13. June #2
“She could show up to me, brushing my teeth in a parka, and would throw thousands of dollars at me.”
“Be that as it may, we have an image to uphold.”
June went to her room, finished her toenail upkeep, and dithered between a gold dress or a crimson pantsuit to entertain her patron that night.
She’s never seen me in a pantsuit before.
That could be fun. With any luck, Miquela would be okay with stalling sex so they could enjoy themselves in the rooms that night.
There was a movie (and strip poker) party slated for eight, and June wanted in.
The more clothes she wore with the pantsuit, the more likely she would win the tournament.
Miquela is a master of cards, right? Her family runs casinos…
As her stomach rumbled for dinner, Monique appeared. Her face was flushed.
“Ms. Bolivar is here… and so is Sette.”
June dropped her hairbrush. “What!”
“You didn’t double-book, did you?”
“No! Why is Sette here? She never comes on Fridays!”
“She’s here… and they’re both waiting for you. In my office, no less.”
No no no! June followed Monique down to the office, brain throbbing with the possibilities. Like how they were both dumping her. Or worse. Making her choose!
Clients could be so fickle. So underwhelming. So damn immature that they constantly made a woman’s life difficult!
June was not prepared for the scene in Monique’s office. She expected to find her favorite lovers on opposite ends of the room. Or, worse, engaging in the most barbaric display of dominance, like at the wedding. I can’t stand either thought. Both were embarrassing.
Neither was happening.
Instead, she found Miquela and Sette sitting in the chairs before Monique’s desk.
Relaxed. Bored. They both looked like they had come to discuss legal proceedings or to get a mortgage at the bank.
Their body language pointed to one another instead of away.
They were not in a hurry to have a conversation, but they also weren’t throwing punches like a couple of pubescent middle-schoolers.
June had never been so confused. She nodded to them both before sitting on a loveseat on the far side of the room. Monique took her place behind the desk.
“Ladies,” she said with grace. “I so would like to know what brings you here. Pardon me for inviting June in. I assumed that this had to do with her and that she had a right to know.”
They glanced at June before focusing back on Monique.
“We are indeed here to talk about our June,” Miquela said in her indescribable accent.
“Our?” Monique had never looked so shocked in her life. Either that, or she suddenly had gestational heartburn. “This is a turn of events.”
“Forgive me for doing all the talking,” Miquela continued, “but since I was originally to sign on to become June’s patron this weekend, I thought it pertinent to make it clear that I agree to what we’re about to propose.”
“Go on.”
Both women shared a silent word. Don’t you dare fuck me over.
“I’ve had ample opportunity to talk to Dr. Christie over the past week.
She’s made it clear that she is in love with June, but has been kind enough to congratulate me on my recent winnings.
I must admit, though, that I was swayed by her emotional outpouring.
” You’re so full of shit, Miquela. Sette was trying her damn hardest not to smack her hand against her own forehead.
“So much so that she and I came to an eventual agreement. You see, I also am in love with June. Hence, my willingness to spend so much money a month on her to be her patron. At first, we saw this as a terrible love triangle, let alone for a woman with her career pursuits. Then we realized that it didn’t have to be a triangle at all, but a different, more fulfilling arrangement. ”
Monique cleared her throat. “I’m listening.”
“We know what we’re about to say is not what you usually do,” Sette said in Miquela’s stead. “But we want to make it clear that we both agree to this. We simply want to make sure that you and June do as well.”
June was completely frozen to the loveseat, and glad that she had worn the pantsuit. Otherwise, her sweaty legs would be sticking all over the leather beneath her.
Miquela finished what they had started to say. “We would both like to offer an equal investment in June’s career. That is, we would both like to be her patrons.”
The office was so quiet that the ticking clock on the wall sounded like thunder.
What. The. Fuck. June had to remind herself to breathe. Monique looked like she was about to go into labor.
“Of course, this would mean some changes.” Miquela pulled out a piece of paper and slid it across the desk. “We hope that you two find this satisfactory, but we are open to haggling.”
Haggling!
“I think our dear European friend means discussing,” Sette said, uncrossing her legs and leaning forward. “I, for one, think it’s a great deal that I am 100% on board with. Assuming that you ladies are as well.” She shot June a look. It was so steely, so calculating that she almost died.
“This is certainly unprecedented.” Monique turned the paper over and studied it carefully. “If I’m reading this right, you are both offering to pay $100,000 a month for the privilege.”
“We are willing to go higher if you would like,” Sette said, “but we figured this way it was the same amount that Ms. Bolivar here was going to pay anyway, so you’re not losing any of the money originally promised to you. Our only stipulation is that we pay the same amount, to keep it fair.”
“Of course…” Monique looked closer. “Oh, dear, June is not going to like this.”
“I’m over here, you know!” That was the only thing necessary to shake June in her seat. “What does it say?”
They all looked at her.
“Ms. Bolivar and Dr. Christie are willing to enter this arrangement with the understanding that it would be exclusive.”
The whole room turned a bright shade of red.
“What!” June was up, although she dared not cross the room out of fear of losing to her oncoming rampage. “Are you fucking kidding me!”
“We think it’s more than fair.”
“In return, we would keep this closed as well.”
“Really, it’s unfair for us. We have to pay for it. I mean, spoil you silly. Meanwhile, you get two girlfriends who want to spend all their time with you… but are willing to share if it means even getting to spend one day a month with you.”
“We hope it would be more often, though.”
“That’s not the point!” June stood behind their chairs, arms jutting into the air. “That was never the point! Don’t you get it? This is my job.”
“Yes. Which is why we are willing to pay.”
