Good Girl

by Wright, Susan

  _______________________________________

  Robert Ryan – RobertRyan@SunTech.com

  Re: Hunter Munro

  The guy who made your sculpture is really sick. He beats up women for fun. His website is www.huntingart.org. Your being taken for a ride by him.

  ______________________________________

  Hunter quickly checked the date—Ryan got it Wednesday night. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?”

  “A poison pen note? I wouldn’t give it the time of day.”

  Hunter looked down at the paper. “It’s a lie, Mr. Ryan. What I do is all consensual. But the website is mine. I sell erotic art.”

  Ryan shrugged it off. “Your website was down, but I was able to find some images for sculptures you’ve exhibited in various shows.” His voice lowered and he leaned in closer. “I’d like to get a piece from you. The Tetris Couple caught my eye.”

  Hunter grinned. “It did? I’d love for you to have a sculpture of mine. I’ll deliver it on Monday.”

  “In a box, please. I don’t want to have to explain it to my secretary.”

  “Don’t worry. I know how to be discrete.”

  “Yes, I saw how you handled your relationship with Kali.”

  Hunter’s smile froze. “We were dating, Mr. Ryan. But as soon as Selina was fired, Kali broke up with me.”

  He nodded. “Yes, I know. Mrs. Chapel and I are both satisfied with the way you’ve handled yourselves.”

  “Thank you, Sir.” He was more glad for Kali’s sake than his own. She had been right about that, too, and it was a good thing she had stopped seeing him.

  Ryan held out his hand. “It’s been a pleasure working with you, Hunter. I hope we can do it again sometime.”

  Hunter shook his hand. Robert Ryan knew he was kinky but he didn’t care! He had been outed. His biggest fear throughout this whole project. The reason he had lied to Kali about his erotic art business.

  But everything was okay.

  It was a sense of relief that the worst had happened. Ryan could have been a sexual prude or hypocrite about it. Ryan could have fired him if he was that kind of man.

  Minx… She sent the email. The timing fit perfectly. She probably went back down the hall to Jeremy’s after dropping off her collar and sent Ryan that note.

  He was going to have to settle the score with her. He had known Minx for too long, and she was such a fixture in the scene, that he would have to deal with her somehow. But he didn’t want to think about that now, not at the moment of his biggest success.

  And as the last people left the plaza, Kali was looking at him from across the long stretch of flagstone. No more blue walls to hem them in.

  He walked over to her even though several coworkers were nearby. He wanted to hug her, but she put out her hand and smiled her professional smile. His heart sank as she said, “Thank you, Hunter. You really came through for us. Everyone at SunTech is grateful.”

  “I’m glad.” He slowly shook her hand, feeling how warm and soft her skin was. “Now that I’m no longer employed by the company, can I ask you to come have a celebratory drink with me?”

  She let him hold her hand. “I would like that. But I have a lot of work to do here to clear this up.”

  He brightened up. “I could stay and help.”

  She pulled her hand away with a little laugh. “No, let me do my job, Hunter.”

  He wanted to hug her even more. That would have told him how she felt about him. But those damned security cameras were watching everything, and he didn’t want to blow it for Kali at the last second. Ryan had been understanding enough.

  The way she looked at him, so impersonal, broke his heart. She started to go, but he held out a hand to stop her.

  “I wanted to tell you that you were right about me,” he admitted. “I was hiding things from you. I manipulated you. I wish I hadn’t done it. All I can say is that I’m not used to being open with anyone.”

  She hesitated. “You really mean that?”

  “Yes.” He could hear the roughness of his own voice. “Call it habit, keeping my distance, protecting myself. If you want to know the answers to any of your questions, I will be honest, I promise.”

  “Hunter…” She was looking at him, at a loss. As if hearing him admit she was right was the last thing she had expected.

  Hunter tried to smile, but couldn’t. “You don’t have to say anything now. But I’m always here for you if you want to talk.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Hunter.”

  He watched her walk away, wishing he felt more hopeful. After all this time, peeling her down to her most elemental feelings and watching her every reaction under his hands, he had no idea what she was thinking right now.

  It made him want her even more.

  Chapter 20

  It took a couple of hours to break down the equipment on the plaza and clean up according to the permit instructions. Amanda took care of the details, but Kali didn’t want to leave until everything was gone. She had to be certain this job was finished right.

  Mr. Ryan had ordered a car service to take her home when she was through, and the black limo-car was waiting at the curb when she finally walked across the plaza, past the sundial, for the last time that day.

  When she got in, the driver asked her, “Where to?”

  “Just a second.” She texted Hunter: Are you busy?

  No, he texted back instantly. Are you done?

  Where are you? she asked.

  Home. I can meet you anywhere.

  She considered that. She was tired and didn’t want to go out. But she didn’t want him to come to her place. I’ll come to you. The car is on SunTech.

  She knew he would appreciate knowing that she wasn’t in the subway this late alone.

  Kali wanted to go to his studio because the last time she went there she had learned a lot about him. It wasn’t healthy for them to always be together in her home. He had offered to answer her questions, and she hoped he was serious about that. She needed answers.

