Chapter 8 #4
“I sure do. And I’ve been there enough times to know that there are a lot of repeat Butterflies getting their bags of cash. They seem to go for a good mix of regulars they can rely on and fresh blood.”
“At least you didn’t say fresh meat.”
“Eden…” Liam turned to her, arm looping with hers. “If you’re bringing this up like this, I’m assuming that means you’re thinking about it. When is it?”
“May.”
“When do you have to answer by?”
“Not for a while. Why? You think I should do it?”
“I’m not saying whether you should do it or not.”
“I can’t believe I actually brought this up…”
There was that tension again. Was she blushing?
Hard to tell with her hair in the way and with her lying so much lower than him.
She must be embarrassed. Liam got it, even though he wasn’t a woman.
Other men could be jealous. Violently jealous.
They hadn’t spoken much about Eden’s dating history outside of her sugar daddies, but Liam was under the impression that there had been a few “winners” she was constantly comparing him and Benson to.
“Is it just the money you want, love?” he asked. “Or did you enjoy the other parts?”
She was blushing so hard that he was almost afraid she might pass out.
“You can’t piss me off in this situation, I promise. I’m not the jealous one.”
He winced after saying that, because he – rightfully – implied that Benson was the more jealous type. He’s the type to definitely want to be involved if his partner is getting some. Situations like these were exceptions. Benson knew Liam, for better or worse. Hey, I almost said some vows like that…
“It’s weird to talk about with your boyfriend,” Eden said. “Dunno why I brought it up.”
“Because you’re thinking about doing it. For the money, at least. Which I can’t blame you. You’ll double your money in a quarter.”
Eden sighed again.
“If it were just up to me, I’d tell you to do it if you wanted.
Might be an awkward weekend for your boyfriend, but think of all the stories you’d have…
” Oh, who was he kidding? Liam would be more worried.
La Mariposa ran the tightest safety ship to ensure the contentment of their employees, but things had happened before.
Guests could be wildcards. Sometimes, a girl couldn’t handle what was expected of her or realized that the way she was trying to cope with past trauma didn’t work the way she thought it would. I’ve heard it all before.
“Well, it’s not just up to you,” Eden said.
“Nope. Ben is not going to like it.”
Eden sat up on her rear and wrapped her arms around her bent legs.
As she rested her chin against her knees, she said, “I never thought my life would be like this. Not just the romance part of it – which is wild enough as it is – but the whole sex work thing. Even if I do something no-touch like the Salon, it’s still part of that world, isn’t it?
I never thought I’d be doing anything like this. ”
“Then don’t, if that’s not what you want for your life.”
“But what if I don’t know?” She turned, a more vulnerable visage exposed to him.
“Liam, this whole journey started because I needed a job. It was all luck in knowing the right people at the right time. I couldn’t turn down that kind of money.
I told myself I’d invest it. I’d figure out a way to launch my own non-erotic business or pay for training in some other industry.
But now I’m like… what am I doing? I’ve just been fucking around.
Not to say I don’t enjoy my time with you and Ben, but… ”
He rested his hand on her back. “It’s okay.”
“I told myself I’d take advantage of my youth and looks while I could.”
“Haven’t you?”
“I know there were older women at La Mariposa, but that’s not how it works for most girls. We’ve got like until thirty to flaunt our bodies… and make money off it.”
Liam knew better than to argue with a woman about this.
She sort of has a point. Every weekend, the BDSM clubs were filled with women who wouldn’t make the aesthetic cut at La Mariposa, all of them having the times of their lives with random men who were more than happy to help them fulfill their fantasies.
Been that guy a few times… He had been shocked when he got with Benson and discovered how many women had threesome fantasies with two men.
Most only kept it to the club and wanted monogamy or the single life outside of it.
But in places like The Dark Hour? The center of a gangbang party could as easily be an overweight forty-year-old with cesarian scars and greasy hair as a twenty-something with a tight ass and perky tits.
But, again, they were doing that for the thrill of it. Most actually paid for the privilege to fulfill those fantasies. It was a different game than making a proper living out of sex work.
“I’ve dated sex workers before,” Liam said.
“Escorts. Prostitutes. Cam girls. Whatever you wanna call them, or whatever they did. It has its own challenges, but compartmentalizing what she does with other guys for a living and how she is with me is the central quirk to it all. If a relationship ended because of her work, it was her decision, usually. Only once did I end it because I felt like she wasn’t being entirely truthful, and when you have the kind of appetites I do, communication and openness are key.
” Liam hated surprises. Like suddenly being broken up with because his name was Cassandra, and he could see the future.
Seriously, fuck you, Ben.
“I just don’t know if that’s what I want to have define my mid-20s,” Eden confessed. “But the money… $200,000 in one year for six total days of having sex with rich men.”
“There’s also no guarantee you’ll enjoy yourself as much as you did last time.” Liam couldn’t help but grin. “Ahem.”
“It doesn’t matter, I guess,” Eden said. “Ben would be mad if I even brought it up.”
“I don’t know about that…” Knowing him, he’d get all excited by the thought of his girlfriend fucking all those guys, but not the lack of him being there. And like I’m letting him pay to be there… and make things hell for her… “But he probably wouldn’t want you to go, no.”
“And right now, I value our relationship more than some money.”
