“Don’t get any ideas.” He winked and we both laughed.
It felt good and I realized I’d been holding onto the dread that had filled me since I’d first read the article. Shaking my shoulders and arms, I took several deep breaths until I felt the tension draining away a little. Walter watched me, and when I was finally able to release a little bit of the stress, he smiled.
“Wouldn’t it feel good to just be yourself and not have to worry about something like this upending your entire world?”
“Of course, it would. But I don’t see how I can accomplish that and be true to myself. I think you’re asking for a miracle.”
“You know, you’re still a member of the Club.”
“I didn’t forget,” I chuckled. “But that’s not going to fix my problem. It didn’t really suit me, and I don’t think they cater to my kinks the way Short Leash does.”
“Hasn’t it been too long since you’ve been?” But when he said it, it didn’t sound like a question.
“I was in my thirties, so, yeah.”
“It’s different now.”
I looked at the back door of the BDSM club and sighed. “It’s still nothing like this.”
“I think it’s time you paid the Club another visit. Things have changed in the last few years. I think you’ll find that you’re not the only one who likes a little kink in their lives, plus a heavy dose of discretion.”
“All right. When?”
“There’s an event tonight for potential consorts.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re telling me you’re inviting me to be myself at a masquerade?” I laughed. “That’s fitting.”
He shrugged. “It’s as good a night as any.”
I was about to beg off when I changed my mind. “You know what? I think I will go.”
Walter smiled. “Good. It will be nice to see you at the Club.” He opened his car door and was about to slip into the driver’s seat when he paused and leveled a serious gaze in my direction. “I’m sorry about what happened, Caine. I really am. But I think this will be a good thing. It’s about time that you were free to be your true self. What good is being rich if you can’t enjoy your life. Things may seem rough for a while, but if you work through it, I think you’ll find the other side is better than you could’ve ever imagined.”
He pursed his lips together then smiled and got into the car, leaving me to watch him drive away as his words swirled around me head. I stood there for a long time, then he was out of sight and I shook my head and got into my car. Walter made it sound so easy, but the truth was that the shit was about to hit the fan, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. He might think there was something positive to be found on the other side, but I doubted it. One single article could send my carefully built business crashing down around my ears, or it would all be okay and I would go on, business as usual. People would forget, or they would dismiss the article’s claims altogether, and I could go back to be Caine Cole, master of my future, and purveyor of positivity, burying my true nature in favor of a lucrative business that afforded me every luxury my heart desired.
I realized as the engine roared to life and I pulled out of the parking lot, I wasn’t sure which one was worse.
2
Shelton
Caine Cole walked across the stage, headset almost invisible, even on the high-quality video I’d chosen for the morning’s inspiration. I needed a pick-me-up, and Caine’s bouncy step and wide grin never failed to fill me with hope. He was a self-made man, and the kind of success I aspired to. I scribbled a quote onto the notepad in front of me, delighted by each little tidbit of wisdom as if it were meant just for me.
My heart jumped when the landline on my desk rang, but a quick glance at the caller ID had me groaning. I pasted a smile on my face despite the fact that business phone didn’t have a video chat option. Mother was damn near psychic and could hear the tiniest frown in my voice if I wasn’t careful. “Mama,” I exclaimed warmly when I picked up the phone on the third ring.
“Were you busy? I was starting to worry when you didn’t pick up right away.”
“It was three rings, Ma,” I said, teasing her. “I do have a job, you know.”
She sighed. “Shelton, you know you don’t have to do this, right?”
Do what? I scoffed internally, rolling my eyes. “Of course, Ma, but I want to work. I can’t live off your money for the rest of my life.”
Mother’s giggle was like the soft tinkling of chimes on the wind, something I was sure she’d practiced, but comforting all the same. “Of course, you can, darling. You’re a Greene. With that comes some perks.”
“Fair point, but wouldn’t you rather I be ambitious and go after my own dreams?”
“Shelton, yes, I would. I just worry about you. You’re so young, and you’re all alone in that apartment.”
“Ma, really. I’m twenty-six, and I survived college. I can handle adulting. Really.”
“I’m not the only one that’s concerned. Your account balances have dipped too low for our liking, and your father and I-”
“You’ve looked at my accounts?” I asked, incredulous. “Mother, that’s my private business.”
I imagined her face as she flinched on the other side of the line, but she recovered quickly, and she chided me. “Honey, your account is connected to the family account. That’s how we transfer your allowance in, remember? Technology is a beautiful thing, and I can see your balance right on the app when I make move money.”
That’s why she’d put the extra in my account last week, I thought, mouth pinched in a grim line. What I thought was a timely gift from my mother was her butting into my business like I was still a child. I let out a sigh and immediately wished I hadn’t.
“Is something the matter?” Mother pressed.
“I’m fine. Everything is fine,” I lied.
“Then why was your account below ten grand? And your savings account is looking a little light, which is actually why I called. You father wants to talk about investing in your business.”
“Ma, it’s just me and my clients. It’s not publicly traded or anything, and there’s nothing to invest in.” On a hunch, I logged into my bank account, scowling when the balances popped up on the screen. “Did you transfer more money into my account?”
“Just the savings.” Her tone was defensive. “I worry about you, that’s all. You keep saying things are going great, but every time I look, you’re running low on money.” She paused, then said the words I’d been dreading. “Your father and I think that you should move back home. You can still run your little business, but if you’re going to be relying on us, it doesn’t make sense to have two households. You could have the entire suite and make your brother’s old room your office.”
I pushed my glasses up onto my head and pinched the bridge of my nose, then I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes. “I didn’t ask for more money, and I’m not moving back in. I can handle this, Ma. Okay? Please. I’m fine.”