  She gave the driver Hunter’s address.

  When Hunter opened his door, he was grinning like a little kid. “Kali! Come in, come in.”

  Looking around, Kali saw in a glance that the studio was dusty and the floor needed sweeping. Minx hadn’t been near the place, at least, not as a service sub.

  She relaxed a bit.

  “I’m glad you didn’t change,” Hunter told her. “This is the way I first met you, all buttoned up and corporate.”

  She gave him a look. “I’m here to talk, Hunter.”

  “Sure. What do you want to know?”

  “I need you to tell me why you never wanted me to come over here.”

  Caught. She could see it in his eyes.

  “You’re right,” he admitted. “I didn’t want you to come over. I was afraid you’d find this.” Hunter went over to the wall near the door. It was lined with storage, large doors on the bottom and smaller ones on top. He opened the doors one after the other.

  Sculptures of all sizes—tiny ones as big as her fist. And big ones at least four feet tall.

  “It’s Hunting Art,” she realized. “Your erotic sculptures.”

  “I get them cast in bulk, so I have to store them here until I sell them.”

  She picked up one and smoothed her hand over the surface, mottled as if it had been burned by acid. The shape was abstract but she could see the two forms of people back to front, melded together by the stub of a buried dick in the woman’s ass. She had a ball-gag in her mouth. Kali had seen the photo of it, but it was another thing seeing it in her hands.

  He tried to explain. “I didn’t want to put you in the position of knowing about my business and not telling SunTech. You were already so worried about Selina finding out about us.”

  She lifted the sculpture. “This has nothing to do with that.”

  “Ryan told me tonight that he knew we were dating and then stopped once you took over for Selina. Mrs. Chapel told him. They’re
fine with how we handled it.”

  She knew he was trying to distract her from hiding his business, but she was curious. “How did they find out?”

  “I don’t know. But it could have something to do with the security cameras. We got kind of relaxed there for a while, remember?”

  “Yes, that’s true.” They had arrived at work holding hands more often than not during the good days.

  “I’ll tell you something else,” he said. “Ryan knows about Hunting Art.”

  “He does?” She was shocked.

  “Minx sent him an anonymous note. I think it was her.” Hunter reached in and pulled out a cubist sculpture. “He wants a copy of this one. I’ll take it to him on Monday.”

  Kali couldn’t believe it, but as it sank in she began to laugh. “Oh my God, Hunter! See, you didn’t have to hide it from me. If I had told him from the beginning, it would have been all right.”

  He considered the sculpture. “I was just trying to protect you.”

  “Well, don’t. I can take care of myself. I need to take care of myself.”

  “I get it, Kali,” he agreed. “I’m a domineering bastard sometimes. I’m trying to rein it in for you.”

  Kali put the sculpture back on the shelf. “So other than buying your groceries with X-rated art, is there anything else you’re hiding?”

  He shrugged and looked around. Then he went over to the trash can. “There is this.”

  He pulled out a battered neon green collar.

  “That’s Minx’s,” she said.

  “I asked her to return it. It came through the slot in the door.”

  “And you threw it away?”

  “Not at first. It sat on the table for a couple of days. But when I came home tonight thinking she sent that note to Ryan… I chucked it.” Hunter tossed the collar back into the trash. “She’s the only one who’s been here, the only one who could have snooped around and found the SunTech info.”

  Kali shook her head. “I don’t understand why anyone would do that.”

  He waved it off. “I don’t care about that right now. I wanted you to know that it’s really, truly over with her. I’m not looking for another submissive, let me tell you. You’re more than enough for me, Kali.”

  He came towards her, but she backed away. He frightened her so much. Her instincts had been right—he had been keeping her away from his studio. He had been trying to mold her into the perfect slave.

  “Is there anything else you need to tell me?” His eyes shifted, and she pounced on it. “There is something, isn’t there!”

  “Well… yes.” He went over to the sculpture stand. There was a white cloth hanging over something. “I’m making a new line for Hunting Art. It’s called Mine.”

  He pulled off the cloth and revealed a single figure, twisting and holding its arms overhead, seemingly pirouetting on her pointed feet. “It’s you, Kali. I drew you lying on the bed like this.”

  She went closer. “It’s so beautiful! Like I’m floating.”

  “I have dozens I want to do, based on the drawings I made of you.” He looked at her. “As long as you’re all right with being my muse.”

  Her throat tightened over tears she couldn’t shed. It was a romantic dream, her romantic dream.

  So why did it feel like it would cost her everything to give into him?

  Why did it feel like it would be worth it, even if it destroyed the rest of her life?

  ***

  Hunter could see how conflicted she was, and that hurt. He was so sure about what he felt for her, that he wanted her to be just as certain.

  Then again, to be perfectly honest, if she had come here chasing after him, his old habit of withdrawal would have kicked in and he might have pulled away from her.

  Just being who she was gave him the space he needed to love her. But the fact that it came from her fear of him wasn’t good. Maybe she was right about them.

  All he knew was that it took a sheer effort of will to keep his hands off her. He had to get her back, and deal with the consequences later.

