Sadie’s indignant gasp pierced the silence that followed but other than that no one else reacted. Even Sadie didn’t say anything else after that, her lips tightening as she nodded to her partner, clearly too furious to speak.
Garth immediately stepped in, professional smile in place. In a voice that didn’t betray any of his thoughts or feelings, he concisely explained what his company wanted from Staffan.
“After you make your choice, we’d like you to enjoy just a short break – maybe coffee or dessert – with all five of them.”
Saffi swallowed back a protest. Staffan, surrounded with five supposedly beautiful women and all of them happened to adore him? The thought of it was enough for her stomach to heave in jealousy.
Staffan nodded, encouraging Garth to continue. Beside him, Saffi was now seated very correctly, her tension palpable. If it was the other way around, he knew he would not have been able to take it. In fact, the mere prospect of Saffi being with another man was despicable, and Staffan knew he’d kill any man who dared touch Saffi in any way.
But he had to do this. It was better for both of them this way.
“After the meet and greet, you will then walk the winner around the venue, just give her a really simple tour to explain the behind-the-scene process for concert productions.”
Her back straightened, her mind tortured by images of something nasty happening behind the scenes.
Garth cleared his throat. “We would like a photo of you and the winner extremely close in this one.”
Staffan started to speak, but Saffi was already shaking her head. “That’s not good.”
“And then perhaps backstage, literally behind the curtains, a kiss on the cheek---”
“But what if the winner gets carried away and rapes Staffan?” Saffi cried out, distress finally winning over common sense.
Staffan choked. Behind him, he heard Constantijin and Yanna not doing that good a job at smothering their laughter.
“I’ll, err, make sure he won’t be harmed,” Garth said, visibly bemused at the turn the conversation had taken. He glanced at Staffan almost pleadingly. “Shall I continue?”
Staffan nodded.
Clearing his throat once more, Garth went on, “And after one of your numbers, maybe another photo to show that the winner’s caring for you some way, like wiping the sweat off your face or giving you a bottle of water to drink---”
Saffi didn’t even hesitate. “Sorry, that’s my job. I’m the official water girl and, umm, sweat-wiper of Staffan Aehrenthal. It says so in my resume.” Behind her, Saffi could hear Constantijin and his lovely girlfriend coughing again, which she supposed was their best attempt at hiding their laughter.
Staffan’s head lowered slightly. He couldn’t help it. He needed to hide the fact that his eyes were gleaming with laughter. Ah, Saffi. What am I going to do with you? This was supposed to be a serious attempt to introduce Saffi to the role he wanted her to play in his life, one that was completely dictated by his terms. But somehow she had ended turning it into a farce that literally tempted him to laugh out loud the whole time.
Not looking at Saffi’s way, Garth said quickly, as if simply wanting to get his presentation over with, “And lastly, we’d like you to pick her from the audience and dance with her---”
“NO!” Saffi found herself on her feet as her heart jumped to her throat. Did this man know what he was suggesting – and in her presence no less? “Over my dead body!”
Sadie jumped to her feet as well, surprising everyone. “Why the hell do you keep butting in when this isn’t about you? You’re just his whore!”
Staffan jerked, the silence only broken by Yanna’s gasp of dismay.
Everything in him wanted to lash out at the other woman for daring to call Saffi that, but he forced himself to remain unmoving, his face unreadable as he waited for what would Saffi say. He needed to see how this would play out, needed to know how Saffi saw herself in his life.
Yanna couldn’t believe that Staffan was letting it go just like that. She turned to Constantijin in confusion, hurting for Saffi, but he shook his head at her, his handsome face grim.
Saffi waited for another moment, willing Staffan to do anything – say anything just to let her know that he didn’t think like that, too. But he didn’t say a word and he didn’t even glance her way.
This was Staffan pushing her away, she reminded herself. It was a good thing. A GOOD THING. She repeated the words over and over in her mind until she got herself backing in control. Forcing herself to meet the other woman’s gaze, Saffi said softly, “I can’t be his whore when everything I give to him, I give freely.”
Sadie’s face became mottled with rage at the younger girl’s dignified snub. “Fine,” she gritted out, wanting to lash back in any way she could, “You’re not his whore then. You’re just his slut.”The tense heartbreaking silence that followed created inaudible echoes of Sadie’s last word as it replayed in everyone’s mind.
The look of triumph on Sadie’s face was a revolting sight, but Yanna forgot about it when she saw how broken Saffi looked. And she looked so unbearably young. Yanna knew the other girl was a post-graduate student, but right now, she didn’t look like a day over eighteen, and it cut her deep to see such a nice girl hurt so cruelly.
For Saffi, Sadie’s insult was so much worse. The words were not only something she could hear but something she could feel, all the way to her bones, crushing every hope she had for her and Staffan the longer the silence continued without Staffan speaking.
When it became too much, she unconsciously fumbled for another piece of gum from her pocket. There was one last piece and she popped it into her mouth like it was the only thing that could save her from dying. This gum was her lifesaver, the one that turned “H” as a shield and kept Saffi from getting hurt.
He was pushing her away.
This time, Constantijin’s warning wasn’t enough to heal the hurt.
She tried again. He had his reputation to take care of. He was worried about what the fans would say. Saffi could easily come up with a hundred reasons why Staffan was right in staying out of the word war between her and Sadie, and she welcomed them all. She would believe in anything except the fact that Staffan didn’t care for her at all.
Saffi snapped her gum, taking pleasure in the way it made Sadie grit her teeth. If chewing gum for eternity would cause the other woman to lose all her teeth, Saffi would have done it.