Bad Pet (His Pet)

I try to practice how to greet Owen without sounding too enthusiastic. But even in my mind, the high falsetto of a giddy teenage girl keeps on coming out. Do I really want to say it that way? Then, a ping cuts off my reverie. It’s an email from — Owen. Fuck. Is he reading my mind? How could he have known that I’m craving his presence right now? I know it is for this fictional masked lady persona, but my excitement rises as I read the message.

“Meet me at the Dark Club at 10, Pet. Don’t be late, or I will have to punish you.”

It’s a straightforward booty call, but it still sends shivers down my spine and into my pussy. What a great way to start and end my day, I think to myself. I grin. Maybe it is time for me to reveal my identity to Owen finally. We are already on good terms, and I don’t want to keep lying to him. But is such a big revelation really a good thing to do now? We may seem okay, but I can never tell if it is all show or if he has forgiven and forgotten that I helped Myah get away from him.

I shake my head. No. Maybe not yet. At least not until I’m sure that we are really in a great place. I don’t want to risk losing our connection. As I settle on that thought, I notice that it is quieter now. It is finally safe to enter the bosses’ office. I head to their room and am about to turn the knob when I feel this grand presence behind me.

“Good morning, Sloane.”

I’m so glad that I’m not facing Owen right now because I can feel the heat in my cheeks. He doesn’t have to know that his voice makes me blush.

“Oh. Hi, General —”

He reaches forward and opens the door for me, his arm brushing against mine. I need to stop acting like this is the first time I’ve been with someone I like.

I enter my bosses’ office and hear him following after me.

“You know, Sloane, if I’m already allowed to call you by your first name, maybe you need to start calling me mine. The General Lewis address seems too formal. I’m just Owen to Calvin and Andrew. I can be to you too.”

I bite my lower lip and offer a nod. Then, I hurry to the chair furthest from Owen. I don’t need to say anything in this meeting anymore because I already suggested my proposed adjustments yesterday. Owen, Ashton, and Kane need to finalize the agreement. I’m only spectating, and I want to do that far from him since the simplest touch makes me blush. Still, Owen picks the seat near me. Fuck my luck.

“General Lewis, we’re happy to see you again, and we’re thrilled that you finally reunited with your daughter,” Kane starts.

Owen is the one who broke the news to my bosses. And he has kept me out of the story. According to Ashton, he has found Myah in her friend’s house. Kane says that it is a bit impossible for them to miss Myah when they look around, but Ashton reasons that maybe it is in a different house which worked. Rich people and their multiple addresses come in handy in times like this.

I notice Owen looking at me before replying.

“Thank you. I am happy too that I finally found my daughter. It has been very difficult to lose her, and I hope that it will never happen again.”

Kane nods, then adds, “That’s great news. We were also excited when we got an email about the contract signing.” Take it to Kane to always get back to business in a flash. “We have reviewed the revised agreement that you sent us a couple of days ago with Sloane and our lawyers. And we only have a few proposed changes. We already sent a copy to your staff this morning.”

Owen smiles politely at Kane. “Yes. Our lawyers have already looked at that, and I’m here to finally close the deal.”

Ashton looks a bit shocked. Usually, government clients are hard to work with because they have all these lengthy demands. It sometimes takes more than a month to smooth the contract. And now, with Owen, it has been smooth sailing.

“That is…really nice to hear,” Kane stammers, then regains his composure. Now that the deal is closed, I notice him relaxing a bit more and becoming more friendly. “So, how is Myah?”

Owen looks a bit surprised with the change of tone too, but he clearly can’t talk about Myah enough.

“She’s been a great tour guide these past few days. We visited a lot of restaurants and cafes. I thought I’d never want food again, but we still went to a few more last night. It was like Myah had been cramming all the missed opportunities into a few days. Yesterday afternoon, we even went to this bookstore called The Strand? I couldn’t tell if it’s as famous as she made it to be. But it was a great place to get books. She bought so many books that Calvin, Andrew, and I had to carry boxes to the car. It’s as if there are no bookstores in D.C.”