Given (10 page)

“I can help you,” he said cheerfully, pulling her so that
her back faced him. He slid the robe off her shoulders.

“So now you’re a chiropractor too?” She really didn’t mean
to be so snippy, but all his talk of food restrictions and rotations had put
her in a terrible mood. She just wanted to explore her new world.

His hands began rubbing her neck and shoulders. His pressure
was firm, but not painful. “Tell me if I’m hurting you.”

“No, it feels good.”

“I’m sorry, Krista. I know this isn’t easy for you. It’s not
easy for us either. If the world were different, we wouldn’t find ourselves
having to share. This is going to be harder for some of us than others. Sharing
a woman doesn’t come naturally. I’m pretty easy going, but hell, it’s still
hard for me to know tonight you’ll be in Braxton’s bed.”

Krista held her breath.
Braxton’s bed.
She didn’t know if she was ready for him. She wished she’d saved the nightgown
now. “Where’s your washing machine?”

“Steve does all the laundry. Do you have something for him
to wash?”

“I don’t have many clothes. I’d love to have what I’ve worn
washed today. I can do it if you just show me where the washer is.”

“Right now?”
He sounded a bit
pouty.

“Yes, please.”

“All right, let’s go.”

“Wait, I need to get dressed.” She opened the closet and
took out her last set of clean clothing.

“Wow, that’s all you have, huh?”

“They didn’t give us much at the protection facility. We
wore uniforms, like prisoners. This is everything I have that’s not standard
issue from the facility. I’m lucky to have as much as I do. Most women leave
with just the clothing on their backs, some have to leave in uniform even. I
guess they figure we’ll spend most of our time naked anyway, so why waste tax
dollars.”

“I don’t know if you realize how hard the world was hit
economically. Since women worked, they paid taxes too. When everything went
crazy, the economy crashed. Just think about industries that make tampons and
cosmetics, sure there are boy-girls who need a new lipstick or blush, but what
about the tampons?”

“Yes, let’s feel sorry for the tampon manufacturers.
Oh, the humanity!”

Jared grinned. “Okay, maybe not
them
,
but I’m serious, the government isn’t hoarding money, it just doesn’t have
any.”

“Not to get all political here, but I did read, a lot. They
weren’t doing
all that
great before the world went to
hell. If they can go into debt over heated toilet seats, they can afford to
give a girl more than the use of communal uniforms and a single Giving Day
outfit. I was gifted the dress I wore, or this would be what I’d shown up in.”
She held out the simple white cotton sundress. “It’s the only thing I have
besides jeans and a sweater. They don’t even shell out for new
shoes,
you have to wear the same plain, Velcro-closure
support shoes they give everyone on June first. We call it Shoe Year’s day.”

Jared smiled. “Well, I think I’ve figured out what to do
with the rest of my day. I’m going to take you shopping.”

“I get to leave, really, see a real store?” Krista bounced
with excitement. She could barely remember shopping with her mother.

“Get dressed and meet me downstairs.”

Krista nodded, and the moment he was out of the room she
rushed out of her clothes, skipping a shower in her excitement. She ran a brush
through her hair, brushed her teeth, and used her deodorant. There were so many
things she needed—razors, shaving cream, more deodorant. Picking up a bottle,
she realized it was perfume. She paused, grinning, maybe they’d even let her
buy one of her choice. She remembered her mother’s
rose
scent. This one was lavender, she was glad they’d provided her with something
to make her feel feminine.

She heard the arguing the moment she started down the
stairs. She paused to listen.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Security needs twenty-four hours notice if we’re taking her
out of the compound.”

“Where the hell do they even sell women’s clothes these
days?”

“Oh God, we have to go to the boy-girl store. I do not want
to go there!”

“If any men are watching the place, waiting to kidnap her,
they’ll kill to get her away from us.
We’re
going to look like jackasses by losing her week one.”

