Electra M
And finally, we were alone. I made a deal with Amelia to hire some sylphs to clean up the set, but that would be in the morning. I also worked a deal with Samantha to hire literate sylphs to type all the stories into files we could put on the website.
I rolled the set back to our room and set it down by the door. “Everyone grab your jammies,” I said.
“I sleep in the nude,” Ghirardelli said.
“Of course you do,” I sighed. “But if you want to grab any snacks or drinks for the night… And there I was, talking to an empty table top.”
Electra brought out a cooler and I moved it to the drawer on the bedside table. She came out again in her nightshirt. Ghirardelli came out with her favorite pillow and Cher brought a blanket.
Whatever.
They put their stuff in my hands and I put it in the drawer while they took a last trip to the bathroom.
I set everyone on top of the table and sat on the bed. “That… That was wild,” I said. “And it all worked. I want to thank everyone for everything you’ve done to make tonight work.”
“Thank you, too, Conrad,” Electra said.
“It was a pleasure, working together,” Cher said. “It really felt like a partnership, too, not, you know, like slave labor.”
“More like a family,” Ghirardelli said.
“Thank you, Ghirardelli, Cher, Electra.” I lay down on the bed, on my side, regarding my little group. “I think this is going to work.”
Electra jumped over to the bed, followed by the other two. She came up and stood on tiptoe to kiss my nose.
“So, are we having sex, now?” Ghirardelli asked.
Stunned, I looked to Electra. She looked back at me, just as stunned. I looked up and saw Cher. He looked horrified. Ghirardelli was just waiting patiently for an answer.
“I, uh, hadn’t really intended…” I flustered.
“It’s just, every owner I’ve ever had, they’ve had sex with me. Or, you know, at me.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Ghirardelli, your last owner was a twenty-five-billion-dollar network.”
“Yeah. And every time a network executive came to town, I got taken to their hotel room to perform for them.”
“I… I’m so sorry! I never knew that!”
“No reason you should,” she shrugged. “Wasn’t any of your business.” She tilted her head to once side. “Then.”
“Well, you’ll never have to do anything like that ever again,” I promised.
“What if I liked it?” she asked.
“I said HAVE TO. You’ll never HAVE TO. What you WANT to do is… You’re teasing me, aren’t you, Ghirardelli?”
She smiled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Okay. Okay, okay, okay,” I muttered. “Look, you are an extremely attractive woman, but Electra has come to own me, body and soul-“
“Not the biggest secret you’ve ever had, Boss,” Cher said with a smile.
“Okay….” I looked back to Electra. She had a big grin on and kissed me once more. “Okay, starting on the flight back, we’ll figure out what you guys need, and what we need, as far as privacy and, I dunno, let’s call it entertainment?
“We’ll figure all this out,” I promised them. “But I am wrung out right now and about to get stupid.”
“About?” Electra asked.
“Shoo,” I said. “Go to bed. Thanks for a wonderful week, we’ll continue to grow as a family starting in the morning.” I extended a hand, awkwardly in my position, and we shook on it, once with each sylph.
Electra and Cher jumped back to the table and down into the drawer.
Ghirardelli paused. “Why don’t you call me Delli, Conrad?” she asked. “Everyone else does.”
“It’s the name you picked,” I protested.
“Yeah, but you’re always so FORMAL!”
“I guess… I guess I never wanted to use a nickname for you because I didn’t want you to think I took you for granted.” I thought for a moment. “Also, I have had bad experiences with nicknames.”
“Okay,” she said with a nod. “I can accept that, Gonad. But if we’re family, you can call me Delli and I promise to find it endearing, not dismissive.”
“Deal,” I said. We shook again. As she grabbed my finger I pinched her hand in place with my thumb. “But if you ever call me Gonad again, I’ll make you sleep in a burlap shift.”
“Deal, sir,” she smiled. She ran off to join the others.
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Index
132. Kerri I