You and I, I thought, we’re bonded.
I poured the coffee into her mug, then mine. I watched the way her hands went to the hem of her shirt, rolling and unrolling it, not fidgeting so much as taking stock of what was still hers to control.
I said, “Morning.”
She nodded. “Morning. Daddy.”
My heart pounded in my chest. She’d never called me that before, and I hadn’t been ready for it. I felt something expand in me, something voracious and huge.
I set her mug on the table, then took mine and leaned against the counter. The rules from last night hung between us, unspoken but present. She didn’t reach for her phone, didn’t ask what was next, didn’t test me—not yet.
I said, “Did you eat?”
She shook her head. “Was waiting for you.”
I was glad.
“Good girl.”
I saw a hint of a smile on her lips. I went to the fridge, cracked three eggs into the pan, let the whites go milky before adding the spinach. I used the spatula with my bad hand, just to see if it would twitch. It didn’t.
While it cooked, I watched her. She watched me. The air felt loaded, even with nothing happening.
“You sleep well, Baby?” I asked.
“Mmhmm. Like a little angel.” But the look she gave me was anything but angelic.
I plated the eggs and set them on the table. I cut two slices of bread, toasted them, buttered one side. I set everything out in front of her, then sat across and watched her eat.
She ate fast, the way you did when food was a transaction. Bite, chew, swallow, repeat. I didn’t say anything until she slowed down, until I saw the tension leave her shoulders. Then I said, “Today, the rules are clear. Water every three hours. Three meals. You don’t leave the apartment unless you clear it with me. If you need air, we use the terrace. If you want to work, you can, but you check in every two hours. If you don’t, I come find you. Understand?”
She nodded. There was a calm in it, but not a limp kind. She wanted the rules. She was already mapping out how to bend them.
I watched her mouth as she chewed. It wasn’t supposed to be a turn-on, but everything she did this morning was, even the way she ran her tongue along her top teeth after she swallowed.
I said, “When you’re done, go get ready for the day. I left clothes on the bed.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You picked for me?”
“Yes. I want to see you in the blue.”
She didn’t argue. She just finished her coffee, then stood up and carried her plate to the sink. She rinsed it, set it in the rack, then turned.
She hesitated in the doorway, like she wanted to say something. When she did, it was quiet but not fragile.
“I was thinking about you all night,” she said.
I tried to play it cool. “Anything good?”
She smiled, but it was edged. “All good. Mostly about how much I want to fuck you.”
The words landed hot in my chest. I didn’t move. I didn’t even look away. I just let it burn.
I said, “You know I own that now.”
She tilted her head. “Own what?”
“Your pleasure. It’s in the contract. You remember.”
