“So, what is all of this about?” he asks, sounding impatient. Or maybe it’s eagerness.
I should ask if he’s okay, if he needs anything, but I’m so eager for him to agree that I ignore it.
“As I mentioned at the club, I am looking for a specific and uncommon lifestyle. It’s not the type of thing I can find in regular dating. In fact, it isn’t dating at all. I don’t do relationships and I don’t do dating.”
“Then what is this? Like aPretty Womanthing?”
It takes me a moment to figure out what he means by that, and I shake my head.
“No, because I assume you are not a prostitute.”
He laughs and the air around us lightens. “You’d be correct in your assumption.”
“We would have set hours for this. A schedule. One that would be adhered to carefully. I am a busy man, and I don’t have a lot of time for other things, so it’s important that you are not late and can be responsible enough to keep this schedule.”
“I can. I’m very responsible.”
I nod and continue. “If you agree to this, we will go over everything in detail. What I would expect from you, what you will not let me do, that sort of thing. For now, I’ll give you the brief overview of how a day in the life of my slave could go.”
He clears his throat, fidgeting before reaching for his coffee and taking another sip.
“For example, on a Saturday, I prefer an earlier day. You could start anywhere from six am to seven am and stay until the evening, probably after dinner. You wouldn’t be required to make my meals, but you will serve them to me. There will be a uniform for you to wear. A lot of what I’ll need from you is silence, submission, and listening. You’ll do as I say. So perhaps I am working on papers for the afternoon, you will sit with me quietly, until I need something from you.”
“This sounds an awful lot like a mix of you needing a friend and a butler.”
I try not to be offended by that remark.
“If that’s how you want to look at it, sure. Though, friends don’t get paid, and I assure you that your pay would be much higher than the standard butler.”
“How high are we talking?”
“Five thousand.”
A small choked sound leaves his throat as he says, “A month?”
“A week.”
“A w—Are you serious?”
“I need to make sure the stipend is worth the requirements.”
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “That doesn’t make sense. If all you want is for me to keep you company, serve you meals, and wear a fancy uniform, that’s not worth five grand a week.”
“Most of the pay is for your silence. Yes, there is the NDA, but paying you more makes you more willing to not mention any of this to anyone.”
“It still doesn’t make sense. What’s the catch? Am I going to end up in a satanic ritual?”
“Absolutely not,” I say firmly.
“And you’re sure this is not prostitution? Are you paying me for sex?”
“No, there is no sex involved, though there are health requirements.”
He stares at me like he doesn’t believe me. I’m not surprised. This reaction isn’t uncommon.
“Well, for that amount of money, I’d do it if there was.” He leans forward, pressing his forefinger to the table. “Sign me up.”
I watch him, trying to assess the situation. I’ve had these go bad before, and that’s why I’ve promised myself to be careful. I need to watch for the tells. Someone who is overenthusiastic doesn’t typically work out. Someone who is guarded and unsure won’t work out either. There must be a balance. Cassius is leaning to the overenthusiastic side, and it’s concerning me.