Chapter 24
When I walked into the lounge…the conversation ceased.
All eyes set on me as I glided in taking my seat in the center where I belonged. My sharp gaze raked over the room, landing coolly on the other women before settling on the two in the far corner. I smiled slowly. They both rolled their eyes. So rude.
"Boo, bitch," Ronnie gawked at me, face twisted in a snarl.
She was so funny. Not in a comical way—more theatrical if anything.
A minstrel show if you will. Chuckling, I shook my head tossing my hair over my shoulder, my eyes still on them.
Gianna glared at me, rolled her eyes again and then tapped Ronnie.
I watched her lean in, speak to her and then they both averted their eyes.
Avoidance. Of course.
You couldn’t avoid a woman like me. I was determined to get them bitches out of Siren House. Gianna had already made me lose Boss—a slight that made me burn internally. I wouldn't let her take another client from me.
Wisdom and Lena walked in and strolled over to Gianna and Ronnie's area.
My nostrils flared slightly—my irritation slid away however when Bianca bounced in.
She smiled at me as soon as she saw me. Biance was a pretty girl.
I liked her. She was eager to please—malleable, which I planned to use to my full advantage.
Finally, Madam strolled in and closed the double French doors softly behind her. "Good afternoon, ladies," she smiled moving to the center of the room.
"Good afternoon, Madam," we chimed.
Taking her seat at the high-back velvet chair next me, she crossed her legs slowly. "Gather around, girls." She gestured with her hand. "Let's begin our monthly meeting."
The women pulled up chairs until we were all sitting in a semi-circle with Madam at the head.
Madam allowed the room to settle before she began. “I trust everyone has been maintaining their standards,” she said, her eyes sweeping across us. “Discretion, professionalism, and presentation are what keep Siren House operating at the level it does. I expect nothing less.”
A few murmurs of agreement circled the room. I didn’t say anything, I didn’t need to. My reputation spoke for itself.
“I’ve received a few notes from clients recently,” she continued, folding her hands in her lap. “Nothing alarming, but enough to address. Some of you are becoming a little too…familiar. Boundaries are not suggestions. They're necessary.”
My eyes shifted around, landing briefly on a couple of the girls who immediately straightened under the weight of it.
“Remember,” Madam added, her tone still gentle but firmer now, “you're providing an experience, not access to yourselves beyond what is agreed upon. The distinction matters.”
Madam continued, speaking about scheduling adjustments, upcoming high-profile clients, and expectations for discretion as business continued to grow. It was all standard and necessary, but my attention wasn’t fully on her anymore.
It had shifted. Right back to Gianna.
I didn’t look at her directly this time, but I could feel her presence in the room. She had gotten too comfortable. I could see it in the way she sat, in the way she interacted with the other girls, in the way some of them had already started gravitating towards her energy.
She didn’t understand the structure of this place. Or maybe she did and just didn’t respect it. Either way, it needed to be corrected. Because Siren House worked the way it did for a reason, and I wasn’t about to let that shift because one woman walked in and decided to move differently.
Madam’s voice pulled me back in just as she began wrapping things up. “As always, my door is open if there are any concerns, scheduling conflicts, or issues with clients.”
There were nods again, a few soft “yes, Madam’s” echoing around the room as chairs began to shift slightly, signaling the meeting was coming to an end.
I uncrossed my legs slowly, smoothing my hand over my thigh as I leaned forward just enough to rest my elbows lightly on my knees, my gaze settling directly on Gianna again. Her eyes finally met mine. A silent challenge hung in the air before she stood and walked out with Ronnie, Wisdom, and Lena.
Turning in my chair, I turned to Biance. "Bianca—how is your account looking?"
She looked surprised by my question for a moment before she smiled. "Good." She nodded. "Better than it's ever looked. I've never made this much money in my life."
Returning the smile, I leaned in. "You could be making a lot more if we got rid of some of these girls."
Her eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean—you and I could run this house together," I explained. "Under my tutelage, I can have you making more money than you can spend. Put you right on top…under me of course."
She smirked but leaned in more already nodding. "Okay," her voice dropped, "What do you need, Monroe?" she looked around cautiously.
"Nothing much…" I shrugged casually. "Just converse with your clients. Warn them about Gianna and Ronnie."
Her eyes narrowed. "What kind of warning?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper.
Tilting my head slightly, I locked eyes with her. "Well, like Madam said…it's important to maintain standards here," I stated. "Sexual health—cleanliness…both are non-negotiable standards, right?"
Her brows shot up. Bianca nodded slowly as understanding set in. "Yeah—" she dragged out, "I understand. And you're right, Monroe—we can't have anyone tarnishing our reputation in that way, can we?" She grinned playfully.
My smile deepened. I placed my hand on her thigh. "No, we cannot." Standing, I gazed down on her as she looked up at me with admiration. "So…let's have a drink, doll and strategize."
Bianca stood, still smiling and followed me.
Let the games begin…