Page 6

Chapter Six

I took the contract into college and asked to see Mr. Trent. We sat in the on-site coffee shop, and I showed him what I had.

“Wow, Ruby. How do you know this guy?” he asked, having read the contract then flicking back to the front.

“He’s my landlord. Well, he owns the company that owns the house.”

“And you said his name was Sebastian Wolfe?”

“Yes.”

He umm’d and ahh’d and then handed it back to me. “I’ll do some digging, but if I was offered that contract, I’d be jumping all over it.”

“You think I should take it? That means leaving college. ”

“I think you should take it! Jesus, Ruby, no apprentice would get this chance or that salary, normally.”

“That’s what bothers me. What’s the catch?” I asked.

“I have no idea. Perhaps it is simply what he says. He wants to help you. You are worthy of help, you know.”

“I don’t know about that. I’ll call Mike and tell him I’m in,” I said.

Mr. Trent was the one teacher that I wished I’d had all the way through my education. He was kind and encouraging. His attitude was, if you didn’t want to learn, that was fine, but leave the classroom. He wanted to only spend his time with those that did.

I left college, my lectures finished lectures, and punched in Mike’s number, hoping that muscle memory would dial the right numbers since I couldn’t see them.

Thankfully, he answered.

“Hi, I’ve signed the contract. Do you want me to post it back?” I said, after identifying myself.

“You can bring it in when you start. I have my diary open, how about next Monday, which is the beginning of the month, so it suits our payroll.” He laughed when he’d spoken.

“Next Monday is good for me. That gives me a chance to sort out my grandma.”

It didn’t, but I wasn’t sure a delay was on offer.

I said goodbye and skipped back home. For the first time since I was a child, I had a sense of happiness bubbling away inside me. Unfortunately, a sense of foreboding swiftly followed.

I was afraid to let myself be happy or content, even. I held back, always wary of when happiness might be snatched away. Monica had said in the past that when I suppressed the happiness, I brought on the depression.

If you think something bad will happen, then it generally will , she’d said.

I tried my hardest to focus on the start of a possible career, and the smile started to return.

I seemed to have gotten home in record time and found Grandma asleep in her chair where I’d left her. Monica would have been, but there was always that worrying period when she was on her own. Since she was fragile, I had no fear of her wandering. She was in little danger, but she would mess herself and my first job was a clean-up.

“Hello, Grandma,” I called out, forgetting the lock worked. I kicked the door so hard it bounced off the wall and back at me.

“What’s that noise?” she shouted.

“It’s just me, Ruby.”

“Come in, my granddaughter will be back shortly,” she said .

I smiled at the familiar greeting. “I’ll make a cup of tea, shall I?”

I headed straight to the kitchen, dumping my rucksack in the hallway, kicking off my trainers so they bounced off the wall, and pulling my hoodie over my head. My hair stood on end with static. It was one thing I loved about having a tumble dryer, the static on clean clothes.

I made Grandma a tea and warmed her some soup. I cut a bread roll into small pieces and filled a plastic tumbler with water. Grandma had all plastic, if she smashed a glass, she wouldn’t realise it was sharp and would cut herself with it.

Once she was fed and settled again, I sat at the kitchen table and signed the contract. I read it again, highlighting areas I wanted to discuss. I had a bank account, but perhaps I needed a second, a savings account. With the salary I was getting, I could afford to put a little away for emergencies.

Although Sebastian had said casual clothing was the normal, I still needed to buy some more. I couldn’t wear my one pair of ripped jeans and dirty Converse all the time.

I was munching on some toast, all I had in for dinner since I didn’t get any money until the following day, when there was a knock on the door. A part of me hoped it was a certain someone .

I tripped over the rucksack on my way to open it. The caller knocked again.

“All right, I’m coming!” I shouted, rubbing my elbow. I opened the front door with a wince.

“Are you okay?” Sebastian asked.

“No, whacked my funny bone. What are you here for?” I asked.

“No amount of funny bone will make you smile, I take it?”

I gave him a broad fake smile and then laughed. “I fell over my rucksack,” I said, pointing down the hall.

