A car honked from outside and Terrance whistled when he opened the door to see the same sleek black car that had dropped Jasper off the past two weekends. “Who knew what you were really looking for was a sugar daddy?” he teased.
Jasper flushed and elbowed Terrance on his way past. “Very funny.”
Terrance laughed. “Call if you’re not coming home tonight!”
Jasper waved over his shoulder and climbed into the back seat. He tugged at the button-up collared shirt he’d dug out from the back of his closet. He didn’t have many clothes that weren’t old andfaded or didn’t have holes, but he did at least have one nice black shirt he hardly ever wore. Most of his wardrobe consisted of things he’d picked up from Goodwill or discount racks.
When the car stopped in front of a fancy restaurant, the driver opened his door. Jasper swallowed his nerves and climbed out, hoping he wasn’t too underdressed in his khakis.
Once inside, he followed a host to the back of the restaurant, where Vincent had apparently reserved a private little room for them. “How richareyou?” he asked when the partition slid shut behind him.
Vincent looked up from his phone. “Does it matter?” he asked, pointing to the chair across from him.
Jasper shrugged and pulled his list from his pocket. He sat and handed it to Vincent. As Vincent read it, he struggled not to fidget.
“Which one of them helped you put this together?”
“Keith,” Jasper answered, picking up the menu to give his hands something to do. He stared at it a moment in confusion. Nothing had prices listed. And the menu was broken down into courses, with only a few options on each one.
“Good. He’s usually the most sensible one,” Vincent said, setting the list aside. “Have you thought more about what you want?”
Jasper glanced at him over the top of his menu. “With being your pet?” He shifted in his seat when Vincent nodded, still not quite believing this was really happening. “Keith said you’d probably want a contract?”
Vincent nodded again, pulling an envelope out of his suit jacket. He set it beside his own plate when there was a light knock on the door.
A server came in to take their orders, and Jasper swallowed his impatience at the interruption. Once they were gone, Vincent handed the envelope over.
Jasper pulled out the folded paper, glad Keith had shown him an example contract or he’d have no idea what he was looking at.
As far as he could tell, it was a basic setup for a two-month agreement. Vincent agreed to provide anything necessary for their time together and to adhere to Jasper’s limits. In return he expected Jasper to use his safewords as needed and to never lie.
“Does this meanyoucan lie?” Jasper asked with a frown.
Vincent snorted softly. “Lying wouldn’t get me what I want.”
“What is it you want?”
“For now, you.”
Warmth spread through Jasper’s limbs, but he forced himself not to be distracted by it. “That’s not really an answer.”
Vincent chuckled. “Maybe not. I won’t know what else I want until I’ve had a chance to play with you more.”
Jasper carefully folded the contract and slipped it into the envelope. “Can I have a couple days to think about it?”
“You don’t trust me?” Vincent asked, though Jasper suspected that was another test.
“No, I do,” Jasper murmured. “But I still want to talk to Keith and Amber and make sure I’m making the right decision.”
“You’re more pragmatic than I thought.”
Jasper straightened in his seat with a glare. “I’m not stupid.”
“I didn’t say you were. And I didn’t say it was a bad thing either,” Vincent replied. “The more mindful you are, the easier my job is.”
Jasper snorted. “Like it’s so hard to get someone off?”
Vincent raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting in a way Jasper swore cooled the room a few degrees. “You think it’s easy?” he asked, propping his chin on his fist and absently turning his glass with his other hand. “If I’d refused to continue the scene when you safeworded, would you have come back?”
