Exalted Auctions: The Virgin Bride Ch. 02

Disclaimers: See Part 1 for disclaimers.

8. Vanholt Corporation - District Office

The following day while at work, Judy walked over to the HR department. The department was separated from the office and its entrance led to a reception desk with a hallway to its right. The long hallway led to several small offices to its left or right before ending with a doorway into a larger office. Upon entering the office subsection, Judy was surprised to see an attractive young woman wearing a low-cut dress. The woman had an amble bust and the tops of her large breasts popped out of the top of the dress and quickly grabbed Judy's attention. Judy noticed how clean and free of papers or folders the desk was compared to her own alongside the bored look on the receptionist's face. "Uh," Judy stammered. "I'm sorry, I'm looking for human resources?"

"Well, you found us," the woman laughed as she leaned forward towards Judy. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Judy was surprised the receptionist's attire would be permitted in an office workplace, especially in the HR department of all places. "Oh, ok." Judy responded. "I work in department 5b and my supervisor cut my hours in half the other day. I was wondering if there were any other departments where I could pick up some hours, I was maybe thinking..."

"Let me stop you there," the woman wagged her right pointer finger in Judy's face as she interrupted her. "I'm just the secretary, silly. Let me see if Susan is available to meet with you." The woman picked up a red telephone on her desk and dialed a phone number. "Hi ma'am," the woman spoke into the phone's receiver. "I have an employee here who is asking about picking up additional work." The woman paused as Susan spoke to her through the phone. "Yes ma'am, it's a female employee." The woman appeared to blush red and let out a quiet, nervous sounding laugh. "I understand," the woman finally said as she began to hang up the phone. "Susan can meet with you now. Her office is the big one at the end of the hall."

"Thank you," Judy responded. Judy felt her muscles tense up as she began to slowly walk down the hall. That was weird, Judy thought to herself as she approached the end of the hallway. As Judy approached the end of the hallway, she opened the door and entered a large office. Judy could see a woman sitting at a desk with a computer. Behind her, Judy noticed a large, overstuffed bookshelf. On the perpendicular walls were various awards and plaques indicating Susan had completed or participated in various seminars, many of which were LGBTQ+ related. A closet-sized cabinet stood in the back left corner. Judy noticed a large pitcher of ice water next to a glass sitting on the side of the woman's desk.

"Come and sit down," Susan gestured towards Judy to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of her desk. Susan studied Judy with her eyes and then remarked, "Wait a minute. I recognize you. You were at my seminar yesterday. You were the one who asked the question about cuckolding."

Judy nodded before shaking her head in the negative. "Yes, I was there," Judy explained. "But I'm not the one who asked that question. It was actually my friend Jessica." Judy sat down in a chair in front of the desk and waited for Susan to say something. After a few moments passed in silence, Judy shifted in her chair and resumed talking, "I don't know why she asked you about it. I'm a big supporter of all the LGBT stuff. If consenting adults want to do cuckolding or whatever, I think that's great. I definitely support it. That's what this country is all about."

Susan raised her right eyebrow at Judy, paused for time, and then crossed her arms. "You support cuckolding?" Susan asked with a wrinkled brow. "You're a cishet, right? Do you cuckold your husband with other men?"

"I'm a what?" Judy responded as she drew back in her chair. "I don't have a husband. I mean, I have a boyfriend, but I don't think he would be very into... y'know... me being with other guys. I just mean, not that there is anything wrong with doing it."

"Hmm," Susan paused before tilting her heard and frowning. "You know, it is not always about what men want in relationships. The patriarchy takes women for granted. People forget that we have sexualities as well. Women ought to have every right to choose a cuckold relationship without having to get a man's permission. All these ideas such as female virtue, virginity, and chastity come from a bygone era that no longer exists. Frankly, they do not belong in the diverse and free society my generation built for us. Don't you agree?" Susan lifted the pitcher and slowly poured water into the drinking glass as she awaited Judy's response.

Judy adjusted the collar of her shirt before she responded, "Absolutely. I agree with you. I don't know why people get so caught up and offended by other people's sex lives. But yeah. I wasn't the one who asked that question and this isn't why I came over here."