  “Don’t you want to sit down and talk about it?” he asked.

  The look she gave the couch was dubious at best. “I keep thinking of how you made Minx sit on the floor in front of you. I mean seriously, you didn’t let her sit on the furniture? Ever?”

  He looked over at his couch with new eyes. Now that she mentioned it, he could almost see Minx kneeling there as she always did, with her sly grin and downcast eyes.

  “I think I liked it mostly because it was safe that way,” he admitted with some difficulty. “We were always in that dynamic. We didn’t hang out together like you and I do.”

  She was looking around as if she could see all of the different women who had come to his loft to play or fuck. There were a lot of ghosts in his loft, now that he thought about it. Women who had wanted things from him that he couldn’t give. Women who had loved him, while his heart stayed untouched.

  But not anymore. Now Kali was curled up inside of him, taking up far more space than anyone ever had before.

  As if to prove it, her pink crystal collar with the heart padlock was in the place of honor, hanging from the tip of the sundial model on his table. The slight breeze from the window made it turn, catching the light.

  “Let’s go to the roof,” he suggested. “It’s beautiful up there at night.”

  “Sure,” she quickly agreed.

  She didn’t say a word as they went to the stairwell and climbed up to the top. He was reminded of their silent walk from the subway to her apartment after the gang had chased them. He had appreciated it then, and he appreciated it now. It was part of her natural reticence that allowed him to move towards her. He couldn’t remember how many times he had ordered his subs, “Silence!” There was nothing worse than a woman betraying herself with nervous chatter.

  But Kali was different, in so many ways.

  He opened the door at the top to blackness. There were no buildings nearby that were higher, so they stood on an island of shadow in a sea of lights spreading off to the distance, where the ridge of Manhattan skyscrapers filled the sky, lit up by thousands of diamond points.

  “Oh!” Kali breathed. “It’s gorgeous, Hunter…”

  Hunter smiled at her delight. “It’s one of my favorite places.”

  They went over to where a low wall ran around the edge of the building, looking out on the city. The lights were so bright that the glow reflected off the low-hanging clouds, forming a halo around them.

  “I’m so glad I took the risk and moved here,” Kali said. “It feels like anything is possible.”

  “The city is what you make of it.” He noticed she was letting her shoe dangle off one foot. “You must be tired of standing. You’ve been running around all day. There’s a place to sit down over here.”

  He led her over to the corner of the building where half a dozen chairs were grouped overlooking the view. Since it was Friday night, the people who lived in the building were out doing other things. They would gather here later after the bars closed, to finish the night off.

  Kali sank onto a chair with a sigh, removing her shoes. “It has been a long day.”

  “A successful day. You must be proud. It was a huge crowd.”

  She smiled. “You know, for the first time since I got this job, I feel okay. Like I’m not going to get fired the next time I go in to work.”

  “Getting rid of Selina must help.”

  “You have no idea. Keeping on her good side was the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” She looked over at him. “You’re always so thoughtful, Hunter. Thanks for suggesting we sit down.”

  “I’m always thinking about you,” he said simply.

  Kali shook her head slightly. “Oh, Hunter! I should just give in, and then we’d both see how fast you run away from me.”

  “I won’t. I want this too much.”

  “But we don’t want the same things.”

  “I think we do,” he insisted, scooting his
chair a little closer. “We both want to succeed in our careers, and we want to do it in New York so we can suck every bit of life out of this city. And since I met you, I want to do it with you. I think I can be even better with your help, and I think I can help you get what you want. Don’t you see, we have to try.”

  “Why? When it’s doomed from the start?” She glanced away. “You’ll get bored with me, I know it. Sexually. There’s no way I can compete with those other women.”

  “It’s not a competition! Or a game, to me. I want to be with you.”

  She took a deep breath, poised on the edge of her seat, on the verge of… something. It maddened him that he didn’t know what she was thinking.

  Hunter had to go closer. He was out of his chair and kneeling next to her, taking her hand, before he knew it. “Give us a chance, Kalico Jones. I think we can make it.”

  She looked down at his beseeching eyes. He didn’t hide anything—he knew he wouldn’t get another chance to convince her. She had the backbone to turn him down and walk away forever if she thought it was for the best. She knew that she deserved the best, and she could get it.

  But he had to fight for her. He had to have her.

  Her hand reached out and stroked his hair. His eyes closed as he absorbed her touch. It almost made him dizzy in relief that she had reached out to him, that she was touching him.

  “Take the risk,” he whispered.

  She started to smile. “I won’t regret it?”

  “Love is always a risk because we never know what will happen. At least with me you know the risks.” His fingers tightened on her hand. “You also know how much I want to be with you. Both of us have to want it to make it work.”

  “You do want us, don’t you?”

  “More than anything.”

  “Oh, Hunter!” she sighed.

  “Don’t keep running away from me, Kali. Be mine.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him, her hand on his cheek. For a moment it felt odd to have to look up to kiss her, as he knelt at her feet. But then it felt right, as he strained to reach her. As he had strained to reach her since he met her.

  She pulled back slightly. “I am yours,” she breathed, her whole body relaxing with the admission.