“Is that for me?” June asked.
Miquela handed her the red rose, freshly picked up from the florist on the corner of her street back in the city. “Yes. Forgiveme for something so simple. I don’t know you well enough to gauge your tastes quite yet.”
June grinned, snatching the thorny stem from Miquela’s hand. “I love roses. You know, a girl loves jewelry and lingerie and all that, but flowers feel a lot more personal. Thank you.”
“They’re also temporary,” Miquela said, hands in pockets as she walked with her through the main hall. June began her ascent up the grand staircase, and Miquela followed, only one step behind.Are we going to her room already?Things must have been really busy to have no room to hang out elsewhere. Miquela wanted a casual chat before getting down to business.
Why? She supposed it had to do with a lack of companionship since her move. Like Aimee, Miquela didn’t have much chance to get to know people outside of business. June was as good as anyone when it came to socializing… and other things.
“Sometimes, temporary is best,” June agreed, taking her time up the stairs. Her ass swayed with every movement, the fine material of her sweater dress hugging her curves. “I get a lot of trinkets, Ms. Bolivar. Some of them I enjoy, but most of them go into boxes and take up space. Flowers are beautiful and don’t accumulate. You throw them out when they’re done.”
She said it so dreamily, yet her words stung. “They’re also a lot cheaper than a diamond tennis bracelet. Which I’m sure you have plenty of.” Miquela nodded to her bangles.
“These things?” June waited for her at the top of the stairs, holding up her hand so the chandelier reflected off gold and jade. “These are from my patron. He knows my tastes well.”
“Ah…” Monique had said something about the Manoir’s patron system. Miquela had heard of it elsewhere, but she never thought much about it. Being a woman’s patron wouldn’t be so bad. Throw money at her so she could live comfortably and then have her whenever one wanted. Appointments still necessary, because this was an organized business, but no other could haveher without say so.Maybe that’s too much power for a woman who isn’t my girlfriend.“He’s a lucky man, your patron.”
June leaned against the railing, rose petals touching the sides of her breasts. She was so enticing that Miquela had to ball her hands into fists to keep from touching her before it was time. “He’s also a rich man,” June said with a sigh. “I’m expensive to keep, you know.”
“I’m sure. You know your worth, June.”
“Indeed, I do.” Her grin was more flirtatious than serious.I love her smile. It was always so genuine, and when she did employ facetiousness, there was still humor behind it. Truly, a woman who loved what she did. “My retainer is the highest here at the Manoir.”
“I’m sure it is.” Miquela thought about asking how much it was. A million a year was more than worth it. She suspected it was actually higher than that.A woman making that much money… she could retire whenever she wants.So, why hadn’t she? Miquela didn’t know of many women who thought of this career as anything but temporary, even if they liked it.
“So!” The way June changed subjects was as natural as those breasts taunting Miquela in her sweater dress. Bras truly were a waste on her. “Where shall we go, Miquela? I’m afraid the best rooms are already reserved tonight.” She looked across the hall. “Balcony? It’s a nice night, and it should be quiet. Do you want a drink?”
She asked for a scotch and for June to get whatever she wanted, on Miquela’s tab. June got herself a scotch as well before joining Miquela on the balcony overlooking the rear grounds.
“You’re right. It is nice out here.” A spring night usually meant cold, but that day had been so warm that the night wasn’t too bad yet. It helped that there was no breeze, and everything was as still as the voices between them. One other pair occupied thelarge balcony with them: a young woman in a black dress and a half-intoxicated businessman playing with a telescope. Every time the woman squealed in excitement, the other laughed. They seemed to have a buoyant relationship. “We’re not the only ones who think so.”
“That’s Yvette and her patron. She’s really into astronomy and astrology. Tell her your birthday, and she’ll give you the 411. Unless you’re a Cancer. Then she won’t talk to you.”
“Let me guess…” Miquela sampled her drink. “You’re a Cancer?”
Her grin grew. “No. You?”
“I think I’m a Leo. Or a Virgo. I was born in August, either way.” Miquela shrugged. “Never took much stock in it.”
“We all have our hobbies.”
“What are yours?”
“I should be asking you that.”
“I asked first.”
June gazed at the large maze growing in the backyard. Carefully groomed hedges created walls taller than a woman, and even in the dark, Miquela saw stone benches and tiny fountains in this corner and that dead end. The center hosted the largest fountain at the Manoir. The whole thing was devoid of life, save for perhaps a few insects. Sconces provided illumination, but most of the light came from the full moon above them. No wonder the lovebirds on the other side of the balcony were playing with a telescope. The night sky hadn’t been this clear in a while.
“I like to read,” June said. “I suppose that’s what everyone says.”
“Just reading?”
“I like traveling and shopping. Not much opportunity for that up here, though.”
“You don’t get to leave?”
June laughed. “We can leave whenever we want, as long as we don’t have work to do, but we’re so far removed from civilization, and none of us has a car. We rely on our patrons taking us out or Monique letting us borrow one of her cars. Anyway… my only other real hobby is sex.” Her eyes were cool in Miquela’s direction.
