Bar Girl Ch. 15

Nick and Blen were driven up Perimeter Road. They disembarked at Luscious Lips, the newly opened bar, where a party was in progress, and where, tomorrow, Blen's cherry would be auctioned. It was a small bar with about twenty girls, and managed by the charismatic Lamar.

Lamar was a veteran of many 'one season' bars and his client/owner was very pleased with the first day's trading. Nick and Blen wanted to see where the auction would take place. It was a small and comfortable venue, and entirely suitable for the purpose.

At half-past-six, a very tired Nick emerged with Blen onto Perimeter Road and drove with her as far towards Talent Spot as possible. Decamping, and paying off the taxi driver generously, they then continued by foot down Fields to Talent Spot. He took a stool at the stage while Blen changed, and she immediately came to sit with him. Nick walked over and rang the bell. The girls cheered, and Mama came over as Nick unpeeled notes from his bundle and handed them to the waitress.

"Do you not save your money for tomorrow?" asked Mama.

"I have money for every day. And more," replied Nick.

"Nick is also a rich man now. His plan has worked," explained Blen, "he can pay my first-refusal now."

"Then you will lose a million pesos," said Mama.

"A million pesos is like a car, you cannot fuck it."

Mama thought Blen's reply rather cryptic.

For the whole of the evening, Nick, who felt like the drunken sailor on shore leave after six months at sea, made free with his newfound largesse. He sat at the bar with Blen and her friends, buying ladies drinks and flirting. Three times during the evening, at Daddy's prompting, the waitress reckoned up Nick's tab and obtained payment. By the end of the evening, he had paid over 32,000 pesos to Talent Spot, disbursed perhaps 5,000 pesos in tips to the girls, and tipped the waitress with a 1000 peso note. As Blen changed, Mama told her to come in at half-past-eight and be ready for the auction.

Next day, Nick and Blen enjoyed the facilities of the Wild Orchard. Nick particularly appreciated cable TV, including English language channels, familiar programmes, and news from home. They frolicked in the pool, drank at the bar and ate in the restaurant. Nick's budget hotel had seemed comfortable and homely to Blen, but this was her first experience of a multi-star hotel, and she loved it.

After an early evening meal, Nick walked Blen to Talent Spot for eight-thirty, then returned to The Wild Orchard to make final checks on his treasure and treasure chest. He then settled with the guard to watch TV until the appointed time approached.

At eight-forty five, Blen was bade an emotional farewell by her friends in the bar, and with their good wishes cheering her on her way, she left with Mama, walked to the top of Fields, and took a trike up Perimeter to Luscious Lips. With one hour to go before closing this bar was beginning to wind down. A couple of customers remained, but most had finished their afternoon's fun, and had made their way down to Fields for an evening's revelry, some taking a Luscious Lips girl with them. The dancers, seeing the chance of a bar-fine receding, were demotivated and merely serving out the remainder of their shift.

Lamar came over and greeted Mama and Blen, and led them to a table to wait. The arrival of a Mama-san and girl piqued the curiosity of the home girls a little, and in the last fifteen minutes, as first Nick, then Bruno and Jordan, and then Hu-Fan arrived, hefting suitcases with them, they sparked back into life.

At ten, just as Daddy Don arrived, the music stopped, and lights went up. Their Mama-san ushered the dancers from the stage, and all the staff left in the usual manner, glancing curiously at the unexplained assembly, but minding their own business. Lamar looked around outside. Four limousines were parked nearby, lights out, but with the shadows of two persons in each, those of the driver and the armed guard. He checked that all house lights were out, then pulled the door shut, and locked it.

While he was doing this, Mama had taken Blen into the rear to prepare her.

"Mr Chew like the virgin, and Bruno the whore. I have a costume to please both."

When Blen had undressed, Mama took a soft black cord about fifteen mm thick and deftly wove it round Blen's body, dividing it into broad flat diamonds and triangles, secured at the bottom by loops through her legs and at the top by loops over the shoulders. Her belly was framed by a diamond with her navel at the centre, and her breast were divided into two triangles, the points meeting between them, and her nipples standing at their centres.

"This will appeal to Bruno," said Mama, "He will like you tied like this. After we prove your virginity, I want you to dance like this, on the stage, behind the suitcases, until the bidding start. Be attentive to Bruno, arouse his lust and give him hope. When the bidding start, you will dress in these. It is like the virgin outfit for Mr Chew,"

Mama handed her a white T-shirt and shorts. "Wear these, until we prove your virginity, then dance in your rope costume. When the bidding start, put back on your virgin costume for Hu-Fan," she emphasised.

