Page 15 of Her Patron
“I don’t think you have anything to do with those photos,” Miquela said quietly. “In fact, I wanted to apologize to you and also say that I had nothing to do with them…”
“I’m sure. Don’t worry about it. I don’t think anyone knows who I am, and if they do, they’re not talking. Besides, there are plenty of pics of me floating around the internet already.”
“June, I…”
“Of course, it’s highly dated by now, and not the best quality.”
“Damnit, June, I don’t care about that.”
“Then what do you care about, Miquela?”
Miquela reached to take her hand, but June pulled it away, securely folding her arms.
“I care about you,” she said. “I care that you’re not hurt and not mad.”
“I am neither, rest assured.”
“Good.” Miquela folded her arms as well. Might as well build more barriers for them to tear down later. “Now… I wanted to talk to you about the other woman…”
June tried not to grimace, but failed.
“I know who she is.”
“Of course you do. There were pictures of her, too. I don’t doubt you did your homework the moment you saw. You types always do.”
“No, I mean Iknowher. We met right before the photos came out. Her close friend owns the yacht next to mine down at the marina. And we…”No, never mind.Now was not the time.
“It’s a small world.” June sighed. “So?”
“Is there a reason you’re keeping up the bids? You know I’ll give you any amount you want. That’s how much you mean to me.”
June’s walls grew higher with every word.
“It’s up to Monique. You heard her terms. Put in your final offer. Sounds like the woman with the highest bid will win, Ms. Bolivar.”
What was that polite shit?
“I don’t believe for one second that you, with your second-in-command rank and close relationship with your boss, can’t go up to her and say, ‘I want Miquela to be my patron.’”
June continued to gaze at Miquela as if she were nothing.
“I could, honestly, but I won’t,” she said. “Because, first and foremost, I am running my own business. I have to do what is in my best interest. Since you and Dr. Christie are both perfectly fine patron material, I will let money be the deciding factor. A girl has money to save.”
“I’ll give you whatever you want!”
“What makes you think she won’t, either? Look, Miquela…” She softened, but it was more for Miquela’s benefit. “We have fun together. I like you. More than most of the clients I’ve had. Last I checked, I had slept with hundreds of people. Many of them blur together at some point. I know more about Peter, our bouncer, than I do some of my long-term clients.”
Miquela tried not to bristle.As long as she’s been clean this whole time, it doesn’t matter. At all. Right. Haha.Miquela could tell herself that until she was blue in the fucking face, but she was still a woman in love. Why the hell wouldn’t she be all over June, dreaming of monogamy and everything they could share with only one another?
I don’t care about your past. I only care about your future.
“But?”
“But,” June continued, “I like her, too. This job is always complicated. I count myself lucky that I have two good women vying for my best position. If she does get it, so what? Patronage isn’t monogamy. I’ll still be offering the same services that I always offer.”
That wasn’t the point. That was never the point.
“I could never take you out again. I would always be at her scheduling whim.” Just the thought of Sette taking June to somewhere like the French restaurant whereshehad wined and dined the woman with oral skills of a Greek deity… Jesus…