"I understand," Susan explained as she leaned back in her chair. "I just brought it up because it is important that we not denigrate people's sexualities. There are people who work for this company who live cuckold lifestyles. If they get offended by inappropriate jokes or hostility to their sexual identities, our company could get sued. The new director doesn't mess around and she's made it very clear that employees who do these things will be punished. You don't want me to punish you, do you?" Susan sipped from the glass as if she had been extremely thirsty.

"No ma'am, we're crystal clear," Judy responded before biting her lower lip. "I work in department 5b and due to the new cost cutting directive, well, my hours got cut. I am here to see if there are any other departments where maybe I could pick up some hours."

"Let me see," Susan uttered as she put down the drinking glass and turned her attention away from Judy and towards her computer monitor. After typing something on the keyboard, Susan asked, "What is your position?"

"I'm a secretary, ma'am," Judy responded. "But I do have a bachelor's of science in biology."

"Hmm," Susan murmured to herself as she clicked away on her mouse and keyboard. "Do you have any experience in IT? Can you speak Spanish? You wouldn't happen to be a licensed accountant, would you?"

Judy looked down at her hands before she responded, "No, I can't do any of those things."

"Well," Susan began before she paused. "I'm afraid we don't have anything open and available to you right now. However, if something comes to my attention, I could reach out to you?"

Judy shook her head. "Thanks ma'am," Judy said as she once again bit down on her bottom lip. "I really need some extra hours. Isn't there something that I can do? What about here in HR? I am sure you could find some sort of use for me here."

Susan stared firmly at Judy before turning her attention back to her computer. "Well, there is one thing," Susan said as she leaned forward towards Judy. "In January I am teaching an LGBTQ+ diversity class at the regional office. Normally when I travel for these things, I take my secretary Amber with me, and we share a room together; she's the one who directed you to my office earlier. Unfortunately, she is getting married in January and won't be able to attend. I think you could be a... suitable replacement."

Judy frowned. "Thanks for the offer, Ma'am," Judy began as she lowered her head. "That's not going to work for me though. I need the hours now. In fact, my boyfriend and I are trying to save up money for our own wedding..."

"Well, that's too bad," Susan said as she turned her attention back towards her computer screen. "It would have been a fun time... a good opportunity for me to teach you more about LGBTQ+ issues." Susan stared down into her glass of water. After a few moments passed, Susan turned back towards Judy and drew her eyebrows together before she said, "All I can offer you is some advice. Working as a secretary for someone else and letting other people dictate what to do to you will not get you anywhere. You need to take command and chart your own path. When I was starting out, very few of the women my age sought employment in the corporate world. In fact, some tried to discourage me by saying that because I was a woman, I should get married and have kids. Sometimes you need to set old taboos aside and take opportunities that others thumb their noses at. Coming in here asking me for help was a good first step. I'm sorry I can't help you right now but if you continue to seek opportunities, you'll soon be rewarded."

Judy sighed before leaving Susan's officer and returning to her desk. That was a waste of time, she thought. I've got to get my mind off this. Judy pulled up her email and her attention was immediately brought to the spam email she had received weeks ago. She had refrained from deleting it due to the novelty of it. Judy began to recall the vivid dream she had that morning where she lost her virginity to an attractive stranger.

Can you imagine, Judy thought to herself. We could pay for our entire wedding with money left over. The more Judy began to think about it; the more reasonable the whole thing sounded. She and I could make a substantial amount of money for her putting in just one night of work. The prospect of having sex with a stranger left a sour taste in her mouth but Judy wondered if perhaps it wasn't as bad as her initial judgment suggested. Judy reasoned, perhaps that is what my dream was trying to tell me. Judy considered herself to be a feminist and reflected on the advice given to her by Susan. Feminism for Susan's generation meant trespassing against the arbitrary taboos of a patriarchal society that sought to exclude women from the workplace. As part of the new generation, perhaps feminism for us is exploiting the patriarchy by cashing in on overvalued and outdated concepts like virginity and chastity. Judith chuckled at her ability to rationalize something so ridiculous, but the thought also caused her body to feel restless and her mouth dry. It was the yearning for drama and not the satiety of genuine intellectual curiosity that manipulated my girlfriends' mind.