“Yes, I can see the hazards you’ve left in your wake.”

His chuckle caused my lips to twitch—both pairs.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Wolfe?”

He held aloft a bottle of champagne. “I thought we should celebrate your new life.”

“Unless you’d prefer something else,” he added, and I wondered if he could see disappointment in my face.

“Not my drink, not that I’ve drunk much of it,” I replied.

“I suspect the cheap shit you’ve had would turn you off.”

I stared at him. Without speaking, I started closing the door. He blocked it with his foot.

“That was uncalled for from me,” he said, bowing his head.

“That isn’t an apology,” I stated .

He didn’t offer one, initially. So I kicked at his foot to move it. “You don’t have any rights to force your way in here, even if you do own it,” I said.

“I’m sorry, Ruby. What I said was crass and uncalled for. I’d like to share a glass of champagne with you to celebrate your new position.” His voice wrapped itself around my skin, causing the hairs to stand on end, and putting me in a situation where even if I wanted to, I couldn’t say no.

I opened the door fully.

“Thank you,” he said, stepping inside and standing close to me.

“You know your way to the kitchen. I’ll just tuck Grandma in.”

I wanted just a minute to breathe. I could feel the heat radiate from him, he stood that close.

I heard him opening cupboards while I pulled Grandma’s blanket up around her chin. I kissed her forehead as she closed her eyes. She wasn’t in a talkative mood that evening, which happened more often than I liked. It meant she was slipping further away from me.

I turned off the ceiling light, leaving a small bedside lamp on, and gently closed the door. Before I headed to the kitchen, I took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly.

“You don’t have any glasses?” he asked as I went around the kitchen, closing all the doors after him.

I picked up two. “What are these?” I asked .

He pursed his lips, then licked over his lower one. “Let me rephrase. You don’t have any champagne glasses?”

“Never needed them, Mr. Wolfe. Don’t have much call for celebratory drinks. But I’ll be sure to visit the champagne flute store and grab some when I’m next in town.” I smiled as sweetly as I could at him.

“Someone should put you over their lap,” he said so quietly, I strained to hear. I near-on melted.

“I’m yet to find anyone man enough to try,” I answered, waving the two water tumblers in the airs.

He snatched them from me and opened the champagne. He poured and when one fizzed up, he placed his finger in it. The bubbles subsided and I watched, mesmerised, as he placed that finger in his mouth and sucked.

He then handed me a glass. I sat, I had to, I think my legs would have given way. He came and sat opposite me.

“Do you want me to take this back to the office? I’m heading there after this,” he said, waving his glass.

“Mike said to bring it in with me. Why are you heading back to work?”

“I like to work at night. I can concentrate more when the office is empty.”

“Don’t you get lonely?” I wasn’t sure where the question came from, but I got a sense that, like me, Sebastian was quite the loner.

“I like my own company,” he replied, confirming what I thought. “Although, you’re welcome to come with me. It’s interesting to walk around the office when it’s empty.”

“I can’t leave—”

“Would you, if you could?” he asked, cutting me off.

I stared at him for a moment. “Yes.”

He picked up his phone and made a call. He requested assistance for a few hours and gave my home address. I frowned.

“Sorted,” he said, simply.

“Whoa, hold on. I’m not letting just anyone in here. Grandma has dementia, that takes a special type of care.”

“Would a specialist in dementia care be appropriate?”

“Yes, but—”

“There are no ‘buts’. If you want to come with me, help is on the way. If you don’t, turn the help away when they get here.”

His stare was his challenge. I sipped the cold drink to cover my trembling lip.

“Blimey, this is nice,” I said, and took a larger sip. He laughed. “Far better than the cheap shit I’ve drunk before. I might get used to this. ”

I turned the bottle to face me. I highly doubted I could afford it, but I wanted something to do before having to speak to him again.

I watched him watching me. I tried to be subtle about it, but his intensity was mesmerising.

“Do you always do that?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I wanted to ask if he knew what on earth I was talking about? I was sure I was babbling.

“Why?”

“When I want something, I want it.”

