Page 16 of On Your Knees

“Talk later,” she says, before signing off.

I walk upstairs with a smile on my face. My mom is pulling boxes out of a shopping bag when she looks over at me.

“What’s made you so happy?” I shrug, causing her to huff. “Arlo Atlas Kross, don’t you shrug your shoulders at me.”

I push my glasses up with a smirk. “It’s nothing. I met a girl online and I finally feel like I’m learning to not be a spluttering idiot around someone I’m attracted to.”

“Any girl would be lucky to have you. You’re such a catch, baby.”

That makes me snort, but I don’t correct her. She is my mom and nothing I say will change her mind. She loves me, maybe a little too much, but she is good people, and I don’t care what anyone has to say about me being a momma’s boy.

Chapter Six

Aspen

Now that I’m not working, I’m bored out of my mind. My classes are dull as shit and I’m ready to throw in the towel.

“Why do you look like you’re plotting world domination?” Zeland asks as he walks into the kitchen.

“Contemplating ditching classes today to look for a job.”

“No luck on the job hunt then?”

I shake my head. After talking to Arlo and his mention of how most of the creators on the View4U app don’t get naked, I went down a rabbit hole. Iwatched the free previews on some accounts, and he was right—there are no masked women.

“Though my friend Arlo mentioned an app called View4U. I’ve looked into it—maybe that’s a viable option.”

Zeland splutters and I look over at him. He has spat water down his business shirt. “You want to become a kink creator?”

I shrug. “Maybe. Do you know about the app?”

Nothing good is about to come out of his mouth, judging from the smile on his face. “I sure do. Honestly, I don’t know many people who don’t. What content would you do?”

“Well, I was talking to Arlo when Ridge went all daddy on me about talking to strangers—well, actually, it was about not masturbating in front of strangers.”

Zeland laughs. “I so need to hear this.”

“I made a comment about flicking the bean in the gaming room, and he was watching me on the cameras again or listening. The thought of being watched is kind of hot, and that’s now on the list of things that I might like. Anyway, Arlo and I were talking, which turned into him sharing his kinks, and he mentioned the lack of females in masks on the app. The idea intrigues me, but I have no one to chase. I kind of wish I knew where he lived because he has a kink and I maybe want to make content.”

“He actually lives in Meadow Hills, about twenty minutes from here.”

I know where Meadow Hills is—I worked at a bar there in the past. “How do you know where he lives?”

“We take cyber safety seriously and Ridge may have done?—”

“Ridge may have done what?” the man himself interrupts, strolling into the kitchen in his impeccable suit. He smells like a million dollars, with not even a strand of hair out of place. I walk over to the counter and hand him a travel mug with the quote: “Despite the look on my face, you’re still talking.”

“You made me a coffee?” he asks, reluctantly taking the travel mug from me.

I roll my eyes. “It’s not poisoned—frankly, because I didn’t think of it before I made it.”

Zeland laughs and pulls his juice from the refrigerator, drinking straight from the bottle. It’s some Australian juice he gets imported.

Ridge reads the quote and smirks. “Thanks,” he gruffs. “Zee, are you driving in with me today?”

“Not today. I hate working late and waiting for you. I was thinking about bringing Aspen into the office.”

“Me? Why? You already told me you wouldn’t give me a job because you don’t shit where you eat and you’re determined to eat me.”

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