Chapter 5
5
A couple of weeks ago, my friend Poppy was selected as the partner to a new administrator named Cliff. He’s one of the legal administrators—there are several of them—and initially I liked him merely because he had the good sense to choose Poppy.
But as the days pass, I’m growing less impressed by his nature and his behavior. I’ve seen him speak and interact in public meetings, and I’ve heard what Poppy has told me about him. She’s doing her best to see the good in him, but it’s quite clear to me that he’s selfish and inconsiderate and mean.
Poppy has started joining me on my walk every day, so we have a lot of time to catch up. The following morning, as we walk, she gets emotional but tries to hide it as she talks about how she needs to work on predicting Cliff’s needs better than she’s been doing.
“Gabriel always seems so calm and content,” Poppy says, sniffing a little as she holds back tears. “He never acts like he’s not pleased with you. Are you sure there’s no more advice you can give me?”
I’m upset now too. Poppy is trying so hard to do her job well, and she’s blaming herself for her failure. “I wish I could. But you’re doing everything I’ve ever done with Gabriel. In fact, you’re doing a lot more. I don’t think…”
“You don’t think what?”
I’m hesitant to even say it, but Poppy is hurting and there’s only one way to help her. We’re on our second circuit around the palace grounds, and no one else is around. But I lower my voice anyway. “Some people are never going to be happy no matter what you do.”
Poppy stops walking abruptly. Stares at me.
“I mean it. You’re doing things perfectly. You’re not the problem. He is.”
“Do you really think so?” She still sounds upset but also oddly hopeful.
I nod. “He’s not treating you right. He doesn’t have to fawn all over you and give you gifts and act like you’re special. There’s no reason to expect any of that. But he should treat you like a person and appreciate that you’re doing your best. He’s not doing even those basic things. That’s him messing things up. It’s not you.”
Poppy gives a little shudder and then takes my arm as she starts walking again. “It’s strange, but that makes me feel better. I’ve been secretly thinking something similar, but I was afraid to admit it because we’re not supposed to have that attitude toward our administrators.”
“I know. But you shouldn’t blame yourself for this. The problem is him. He’s not hitting you or anything, is he?”
She shakes her head. “No. Not really. Well, he’s kind of shaken me a few times. And pushed me away. And sometimes when he fucks me it hurts, but I figure that’s unavoidable. Mostly he’s just kind of mean and acts like everything I do is not good enough.” She lets out a long sigh. “I’m so jealous of you. I wish I had someone like Gabriel. He gives you everything you want while asking almost nothing from you.”
“Gabriel isn’t the norm, but neither is Cliff. Most administrators are somewhere in between. I wish you hadn’t gotten stuck with him. But let’s brainstorm a little. Maybe we can think of some strategies for dealing with him.”
We don’t come up with a brilliant master plan on the remainder of our walk, but we do agree on a few ideas that might help—including her offering him a special oil that’s ostensibly to heighten his pleasure, but the real purpose is to act as a lubricant to keep the fucking from hurting Poppy so much.
Feeling a little better, I walk upstairs with her after we’re done. We’re about to part ways when a man appears in the hallway. He’s average size with dark, greasy hair and a smarmy expression I’ve grown to strongly dislike.
Cliff.
“There you are,” he says, sounding annoyed. “Where have you been?”
“She was taking a walk with me like she always does in the mornings,” I say before Poppy can reply. “We’re allowed an hour every day to exercise.”
Intentionally I keep my voice charming and calm, but inside I want to scratch this man’s face off. Sweet little Poppy’s whole life now is about making him happy.
It feels wrong.
It just feels wrong .
“Who are you?” he asks, reaching up to hold my chin and peering at me like he’s inspecting cattle for purchase.
I gently pull myself out of his hand, resisting the urge to cringe in disgust. Gabriel is the only one allowed to touch me like that. “My name is Jess. I’m Gabriel’s partner.”
Cliff makes a face. “Oh. Yeah. I know him. You’re a hot little number. You should join us one night. You could help Poppy spice things up for me.”
It takes several seconds before I figure out what he’s saying. The wave of revulsion that follows the recognition almost makes me sick. “I would have to ask Gabriel for permission. He usually keeps me busy.”
The last sentence isn’t at all true, but it’s the only excuse I can think of at the moment.
The idea of a threesome that includes this abhorrent man is enough to nauseate me.
I glance at Poppy. She’s as dismayed as I am but not hiding it as well.
