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“I’m putting seventy thousand of my money in, and Eric volunteered a fifty-thousand-dollar business loan. He’s having his lawyer draw up the papers — the way he wants to do it, I’ll owe him eleven thousand dollars a year in services, for five years.” She shrugged. “They jumped three times the other day and paid me twenty-four-hundred dollars. For people who know what they’re doing, I charge a flat rate per jump, with the first costing more than the second and third jumps, whether I’m taking one person or three people. He’ll easily work through the fifty-five thousand in five years.”
“But isn’t that a lot of wear and tear on your ‘copter that you’ll have to provide for free? And gas?”
“Kyle, I can do it. I’ve run the numbers. The new building will include enclosing my wall, so it’ll be an indoor facility and I won’t have to worry about weather. I can do that, along with adding guest housing and a bath house, put in a second parking lot and entrance from the road so no one will tie the two businesses together in their head, and include a suite for myself on top of the originally planned guest rooms, so I can stay out there and not have to use Jonah’s guest room when I put on an adventure week or weekend.”
Andtherewas the other shoe he’d been waiting for since she told him she’d be okay with moving in now, rather than later. “Ah, so you’ll still have a place to run to, if you need to get away from us.”
Heather spoke slowly. “Not right away. I’m giving up my apartment as soon as we can get everything moved, and it’ll be a while before the new guest house is built. It’s true that eventually I’ll have another place I could go, but I hope you see why I need a place to stay out there. I’m not allotting a whole lot of money to go towards my quarters — basically a suite with a tiny kitchenette, though I’m having the bathroom made bigger, since I’m hoping I won’t have to be alone every night I spend in Apison. I’m considering that the closet could be a locking closet, with another small closet created that would remain empty. That way I can rent it as a deluxe unit, and just lock up my closet. The other rooms will be more like an inexpensive hotel room, one or two beds with a bathroom. Eric mentioned it might be nice to offer a camping option as well, which is why I’m putting the bathhouse in, and not just the bathrooms I’ll need on that end of the property.”
“You’ve been busy this week, with lawyers and contractors and such. When you get an idea, you don’t waste any time, do you?”
“I’ve had the idea for a while, I was just waiting to have enough money to actually make it happen. I mentioned the idea to Eric and Ranger, not thinking Eric would offer to help. He offered a hundred-thousand-dollar loan, but I told him I only need fifty. He didn’t want to charge me any interest, but his lawyer and I both agreed there should be some interest in order to protect him legally, but then he only figured in a small pittance. I didn’t want to go into debt to make it happen, but Eric’s offer was too good to turn down. Though, I admit I tried to turn it down, at first.”
“I’m happy it’s working out, and I’m thrilled you’re moving in with me sooner, rather than later.”
“How are we supposed to feel about Marcus being with someone else tonight? I mean, we’ve known all along it would happen, but now that it is, I think I’m having a hard time with it.”
He paused a moment to take a drink while he figured out the best way to answer her.
“I’m not jealous of Marcus with you for a few reasons. The first is that I know he won’t try to steal you away from me — he’s good at sharing. The second is that he gives you something I can’t, so I’m not really in competition with him. Y’know?”
“But how do we know that whoever he picks won’t try to take him away from us?”
“We don’t. We have to trust that it will work out. If Marcus wants to stay with us then he’ll find someone who fits in with all of us. If he doesn’t, then we have no right to try to force him to stay with us.”
She took a bite and chewed, considering, and finally said, “You’re right, of course, but I still feel as if I’m on unstable ground. When we see him tomorrow, do we ask him how his night went?”
“He’ll probably tell us without our asking, but yes, I think we should ask, and we should be interested in how it went. Odds are, he’ll Top someone who wants to be topped but isn’t looking for a relationship, and he’ll get to exercise his inner Dominant and will feel good about it. There’s a possibility he’ll Top someone who wants to see him again, and he’ll let us know if he’s going to see her by himself or turn it into a double date.”
“I mentioned to Eric that I’d read several books that made it sound like a Dom should submit to someone at least a few times, so they’ll have a better idea of how to successfully dominate someone. Eric said there was a tremendous value in doing so, but that he didn’t think it absolutely necessary. He also said that since most Doms aren’t wired to submit, they aren’t likely to truly understand the act, even if they go through the motions, but sometimes a Dom might be a switch and not know it until they submit and discover how fulfilling it can be. I decided not to ask him if he’d ever submitted, and he didn’t offer the information.”
“I think he’s likely right on both counts. At any rate, I would never ask you to submit to anyone, and I don’t think Marcus is going to ask for it in a big way. Little things here and there, the stuff necessary to be safe when he hurts you, but nothing major.”
And for now, Heather thought that was enough.
* * * *
The next morning, Heather was working out in Kyle’s garage when Kyle came into the garage with the phone still in his hand. “Marcus brought someone home with him last night, and wants to know if you and I want to go to breakfast with them.”
Oh yeah, she absolutely wanted to meet whoever Marcus had spent the night with. She looked at the clock she’d put on the wall, and asked “Is he on speaker?”
“No, he let me go and told me to text him whatever we decide.”
“Sure, I’ll come in and shower real quick. I don’t have to be at the flight park until one. I’m on the books to take a few people on tandem glides, but that should give me plenty of time. Did he say anything about her?”
“I think she was beside him when he called, so not much. Just that she’s new to town but already knew Lady Laura, and since Lady Laura vouched for him, she felt safe going home with him from the party.”
“Does she have a name?”
“Probably, but he didn’t tell me what it is.”
She rolled her eyes. “Where are we eating?”
“I suggested City Cafe.”
She said, “Mmmmm”, as she walked past him to head to the shower.
* * * *
