Addie did as she was told.
Sondra took a deep breath. “I was expecting to see you in my office this morning.”
“I know and I’m sorry. There is just so much work I needed to catch up on.”
Sondra eyed Addie up and down in a way that told her she wasn’t fooling anyone. “Yeah. It seems that way.”
Addie glanced around her office; looking for a way out of the hole she’d just dug herself into. “What can I do for you, Sondra?”
Sondra picked up a stack of papers from Addie’s desk and fanned herself. “Have you made a decision on my offer? Do you have an answer for me?”
“I . . . Uh . . . Yes. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I so appreciate you thinking of me, but—”
“I’m pregnant, Addison, exactly eight weeks along and, if you can’t tell, sicker than I’ve ever been in my life.”
Addie tried to keep her face neutral. “Wow. Congratulations.”
“Let me finish. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and I have built an extensive and exclusive list of clientele. Clearly, I cannot continue to see my clients throughout this pregnancy. The real kicker is that I never expected to be able to have children, Addison. Never. They said it was impossible after everything that happened. And to tell you the truth, I’ve never really cared to be a mother. But now that it’s happened, well, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I figure, what the hell, I might as well embrace it.”
“Having a child is a big deal. And . . . yeah, you’re probably right. Your profession and babies don’t exactly mix very well.” Addie’s smirk quickly disappeared. “What about the father? Will he be involved?”
“No. He won’t. But we’ll be fine.”
“I see.”
“Addison, I’m just going to cut to the chase. Dungeon Seven is my life, and I cannot just step out of it without losing my clients. They’re used to a certain level of service. I’ve given this a lot of thought. Yes, there are other Dommes out there that I could farm them out to, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it. I want someone whom I know and trust and who is specifically trained by me. With the proper amount of training, I know that you’d be perfect. So what is it? Is it the money? Because—”
“Ok. I’ll do it.” Her mind wandered to her own children, and, somehow, the words suddenly slipped out. She stared out at the skyline mulling them over in her mind once more. Addie sighed. She wasn’t sure, why but it just felt right. It was time to stand on her own two feet. She glanced back at Sondra who looked relieved. “But I expect a signing bonus.”
Sondra stood and walked towards the door, smiling. “You got it. I’ll have my assistant get everything in place and get your household fully staffed. Your training begins tomorrow at five a.m. sharp.”
Addie grimaced. “Five a.m.?”
“Yeah. We need to whip your ass into shape. Literally. This line of work is incredibly physical.”
Addie smiled, hoping she hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of her life.
Addie woke to her phone ringing at four a.m. It was her new chef asking to be let in. Jesus, what had her life become.
Over breakfast, she was informed that she was only to eat what the chef, an older man named Alexander, who as it turned out was Russian, prepared. Addie was instructed that he must approve all food. She was on a strict diet and only allowed to consume a limited number of calories in order to stay within the regimen Alexander prepared.
But if Addie thought Alexander was a ball buster, she couldn’t have been less prepared for the trainer who showed up promptly at four forty-five a.m. Andre was brutal. No hold
s barred. He wore Addie out in the first five minutes yet insisted she complete the entire hour-long training session. It was pure hell. Addison hated the man in the first ten minutes. What had she gotten herself into?
Addie showered and was surprised to find the boys happily chatting with Alexander when she came back downstairs and Nanny Kelsey already there.
“Hey, Mrs. Greyer, I LOVE my new schedule. I can’t tell you how much this will help towards my student loans, not to mention I just really love your kids.”
Addie smiled, kissing each of the boys. “Thanks, Kelsey. I know a trio of boys who feel the same way about you.”
Addie sat watching them eat as Kelsey packed lunches. Maybe this was a good thing after all. It would give her back to them. Instead of trying to do everything herself, as a single mom, now she had a team in place.
After she saw the boys off to school, Addie was picked up by a car service and driven downtown to the warehouse district where Dungeon Seven was located. Seven as it was called was in an unassuming building that could’ve easily passed as an inconspicuous medical office. The entrance was freshly decorated and bright, complete with a cheerful receptionist.
“You must be Addison.”
“Yes.”