Chapter 11 #2
She takes a long breath, blows it out, and Damon lays his hand on her arm.
“Answer truthfully. If the answer is ‘no’, I’m sure Gilby will handle it well.
And if you’re fond of him, but not quite in love, you must tell us so we can manage the situation appropriately.
But we need the truth here so we can move forward one way or another. ”
She’s chewing on her plush lower lip, and my blood is fucking racing in my veins. Finally she looks up, and I can see from her solid gaze that she is not the slave at this moment. She says, her French accent stronger than I’ve heard it in years, “Yes, I love him. I have always loved him.”
I feel like I could fucking explode, and all I want is to take her in my arms, but I can’t. Not right now.
Fuck.
This sure as hell was not meant to be a romantic moment, but the girl just said she loves me.
Christopher slaps his thigh. “Ha! I fucking knew it.” He lets out a low chuckle. “And you owe me ten grand, Damon.”
“You’ll have it tomorrow,” Damon says, smiling fondly at him, and I can see the love in his eyes. “But this means we can continue the conversation. Gilby, we have two options for the two of you. Option one is to let you both go to do as you would in the world.”
Giselle takes in a sharp breath, and I’ve no idea what she’s thinking; if she’s frightened or excited.
Hell, I’ve no idea how I feel about it myself.
Am I really prepared for such a huge shift in my life, in our lives?
I realize with sudden, blinding clarity that I’m every bit as used to our strange existence as Giselle is.
“Or,” Christopher says, “you can both stay on at The Training House in your current roles, but with a few small changes.”
What is he getting at? I keep my mouth shut and wait for one of them to explain.
“I can see you have questions,” Damon says, exchanging a quick glance with Christopher.
Obviously they’ve already talked this out.
“We believe she might be better off continuing in her role as a servant of the House, that this is how her needs and desires will best be fulfilled, and that’s our job, ultimately, is it not?
But some things will have to change, because your needs have changed, and so have hers, to some degree.
This is what we’ve decided, if you’re both agreeable.
“You will be able to have first choice regarding how her time is spent. She can sleep in your quarters each night, unless you choose for her not to, and what happens between the two of you on your own time is none of our business. We will continue to provide her medical care. And, if you and she agree to these terms, we will, of course, continue to pay her salary since she will continue to serve the House, but she should also receive a stipend from you. It would be a secondary contract between you, and so those details are not our business, although we’d require you to use our attorney, who specializes in these matters. ”
“And just so everyone understands what her continued service will include, it means she…you, Giselle,” Christopher pauses to turn to her, “will still serve the needs of the Master of the House, whether that’s Master Damon, or me, or Gilby, or whoever we appoint, as well as the needs of our guests.
You’ll still be used by Cook in the kitchen in any way she sees fit.
You’ll continue to be punished and worked and fucked, as you always have.
But at the end of the day instead of the slave’s quarters, you’ll be returned to Master Gilby, and he’ll be your ultimate Master.
And that means, Gilby,” he says, turning back to me, “that if you sometimes want to take her away—here, or to my Palm Springs House, to the Primal Ranch, or to Europe for a vacation, or wherever, that’s up to you.
Your new status will, I’m sure, get you invited as one of us to places you haven’t accessed in that way before. It’ll be a helluva good time.”
“But I’m not…I’m not wealthy in the way all of you are. I’m only a small part of your circles because of my work for you.”
“And you have proven yourself admirably these six years, Gilby,” Damon interjects. “You’ve more than earned a place among us, just as Victor did.”
Have I? I’d never have come to that conclusion myself.
I’m a bit in shock, and I can see from Giselle’s expression, with her dark brows drawn together and shadows lurking in her eyes, that she is, too.
I want nothing more than to sit beside her and hold onto her hand, to offer her comfort.
But I get why they’ve seated us at a distance—we each have to make our decisions individually.
“Of course,” Damon goes on, “with this new benefit comes new responsibility, and your wages will increase to reflect that. If you are here or at the Plam Springs house, you will absolutely be in charge, and that may sometimes mean you’re to oversee other slaves.
