Starboard (Anchored 1)

“Really,” Susan sips her coffee. “Just give it a try. What’s the worse than could happen?”

Chapter 4

Zack

As a real estate attorney, I spend most of my days in the office staring at paperwork. I write contracts and closing agreements and I look at documents. I help my clients understand what their legal rights are and, most importantly, advise them as to whether they should sign certain contracts or not.

Believe it or not, when it comes to buying and selling real estate, most people don’t really completely understand what they’re getting into. That’s what makes my job so important and what ensures I have a solid client base.

When people are in a hurry to buy or sell a piece of land or a house, they tend to make rash decisions. These choices aren’t always in their best interests. When they talk with me first, I’m able to help guide them and help them figure out what the smartest move is.

Today, I’m helping an elderly couple finalize the sale of their home to a young family. The couple is getting older and they’re both in poor health, so they’re going to move in with their daughter. As we sign the last of the paperwork, they thank me for helping them over the course of the last few weeks.

“We couldn’t have done it without you,” Mr. Potter says. His wife squeezes his hand and smiles at him. Then she turns to me.

“Gerald is right. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

“It was my pleasure,” I tell them honestly. My paralegal knocks on the door to see if everything is wrapping up, and I nod to her.

“If you’ll come with me,” she tells them. “We’ll get you finished up out front. I’ll make sure you get a copy of each form and we’ll get your account settled.”

“Of course,” Mr. Potter says. He reaches for his cane, but Mrs. Potter is one step ahead of him. She has his cane ready and she helps him to his feet. Then she gives him the cane, wraps her arm around him, and they leave the room together.

They’re sweet.

There’s no other word to describe them as a couple.

Together, they complement each other perfectly. They’re both old and frail, but they’re happy together. They’re happy just being together. They’re happy just spending time together.

And I want that.

I crave it.

Maybe Anthony was right when he took me to Anchored. Maybe I should find a girl who shares the same interests as me. Yeah, there are a ton of single people at the club, but there are also a lot of couples. There are plenty of people who share the same interest in BDSM and who are able to make marriages and long-term relationships work for them.

Enjoying Domination doesn’t make me a freak.

It doesn’t make me a bad person.

It doesn’t make me a monster.

It’s just part of who I am, of what’s important to me. I learned long ago that I enjoyed dominating women. I learned a long time ago that I crave control in the bedroom, that to me, being in charge is what gets me off.

And I’ve shied away from relationships for a long time.

Maybe it’s time to stop.

Mr. and Mrs. Potter are one of the cutest couples I’ve ever seen. They’re old and adorable and completely content with each other. It might be selfish, but I want that. I want what they have. I want someone who looks at me with love, who looks at me like I’m the most important man in the world. I want someone who looks at me like they’re going to die without me.

I want someone who looks at me like I make their world whole, like I’m the only thing that matters to them.

As soon as Joselyn is out of the room with the Potters, I head two doors down and walk into Anthony’s office without knocking.

“That’s right,” he’s saying to someone on the phone. He flips me off, but continues the conversation. I close the door quietly and sit down in one of the leather chairs in front of his desk.

Each attorney in our office has a different specialty. We each have our own interests and preferences when it comes to the clients we see, and I think our offices reflect that. Edgar & Bernstein is a full-service law firm, which means we have attorneys that can handle anything. While I primarily deal with real estate law, Anthony does divorces.

Personally, I don’t know how he does it.