3
Elena
“You pretended not to know who Alex Chase was?!” Ophelia cackled like a villainess.
Her signature cackle always made me smile, which was happening a lot as I described my unexpected encounter from the previous evening while we got ready for a double session in the dressing room of The Key Club.
“Well, what was I supposed to do? Ask him for a selfie?”
“No, no… It was a great move. I don’t know what I would have done to even the field—probably told him he was shitty inTides of War.”
“Wasn’t that one good?”
“Yeah, exactly. But he’s gotta be used to criticism. Playing it like you didn’t know who he was is epic.”
Compliments from Ophelia always made me giddy. She tolerated no bullshit, which included bullshit compliments.
Her mother had come to the US from China when she was pregnant with her, so Ophelia had been born and raised in America. One of my favorite games was to watch her mercilessly destroy the idiots who asked where she was from. She knew they were ignorantly trying to ask “what kind of Asian” she was, but she played dumb until it got so awkward the other person crumbled.
Her hair was black like mine, but she kept it in a stylish bob that made her look flirty and innocent. She was neither.
“Did his lawyer send you the paperwork he said he would after our call?” I zipped my platform thigh-high boots and stood to lace my corset. I was well past making rookie mistakes like lacing my corsetbeforezipping my boots.
“Yeah, I haven’t dug in yet, but it’s meticulously spelled out from what I’ve seen so far. Clean bill of health. Straightforward language in the agreement. His attorney is kind of giving me a lawyer boner. I’ve never done a contract relationship quite like this before, but have been training for this day my whole life by reading anonymous celebrity gossip forums. Can I put a clause in there that says he can’t lose his six-pack?”
“Is that a thing?” I asked. “That can’t be a thing.”
I didn’t need to be thinking about his six-pack. Nor did I need to acknowledge how much time I’daccidentallyspent looking at it when I’d searched him online earlier.
I didn’t get the answer from Ophelia because Victoria walked into the room and stood behind us, raising an eyebrow expectantly. In a long gown, with straight, ice blonde hair, she reminded me of a cross between a valkyrie and Morticia Addams.
I’d had the hots for her since the first time I’d laid eyes on her, but the feeling had never been reciprocated. When I was a brand new submissive just learning the ropes, I’d followed her around like a besotted puppy, wanting only to be more like her and possibly to fuck her stupid.
As I grew in skill and confidence, I stopped worshipping her and got over my crush. Now she was just my hot boss.
She leaned against the wall. “Aren’t you going to thank me?”
“Ummm, how about thanks for the fucking heads-up?”
Ophelia cackled delightedly. Victoria simply said, “You know you would’ve said no if I’d asked ahead of time. We wanted Alex Chase to show up in person and dazzle you. It seems you’re the one who did the dazzling if he wants you for a whole month.”
“Dazzle me? That arrogant dick is almost the reason I said no. How am I supposed to ‘date’ that?”
I turned to Ophelia. “Can we include a clause that says he’s not allowed to talk?”
“Just. Be. Pretty.” She pretended to spell out, then held her phone up with a picture of him that was supposedly from last night. The caption explained it was him with a beauty influencer, whatever the hell that meant, named Alicia, who was kissing him on the cheek. She was cute.
Ophelia cackled. “Hashtag total fuckboy…”
What did I care if he was getting ass when it was offered? I’d probably take Alicia the beauty influencer home too. But I couldn’t help wondering if it had been taken before or after he’d asked to fake date me. If he couldn't lock it down for one night, was he even going to be able to pretend to be faithful to our relationship or did I need to worry about being humiliated by a cheating scandal with my soon-to-be fake boyfriend on top of everything else?
“And what’s with the ‘we’?” I asked Victoria, “Who are you conspiring against me with?”
“His team. If you go public like this, it’ll put The Key Club in the spotlight too. I’m working on a deal to capitalize on that.”
Of course she had her own angle, shrewd businesswoman that she was.
In spite of our awkward past, I respected the hell out of her. She’d inherited The Key Club from the previous owner right after I started and had completely revamped and reenergized the business. She’d worked wonders bringing in high-end clients, somehow getting the word out to the uppermost echelons of society that there was no shame in their fantasies.
