The Madam (34 page)

“It’s all right, darling. I keep my business
discrete for several reasons. You have nothing to be ashamed of,
Sebastian, you haven’t done anything wrong. Ysabelle provides
several different forms of companionship. This isn’t what you think
it is. My girls are not prostitutes, they are prized jewels and not
just any man can be with them.”

“With all due respect, I am fully aware of
what an escort entails, Madam,” he addressed with a tone I didn’t
approve of.

“Really? Well then, Sebastian, why don’t you
put your money where your mouth is? You’re obviously taken with my
Ysabelle, or else you wouldn’t be calling a month and a half later.
You could have Ysabelle for an evening and you could do with her as
you please. I promise you won’t regret it.”

“There would be no need for sex?” he
hesitated.

“Sex is not a need, it’s a want. Unless you
want it, then no; you can talk, and just enjoy one another’s
company. There is no harm in that, now is there?”

“How much?”

Got him.

“My girls aren’t rented by the hour,
Sebastian. Since I can feel your hesitation, I will allow it this
time. How about $5,000 for two hours?”

“$2,500 an hour to talk to someone?” he
blurted.

“I never said my girls were cheap, Sebastian.
My girls are ladies and expect to be treated as so.”

“Whatever. When can I see her?”

“Well…that’s up to you. How fast can you come
in to see me?”

“I don’t follow.”

“I know you’re not planning on being intimate
with Ysabelle, however, there is still a process that needs to take
place before you can have her.”

“Which is?”

“You would need to come in and have a
physical, and be tested for any discrepancies. Also, I would need
your social and fingerprints to run a background check. I also need
to keep a card on file. I protect what’s mine, Sebastian, I’m sure
you can understand that,” I proclaimed.

“I understand. I can come in tomorrow
afternoon, let’s say around noon.”

“Perfect, it won’t take long for the results.
If everything clears, you could see her this Friday. Her
appointment for that night canceled. His loss is your gain. I can
tell her once everything comes back, and put you on the schedule.
Now where would you like to arrange to meet her?”

“I’m not quite sure. I’m married and I don’t
think my wife would appreciate what the hell I’m even doing; this
will be a one-time thing, I just need to see her this once and I
will be done. I won’t need more time with her.”

“Of course.” I smiled; this was not going to
be the last time. It never was when it came to Ysabelle.

“Well, may I suggest a hotel room? There’s
privacy and the discretion that you need.”

“Have her meet me at The W at 6 pm, I will
confirm the room number as soon as it’s booked,” he replied, trying
not to sound uncertain.

“Have a great evening, goodbye.” I hung up
before he had a chance to change his mind. Not that I thought he
was going to.

I had no clue what the future would hold.
Nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. It was the
first time in my life that I understood what my mother felt like
when she wasn’t in control.

I really was my mother’s daughter, and that
scared me more than anything.

I had
invited Ysabelle over a few months later to catch up and have
lunch. We usually tried to every other week or so. There we were,
talking about her recent trip to Australia with a client, when my
phone rang.

“Sebastian, darling, what a nice surprise.
How are you?” I said into the phone. I looked over at Ysabelle and
her eyes widened for just a second, but I caught it.

“I’m great, thanks for asking. How about
yourself?” She smiled at me and there was a certain glow to her,
she seemed tense. At the time, I thought that maybe she was nervous
or something had happened between them. I would investigate that
later.

“Lovely, I’m actually having lunch with our
beautiful Ysabelle as we speak.”

“Oh…really. Um…let me…” he hesitated.

“Don’t be silly. I always have time for you.
Now what can I help you with?”

“Right…it’s just, I umm…have this thing,” he
stuttered.

“Sebastian, relax. Ysabelle is absolutely
glowing right now. Seems like you have made quite an impression on
my girl, Mr. Vanwell,” I stated, trying to make him comfortable and
at the same time remind him who Ysabelle really belonged to.

“She’s made quite an impression on me. That’s
why I’m calling. You see…I have this yacht delivery I have to make
to the Virgin Islands and I wanted the company of Ysabelle for the
duration of that time.”

