The apartment was quiet, only the muted TV flickering in the corner. Ethan sprawled on the couch, one leg slung over the armrest, the other bent beneath him, his laptop abandoned beside a lukewarm soda. All evening he'd scrolled through job boards, chasing freelance gigs that never materialized. Another logo pitch, another vague "we'll get back to you." His phone buzzed against the chipped wood of the table. He reached for it, expecting rejection or spam, but Mia's name glowed on the screen instead.
Mia's shifts had been running later all week, each day creeping past the previous one. The pattern settled heavy in his chest as he swiped open her text with hesitant fingers.
"Helped Jake out today, gave him a shoulder rub to loosen him up for his next client. I'll be home soon!"
The words burned as he reread them. Jake. Naked Jake. The guy who'd point his dick at the girls and wink. Ethan's grip tightened on the phone, a dozen replies fighting to escape. Are you kidding me? Why are you touching him? That's not your damn job! He settled for, "Okay. See you."
She came through the door an hour later, kicking off her shoes and dropping her bag onto the floor. The soft gray sweater she'd worn Monday was gone, replaced by a black tank top, low-cut and clinging like a second skin. The words "Eden's Edge" scrawled across it in white. Her leggings shaped her long legs, highlighting every curve of her figure.
"Hey," she said as she flopped onto the couch beside him. "Sorry I'm late. It was absolute chaos tonight."
"Yeah?" Ethan turned to face her, his tone tighter than he intended. The word hung between them. "What happened?"
Mia grinned. "You've got to see this." Her excitement bubbled over as her fingers moved quickly across the screen. "This wild client came in, some rich old lady who wanted Jake to wear a cowboy hat and a gun belt for her session. I had to help him loosen up with a massage because she's insane and he was all tense. Look."
The grainy footage showed Mia in the cluttered back room. Towels stacked unevenly on shelves. Her tank top strained over her breasts as she stood behind Jake. He was naked except for a cowboy hat and a leather gun belt slung around his hips, a bright purple dildo holstered. Her hands glistened with oil, sliding over his bare shoulders, down the planes of his back. Jake's cock swelled visibly below the gunbelt. He turned his head, tossing her a smirk and a wink.
"Oh, stop it, you're such a weirdo," she said on the recording. The clip cut off, Mia still chuckling as she pulled the phone back.
"That's... a lot," Ethan said, glaring at her.
Mia shrugged and tucked her legs beneath her. "Oh, I guess it could seem that way if you weren't there." Her voice remained casual and flowing. "It's just part of helping out around there, you know?"
"Helping out?" The restraint in Ethan's voice snapped. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands clasped together to keep them from shaking. "Mia, you're oiling up a naked guy who's getting off on it. That's not coffee runs or answering phones."
Her brow furrowed. She sat up straighter, her chest rising with the motion. "It's part of the job, Ethan. Celeste says I'm there to support the staff. I'm just doing what's needed."
"
