Page 139 of Their Courtesan
Haggling!
“I think our dear European friend meansdiscussing.” Seth uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “I for one think it’s a great deal that I am 100% on board with. Assuming that you ladies are as well.” He shot Judith a look to his left. It was so steely, so calculating that she almost died right there.This is how an alpha like him takes over the pack. With another man, no less!
“This is certainly unprecedented.” Monica turned the paper over and studied it carefully. “If I’m reading this right, you are both offering to pay $100,000 a month for the privilege.”
“We are willing to go higher if you would like,” Seth said, “but we figured this way it was the same amount that Mr. Bolivar here was going to pay anyway, so you’re not losing any of the money originally promised to you. Our only stipulation is that we pay the same exact amount, to keep it fair.”
“Of course…” Monica looked closer. “Oh, dear, Judith is not going to like this.”
“I’m over here, you know!” That was the only thing necessary to shake Judith in her seat. “What does it say?”
They all looked at her. “Mr. Bolivar and Dr. Christens are willing to enter this arrangement with the understanding that it would be monogamous.”
The whole room turned a bright shade of red.
“What!” Judith was up, although she dared not cross the room out of fear of losing to her oncoming rampage. “Are you fucking kidding me!”
“We think it’s more than fair.”
“In return, we would be monogamous as well.”
“Really, it’sunfairfor us. We have to pay for it. I mean, spoil you silly. Meanwhile, you get two boyfriends who want to spend all their time with you… but are willing to share if it means even getting to spend one day a month with you.”
“We hope it would be more often, though.”
“That’s not the point!” Judith stood behind their chairs, arms jutting into the air. “That was never the point! Don’t you get it? This is myjob.”
“Yes. Which is why we are willing to pay.”
“Now hold on,” Monica interrupted, eyes mostly focused on Judith’s top about to blow. “This would require serious discussion. That is a big clause to put in a contract, and would require Judith’s absolute agreement.”
What proceeded was an hour’s worth of discussing.Haggling. It’s fucking haggling.Judith raised the point that she needed to make as much money as possible, and agreeing to exclusivity made thatverydifficult. Seth responded that they didn’t require her to stop working at the Château. She could continue to entertain clients as long as there was no sex. That was all they truly cared about.
“As her dual patrons, we would expect our main benefit to be exclusivity,” he said. “We know that Judith isn’t a one-man woman. We do hope she could be happy with two, however.”
“I’m okay with her even seeing her BDSM clients, as long as there is no sexual contact.”
“We know that she has an important administrative position as this establishment, and don’t want to interfere with that.”
“You… two…” Judith gripped both of their chairs, channeling the fury she kept trying to keep down. What was she so angry about? That they were meddling in her career? Making decisions for her? Asking her for things she had never had to bestow before?I’ve never had a real boyfriend since starting this career. Would they really be my boyfriends like that? I think I love them… but is that enough?Could two men like them really agree to share her? Could she be content with only them as lovers for as long as this agreement lasted? Possibly years?
Until she retired? Then what? Would she be so in love with them that it continued until shedied?
She felt like she was being shoehorned into a real relationship, and she didn’t know what to think about that.
They then launched into more numbers. Judith’s insistence. If they wanted exclusivity, they would pay for it. Judith was going to make sure she was well compensated for any work lost and for any confusion she experienced while she tried to understand her own feelings for them. Without the buffer of her work to guide her along, she could become lost, or resentful. These were Monica’s thoughts as they proceeded to discuss the terms of a potential contract.
The number $125,000 per patron was understood. Monica asked the men to leave the room so she could talk frankly with Judith.
“You would be an idiot not to take this!” she said as soon as the door closed.
“You’ve said so yourself before that I am an idiot.”
“$250,000 a month! Your cut alone is more than the average student debt in this country. They’re even allowing you to keep working here with some of your core clients.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Judith.” Monica slapped her hand on her desk. “Stop and think about it for two seconds. These two men aren’t just willing to pay to have you as their girlfriend. They’re willing to do whatever you want. What more could you ask for? Is it really about the money?”