“Hmm…that sounds like quite a trip. I’m
assuming you’re trying to mix a little business with pleasure,
seeing as you haven’t thus far?” I was definitely fishing for
something.

“Wait…what?” And he just answered my
question.

Why little Miss Ysabelle gave away a freebie.
I had to brace myself from being upset with her; I didn’t want to
be like my mother. So I left it at Ysabelle trying to be
independent and ended it there.

“Please, I know you enjoy your little chats
with my Ysabelle, I’m to assume that this will include more than
companionship?” I may let her give her pussy away for free…one
time.

“Umm…you are assuming correctly. I mean-”

“Sebastian, I am in the business of making
people happy. Let me remind you that I’m not here to judge. My
Ysabelle was made for you. I know what effect she has on men,
you’re not the first and you won’t be the last,” I subtly implied;
I knew he wanted to tell me to go fuck off but held his tongue.
Smart man.

“Mmm hmm,” was all he replied.

“When is this little rendezvous scheduled
for?”

“A week from Thursday, we will set sail at 9
am and should be getting back Sunday evening. I will provide the
airfare for the return.”

“It just so happens that Ysabelle is free for
those dates. You know that the expenses will change?”

“I’m aware. How much?” If he wanted her, then
he would have to pay. I upped the ante.

“Well this is more than an overnight request.
It’s going to be costly, I would say somewhere around $80,000.”

“Madam!” Ysabelle shouted from afar.

“Excuse me, Sebastian,” I said, putting him
on hold.

“Since when do you ever rudely interrupt me,
little girl?” I asked.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. It’s just that
price seems kinda steep, don’t you think?” she said with a smile.
She was hiding something from me. I didn’t know what it was and I
would find out.

“Since you want to tell me how to do my job,
then by all means, Ysabelle. How much?”

She nervously licked her lips. “$40,000.”

I got back on the phone with Sebastian,
“Well, Mr. Vanwell…it seems as though Ysabelle is feeling generous
today. She will do it for $40,000,” I stated through gritted
teeth.

“Done,” he quickly replied. I knew full well
that he would have paid $80,000.

“I’ll have the money deposited this evening.
Have a wonderful day.” I said and abruptly hung up.

“What the fuck was that, Ysabelle?” I
demanded.

She hesitated for a brief second, trying to
contemplate how to address me. “Madam…with all due respect, I’m
allowed to set the bar for my appointments, or am I not? Let me
know if I’ve overstepped my boundaries and it won’t happen again. I
was under the impression that I could make my own decisions,” she
informed me, standing her ground.

This reminded of what I went through with my
mother decades ago, except now I was sitting on the other side of
the desk. And let me tell you something, the grass isn’t always
greener on the other side.

I raised my eyebrows at her. “Do I need to
worry about your involvement with this client, Bella Rosa? Is there
something you’re not telling me? Do I need to remind you of who and
what you are, and of our business arrangement?”

“Of course not, if it makes you feel better,
take all of it. I screwed you out of your money, therefore take
mine.”

This is the exact moment where our
relationship changed.

It didn’t matter what she was saying or how
she was trying to portray herself.

Ysabelle lied to me.

“Shit,” I said with disgust. “I never thought
the day would come. You’re attached to him. What the fuck,
Ysabelle? Have I taught you nothing? Do I need to call him back and
cancel this event? Must I make you walk away from him?” I didn’t
want to believe what I was asking or what I was thinking and it
didn’t make it any less true. She was falling for him. She would
rather be with him for free. She had never been with someone for no
monetary compensation. That’s what made her so perfect. This was
serious.

“Madam, it’s nothing like that. I know how to
do my job and you have nothing to worry about. I have this under
control. But just to keep the record straight, you can’t tell me
what to do. You are aware of that?” she hissed.

I needed to think about my next words. They
could make or break us.

“Bella Rosa, you’re closer to me than any
daughter I could have had. DO NOT get emotionally attached to a
MARRIED man, do you understand me?”

