Chapter 9

While the masters were wildly enthusiastic over Emily’s perfect performance, the slave mothers back stage, were of two minds. One group wanted their daughters forget about trying to outdo the teen, believing the unwholesome contest could still be kept low key with a minimum amount of flashing if everybody agreed to keep that way.

A second group believed the scheme to cheat the masters out of full enjoyment of the contest had its merits, but contained a fatal flaw which made it far too risky. They pointed out that since the plan’s success rested on the unwritten gentlemen’s agreement that no more teens over-do it, it could fall apart the first time a mother, too worried about losing, urged her daughter to go all out. This maneuver would not only prove the downfall of earlier performers who had deliberately went with a so-so show, but forced the remaining contestants to up the ante if they wished to stay in the top half of the group.

Brianna didn’t know what to do. While she was willing to agree to keep her girls’ performances as weak as possible if everybody else did the same, she felt that that scheme left too much to chance, especially to her daughters who would be some of the earliest performers. Emma was due up next and Holly would follow two contestants later. In the end she rejected both ends of the scale and devised her own method of ending up in the winner’s group.

She gathered a jittery Emma and Holly around here and said. “I know Emily put an unbelievable show, but you don’t have to try and beat it, that’s almost impossible. Instead, just make sure you show enough to put you far ahead of Sue’s dismal score, while still staying close to Emily’s marks. If we do this properly, we should end up in the middle of the pack, and hopefully somewhere on the top half of it.”

Holly nodded in agreement but a look of doubt crossed her face. “You sure this is going to work mother? Shouldn’t we just go all out and flash those dirty old men way more than anybody else, just to make sure our scores are going to stay high enough to be a winner?”

Brianna smiled at her oldest daughter. “You could be right because it’s better to be safe than sorry, but if this works out like I think it should, you don’t have to do a whole lot of flashing for nothing.”

Holly groused. “What difference does it make if we’re going to have to entertain one of the masters tonight anyway? Aren’t they going to be able to see everything and do anything they want with us anyway?”

Brianna was still thinking about a response to Holly’s observation, but ran out of time. The host was announcing that Emma was up next, which made the innocent teen start to whine and complain. “I don’t really want to do this.”

“You’re right, none of us do, but we have to, or it’s the punishment room,” Brianna reminded her reluctant daughter and gave her an encouraging smile before she parted the curtain and stepped on the stage.

A totally petrified Emma stood rooted to the floor, staring into the bright lights amid the loud cheers from the audience. She tried to force herself to keep moving, but couldn’t. The instant Willoughby noticed how frightened the wide eyed teen was, he realized she needed some help and encouragement or her act might not happen at all. Instead of merely urging her to come forward like he did the other contestants, he took a few steps back towards the girl, gently took her hand and led her up to the front of the stage.