I wanted to ask what it was that he wanted, but I wasn’t sure how I’d respond to the answer.

“My time is precious, Ruby. I don’t like to wait around.”

He placed his glass on the table and stood. He held out his hand and I took it. He walked us to the front door, and I felt like I was in a trance. It was as we opened it I saw a male nurse in blue overalls walk up the path.

“Mr. Wolfe,” he said, holding out his hand. Sebastian shook it. He then pulled me forward to stand in front of him. “This is Ruby, granddaughter and primary carer.”

“Hi, Ruby. My name’s Tim,” he said, and then handed me a folder. “All my credentials. I work only with dementia patients both in hospital and in their homes. Mr. Wolfe has asked if I’ll sit with your grandma for a few hours this evening, if that’s okay with you?”

We were all standing in the doorway. I didn’t feel like I could go anywhere. I had Tim in front of me, smiling kindly, and Sebastian behind. I could feel him, his heat, and I could hear him breathing, slow and steady.

“Erm, I’m not sure,” I replied, in all honesty.

“What is it you’re not sure of?” Tim asked.

“This has been thrust upon me all of a sudden,” I said and heard a low chuckle from behind.

“Tell him to leave, if you want to, Ruby.” The voice startled me. He’d leaned down, his mouth at my ear. He moved my hair and his breath ghosted over my skin. “Although I’d rather you didn’t.”

I swallowed hard; my heart was racing.

I nodded. “It’s fine. I’ll only be a couple of hours at most,” I said, aware my voice shivered. “She’s asleep and usually sleeps straight through. She’s not on any medication and she has water beside her. No glass, please. She’s... She’s fragile.”

He nodded. “Mr. Wolfe has my number if you need to contact me.”

I straightened my back. “Perhaps it might be best if you had mine, should you need to call, bearing in mind she is my relative and not Mr. Wolfe’s? ”

That chuckle came again and hit me straight in my core.

“Absolutely.” Tim pulled out his phone, and as I was about to recite my number, Sebastian did instead. He knew my number off by heart. It irritated me no end.

“Shall we?” Sebastian said, pushing me gently forwards. I hadn’t even picked up a hoodie.

I walked down the path and hesitated at the front gate. There was no car.

I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. I then felt Sebastian place his jacket around my shoulders. He rubbed the tops of my arms. I didn’t look back at Tim but heard the front door close. I was worried, hugely, but also elated. It was a sense of freedom I rarely got that coursed through me. I’d walk in the rain if I had to. I was out at night. I wasn’t to or from work. It wasn’t my normal and it was exciting.

“This way,” Sebastian said, and when he placed his hand on my back to guide me, static coursed over my skin. Even through my clothes, I felt the shock.

He guided me to a black car. Not the same one he’d been driven in, but a sporty, low to the ground type. He opened the door for me, and I had to hold his hand to lower myself into the seat. Had he let go, I was sure I would have fallen on my arse.

I watched him walk around the car. He scanned his environment and I shivered. There was a predatory element to him that, even in the car, I could feel. But the strangest thing was, I felt protected. I wasn’t prey.

“Nice car,” I said as he got in. He stared at me, and then frowned. “What?” I asked.

“I was waiting for the quip, Ruby. Perhaps something about capitalism or being wealthy?”

I stared at him and then bit down on my lower lip. “I do that a lot, don’t I?” I said, quietly.

“You do. Now, buckle up.”

Sebastian didn’t drive to the office in the same direction that I’d been before, and considering it was within walking distance, I wondered where we were going. That was until he hit the motorway.

“Fuck!” I shouted, part laughing and part screaming.

Sebastian laughed and hit the accelerator harder.

He’d put his foot down and the car had shot off so quickly, it had taken me by surprise. I laughed, and whooped, waved my arms in the air, as much as I could with the low roof, and screamed to go faster.

When we finally slowed, I was breathless. “Oh my God, that was amazing.”

He laughed, and it was a natural one. His smile was broad. He whipped off his tie and threw it on the floor at my feet since there wasn’t a backseat. As he undid his top two buttons, I licked my lips.

