Page 37 of Briar

To call me. About my hair. “Tell me you’re joking.”

He sounds… deadly serious. I swallow. “What if I’m not?”

“Then I would be bereft.” He doesn’t hesitate. “Your choice. Always. But if you possibly would be willing to… wait, until after the arrangement, I would be grateful.”

I bite down on my cheek before I respond. “I’m not cutting my hair.”

Jenson loosens a breath in my ear, and something unravels in my stomach. “Good.”

“You really like my hair that much?” I ask curiously.

“Briar—,”

He stops. Takes a breath. “I’m fucking obsessed with it.”

And then, with those abrupt, rough words, hehangs up.

Well, then.

I glance back down to the form, the options underneath catching my eye.

Hair braiding

Hair brushing

Hair washing

Smiling, I tick off each one, leaving the cutting option blank before moving on. And when I’m finished a few hours later, I send all three of them a message.

I’m ready.

Kai

Icheck the street name on my phone again.

The tension in my body doesn’t ease.

This is it.

The agreement is signed, every part of it double and triple-checked with Briar. Our boundaries are clear… and so are hers.

I swallow. My thumb taps restlessly against the wheel.

She’s late. Only by a few minutes, but enough that nerves pound in a harsh rhythm against my ribcage.

She might have changed her mind. She might not come at all.

But I’ll still wait. All night, if necessary. Just in case.

We’ve done everything possible to make sure Briar will be comfortable with us. The room is set up, the cameras already positioned based on her requests.

One in the corner, covering the room.

Another at the corner of her bed, for… close-ups.

Fuck.

Tonight is her first night. And we’ll be following her instructions to the letter. Including her ask of us for this first time.