Episode 1 #3
A hand rested on his head and turned him so that his face met air. “Collin, do you know what power exchange is?”
“Yes, sir. I mean, a little, sir. But you’re married, sir. And I shouldn’t be here. I would never?—”
“My husband is sitting on a chair, near the door, watching us, Collin. One could hardly say that you are tempting me into untoward dalliances.”
Collin shivered and forced his eyes open. Mr. Moreau was sitting on a white chair, a book in his hand, near the door. He nodded at Collin and looked back down at his page.
“Power exchange is not, in and of itself, sexual, Collin. It can be. And I will not lie to you. I am sexual with men other than émeric, as he well knows. He also consorts with those other than myself. All known to me. That is not what I am speaking to you of in this moment. Earlier, when you wanted me to hold you so you couldn’t move and it gave you rest—that was power exchange. ”
“It might work, for a moment, sir, but what about tomorrow or the day after? What about when I need to pay bills or pass my tests? It’s not that I don’t trust you, but…you don’t have the problems I have, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth’s hands threaded through Collin’s hair.
Tears, undesired, crept into Collin’s eyes.
“You want me to rest, sir. Damian wants me to rest. Mr. Moreau wants me to rest. That’s all well and good, sir.
But people like me don’t get to rest. We don’t get to get sick. That’s not how the world works.”
“I haven’t forgotten how your world works.
” Mr. Reevesworth sighed, and Mr. Moreau looked up and seemed to meet his husband’s eyes over Collin’s head.
“I wasn’t born to my station. Today is Sunday.
Monday, Ellisandre will reach out to your professors.
Likely you will have an extension on all your classes.
The doctor has already provided you with a letter of medical recommendation.
The bar where you work was contacted two hours ago.
They won’t pay you for shifts missed, but your job will still be there when you return, if you return.
“Rent.”
“You likely earned enough Saturday alone to cover most of the rent on your space.”
“You’re still paying me?”
“Technically, my sister is still paying you.”
Collin pushed himself up. His head spun. Mr. Reevesworth caught him by the shoulders.
Collin forced his head to lift so he could look Mr. Reevesworth in the eyes. “Isn’t she letting me go?”
“Why would she?”
“I was out of line, sir.”
“Collin, having you naked and limp on the floor only concerned me because of the amount of blood that was collecting around your body.”
“Sir.” Collin put his hand to his head. It throbbed, but this had to be said. “Sir, one is not supposed to be naked in public.”
Mr. Reevesworth shook his head. “I do believe you had reason to believe you had privacy. Were you stripping to be lewd?”
“Lewd? No, sir! I?—”
“You were stripping because you were distressed with the state of your clothes. Because you were wet, and tired, and you had not eaten and drank enough. We will be discussing the reasons you reached that semi-incapacitated state when you are more well. But no, Collin. You are not being fired. You will be paid.”
Collin’s arm buckled. Mr. Reevesworth caught him and turned him, putting Collin’s back against his chest and pulling the covers up around him. He held him with one arm around his chest and soothed his head with his other hand.
“You’re shaking, Collin.”
“I don’t think this can be real, sir.”
“It’s real, Collin.”
“I don’t think I can accept that it is, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth lifted his leg and drew Collin down under it, pinning him to the mattress. Collin’s cheek rested on the sheet, his face pressed against Mr. Reevesworth’s other leg, the top of his head nestled practically against the man’s loins.
Mr. Reevesworth put his hand on Collin’s face, blocking most of the light. There was nothing in Collin’s senses now except for Mr. Reevesworth’s warmth, the weight of his thigh on Collin’s back and shoulder, the blankets, and the smell of the man’s hands.
“Settle, Collin.”
Collin woke Monday morning to the flick of a tail and a purr. He reached up, swiping at whatever was up against his face and met supple muscle and slender limbs.
“Artemis, that is exactly where you were not supposed to go.”
Collin peered through his sleep-encrusted eyes. Damian stood in the doorway, arms folded, staring at Collin’s chest.
Collin’s chest that was currently supporting a small black feline.
“Is this Artemis?”
Damian nodded and sauntered to the bed, disapproving eyes on the cat. She hissed and dug her claws into the blanket. “You’re not allergic, are you?”
“Allergic? No. I love animals. All of them.”
“Well, this one is the most recalcitrant beast you will ever meet.” Damian reached down and picked up the small black bundle. “Though this morning, you come right after.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Remember the rule. You’re to address everyone here as sir. Except Artemis. I’m fairly certain the only address she will accept is her highness.”
