Read Story: SEASON 2 EPISODE 98

Let’s see. I’d blackmailed Bobbi and basically taken away her freedom. I was fairly certain that if she were ever asked, she wouldn’t tell the story that way, but that didn’t erase the facts.

I’d taken drugs… bribed an Eiffel Tower guard to have sex at the top. I’d paid to have sex in the Napoleonic exhibit of the Louvre, which I’m pretty sure broke a few rules, if not laws.

I’d killed at least two people in Norway, and a lot of others had died on my behalf.

I was currently holding a person prisoner in my building and having him tortured.

“Yeah,” I finally said. “You’ll know the details I think you need to know when we’re not eating pancakes in the Blue Beans, but most of it’s been done with good reason in mind.”

“Most?”

“I mean, I’m not perfect,” I said, feeling a little bit of shame creep across the edges of my mind. “I’ve done a few things I’m not proud of, but I’m not a psycho or anything. I haven’t started a slavery empire or hunted people for sport.”

I saw the waitress approaching with our food. “Just think about it while we eat, and let me know if you’re in or out. If you feel like you can’t stomach this kind of thing, then no hard feelings. I’ll get you set up in Vegas or wherever else you’d like to go. I won’t leave you hanging.”

She stared at me for a few moments, and then we both dug into our food. There were only a few moments of silence before she said, “I’m in.”

“You sure? You’ll probably be taking creative liberties with the truth to cover up some questionable stuff.”

Despite herself, Charity snorted as she swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal. “Yeah. This is too good an opportunity to pass. Besides… after everything you’ve done for me, I don’t think you can be that bad. Just… make sure that honesty goes both ways, okay? I get that there might be some things I can’t know, but just don’t lie to me. I can’t do my job if you do, and it’d be unfair.”

I studied her for a long moment as I thought it over. The truth was, I needed her. She clearly had a good head for communicating with the public, and Julia had already told me she was smart. I needed someone with talent. Two attempts on my life had already been made, and they had both failed. I was collecting powerful enemies like Pokémon cards, and if they couldn’t murder me, they might try to destroy me in other ways. One of those was the arena of public opinion.

I needed to get ahead of that.

Julia had already expressed disinterest, and while I suspected part of it was that she liked her job, the other part might be because she knew the kinds of things that super-wealthy people needed hidden. Charity, on the other hand, didn’t have the options Julia had, so she was probably a lot more willing to ignore some of the more distasteful things she might find out and help me manage my public image.

It wasn’t that I intended on becoming a monster, but if I’d learned anything, it was that I needed to become a pragmatist. There was a difference between the two, even if it was sometimes hard to tell.

“Deal,” I finally said. “I’ll have Erin send you a detailed report of everything that happened in Norway, as well as what happened during the kidnapping. There’s some stuff that I don’t think you need to know—mostly personal things that won’t affect your job—but you’ll have everything you need.”

“Can you give me the highlights of what happened in Norway?” she asked.

“Astrid Håkansson set up a talk between me and someone I’ve been having problems with. On the way out, someone hit my helicopter with a rocket. I had to jump out and parachute to the ground. I found Chloe, found Astrid, managed to call for reinforcements, there was a fight, and then they extracted us.”

Charity’s eyes grew wide as saucers. “Holy shit!”

“Yeah,” I said.

“Wait… Astrid Håkansson? She lives in Norway?”

“Yeah,” I repeated. “You know her?”

“She has a decent online presence,” Charity said. “I’d love to meet her.”

“That probably won’t happen,” I said sourly. “She’s one of the reasons I’m having trust issues.”

“Oh,” Charity said, sitting back in her chair. Then she leaned forward again as if anticipating hearing something juicy. “Did something happen between you guys?”

I hesitated. Information about me and Chloe was off limits, but I wasn’t sure about Astrid. To be honest, it was a little embarrassing that I’d gotten so close with someone so unhinged. Then again… I hadn’t known Astrid had an online presence. Perhaps it was something Charity needed to know.

