“You think we kept Mandy as a…what? A slave?” I say, still confused as all fuck.
“I don’t give a fuck what you kept her as. All I know is that her time is finished with you two, and I want her.”
“No,” Aaron grits out. She’s like a sister to us, and we wouldn’t hand her over to anyone. She’s not a piece of property.
“You’ll do it or I’ll buy out every debt in Frank Johnson’s name, take that farm and burn it to the ground.” I look at Charles in shock. He meets my eyes. I can tell he's dead fucking serious. “And the tapes of you and Natasha Woods go public.” He lands his killer blow.
My face must turn white, because his face is smug now, some of the anger fading from it. “Don’t worry, nothing happened. But it won’t take much editing to make it look like it did. From what I’ve seen of the video, she drugged you and had a camera guy take you to her room, but I had a man outside the door waiting to bust in as you came out. Despite my reputation, I wouldn’t have allowed that to happen to anyone, even you.”
“But you have the video?”
“I have it for now. As collateral.” He gives us a cocky grin, knowing he has the upper hand.
Suddenly, Cupid comes over and lays a sheet of paper on the desk.
“This contract states that Mr. Townsend would like to hire Mandy on a temporary basis at the Snake Eyes casino, and in turn you would hire me. Think of it as an exchange, but with a dramatic flair.” I’m surprised he doesn't throw glitter in the air as he says it.
“Why would we do this?”
I look at Aaron in shock. “Are you seriously considering this?”
He gives me a look, and I understand. That farm is everything to Stella, the whole reason she was even doing this, and burning it down would be the ultimate slap in the face after her years of dedication to it. Not to mention the media scandal it would cause if that video leaked. She has known enough pain, and the need to keep her from feeling any more of it is like a driving force for us.
Cupid lays three pens on the desk. “The terms are simple. Sadly, there are no sexual servitude clauses. I would’ve loved to have tried on the two of you.” He smiles at his own joke and continues. “One month of service to the casino. Mandy and I will be treated as any employee and made to do only the required tasks. At any time during the month, if either of us feels too much is being demanded of us or we are asked to do something we aren't comfortable with, we can terminate the contract on our own and go back to our previous employer. It’s that easy, and believe me, I know the demands you two make of Mandy, and I wouldn’t have agreed to it without a way to get out.”
I pull my arm out of Aaron's grip and pick up the contract. It’s one page long and easy to read. There are a few rules, but they are all standard and nothing looks out of the ordinary. Still, I don’t get it. “Explain this to me, Charles. Why are you doing this? I don’t understand why you want Mandy.”
“I have my reasons, and ultimately I want to make sure she’s happy where she is.”
Mandy’s been with us since she was nineteen, and though she’s been wonderful, we’ve been selfish. We’ve demanded a lot from her, and she’s sacrificed everything for us and our casino. Maybe Charles is right. Maybe we have enslaved her. It’s clear he means her no harm, maybe he just wants to be near her. I understand the feeling— being willing to do anything to just be near the woman you want. I’m standing here for that reason. Plus I know Mandy can hold her own. I’m not sure he knows what he’s biting off.
I look at Aaron and he nods his head, looking to Charles. “One month, she can leave anytime she wants, and we get Cupid as a replacement?”
“That’s the deal.”
I take the pen and sign the paperwork, hoping Mandy understands. Aaron grabs his pen and looks at Charles one last time. After a moment he must see something and decides to go ahead. Charles signs last and passes the contract to Cupid.
“Now, if you two will excuse me, I have some phone calls to make.”
Charles sits down at his desk, and Aaron and I turn to leave. Just as I do, I realize I’m still holding his pen in my hand and I turn back to drop it on his desk.
It’s then I see a picture of Mandy on his phone. Before I can comment, he hits a button and the image disappears. His eyes meet mine, daring me to say something.
No man would go to these lengths for a woman he doesn’t care about. I know because I’ve gone to these lengths before. It’s then I see what Aaron must have seen. His need for Mandy is raw and real, and if this were a poker game, I’d have his casino.
I just nod my head and go to the elevator, joining Aaron. Cupid stays behind and waves goodbye to us as the black mirrored doors close.
Once we are out of the Snake Eyes and in the back seat of the car, I look at Aaron and smile.
“Why are you smiling now?”
“You know, the answer to that question is another question.”
“Which is?”
“Think Mindy would enter the Mistress Auction?”
9
Stella