I hung up without another word, as one of the guys from the table spilling secrets got up and walked over to where I was. “Ms. Perkins.”
Glaring at him, I lifted an eyebrow.
“I was sorry to hear about Joel. He was a good man.”
I stood, dropped fifty in cash on the table for the bill, and grabbed Jackson’s portfolio and my purse. “He was. Too bad the men you work for killed him.”
Without waiting, I turned my back, and with my head held high, I walked off, nodding to the server as I headed out the door.
Chapter 3
Memoriesfloodedmymindas I took in what used to be my father's bedroom, which was now empty, down to the walls. I could still envision him making his bed, holding me as I’d cried when my heart had first been broken by Johnny Wilcox in sixth grade, and each subsequent heartbreak after that. Tears blurred my vision as I inhaled deeply, letting the sweet tobacco scent envelop me like one of his hugs. Eventually, I turned and made my way down the hallway, my bare feet barely lifting off the grey hardwood that had been put in only five years ago.
“Ma’am?” I looked up to the end of the hallway and saw the donation company driver smiling at me. “Is there anything else you need for us to load up?”
Stepping into the living room, I looked around at the couch, coffee table, and Dad’s recliner. The La-Z-Boy was beyond any help, but I couldn’t haul it off to the dump yet. When I’d suggested my father replace it, he would just grumble and say it had finally been broken in. “No. I think that’s it, if you got the boxes from the kitchen.”
“We did. The house is empty except for what's in the living room.”
“Thank you. Do you need me to sign anything?”
He gave me a big smile. “No, ma’am. You already completed the necessary paperwork. We do appreciate your donation.”
I nodded, and a tear slipped down my cheek. “I’m glad something good can come out of this.”
He turned and headed out as I sat down on the couch, when my phone alert went off for the Lounge’s app. I smirked when I saw Jacob’s message.
Boi: Lady E, I will be ready in room 2156 as instructed.
Lady E: Good Boi. Be on your knees when I arrive.
Boi: Yes, Lady E.
Tossing my phone into my purse, I sighed, tilting my head back onto the soft brown leather. I couldn’t wait to get it into my townhouse. My old couch was wearing out, and Dad had only bought this one a year ago. Staring across the room, I chuckled as I remembered telling him how I was paying my bills.
“Darling, as long as you’re safe, you can do what you want with your body.”
“Dad, I don’t actually have penetrative sex with them if I don’t want to. It’s the empowerment. For two of my clients, it is all about letting someone else have control over an aspect of theirlife. Obviously, I can’t tell you who, but I have a few really high-profile clients who pay me a lot of money for what I do. There is one that made me sign a lot of NDAs when I agreed.”
He tilted head as he leaned forward. “When you agreed?”
“Yeah.” I smiled at him. The line of worry between his eyes was always a giveaway to how he was truly feeling. “I meet with the potential client, and if I like them and they like me, we have a trial session with pre-outlined boundaries. One I always have is that they can’t touch me without express consent. It’s written into the contracts I have with each of them.”
“So, he just walks away with blue balls?”
I laughed. “Sometimes. Other times I let him or her masturbate before me.”
“Well, alright then.”
Dad hadn’t seemed to mind, but he would still check in on me on occasion. One time, I’d had a bit of a domme drop, the sudden release of emotions after a hard session, and he’d come over to take care of me. Never questioned anything.
A knock pulled me from the memory and had me groaning. Getting up, I answered the door to find Don Azzaro there.
“What do you want?” I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorjamb.
The man had his long, curly, dark hair pulled back, and while he had a wide smile on his face, there was nothing warm or friendly about his dark eyes. “Is that any way to greet a future business partner?”
I huffed. “That’s with your son. Not you.” After we’d sat down with the attorney, I’d found I had more money than I knew what to do with. I had known my father was well off but had no idea he’d possessed such wealth. Even as I cleaned out the house, I didn’t see any sign of it other than a couple custom-tailored suits in the closet. The man had lived a humble, loving life in private.
