“I need to leave; I can’t be in Le Jardin tonight. I’m sorry to do this to you at the last minute,” she sniffs.
“It’s fine, but what happened?”
“I saw someone I know, and he can’t see me naked on stage or know that I work here.” Desperation lingers in her words. On occasion, a goddesses’ real life intersects with her work at Eden when someone they know unexpectedly appears. Sometimes it’s an ex-boyfriend, other times a work colleague or boss, or even a father, as was the case one time, which still makes me cringe. Regardless of who it is, it’s always a shock for the goddess. It’s not a pleasant experience when their two worlds collide.
“I completely understand. I’ll take care of it.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
“No problem at all,” I reassure her. While it does disrupt the numbers for Le Jardin tonight, offering a complimentary month on their membership should help smooth things over with the disappointed gentleman. The ten men booked into Le Jardin are assigned a random number when they register to indicate the order in which they will select their goddess. The women present themselves on stage, naked and in a traditional submissive pose, allowing the clients to view and make their selection. Unfortunately, it’s too late to find a replacement goddess for tonight, so whoever was assigned number ten will have to be cut.
“Here,” I say, retrieving a business card from my desk drawer and handing it to Violet. “This is the number of a therapist. She’s excellent at what she does and she’s sex worker-friendly. I recommend that every sex worker see a counselor. It’s a lot to process when clients emotionally unload on you. Plus, she can help with your personal relationships.” Violet nods, eyes glued to the card. “Seeing someone from your real life in a setting like this can be unsettling and having a professional to talk to will make a difference. Of course, my door is always open, but I’m not a trained therapist. I can’t provide the same level of help as she can.”
She offers me a small smile, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Any opportunity I have to suggest someone see a therapist, whether they’re a sex worker or not, I take it. Everyone has demons to face and traumas to work through, regardless of their past. Some are just more complex than others.
“I’ll give her a call, thank you.”
“See you next week?”
“Yes, I’ll be here,” she breathes out. “Thank you, Hailee. I really do appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Violet slips out and I quickly look up unlucky number ten on my computer, the gentleman who unfortunately misses out tonight. My eyebrows shoot up when I see the name. At least it will make him easy to spot.
Heading into the main lounge, I scan the crowd for Carter Ashford, the lead singer of Pulse. The place is alive and pumping: every seat at the bar is taken and the plush red couches are occupied with well-dressed patrons. Soft lighting casts an intimate glow across the black, gold and deep red décor.
I spot Madame Sophia gracefully making her rounds, talking and flirting with the clientele. My eyes instinctively seek out Dameon and find him sitting at the bar, casually sipping his whiskey. His eyes heat when they land on mine, and I unconsciously lick my lips, the lingering taste of our encounter exploding across my tongue. A rush of desire floods my veins, causing my core to clench and the remnants of his release to slowly drip out of me. I rub my thighs together, spreading the wetness as I search for Carter amid the crowd.
Fortunately, I spot him sitting alone. I half expected him to be surrounded by his entourage, or at least his band members. On my way across the room, I pass Chloe, who’s perched on a client’s lap, her eyes closed and lips slightly parted. The man’s hand is buried under her dress, moving slowly back and forth. Suppressing a grin, I continue on my way. One of the rules is that no sexual activity should occur in the lounge, but I’m certainly not going to stop them. He’s hot, and she seems to be enjoying herself. Good for her.
As I approach Mr. Ashford, I instantly understand why women are drawn to him; he has an undeniable magnetism. Of course, being insanely good-looking doesn’t hurt either. After introducing myself and explaining that one of our goddesses has gone home sick, I offer a complimentary month on his membership for the inconvenience. He takes it in his stride and graciously accepts. Given his fame, I’m a little surprised he didn’t cause more of a scene. I call over Blaire, another goddess, to serve him for the evening, informing her that everything is on the house tonight. As Blaire kneels before him to serve, his eyes light up.
With the crisis averted, I check in with the operations manager and realize it’s time for the announcement.
Stepping onto the stage, my gaze once again drifts to Dameon. I take hold of the microphone, ready to kick off the proceedings. “Welcome to Le Jardin, gentlemen. If you’re participating tonight, you’ve already received your number. We’ve kept you waiting long enough; it’s time to commence your selection.”
Chapter twenty
Hailee
Hotwaterrainsdownon me. Pressing my back against the cool tiles, the tension in my muscles begin to melt away. With a gentle roll of my head, I stretch out the knots in my neck, exhaling a sigh of relief. It’s good to be back at Eden, though I’ve been reminded just how hectic it can be. My muscles certainly didn’t forget.
Just as I start to sink into a moment of peace, the bedroom phone trills, piercing the silence and jarring me back to reality.
I quickly wrap a towel around my head and another around my body, dashing out of the bathroom to answer it before it falls silent. With wet feet, I almost lose my balance as I turn the corner but manage to catch myself just in time. The last thing I need is to earn another punishment.
“Hello,” I answer breathlessly.
“Hailee dear, it’s Kevin,” comes the familiar and soothing voice on the other end.
“Hey Kev, what’s up?”
“I have a gentleman here, Jacob Barlowe.” A vague memory of Jacob at the charity ball my stepfather dragged me to floods back. An easy smile and perfect white teeth.
“Dameon’s not here, unfortunately.”
“He’s inquiring after you, ma’am.”