We can discuss the money later, but it will be substantial, as suits that position.
Now, if you’d prefer not to take all that on, you can let us know, and we will adjust, but I do think you’re well prepared for it. ”
I’m trying very fucking hard not to let my jaw hit the floor.
My salary is already very, very good, and I’ve been saving, since most of my needs are taken care of by the House.
I’ve got a nice stash of funds, but more?
Enough to really make a life with my Giselle?
The idea of more money and the travel opportunities, not to mention being able to care for her when she ages out of being able to serve as a slave in her current capacity, is a bit staggering.
And when have I ever fucking thought of the future?
But I have to if I’m to be responsible for her.
A glance at her tells me she’s even more in shock than I am, and of fucking course she is. She’s never been privy to this sort of discussion among the Masters or Mistresses, while I’ve at least been witness to some of their more private conversations. It’s just so weird that this one applies to me.
“Let me ask, who will be your Driver if I go anywhere?”
“The House goons can drive,” Christopher says with a small smirk. “Badly, but somehow California agreed to give them their licenses.”
I know he can’t stand Jasper and Curtis from his time as a slave in the House.
And he knows I won’t stand for anyone else touching the House cars, unless it’s Damon or Christopher driving their own personal vehicles.
The idea of those two—Jasper and Curtis—in those beautiful, spotless cars makes me a little sick.
I start to shake my head, then force myself to stop.
“Ha! Gilby hates them almost as much as I do,” Christopher says gleefully.
Damon sends him a quick smile. “We are very aware that the cars are your babies, Gilby. We wouldn’t do that to you. We can get another car assigned just to them,” Damon assures me, making Christopher grin.
“Now we ask you, Giselle,” Christopher says, turning back to her.
Her eyes go wide, and she chews on her lower lip. She’s trembling the tiniest bit. Even after all the hard play she’s endured, things most people couldn’t take, it’s this talk that’s making her nervous. But she gives a small nod, and Christopher continues.
“Tell us how you feel about the changes we’re proposing here today.”
She swallows; I can see her throat working, and it’s not her six years of silence.
No, she’s been talking to me the last few days.
It’s the intimidation, I’m sure, of talking to the men who have been her Masters.
That, and the idea of what they’re suggesting.
If that blew me out of the fucking water, it’s got to be ten times more intense for her.
“I… Well, I…”
She stops, her eyes pooling with tears, and I almost feel like I’d willingly plow my way through these two men to get to her so I can offer her comfort, but I make myself sit and let her speak her mind.
“It’s alright,” Damon says. “You can say whatever you need to. If you don’t want this, if you do, we won’t judge you.
But we need your consent before we institute any changes because this is not in your contract.
This is not anything that’s been gone over before, or even considered.
We need your thoughts. We need to know if you’d like clarification, or have any questions.
And we need to ask you again, because we must be absolutely certain, do you return Gilby’s feelings? ”
“I do!” she blurts out, a tear falling onto her high cheekbone, then she looks confused, as if her own voice has surprised her.
Meanwhile, my heart is fucking tumbling in my chest and my blood is pumping so hard through my veins I feel like my bones are shaking.
“You do what?” Christopher demands. “We need to hear you confirm the words.”
“I love him. I do.”
Another tear falls, and it’s fucking tearing my soul in half to watch her like this and not be able to do anything.
But I get that they need to hear it from her, that she needs to make this decision without any interference.
And that I need to sit still and keep my fucking mouth shut even if they ask her a dozen times.
“You understand that this means changes in your contract, and therefore your life?”
“Yes, Master Christopher,” she says, her gaze steady on his, a fire in her hazel eyes.
“Do you have any questions for us?” Damon asks.
“No, Master. Not right now.”
“Well then,” Damon says, getting to his feet.
“We’ll leave you two. Talk it over. Sleep on it.
And you can give us your definitive answers tomorrow.
If you’d like to go forward with plans as we’ve outlined them here, we’ll need a day to redraw contracts for you both, and to notify Robert and Cook of the changes. ”