Judy connected through her web browser to the auction website and began to read and look it over. She tried to look at the auctions of other women but soon realized you had to sign up and be approved before you could gain access to such a thing. It made sense to Judy that a business that offered a service like prostitution wouldn't be entirely out in the open. To receive more information, the next step Judy would have to take would be to fill out a survey that included whether she was interested in bidding or auctioning herself as well as additional personal information. Judy blinked at the contact page and felt her pulse rate increase. Ultimately, Judy decided it was important for her to talk to me before doing anything further.

9. Dumpy Apartment Building

When I arrived at the apartment, Judy was sitting on the couch patiently waiting for me. Her long legs were crossed and hung over the cheap and worn-down couch cushions. "Hey honey," she said with a smile on her face. "I got some beers for us. They're in the fridge. Do you mind getting me one?"

"Sure," I walked over to the apartment fridge and pulled it open. The contents were rather sparse, but I did notice a six pack of Pabst sitting on the bottom. I grabbed two metal cans and shut the fridge with a clang. "Are we celebrating because you were able to pick up some more work?" I asked as I handed Judy a beer.

"No," Judy explained as she cracked open the aluminum can. "I met with the woman from HR but she couldn't find any positions for me unfortunately."

"That sucks," I said in-between sips of my beer. The foamy liquid tasted cold, bitter, and subtly malty sweet. "Well, did you manage to fix the TV at least? It's going to be a long weekend."

"I was thinking today, and I wanted to ask you about something," Judy said. Despite her best efforts to put on a poker face, I noticed she was grinning.

"Ok, what is it?" I asked as I lowered the beer can in my hand down towards my waist.

"Well, before I get into it, this is just speaking hypothetically," Judy stammered as she sought to qualify what she was about to say. "I don't want you to think I'm crazy or anything, but I actually went and checked out that website today. You know, the auction website."

"The auction website?" I asked as I rubbed my chin. "What like Ebay or something? Is it so bad we've got to sell our furniture at this point?"

"No, no," Judy quickly interjected. "The one I told you about a couple weeks ago. Jessica also brought it up at Chotchkies. You know, the one that sent the email offering twenty-five grand for one night of work."

I choked on the swig of beer I had just taken. Catching my breath, I said, "Wait, really? Why would you visit that website. Were you bored or something?"

"I don't want to upset you or anything," Judy explained as she bit her lower lip. "Yes, I was bored, and I got curious. I think I may have a few screws loose and I just need you to set me right again. Don't take this super seriously or anything. Just talk me through this so I can get over it." Judy tapped the side of the beer can she was holding.

I could tell Judy was once again suppressing a grin. The surefire sign she was gearing up to play devil's advocate in some sort of dramatic debate. Sometimes it seemed like she never grew up from her days as a theater-geek in high school. "I don't understand," I responded as I stared down into the opening of my beer can. "You're not seriously thinking of auctioning yourself off through a website, are you?"

"No!" Judy quickly responded before taking another long sip of beer. "Of course not! That's crazy. I just want to get your thoughts on whether it makes sense for a couple to do something like this. I'm sure it doesn't make sense which is why I'm trying to have this conversation with you. Because, like I said, I was thinking about it today. I think I'm missing something." A beeping sound of a vehicle backing up could be faintly heard coming from the intersection outside of the apartment.

"What is there to miss?" I asked. "Women use that website sell sex for money. It's gross and its wrong."

"Okay," Judy responded as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I kind of agree with what you're saying. I've never had sex before. I don't know what it's like. Whether that's with someone I loved and felt connected to or a total stranger. I mean, the idea of sex with someone I have no love for, or emotional attachment does seem kind of repulsive when I first think about it." Judy hesitated and bit down on her lip before continuing, taking a moment to ponder the dream she had where the sex with the attractive stranger was not repulsive but certainly exciting and yet also kind of disturbing. "When you had sex before, did you love the person? Was it gross?"

