Page 46 of Paddy
“Well, dates aren’t small to me. They’re for getting to know people. I feel like we know each other's bodies intimately, but we don't know much about each other.”
“What’cho want to know? My birthday? If I got a middle name? Favorite picture and things like that?” I shrugged.
“Could we start by you telling me what youactuallydo for a living? And not just hinting. An actual title,” she slurred it out, almost like she was too nervous to finish the statement.
“Pretty, I normally don't share the full extent of what I do with women. Not because a of the trust factor,” I assured. “But because it's a lot to handle, and women shouldn't have to worry about the dealings of men.”
“Paddy, I'm grown. I can handle anything. Or at least I wouldtryto with you. I just want to know you better.”
Taking a sip of water, I rubbed my beard, contemplating the right way to say it. “I'm my family's lead enforcer. Things that require a certain level of violence, I take care of since I ain't afraid to die like other people. I'm also a debt collector, but I get called in when there's really only one way to solve the problem. When something that can't be paid back, I take care of them. Get rid of the problem for lack of better words. But I'm discerning,” sensing by her quietness, despite the fact I choose my language well, her silence displayed her unease.
“But I don't bring work home with me. I know being a gangster ain’t a job you can brag about to your mother, but being Irish closed a lot of doors for my Pa when he was already leaving Ireland from dire circumstances. Whether I liked him or not, he opened new ones in the form of our family business. It ain't glamorous, but it provides for the family, especially Órfhlaith.We make sure she's taken care of because she's always taking care of us.”
At that she smiled. “It's good to hear you take care of your sister.” Can’t believethatwas the comment that stuck out to her.
“We take care of the women in our family because they're good at taking care of us. Órfhlaith might be better at it, but Queenie holds her weight. We don't half arse anything in this family. What about you? Tell me about your childhood and what it was like. Hopefully it's better than mine.”
“I'll admit, I did grow up poor,” Pretty admitted with a sigh. “But my mother never made me feel like it. Sometimes it was hard when I was far away for music school. I didn't have years to hone my craft like wealthier kids, so you don't make many friends when you're Black and naturally better than them. But my mother worked herself to the bone to give me just a little bit more than she had. Now it's my turn to repay the favor.”
“Not gonna lie, the best kind of woman to share my darkness with is a woman who can do it all. Making her get on her knees, for me, is more satisfying that way,” I winked.
“Now that you bring it up,” Pretty tried to keep the momentum going while the subject was still fresh. “What exactly inspired your type of foreplay?”
“Why do you want to know that?”
“Because I've never done things like that before. I'd always thought that I hadanythingbut a tame appetite, but you're always proving me wrong,” she admitted shyly, a first for her.
“The question is, do you like it?” It wasn't a requirement for a woman to be on her knees or be my sweet girl just to get my attention, but we were in a unique position. One I would never experience again, even if I tried. So, to keep it, I had to do what I had to not to lose it. It just meant never taking my clothes off.
“Maybe more than I should?” her tone diverted, like she was asking it as a question. “Like it's different. But I’m curious about why you like inflicting pain?”
“Honestly, it's not about the pain itself. The beauty comes from the aftermath. Whether you’re my sweet girl, or my nightingale, there’s a lot power in you letting me do things to you in a safe and controlled space. You’re trusting me in that moment. Not to go too far. Not to hurt you in a way you can’t handle. There ain’t no bigger high than that,” I boldly admitted.
“Have you always done it, or was there a time you practiced it the most?”
“Because of my curse, the darkness has always been there and wouldn’t stay put until I let it out. Maybe after my discharge, the craving was harder to fight, but I’d always been drawn to pain inducing pleasure. Pleasure inducing pain. I know it’s not for all women. Some like it, most don’t. But when you mutually align, magic happens,” I said with a lick of the top row of my teeth in a shite-eating grin.
It was all that I could do to hide the protruding thought of thelasttime I had ever felt magic so intensely. Years ago, back in LA. I fell for a stage actress that needed guarding. I let myself get too deep and made the mistake of thinking I could show her everything. Soon as she saw my scars, I was a freak to her. She never looked at me the same after that.
“All right, I'm done talking. I feel like dancing,” I said, rising to my feet, taking her hand in mine, and leading her to a small area to slow sway to the music. Being this close to her face, obviously I was going to steal a kiss or two along the way, but I just wanted to experience something innocent with her.
“Thank you for tonight, I needed this. I feel like I'm finally finding my way back to the woman I used to be.”
“Pretty, I don't want to be with the woman that you were. Not when I like the woman that youareso much better.” My heart warming at the smile that comment brought.
“Andespecially after I've been doing some snooping.”
“What do you mean by that?” She eyed my curiously.
“I may or may not have gone to the theater and caught one of your films.” I smiled.
“Which one?” She followed up, wide eyed.
“You've never been lovelier?” I hesitated to admit.
“Oh God, I was so young in that,” she said mortified, and tried to hide her face in her hands, but I gently pulled them away.
“I still stand by what I said. I preferthisPretty, to any on screen version of her,” I said a bite to my lip, as I reached in to caress her bum. “Nothing ever does her justice like the real thing, but I did fancy hearing my little nightingale sing.”