Krista finished coming down the stairs. “He was just being
nice. I don’t want anyone to yell at him anymore.
Fine.
I won’t go shopping with him, but I wouldn’t mind a few new things to wear and
some toiletries. I can just make a list.” She hated giving up on leaving. “I
could dress like a boy
and if
only five of you go they won’t know it’s me
,” she added hopefully.

“Sorry, the risk is too great,” Damon replied without a
trace of remorse.

“Why the fuck should we spend any more money? If you don’t
get pregnant, then we just blew a bundle on nothing,” Max stated, looking right
into her eyes. She flinched.

“I hope someday I won’t be ‘nothing’ to you. I understand.”
She turned and started back up the stairs. The book hadn’t been too bad and the
idea of losing herself in Samuel Johnson’s struggle was much more appealing
than thinking about how she was an expense expected to get pregnant while
pleasuring them all. A hand on her arm stopped her on the second step. She
turned to see
Brax
looking up at her, frowning.

“Don’t go upstairs. Max is just being an ass, like usual.
Even if he isn’t willing to buy you what you need, the rest of us are. You
might not get to pick out the clothes in a store, but we have the internet.
Make a list of the toiletries you need and I’ll send Steve out shopping. We can
go online and you can order whatever you like. Is that a suitable compromise?”

She nodded. Deep down she had known she wouldn’t be leaving,
but Jared had sparked hope. She wouldn’t let it happen again. Forgetting what
she was to these men would be dangerous to her emotional stability. She was
property, and property didn’t get to do what it wanted.

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Come on, we have a computer hooked up to the big screen in
the game room. I’m sure we’ll all have things we want to see you in.”

“I’m
cool
with naked,” Mal replied.

Krista looked over
Brax’s
head to
glare at the battered comedian. He looked far worse this morning, and she felt
a little twist of guilt that she hadn’t checked on him earlier. “I’d hit you,
but you don’t look like you could take another punch. How are you feeling?”

“Ha! Love it that our girl is funny. Damn it, woman, we are
going to make some fantastically entertaining babies.”

She felt the color drain from her face.
All
this baby talk, as immediately necessary as it was, felt so awkward and
strange.
She doubted most men were as interested in procreation in the
old world.

“You okay? Maybe they’ll just be moderately entertaining,”
Max muttered, scowling.

“Sorry. All the baby talk is freaking me out.” She hated the
idea of getting pregnant and having no control over what happened to her child.
What if they didn’t want to keep a child, she wondered. Krista could totally
imagine Max and Damon insisting they didn’t keep a boy. Girls were the gender
that garnered a tax write off. There was no incentive to have a boy, except
love, and they didn’t seem the affectionate type. Even if she had a girl, the
child would be gone on her tenth birthday. She hated the idea of losing her
children. Would they wonder if she didn’t love them anymore? She’d heard more
than one of the younger girls crying and saying that in the protection
facility. Did the staff there tell the children they weren’t wanted? Too many
questions for her taste revolved around procreation in this awful world.

“Sorry, I just—if you get knocked up, I hope it’s mine,” Mal
said, grinning.

Oddly, she found his declaration reassuring. If she had his
son, maybe he’d let her keep him. Another prang of hope filled her, but she
quickly snuffed it out, afraid to give into the idea she could honestly be
happy with them. She gave him a small, tight smile. When she looked back at
Brax
, his darkly furrowed brow turned her smile into a
frown.

“I’m sure we’d all like to father your first child, but only
one of us can,” said
Brax
.

Krista agreed, but said nothing. She’d really have no choice
one way or the other; all of those decisions belonged to the men.

“I’ll know if it’s mine.”
DeAnthony
laughed, slapping his hands together. They all looked at him, and Krista
couldn’t help the little bark of hysterical laughter.

“Okay, can we talk about something that doesn’t make me feel
crazy?” Krista pleaded.

They all grumbled and
Brax
held
out his hand. She took it, conceding not to run and hide. Everyone except Damon
went into the game room to surf the web for women’s clothing. Krista was
surprised to see Max joining the group, but said nothing. Jared turned on the
computer and they all piled onto the large “L” shaped sofa in the center of the
room.