“Can you drive, Ruby?” he asked, glancing at me and catching me staring at him .

“I can, but I haven’t for a long time.” I’d learnt when I was seventeen and passed my test, but could never afford a car and hadn’t driven since.

“Want to have a go?”

“Are you kidding me? I’d smash it up or kill us.”

He laughed again. “I highly doubt that.”

He pulled off the motorway and backtracked to the office. When we got there, a security guard raised a barrier and we drove into an underground car park. He stopped the car and opened his door.

“Get out,” he said, commanding.

I laughed and ran around the front of the car. Only then did I see the Ferrari badge. While he stood at the side of the car, I slid into the seat. It was warm where he’d sat. I placed my hands on the steering wheel, sliding it around to feel the leather. He leaned down and moved my chair forwards so I could reach the pedals.

“Don’t touch anything just yet,” he said, then walked around the front and slid into the passenger seat.

“Where are the gears?” I asked.

“Automatic. You’ll go too fast to change gear,” he said.

I’d never driven an automatic before. “Right, see that lever? Click it down one for drive. Cover the brake gently and slowly pull away.”

There was no slow with the car. We shot forwards and I panicked, slamming my foot on the brake. I laughed; Sebastian slammed his hands on the dashboard.

“Slow!” he said.

“I’m trying!” I replied.

The second time was more successful. We crept forwards in a straight line.

“Now what do I do?” I asked.

“Turn left or right unless you want to slam us into that wall,” he replied.

I glanced quickly at him, too scared to take my eyes off the ‘road.’

I turned us and drove a large square around the empty space. On the second round, I was confident enough to move from ten miles per hour to thirty. Even at that low speed, the car roared.

“I love the sound and the feel,” I said.

“Same.”

“It’s that... Vibration of the engine,” I said. I could feel it between my thighs, or was it the close proximity of Sebastian?

He smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. I rolled my eyes in response.

“Okay, pull over, otherwise I won’t get any work done. I’ll be too focused on you and vibrations.”

My cheeks coloured, but I didn’t respond.

I came to a halt, not in a parking spot, but randomly in front of a door. Sebastian leaned over me to press the start/stop button. He could have pointed it out, I was sure, but I think we both enjoyed the closeness. I inhaled; he smelled divine. If one could bottle power and sex, it would be his scent.

Before he moved fully back into his seat, he looked at me. His face was close to mine, I could feel his breath. I held mine. His eyes, normally a brilliant blue, had darkened and his pupils had dilated. I stared straight into his eyes for as long as I could, then my gaze fell to his lips.

He pulled back and I breathed.

“Come on,” he said, leaving the car. I needed a moment to refocus, however. Finally, I joined him.

We walked in silence to a door, and he keyed in a code. We’d entered a small area. An overhead light flickered and he looked up and tutted. Opposite was another door. He keyed in his code again, and it swung open. The other side of that door was a lift and a staircase. He took the stairs, two at a time, and I struggled to keep up.

“Slow down. I only have little legs,” I said, panting after him.

He stopped midway and waited for me. “You need to get fit,” he said.

I paused and stared at him. “Like I have time for that! And that’s rude.”

“More or less rude than you’ve been to me? I need to know, just for future reference, where I put my quips on our scale of rudeness.”

“ Scale of rudeness ? How old are you?” I replied, chuckling.

“Thirty-five. Sixteen years older than you,” he replied.

“An old man, then. And that’s about mid-scale. I can do better if you’d like me to.”

“You need an old man to keep you in check.”

“I don’t need anyone,” I replied, and then started to walk ahead.

I was sure that I heard him say, we’ll see , but when I turned around, he just smirked at me. “Stop looking at my arse, as well,” I added.

“You can tell me to do a lot of things. Whether I’ll comply is another matter.”

I strode off, muttering under my breath, but loud enough so he knew I was doing it. His laughter echoed around the concrete chamber. Finally, we came to a landing and another door. I had to wait until he keyed in yet another code.

“Next time, can we just go in via the main entrance?”

