I tried to swallow a lump in my throat. I couldn’t meet his eyes, I was fixed on the pulsing shaft.He moved past me again and behind so that I wasn�...�t ready for the sudden swish and crack as the belt lashed across my back. The free end whipped around me and clipped the nipple on my right breast.“Ah! Ouch!” I dropped my hands and bent over cupping my nipple.“Stand up! Put your hands above your head! No one told you to move!”I straightened up and raised my hands. My breasts tightened with my. I found Maria in the factory, “where have you been?” she asked “ I have been worried, how did your meeting go?” she questioned “my meeting went very well” I said “ can we go outside for a few minutes?” she followed me into the yard and we sat in the car, I tore open the package and gave her the letter “ this is for you” I said “ what are those” she asked looking at the film boxes, “ they are something I am going to destroy” I answered “ why what are they” she looked serious, “ they are films. She took a deep breath and rung the bell. Technically, she was three minutes early, he’d asked her to be there by two.Well, she thought, better than late.They’d never met in person, but they’d both seen pictures of each other. When the door opened she got butterflies. It sounded ridiculous in her mind, very clich?but she thought he was better looking in person.She smiled. He smiled and stood aside to let her in. When she crossed the threshold he closed the door.It was dark in the house, but not. How much should she tell him? "Not a lot, actually. But we don't agree on anything anymore. I think we're on the outs." That should suffice."Sorry to hear that," Mike said. The door to his office swung open. "I always did like Connor, but he didn't seem to support your career goals. And I know how important a partnership is to you." He stepped aside to let Jessie into the office."Yeah," she admitted, really too tired to share much else."Well listen, if you need anything, just remember that.