“Eh… there might have been a little something,” I admitted. “It was over before I left Norway. We had too many disagreements.”

“So, you guys aren’t a thing?”

“No,” I said. “We never were, and whatever it was ended in that forest.”

Charity eyed me. “Is there anything serious?”

“You mean, am I in a relationship?”

“Yeah.” The smile on her face was positively feline. There was a hint of Helen’s cool calculation behind it, but with Erin’s glint of playful audacity. It was a dangerous, charming combination.

I couldn’t help but return her smile. “Why do you want to know?”

She shrugged. “Call it professional curiosity.” Then she took a sip of her smoothie, dark-painted lips wrapping slowly around the straw without breaking eye contact. She knew exactly what she was doing.

“No,” I said, meeting her gaze. “I’m not seeing anyone. At least, no one serious.”

Charity eyed me thoughtfully, and I had a sneaking suspicion she was sizing me up as more than someone to sleep with. The look she was giving me was the same one I’d seen on Danni’s face. However, Charity was less doe-eyed and more thoughtful.

The thought of having to deal with another woman who wanted more than I could give her made me uncomfortable, especially considering I was going to be working so closely with Charity.

“Look,” I said, putting down my fork, “We should probably just lay all our cards on the table. What are you looking for?”

“Looking for?” Charity echoed, like I’d just broken the unspoken rules of whatever flirtation she thought we were playing.

She looked genuinely surprised—like she’d expected banter and misdirection.

But we hadn’t done that. Not at the club… not in her house when I offered her the job. Not when I’d had her legs over my shoulders and made her come without asking for anything in return.

We were past pretending. First-date coyness didn’t fit whatever this was.

“I’m talking about what’s going on between us. Are you looking for something more than just sex?”

“I…” She let her spoon go and placed her hands in her lap, her eyes fixed on the bowl. “I’ve thought about it.”

She lifted her gaze to me. “I mean, you’re a handsome guy, you’re loaded, you’re kind… what girl wouldn’t dream of snagging you? But…”

“But?”

“But,” she continued, “I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for right now.”

I suddenly found myself relaxing and realized that I’d been tense while waiting for her to finish.

She must have seen something change in my expression. “Don’t get me wrong… if anyone could get me to change my mind, you’d probably be one of them, but I get the feeling you were about to say the same thing.”

I nodded. “Yeah. I was.”

“Good,” she said, relief washing over her face. “Then that’s settled, and we don’t have to talk about it anymore.”

“So, just friends?” I asked, wanting clarification.

“And associates, of course.”

I felt myself breathe a little easier. I wasn’t going to have to go and find someone else to hire for my PR. I’m sure I could have, but I’d already invested a lot into Charity, and there was a lot to do.

“Don’t think that gets you off the hook,” Charity said, leaning in. “I still expect you to fuck me.”

I raised an eyebrow, not shocked—just impressed by her follow-through. I figured she had an appetite, but the timing surprised me. I would have thought the talk about relationships might have put a damper on things.

“You sure?” I asked. “I’m your boss, so you don’t have to feel obligated—”

“Please,” she said. “I’ve never been eaten out like that. You think I’m letting you haul me across the country without at least one ride? No chance.”

I laughed.

“And let’s be real,” she added. “I doubt I’m the only one getting serviced.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Well, I’d be surprised to find out you weren’t sleeping with Helen. No woman talks about her boss the way she talks about you unless she’s getting some. Cool customer or not, she’s definitely getting some.”

“Pretty good observation,” I said.

“And Erin?” Charity asked. “The way she looks at you? You’re giving it to her.”

Charity surprised me—in a good way. Sharp, steady, and not easily rattled. So I gave her a little more. She’d asked for honesty, after all.

I told her about Helen, Erin, and Bobbi. About Shea. About that wild weekend at The Starlight where I met Natashya. I walked her through Vegas and even mentioned Danni, Natalie, and Jessica.