Blen reflected that Mama had given careful attention to pressing the right psychological buttons, at the right time, by simple and suggestive costuming.

Lamar, having concluded his closing down procedure, turned to the company. "How do you want to do this, it's up to you from here, I'll keep the lights down and the bar open."

"Let's do it quickly?" said Bruno, "We have too much cash in one place."

"We need a table for your suitcases," said Daddy Don. "Let's place one in front of the bar, where all can be seen. Make your mark on your suitcases, and place them on the table."

When Mama led Blen, clad in her simple virgin costume, out, Lamar called for last drinks to be ordered before the auction. Mama requested some muted dance music for Blen.

The moment arrived.

"Come and stand here," Mama said to Blen, leading her to front and centre, where she stood before the tier of bidders with the suitcases on the table behind her.

"This is Blen Baitan, a virgin girl, and you are bidding this evening for the right to deflower her in the manner of your choosing. Before the bidding opens I will confirm her virginity.

Blen, remove your clothes."

Blen quickly slipped off her T-shirt and shorts to stand naked, except for the slender cord criss-crossing her body.

"Daddy Don, will you show the bidders that Blen remain a virgin?" said Mama.

Daddy came behind Blen, and grabbing the back of her legs, and tilting her back against his chest, he doubled her up against his shoulder, bent knees turned towards the ceiling. With one forefinger on each side of her vulva, he pulled it open to expose her hymen. From her precarious position, Blen could look down at the heads leaning forward and peering between her legs as he offered her to them.

Daddy held her close to each party, in turn, and asked, "Do you agree she's a virgin?"

Each answered "Yes," the final party being Nick, who as soon as he had assented, looked up at Blen and winked, and she smiled back.

Daddy set Blen back on her feet. She moved up onto the stage behind the suitcases, and began to undulate suggestively to the music, singling Bruno out for her gaze as she would do to a preferred customer in Talent Spot. Bruno stirred uncomfortably in his seat, just like a blue-balled customer about to succumb to a bar-fine. She smiled sweetly at him, amused by the thought of his penis being tortured as it strained to break out of his tight briefs.

Bruno's discomfort became almost intolerable.

Mama was now in front of the bidders. "These are the rules of the auction. If you do not want to be bound by the rules, do not bid." She read the rules, as Blen snaked, like an enchanting nymph, over her shoulder. Having finished, she said, "I now take your treasure chests into escrow under the terms of the auction, to be returned to you, after payment of the winning bid is made, and after any applicable deduction under the rules." She then called on Daddy to take bids.

Daddy came to the centre. "I'll call for an initial bid, and call the amount and name of the bidder. After I call, I will allow 60 seconds to receive a higher bid. When no further bid is received within 60 seconds, the bidding is at an end, and the last bid made, is the winning bid.

Who will make the first bid?"

The bidders looked at one another cautiously, then Bruno broke the silence.

"200,000 pesos," he said, impatiently.

"200,000 pesos from Bruno." Daddy marked his watch.

Blen stopped snaking, and pulled on her T-shirt and shorts, then stood with her hands clasped demurely in front of her.

Jordan bid 250,000, and in increments of 50,000 the two leapfrogged one another to 500,000, the bid then being with Jordan. There was a pause. For 30 seconds no one spoke.

Bruno made his move. "1 million pesos."

Jordan waved his hands to indicate he was out.

"1 million pesos with Bruno," said Daddy Don, and checked his watch.

All eyes now turned to Hu-Fan, who sat thoughtful and inscrutable, making who knows what calculations in his head. After a dramatic pause, he responded.

"1.5 million pesos."

Bruno immediately bid 2 million.

Mama's heart thrilled.

Blen was flattered by these figures, and Bruno's readiness to bid. She smiled at him again, and he shifted in his seat as he anticipated the delights to come.

Bidding proceeded more slowly now, in increments of half a million. At 3 million Bruno had the bid. Hu-Fan raised the stakes.

"5 million."

"6 million," responded Bruno, again without hesitation.

Mama hugged herself with delight at her incredible good luck.

Hu-Fan once more retreated into inscrutability. Thirty seconds passed, then forty, then fifty.

"10 million," bid Hu-Fan.

