“Why? I was a total bitch to you the last time we were in the same room, Anna. You should be kicking me to the curb and calling me all loads of crap.”
“Do you really want to fuck your brothers?” Anna asked.
“What? Eww, gross, no. Urgh,” Daisy said with a shudder. “Look, I just said what I said because of crap happening at home. I was drunk, and that stuff wasn’t true. Yes, David and Paul are handsome. No, I never wanted to sleep with them. Thank God. I’d be in therapy if it had been true.”
Anna began laughing. “I never saw a reaction like that. Some of my concerns were about that. God, I’m so sorry. This must be painful for you.”
Daisy smiled. “Not really. All I know is that my mother is bitter, and I have two brothers who don’t want to know me. Other than that, I’m peachy.” She stared down at her watch. “Crap, I’ve got to go. I don’t want to lose my job. They’ll find any excuse to fire me.”
Anna followed her out of the apartment. “Paul and David have their own opinion on what went on, Daisy. They don’t hate you.”
“They’re probably worried that I’ll start begging for money. Assure them I’m not. Nothing is going to change. I’m not going to fight them on anything. They know about me. I’ve lived twenty-five years without them, Anna. I can keep going. Thank you for stopping by, and I wish you every bit of happiness.”
Daisy didn’t give her time to talk. She walked away from the apartment and headed toward work. Young children were already walking inside the playground. She saw Dean and Laura dropping off their little girl.
It looked like they were arguing. She ignored it and went straight through to the reception area. Daisy ignored their sneers and began working. She’d been expecting some hostility. If her mother knew about her visits to the club then it didn’t take a scientist to realise that others did as well.
At lunch time several of the staff went out to lunch. She stayed in cataloguing de
liveries for the nursery. David and Paul Steer walked into the reception area as everyone was coming back for lunch. She was finishing her sandwich as they approached her desk. Daisy kept her attention on the computer screen.
“How may I help you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice neutral.
“We were wondering if you’d be kind enough to come to lunch with us,” Paul said.
She looked up at the two men who were her brothers. Their attention was focussed on her. “I’m working right now. I can’t. Another time maybe.”
David nodded his head. “Sure, another time.”
They left the reception area. Daisy spent the rest of the day trying not to burst into tears. She bit her lip and carried on. When it was closing time, she grabbed her bag that she’d left under her desk and began to walk the long distance to Control.
She knew she should have gotten a lift. Daisy kept walking even though rain began to fall. The tears kept falling as she walked through the wet weather. A car pulled up beside her. “Get in,” William shouted. She stared at him, shocked.
Without hesitating, Daisy climbed into the passenger seat. She expected William to move away from the curb. He kept staring at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Why didn’t you call me to pick you up?” he asked.
“I didn’t think about it.”
“Next time you better think about.” He turned the heater up. “Your care is my primary concern, Daisy. You could have been hurt or gotten ill with this weather.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would rain.”
“This is your only warning, Daisy. If you leave work with the intent of coming to the club then you call me to pick you up. If you don’t, then I’ll spank your ass until you can’t sit on it and then refuse to give you orgasms.”
She saw how angry he was. No one had ever been so annoyed with her before. “I’m sorry,” she said.
“Good. Now, let's get you home.”
“I don’t want to go home. I want to go to your place,” she said.
“That’s where we’re going, Daisy.”
He pulled away from the curb and began driving toward the club. Her feet hurt from walking in heels. Next time she wouldn’t forget to call him.
William parked the car in his driveway less than twenty minutes later. He got out of the driver's side then moved round. She yelped as he picked her up and hauled her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.