I didn’t give her everything. Left out how dark things got with Bobbi. Didn’t mention that Natashya’s dating my sister, or how I’d fucked several women in front of my ex in a hot tub. Charity got the shape of it, but not the details.

“So… Helen and Bobbi are yours? Like, you own them?”

“In a way,” I said. “Helen gave herself to me outright. Bobbi... she chose me too. But when you’re at the bottom, how much free will is involved is open for interpretation.”

I paused. “They’re mine, though. No question. And yeah—either one of them would do anything I asked.”

Charity whistled low.

“Too much?”

“No,” she said quickly. “It’s hot, to be honest.”

“It doesn’t freak you out?”

“No. I’ve been in poly relationships before. Me and two guys. Then me, a guy, and another girl. I’ve also done a little bondage and a few other things.”

“How old are you again?” I asked.

“Twenty. Why?”

I hesitated. At twenty, I’d barely scratched the surface—One woman, one heartbreak. Charity? She spoke like someone who’d lived three lives already—and slept through two of them.

“Just surprised,” I said. “Didn’t expect someone your age to have that much experience.”

“I got started early,” she said, tilting her head. “That a problem?”

“No,” I said quickly. “Not unless I want to out myself as a massive hypocrite.”

“Sorry! I’m late!” a woman said.

I looked up to see Julia Lyons hanging her purse off the back of an empty chair before sitting in it. She immediately reached for an empty cup and poured herself some coffee.

“Traffic,” she explained. “I didn’t miss anything, did I?”

Charity shook her head, biting into a piece of toast before launching into a recap.

I watched her closely as she filled Julia in, skimming over the landmines without being obvious about it. She skipped most of what we’d said about my relationships and anything that seemed even questionable.

Twice, she glanced my way—subtle, like she was checking a mirror. Not for approval but alignment.

She chose her edits well. I didn’t say a word.

Another point for Charity.

“Jesus,” Julia breathed. “And like with the kidnapping, you don’t know who did this to you?”

“Not yet,” I lied, “but we’re following up on some leads.”

Julia took a sip of coffee, her eyes darting back and forth between Charity and me, thoughtfully.

“Well,” she said, smacking her lips. “What are the next steps, Miss Manalo?” She sounded like a teacher asking her students a question about the subject material they’d just discussed.

“Nothing’s leaked yet about the crash,” Charity said. “We should prep a few versions of a statement—one soft, one surgical. The soft version frames it as a private retreat now that things have stabilized. The surgical one? A survival story—controlled, inspiring—if the crash details surface.”

Julia smiled, clearly pleased. “Smart. Standard protocol—but nicely adapted.”

“I’d like to go ahead and release what happened to the public,” I said.

Both ladies looked at me in surprise. Julia spoke up. “When you say ‘release what happened,’ do you mean…”

“Everything,” I said. “I was shot down… chased through the forest. My bodyguard and I got out alive by calling for backup… we saved Håkansson… all of it.”

“Wouldn’t that put a lot of attention on you?” Charity asked. “I was under the impression that you preferred to keep things under the radar.”

“You know who was after you,” Julia said thoughtfully, tapping her finger to her lips.

“Maybe,” I said noncommittally. I wasn’t going to insult her intelligence by continuing to lie, but that didn’t mean I had to tell her who it was. I’d decided that I wanted the world to know that people had tried to kill me. I didn’t want everyone to know it was Tanaka till I had a chance to see if he was willing to deal now that I had his son.

“Either way,” I continued, “I don’t want the story getting out without me controlling the narrative. I’m also hosting a low-key party tonight with just a few close friends. Charity, I’d like you to be there and make sure a lot of good material finds its way to the socials. I want everyone to see that I’m doing well.”

“I can do that,” Charity said. She pulled out a pad and began writing down notes, listing the names of people to talk to in order to disseminate the story strategically. I sat back and let them work, sipping my coffee and simply enjoying the sight of the two lovely ladies at work.

I examined my strategy one more time before committing.