My giggles notch up. “Don’t worry. I don’t think it will top the scale somehow.”
I wonder how much blood he’s wiping away from my skin as he works. My heart is thumping on a high, and I don’t actually give a shit. I’m still elated from my gig with the founders, and elated I didn’t use my safe word, and elated by fucking everything.
I’m helped back into my dress, slowly, grateful I chose my outfit wisely as soon as the fabric glides against my prickled skin. My pumps are easy to slip my feet into, thank God.
I’m ready for home, ready for bed, but most of all I’m ready for Josh. More than anything in the entire universe right now, I’m ready for Josh.
I need him so much it aches as bad as my tits.
I’m gripping onto my carer’s elbow, on my way to the door when we stop suddenly.
“One sec!” a voice sounds out, and it’s a woman’s voice. A voice I know so well that my jaw drops. OH MY FUCKING GOD! I want to rip my hood off, but even in my shocked state I wouldn’t be that stupid.
“Hey, Ella,” Orla says to me, and lays a hand on my arm. “Woah, you nailed it there, girl. I’ve seen some five star hardcorers in my time, but that was epic. Great work.”
“You were watching? Were you in there?! Seriously?”
“I sometimes have a performance viewing, to check out the hardcorers,” she says. “But I’m a spectator through the viewing pane on the balcony, not in the scene itself. I just wanted to say hello. Hello and well done. You were brilliant.”
I get a fresh round of giggles.
“Hello and thanks. That’s amazing. Seriously, it’s amazing.”
I’d want to talk to her for hours if my body wasn’t on the verge of collapsing.
“You’d better get going,” she says, and I don’t argue, because I can’t. Once my fading adrenaline wears off, I’m going to be screwed.
“Just a couple of things first, though,” she says. “One is that we’ve rescheduled your calendar to give you recovery time, as we did last time. Nobody will be complaining, and you’ll be reimbursed for every job.”
“You don’t need to –”
“Stop,” she says. “Don’t even think about protesting. It’s standard.” She pauses. “What isn’t so standard is that we’ve done the same for Josh’s calendar, so he can support your recovery. We alerted him earlier, and he was very happy for the consideration.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. Just, um…” I sound so ditzy. “Thanks! Thank you!”
“Oh, and the other thing,” Orla says. “Your recovery period won’t be in a random townhouse Airbnb, Ella, not this time.”
I get a different kind of shiver up my back.
“What do you mean?”
I know she’s smiling. I can feel it. I just wish I could see it.
“You’re going home to Belgravia tonight, sweets. I spoke to Josh earlier, once the founders ruled that it would be entirely safe for you to do so.”
“I’m going where?! What?” My tears well up again to an entirely different tune. “I’m going home?”
“Yeah, you are. Josh has packed up your things. He’s waiting for you back in Belgravia.”
Fuck the elbow I’m balancing on, I throw myself into her arms, pain be damned.
I sob like a baby as I thank her, and thank the founders, and thank whole damn Agency, and thank the good Lord above. Thewounds healing on the outside will be little more than scratches compared to the wounds that will be healing on the inside, once I get back home. They won’t even come close.
“Let me help you into the car,” my saviour says and all I can do is sob and sniffle as she walks me outside and eases me into the back seat.
“You’re amazing, Ella,” she says, and I giggle-sob at her words. “Enjoy your time off. You’ve earned it.”
The car door closes, and the driver takes me away. Away to what feels a whole new brilliant life awaiting. I’m hurting so bad, every bone, every muscle, every inch of bruised and battered flesh, but my tears are tears of joy as I cry, all the way…home.
