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“Partaking in human trafficking.”

“I’m not supposed to say while the case is still open. Assume there’s a good reason she was being investigated. I also had to give a statement to the police since my name showed up in Candace’s guest list.”

“You had been to her infamous club?”

“Yeah. As Irene’s guest. She was good friends with Candace. Good enough to get a special discount on her employees. I told you they were messed up.”

“You did the right thing, getting the hell away from them.”

“Yeah, well… Irene’s crazy. She’s letting me do whatever now, but I don’t doubt she’s been watching me this whole time. She knew about you, although she didn’t say your name. If she wanted, she could make your life hell.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not afraid of a philandering married woman going through a midlife crisis. I’m too old to be afraid of those kinds of games. Plus, all she has to do is look up who my father is. Guy’s a dick, but he’s a powerful dick and I’m Daddy’s Little Girl. If I say someone named Irene Feist is bothering me, he’ll make her go away. Legally, too. He doesn’t play. So many lawyers will swarm your ex before I can say ‘fuck off, bitch.’”

“Come on, don’t make yourself hotter than you already are.”

“Oh, you think I’m hot? You don’t say this often.”

“To be fair, the way you call me hot is reminiscent of Irene. You look me up and down like your latest accessory, one to parade around in front of your friends so they can all know you’re fucking me multiple times a week.”

“Well, yeah. I’ve got to, because you might run off with someone else if I’m not keeping you satisfied with sex, money, or both.”

“Since you refuse to be my sugar mama… sex it is.”

“I’m no fool. You’re looking for adventure. I’ve got to provide thrills to keep you.”

Helena stared into the depths of her mocktail, forgetting what was supposed to be in it. She pulled the pineapple cube out of its depths and licked the blue liquid dripping off the side. Yuck. Could she get a different drink? Then again… the aftertaste was rather refreshing…

“I know what I want,” she said, not looking at Delia. “And I know I’ve got ten years, tops, to do a lot of it. With college and God knows what after it… I better do it now.”

“You make it sound like you’ve got a ticking time bomb in your chest. Is your heart giving out?”

Had to have one to begin with. “I’m realistic about these things. I know how much people, both men and women, value youth. I’m young. Work it while I’ve got it.”

“That’s a rough way of viewing your self-worth.”

“You’ve been my age before. Surely, you remember.”

“Oh, I recall being pursued by people who only cared that I looked young. I even indulged them sometimes. But it was never worth the drama. Most of them couldn’t get me off.”

Helena almost cackled. “I don’t have that problem.”

“So I’ve noticed. You really, really like sex.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Is that weird?”

Helena was also quiet. “No. Lots of people like sex at all ages. Me? I love sex as much as most. What amuses me about you is how it’s a kind of lifestyle for you. You’re working those clubs every other weekend, hooking up with wealthy married couples, strutting around with more experience under your belt than half of the thirty-somethings I know, and doing it all for free. Are you sure you’re not a succubus? Like, if you’re not getting laid multiple times a month, you’re going to die?”

It had been a joke, but Helena wasn’t laughing. “Maybe.” She knew Delia would want more than that. “I like the place it takes me. I like pushing my boundaries, trying anything once, being… spoiled.”

“You’re telling me that hooking up with randoms in the club who probably barely last five minutes is being spoiled?”

Helena wanly smiled. “Guess you don’t get it.”

“Only because I know you’ve blown past gay, bi, pan, and are on some other level of the rainbow spectrum. You don’t give a fuck about anyone’s body or identity. I kinda respect that.”

“Those are only the stories I’ve told you about.”

“All of them in one year, right?”