Page 52 of Mistress A-0002

“Dr. LaRoe?—”

“Good.Day.”

There was hesitation as she nodded and turned for the door. The moment she shut the barrier behind her, I dug my fingertips in the wood of my desk, holding in the frustrated scream that wanted to tear from me. I should have been prepared. I should have expected Elec to look out for me. Sure, he was still pissed and cautious of my intentions, but he cared for my wellbeing. How could he not after everything we subconsciously shared? Even if he didn’t recall any of our time together, it still happened. Intimacy on that level left a mark. Ours was so deep, there was no escape for either of us. If one of us sensed discomfort fromthe other, not helping would be impossible. Together, we were a working machine. We needed each other to function. Apart, we were bound to fail. Elec knew that. I had made sure of it. This would pass. It was a phase. That’s all. It would pass.

I grabbed my phone, stopping as knocking rapped on my door. My teeth bit down into each other, and I let go of my phone, smoothing the front of my skirt as I straightened my spine.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and a younger man walked through. He was tall and wide-shouldered, with dark skin and beautiful, round eyes. Had I not had a million things on my mind, he might have caught my attention with more than looks. As it was, all I wanted to do was call Elec. I wanted to lash out and play the victim. I wanted to?—

“I’m early. I know I should have waited, but when I saw the woman leave, I assumed maybe your appointment was over. Forgive me if I’m intruding.”

A smile appeared on my face, so natural, so automatic, just like breathing.

“You’re not. You were right. We finished early. Please, come in. I’m sorry, I don’t have your file up yet.” I walked around my desk, holding out my hand. He took it as he walked up.

“It’s my fault. I’m Logan Cavalier. Master B-Twenty-seven-oh-one.”

Shock warped my smile with a dash of excitement.

“The youngest Cavalier boy. I worked with your father when I taught at Bridgepoint. Oursecretacademy. How is Darius?”

He laughed. “He’s as stubborn as ever. Determined. He’s actually the reason I requested you as my doctor. He had great things to say about you, Dr. LaRoe. He’s still a professor. Just…working more on the inside these days.”

The never-ending edge of nerves eased enough for my muscles to relax as I let go and headed back to my desk. Logan took a seat as I grabbed the next file.

“Of course he is. Your father is a brilliant man. I knew he’d go far.”

“And he’s forever grateful to you for everything you’ve done for our family. So am I. I was ecstatic when I was contacted and offered a position as a Master here at the Garden of the Gods. A bit surprised, to be honest, but relieved when I was made aware there’d be…help for me.”

“Our Main Master only chooses the best. We’re happy to have you. Has he already given you the tour?”

“He did, earlier this morning upon my arrival.”

“Isn’t he wonderful?”

Logan smiled at my bubbly tone. “He was very gracious and made me feel at ease. There’s something about him.” He laughed. “It’s like when you talk to him, you’ve known him forever. It’s probably because of the videos we’re made to watch the weeks before we come here.”

“Indeed,” I beamed. “I’m glad you were able to meet with him. He stays pretty busy these days.”

“I was honored.” Logan shifted. “The Main Master mentioned the next auction wasn’t for quite a few more weeks.”

“That’s right.” I scanned the summary sheet, looking for keywords that stood out. From first appearances, Logan presented as ‘normal’. Nothing threw flags to me, but his sudden fidgeting did as he waited. “Does the timeline make you anxious, Master?”

“Oh, no. I just.” He stopped. “I guess I thought it might be a little sooner. It’s truly not a problem, though. I can contain myself. I’m good at restraint.”

I nodded in reassurance, lowering my gaze to words that blurred. Blinking, I cleared my throat, blinking hard again asthey finally adjusted on the page. Was I starting to sweat again? I tried to ignore the returned crawling sensation on my skin.

“As I go through your questionnaire and the information obtained by our scouts, I just want to put you at ease. In no way am I judging you. The reason we have these meetings with doctors like me…and the Main Master,” I rushed out, “is so that you know you’re not alone. Who you are down here, is who you’re supposed to be. Society doesn’t accept that, and that’s okay. But we do. We embrace our true nature in the Gardens,whateverthat may be.”

I smiled as Logan nodded and seemed to relax. I used the opportunity to start scanning through his history. With each sentence, I could feel my smile slowly fading, fading, until there was nothing there at all. Not acceptance like I preached. Not disgust. Numbness bled in with every sentence I took in, and my dad’s voice returned.

Sweat. Fuck I was sweating again.

Clearing my throat, I shifted in my chair, talking as I read on.

“It says you were nine when your sister passed. You exhibited grief, as expected. Withdrawal from friends and social events lasting months.” My fingers raked through my hair. “It was a drowning in your parent’s pool. She was three.”

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