Discipline and Devotion

Eliza sat perfectly upright at her desk, her back straight, hands folded neatly as the soft hum of conversation filled her classroom. Noon. Lunch period. As had been her practice, Eliza sat in her classroom with the door open on the lunch break, giving students extra time to work on the group projects she'd assigned earlier that year. The half-eaten sandwich she’d grabbed from the corner café this morning sat in her bag, forgotten. Her stomach gave a low grumble, but she ignored it.

Discipline.

Discipline was how she would teach Joey to be a man.

Her pink suit—Joey’s suit—felt stiff against her skin after wearing it for over twenty-four hours. She’d showered, of course, carefully washing every inch of herself to be clean for him, but afterward? She’d put the same outfit back on. She hadn’t had a choice.

Joey hadn’t given her permission to wear anything else.

The last text she’d sent the previous night still burned brightly in her mind.

I love you.

She shouldn’t have said that, even if it was evident to her that it had become true. So true. So deeply true. Joey was... so much more than a student, so much more than a job. He was the fulfillment of a dream, a hope that she hadn't realized she'd held for her whole life. He'd given voice to that hope the other night in her bedroom, articulated it in a way that she never had, but it didn't make it any less true. She loved him.

But she wasn’t supposed to say it. Joey wasn’t anywhere near ready for that yet. What if it scared him off? What if he thought she was being too needy?

What if I pushed him away?

Her hands clenched together on her desk as her mind replayed her messages. The first few had been light. Playful. Just a simple check-in. But then they’d gotten… ****.

You’re better than this, Eliza. She was supposed to be guiding Joey. Building him up. Helping him grow into the man he was meant to be. But instead, she’d turned into some clingy, needy girl. That wasn’t the type of woman Joey deserved.

But where was he?

Joey hadn’t shown up at school. She’d waited, hoping he’d walk through the door, but the morning had passed, and now lunch was almost over. She’d handled his attendance, of course. She always would. It was her job to make sure his record stayed flawless.

The text she'd received from him, the one that came in long after school had begun, gave no explanation. Where he had gone, what he'd been doing, whether he was coming in or not.

He needed to be there! He needed to focus on his future!

Her mind wandered, unbidden, to her.

Bianca.

Eliza’s lips pressed together. Bianca was beautiful. No—sexy. She was young, vibrant, and she had the kind of raw confidence that drew men in without even trying. Eliza had known women like Bianca before. Joey would be putty in her hands. A young man like him being the focus of a woman who exuded so much sensuality would be drawn in like a moth to a flame.

Joey was probably still with her.

A flash of jealousy sparked in her chest, but she pushed it down, replacing it with something better. Pride.

Joey was becoming a man.

At least in that area. He was learning how to take what he wanted, to enjoy the company of a beautiful woman. That was a step in the right direction. But there was still so much farther for him to go. So much more for him to learn.

Because if he had really learned, he wouldn’t have forgotten about her.

Her stomach twisted again, and this time, it wasn’t just from hunger.

She’d had to buy that sandwich this morning. Her money. Was there food at home? Yes. Did she take it? No. Because she couldn’t take food from Joey’s kitchen without permission. And that was fine—for now. But what happened when she left her job?

When—not if. That clock was already ticking.

Her real career was with Joey. Helping him grow, guiding him to greatness. But that didn’t come with a paycheck. And if Joey kept forgetting her, leaving her to fend for herself...

How am I going to survive?

It hadn’t occurred to her before. She’d been so caught up in the excitement of discovering her true purpose that she hadn’t stopped to think about money. But now…

Maybe one of the other women could help.

They were all supposed to support one another now, right? Joey had made that clear. Madison was sharp, always thinking ahead. Aynsley had resources—her family had money. Donna… Donna was some kind of lawyer. They had money, influence. Indira wasn't really in much of a position to help, and Bianca…

Well, what Bianca had was Joey. For now.

Eliza’s jaw clenched for just a moment before she **** herself to relax. They were all supposed to be on the same side. Joey had said so. Of course it was true, so then maybe—maybe—one of them could help her keep things running smoothly while Joey was still learning. Maybe they could pool their money. She'd have to talk to them the next time they got together.

Her gaze drifted across the room, and she caught the furtive glances of a few students near the front row. Whispers. Quick looks exchanged between them.

They noticed.

Of course they did. Same clothes. Same hair. No time to freshen up properly.

Let them think whatever they want.

She didn’t care. Let them think she’d had a wild night. That she’d gone home with someone and hadn’t bothered to change before work. None of that mattered.

Joey mattered.

When he wasn’t here, this job didn’t matter. The students didn’t matter. Nothing did.

But today was a wake-up call. Eliza had obviously not put enough effort in. She needed to be more disciplined.

Joey needed more. He needed to feel the weight of having her under his care. If he was going to grow, he needed to understand what it meant to take care of someone. To take care of her.

Maybe she hadn’t gone far enough. Maybe her submission, her dependence, needed to be deeper.

If he wasn’t ready to step up, maybe she had to make it impossible for him not to.

Her pen tapped softly against the desk as a small smile played on her lips.

Joey wouldn’t forget her again.

Not if she had anything to say about it.

The bell rang, but Eliza barely noticed. Her mind was already working, calculating her next move.

Joey was becoming a man.

And she was going to make sure he finished the job.