“I need a place to stay.” I state, making sure she understands what I need.
Crave, LLC has always given their girls a safe place to stay. They own the top four floors to this skyscraper. The top floor is the club, and below it is an extension of the club . . . for darker tastes, and if people prefer to dive in the world of BDSM, group sex, or a variety of other options. The floor below that is the apartments for the Crave girls, and the apartments go down to this level, split fifty-fifty with their offices and some business ventures.
“What happened to your apartment?” She questions.
“I don’t think that’s an appropriate question for a potential employer to be asking a potential employee,” I state, wanting to keep this strictly professional.
Gia snickers, “If you wanted a clean slate, baby, you shouldn’t have come here. You and I will always be more than . . . this. We have too much history.”
“Funny you say that now, when you were so ready to throw it out the window for your father.” I quip, getting angrier as I think about it. Shit. I didn’t want her to see me get emotional.
“I’ve made mistakes in the past. I won’t lie about it. Fuck, I won’t even deny it. I made the wrong choice that day and I’ve regretted it ever since. Look, I don’t know what you want from me, Crina. Is it really a job, or is it something else?” Gia asks with wide eyes.
“I only want a job. I can assure you, I don’t want whatever it is you think I do.” I snip, glaring at her.
She chose her precious family over my love for her. That is something I will never forget.
“Fine. You know that only specific Crave girls live here. Either the girlfriend experience, some of our staff that work at night for the club, or a couple of the girls who work for the offices, doing admin work and whatnot. I have those girls sharing apartments, splitting up rooms.”
“Alright.”
“So, you want to work for OneEye, fine. But, none of my OneEye girls live here. I know you’re aware of that. So, you have a couple of options. You can work at the club tonight and we can see where things go and if you don’t like that . . . we can find another fit for you. I’m willing to help you get out of whatever mess you’re in, but I’m making a . . . special arrangement for you. Is that understood?”
“Yes. Do you have to clear it with Briar, Diem, Emma, or Kiera?” Briar, Emma, and Diem are typically in the Los Angeles office of Crave, while Kiera is the one who heads up their D.C. operation. Hell, Gia only comes out here every other weekend I believe. Unless she’s made the permanent move here to Las Vegas.
“No, they’ll stand behind my decision. We’re short staffed to begin with.”
“Okay. What do you need me to do tonight?” I ask her.
Gia struts directly by me and goes behind her desk, opens the top drawer and pulls out a series of black lace chokers with different colored pearls dangling from each. “Pick a color.”
I stare at the chokers, knowing exactly what she’s asking me to do. On paper, my job will be classified to be there as a go-go dancer, a sort of entertainer. However, there are many things that aren’t on paper when it comes to Crave, and this is one of them.
Each color signifies something different. “Do you remember what they mean, or should I go through it with you again?” Gia asks.
I stare blankly at the colors. “Of course, I know what they fucking mean. I helped you create them.” I snap.
Gia smiles, “Then pick a color, baby.”
Each color signifies a person’s sexual interests. Black is for the darkest of those who wish to play, meaning you could be into blood type shit, deep double penetration, being flogged and anything sort of degrading. Of course, you’re supposed to let your partner know your limits. White means you’re into kink, but nothing too crazy. Purple means you’re a brat and might be into the daddy/mommy scene. Not age play, but the kink. Red is the signifier for being a pain slut, pink is for those who refer to themselves as a babygirl, but I helped Gia also add furry play into that part. Blue means water, so on and so forth.
Okay, Diem created the idea, but I was the one who helped Gia figure out how to maximize on her idea.
I scan my eyes across the chokers, ultimately picking up what I’m sure Gia knew I would— black.
Chapter Three
Do not give your past the power to define your future
~ Unknown
Chaz
“Uncle Chaz, why don’t you have a girlfriend yet?” Zoe curiously questions me, furrowing her brows like she doesn’t understand the fact not everyone needs to be in a committed relationship.
Widow sits back, staring at me from the other side of the bonfire. I bet he’s about to club my head in if I answer her the wrong way or corrupt his precious little angel. “No one can bother putting up with your uncle that long, sweetheart.” Cheyenne elbows me, poking fun.
Zoe busts out into the cutest laughter, and right about now is when it hits me. My son would’ve been maybe a year or so older than her. Shit, how I wish life turned out differently. “Momma, did you hear Cheyenne?!” Zoe asks, looking over to Rebel who’s sitting on Nikolai’s lap.
If someone would’ve told me years ago that Nikolai, Rebel, and Widow could be in the same vicinity without tearing each other to shreds, I don’t know if I would’ve believed them. Cheyenne is still new to Zoe, so she hasn’t exactly earned the aunt title yet.
“I sure did, and it sounds about right if you ask me. Your uncle Chaz has always been up to trouble,” Rebel smirks, joining in on the teasing me bit.
“Y’all make me sound like I’m horrible.” I tell the two of them.
“No, not horrible.” Cheyenne giggles lightly, sitting beside me on the picnic table. She and I have gotten really fucking close, like really close, but not that close. Some days I sit here and wonder what it would be like to have a woman like her in my life, but I typically remind myself that with love comes pain, and I don’t think I could survive going through shit again. Not the way I did before.
I pick up the green plastic cup I’ve been drinking out of the last couple hours and smile at her, catching the way her dark eyes glimmer in the light. She told me when I first met her that she was a lesbian, but part of me thinks she’s bisexual and she just told me that so I wouldn’t pursue her. Shit, with the way she’s looking at me now . . . it really makes me wonder.
“Why don’t you ask Cheyenne why she doesn’t have a girlfriend?” I ask Zoe, figuring Cheyenne can get fucked with a lil’ bit here too.
Zoe cranes her neck to the side. “How come!?”
Cheyenne chuckles before she shrugs. “Haven’t met the right lady, I guess.”
“How did you know you liked girls?” Zoe asks, coming a little closer.
“What do you mean? I’ve always liked girls.” Cheyenne responds.
“You always knew you wanted to kiss them?” Zoe asks.
Cheyenne giggles lightly. “Yeah, in a way, the same way I knew I liked to kiss boys . . . I just like kissing girls a little bit more if that makes sense.”
Zoe furrows her brows, “I’m confused. You like both boys and girls?”