Category One Ch. 01

Editor's note: this story contains scenes of non-consensual or reluctant sex.

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Prologue

In the eyes of her captor she met the end. A loud crack filled the air as pain blossomed across her thigh. Thwack! Proof of her agony sketched across her ivory skin as red welts bloomed in swirls. A quick succession of attacks radiated across her nerve endings. Eyes fluttering closed her consciousness started to fade into oblivion. As she slipped away from reality the devil softly whispered, "Persephone" and kissed his captive on her lips.

Chapter One

Sunshine cascaded brilliantly bringing radiance to varying pieces arranged throughout the gallery. A Stroke of Elegance "the rising star of art galleries," according to Seattle Times, "is the result of the blood, sweat, and tears of one Seph Noble." Having learned in college that she "lacked any real talent for creating beauty" from her smarmy art instructor Professor Lictus, Seph stopped trying to sell her own creations and instead promoted others. For five years Seph trudged through the twelve hour days of small business ownership to culminate to one night.

Every year Seattle hosts a singular event to present art work of prestigious galleries. It is unheard of for an up and coming gallery of only five years to even be whispered of presenting their pieces. But thanks to the talent and genius of her star artist, Belle Revay, A Stroke of Elegance made the list. In one week Seph would be rubbing elbows with the top tier of Seattle. And with any luck she would sell her pieces within the first hour of the event.

In the form of a small crisp white card stock invitation Seph stared upon her current misery.

Seattle Art Collaboration is pleased to announce,

Ms. Seph Noble and guest

Are hereby invited to attend

The 77th Annual Art Gala of Seattle

"Oh my God how could I forget 'plus one'?" Seph groaned out in misery. Her hands covering her face in an attempt to block out the reality of being the only single woman in Seattle.

"Aw, Seph it's not that bad! You can always take me!" Seph's cheery sister Sera chimed in an attempt to be helpful but instead caused Seph to feel more like a woman who owned 30 cats instead of one of the most prominent art galleries in Seattle.

"The hell I will! One: I can't risk looking like the only single chick in Seattle by bringing her sister. Two: You and I both know that it's too risky to bring Seattle's wild card to a black tie affair." Looking up at Sera, Seph felt a rush of bitterness as she was reminded yet again that her baby sister got their father's height and she got their mother's short stature.

"Oh come on Sepphy! You can't blame me for wanting to have a little fun with sexy hunks! It's not my fault that they can't resist me!" Twinkling green eyes met her gaze as Sera strived for an innocent smirk.

"Absolutely not! It's not worth the risk. Knowing you, the night would end with you banging some random married guy. But the gala isn't for banging dudes but for selling my art. Art that pays our rent! Rent that I can barely afford because someone just had to have a claw foot tub" Seph felt the vein in her forehead start to pop.

"Don't get pissy with me just because you don't have a date! It's not my fault that you're too good for every decent guy you come across!" A hard glint reached Sera's eyes as she stared down at Seph.

"Decent? If I could find anyone decent in this town I wouldn't be in this mess. Is it too much to ask for a man who isn't texting five other girls while you're at dinner?" Jerry the womanizer. "Or maybe it's decent to dig for nose gold as your reading the Sunday times on your girlfriend's couch?" Steve the man who would eat anything. "Oh and don't forget the decent ones who try to feel up my sister!" Tom, Dan, Oliver, and Kent.

Taking a few deep breaths she tried a different approach, "Sera why don't we go out tonight and you can help me find a date? I'll even let you pick where we go."

"Alright, fine. I won't be your plus one," Sera adopted a small pout, "Since you're looking for a date to a gala," she sarcastically stressed the word gala, "you're going to need a date to fit. Club Category has plenty in the gorgeous and deep wallet department! Let's try them out!" A happy "squee" escaped Sera's lips.

"Okay." Seph glanced at the clock on her phone. "We'll lock up at six and head out there at about nine. Sound good?" Sera nodded in excited acceptance.

Seph breathed a heavy sigh relieved to have her mood back to a manageable level. Tonight she had a lot of work to do. It's no easy task to find a date that looked and acted the part of a gentleman. And make no mistake, a gentleman is exactly the kind of man needed for a gala.

In Seph's experience dating amounts to one thing you either are the hunter or the hunted. In college she realized she could be the lion or the lamb and decided she would never be a lamb again. As a huntress Seph needed to lay the bait. Equipped with her battle gear she was ready to take on Category dressed in her shortest black dress and fiercest Manolo Blahniks.

At a meager five foot two inches she needed every advantage her heels could offer. Seph would kill for her sister's height and thin waist line but she learned to settle for a high heel obsession and a long term relationship with her spare tire of a waist. If there was one feature Seph prided herself in it was her waist long silky chestnut hair. Having a button nose, almond shaped blue eyes, pearly white straight teeth, and a heart shaped face certainly didn't hurt her odds in catching a handsome man's eye but her hair was by far her winning feature.

"Hey Sepphy are you ready yet?" How Sera could make her voice sound angelic and irritating at the same time was a constant mystery to Seph. No one else found Sera irritating which meant the world is full of blind idiots. Sera peeked her head into Seph's room giving her a quick flick of her eyes to gauge if her big sister was acceptable for the public eye. "You look smashing doll! No one will be able to resist you tonight!" Seph took in her baby sister's crimson dress with a deep v-neckline and began to wonder if anyone would notice her next to Sera. With a sigh of resignation, "Okay let's get this over with Sera."