The cat headbutted his chest.
Collin pinched himself under the cover. Still not waking up. And supposedly, he’d just done that. So whatever this was, it was real for the moment. And if they wanted him to address everyone as sir, he could do that. They were both formal and informal in the most confusing way. “Good morning, sir.”
Damian grinned. “Good morning, Collin. I’ll be your caretaker today until about one this afternoon, at which time Mr. Reevesworth will return and work from home.”
Collin flushed. “I really don’t understand, D—sir, why you’re all doing this. It’s like each thing you’re doing I’m going deeper and deeper down a hole, and I can’t, I’m not…there’s nothing…”
Damian released the cat onto the bed. It promptly jumped onto Collin’s lap, cutting off speech.
“What this is, Collin, is a chance. It’s not my place to explain. Like I told you by the river, if you accept Mr. Reevesworth’s offer, it will cost you your pride, your dignity, your secrets, your time, and the luxury of hiding from your fears and your rage.”
“I don’t think my pride and my dignity are worth much right now…sir.”
Damian shook his head. “If you think passing out naked in the office break room is the lowest you can go, you have a lot to learn.”
“He held me down.” It came out in a rush. If it hadn’t been for the cat on his lap, he might not have said it at all.
“Collin, if you stay in The Residency, there will be a lot more than being held down. I told you they will take you apart and put you back together again.”
“I shouldn’t—” Collin stroked the cat. “I’m confused. I shouldn’t…”
Damian approached the bed. He slid his hand up the back of Collin’s neck and grasped a handful of his hair.
Collin stilled. His skin prickled. His breath stopped. Pressure drew his head back, degree by degree, until he was bent backward, staring up at Damian.
“Do you feel better now, Collin, like this, than you did a moment ago, trying to find words?”
Did he? Collin’s thoughts skittered across his consciousness. His body grew heavy. His hands fell loose at his sides. Even his eyes were getting heavy. Just the power of Damian’s grip was making him release and relax.
“I feel better. But I don’t know if I won’t hate myself later.
If I won’t—I don’t know if I’ll be able to pick up the pieces.
Like if you fly from Australia in December to here, you’d be cold, all the time after being in the warmth.
But you’d know if it was summer in Australia, and each time you were cold, you’d remember how warm it was somewhere else, and maybe, maybe you’d hate the cold. ”
Damian’s eyes softened. He let go of Collin’s hair and let him rest on the pillows. “You’re cautious, and you plan ahead. Those are good traits. But you spend so much time in the future you don’t really live right now, do you?”
“Why would I want to?”
“Because in the end, right now is all we have?”
Collin looked away. “Damian, sir, I didn’t want the right now. Until maybe yesterday. And some of Saturday.”
“Which parts of Saturday?”
“The research for Ellisandre. I enjoyed that. I forgot about everything else. Even worked late. I mean, I forgot to eat, but it felt good. Like I was in the moment.”
“And yesterday?”
Collin rubbed his face. “Yesterday…yesterday, they made it quiet and warm. It’s been forever since it’s been quiet and warm.”
Damian patted Collin on the shoulder. “I think you have a lot more of those Saturdays in your future. Time to shower. Then eat. I’ll even let you sit in a chair for breakfast.”
Damian poured Collin back into the bed on clean sheets after the meal.
How he was so tired, Collin did not understand.
He’d been in bed for ages, but freshly showered and with a belly full of waffles, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit, he couldn’t seem to keep his eyes open.
He passed out, starfished under the sheets, one arm wrapped around Artemis.
“Do you think we should call the doctor?” That was Damian’s voice in the hall, filtering into Collin’s dreams. “He’s been asleep for hours.”
“I already did. Diagnosis is long-term exhaustion, dehydration, lack of nutrition. When a body suddenly is offered sufficiently nutrient-rich food, rest, and security, this is exactly what can be expected, especially when brought short by an injury like a concussion.”
“A full stop.” Damian sighed heavily. “He’s scared, you know.”
“Of what?”
“That he’ll get used to this and not be able to go back.”
“Thank you for letting me know. Tell me about the San Jose-Singapore deal. What’s the update?”
Their footsteps receded. Collin slipped back under to full sleep.
Collin only came to full wakefulness sometime in the late afternoon. Artemis had abandoned him, but there was a note beside the bed.
Ring the bell when you wake.
—Reevesworth