Page 3 of The Handyman
“Riley, you’re perfectly okay. I apologize, too. This is actually…my mom died, and I just got back from my hometown. I hate to say it this way, but this is a great distraction from an absolute disaster of a day.” Running my hand up my cheek and through my hair, I inhaled deeply to try to dislodge the tense ball in my chest. “I do appreciate that you feel bad, but I told you to call if you ever needed anything… that includes help.”
“Um— okay. I’m sure you’re tired of condolences. Were— were you and your mom close?”
The elevator jostled to a stop, and I stepped off on the ground floor as Riley and I became distractions for each other. For a second, I debated whether or not it’d be faster to walk to Black Cat, but traffic wasn’t bad at all for once.Maybe because it’s the sweet spot between lunch and leaving.
“Not really, but she was my mom. I went to her funeral yesterday even though I’m struggling to wrap up this job my boss had me on before Christmas. Everything went to shit, and nothing was accomplished, but Jesus fuck is there a lot of paperwork.” I walked towards the parking garage as I spoke, and the heat against my ear noticeably lessened. “It was a huge clusterfuck. The Russian guy was a complete asshole the entire time and ignored everyone telling him to bend a little on the conditions. He ended up going back home with nothing but an appointment to come back.”
“He sounds like an ass. I’m so glad I’m my own boss. I don’t know what I’d do if I had to try to make deals with people like that. “Is that why you’re into BDSM? Because you’re an underling?”
Interest twitched my brows, and my car unlocking echoed through the parking garage. “Ah, no. It’s nothing like that reverse psychology shit. It’s just my kink. I’m not into thereallydisgusting stuff, but. . . Sadism has many forms. Mine just happens to be the bondage part, not the pain part.” Riley hummed, and I switched my phone to my other ear as I climbed into my car. I liked this old car with its worn comforts and familiar handle. “I’m sure you’re wondering, too, Riley. But no, growing up, I had a normal life. . . as close to normal as someone growing up in Bumfuck Nowhere can get. My mom died in a car crash last week, but I only went to the funeral yesterday. I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have to pick up some paperwork from her lawyer in person, though, I don’t think. It’s a difficult situation to explain. My mom knew how much I hated pretty much everyone in the family but her and she wasn’t upset about it anymore. I guess ten years is a long time to come to terms with the idea of me making my own choices.”
“I wish my mom accepted my decision. When did you move out?”
Tapping the speaker button, I set my phone on the stand before twisting to back out of my spot. “I was 15 when I came to New York City. I got a job running packages until I was legal, went on the books, organized some stuff impressively and got a better job, and so on. Honestly, Riley, I bet it’s really hard on your parents to come to terms with the fact that you like being degraded.” I pulled out onto the street as I changed the subject, my fingers flexing against the wheel experimentally. “I understand the situation is seriously fucked up, but that’s because I also know that there’s a difference between your kink and an abusive action. Your partner beating you may not seem as bad when you consider the fact that you get off being sexually humiliated.”
“Yeah. I know. I don’t even know why I went there— it’s not like I expected anything else, but that’s what’s disappointing, you know? I don’t have any good friends that I can ask for help, including you, Reece. But you and I met at Black Cat, so I thought that maybe you’d take my side.”
Grinding my teeth to the gum at Riley’s hopeful tone, I gripped the wheel with white-knuckle tightness. My heart beat furiously, pumping irritation and an ugly, buzzing sensation through my veins.The fuck kind of world is this?
“I’ll be there in about 20 minutes, okay, Riley? I’m driving now, so I have to hang up.” The words scorched my throat.
She hummed softly before hanging up.
The silence was deafening. I was so fuckinghot and botheredby Riley’s admission— emphasis on the ‘bothered’ part. “Fuck!”
3
Riley
The door to the room opened slowly, quietly, and my heart leapt into my throat. A white paper bag stuck through the thin opening before Reece popped his head in. His appearance struck me, for some reason. He’d shaved off his neat stubble clean since the last time I’d seen him. Granted, it’s been weeks, but it only made that guilty feeling churn my gut.
“I brought donuts. You’re not allergic to chocolate, are you?”
I shook my head.
Reece smiled warmly as he shut the door behind him. “How are you feeling, Riley?”
“Existentially— kinda alone. My partner didn’tbeatme, beat me, but. . .” I trailed off, my mouth drying even as Reece held out the bag for me. “Thank you. You didn’t have to.”
“I wanted to. I got some for me, too. We’re both having a shit few days, huh.”
Whenever I saw him, Reece was so thoughtful and nice. It seemed so strange for him to be in a place like Black Cat, and it was that curiosity which drew me to him. Now, in hindsight, I wished I’d stuck with him even though his experience and confidence were intimidating. I opened the bag, and the smell of fresh donuts tantalized my brain.
Sitting on the other end of the sofa, he crossed his knees. “I’m glad I’m not stuck at my place feeling like shit about leaving my mom’s funeral before they fully buried her. I planned on getting wasted today, but I decided to read through her will and stuff first.”
“She had a living will? Why?” All the donuts were the same, chocolate frosted with no sprinkles, and I plucked one out to pass to him.
Reece smiled fondly, if not a bit sadly. “She was afraid that all her sentimental things would be destroyed if she didn’t have something in place. My mom started the will thing when I left home, ten years ago, and updated it yearly. She wasn’t wealthy by any means, but a lot of her stuff has huge price tags— not counting the sentimental value. My family seems to have everything backwards. Everyone’s a drug addict. Everyone’s a liar and a thief. I’m the only one that’s not, so even though we weren’t close, she left me everything but her house.”
Taking a bite of the donut, surprise rose my brows.They’re still warm.
Across the sofa, Reece leaned back to examine his treat critically. “She was a good woman…my mom. That’s why I left. Everyone stepped on her kindness, and she never had the heart to say ‘no’. I hated it, but I suppose that’s why I rose above it.”
I nodded at him. “I moved to New York City a couple of years ago. I wouldn’t put it past my mom to be mad about that, too. She never wants to talk to me about my life. All she says is how great Redding is and how they installed a new public pool, or how I should go to church again. To be honest, if she told me that I had such a traumatic experience and should move back home, I would’ve, but she didn’t.” Pulling my knee up to hide my frown, I went on, “Sexual preference doesn’t dictate what’s acceptable, or it shouldn’t, at least. I mean, my partner was a mistake. There’s a difference between being treated like shit and being demeaned for me. I was hesitant initially, and I should’ve taken that for what it was.”
“Well, now you know not to do that again,” Reece stated. “Especially with our kind of kink, situations matter. Context matters. I think a lot of people coming into it don’t understand that porn isn’t a real representation of this way of life.”
I took another bite of my donut and the chocolate frosting stuck to the roof of my mouth. Humming at howdeliciousit was, warm, light and fluffy, I glanced over at Reece to find his eyes on me.