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“That … that’s ridiculous,” she managed, taking a step away from him. “Why—”
“I don’t think it is,” he said, shifting his weight. “It’s actually quite the deal, when you think about it.”
In what world is it normal to exchange a doll for a kiss?!
The offer sounded like something an elementary school kid thought of. But this wasn’t as simple as exchanging a juice box for chocolate raisins during lunch. Gwendolyn hadn’t been in elementary school in decades,and her brain was now being ridiculous too, comparing her situation to the made up one in her head.
“How so?” she asked, taking another step back.
“The world puts so muchvaluein money. I’m offering to remove the pressure of it. You get your precious doll with no financial cost to yourself,” the man gestured at the doll with a flick of his wrist.
“That doesn’t sound like good business,” she retorted, eyeing his raised hand with suspicion. “Why would you sell something at a financial loss toyourself?”
“Why, indeed?” he flexed his fingers as he took a step toward her. “I told you, I run things a little bit differently in my shop. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now.”
Noticed that you’re freaking me the fuck out,Gwendolyn thought defensively as she took another step back.
She hadn’t walked that far into the store, yet she felt as if the room had grown in size since he named his price. The front door was miles away, the walls stretching into infinity. Even the bright lights had dimmed slightly.
“You offer priceless items in exchange forexploitingyour customers?” Gwendolyn spat in the most polite way. “How very …Americanof you.”
The man’s face didn’t melt into hurt as she had expected. No, he appearedentertained,and it set Gwendolyn’s temper ablaze. The audacity of this rich asshole—
“When you remove the pesky capitalism from the equation—money in this case—is it really so bad? How can I exploit someone who has consented to the terms of our agreement?” he replied, stepping closer to her. “And exploiting is such aharshword. I’m not asking you for sex, Gwendolyn—”
Ablush warmed her face, quick and violent in its intensity. The anger bled into embarrassment, flustering her further.
“—I requireexplicitconsent in regards to that matter. All I’m asking is for one easy request. All you have to do is kiss me in exchange for that doll. It’s up to you whether you accept it or not. The ball is entirely in your court.”
Gwendolyn hated how she squirmed under his simple stare. His words buzzed in her ear, a tempting offer she was ashamed to admit appealed to her frugal nature. He wasn’t wrong in that regard. The doll had been a dream Gwendolyn never thought she’d come close to. A dream that was only a kiss away from coming true … but was it worth it? Even if she could dismiss all the red flags, there was no guarantee the man would even give her the doll…
I want that doll, a determined part of herself demanded.
“You said it was a trial basis…” Gwendolyn swallowed hard. “What would the terms be?”
“That is the question, isn’t it?” The man smiled, shifting out of her space. “Hmm … ah, I know. In exchange for a kiss—in whichyoukiss me, let me make that perfectly clear—I’ll let you take that doll home for a week—”
“A week?!” she exclaimed, as that was hardly any time at all.
“—and before the week is out, I want you to bring it back to my shop, but different than how it looks now.”
Gwendolyn frowned, “Different?”
“You’re an artist, aren’t you?” he gestured toward her right hand. “Though you don’t show it in more obvious ways, I did notice the small bump on your middle finger. You hold your tools tightly, with control, which indicates a certain amount of concentration.”
How on earth did he notice that?
Gwendolyn’s finger brushed the mentioned bump before she could stop herself.
“I don’t believe for a second you want that doll simply to own it,” the man went on with a twirl of his cane, something he did with the same ease as his little card trick. “No, you want it because you want to make herbetter.”
Gwendolyn couldn’t deny it as she stared at the doll. While it was extremely valuable as is, the artist in her couldn’t resist. There was so much potential in that doll because of the physical design. Gwendolyn could paint, sculpt, and replace everything until there was nothing original left ofMaddie Moxie,but that wasn’t the goal. Gwendolyn wanted to create something that elevated her. Something that not only captured Gwendolyn’s vision, but really challenged her capabilities.
The man must have seen her indecision as he stepped behind her. She could see him partially out of the corner of her vision. A shadow over her shoulder that leaned in close to her ear, hot breath raising goosebumps along her neck.
“Right now, she’s just a doll. But under your skilled hands?Oh, the potential! She could be anything you desire. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination … but that’ll never happen unless you sayyes.”
Gwendolyn bit her lip, eyes closing briefly to gather her wits. She felt too hot. The air was hot like she was in a sauna, and all she wanted to do was rip her heavy cardigan off. Her hands were clammy, the subtle ache of her knuckles burning. And yet…