That woman is so uptight. Addie hung up the phone and flung it in her purse. How in the world is she going to handle a kid?
When Addie got to the office, she called Liselle and asked her to courier the client’s profile over so that she’d have plenty of time to read it beforehand. Plus, she wanted to go home and have dinner with the boys, so she’d need to get it done over lunch.
Liselle sounded annoyed. “I can’t.”
“Why not? You’ve sent stuff over before.” Addie asked, not hiding the irritation in her voice.
“Because this one is classified.”
Addie raised her voice. “Aren’t they all?”
“Yes. But this one’s particularly so.” Liselle replied, sounding amused.
Addie threw her hands up. “Fine. I’ll come over and get it myself.”
“The file can’t be removed from this office. As I said, it’s classified.”
Addie slammed the phone down. “Wonderful.”
Addie slumped down in her chair and rubbed her temples. She hadn’t realized she was this tense. She closed her eyes, and, instantly, her thoughts turned to William. She wondered what he was doing right now, if maybe he was thinking of her too. She sat up and quickly typed the first part of his name in Google Search but stopped herself. Let sleeping dogs lie.
The rest of the morning flew by as Addie rushed from meeting to meeting. Over lunch, she headed over to Seven. She entered through the waiting room—a no-no, but since she was irritated, she didn’t care—noting that it was full of men, most of them in suits. How ironic that when the rest of the world was eating lunch . . .
Addie sat down at Sondra’s desk and removed her salad from her bag. She picked up the file with Mr. X written across the top directly above a CLASSIFIED stamp. Mr. X, huh. She opened it, curiously flipping through when her phone rang. Addie picked up. It was her assistant informing her that she had a meeting pop up. It was an appointment they’d desperately been trying to get. A client they had been trying to secure for weeks. She had to take it. And it started in forty-five minutes across town. Shit. Addie looked at the file. She flipped to the back and quickly read over Mr. X’s preferences. He was seeking corporal punishment using whips but mostly preferred the use of hands combined with choking and was to be told he was worthless and would never amount to anything. A certain musical selection must be on repeat throughout the session. Mr. X’s sole focus was on the B&D aspect of BSDM. He wanted bondage and discipline. So long as no marks were left above the neck. Perfect. She would be able to get out some of her frustration after all.
Addie peeked at the time. She had to go. She gathered her things and left the file lying on the desk. Glancing back, she told herself she knew all she needed to know. Beat the shit out of him, while wearing a mask, and they were good.
Later that evening, Addie arrived back at Seven to find the outfit that was left for her. Black slacks, a crisp, short sleeve white button-down shirt, both with Banana Republic tags on them. Lying next to the clothes was a pair of shiny black peep toe Christian Louboutin pumps. Huh. This ensemble could’ve come from her own closet. This was slightly different from her other clients, who preferred latex and leather. Attached to the shoes was a note. Put your hair in a bun. And put the mask on, all the way. Addie held the mask up to her face. It went all the way around her head. Strange.
Suddenly, her phone rang, startling her. It was Sondra who went over the rules. And then over them again. She must have said everything six times at the very least. Don’t break character. Stick to the routine. Don’t speak to him. No matter what don’t speak. Press play on the iPad in the corner. The music was to play on repeat the entire session.
“This session is dangerous, Addison. You must promise me that you’ll follow my instructions down to the letter.”
Addie grimaced. “Dangerous? How? Am I in physical danger, Sondra?”
Sondra chuckled. “Let’s just say this one is tough to break . . . mentally. Keep your guard up, ok?”
Addie studied herself in the mirror. She looked healthy—thin yet strong. Andre was changing her body for the better. “Ok. I got it. DON’T MESS THIS UP.”
Sondra sighed, sounding exasperated. “Just promise me you’ll keep your head in the game and stay smart.”
Addie slipped the mask on. It was hard to breathe in this damn thing.
“Promise.” She replied, though it was muffled.
Addie froze dead in her tracks as she opened the door to the dimly lit room. She gasped as her breath caught. Her throat tightened and her mouth went dry. William looked up as a confused expression crossed his face. She had the mask on. He couldn’t see her face. Suddenly, Sondra’s words echoed in her mind. Keep it together no matter what.
Addie walked over to the iPad in the corner and glanced at the display. Pettersson’s Symphony No. Seven was set on repeat. Pressing play, she slowly walked back towards William, who was sitting in a chair in the center of the room. Standing in front of him, she placed the collar around his neck, a little tighter than she probably should have. He kept his gaze glued to the floor.
Addie stepped back, taking him in. He was beautiful like a work of art the way he sat in the chair with his chiseled body. But he was broken, his face twisted. Pained. She’d seen that look enough times now to know a broken man when she saw one. How was it possible that this man was the same William she knew? So many emotions ran through her mind. What in the hell was he doing here? And why had Sondra put her in this position?
Suddenly, Addie became enraged. She’d had it with Sondra, with William, with Patrick, with everyone. She allowed her emotions to spill out. Anger poured out of her. The blow that struck William across the face hit him with such force that spit flew from his mouth. Her hand hurt but she barely felt the pain. She was numb. Addie lifted his head up by pulling his hair and struck him again and again. She let go of his hair. William let his head fall as tears seeped from the corners of his eyes. Addie slapped him over and over again. All the while he hung his head. She gave it everything she had, allowing the feelings she’d pent up inside over the last few months, maybe her whole life, come to the surface, fueling her rage.
When she’d had enough, depleted and panting, she turned and walked to the desk in the back of the room. Tears stung her cheeks, staining the inside of her mask as she took out a note card and scribbled her message. You’re not even worth a full session. You’re not worth anything, much less my time. Get out.
Walking back to William, she carefully removed the collar. Bending down, Addie studied his face. Unable to help herself, she kissed his cheek where it was still wet with the tears that had fallen. William flinched and visibly recoiled. The mask didn’t allow her skin to touch his. Needing to feel him, she trailed her fingers down his face, the lines already etched in her memory. Addie placed the note in his hand, curled his fingers around it, then turned and left the room.
Back in Sondra’s office, she collapsed, sobbing until there was nothing left. Addie stayed there for a long while her mind ran over all of the ways she should have seen this coming. It had only been a matter of time before she’d end up broken, too.