He held the door wide and gestured with his arm for me to enter first. I stepped into an open plan office with one large corner office. The walls of which were all glass. It was a different floor than the one I’d been on before. This one was clearly his. In the corner, opposite the office, was a seating area. Plush leather sofas formed a square around a small coffee table. There were tables down one side of the room with mock ups of buildings, drawings, and it seemed to me to resemble a showroom of sorts, or a museum.

“Let me guess, another secret code,” I said, looking at the keypad next to his office door. “Although, if one wanted to break in, surely they’d just smash the window.”

“Two two zero seven.”

“Huh?”

“The code, two two zero seven. Not such a secret. As for the glass, if one wanted to smash those, it would take a small sized bomb.”

“Why the security, though? Genuine question, I didn’t see anything like that downstairs.”

“Because I value my privacy. I also don’t want people in and out of my office.”

“Except me?”

“Except you.”

He stood to one side, and I keyed in the code, the door unlocked, and I opened it. It was heavy, for sure, but hinged in such a way that it swung open effortlessly.

“Make yourself at home. There is coffee or water, and a bathroom in that corner. Take a look around. Those are some of our previous projects, they might interest you.”

“What exactly do you do?” I asked.

“Property development, mostly.”

“Mostly?”

“Sometimes I kill people. Being in property development is quite handy for disposing of bodies.” He smirked, and the skin around his eyes crinkled.

“Ha ha. I’ll grab a coffee. Do you want one?”

“Yes, please, black and strong.”

He walked around a solid oak, large desk and before he’d even sat, a monitor emerged from its hiding place within the desk. He slid open a drawer and removed a keyboard.

“Impressive,” I said, then left the room.

After spending about ten minutes trying to work the machine, I’d managed two mugs of black coffee. I took one back to his office. He was sitting with headphones on, the type with a mouthpiece, and typing. He typed way faster than I could have. I placed his coffee on the desk, and he looked up and smiled at me.

“Hold on, Jake,” he said. “See that desk there?” he pointed to one at the furthest end of the room. “On it is a mock-up of a club, my club. It needs a total overhaul inside. Want to take a look?”

I nodded enthusiastically. Although architecture was my primary goal, it was the interior of hotels and clubs that I wanted to work on the most. I rushed over.

On the desk was a layout of a two-story building. Whoever made the mock-up had done it to scale, which was great when it came to visualising. Also on the desk was a storyboard. All I needed to know was what the club was used for. It seemed the downstairs was the usual bar and DJ booth, but upstairs, it was different. More a lounge area with VIP rooms. Perhaps he had dancers. I also noticed a name on the storyboard. It had been put together by Amelia. The woman that paid his restaurant bill had the same name and I hoped I wouldn’t have to work with her. I pulled over a stool and sat. I just looked at the downstairs first, taking the top layer of the mock-up off. The storyboard suggested it was dark in colour, perhaps dingy looking, but it was hard to get a feel for it, having never visited it before. I wasn’t the club type, although I had visited one a couple of times on the odd occasion I had college friends. One of the main complaints had been how dark clubs were. It was dangerous for women.

I grabbed a pen and wrote, women only lounge set up from the main floor and with security.

I also noted a lack of toilets on both sides of the building, so added that. Women liked to congregate in toilets, and yet, it was often men who designed those spaces. I drew a room that was more along the lines of an old-fashioned powder room. I added sofas and dressing tables at one end, toilets and sinks at the other.

There was no space to attend to anyone who was ill. Spiking drinks was commonplace in clubs, perhaps there needed to be an area specifically for dealing with that, with a door straight to the outside for paramedics. The more I thought about it, the more I wrote and sketched.

“What’s that area?” I heard. Sebastian leaned over my shoulder and pointed. He made me jump.

“Women only,” I said.

“Mmm, interesting.”

“It’s hard to know what to do without seeing the space, so I’ve sketched some areas I know clubs are missing.”

I pointed out the medical room, a different layout for toilets, and repositioning the bar so people didn’t have to walk directly through the throng of dancers each time. Different flooring to define the spaces. Water stations where cups could be filled for free.

“What is upstairs used for?” I asked.

