I stopped by his office…”
“Mr. Gerrard? You wanted to see me?”
“Yes, come in Dana. And please, call me Eric. Have a seat.” Dana sat nervously on the chair across the desk from him. “No need to be nervous. I have been receiving excellent reports on you from your employer. They say you are a hard worker and eager to please.” Dana smiled in relief. Eric continued on. “Now I’ve been looking at your financial aid application. Money is tight for your family, isn’t it?”
Dana was embarrassed. “Yes, a little, but we manage.”
“Well, I have an opportunity for someone like you to earn some extra money, if you’re interested.” When Dana didn’t say anything, he continued. “I help manage a social club for visiting businessmen, and you would be one of several hostesses. Now, now, it’s not what you think,” he added hastily as he held his hand up to stop Dana’s protest. “There is no sex involved. All you need to do is engage in pleasant conversation, dance a few dances, perhaps have a drink.”
“I’m not old enough to drink.”
Gerrard smiled. “A club soda, then.” He watched Dana think it over. “You would earn $250 a night cash, plus any tips. And these businessmen are usually quite generous with their tips. Quite generous. What do you say?”
“Will I still have time to study? And I can keep my work study job?”
“Yes, of course!”
“And you didn’t think any of that sounded strange?” BJ asked. “No alarm bells went off in your head?”
Dana was clearly embarrassed. “It did seem a little too good to be true at first, but the money sounded so good! And he said there would be no sex involved, so I figured I could handle it.” She hung her head.
BJ tried not to shake her head at her friend’s gullibility. Patting her knee, she encouraged Dana to go on with her story. “So what happened next?”
“I was told to drive to a restaurant parking lot a little ways from campus, where a limousine picked me up and took me to the club. Everything that first night was just as Mr. Gerrard said it would be. The businessmen were nice. We talked; we danced. No one did anything odd, well, except for sniffing my neck when we danced. I guess I know what that’s all about now, but I didn’t at the time. I figured if that’s how they got their jollies so what? It wasn’t hurting me any.”
“And the money?”
“I made $500 the first night!”
BJ whistled. “Wow, that’s not chicken feed. All in cash?”
“All in cash.”
“What about the other nights? When did they try to bite you?”
“The second night was just the same as the first, except I only got the tip money. Eric said he would pay the salary part at the end of the week. I didn’t think anything of it and thought this would be the easiest money I ever made. I noticed some dark corners with some of the customers getting rather cozy with the other hostesses that I hadn’t seen the night before, but I figured that was their business. Then on the third night…”
“You are such a pleasure to dance with, Dana. So very light on your feet!”
“Thank you,” Dana replied with a slight blush.
“Come, let’s sit down over here,” her dance partner said as he led her to a loveseat in a darkened corner of the room. He let Dana get settled first, and then he sat down very close to her. Dana began to get uneasy. “Don’t be nervous,” he said as he held her hand.
“I think I better go now,” Dana said nervously and started to stand up. Her client tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her back down.
“I said there was no need to be nervous,” and Dana felt herself become calmer, even as he began to stroke the inside of her arm. She saw his eyes turn silver, his face pale and fangs emerge from his mouth, yet she couldn’t move; couldn’t speak.
“He was enthralling you Dana,” BJ said. “Vampires do that to keep their freshies calm. It can also heighten the pleasure.”
“Well, there wasn’t much pleasure to this, at least for me,” Dana scoffed. “It felt like an out-of-body experience. Half of me was terrified as I watched this vampire bite my wrist and drink my blood, yet I couldn’t do anything about it! But it didn’t hurt as much as I expected it to.”
BJ nodded. “And did he close the wounds afterward? You know, kind of lick them till they stopped bleeding?”
Dana shivered, but nodded yes. “I felt very weak, and slumped into the corner of the loveseat with my head dropped back. He said ‘thank you’, stuffed some bills down the front of my dress, got up and left. I never saw him again.”
BJ looked puzzled. “This still doesn’t explain all the welts and bruises. What happened after he left?”
“I felt kind of woozy so I just sat there a while longer. I think I dozed off. Next thing I knew Eric Gerrard was shaking me awake.”
“Dana. Dana! Wake up and please come with me.” He pulled her up and guided her into a small conference room at the back of the club. There were several other hostesses already there, and all had a dazed look about them. Some of them were staring at the fresh bite marks on their arms in disbelief. Eric showed Dana to a chair and addressed the group from the front of the room.
