“Respect is something that should be earned,” Remy said, but kind of waved the point away. “And you went to the club far more than a few times. You were a regular for over a year. You played every Thursday night. Was that because your brother didn’t want you playing at the same time as him and his wife? Because Thursday isn’t as fun as Saturday. I like to call it suspension Saturday. Now, I will suspend a sub on another night, but doesn’t Saturday feel like the right time to get trussed up and suspended in a pretty cage of rope?”

Yep. It sounded awesome. But again, he wasn’t interested. “I was never into suspension.”

“That’s funny, because I remember distinctly that you used to be in the crowd whenever Kai suspended Kori,” Remy remarked.

She felt herself flush and hoped he didn’t notice. It hadn’t only been Kai and Kori’s scenes she’d watched, but luckily he didn’t seem to have noticed her watching all of his scenes. “I was curious at the time.”

“But you aren’t now?”

“No. I am not. You know, that’s why we call it exploring. We try new things and realize they’re not for us.” Abruptly she remembered his reputation as a ladies’ man. More like unrepentant manwhore. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment. Like I said before, welcome to the building. Please remember we have a policy of quiet time after eleven at night. You might remind all your…dates. See you around.”

She could have sworn his eyes had been narrowing as she’d turned, but she didn’t look back. Nope. No way. No how. She walked on, her shoulders squared.

You have to be better than this trailer park if you’re ever going to get anywhere.

From out of nowhere, the memory rose. She was eight and sitting on her bed, Lila brushing out her hair for school because their momma was in jail again and Will was left holding everything together.

But why? Standing up straight hurts after a while. Young Lisa hadn’t understood.

It had been Lila’s job to train her. Proper posture is ladylike and proves you’ve been raised well. Then the social workers don’t look at us so much. Then they buy the story that Aunt Elaine is here and just went off to the grocery store. If the trailer is neat and clean and we’re all polite and proper, no one believes we’re on our own. We have to be perfect or they’ll come and take us apart, Lis. So be still and let me brush your hair.

She’d washed it even after the water heater had gone out. For months they’d all taken cold showers and saved coins to use at the laundromat, all so no one would suspect they were four kids on their own.