I heard him chuckle. The sound ran from my neck, where he was, down to my toes. I curled them in my trainers.

“That’s a different sort of club. Members only.”

“There’s no DJ area,” I said.

“No, because, as I just said, it’s a different sort of club.”

“Well, unless I know, I can’t visualise the space.”

He chuckled some more. “Perhaps you’d like to visit it. It’s open now.”

I picked up my phone, knowing full well I wouldn’t be able to tell the time. “What’s the time?”

“Ten p.m., that’s all.”

“That’s my bedtime,” I said, laughing. “Are you a night owl?”

“Pretty much. Although I can live on very little sleep, thankfully.”

I felt a distance creep in and knew he’d stood back. “So?”

“Okay, why not. I need my camera, though.”

“No cameras, not this time. Perhaps I’ll take you back tomorrow.”

I frowned. “I clean in a strip club. I doubt you have anything in there I haven’t seen.”

He raised one eyebrow and did that thing. The one thing that got my insides in a knot. His tongue gently darted out to wet his lower lip before he bit down on it. It didn’t seem it was a conscious thing from him, it was natural, but, boy, did it turn me on.

“Shall we go?” I said, wanting to break the moment.

I followed him back down the stairs, at a slower pace, and to the car. He waited until I had my seat belt on before he closed the passenger door and strode around the car. He pulled his phone from his pocket and made a call before he opened his door.

“Ready for this?”

“Yeah. You’re making it sound like we’re heading to something weird. You’re not going to kill me in there, are you?”

“Maybe.” He licked his lips and those brilliant white teeth flashed at me.

“I was half expecting a dental plan with my contract.”

“What the fuck is it with you and teeth?” he asked, backing the car out.

“Nothing, just thinking aloud.”

“Ask for one to be put in. A contract is to be negotiated, not immediately accepted,” he replied, not focussing on me, but his manoeuvre.

It was my turn to chuckle. He stared at me and then shook his head.

It took only ten minutes to drive to a dingy backstreet and park outside an even dingier, black painted building.

“Looks like the bloody London Dungeon,” I said, wrinkling my nose at the smell of piss as I opened the car door.

He chuckled and continued to laugh. “What did I say?”

“That’s about the best description I’ve heard, although I don’t think we’d get away with using that name.”

The club wasn’t open since it was a weekday. Sebastian told me they only opened Friday through to Sunday, and then one night in the week for special DJs. However, upstairs apparently seemed to be. He picked up my hand and walked me down a side alley a little way, to a small black door manned by a security guard. Probably one of the largest I’d ever seen. He nodded at Sebastian and opened the door for him. We were met by a flight of stairs.

“Are you ready for this?” he asked. “Remember, you are only here to the assess the place for internal renovation purposes, that’s all.”

I frowned at him. “Strippers, that’s what I’ll see, isn’t it?”

“You might do.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. “Lead the way.”

I followed him up the stairs to a large foyer. More security and a receptionist greeted him immediately. That area was quite welcoming and bright. I wondered how that could be since there were no windows. He didn’t introduce me to anyone.

“Do you want a drink?” he asked.

“A Coke might be nice,” I replied, and before I finished my sentence, a waiter appeared by his side. He placed the order, one Coke for me, a whiskey for him.

He stared at me again. “What now?” I asked, getting agitated.

“I’m not sure this a good idea. Let’s go,” he said, surprising me.

“Wait. What?”

“This isn’t a good idea.” He reached for my wrist, and I pulled it back.

“I’m a big girl, Sebastian. Whatever is through those doors, isn’t going to faze me.”

The waiter appeared and I took my Coke. Eventually, he took his whiskey.

He picked up my wrist again, not holding my hand, but wrapping his around my skin, and marched me to a set of double doors.

It opened, as if by magic, and we walked in.

My heart was in my mouth, and it raced at a pace I wasn’t sure my lungs could keep up with. I stood, wide-eyed, and open-mouthed at the sight in front of me.

Women were dangling from the ceiling by ribbons, some were strapped to metal circles that gently turned. All were naked.