I heard the hypocritical words come out of my
mouth and they made my head swirl and my stomach upset. I was no
better than she was, but I spoke from experience. It didn’t matter
for shit. The more you tell someone they can’t do something, the
more they want to do it. It’s called freewill. I was going to lose
her, however, and trust me on this- I wasn’t going to go without a
fucking fight.

“Perfectly,” she responded as she turned and
walked out.

A few months went by and several things
changed; my relationship with Ysabelle was the most extreme. We
didn’t see each other as often and when we talked, she seemed
distant and distracted. Sebastian, the bastard, was also paying for
all of her time. I know what you’re thinking…how could I allow
that…right?

I didn’t allow anything. I have told you, I
don’t call the shots, my girls do. I am a mere spectator. Besides,
if I didn’t “allow” her, I would have lost her a lot sooner than I
did. I had to play nice, I had to seem like I cared and wanted what
was best for her.

I did.

I do.

I went to her apartment that day, fully
expecting to talk it out with her; I knew we could get past this. I
needed to have her see it my way; she had to understand that I knew
what was best.

“What the hell, Madam,” she said with her
hand on her chest. “You scared the shit out of me. Can’t you
knock?’

“Since when have I ever had to knock, Bella
Rosa?” The simple fact that she even suggested that I knock on a
condo that I pay for infuriated me. I have never knocked before,
and I had no intentions of ever knocking in the future. She was
beginning to step out of line.

“I don’t know…never mind. What’s up?” She
dismissively walked over to her refrigerator and bent down to grab
a bottle of water. The moment her hair fell away from her neck, my
blood went ice cold. I could feel all of my veins tightening. I saw
red and lunged at her.

She tried to back up, but I held onto her
arm, keeping her in place.

“What the fuck is that, Ysabelle?” I yelled.
My mind was too far gone to show any other emotion, other than pure
rage.

“What are you talking about, let go of me,
you’re hurting me.”

“You let him fucking mark you!” My voice rose
to a level I hadn’t heard in years. It had been a long time since I
last felt that kind of anger toward another person. But the purple
marks all over her neck gave me reason to.

“What?” She shook her head.

Ysabelle wasn’t a dumb girl. You know what
they say; love is unconditional. I say, love is obtuse. A person in
love is blind. The phrase “see no evil, speak no evil, and hear no
evil” applies just as much to love as it does to life.

I roughly escorted her to the mirror in the
living room so she could see for herself each colorful emotion that
was displayed for the world to see. She tried to pull away from me,
but it only made me hold on tighter. I didn’t care if I bruised
her; she was already marked. And a mark from me was far worse than
any kind of “love” mark.

“What the fuck are you doing, Ysabelle? What
the hell is going on?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.
Nothing is going on. Let go of me.”

“This is complete bullshit. You NEVER let a
client mark you. You aren’t someone’s goddamn property,” I yelled,
tightening my hold on her more.

“Really, Madam? Not even yours?” That was
it…that was the last straw. This ungrateful girl had pushed me to
my breaking point. I crudely pushed her away with such disgust,
that she fell to the floor. It took everything I had not to lunge
and beat the shit out of her. I wanted to beat some sense into her,
just as my mother had done to me. But I couldn’t…it hadn’t worked
for me, and I knew damn well it wouldn’t work for her either.

I was at a loss. I didn’t know what to do, so
I did the only thing I was accustomed to, I used my words.

“You ungrateful child.”

“I’m not a child,” she argued. I
disagreed.

“Oh really, Ysabelle, then why the fuck are
you acting like one? Have I taught you nothing? You have been with
an infinite number of men and not ever have I had to worry about
you. I made you who you are; remember that. Where is your loyalty?
You’re going to lose it…for a fucking married man!” I didn’t even
bother trying to control my temper. None of my girls had ever made
me react this way. But Ysabelle was different. I couldn’t lose her.
I needed to make her see what she was doing, and get her to wake
the fuck up.