"Alright," she said, her voice quaking a little as she looked at me, a glint of fear and uncertainty in her eyes. "I'll do as you ask, but I do want you to consider my feelings about all this. Meaning, before you ask me to do anything particular, you ask me, first." Tilting my head at her, I crossed my arms.
"That sounds fair, but can you elaborate a little?" I asked. "After all, I want to make sure our boundaries are perfectly clear." She thought for a moment.
"I'll call you Daddy and sleep in this room as you want," she told me while she looked around the room. "However, I'm not wearing diapers just because you tell me to. When I feel like trying them or am comfortable doing it, I will agree to wear them, but I'm not doing it right away just because you want me to. Also, no sexual favors."
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Ever?" I asked, and she seemed to cave a little as she looked at me.
"Well," she said as she thought for a moment, "If you manage to win me over with all this, I might agree to it, but I want to be the one to decide when we're ready for it." She crossed her arms as she continued, looking like a pouting child. "Don't think I'll be easy to win over, either. I'm not some whore who gives in to the first hot piece of ass that offers it."
I smiled and nodded in agreement.
"That's fair," I said as I smiled at her. Before we could continue our discussion, the doorbell rang, and I looked at the watch on my wrist. "That should be Rita coming to do her work." I rose to my feet and looked down at her. "I have some work I have to finish so that I'll be free all weekend. Before I go, I need to know… Are you willing to stay the whole weekend under these conditions?"
She nodded, and I smiled.
"Good. Now, I do have one more thing to ask. If for any reason you don't feel comfortable with something we're doing, please let me know. I want you to be happy no matter what." She smiled and nodded, and a weight lifted in my chest. "Now, I do recommend you change into something a little more comfortable and get your affairs in order for at least the weekend."
With that, I left her alone in the nursery and went to answer the door. As I expected, it was Rita.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Derek," she said as she smiled at me. "What would you like me to do today?" I smiled at her.
"I have a guest staying for the holiday weekend," I informed her. "Would you be so kind as to help me make sure her every need is met?" Her old, wrinkled face lit up as she nodded at me.
"Of course, sir," she said. "I'll start by making my famous chocolate chip cookies for her snack."
CHAPTER FIVE
Skye
As soon as I was alone in the room, I shook my head and pulled out my phone. It was crazy, and I wasn't sure what I thought of my current situation. However, a deal was a deal, and Skylar Benedict didn't break deals. I immediately, called Uncle Joe, and he answered on the first ring.
"Skye, is that you?" he asked, and I nodded.
"I’ve just finished meeting with Mr. Derek, and we were able to come to an agreement." I said.
He didn't respond at first, but, when he did, he sounded worried. "What happened?" he asked, his voice full of concern, and I realized that he knew what living with his so-called friend had entailed all along.
"Well, he turned down the cash and proposed a bit of a compromise,” I said, trying not to sound as angry as I felt. "I'm to stay with him until the day after the fourth of July. If I decide to stay, he will consider the debt paid, but, if I decide that this is not for me, he's agreed to knock the amount down to one hundred thousand.”
"Uncle Joe sighed with relief on the other end of the phone, sounding relieved. “ So, we'll know for sure come the fifth what your decision is?" he asked, and I nodded.
"Take care of Dad and Brad for me," I instructed him. "Also, if anything like this ever happens again, be sure to warn me of anything of importance!" With that, I hung up the phone and called my real estate office.
"Benedict Homes and Rentals," answered one of my employees on the first ring, as I had trained each and every one of them. "This is Stephanie. How can I help you?" I smiled, proud of how professional my newest employee sounded.
"Hey, Steph, it's Skye," I said as I looked around. "Listen, something's come up, and I'm going to be out the rest of the weekend. Can you do me a favor and help Vicky and Ronald print off the rest of the flyers for that open house next week? I also need you to go to my desk and redistribute my list between the three of you so that all our leads get called, if at all possible." There was a brief silence on the phone before Stephanie responded.
"Of course, boss," she agreed dutifully. "We'll go through and get everything done for you. Everything's in good hands. Have a great holiday!" I smiled and nodded.
"I'll talk to you guys on Tuesday," I told her. "Be safe and have a great weekend." When the call disconnected, I quickly turned off my phone and looked around.
It took me forever, but, after searching the entire room, I found that the vent opened up into the wall, and there was a shaft to the left and right. Not wanting it to be seen by anyone who might happen across the vent, I tucked my purse, with my phone and car keys safe inside, in the left shaft, and replaced the vent cover. I checked and it looked unchanged-There was no way anyone would ever be able to tell that my purse was hidden in the vent. I got to my feet and checked the room, looking for the clothing Derek said would be ‘more comfortable’.
"Hello?" asked a kind, older, feminine voice, and I turned towards the door to see who was there. A woman with kind eyes and a bright, wrinkled face smiled
at me from the doorway. Her gray hair was pulled back into a perfect bun, and she dressed like a nursemaid from a fairytale.
"Forgive me for startling you. I'm Rita."