Page 97 of Submitting to Them

Ella

Sure enough, Dorado Terrace is waiting for me when I return to work on the following Thursday.Melinda, my boss, is aware of what went down prior to my unexpected vacation.She offered to give me more time, but I don’t really need it.Besides, I refuse to mooch off of my rich boyfriends.It’s just not how I was raised.

I arrive before Brent and Gail, and hurry to the cleaning closet.Terrence and Squid are my bodyguards today.Because even though I evaded my personal security last week, they’ve all forgiven me.I still feel terrible for not trusting them, but they understand.

It’s hard not to feel like a fool, getting tricked like that.But I push the unpleasant thoughts away.I just had an amazing vacation with my two amazing boyfriends.All is well.

I sing to myself as I look over my cart’s supplies.Despite my vacation being over and the demands of a usual workday ahead of me, I’m in a damned good mood.I guess a few days of excellent fucking will do that for anyone.

A folded piece of paper is taped to my cleaning cart.We each have our own carts stowed here, because we like to have our items organized in specific ways.I, for instance, prefer several extra rags tucked into a box on the side, whereas Gail would rather use that space for extra glass cleaner because she uses too much of it, in my opinion.At any rate, we long ago decided to leave each other’s carts alone, and we even used markers to put our names on them.

On my cart, this piece of paper is taped right next to my name.

Curious, I unfold it.

Blocky, black letters stare back at me.

You owe us.Don’t try to get out of it.

Tell someone, and your brother dies.