Where’s …”
She didn’t even know his name to ask about him.
Dom Yamamoto circled the bed and held a note toward her.
Poppy stared at his offering for a moment. What was this? High school? She got enough of this at work. She took the note, dread pooling in her stomach.
Rapunzel
,
This wasn’t how I wanted tonight to go. I don’t have time to explain everything, but Dom Yamamoto can. I have to go, and it kills me to not—
Poppy skimmed the rest of the note, which wasn’t much. Something had come up and he had to leave. Blah blah blah. He hadn’t even offered her the courtesy of a face-to-face good-bye.
“Please leave,” she said, without looking at Yamamoto. All the giddy happiness blossoming in her chest withered.
“Poppy, may I address you by your given name?” Yamamoto even spoke in a refined manner, almost with an accent.
“If you’d like.” She scooted to the edge of the bed, taking the sheet with her. Yamamoto followed as she went on a search for her play bag, which had a change of clothes in it. At least her walk of shame wouldn’t have to be a nude dash.
“Poppy, he had to go. This is no game, I promise you.”
“I’m sure.” She found the bag at the foot of the bed. She realized she had never done a walk of shame before, so this was a weekend of firsts.
“Do you need anything? I was informed you might require additional aftercare. I’m at your disposal.”
She whirled to face the man, shuffling back a few steps when she realized how close hewas. Though his reputation was flawless, she didn’t know him. He was a stranger. Aftercare was special.
Tremors shook her body, but she sucked in a deep breath and wrapped the sheet tighter around her.
“Poppy?” In a warped way, it was nice that Yamamoto was trying to ensure everyone was happy and cared for, but it didn’t change the fact that Poppy felt used. Used and discarded because “something came up.”
She shook her head. “Look, I get that you’re taking care of your customers, but I don’t need you. I don’t know you. I want space and to be left alone, please.”
Yamamoto studied her for a moment. “Please take a moment to think about your actions right now. You’ve experienced a heightened emotional and physical state. Your body chemistry is changing right now—”
“Leave me the fuck alone,” she shouted, and then clapped a hand over her mouth. She rarely cussed outside of a scene, and was never rude.
He studied her in silence for a moment before producing a slip of paper. “Please keep this. It has his phone number on it, and I know he would like you to check in with him so he can make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. I’ll think about calling him. Now, please leave so I can get dressed.” She snatched the crumpled piece of paper from his fingertips.
She was breaking, falling apart. Tears pricked her eyes. Her nerves screamed and her chest felt empty, as if something had been ripped from her. But he’d never been hers, not really. It still didn’t change the emotional connection they’d shared. For him, it might be easy to drop everything and leave, but not for her. The subdrop from this would be shattering.
Yamamoto watched her for a moment longer, the corners of his mouth slightly downturned. He clearly didn’t like her choices, but she couldn’t muster the energy to care, as long as he left. He shifted his weight and a muscle below his eye twitched, but whatever he was thinking never left his lips.
Poppy watched the man turn and glide away from her. There was no other word for how he moved. She held her breath and waited for the door to click shut before sinking onto the bed. Her sobs were deep and strong enough to make her body shudder.
Damn that man
.
Damn him
.
Poppy dug a lighter out of her bag, usually reserved for lighting candles. She held thenote to the flame and watched the paper crinkle, turn to black and ashy scraps.
She didn’t need him.
Men came
She didn’t even know his name to ask about him.
Dom Yamamoto circled the bed and held a note toward her.
Poppy stared at his offering for a moment. What was this? High school? She got enough of this at work. She took the note, dread pooling in her stomach.
Rapunzel
,
This wasn’t how I wanted tonight to go. I don’t have time to explain everything, but Dom Yamamoto can. I have to go, and it kills me to not—
Poppy skimmed the rest of the note, which wasn’t much. Something had come up and he had to leave. Blah blah blah. He hadn’t even offered her the courtesy of a face-to-face good-bye.
“Please leave,” she said, without looking at Yamamoto. All the giddy happiness blossoming in her chest withered.
“Poppy, may I address you by your given name?” Yamamoto even spoke in a refined manner, almost with an accent.
“If you’d like.” She scooted to the edge of the bed, taking the sheet with her. Yamamoto followed as she went on a search for her play bag, which had a change of clothes in it. At least her walk of shame wouldn’t have to be a nude dash.
“Poppy, he had to go. This is no game, I promise you.”
“I’m sure.” She found the bag at the foot of the bed. She realized she had never done a walk of shame before, so this was a weekend of firsts.
“Do you need anything? I was informed you might require additional aftercare. I’m at your disposal.”
She whirled to face the man, shuffling back a few steps when she realized how close hewas. Though his reputation was flawless, she didn’t know him. He was a stranger. Aftercare was special.
Tremors shook her body, but she sucked in a deep breath and wrapped the sheet tighter around her.
“Poppy?” In a warped way, it was nice that Yamamoto was trying to ensure everyone was happy and cared for, but it didn’t change the fact that Poppy felt used. Used and discarded because “something came up.”
She shook her head. “Look, I get that you’re taking care of your customers, but I don’t need you. I don’t know you. I want space and to be left alone, please.”
Yamamoto studied her for a moment. “Please take a moment to think about your actions right now. You’ve experienced a heightened emotional and physical state. Your body chemistry is changing right now—”
“Leave me the fuck alone,” she shouted, and then clapped a hand over her mouth. She rarely cussed outside of a scene, and was never rude.
He studied her in silence for a moment before producing a slip of paper. “Please keep this. It has his phone number on it, and I know he would like you to check in with him so he can make sure you’re okay.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. I’ll think about calling him. Now, please leave so I can get dressed.” She snatched the crumpled piece of paper from his fingertips.
She was breaking, falling apart. Tears pricked her eyes. Her nerves screamed and her chest felt empty, as if something had been ripped from her. But he’d never been hers, not really. It still didn’t change the emotional connection they’d shared. For him, it might be easy to drop everything and leave, but not for her. The subdrop from this would be shattering.
Yamamoto watched her for a moment longer, the corners of his mouth slightly downturned. He clearly didn’t like her choices, but she couldn’t muster the energy to care, as long as he left. He shifted his weight and a muscle below his eye twitched, but whatever he was thinking never left his lips.
Poppy watched the man turn and glide away from her. There was no other word for how he moved. She held her breath and waited for the door to click shut before sinking onto the bed. Her sobs were deep and strong enough to make her body shudder.
Damn that man
.
Damn him
.
Poppy dug a lighter out of her bag, usually reserved for lighting candles. She held thenote to the flame and watched the paper crinkle, turn to black and ashy scraps.
She didn’t need him.
Men came
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