As my eyes adjusted to the dim light, I started to see more. Couples, triples, were fucking on large beds. Orgies were all around me.

I let Sebastian take my hand at that point, too stunned to protest. I’d known I wasn’t walking into a bloody book club, but hadn’t expected that.

He led me to the side of the room, where the smaller bedrooms were. Some had glass windows, some didn’t. It was nicely decorated, if a sex club could be. I was actually quite impressed with some of the art on the walls.

“That’s nice,” I said, pointing to a picture. It was of a naked woman, back to the camera. She was kneeling, and her hands and ankles were tied with intricate knots.

He laughed. “Is that all you can say?”

I turned slowly, looking around. Some stared at us, and I felt conscious about being scruffily dressed.

“So. This is your den of inequality?” I said, quietly.

“Don’t you mean inequity?”

“No, inequality. These women giving their bodies to rich old men because they can’t do anything else.” I snapped as my blood boiled at the sight.

There was a pause and I swear he rose in stature.

“What did you just say?” His voice was so low, and filled with such anger, it made my heart stop. His jaw clenched so tight, a rapid pulse could be seen at the side. His eyes had narrowed.

“Erm...”

“I misread you, Ruby. I didn’t think you were so judgemental. I was right earlier and should have turned around and driven you home.”

I wasn’t sure what to say, other than I knew I’d fucked up, and he was right. But I was too proud to apologise. He walked away, but I stood still.

“Come,” he said, not even looking at me.

I ignored him. In fact, I decided to investigate further. I took a few steps in the opposite direction. It was then that I saw her.

Amelia swung from two large ribbons hanging from the ceiling. I’d seen the ‘act’ before, but never with a naked woman. She lowered herself and landed gently in front of me.

“I heard what you said. Perhaps you should know I have a degree in aeronautical engineering. I could work on a fucking spaceship if I chose to.” Posh people swearing always amused me. But she was very annoyed, and rightly so.

Sebastian returned to my side and grabbed my arm. He held on tight to my wrist and I turned to face him.

“Don’t hold me like that. You don’t own me. I’m sorry, I spoke entirely out of turn. You caught me on the back foot and my mouth runs away from me when that happens.”

“Apologise to her,” he said.

My heart raced, more so when I saw how she acted around him. She was deferent. I apologised and she accepted. She also asked if I had any questions.

“Why are you here?”

“Because I love it. I love sex, I like to be dominated, and this club gives me, and many others, the freedom to practice what we love in a safe environment. These aren’t all rich old men . Although, granted, some are. Some are also just your average Joe. See him there?” she pointed to a muscled and tattooed man. “He’s a window cleaner, Ruby.”

I swallowed hard, suitably chastised.

“Who... Who dominates you?” I asked, knowing the answer immediately.

She looked at him, I looked at him. He stared at her. I saw him raise his middle finger. He gently rubbed a patch of skin just beside his eye. She nodded.

“Strike one,” he said, quietly. She nodded again.

He had given her a code, a message, but for what? I had no idea. She didn’t say a word, and left. He still had hold of my wrist, but not as tight.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” I said, gently.

He nodded, and then walked back, towing me behind him. We left the room and were back in the bar. He placed his undrunk glass of whisky on the tray being held by a waiter. I gulped a few mouthfuls before doing the same.

We were outside in minutes. I watched as he looked up at the sky and took in a large breath.

“Get in the car,” he said, not looking at me at all.

I did as I was told.

For a moment, we just sat. “Are you angry with me?” I asked. I didn’t want him to be. For as much as I’d been rude to him in the past, being upset with me wasn’t what I wanted.

“Yes.”

His abruptness made me shrivel inside. I looked out of my window.

“I should take you home.”

“I don’t want to go home. Can we get a coffee somewhere? I’ll pay,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.

Only then did he look at me. “Never judge anyone, Ruby. Not until you know the circumstances.”

I gently nodded. He started the engine and we drove, thankfully, in the opposite direction to home. He pulled up outside an all-night café and I waited for him to open my door. He held out his hand and I took it. It was the easiest way to get out of the car.

