Page 53 of Duplicity

‘Exactly!’ I’m relieved these seasoned professionals understand. ‘And then his assistant Elaine was telling me stories about him—how he paid for some intern's mother's cancer treatment, and then in the next breath, how he's terrible to working mothers.’

I don't add the part about how terrified that makes me feel. Soph planted this genius seed in my head. Athena lobbied all the relevant parties to bend the rules and make it happen. The ball’s in my court now. It’s up to me to overachieve on all fronts so that Brendan doesn’t get tired of me or irritated with me.

I can’t give the guy any rope to hang me with.

Soph leans back, crossing her legs elegantly. ‘Men like Brendan are walking contradictions. That's what makes them interesting. Thad once flew a specialist from Johns Hopkins to Montenegro because his chef's daughter had a rare condition. Then the next day, he fired his PA for taking too many bathroom breaks. They’re honestly all like mercurial toddlers.’

‘How do you reconcile that?’ I ask.

‘You don’t,’ Athena says simply. ‘You use it. The contradictions mean there's a gap between who they are and who they want to be. That gap is your leverage.’

I blink at her. ‘Holy shit, that's... extremely philosophical.’

‘What did you think we were, just pretty faces who give great head?’ Soph laughs, the sound rich and genuine. ‘This job is psychological warfare disguised as world-class blow jobs.’

‘I would never for a single second underestimate anyone here,’ I tell her. ‘You women are terrifyingly smart. And I’m used to Athena blowing my mind. Believe me, after a decade and a half of friendship, you get used to it.’

‘Speaking of psychological warfare,’ Athena interjects, ‘how are you handling the office dynamic? That has to be trickier than the bedroom stuff.’

I think about the women in reception, the man who Brendan told me ogled me, and how he reacted. ‘Everyone watches him, so we have to be careful. All the guys look up to him and the women just want to jump him. It’s ridiculous. And I want to make friends, which means I can’t be seen as having any special favour with him, but I also feel quite isolated, especially because I’m always watching what I’m saying, how I’m interacting with Brendan publicly… It's exhausting trying to figure out the politics while also... you know.’

‘While also timing your boss's orgasms around his meeting schedule?’ Soph supplies helpfully. ‘Been there. Get a planner specifically for that. It’s not the sexiest thing, but he’ll be counting on you to carve out sexy time for him. You’ll need some good code names to get that into the shared calendar.’

‘Oh my God, oh my God,somuch potential.’ Athena claps her hands briskly. ‘Right. Let’s see. Hands-on Training? Deep Dive Analysis?’

She saysDeep Divein a low, pervy voice. I snort, and Soph cackles loudly.

‘Fucking amazing. How about Mindfulness Monday? Tension Release Tuesday? Feel-Good Friday? Oooh. This is so much fun.’

‘Elaine will think Brendan’s gone full yogi,’ I say between giggles.

‘I bet he could make downward dogs very fucking dirty,’ Soph muses. ‘Mmm, delicious.’

‘You’ve been fucking an old man for too long,’ Athena tells her. ‘Maybe you should take Tal up on her offer. Angry sex is better than old-man sex.’

‘Facts.’ Soph holds her once-again-empty martini glass up in a salute.

We all burst into laughter, and for the first time all week, I feel the tension in my shoulders release.

‘Seriously though,’ Sophia continues when our laughter subsides, ‘the trick is to remember that you're the asset here. Not just your body—your entire skillset. These men could fuck anyone. They're paying for the whole package—and that’syou.Also, remember he’s been mooning over you for weeks and weeks.’

‘Exactly,’ Athena agrees. ‘You didn't get selected because you're just a pretty face, M. You got selected because you're brilliant, capable, and yes, gorgeous. Own all of it.’

I take another sip, contemplating. ‘I guess I've been thinking of this as something happening to me, not something I'm actively choosing.’

‘And that,’ Soph says, tapping a perfect red nail against my glass, ‘is the difference between being a victim and being a seraph. These men may think they own us. God bless them, they don’t know how wrong they are.’

Athena's eyes meet mine. I know this expression. It’s her stern, bossy, I-love-you expression. ‘You're doing this for Tabby, we know that. But don't let that be an excuse to disconnect from your power. You chose this path because you're brave enough to do whatever it takes for her. That's strength, not shame.’

I feel something shift inside me—a subtle realignment. ‘I never thought of it that way.’

‘Well, start,’ Sophia says firmly. ‘Because the minute you own this, Brendan will sense it. And trust me, nothing gets a man like him hotter than a woman who knows her worth. He may like it when you submit, but that’s because he knows how meaningful that submission is. Howvaluable.’

Athena raises her glass. ‘To knowing our worth.’

As we clink our drinks together, I catch a glimpse of our reflection in the mirrored wall across from us—three glamorous women with knowing smiles and fierce eyes. For the first time since signing up as a Seraph, I don't think of myself as an imposter among them.

I may even allow myself to believe I belong.

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