“Now hold on,” Monique interrupted, eyes mostly focused on June’s top about to blow. “This would require serious discussion. That is a big clause to put in a contract, and would require June’s absolute agreement.”
What proceeded was an hour’s worth of discussing.
Haggling. It’s fucking haggling. June raised the point that she needed to make as much money as possible, and agreeing to exclusivity made that very difficult.
Sette responded that they didn’t require her to stop working at the Manoir.
She could continue to entertain clients as long as there was no sex. That was all they truly cared about.
“As her dual patrons, we would expect our main benefit to be exclusivity,” she said. “We know that June isn’t a one-lover woman. We do hope she could be happy with two, however.”
“I’m okay with her even seeing her BDSM clients,” Miquela added, “as long as there is no sexual contact.”
“We know that she has an important administrative position at this establishment, and don’t want to interfere with that.”
“You… two…” June gripped both of their chairs, channeling the fury she kept trying to keep down.
What was she so angry about? That they were meddling in her career?
Making decisions for her? Asking her for things she had never had to bestow before?
I’ve never had a real partner since starting this career.
Would they really be her girlfriends like that?
I think I love them… but is that enough?
Could two women like them really agree to share her?
Could she be content with only them as lovers for as long as this agreement lasted? Possibly years?
Until she retired? Then what? Would she be so in love with them that it continued until she died?
She felt like she was being shoehorned into a real relationship, and she didn’t know what to think about that.
They then launched into more numbers. June’s insistence.
If they wanted exclusivity, they would pay for it.
June was going to make sure she was well compensated for any work lost and for any confusion she experienced while she tried to understand her own feelings for them.
Without the buffer of her work to guide her along, she could become lost or resentful.
These were Monique’s thoughts as they proceeded to discuss the terms of a potential contract.
The number $125,000 per patron was understood. Monique asked the women to leave the room so she could talk frankly with June.
“You would be an idiot not to take this!” she said as soon as the door closed.
“You’ve said so yourself that I am an idiot.”
“$250,000 a month! Your cut alone is more than the average student loan debt in this country. They’re even allowing you to keep working here with some of your core clients.”
“Yeah, but…”
“June.” Monique slapped a hand on her desk. “Stop and think about it for two seconds. These two women aren’t just willing to pay to have you as their girlfriend. They’re willing to do whatever you want. What more could you ask for? Is it really about the money?”
She wanted to say yes, but knew Monique could counter with so many factors.
Like how even losing the submissive clients and people who simply wanted her conversation and flirting would still put her beyond the black every month.
Plus, it would give her more time to learn the ropes of the admin side of the business.
She wanted to learn more about that, right? No, it couldn’t be about the money.
By the time June sat down where Miquela had been ten minutes ago, Monique said, “You’re afraid of the commitment.
I can see the way you look at those women, and the way they both look at you.
That’s love, June. Love on your terms. Don’t be afraid of it.
This isn’t just the opportunity of your career.
This is the opportunity of your personal life as well. ”
June couldn’t look at her. “You make it sound like I’m going to marry them.”
“So what if you do?”
“First of all, I think that’s called bigamy.”
“Ménage relationships happen all the time. It’s the simplest form of polyamory to ever exist. Really, June, it’s perfect for you.”
“Perfect would be letting me…”
Monique cut her off. “Every relationship expects compromise. You can’t expect these women, no matter how in love they are with you, to let you do whatever you want.
They are going above and beyond by offering you money and their exclusivity.
June, these women would probably marry you if they could! ”
She was quiet for a while. She’s right. Sette was more the marrying type, no matter what she proclaimed, but Miquela?
She had already started to introduce June as her girlfriend.
The thought of them getting along for the sake of their love for her gave her chills.
I don’t have to choose. Shouldn’t that be the most liberating thing?
That her love triangle would end with everyone happy? Including her?
“It’s asking me to make a huge change with little warning,” June finally said. “I don’t think I’m being unreasonable by saying it’s a shock.”
“To be fair, I’m shocked as well. I’ve never heard of something like this before.
If it works, then you could end up a happy woman.
Besides, I’ve been wanting you to cut back your on-site work hours so you can start taking over more around here.
I don’t know how demanding this baby is going to be.
Trust me, June, there will be plenty of work for you to do.
To have two women who deeply love you and support your career goals?
What the hell are you waiting for? A third woman to add herself to the mix? ”
June didn’t want to admit that she had a point.
They called Miquela and Sette back in to discuss more.
How would they split up June’s time? Were they willing to commit to at least a year of this arrangement?
(Both assured that they wanted this to last as long as possible.
Wasn’t that how most relationships were supposed to work?) Was June okay with the more serious aspects of these relationships?
She stuttered to say “I love you” in front of Monique – let alone the others – but when pressed, June couldn’t not say it, either.
I hate what you two have done to me. She thought that with as much affection as possible.
Miquela said she had to go to Europe for about two weeks starting that Monday, which was perfect for postponing the signing of any contracts.
This would give Monique time to rewrite them and to give June time to ease into the transition of letting some of her other clients go.
Many of them hadn’t come to call in a long time, anyway.
She was metaphorically holding a little black book of names and numbers over a flame. Gone soon would be the days of seducing every guest who came her way in the name of making a living. She would still be one of the slyest women around, but in a different fashion.
The more she thought about it, the more she realized…
This was exactly what she needed, even if she wasn’t coming around to wanting it yet. Major life changes tended to work that way, though.
Before she left, Sette kissed her and whispered into her ear, “I want to be happy with you, June. I hope you can be happy with me.”
Something watered in the corner of her eye. When Miquela put an arm around her and suggested they start tonight’s date with dinner on the balcony, June hid her tears of swelling happiness in her chest.
Monique pretended not to notice.