At first, the guys sat quietly as she picked out a few
conservative dresses and couple of pairs of jeans. She ordered four plain,
brightly colored t-shirts. Then they paged to a screen with leopard print items
and Mal insisted she order a low-cut dress in the print. After that, it was a
free for all. Most of her men had a different type of clothing they wanted to
see her wear. She had to keep biting her tongue. Their picks were totally not
on her wish list, but she wasn’t paying and she’d chosen the items she wanted.
If they wanted to buy her more clothing than she’d owned since she was a child,
she wasn’t going to complain.

Brax
hadn’t picked anything out
yet. Then the screen changed to an assortment of evening gowns. She was going
to click the mouse to the next page when
Brax
leaned
over, his hand taking hers, and pushed the mouse to a royal purple dress in the
middle of the page. The long, A-line dress was simple and had spaghetti straps
to hold it up. The bodice of the dress was dotted with sequins, but the rest of
it was simple silk. He clicked
buy
.

“What are you picking that for?” Max asked.

“I like it,” replied Braxton.

“It’s not like we’re going to be taking her to dinner or the
prom,” Max scoffed.

“Don’t care, I like it.”

When
Brax
turned to look her in
her face, she held her breath. She liked him far more than she should allow
herself to. In six months, she could find herself with another group of men, or
deemed mysteriously infertile and returned back to the protection facility.

“I like it too,” she said quietly, replying to his unspoken
question. He smiled.

Mal grabbed the mouse from under their hands, breaking the
connection she and
Brax
were privately sharing.

“Now this is what I’m
talkin
’
about.” He chuckled and Krista gasped when she looked at the screen. The model
on the screen wore a black latex bodysuit and held a whip. There were several
outfits on the screen, all of them made of shiny latex.

“Oh, no, no, not a chance,” Krista shouted, shaking her
head.

“I’m just playing with you…maybe,” Mal said. He was leaning
between her and
Brax
. Mal winked and leaned forward,
pressing a quick kiss on her mouth. She was shocked by the abrupt display of
affection and didn’t know how to respond.
Brax
pushed
him back; his grumpy expression told her exactly what he thought of his
exuberant friend’s actions.

“Do they make a boy’s version of that in your size, Mal?
You’d look awesome. You could put it on and run around the house. We’d hear all
that plastic squeaking everywhere you went and know you were coming. I vote we
order one for you,” said Krista.

Jared laughed so hard he had to catch himself before he fell
off the chair. “We need to show her one of your comedy DVDs, I think you might
have met your match!”

Mal glared at his younger friend.
Brax
joined in the laughter. He put his arm around Krista, and she stiffened a
moment before relaxing into his possessive hold.

“How come you get to have your arm around her, man?”
DeAnthony
questioned. Krista was alarmed to hear real
annoyance in his voice. More strife, she didn’t want another second of tension,
but she doubted it was avoidable given their situation.

“We drew lots. It’s my day. Tomorrow is Max’s, and the day
after is yours. On our day, if Krista accepts, I say she’s ours to hold. That
means keep your lips to yourself, Mal.”

The funny man scowled. “Fine, but I might spend all of Thursday
just kissing her if I have to bottle it up.”

Krista didn’t have any idea how to respond to that.
Brax
turned to look at her again. “What do you say,
Kristannie
?”

“If you promise to quit bickering, I say yes.”

“You heard the lady—can it, boys. Jared, lighten the mood
and put in
Mal’s
new comedy special. I haven’t seen
it yet.”

“I don’t think…” Mal started saying.

“Oh, she needs to know how you plan to pay for all these
clothes. I used your credit card number.”

“Let’s watch the show from last spring. I think she’d enjoy
that one more,” Mal said quickly.

“What’s up?” Jared asked, raising his eyebrow as he looked
at his nervous friend.

“Damn it. Okay, don’t get mad. I made a couple of jokes
about winning the lottery. Remember, my audience is full of guys. Most of them
can’t even participate in the lottery,” Mal replied quietly.