The Claiming of Sadie Graves

by Angela Price

  “That’s okay, I was busy talking. Thank you.” I turn my head away, and back toward the man I’m speaking with, who wants a latex spanking skirt for someone who wears a size medium. He’s trying to explain to me what it should look like, and I have him engrossed in drawing one. Lucas looks down at the drawing and his eyes get so angry I’m afraid to acknowledge it. He clenches his fists and walks away, calling Peter’s name out.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I see the two of them walk into an adjoining room. Lucas radiates anger. Peter looks confused. They’re gone for about 2 minutes, and Lucas stomps out before Peter does. I see Violet come out of the elevator, right at the same time. Even out of the corner of my eye I see her body respond to him. She pushes her breasts out, wags her hips and catwalks closer to him, not bothering to look at anyone else. She’s a member here. Lucas is a member here. Everyone is into something way past freaky – and they’re all here.

  I’m the only person who isn’t into this shit.

  And I look back at the man in front of me; his eyes glazed with sexual desire over…a skirt? Really? He’s got a light sheen of perspiration on his face, probably from embarrassment, but I don’t know. Right then, a middle-aged lady approaches him. “Saul, it’s time to go.” Wow. She’s no size medium. Ugh. But someone is. Is she here, his spanking partner? Or do they both want to spank her, whoever she is? My mind tries to wrap around this, while I’m thanking Saul and smiling at his wife. And she is his wife; ring and all.

  Wow-wee. I wish I could call Emma right now.

  But of course I can’t. I signed a waiver. Three other people approach and ask for my business card, explaining that they would like to talk to me in private, away from other party-goers. All are men. All are handsome. I hand it out, without hesitating, hoping none of them is a stalker.

  I look around again, as the room gets less populated. I’ve lost track of Lucas, and of Violet. He’s probably tied her up and is fucking her in his bedroom right now, just to show me that he can. I see Peter in a corner with a gorgeous brunette. He’s stroking her bare arm, whispering something in her ear. She laughs, closing her eyes. He’s moved in, touching her with his body from knee to chest. I suddenly realize it’s after ten o’clock and tomorrow is D-Day with the seamstress team making the ready-to-wear line.

  I have to jet.

  Now.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Sailed On”

  Landon Pigg, This Is a Pigg, EP

  I find a server and ask if I can have the fabric samples delivered back to the atelier tomorrow, if I send someone by. She tells me she’ll be happy to help, and we find an out-of-the-way location to store them in the meantime. I put all the measurement forms and orders into my portfolio, and ask for the best number to call to arrange the fabric pickup. She gives me the number to the head housekeeper. Oh. It’s Marisol. I smile. I find myself looking forward to calling her; she was so nice.

  I glance over my shoulder at Peter, engrossed in his conversation. The lady’s long black hair shines from across the room. I don’t blame him – I’d be over there too, if I were him. I walk to the elevator, and press the down button. It opens immediately. I step inside, push the button for the first floor, and look at the paintings on the descent. They’re beautiful, pastoral. Soothing.

  When I get to the bottom floor, I ask the doorman if it’s possible to get a cab. “What’s your name, miss?” I tell him. He smiles, and asks me to wait just a minute.

  Calvin Eads and Edgar come around the corner within seconds, and open the exterior door. “Miss Sadie!” Calvin exclaims. “Hello, Calvin; Edgar. I’m surprised to see you.” I smile, despite myself. They both beam at me.

  “We’re to take you home, Miss.” They take my portfolio, and escort me to the sidewalk to the Sutton Shield limo. I look back, waving a thank you to the doorman. He waves back.

  Calvin helps me into the limo, closes the door and gets in the front passenger seat – and we’re off. I look back at Lucas’ building, trying to orient myself. It’s on 66th street.