“Congratulations ladies. Whether you like it or not, you have now been inducted into the secret world of vampires; the key word being ‘secret’. You will not tell anyone, and I repeat, anyone, of what you have experienced, seen, heard, or learn in the future. The penalty for violating this rule is death.” Gasps were heard in the room as Eric let that sink in.
“You are not hostesses; you are freshies, here to feed us. We will tell you where, we will tell you when, we will tell you who to feed. You will do as we say. The penalty for noncompliance will be death. Secrecy is of the utmost importance to the vampire community and we do not tolerate insubordination.
“Feeding can be pleasurable or it can be painful. For your own sake I suggest you cooperate willingly. We will continue to pay you for your contribution. You will be expected to keep up with your otherwise pitiful lives so as not to draw attention to yourselves. You will keep all bite marks covered, regardless of where they are located. And yes, there can be locations other than the wrist bites you all recently received. This particular club caters to wealthy business vampires who prefer virgin freshies; that is, first timers and perhaps some with only a few bites, so obviously you will not be able to continue working here. This club also has rules regarding sexual contact with freshies. Other clubs where you will be sent may not have such rules.” Murmurs circled around the room. “Again, you are encouraged to cooperate. It makes it easier on everyone. However, there are no guarantees. All vampires have a dangerous side.” He looked around the room at the shocked faces.
“Perhaps the thought of quitting has crossed your mind. Forget it. All of you were chosen because you need the money; I will hold your money for you until I am satisfied you are trustworthy. If you don’t show up for work, you don’t get paid. If you think it’s not worth the money, remember what I said about insubordination.
“It’s a one-way ride ladies, and there is no place to get off. Make the best of it.”
“Then he read off all our names and told us which club we were being assigned to work.”
“And where did you end up?” asked BJ.
“At the bottom of the heap, as near as I can tell. It looks like a frat house, over near the legitimate ones. That way their loud parties and the girls coming and going don’t attract any attention. The vamps that live there all look college aged. I think some of them even take classes. But most of them just like to party and feed. And fuck, of course. They aren’t gentle and they don’t care if they hurt the freshies. To them we’re a dime a dozen.”
BJ took Dana’s hand and gently asked, “Have…any of them, you know…tried to…”
Dana shook her head. “Not yet, though I’ve had some wandering hands. But I think it’s only a matter of time. Several of the others have been forced to have sex with them.”
BJ’s mouth fell open in shock. “Didn’t they tell anyone?”
“Who can we tell? You don’t get it, BJ! We’re stuck there! If we tell, if we leave, they’ll find us and kill us! Gerrard keeps promising to pay us, but he never does! He says ‘next week’ or ‘at the end of the month’ but no one has seen any money yet. One girl has been going there for six weeks and still hasn’t been paid.”
BJ stood up. “Well, I’m going to tell my father and he’ll see to it that Gerrard never…”
“NO! You can’t!” Dana said, grabbing BJ’s arm and holding her still as she climbed off the bed. “You can’t tell anyone! They’ll know I told you and they’ll find me! Please!” Her voice quavered in desperation as she searched BJ’s eyes.
BJ sighed. “Okay, I won’t for right now. We’ll try and figure a way for you to get out of this.”
“Good luck with that,” Dana said sadly as they both sat back down on the bed.
“When do you have to go back again?”
“Tonight. We’re expected to work every night.”
“Every night! You can’t lose blood every night! No wonder you’re so pale and tired!”
“Gee, thanks,” Dana said sarcastically.
BJ gave her a smile. “I didn’t mean it like that. But you shouldn’t be feeding every day. My Uncle Josef makes his freshies wait at least three days between feedings.”
Dana sighed. “Well, I don’t have that luxury. And right now I need to get a shower and do homework and hopefully get in a nap before I have to leave.” She stood and walked towards the bathroom, pausing at the doorway. She turned back to look at BJ. “Thanks BJ, for talking with me. I’m still scared, but it doesn’t feel as heavy a burden as it did before.” They smiled at each other and Dana turned back towards the bathroom.
To be continued...
I'm looking forward to finding out how Gerrard gets his comeuppance... 
but, of course, first you have to take us on a roller-coaster ride of danger and intrigue, 'cause that's half the fun! 
