Page 39 of Collin: Episodes 1-3
Collin gripped the hair on the back of his head. “Is it so hard to believe that something good happened, Mom?”
She didn’t answer.
Collin let out a long breath. “It’s not unusual for personal assistants to live near or with their employers, Mom. Or even travel with them.”
“I know personal assistants travel with their bosses, Collin, that’s when they’re needed most. I’m just concerned about you. There’s a big power differential between you and Mr. Reevesworth. I looked him up. He’s a very powerful man. And there’s not much about him. He’s private.”
“Yes, he is.”
“You’re already keeping secrets, Collin. I’m worried.”
“I signed an NDA. It came with the job.”
A frustrated sigh came through the phone. “Did you at least get a lawyer to look at it before you signed it?”
“No, but I read the entire thing, even the fine print.”
“And?”
“And I was satisfied. The money is good. The hours work with my classes. I’ll be able to focus more on starting a career and getting my degree. Parking cars wasn’t cutting it.”
“Just because you’re a man doesn’t mean you might not be put in a place where you feel you can’t say no, Collin. Do you know that Mr. Reevesworth is gay?”
Collin felt a shadow over his shoulder and turned. Mr. Reevesworth had entered the room. He looked straight into the older man’s eyes as he answered. “Yes, Mom, I’m aware that Mr. Reevesworth is gay.”
“Does he know you are?”
“Yes, he knows I’m gay. It’s pretty common knowledge.”
“Then…you’re aware…that there might be…inappropriate advances.”
Mr. Reevesworth’s eyes were dark and assessing.
Collin swallowed and raised his chin. “I can’t live in fear, Mom. I won’t.”
“Reasonable precautions, Collin. Reasonable precautions. You’re a good-looking boy, and he’s a powerful man.”
“And if he made advances, as you say, I’d be flattered.”
“Men like him can pay for anything. They can tempt you to do things that you wouldn’t necessarily want to do.”
Collin swallowed, still transfixed in Mr. Reevesworth’s eyes. “Mom, I swear, if I sleep with Mr. Reevesworth or Mr. Moreau and anyone else, it will be because I want to.”
“Money can make you want things, Collin.”
“Dr. Ryker, you cannot be telling me that you would disapprove of me doing sex work. Weren’t you the one who taught me to respect women who provide desperately needed social services?”
Sandra sucked in a harsh breath. “No. I mean. Yes. That’s not what I meant! I just don’t want anyone to take advantage of you, Collin. I want you to be safe.”
“And I want you to be safe, too, Mom. And when you were sick, I had to trust the doctors to heal you, and they didn’t give me any guarantee. They just said there was a good chance. And you said that a chance was good, that we had to hang on to that. But that’s all of life, isn’t it? College and a degree isn’t a guarantee of a job, and a job isn’t a guarantee that you’ll be able to pay the bills. There’s just a chance. I’m taking my chance, Mom.”
“Promise me, if it all goes wrong, you’ll come home.”
“I know I can always come home, Mom.”
“Okay. You should rest, Collin.”
“I’m going to. Love you, Mom. Tell Alice I’m okay but that I may not answer the phone.”