  I suddenly realize; I’m starving. I never ate; I got so busy with potential clients. I call out to Calvin and Edgar, asking if they’re hungry too. They both laugh. “We’re always hungry, Miss Sadie.” Edgar explains how much they eat to keep their strength, and I marvel at how many calories they can consume. I use my cell phone to order a pizza, and ask if they’ll drop me in my neighborhood to pick it up. They seem happy to detour. We get there quickly enough. I run inside to get a Margarita while they circle the block. When I get back in the car, we all share it, and they drop me at my door shortly thereafter.

  I actually feel pretty good. I tell them goodbye at the curb and they wait until I get inside to drive away.

  In the elevator, I think about tonight.

  I survived seeing Lucas and Violet together, knowing that they’re hooked up right now, this very minute. I know he doesn’t care about me; I only look like someone else. This was vital information that I might have missed, without being present at tonight’s event. I’m grateful to Providence for enlightening me, and to Peter for the revelation. I owe him. In my opinion, I don’t look that much like Sidney Poole. But I guess if you squint, you can make any two women with similar hair color interchangeable. I imagine Lucas and Sidney on their wedding day; how lovely they must have looked. I realize I’m a little sad on his behalf. He doesn’t strike me as a person who would make that serious of a commitment lightly. It must have killed him that she wanted other men. I feel sad for myself, too. All I really want is someone to love me, heart and soul.

  I mentally change gears.

  I think I impressed the club members with my ideas and designs, and I have about seven thousand dollars in orders, at a 120% plus markup. I learned a whole different interpretation of sexiness, from those people tonight. They all seemed harmless; nice, even.

  I take the elevator up, and get out on my floor. When I get to Jenny’s and my apartment, the door is open. The lights are on. I look at my watch. It’s 11:21PM.

  Nothing seems disturbed. But I get rattled.

  I back away, and call 911.

  And then I call Jenny, in the elevator headed downstairs.

  She answers right away, pumping music in the background. “Sadie!! It’s about time you called me!” She laughs. I hear talking behind her.

  “Jenny! Where are you?”

  “I’m at a bar down by work. We stopped off afterward, and now I’m pretty much soused!” She barks a laugh into her phone. “Where are you?”

  My tone stops her cold. “Listen, stay where you are. When I got home, our door was wide open. I’m waiting on the police. It doesn’t look like anything’s wrong, but it scared the shit out of me.”

  She sobers up instantly. “There’s no way I’m leaving you there alone. I’ll take a cab right now. Stay safe, Sadie. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  She disconnects. I worry about her moving across the city alone, but know she’s a big girl. She can get home safely.

  And so I wait for the police, any Jenny. And wonder at the complexity of this night.

  The Queens police (two officers, in uniform) assess the situation quickly and determine everything is okay. Nothing appears to be missing. All our computer equipment, electronics, and the like are still present. They encourage us to have the locks changed, just in case, and look through all the cabinets and closets to be sure no one is hiding inside. They give the all-clear; reassure us that we’re two of the lucky ones, and hand over their cards in case we need to call them back personally.

  We come back inside, hug each other, and flop onto the couch in gratitude.

  My phone rings. The screen display says LUCAS SUTTON.

  I think about not answering, it, but he did make arrangements to get me home. I don’t lack the gratitude gene.

  I pick up. “Hey, Lucas. It’s late. What do you need?”

  “Your address just got visited by the police. I was worried. I’m across town. Are you okay?”

/>   “We’re fine. Thank you for letting Calvin and Edgar bring me home. When I got here, the door was wide open. Jenny was out with her friends from work. So I called the police, just as a precaution. Nothing is missing. Everything’s okay.”

  He pauses, quiet on the line. “Do I need to come over there?”

  “No, Lucas. How did you know about the police visit?” That just kills me. How could he know that?

  “I just do, Sadie. You were wonderful tonight. I’m sorry; I felt that Peter exploited you to get you to that meeting.”

  “I don’t feel the same. Everyone I met was very kind. I’m not sorry I went. And, I have to say, I learned a whole different side of people. What they think is sexy is past me. But I liked how simple, straightforward and honest they were. And Lucas? I met Sidney.”

