Peaches

Three

"He just gave you the money?" Candy asked surprised, she sat cuddled up on my bed with a glass of our favorite Cabernet franc. It was our girl's night, complete with an unhealthy amount of popcorn and wine-and let's not forget the gossip.

Candy and I had been friends since the day we met at Honeys four years ago. We shared a unique connection, both of us in a similar situation with daddy. Her father didn't pawn her off per se, but she fell into the business by the fate of her father. She was the daughter of one of Daddy's men. At eighteen years old, he was killed in a tragic car accident that sent him off of a bridge to his untimely death.

With her mother dying of cancer, Daddy took it upon himself to give her a place to stay and a job to pay for her mother's medical bills— costing her freedom in the meantime. Despite her hardships, she was always there for me. Especially in times where I felt there was nothing left. Times I gave up on myself and was willing to accept that I could never be free.

With a nod, I pressed the cup to my lips after sipping the last of my drink down. "No joke. He literally just handed it right to me. Like, I didn't know what to say. How can you even thank someone for something like that?"

"Proceed with caution." She snickered, fixing her bun that rested lazily on the top of her head before shifting herself to lay her stomach."Girl, you know exactly what he wants out of it. Just remember that."

"Oh it's totally obvious, but I don't mind his help, you know?" He had proven to be a decent roommate so far, although it had only been a week he had kept up after himself. If anything, It wasn't ideal that he stayed in the living room. The piles of his things by the couch were turning out to be the one issue I was dwelling on.

"What are you going to do if he wants to like," she paused, blinking up at me. "You know, to fuck or something?"

I sighed, looking away for a moment, before turning back at her and shrugging. I had no good idea as to how to thank him for his kind gesture to help me out of my dilemma. "I would turn him down. I mean, It might be rough but he has some shit to work through and I can't let myself get distracted like that."

Of course I found him attractive. He knew he was too, and he made damn sure to flaunt it when he could. There was a part of me that wanted to indulge but I haven't been with a man romantically in at least two years. If that wasn't reason alone, there's the sheer fact that roommates getting romantically involved without deeper intentions could prove to be a sticky situation.

"If Daddy found out," She cringed, knowing all the different potential repercussions. "Things would get so messy."

That was an understatement. If Daddy found out, Chris could be murdered, I could get sold off out of the country, or worse. It was all too risky. The last thing I need is to end up on the black market or meet some horrible demise.

"I know. That's why I keep my distance from him, it's all I can do right now." I almost felt bad, a part of me felt the need to repay him somehow-not necessarily in a sexual manner, but anything to address how appreciative I was.

"Just make him breakfast and he'll be fine." She giggled. "The key to anyone's heart is food."

"Pretty sure the key to his is booze." He was most definitely out in the living room as we spoke, drinking his after work, beer, and whiskey neat. I could even assume that he was watching reruns of the sopranos, guitar in his lap and his heavy boots resting up on my coffee table- as per usual.

"Oh hold on," she turned her attention to her phone, vibrating next to her. "Honeys is calling me."

Thank god it wasn't me, I needed this weekend off after working fourteen days straight. Now that I paid Daddy for the month, I was relieved to finally be on a more stable path. I could start dancing again, finally an opportunity to begin to try to feel like myself again—Briel and not just Peaches. I just have to perform well for daddy when he visits Honeys in just a couple days. The pressure is on, but I hold true to my confidence and can't allow myself any room for nervousness.