“Okay,” Cliff says with a lecherous expression. “Ask him. Maybe we can arrange something for tonight.”
He says the words like there’s no doubt that Gabriel will agree to the arrangement, but I have absolutely no idea how Gabriel will react.
Most administrators would want to be diplomatic and not make waves, so they would agree. But Gabriel is not like most of the others.
Cliff grips a handful of Poppy’s hair and uses the hold to push her toward their room down the hall. I don’t like the way he’s manhandling her.
I don’t like it at all.
When his back is to me, I snarl at him. Then I hurry back to Gabriel in our room.
He’s working at his desk—hardly a surprise—but he looks up when I enter.
“What’s wrong?” he asks before I can come up with a way to ease into what just happened.
“It’s nothing major. Just…” I hug my belly and shudder again as I relive Cliff’s hand on my face.
“It’s something.” Gabriel’s tone is clipped and cool, but his eyes are resting on my face like I’m a real person rather than an object. The difference between his and Cliff’s expressions is palpable. “Tell me what happened.”
“I was walking with Poppy. She’s Cliff’s?—”
“I know who Poppy is. She’s your friend you’ve been walking with. Are you both all right?”
“Yes, we’re all right. I mean…” I take a deep breath and settle my mind enough to speak more clearly. “We ran into Cliff as we were coming back. He wants… he wants me to join them.”
Gabriel frowns. “Join them for what?”
“ Join them.” I don’t know why I’m so hesitant to put it into words, but I am. “This evening.”
“For some sort of sex thing?”
I’m so relieved that he appears both shocked and offended that I make a silly sound that’s almost a giggle. “Yes. That’s what he wants.”
“But you’re my partner. He can’t just ask for you like that, can he?”
“He can ask. It’s sometimes done. But you’re the one who has to give permission.”
His features are still twisting slightly, like he’s working through instinctive reluctance. “Do you want to join them for a threesome?”
“It’s not about what I want. It’s your decision.”
“No. It’s absolutely not. It’s sex you’d be having, so it’s your decision.”
I swallow hard and search his face in an attempt to read what he’s thinking. “Okay. Well, honestly, I’d rather not do it. But I don’t want you to get the reputation for being hard to get along with. So maybe it’s?—”
“Okay. It’s done. You’re not doing it.” He’s still as clipped and professional as he normally is, even discussing this awkward topic.
I let out a rush of air with the relief that washes over me. “Thank you. I really don’t like Cliff at all, and even if I did, I’m not really into… I’m a one-person girl.”
There’s a flicker of feeling on his face that disappears so quickly I can’t quite name it. Maybe relief? Satisfaction? He murmurs, “Good.”
We stare at each other for a minute.
Then he asks in a different tone, “So do I need to talk to Cliff and tell him it’s a no-go?”
“That would make things easier as long as you don’t mind having the conversation. If I try to tell him, he might not want to accept it. He doesn’t…”
Gabriel frowns again. “He doesn’t what?”
“He doesn’t treat partners like real people.”
The words hang in the air for a fraught moment.
Then he asks, “Is Poppy all right?”
“I… I don’t know. She’s doing her best. She’s trying really hard to do her job and focus on our higher calling. But it’s hard when…” I stop talking when my throat tightens and a tear slips down my cheek.
“Okay,” Gabriel says, soft and slightly thick. “I understand. Let me work on it.”
“What?”
“Let me work on it. I’ll take care of it.”
“But what can you?—”
He arches his eyebrows. “I said I’ll work on it.”
It’s clear he’s going to address the situation, but there’s nothing he can possibly do to fix this. One administrator can’t interfere in the way another treats his own partner.
But it’s still nice he wants to help. I return to my window alcove and pull out my knitting, feeling a little bit better.
I have absolutely no idea what Gabriel did, but he must have done something. The next day, Poppy meets me for our walk, brimming with smiles.
She’s been swapped to one of the oldest administrators in the palace. He hasn’t chosen a new partner since his previous one died, and he’s no longer very interested in sex. He wants Poppy to snuggle with him before he sleeps at night, talk sweet to him, and bring him things when he needs them. And nothing else.
She’s so happy about the change she’s almost crying.
Cliff has been transferred out of the palace to work somewhere else in the Capital, so he no longer has a partner at all.
When I return after our walk and try to thank Gabriel for helping, he gives me a cool look. “I told you I’d take care of it.”
And that’s all he’s willing to say on the subject.