  He’s silent for a minute. “And…?” He doesn’t say anything else.

  “I get it. I really do. I’m sorry you two didn't work out. Peter implied that you were probably not over what happened between you, and that I look too much like her for comfort. She even called you ‘a creature of habit’. But, I’m not her. I’m sorry.” I’m quiet.

  “Sadie, you only heard half of the story. Why don’t you let me tell you the other half? I’d rather tell it to you in person.”

  “I think it’s past the point of discussion. I don’t want to be just another woman in your harem, Lucas. I know you might be tempted to sleep with me – especially now that I’ve met Sidney. Can you cut that out of our relationship?”

  He sighs. “Sadie, I acted like an idiot with you yesterday. I assumed something about you that wasn’t fair. Now, you’re acting in a way that doesn’t appreciate me. I see where you were coming from, now. You’ve dealt with my assumptions, and now I’m left with yours.”

  I listen, and laugh. “Okay. Maybe I’m being unfair. But where did you go tonight? Be honest with me.”

  He pauses. “I took Violet back to her apartment; she’d been drinking to excess. Peter was too engrossed in a conquest to notice. By the time I got her inside her place and back to my own; you were gone. I saw you left the fabric samples, so I thought maybe I could lure you back here to pick them up. And then I have a watch on your address, and it pinged me when you came up on a 911 call. It scared me. Seriously.”

  I laugh. “You’re weird, Lucas. You have a lock on my house? Really?”

  “I do. And Calvin and Edgar will be there in a few minutes to stand watch over you. You’re mine, Sadie. Remember what I said about taking care of my own.”

  “I have more questions” I say, bolder now. “Do you tie up all your women, eventually? Do you want to hurt them – hurt me?” I feel brave; I’m tired now.

  “Sadie, at one time I thought I’d lost everything to the lure of aberrant sex. Now I know; I didn’t lose anything I wasn’t supposed to. When I saw you for the first time, I felt like I found myself again. I can’t believe it’s only been a week. It’s not about how you look, though you do look fine. It’s about what you project: femininity, and confidence and humility – all those things. There’s something about you that’s just…good. That’s why I’m starved for you. Not for your design skills, or your potential. I want you because you’re made for me. Mine. No one else’s. If anyone else tries to sleep with you, I pity them. I’ll go insane. I’ll never stop caring about you. Never stop protecting you. I’d like you to get used to it.”

  I mull this over.

  “You didn't answer my question.”

  “Yes, Sadie. I’ve seen some sexual things that probably pushed me to the edge of what you might call ‘normal’. Sure, I want to tie you up, so I can touch you however I like. I want carte blanche; anything I want, whenever I want it.” He takes a deep breath. “But I can’t do that if you keep running away from me. And that’s where we are right now. I know it’s soon. We just met. But you trusted me enough to give yourself to me for the first time. And now, I want more.”

  “But Lucas…what happens when it ends? When you meet another woman? There were so many at that party tonight – all of them gorgeous. You’ll meet someone else, more in tune with your wants. And then…what?” I feel like crying. How did we get into this conversation?

  “Sadie, stop now. Once you’re mine, I won’t be able to give you up. Shit, I already can’t give you up, and you’ve never consented to anything close to being mine. Not in that sense. I want you to think about it. After tomorrow’s meeting, I want you to consider moving in with me. Bring a change of clothes and all your toiletries to work tomorrow; I have plans for you.”

  I’m quiet for just a minute.

  “I have to hang up now, Lucas. I’m tired.”

  “I understand Sadie. It’s late. I’ll see you tomorrow, at your work. Goodnight, baby.”

  I sit there, gaping at an empty line.

  A minute later, there’s a knock on the door. It’s Edgar. I introduce him to Jenny, and he agrees to stay inside the apartment on the couch for the night. We both relax a little in his presence. He explains that Calvin is doing street duty, keeping watch on the first floor of the building. They will both stay in place until further notice, per Mr. Sutton.

