Chapter 10 #2
That didn’t disturb June. She had put those links in her résumé.
Besides, she inspected me top to bottom when I reached the final stage of the interview.
Stripped naked right here in this office so Monique could make sure everything was as June claimed it was.
Fine thing if she was hiding herpes on her crotch…
or worse. Track marks. Lots of shit went down in the Manoir, but drugs were absolutely out of the question.
June did not like telling clients they couldn’t bring their coke to their parties, but it wasn’t like she wanted to be around that crap, either.
The last thing they needed were addicts working there, too.
“Anyway, I am going to send Dr. Christie an announcement. She’ll probably decline, but on the off chance she accepts, I will assume you don’t mind.”
June shrugged. “Could have worse patrons.”
“You want Ms. Bolivar more.”
Her grin returned. “Wouldn’t you?”
Someone knocked at the door. “Madam Warner?” It was Minerva, Monique’s lady-in-waiting. “Your wife is here.”
“I’ll decline to comment,” Monique said to June. Then, louder, “Send her in!”
Monique’s wife – a tall, vivacious blond woman named Helen – waltzed in with her hands in her sweater pockets.
She surveyed her wife’s office before going to her and kissing the top of her head.
The brief look of happiness on Monique’s face was lovely.
Gag, anyway. “Good to see you, Princess,” Helen said.
“Are you finishing up here, or should I bring my bag in?”
Monique pulled away from her wife. “Afraid we’re doing the quarterly audit. If you can wait another hour, I should be ready to go home.”
“Good.” Helen turned to June. “Do me a favor and tell my wife to come home more often. We all miss her.”
June gave her a pleasant, professional smile. “When she’s gone, I’m left in charge. Don’t know what to say about that.”
“Well, then.”
“While we’re telling each other things,” Monique began, cleaning up her desk, “tell Ms. Kingsley that it’s bad business to hand out free cunnilingus. You’re a businesswoman, Helen. You know what I’m talking about.”
To her credit, she didn’t blush. To be married to Monique meant taking these comments in stride.
“I do believe they call that a loss leader, dearest. Hand out a sample product for free and then watch them come back for the whole package. Tactic as old as time. Seems fitting for the oldest profession.”
“Thank you,” June said. “That’s what I’ve told her! I am the best, so it’s only right that I give out free samples. Trust me, nine times out of ten, they come back for more of June Kingsley.”
“I’m sure.” Helen glanced at her wife and said, “Perhaps I should sample it for myself.”
Monique dropped her papers and the pen still in her hand. “What!”
“She said she hands them out for free, and you know I can be a cheap bitch sometimes.”
“Helen!”
She turned back toward June. “She’s fun, isn’t she?”
“The funnest.”
“Anyway, I’ll be out on the balcony waiting for you. Such a lovely day. You should get some sunshine at some point. Both of you.” She kissed her wife’s red cheek once more, nodded to June, and saw herself out. “Have a good one.”
The sound of disbelief emanating from Monique’s throat almost made June laugh. “Some wives…”
“At least she has fun with what you do.”
“Too much fun.”
With Monique cleaning up, June knew it was time to follow Helen’s cue and show herself out.
“See you Wednesday?” That was when Monique usually returned to the Manoir.
Sometimes Thursday. God knew what would happen when she got closer to giving birth and, well, gave birth.
There had been no discussion of that game plan yet.
She happened to run into Holly in the hallway. “Don’t be stupid,” she said, startling the redhead. “If you’re gonna fuck a client without protection, you do not report it to Monique! Don’t even tell me about it.” As the girl gaped at her, June snorted in disdain. Dumbass.
When June continued down the main hallway, she realized she had two choices ahead of her.
Somehow, the idea of having Sette as her patron slammed into her head.
Perhaps it was walking into a sundrenched hallway that reminded her of posing for paintings.
After all, the artist had been obsessed with the perfect lighting, not that June could blame her.
Sette as my patron, huh? Originally, June had thought her pretty and witty, but boring.
Or at least boring in the ways that counted to June.
Good conversation didn’t mean much if she wasn’t going to have sex.
It wasn’t a money thing – Sette would be paying a monthly fee to be her patron, and she could do whatever she pleased – or nothing at all.
That wasn’t fun for June. In this world, she could have the “perfect” partner.
Someone who would make love to her every time she saw her.
Maybe hard. Maybe slow. Always entertaining.
Maybe Sette could be that woman. Then again, there were many to choose from. It was only a matter of who would have her as well.