"I'd rather not talk about my past love life," I took a large sip of beer before crossing my arms and responding. "Not usually the thing you want to talk about with your current girlfriend." I drummed my fingers across the aluminum can. "But without getting into detail, no I didn't love her. I kind of felt a sense of emptiness right after the deed was done but I wouldn't describe it as gross."

"Do you regret it?" Judy asked as she tilted her head to the side.

"Not really," I said as I shrugged my shoulders. "I mean, I kind of regret having the relationship. Obviously, it didn't work out between us. But I don't regret that we hooked up." I took another sip of beer and continued, "Then again, I don't have this weird hangup that you seem to have about waiting until marriage. I certainly wouldn't consider my first time to have been anything special. I also don't really care that it wasn't."

Judy's eyes lit up a bit when she responded, "I always think that's so stupid in movies where teenage girls are so obsessed over their special first-time having sex. It's some left over from the patriarchal society where everyone was obsessed with virginity because of the bible. I'm still a virgin because, as a feminist, I know a lot of guys view women as sex objects. I understand that marriage is patriarchal and has become outdated. However, it's the way I've chosen to separate the man who truly loves me from some guy just looking to hook up. It has nothing to do with having a special first time or anything. Like, for example, if I lost my virginity because I was sexually assaulted, it's not something that would bother me."

"That wouldn't bother you?" I asked as I folded my arms over my chest and stared openly at Judy.

"Well, yes, that's not what I mean," Judy stammered as she tried to clarify her thoughts. "I would be, very bothered, maybe traumatized even if someone sexually assaulted me. It would bother me quite a lot actually. However, the fact that I wasn't a virgin anymore, I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep over that."

"Uh huh," I said as I sipped some more beer before continuing, "Like I said before, I don't get it. I have done more than enough to earn your trust at this point. I think we'd both be a lot happier if we were in your bedroom right now." I paused for a bit and took another sip of beer. "But I don't want to get into a fight about this tonight. I think you're missing the bigger issue with these auctions. They treat women as objects to be sold. It's morally wrong. The woman's body is being bartered over like some sort of commodity. You bring up these feminist arguments. Wouldn't most feminists be appalled by something like this?"

Judy turned her face upwards and said, "That's why I wanted to talk to you. I think that's intuitively why I would never do something like this. I wasn't sure why at first but I'm sure this has something to do with it. The hangup I still have though is that I know feminism has changed over time. The focus isn't on equality so much anymore. It's more about things like sex work is work. That and the transgender stuff."

"Yeah, well," I responded with a frown while folding my hands. "Let's not get into the transgender stuff. That's opening a whole other can of worms that I don't feel very comfortable talking about." I rubbed my hands against each other as if I were washing them.

"I do find something degrading about a woman selling her body to a man," Judy explained. "It seems very capitalistic and predatory. Women shouldn't have to do that just to get by," Judy hesitated for a second and used the opportunity to take another sip of beer. "At the same time, if it's completely voluntary, I mean, sex work is work, right?" Judy asked and continued before giving me a chance to respond, "Men and women sell their labor by providing all sort of services. We can't just single out sex work and act like its particularly degrading or immoral because then we end up taking certain patriarchal attitudes for granted." Sounds of two people yelling could be heard coming from the intersection outside the apartment.

"Hmm," I paused before continuing, "I think you're overthinking this. Maybe if everything is rationalized to death, a hypothetical couple could justify doing something like this. But we're not rational. It's one thing to say there is no reason for a woman to feel uncomfortable having her virginity auctioned off to a stranger. It's another thing to be that woman at the auction. Think of a swapped version of this where the man auctions off his virginity to a woman. Obviously, that isn't realistic because no woman would ever pay for that. There are so many horny guys out there though. Many of them would do it if they could. Yet I imagine if I were getting auctioned off to a woman I didn't know, I'd find it more awkward and uncomfortable than exciting and sexy."