“You’re a thoughtful woman, love.”
“Besides, his daughter now knows who I am, and she’s pissed. I’m in this shit now.”
“What?”
That was news to Liam, and as Eden described the unplanned encounter with Drew, he wanted to bury himself in his pillow. Finally, something that embarrasses me.
“So, that’s going on now,” Eden concluded.
“I’m sure Drew is just adjusting to her father dating someone your age. And even that makes it sound like it’s bad…”
“I don’t think she knows about your involvement.”
“I think we should keep it that way for now. Drew knew nothing about the women her father and I dated. She only knew that we were engaged, and she saw me as her… stepfather, I guess.” Even admitting that now made his throat dry.
Poor kid. Drew had just been as upset by the breakup as everyone else, but she had been a minor at the time, and even Liam knew he shouldn’t be contacting her.
It would be different now that she was twenty, but that didn’t mean Drew would be any more understanding. Or that it was a good idea for them to have some kind of familial relationship if Liam wasn’t with her father.
“She called you Uncle Liam, if I recall correctly.”
“The girl already had a stepfather. I guess she didn’t need two.”
“Yet you were talking about having kids with one of your previous girlfriends. I’d almost think you like the idea of being a dad.”
Liam shrugged. “Like you, love, I’m going through life the best that I can.
Not a lot of things faze me. I’m lucky to have been as successful as I have been with money, because it lets me be relaxed and do the things I like in my spare time.
Like having opportunities to go to Caribbean islands to fuck my balls off for a weekend and coming home with one of the best girlfriends ever, I guess. ”
“You have such a way with words.”
“I know. I should write dirty stories.”
“You just went right there.”
“I think maybe I actually wanna write dirty stories.”
“You could corner that market, my dude.”
“You get me.” He patted her thigh as she lay back down beside him. “That’s what I like about you, Eden. Oh, and your hot bod.”
She continued to gaze up at him as he closed the lid to his crackers and considered getting up to change his clothes. It was clear that Eden was staying the night. Should they go ahead and turn in?
“What’s it like?” she asked, and he didn’t think about it at first, “to be attracted to both men and women?”
He almost knocked the box off his nightstand. “Well, that’s a topic change.”
“I mean, kinda. There’s a sapphic version of La Mariposa, you know. I could sign up for that and just be the center of attention for wealthy women looking to ‘fuck their tits off.’”
“That’s a really weird image you just put into my head.” Liam slammed back against his pillow. “Tell me more.”
“I mean, I could probably do it, but what if I don’t like having sex with women as much as I do men? I’ve never thought about it. I mean, half the kids in my class were queer, I swear, but whenever I thought about girls that way, it didn’t click.”
“Not everyone gets a flag at Pride, love.”
She laughed. “Do you go to Pride?”
“Do I go to… where do you think I get my June-long hookups?”
“Shut up!”
“I’m only kinda joking. Actually, the last Pride I went to was in this small town in Oregon. Bend. They have Pride in the winter for some reason.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Combining my love for skiing with hooking up with some random guy I don’t know in the clubhouse? My favorite!”
“I can’t tell if you’re joking sometimes.”
Me neither. Liam tickled Eden’s shoulder as she cuddled with him. “It’s been a while. Maybe I’ll drag you somewhere this year.” He chuckled. “By the way, Benson loves drag.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. It’s his worst-kept secret. There isn’t a single episode of Drag Race he hasn’t seen. His local favorite queen is Ursula Slay Nguyen.”
“I don’t know who that is.”
“I was gonna hire her to perform at our wedding.”
It was one of the few times he referenced it in front of Eden. The wedding, I mean. Something that often went unsaid between them, even when talking about Liam’s relationship with Benson.
He almost cringed, really. But then Eden said, “I bet that would’ve been fun.”
There it was again. Something unspoken between them.
Liam couldn’t say what his girlfriend was thinking, but as for him? Should I tell her? About him and Benson. About the kisses. About the fervent discussions about who they had been to each other. About the…
Well, about me blowing him in his kitchen.
It wasn’t so much that Liam thought she’d be angry, or that Eden might be disgusted.
Doubt it. More like she wouldn’t understand.
Just because Liam and Benson were toying with each other, let alone for her sake, didn’t mean they were getting back together.
Not like that. I’m not marrying him, that’s for sure. Now, Eden on the other hand…
Benson would fight me for her hand.
“What?” Eden said, propping her chin up on his chest as he rubbed her head.
He loves you. I love you. He and I still love each other.
It’s just complicated. Liam couldn’t say any of that.
Instead, he defaulted to his usual silliness that made her laugh.
“Let’s play a game. I ask you something embarrassing about your past, and you get me back.
Every time we answer, we have to take off a piece of clothing until we’re naked. ”
“And the first one to lose their knickers?”
“Has to do whatever the other wants.”
“I’m wearing fewer clothes than you!”
“I doubt it. You’ve got socks on.”
“So do you!”
We’ve got the same amount of clothing on. Liam knew this, but apparently, she didn’t.
Which was why Eden would go first. So she’d be naked first.
And Liam would learn a few things about her – and she’d learn a few about him. You next, Ben. Liam could think of a few things he wanted to tell her. But those secrets were for Benson to share with the woman they both loved.