Mama's sat tensely in her chair, heart fluttering as she began to plan her retirement, and all eyes turned to Bruno. Everyone believed Hu-Fan had bet the bank, and wondered if Bruno had sufficient shot left in his locker.

Bruno milked the moment. He waited 40 seconds before overbidding.

"10.5 million pesos."

"10.5 million pesos with Bruno," echoed Daddy.

The only sound was the muted music. No one spoke, stirred or even breathed. All those with watches had checked theirs when Daddy checked his, and were counting away the seconds. Hu-Fan no longer looked inscrutable, his face was visibly troubled and his brow furrowed in thought.

At 10 seconds, he hesitantly spoke. "Within an hour I can bid in gold," he began, "I require only a short ..."

He was cut off by a triumphant Bruno. "You have five seconds to bid. Have you money to bid now?" he insisted.

Briefly, the room went silent again.

"We can enter into a private treaty tomorrow, you will be well rewarded..." wheedled, a now distinctly ill looking, Hu-Fan.

"Fuck your tomorrow," replied Bruno.

As he completed this rebuff, Daddy Don spoke, "60 seconds having expired since the last bid, I declare Bruno the winner at 10.5 million pesos."

Mama sagged happily into her chair as the tension was broken.

Bruno rose, with a malicious grin on his face, and moved towards Blen, but he was halted by Nick's voice.

"I exercise my right of first-refusal."

Bruno turned, and glared at him. "You will forfeit what you have, if you do not make the bid," he sharply reminded Nick.

"But, if Hu-Fan would kindly advance me the 10 million in his bag, I shall have no problem, and he and I can enter into a private treaty tomorrow." Nick looked towards Hu-Fan.

"I will advance you any shortfall, and pay you 15 million pesos tomorrow," said Hu-Fan hurriedly, suddenly recovering his composure.

Bruno appealed to Mama, "This is not within the rules," and, suddenly everyone was shouting.

Daddy Don stepped over and rang the bell until the voices subsided sufficiently for him to be heard. "Everybody calm down. Mama will go through the rules. We will sort this out."

Mama was once more tense with excitement at the prospect of even more money, but she fumbled, and produced the rules, and everyone crowded around, pressing an opinion on her. She read them through several times, wanting them to read to her own advantage, then she indicated to Daddy that he should ring the bell to bring the bar to order.

"This situation does not appear in the rules," Mama started, and Bruno slapped a table in celebration, "but," she continued, "the rules say only that payment must be made immediately on completion of the auction. It does not specify what, or who the source of the money should be."

Bruno launched into a paranoid tirade, accusing every one of conspiring against him, and swearing revenge. Mama let him rage until he ran out of breath and paused.

"You still have the chance to raise your bid," Mama reminded him excitedly, "the winning bidder still has the right to state his highest bid to defeat the right of first-refusal."

Bruno controlled his breathing. "This is a trick."

"This is no trick, it is an orderly auction. You have the chance to raise your bid. Do you want to do so?" insisted Mama.

Bruno looked around the bar, meeting the eyes fixed on him. His eyes blazed at Hu-Fan and Nick, and his gaze came to rest on Blen who stared impassively back. He had brought a certain sum of money, this was in his treasure chest, he had brought it to pay for her. It was not a time to be tentative. He knew that Nick must have a sum in his chest, but, had he been listening to Hu-Fan? Had he bet on the fact that Hu-Fan was desperate, and would accept his offer to treat tomorrow? Perhaps he hoped to have the difference to refund by then. Maybe he had accessible funds that he had not brought. It was an all or nothing situation.

"Very well, I bid 20 million pesos," growled Bruno.

Mama involuntarily gasped and clasped her hands.

"I am afraid Mr Hu-Fan is unable to improve my position..." said Nick, and Bruno grinned and began to swell with triumph, "... I can cover the bid without his help," he added.

The whole bar froze, for just a second, while this sank in.

Mama broke the silence. "You have 20 million pesos in your chest?"

"I have half a million dollars," said Nick.

"You see," Blen called to Bruno, "I told you my boyfriend would buy my cherry," and she stepped down to embrace Nick.

Recovering from an incapacitating daze, Bruno called out, "No Mama. Beware. These bills will be forgeries. This is not a man worth 50,000 dollars, certainly not half a million. He will trick you as willingly as he will trick me. I demand that all his notes are checked. He has brought forged notes."