  Jenny gets a sly look on her face, and heads to her own bedroom to turn in. But not before she turns to me and mouths, silently. HE LOVES YOU.

  She smiles, and whips around before I can throw something at her.

  Yeah. Right.

  I’m still smiling when I get to my own room, until I turn off the light. What an incredibly weird day.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Dreams”

  Brandi Carlisle, Give Up the Ghost

  The alarm goes off early, and I realize today is going to be a landmark day for me. Either I’m about to become a Sutton Shield devotee, or at five o’clock I’ll be spectacularly unemployed.

  Both options feel surreal.

  I get out of bed, shower, get ready and eat the last piece of cold pizza I shoved into the fridge last night. Edgar is already up and gone, leaving a note for Jenny and me. He and Calvin will be taking both of us to work, and will be here to pick us up at eight fifteen sharp.

  I pick my outfit out carefully. Black crepe pants, tall suede boots, a charcoal grey tank, and a deep grey ribbed open cardigan. I have a fuzzy scarf in shades of medium and dark grey that I wind around my neck. I put my hair up, loosely, and apply a little makeup.

  I obey Lucas and pack a bag of work clothes and other necessities, as if we will spend tonight at his place. I add a pair of high-heeled pumps, a skirt and some stockings, in case we decide to have dinner somewhere. I’m just going on what he said. We’ll see.

  I call my dad while I wait on Edgar and Calvin to meet us downstairs. He answers, and I hear the sounds of dishes clanking, pots rattling in the background. “Sadie! I’m glad you called. Sorry we missed each other on Sunday?” Ugh. I cringe over how that day turned out.

  “Hey, daddy. Everything is really crazy right now. Something’s happening today, and I don’t know how it will affect me at work. But there are going to be some changes.”

  His tone gets serious. “Are you about to lose your job, babe? You know if anything happens, you can come back here until you find something else. I mean it.”

  I laugh a little. “I appreciate that. I have no idea what will happen today, but there’s a big meeting of higher-ups going on at the studio. As soon as I know, I’ll call you, okay?”

  He sighs. “I hate that your job hinges on someone else’s decisions, Sadie. But everything happens like it’s supposed to. Call me when you hear, all right? I’ll be thinking about you until then.”

  “I love you, dad.”

  “You too, babe.” He hangs up, but not before I hear the clatter of plates of eggs, sausage, bacon and biscuits flying over the counter as we disconnect. Patrick Graves in in his element. That makes me happy.

  Jenny comes out of her room, ready for work, and we both take the elevator to the ground floor after locking up. Edgar and Calvin are waiting for us outside; Calvin
standing at attention outside the limousine.

  We both slide in.

  I think, just for a second, that after today my life will either be drastically different, or totally worse. And then we pull away from the curb, and speed through traffic to Manhattan.

  We drop Jenny off first, and then pull up to the sidewalk outside the House of Rosenstein. I thank both men, grab my duffel and head inside.

  The first thing I notice is that there’s a meeting already taking place, even though it isn’t yet nine o’clock. Anna’s office door is closed, and I can hear her voice and at least two others inside. Hers is raised, at the moment.

  Not a good sign.

  I can’t hear exactly what’s being said, but I can hear the tone. She’s irritated, but trying to control it. The men’s voices are calm in rebuttal. There’s some back and forth. I catch, “You have got to be kidding me!” and a few expletives. That’s Anna.

  Bain’s voice booms, but his words are muffled. They go back and forth for a minute or so, and I decide to get out of the line of fire. I head back to my own office, and call Salvatore’s cell. Today is fabric shipment day. I’m both excited and nervous.

  Sal answers and his voice instantly calms me. “Sadie! Good morning, my friend. Are you ready to meet me at the factory today? I have the truck loaded and everything is ready for you.”

  “Oh, Sal. You’re a lifesaver. Something is going down at the atelier today, and I’d love nothing better than to bail out of here. What are your travel plans?” The factory is in New Jersey, no too far outside the city limits.

  “I’m about to head that way now. Can you meet me there in, say, an hour?”