“Yes, I do. I pay you for those times when I need considerable money on a Sunday.”
“I’ll have your money for you by 5 p.m.” Before calling, I knew I would get the money, but it was still a relief.
“Thank you, sir. I appreciate you working on a Sunday for me.”
“Wait to thank me until after you see my bill.” He hung up.
***
At 6 a.m., I was up and ready to head downtown. On my way, I got a giant coffee with a quad shot of espresso. The extra caffeine was probably a poor decision since I was already jumpy. I arrived at 7:45 a.m., ready to meet my new companion.
I whispered before walking in, “I am prepared, capable, and excited about this opportunity.” I put on my business face as I approached the front doors. Before entering, I looked at myself in the window, a habit established years ago when I was cold-calling athletes. Blessed with traditional Italian genes, I was handsome, with short dark hair. My body was in shape and tall. Many women wanted to be with me, and turning them down made me feel bad. I didn't know how to tell them that a man with broad shoulders and a tight ass would be my preference. I wasn’t exactly finding that man, so getting a companion would fill that void I refused to admit existed.
The agency I worked with was the intermediary for the club. Application fees and membership alone was millions of dollars. They had members of all financial levels, but if you weren’t from a legacy family, you had to be rich and use the agency.
Two people were waiting when I arrived. “Hey.” Awkwardly, I raised my hand at them. Someone entered the area where we were waiting and called my name. Swallowing hard, I willed my heart to stop racing. Passing out right now would not make a good impression.
When I entered, they handed me an enormous stack of papers. I looked around furtively, hoping to see my companion. I saw two board members, one whose name I knew was Jason, chatting with each other in the corner. It took about ten minutes to fill out the paperwork, and as soon as I finished, I returned it to the person who gave it to me.
Waiting as patiently as possible, I finally saw a woman walk through one of the two large doors in the back of the room. She was carrying my beautiful new friend on her arm. I was not an expert on dragons, but he was gorgeous. I looked around the room to ensure this wasn’t a joke. “He’s coming home with me?” I pointed at the dragon the woman was holding.
She patiently smiled at me. “Yes, this beautiful boy is. Congratulations! I hope the two of you are happy together.” Unable to help myself, I grinned ridiculously. He was sitting on his haunches with his wings settled on his back. Currently, he was about seven inches tall, but I knew he would get to be about twelve inches. Most of his scales were bright red except for his stomach and the soft skin of his wings, which were closer to pink. He had thick thighs and smaller upper arms. He was perfect.
Excitement filled me as she put him in the crate and handed it to me. I was awestruck; he had already stolen my heart. I knew it was silly,but I wondered what he was thinking. Wanting to be liked, I hoped we would get along and have a happy life together.
On the way home, I named him Charlie. I wasn’t sure why I picked that name, but it seemed to fit him. Once we were back at my apartment, I threw myself on the couch, hoping I had made the right decision. He cocked his head at me, probably more curious about me than I was about him. “What do you want, fella?” I had read all the guides, but it wasn't the same as having a dragon sitting right before you with needs. The mentor that got assigned to us will be here sometime today.
I took him out of the crate and began petting him. I marveled at how he felt smooth, the scales almost soft. There was tension as if he feared me. He had to be disoriented. I took him from everything he knew. I am sure he didn’t understand what was happening. Charlie then arrives at an unfamiliar house with someone he has never seen staring at him. I moved my hand slowly, letting him get used to being touched, wanting him not to fear me.
Charlie looked up at me. “You have the biggest, most beautiful eyes.” He blinked. Reaching out, I pet him some more, moving along the side of his jaw and neck. He leaned into my touch, and I stroked him slowly while waiting for him to get used to my smell and the feeling of my hands.
“We are going to be okay, aren’t we?” I whispered. The tension released as he leaned towards me.
“You are gorgeous, you know that? I’m never going to tire of looking at you.” His head cocked again, and I swear I saw him smile. I doubted I could read him, but I thought I could.
Before we went any further, I decided to get him water and snacks. Cecelia had stopped by yesterday afternoon to run the vacuum and wipe things down. In the kitchen, there was a blueberry pie on thecounter. I suspected she had brought the pie, assuming I had a houseguest coming over. Even though she gave me a tough time, I knew she loved me like a son. I found grapes in the fridge, cut them in half, then put them on a small plate. I then filled a glass with filtered water.
I placed everything on the coffee table and knelt before the chair, ensuring I was comfortable.
“I am the best in my business and can do anything I want.” Raising and training Charlie can’t be more complicated than convincing a big-name cosmetics company that a woman wrestler would be a good spokesperson. Pep talks to have been a big part of my life, mind over matter. Being faced with this new challenge, I knew it was one I could master and would enjoy even though I was now responsible for keeping Charlie alive.
Charlie was looking at me, probably wondering what I was saying. “It’s okay, Charlie. I am just trying to get this right.” Slowly, I pulled him onto my lap, sitting rather awkwardly between the coffee table and the chair. He didn’t mind and looked at me expectantly. I grabbed a grape and held it to his mouth. He took a small bite and then ate the rest. I gave him several more, and I relaxed.
Keeping one hand on his side, I turned to grab another grape. I felt him tense up and make a rather harsh chirp-snort. The noise startled me, which caused me to hit the water glass and plate. Water splashed across us, and the plate clattered to the floor. Instinctually, I reached for the glass, trying to stop it from breaking on the tile, which scared Charlie. He launched from my lap across the room and slammed into the wet bar. The crystal decanter tipped over, dumping its contents, and the empty glasses crashed to the floor.
After a lot of crashing about, I was slamming down on my back, knocking the wind out of myself on the kitchen floor. The back of my head hit the tile, and the pie pan fell onto the floor with a thud.I lay sprawled like a starfish, wondering about my life choices. It was surprising that so many parts of me hurt right now. Moving would not happen for a few minutes at least. I closed my eyes, which was the only thing I could do now. I silently prayed I hadn’t permanently damaged Charlie’s psyche or my body. I took some deep breaths and told myself I needed to get up.
Chapter two
Aaron
I ended the week with an unexpected phone call from the Dragon Club.
“Mr. Gentry, this is Marcus Benedict from the club.” I was either insulted or amused that he assumed I wasn’t a member of any other club. He was correct, but it was a little presumptuous.
This group had more power over me than I wanted to admit. They could take Daisy, my dragon, from me, charge me a fine for breaking the rules, or make me mentor someone getting their companion.
“You are being assigned a mentor position with Mr. River Barallo. He is not a legacy member but an agency placement.” That meant he bought the opportunity to have a pup. I rubbed my hand over my face; rich men and I didn’t get along. I think it must be a male dominance-thing.
