Page 20 of Jaasiel

“Watch it,”

“A pimptress?”

“Ummm, that’s a new one, but no, I do not exchange sex for money.”

“So you are telling me some of these women-”

“And men,”

“Sorry, and men aren’t getting their backs broke in?”

“What I am saying is the contract explicitly states that they are hiring the men for companionship for a specific period of time, no more, no less. My employees are grown men, so if they decide to engage in sexual activities after their contracted time, that is between them and the client.”

Smart, I think. “So why would you think I would leave you?”

“You said it yourself, Jaa. I am considered a pimp, a madam! I run an all-male harem, and here you are, this amazing chef who’s part of an even more amazing family.”

“Baby, you have no idea, don’t let the smooth taste fool you. We are not what we seem, but I do not like the idea of you trying to handle these men on your own.”

“I have my guys that accompany me when I need them to.”

“Guys?”

“Yes, you can meet them, I mean, if you still want to be together.”

“Stop that, taku manawa. I am not going anywhere, but how did this start?”

“It was accidental, it was at a difficult time of my life, and I was out drinking and met a man at the bar who said he was having a difficult time making ends meet. He was a nice-looking guy, and I just happened to know an associate at my job who needed a date for a fundraiser dinner. While this guy, Andrew was his name, and I were talking, I was texting Amelia, and she agreed to Andrew taking her to dinner. The next day Andrew and I met back up. I got him a suit, gave him a crash course on etiquette and the run down on what the fundraiser was for. The original plan was to get him in the room with the right people, and he would take it from there, but when we met after that night, he had a pocketful of cards from single and married women who wanted to spend a little time with him. So he had a proposal for me, I would begin a business calling it an acquisition company and he would be my first employee. It was crazy, but like I said, at the time, I hated all men, so using them was right up my alley. It was a lot of trial and error, but I eventually worked out the kinks, and in the first year, Andrew and I cleared just over a million dollars. Eventually, it was more than Andrew could handle, so I began looking for another guy to add to the roster. I always got guys who were down on their luck so they could have a chance at a life they had been denied, and for the most part, every guy that worked for me not only made money, most of them left millionaires, but they also made amazing connections and either opened their own businesses or became high-level associates in their field of choice.”

“Why would you think I would leave you for that?”

“Most men I know don’t want a woman with a harem of men working for her. Plus, you haven’t seen the other side of my job. And I am not giving up my company, Jaasiel!” She says adamantly, fully leaning back into my embrace. I was not expecting what she revealed about her company, but it was not enough for me to walk away from her.

“And I would not expect or ask you to walk away from your company or change it for me, Ni Ni.”

“Thank you, Jaa.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that, baby. That’s what any man should do. No man should expect a woman to give up her career for him simply because he is uncomfortable with it or that it is unconventional.”

“Now that I have spilled my guts,” she says, wiggling, and I can’t help but think she never did say why that time in her life was that difficult, but I’ll let it go...for now. “Why do you cook but don’t want to be in a restaurant?”

“Because,” my statement is cut off by her phone alert. It is not her normal ringtone, and I recognize it as her job alert. She scrambles off the bed to rush over to her purse, digging in it to finally pull out her phone.

“Liam, why are you calling me this late? What’s wrong?” she asks without preamble. As she is listening, I literally watch her whole demeanor change. She pops her earpiece in and begins getting dressed, prompting me to get out of bed and begin getting dressed.

“What are you doing?” she pauses in her movements to ask.

“If you are going out, I am going with you.”

“I guess you might as well see the other side of my job,” she says on a sigh as if she is giving me permission. “I need to go by my house since I do not have my uniform with me.”

Uniform?I think because I have never seen her in a uniform of any type, so I am beyond curious.

I am sitting in her living room, waiting for her to come out. She went into full-on black woman mode as I was driving her to her house, cussing and fussing under her breath and talking about how he keeps on fucking up, etc. It wasn’t until I put my hand on her thigh that she finally calmed down slightly.

“I’m ready,” she says, walking into the room, and I smile, chuckling a little bit at her ‘uniform’ that consists of another all-white three-piece suit with the matching brim and high-heeled boots that look a lot like combat boots. “What are you laughing at?”

“So, you were in your uniform the first night I met you?”