“And what’s with the ‘we’?” I asked Victoria, “Who are you conspiring against me with?”

“His team. If you go public like this, it’ll put The Key Club in the spotlight too. I’m working on a deal to capitalize on that.”

Of course she had her own angle, shrewd businesswoman that she was.

In spite of our awkward past, I respected the hell out of her. She’d inherited The Key Club from the previous owner right after I started and had completely revamped and reenergized the business. She’d worked wonders bringing in high-end clients, somehow getting the word out to the uppermost echelons of society that there was no shame in their fantasies.

She looked out for her staff too, adding security on site, a stringent client screening process, and touches like our keys including a panic button, where before we’d just had to hope everything turned out fine.

We were safer, made more money, and our clients were happier since she’d taken over. And she never let us forget it.

“You’re thanking me for convincing his people you could handle this.”

“Oh. Thank you for appropriately articulating my skills. I appreciate your honesty.” I made it clear that she didn’t do me any special favors. She was like the fucking Godfather when she felt you were indebted to her. I’d earned the skills and the reputation to be capable of this job all on my own.

“I expect the house to take its usual commission despite it being an unconventional arrangement…”

Ophelia cut in before I could say anything. “Bullshit. As her attorney, I’m squashing that thought right now. The house can negotiate some kind of ‘finder’s fee’ with the client’s team if the house so chooses, but none of this arrangement will be conducted here, and you should be paying her for taking one for the team.”

Victoria was visibly irritated, but I could only tell because I knew her expressions so well.

“House takes five percent,” I said. It was a much lower cut than she would usually take, but higher than she probably deserved since I would be the one doing all the work without using dungeon resources. “Your cut is in gratitude for bringing me the client…and for rescheduling and keeping all of my clients happy for the next month.”

Now she looked apoplectic, which for Victoria meant her mouth was a tight line and her head cocked a minuscule amount to one side. “I would fire anyone else for announcing they were taking a month off out of the blue.”

Ophelia let out a short burst of laughter at the very idea. No one was irreplaceable, but replacing me would be a customer service nightmare. Some of my clients had been seeing me three times a week for years.

Victoria ignored her. “You’re supposed to be mentoring the new girl. And your regulars will be displeased. Why can’t you do both?”

“Based on our discussion this afternoon, it’s fine for me to be a sex worker, as long as I’m exclusively his sex worker for the time I’m under the microscope. Next time you decide to scheme with the enemy, you should make sure you’ve got all the info. It’ll be all right. I haven’t taken a sick day or a vacation in five years. Tell my regulars whatever you need to. I’ll make sure their files are updated for my substitutes and I’ll be available to answer questions if any of the girls need me.”