“And you’re considering it?”

I groaned. “Ty...”

“No judgment!” she cut in. “I mean, listen, morally? Could be questionable. But financially? Bitch, that’s a power move.” I laughed despite myself, but inside, I was twisting with indecision. “Friend, be real with me,” Tyrae said more seriously. “Do you want to do it? Like, is there even the smallest part of you that’s… intrigued?”

I closed my eyes, letting my head rest against the pillows. Did I? I thought about the way he looked at me like he already knew what I tasted like. The way he spoke was calm, deliberate, and knowing. Like he had no doubt I would say yes. I thought about the way my body had reacted before my brain could.

I took a slow breath. “Yeah. I think I wanna do it.”

Tyrae whistled. “Well, damn.”

I bit my lip. “But I’m also terrified. This isn’t… me. This isn’t what I do!”

“And yet,” she mused, “you haven’t stopped thinking about it.”

I opened my eyes, staring at the black card between my fingers. “You have a point.”

“Damn right, I do. But listen, Honey. If you do this, you need to be fully in control of your choice. This man sounds like the type who doesn’t do hesitation. If you go to him, you have to own it. No second-guessing, no backing out halfway. Be sure.”

I swallowed hard. “He said there was no turning back once I walked through his door.”

Tyrae hummed. “Mm-hmm.”

I ran a hand through my curls, exhaling shakily. “I have an hour to decide.”

Tyrae was quiet for a moment, then said, “If you say no, I fully support that. You’ll find another investor. You’ll figure it out, you always do.”

“But if I say yes?”

She snorted. “Then, bitch, you better moisturize, hydrate, and take your ass over there looking like sex.” I laughed, the sound half-nervous, half-excited. “Now, call me tomorrow. I don’t care how tired you are. I want details.”

I groaned. “Goodnight, Tyrae.”

She cackled. “Goodnight, bitch.”

I hung up before she could say anything else.

The room was silent now. It was just me. And the business card. I exhaled, slowly and measured. Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I started getting ready. I stepped into the bathroom, the cool marble floors chilling my bare feet as I turned the shower on, letting the steam rise around me.

“This is fucking crazy,” I muttered under my breath as I stripped out of my dress, tossing it onto the counter. My reflection in the mirror looked back at me with wide, uncertain eyes, my skin already glowing under the dim bathroom lights. “You’re really about to do this,” I whispered to myself, gripping the edge of the sink. “You’re about to walk into this man’s house and let him… what? Own you? Control you? Fuck you senseless?”