“That sounds great.”
“I’ve got a good team to help me out. I can’t be everywhere at once, so they’re my eyes, ears, and hands.”
“Do you do this full-time?” I already knew the answer from Charles, but I wanted the answer from her.
“Yeah. I founded this company right after college, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Sometimes, I do family therapy on the side for extra cash, but my schedule is usually so busy I can’t do that very often.”
I started my company with an inheritance, and after it received critical acclaim, we got regular donors from all over the city. We were a nonprofit organization, but each employee was paid for their work. We were fortunate in that matter, and it wasn’t an easy task to accomplish. My personal salary was enough to make anyone envious, but it came from my investments in real estate. After all, I put in a lot of money to get the company off the ground in the first place. “Very noble.”
“Where did you go to school?”
I pulled a piece of chicken off the kabob and placed it into my mouth. After a few bites, I swallowed. “I never went to college.”
“Oh…” She seemed to realize she put her foot in her mouth because she said, “I shouldn’t have assumed. It really doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t.” Remorse was in her eyes because she was concerned she’d offended me, and some people might be offended by that. “I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. I didn’t go to college because I was never interested in school. I taught myself everything I needed to know and went from there.”
She stared at me with a mixture of awe and surprise. “That’s amazing.”
“Thanks.”
“And one day you decided to open Humanitarians United?”
“I received a large inheritance from my father and wanted to put it to good use.”
Her eyes softened. “That’s so sweet…”
It wasn’t as sweet as she thought. I made a formidable living running Ruin. My BDSM club was the biggest one in the city, and we usually had to turn new members away because the occupancy limit was maxed. Jackson and I considered expanding, but we never pursued it. No one knew I was the owner. The wealthy and influential people I interacted with on a daily basis would never show their faces in a place like that. “Do you like your salad?”
“It’s delicious.” She finished it off, eating every single bite and leaving her plate as clean as it was before they put the salad on it. She was either really hungry or didn’t like to waste food. “Did you like yours?”
“It was amazing. This is my favorite Mediterranean place.”
“Mine too. Why do you think I opened For All just down the street?” She smiled with her eyes, being a little flirtatious.
I liked it when she flirted with me. “Free on Friday night?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
“If you’re asking me out.”
“And what if I am?”
“I’m free as a bird.” Her grin widened when she saw the excited look in my eyes.
“Come over, and I’ll cook dinner.”
Instantly, that smile vanished and she was on edge. You would think I asked her if she wanted to go murder some kids or something. “How about we go to that new Thai place on 3rd? I’ve been wanting to try it.”
I brushed off the rejection like it didn’t happen. “Thai is one of my favorites. Sounds good.”
“Great. I’ll meet you there at seven.”
Okay, now something was up. She didn’t want to come to my place, and she didn’t want me to pick her up either. I didn’t want to interrogate her so early in the relationship, so I let her strange comments slide. But once we were acquainted with one another, I wouldn’t let anything slide—except my cock between her lips.
I just finished a meeting with a special VIP. Famous and recognizable, he wanted assurance that his behavior within Ruin would be kept under wraps. While I couldn’t guarantee that, I could say it was very likely. Members kept information to themselves. They never talked about the things they saw or who acted them out.
No one talked about it.
But wearing a mask was always a good way to go. Personally, I never wore them, but I knew people who couldn’t fuck without them.
Once the meeting was over and the paperwork was signed, he walked out and enjoyed the scene right outside my door. The bass of the music filtered into my office once the door was open, and I could see the dim lights through the darkness.
It was a beautiful world.
Jackson walked in a moment later, wearing black jeans and a black shirt. “Hook and sinker?”
I nodded.
“Awesome.” He sat in the chair across from me, the one my guest had just vacated. “I think we need to have a serious conversation about expansion. We’re packed every night, and there aren’t enough beds for all the fucking that goes on in this place.”