Page 147 of Roulette: The Madam

“But dick in your mouth doesn’t?”

“It enhances it. Elevates it. God, it polishes it up really nicely.”

She switched her head from one side to the other, rolling her neck as she stood proudly behind the island.

“You’re a fucking trip.”

“Must be one really good adventure, because you haven’t cancelled and returned to life before Roulette yet. You keep changing the itinerary, prolonging your stay.”

“And you keep allowing it. So, we’re both enjoying it, it seems.”

“Ok. Ok. You have a point.”

With a full belly and an empty nutsack, I tiptoed into Roulette’s bedroom behind her. Though I’d suggested the guest bedroom, she refused to leave her silk sheets and pillow cases to Malaya alone. According to her, there was enough room for us all.

It wasn’t until we fit comfortably in the extended King bed that I realized she wasn’t lying. I got comfortable under the silk sheets that she was completely obsessed with, quickly understanding why.

Once she settled in, I pulled her closer. She was in between Malaya and I, right where she wanted to be. I pushed my nose between her shoulder and neck, right where I wanted to be.

FIFTEEN

Three weeks later…

Snoh’s voicefought the mental chaos I was dealing with. From the moment I stretched my limbs and stood from my bed, I understood exactly what type of day I’d be having. Everything was magnified. Every feeling. Every thought. Every emotion. Every irritation. Every disappointment. Every good thing. Every bad thing.Everything.

I considered ringing Rather, but decided against it. Retail therapy would be the source of relief for my struggle with the neurodevelopmental disorder that claimed my sanity some days.Staying busy kept my discomfort at bay, but I’d been doing less. Saying less. Working less. Breaking less. Fixing less.

Stillness was often the recipe for disaster for me. Unlike others, I didn’t find contentment in the beauty of it. The privilege of it. Nevertheless, I was up for the challenge. Because, I enjoyed the moments of serenity it provided.

I’ll be fine, I promised myself.

The aroma of bleach was jarring, but satisfying at once. While nontoxic products were my preference, I found comfort in the smell that roamed my home. It reminded me of the days my mother gave the housekeepers off because she was determined to clear her head with a good clean.

I swiped the towel off the center of the island, pushing it along the surface until I reached the end. I repeated the same movements until I’d cleaned the island a total of four times. I, then, made my way to the counters.

I tipped the bottle of bleach over and made small circles on the counter. I sat the bottle back inside the left side of the sink and rinsed my towel with steaming hot water in the right side. I squeezed the excess water, allowing the dirt to collect in the drain. Though the water was still translucent, there were traces of human activity.

Since Malaya had entered my door, she hadn’t left. Not until last night. It was her mother’s weekend with her, but it was postponed. Israel decided to take her to visit his parents instead.

Although I was invited to Berkeley and could’ve used the time away from it all, Berkeley wouldn’t be the escape I needed. I had establishments in the city. I would work myself to the bone before returning. Besides, as much as I enjoyed their presence, I needed to recharge my batteries. I couldn’t do that with them near me every waking and resting moment.

How the hell do women have live-in partners and husbands? When do they have time for themselves? Other thanbathroom breaks? A portion of the showers they take? And, drives to the store or work?

Additional presence in your home was overwhelming on every level. Simultaneously, it was comforting. It was rather complicated, and I was still trying to figure out how I missed them both but didn’t want to see or hear from either of them for the next seven days.

Seven weeks don’t sound too bad, either. I admitted.

As the words left my mouth, my phone buzzed in the midnight blue, loose-fitted romper I wore. The flared, oversized number had been perfect for the day I insisted on having. The shops were in my plans, but once I noticed a spot on the counter, everything else went astray.

Before I knew it, the bleach was out and the kitchen was getting a deep cleaning. I started with the fridge, clearing it of any unwanted food. Organizing the cabinets was next up.

Once they were finished, I filled the fridge with new bottles of water and then I mopped the floors. Lastly, I decided to do the very first thing that was on my list. In fact, it was supposed to be the only thing. However, I’d gotten distracted.

I cleaned my hands underneath the warm water. The last thing I wanted to do was get bleach on my clothes. Changing would only infuriate me and remind me that I shouldn’t have stopped to clean on the way out of the door.

One second.I thought, drying my hands.

The romper was stunning and designed with precision. Not only was it haltered, but it had an abundance of pockets and zippers, leaving me searching for the pocket I’d pushed my phone into when the cleaning started. I discovered the rectangular device in the second set of pockets. I swiped my finger across and placed it on my ear.

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