Mercy

Chapter Sixteen

"So when are you two gonna have sex?"

Zyporrah looked at Saxa as if she grew six heads.

"You literally just came from him moaning in your ear," Saxa commented as she rolled her eyes. "When are you guys going to fuck each other?"

"We're not," Zyporrah replied as her face contorted with disgust. "And we're in public."

"When has that ever stopped you before?" Regina asked as she applied honey butter to her onion bagel. "No one cares what we're talking about, these people only care about the bottomless mimosas being served and the bacon bar."

Zyporrah rubbed her temples to fight off a headache waiting to emerge.

After what had happened yesterday at the munch, Zyporrah was frantic and at a loss. She had acted so unorthodox with Ethan that she almost didn't mind how he made her ruin her clothes.

The way he reacted to her slapping him had caught her off guard. Usually when a man is slapped hard in the face, there is either shock or anger. Even most of her clients when slapped would be shocked at the abruptness. But Ethan, he found immense pleasure from the strike. So much so it seemed he continued to push her into inflicting him more pain whether he meant to do so or not. And unfortunately Zyporrah relished in it.

She would be lying if she said she didn't like gripping Ethan's hair and seeing him pant like a bitch in heat as he grinded himself against her. She wanted more. She wanted to see him on his knees crying in ecstacy from an orgasm she coaxed out of him.

But she didn't like that feeling.

She didn't like being pushed in a corner. She didn't like being blackmailed. And she didn't like how he saw her especially in the only place she felt safe and felt like herself.

Zyporrah was at a loss of what to do.

"Why don't you take a few deep breaths and eat something," Saxa offered. "You can't brainstorm on an empty stomach."

"I guess," Zyporrah responded as she sighed in defeat.

"Come on, let's go to the bacon bar," Saxa said as she dragged Zyporrah out of her seat to head toward the buffet stands with Regina trailing behind.

Thank God of Saxa and Regina.

After Ethan had obediently left the munch, Zyporrah had frantically searched for her clutch purse and immediately dialed Saxa's number incoherently blubbering for some clothes and how she had fucked up. In less than ten minutes, Saxa had climbed on the restaurant's patio, helped Zyporrah into a sundress and climbed back off all the while threatening Zyporrah she has a lot of explaining to do when she got home.

When Zyporrah has told Saxa her ordeal after she left the munch and after her shift ended at Lock&Key, Saxa had decided that they would figure it all out.

It was brunch.

Brunch was Saxa's answer. Or at least that's what Zyporrah thought.

After making herself a plate of food which consisted of jalapeno and pineapple habanero bacon, scrambled eggs, and grilled asparagus, Zyporrah settled back into her seat with Saxa and Regina not to far behind her. As hungry as she should be, Zyporrah needlessly picked at her food.

"Okay, you need to stop this," Regina huffed. "I know you're upset but Saxa and I spent a pretty penny to cheer your ass up. Did we not say would help you figure this out?"

"You're picking at your plate, acting all huffy, and you're not even enjoying the scenery. " Saxa chimed in. "You're on a boat bitch!"

"We understand that you feel exposed and threatened, we've all been there." Regina replied as she patted Zyporrah's hand. "Right now we just need you to calm down and let us pamper you. . . Just like you've always done for us."

"It's Sunday, we know." Saxa said as she rolled her eyes. "But we can't have you mentally fried especially after you came to us, what friends would we be if we didn't at least make you feel mentally and emotionally safe before we dealt with this clusterfuck of a situation."

Zyporrah smiled at her friends.

They had made last minute reservations to take her out of the city to put her mind at ease. Sleeping the night and rushed her out of her apartment to take her on a yacht to have brunch, just so she would not trap herself within the confines of her inner thoughts.

Giving in, Zyporrah began to dig into her food. Relishing in the taste of the sweet and spicy pineapple habanero bacon and freshly squeezed orange juice, Zyporrah soon became less tense. After she finished her plate, Regina had pushed another in front of her, filled with smoked guava pepper bacon, grilled stuffed mushrooms, and scrambled eggs. Zyporrah shook her head and began to eat, deciding not to argue with her friend. As soon as she had finished her second plate, Saxa slid a chilled wine glass filled to the brim with mimosa. Zyporrah sighed, grabbed the glass and chugged the contents in just a few gulps.

"Better?" Saxa asked though she was ready to quickly flag down a waiter to supply her with another mimosa.

"Much." Zyporrah exhaled contently. "Thanks guys."

"You always make me feel safe, even allowing me to go into my space without restraint no matter where we are." Regina said as she looked down at her empty wine glass. "I had to help, even if you didn't want me to."

"Plus it's nice to know we can finally do something for you," Saxa agreed. "Now, tell us what's up."

"I just don't like feeling like this," Zyporrah sighed deeply. "Aside from feeling exposed and threatened, I don't like how he made me feel."

"Feel like what?" Saxa inquired. "I need synonyms, adjectives, verbs, anything."

"I felt . . . Greedy." Zyporrah said as she shuddered. "Even though he knew what I did, what I love to do, I wanted more than to just pull his hair and hear him moan. I wanted to just give in to my urges and make. . . Make him mine."

"Oh!" Saxa exclaimed. "But you don't want that, right?"

"Of course not!" Zyporrah hissed. "I want nothing to do with that asshole, but the way he looked at me, those eyes, the way he looked when he obeyed my orders, at that point I really wanted him."

"And screwing business partners is a big no-no I take it." Regina said as she was taking the information all in.

"You don't shit where you eat Reg," Saxa said offhandedly. "That could get you fired or worse, fired with an STI."

"Well he only said one date right," Regina pointed out. "Maybe he'll back off."

"That man wants to get his rocks off, and his eyes are set on Zyps." Saxa groaned as she sipped her drink. "And I couldn't dig up any dirt on him to make him back off."

Suddenly Zyporrah had an epiphany. That amateurish porn video she recorded of him getting his rocks off by a company employee could ruin his reputation and possible merger with Joon. She didn't want to use it, for it would dampen on Joon's financial success as a CEO but she had no choice. She needed him away from her, and if he wanted to use blackmail, then she would to.

"I take it you figured something out." Saxa commented as she watched Zyporrah.

"I do," Zyporrah confirmed, her confidence slowly building. "I believe I have something I can use against him."

"Good!" Regina exclaimed happily. "Now let's get some more food and work on this plan!"

As Regina rose from her chair and rushed toward the dessert buffet station, Zyporrah sighed a breath of relief. She had possibly found a way for Ethan to keep his distance from her and she probably wouldn't have figured it out without the help from her friends. Saxa smiled at Zyporrah, happy that her best friend was slowly becoming herself again.

"Us freaks have to stick together," Saxa said as she held tightly to Zyporrah's hand. "Now come on, let's get day drunk."

                      
                          ♤♡◇♧