Page 28 of Dark Rules

Stephanie was in line for the bathroom, and I knew she’d be gone for a while. I took the opportunity to talk with the only woman I knew who could understand my problem. She wouldn’t bullshit me, and she was Stephanie’s friend. She would tell me what was best for her friend, but she wouldn’t let it blur her vision of what was right and what was wrong.

“I want to extend the contract,” I blurted it out and waited. I knew she wouldn’t laugh at me, but would she give me grief over it? Another contract was something I’d never done before. I’d already broken my own rule once, though; I might as well go in for another one, right?

“How long?” she asked without inflection or even a quirk of an eyebrow. She shot a glance in the direction of the women’s bathroom and then brought her eyes back to me. She got it then.

This was just between us.

“A month. I’ve already broken my own rules. Another month should do it, I would think.”

“Do what, exactly?” Her black-rimmed eyes pierced into mine, and for a moment, I felt like a school boy, one who had something very stupid.

“To get her out of my system.” It sounded stupid even to me. What must it sound like to Roxie?

“Do you think that can actually happen? She’s got to you, Dylan. She’s under your skin.” Roxie came out with both barrels and spoke the point blank truth. “If you’ve broken your rules for her, then you’re fucked. It’s that simple.”

“Surely not?” I laughed off her words, but she didn’t smile or even crack a chuckle.

“You’re fucked. If you want to start the contract all over again, you’re fucked. I suggest you make it longer. Or chuck it out altogether and just have, I don’t know, a fucking relationship with her?” Roxie’s blonde head tilted, and she glared at me. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Nothing. I’ve just, well, I’ve never had a relationship before. I don’t know how any of this works. The contract makes sense to me, anyway, and covers my ass. I don’t want claims of abuse, or worse, to be made against me. I know the contracts aren’t legal, not really, but it covers my ass if allegations are made later.”

“Do you really think Eh, Stephanie is that kind?” She’d stumbled over Stephanie’s name but recovered quickly. I noticed it but brushed it off.

“I don’t, but you never know, do you? I’m a wealthy man, with an empire to protect.” I straightened my tie and gave Roxie a pointed glare.

Roxie muttered something, made to get up, but sat back down. “Do what you want, Dylan, but I think Stephanie is it for you. You can’t fight that, and nothing you do will change it. You’re all wrapped up in your feelings over her, and you have to acknowledge that, or you’re going to fuck up something that could be really good. For you both.”

Roxie did get up then and left me alone at the table. I watched her go and wondered what had upset her. I knew she was Steph’s friend, but that reaction. Then I’d seen Freddie with a girl in his lap, a girl who wasn’t Roxie, and knew she was hurt. She’d opened herself up to him and had taken a chance. Obviously, he’d thrown that away, and Roxie was hurting.

Wasn’t that just an example of why I should have a contract? A contract meant I could walk away whenever I’d want to. Or was Freddie the example I should avoid? Throwing away a woman who cared for one who wanted what was in my pockets, not in my pants. I frowned, then scowled, and slugged down my drink.

I’d wanted to talk to Roxie to get some reassurance that the plan was a good one. What I’d got was more confusion. I’d also upset Roxie, though now I knew I wasn’t the main reason for that. I’d thought it was kind of rude of Freddie to throw it back in Roxie’s face, but what could you do? It was business, and that was why I’d wanted a contract.

I’d transferred money to a bank account number Stephanie had given me already; apparently it was something the club used for all the transactions here. She’d said the money had arrived in her account, so I knew it was going through. I’d paid her, she fucked me, we’d both had a good time and that was that.

But it wasn’t, my brain screamed as I patted the spot where the contract was. It was more than just a fuck. I’d wanted to know more about Stephanie. I’d wanted to know more than the fact that brown was her favorite color. I’d wanted to know more than her favorite music or her favorite food. I’d wanted to know about her political beliefs, what she’d wanted to do with the rest of her life, if she had any family.

I’d wanted to know it all. I could learn that in a month, then my curiosity would be satisfied. But would she tell me about her family? Would she tell me her ultimate goals in life, if she knew that I wouldn’t be there to see her attain them?

I sat back, got the bartender’s attention, then lifted my glass. A waitress came with the drink, and I’d brushed her off with a large tip. She’d only brought me a drink, but fuck it, it was only money. How did I make this right?

For both of us, because I didn’t want to upset Stephanie. She’d barely wanted to sign the last one, and I was fairly certain she’d pretended to forget the last one. That was why I’d refused to fuck her. To punish her for the lie. I needed honesty from her, and that lie had stung. Even if she’d done it because she didn’t want to sign the contract. I had to have assurances I wouldn’t be fucked over, didn’t I?

Stephanie came back not long after, and we’d danced for a while, and I thought, not for the first time, what a perfect woman she was. I was sure she had a fault somewhere, none of us were ever perfect, but to me, she was. She was a seductive dancer, but she was also accomplished and had taught me a step or two of the more typical dances. She loved a lot of the movies that I did, and I’d even found I’d liked her musical tastes.

She could set me at ease, or help me through tension, even without sex. And then there was the sex. She never complained, she never said no, and she was always eager to explore whatever I desired. In all, she was great, and I couldn’t ask for more.

Sometimes, every now and then, she’d go quiet. As if something was wrong, as if she had some kind of troubles in her life. I’d asked her, tried to get her to explain to me, so I could help talk her through it, but she’d always just given me a bright smile and say nothing was wrong. I knew there was, but I didn’t want to push her too hard. Not right now.

I had my own troubles, and really, if I was only going to be with her for another month, then knowing her problems would only cause me to want to extend it again, wouldn’t it? I couldn’t make the contract for longer than a month. I’d be gone soon anyway, and I knew she wouldn’t want to go to Kansas, or anywhere else for that matter, so it was no use extending it.

I had obligations. Problems of my own, I thought as I’d looked down at my hand. It trembled, and I’d flattened it out on her shoulder. Way too much exercise lately, and I’d promised myself I’d cut back, but I knew I wouldn’t. I had to work at being healthy, that was true for everyone, and I liked to be at the peak of physical fitness. It helped me work the amount of hours I did and kept my body from breaking down.

We danced to another song, and then I took her back to my place. She loved my pool and went straight in for a swim. I had a shower and went to bed to read for a while. I soon heard her in the bathroom, and then she was in bed with me. A sweet cloud of her perfume followed her in, and I’d hugged her close to inhale the scent. It was one of the things I’d miss once I finally ended this arrangement.

I’d kissed the length of her neck and ran my hands down the black silky nightgown she had on. It was a vintage nightgown, but I loved it on her. I wasn’t sure they made nightgowns like this now. It was a stretchy kind of material and cupped at her breasts as if it was a second skin. Soft lace decorated the edges and the bottom.

The material bunched beneath her breasts and swept down to her feet in a long swirl that I found irresistible. She knew I liked the style and had found a few more to add to her collection since I’d told her how much I loved this one. I didn’t know when she’d found the time to do it, but she did. I guessed when I was at work.