The thought had occurred to Mama also, she was puzzled by Nick's sudden, unexplained wealth and she did not want to accept bad dollars in place of good pesos.

"Unless banks in the Philippines issue forged notes, these are all genuine," said Nick calmly, "There are 1000 genuine 500 dollar bills in my suitcase, and by my reckoning 384,615 dollars are Mamas. She can choose any 770 of these bills she wants."

Nick unlocked, and laid open his suitcase, and inside everyone could see the ten neat piles of 500 dollar bills.

Mama was wide eyed with greed. "Do you have a device to test the bills?" she asked Lamar.

But before he could reply, they all started back, and covered their ears. A deafening report had ricocheted between wall and ceilings, the sonic waves painfully compressing everyone's eardrums. Through the ringing in their bruised ears, they heard a voice from the rear, and, as their heads turned, they saw an NBI officer standing with his pistol in his upraised arm, the barrel smoking from his warning shot.

"NBI raid. Everyone stand still," he was saying.

Arms reached reflexively to grab the suitcases, and the parties joined Mama, Daddy and Lamar, who were leading the race to the front door. But, that door caved in before anyone reached it, and a file of officers ran at them, quickly knocking them all to the ground. With shrieks, shouts, and abuse, they resisted, but were overwhelmed, and pinned to the floor.

When the prisoners realised that further struggles or words were useless, and fell subdued and silent, the NBI director walked amongst them, and spoke. "I have received information that Human Trafficking has been taking place here this evening, and I am arresting everyone on these premises, apart from this young child," he indicated Blen, "who we will hold as a rescued person."

The officers videoed and photographed the scene, and gathered together the suitcases and documents found on various persons, made notes in notebooks and made entries in an evidence register. Then, the prisoners had their hands secured with plastic ties, and were led outside and placed in a traditional jeepney, with an open back and a bank seat down each side inside, no doubt hired at Checkpoint for the occasion.

The two Daddies were put in first, followed by Mama and Jordan. These all had previous experience of such situations, and were biding their time. Bruno was creating a scene, demanding to speak confidentially with the director, insisting that there was a way to sort this out. He was eventually bundled in, and Hu-Fan tamely followed him. Blen, who was not a prisoner, and not handcuffed, clung on to Nick, and they were last in, sitting opposite Hu-Fan. An officer then sat on the end of each bench seat, adjacent to the exit.

The diesel engine throbbed into life and, very sedately, the jeepney set off down Perimeter Road towards Checkpoint, where it would enter Clark Field and head back up towards the NBI office. The people on the benches leaned towards each other and spoke just loudly enough to be audible to one another over the engine noise.

"Say nothing until our lawyer arrives," Daddy was advising.

The others, who had a big financial interest, were concerned about the money as well as their freedom.

"We must use the money to bargain," said Mama, "that is all it is good for now."

"But I have 20 million pesos," whined Bruno.

"If you end up with a life sentence in a Filipino jail, you won't need the money," Daddy reminded him.

At Checkpoint, the traffic grew congested, and the jeepney became intermixed with the jeepneys manoeuvring to join the ranks of public service jeepneys awaiting passengers. They were going east, the rest were going west. It was necessary to back up. One of the NBI guards dismounted, and walked several yards back to direct the traffic. The other stood at the back of the jeepney, to one side, giving directions to the driver in his mirror.

Blen shook Nick, and nodded urgently towards the opening. He hesitated. First, he looked across at the desperate Hu-Fan, and nodded. Hu-Fan nodded back.

"When I say Go," whispered Nick.

The opportunity was brief, so as soon as the guard at the door started to talk to the driver, he called "Go."

Blen pushed that guard aside, and Nick and Hu-Fan burst from the rear of the vehicle and fanned out past him. The guard recovered his balance. As he readied himself to give chase, Bruno emerged at the rear of the jeepney; the guard immediately pushed him back, and drawing his pistol, remounted the jeepney, sealing off the avenue of escape.

The other guard, some twenty yards off, ran towards the escapees, who disappeared around the side of one jeepney, then wove their way through the gridlocked vehicles, away from him, emerging on Perimeter Road opposite Teodoro Street. They ran across and Nick looked back. The guard was just starting to cross.

As they headed down Teodoro Street, Nick called out, "I'll go left, Hu-Fan go right and Blen, go straight on down."

Blen was younger and fitter, and her hands were unencumbered, so she could run fastest.