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She beamed, her red hair and freckled skin making her a perfect candidate for sunburn and pleased blushes. “Thanks. I’m honoured you hired me, seeing as I know I’m not the typical middle-aged man who’s normally the stereotype for manager.”
“It’s because you weren’t a middle-aged man that Eleanor hired you,” Sully muttered. He covered up his ire at being in public places again with a quick smile. “You’re doing a great job. We appreciate it.”
Sophie nodded and blushed again. “You’re welcome.” Putting her phone into her blazer pocket, she clapped her hands. “Sorry, here I am rabbiting on when we’re still on the pier. Come. Please.” She headed back toward the beach. “What would you like to inspect first? We currently have eighty percent occupancy, so the main areas like the swimming pool, restaurant, waterfall therapy rooms, and spa are most likely in use, but we can always wait.”
We followed behind.
Sully dug his hands into his pockets and cocked his head for me to catch up and walk beside Sophie. It always surprised me how a man like Sully, who was used to being the boss’s boss’s boss, could give me the reins to this place.
He never interrupted when Sophie reeled off figures on the phone. Never contradicted me in our online conferences. Never argued his opinion when interviewing marriage counsellors or approving the shortlist of new chefs and cleaners that Sophie had found locally.
He wanted me to be in charge—almost as if it turned him on to see I was just as capable as him in running a multi-million-dollar company.
Blowing him a quick kiss, I joined Sophie and prepared to listen to her stream of facts, updates, and suggestions.
* * * * *
“So, as you can see, we followed your previous schematics and ensured the two extra Euphoria rooms all follow safety and hygiene requirements.” My heels clacked beside Sophie’s as she led me around the room, opening cupboards with fake furs, textiles, and other props designed to ensure the virtual reality that people dabbled in was as real as we could make it.
The harness that Sully had once strapped me into unwillingly on Goddess Isles had been cloned and hung here, and the trolley that held all the sensors that Sully had copyrighted in their black boxes with their purple orchid stencil waited to be used on guests fighting to save their marriages.
They had the option of all sensors or just the basic eyes and ears. If they wanted to fuck someone who wasn’t their spouse, to see if guilt made them fight for what they’d lost, then the skin oil, taste masker, scent scrambler, and finger print sensors were recommended.
According to our head psychiatrist and counsellor, Dr Jane Milnor, the couples who arrived with divorce papers already signed always opted for all sensors. However, out of the two thousand or so couples who’d been treated on Rapture, only a fraction had continued with a divorce. The rest faded out the sensors until a play in Euphoria was exactly like what Sully and I enjoyed. An adventure for both in a totally different setting but not with different people.
“And everything is working okay?” I asked. “The new codes that we send through aren’t glitchy? Is the new computer programmer able to add enough depth and detail to fantasies that guests request?”
“Yes.” Sophie nodded eagerly. “We’ve had nothing but good reviews. The technology works seamlessly.”
“And the therapy sessions? Are people opting for those, or do they prefer to let their bodies fix their issues?”
“Oh, no, you’d be surprised.” Sophie tapped her phone, pulling up data and figures. “When we first opened, only sixty-eight percent of people used the complimentary therapy sessions. A lot of them just came for the virtual reality. However, according to figures last month, we are getting more and more people who want to make their relationships work and are prepared to do the mental, emotional, and physical requirements. Eighty-nine percent last month participated in sessions we provided, and this month we currently have over ninety.”
“Wow, that’s fabulous.” I turned to Sully who stood leaning against the tiled wall, his blue gaze locked on me with a smug smile on his face. “What? What is it?”
“Nothing.” He pushed off from the wall, his gaze turning darker, hungrier. “Just watching my wife at work.”
Goosebumps ran over my arms. His voice turned me on, and his stare made me wet. I scowled and flicked my hair. “Don’t distract me.”
He chuckled. “Can’t promise anything.” Moving closer, he murmured so Sophie wouldn’t hear, “Seeing you so corporate is turning me the fuck on.”
I shivered as he stroked the back of my hand. “And there you go, distracting me.”
“I’ll ask Sophie to leave.” His gaze dropped to my chest, making my nipples pebble. “We can test-drive Euphoria, Tahiti style.”
“Our marriage doesn’t need any help in that regard.”