As I walked to the counter, he took a seat. I ordered him a black coffee, strong, and myself a latte. I paid when the drinks were ready, and then joined him.

“Ask your questions, Ruby,” he said.

I had a ton, but I suddenly found I had no words. “I think I’d like to just drink my coffee, and maybe talk about the building rather than its use.”

He nodded.

“As much as I love architecture, I love interiors more. It’s easy to put up four walls, but the positioning of windows and lighting, flow of the rooms, that fascinates me. How to make a building work, do you know what I mean?” When I spoke about my passion, I became animated. Even my voice changed. It wasn’t so sullen.

He smiled at me. “I do. It’s good to be passionate about something.”

“What are you passionate about?” I asked.

“Lots of things.”

“That you won’t tell me?” I asked, smirking.

“Exactly.”

He looked at his watch and disappointment flooded through me.

“What’s the time, Mr. Wolfe?” I asked, my voice low.

“It’s One O’clock,” he replied.

I scooted forward a little.

“I think it’s time for me to head home. But...”

“But what, Ruby?”

“I’d like to go back to that club one day.”

He stared at me. “For what reason?”

“Just because.”

He shook his head. “That isn’t a good enough reason.”

“I’m curious, okay?”

My cheeks flamed. I was. I had always been curious about a more hedonistic sex life. It wasn’t like I had a great deal of experience, although I had lost my virginity at fifteen. That was more like a fumble and thirty seconds of penetration. I had never been satisfied by a man.

“Do you know what curiosity killed?” He had leaned forwards towards me, our faces just a few inches apart.

“I don’t want to die curious,” I replied.

He didn’t reply. He gulped down the remains of his coffee and stood. I took that as my cue to do the same. I guessed we were leaving. Leaving yet another half-filled drink on the table, I scrambled to follow him.

When he pulled up outside my house, I climbed from the car with reluctance. He had held the door open for me but only walked me as far as the gate.

“Can I ask a question?” I asked and he nodded. “The Amelia that signed the storyboard. Is she the same as the one in the club and with you at the restaurant?”

“Yes, why?”

“Isn’t it awkward? Working with your... You know?”

“No, Ruby, I don’t know. Explain.”

He fucking knew; I was sure. “Is it hard working with your sub, or whatever you call her?”

He raised his eyebrows and started to chuckle.

“She said she likes to be dominated, and then she looked at you. I know what I’m talking about.”

“You know what you’re talking about?” he asked, and then stepped closer to me. Only the gate separated us.

“Sort of. No, I don’t, but you know what I mean.”

“Yes, she’s a submissive. Sometimes, when I want to, I will play with her. No, it’s not awkward at work because we are both professionals.”

“Do other people know about you two?” I asked.

“No, only you.”

“And you want me to keep that quiet, I guess,” I said.

“I don’t care who you tell, to be honest. I like curiosity. I like that you are curious.”

I thought for a moment he was going to lean down and kiss me. He didn’t. Instead, he took a step back and nodded just the once before he left. I stood and watched his car leave, the tail light glowing red as he broke at the end of the road. Only then did I open the front door.

“Hi, did you have a good evening?” Tim asked. I’d forgotten he was there.

“Erm, yes. Sorry, it’s late. I should have called or something. Is everything okay?”

“Perfectly. Your grandma is asleep, she hasn’t woken once, to be honest. I’ll be off now.”

“Okay. Erm, how do I pay you?”

“You don’t, it’s been taken care of by Mr. Wolfe. Didn’t he tell you? He’s retained me on a permanent contract for you. You’ll be starting work soon, he said. ”

“Oh, right, yes. I forgot. But I’ll only be working during the days.”

“I mean, my company, not just me. We’ll have someone here during the day, and someone on the evening shift. Before you start, perhaps we should sit down and discuss hours,” he said, and then frowned. I guessed he thought I would have known.

“Yes, sorry. It’s late, I’m all over the place. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I showed him out and then shut the door. I rested my back against the wood and closed my eyes.

“What the fuck am I getting myself into?” I whispered.

I looked in on Grandma and then headed upstairs to bed.