“You’ve what?”
Nora sets down her wineglass, then turns back to me. “I’ve relied on a man financially in the past. It was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. I can’t go through that again.”
“What does that mean?”
She stands and walks back and forth in front of me. She’s nervous about something and I have a feeling I won’t like whatever she says.
“Nora, look at me.”
She responds to the order, stopping in her tracks. Her eyes meet mine, and she sighs a breath of relief when I grab her hand. “Tell me whatever’s bothering you so we can work through it together.”
“His name was David. I moved in with him a few years after my parents died. I was nineteen, jobless, and relied on him to keep me clothed and fed. At first, things were fine.”
Nora grabs her wine and guzzles the rest down. She’s nervous to tell me whatever it is she needs to, and all I know is I want to find this David and beat the fuck out of him.
She bites her lip before she speaks again. “Then my school load got really intense and I couldn’t keep up with the housework. I started ordering dinner more often. And our relationship tanked.
“I was so exhausted. I was pulling all nighters because I just didn’t get the coursework. So I’d stay up studying, go to school and come home and crash. I got a tutor, who was a male.”
Her shoulders sag, and she leans into me. I press my lips to the top of her head and rub her back. I’d do anything to comfort her, to take away the anxiety this memory is clearly causing her.
After a beat of silence, she continues. “He was jealous. He gave me an ultimatum. School or him. Which really meant being homeless or living in his home. So I dropped out. I didn’t want to be intimate with him anymore. Things just got bad, Becker. Until I got the courage to leave. And I can’t do it again.”
“I’m not asking you to rely on me, Nora. What I’m asking is that you make our relationship a priority for the next six months so that we can learn more about each other. I’m not going to give you ultimatums. You’re always in control and this ends if you want it to, not because I’m forcing you to make decisions. I can afford to help you financially so that you’re not overworking yourself. I want you to be healthy and happy. That starts with making sure you aren’t stressed because of a minimum wage paying job.”
She chews on her lip, processing my words. “I see that. Thank you for explaining. I think I can do what you’re asking.”
“Good. Let’s get this signed.”
She nods as I refill her wine.
Chapter six
Nora
Becker: Where are you?
Nora:Grocery shopping.
Becker:I want you to go to the bathroom and touch yourself for two minutes.
Becker:Think about my hands on you.
Becker:You may not come. When the time is up, clean your fingers off with your mouth.
Nora:Yes, Sir.
*Four minutes later*
Nora:My nipples are so tight in my bra now.
Nora:The fabric hurts.
Becker:Take it off and put it in your purse.
Becker:Then send me a picture of how hard your nipples are through your shirt.
Nora: *Image sent*