I stare at the TV, barely blinking as I take in my stepfather’s words. Why the hell is my mother showing me this? He’s running for Senate; great, but what the hell does that have to do with me?

“So?” I ask my mother, turning to face her.

“Your stepfather has decided to run for the Senate,” she tells me, and I just shrug.

“Yeah, I saw that. What do I care?”

“Oh, you don’t care now. But you should ... because, as of now, his bid for the Senate is your problem,” she says, lowering her voice as an amused grin creeps up on her face.

There’s one thing you should know about Katherine Meelios, my beloved mother: she’s an ambitious sociopath. There, I said it. You’re probably thinking that I’m being too harsh on her, since she’s my mother and all. But trust me, you don’t want to get too comfortable around my mother. She’s not the kind of person to dip her hand into your purse looking for your wallet, but she’ll steamroll you if you’re in her way.

“I want you to get close to him,” she continues, narrowing her eyes into slits. I go back behind my desk, unconsciously needing a barrier between her and I, and sink into my chair. “I need you to get inside his campaign.”

“Are you crazy? You want me to spy on Parker?” I sigh, rubbing both my temples. Here we go. Once again, she’s pulling me into her Machiavellian plots for world domination. Just lovely.

“I want you to spy on him, and you will spy on him,” she says, a veiled threat behind her words. Well, not exactly veiled; if there’s one thing my mother loves, it's to threaten me in order to make me do her bidding. It’s what she does. Behind her pretty face and middle-aged elegance lies a creature that knows no limits. “I’m going to run for Senator, and Parker’s in my way. I have to put a stop to his ambitions, and you’ll help me do that.

“You’re insane,” I repeat, a headache already brewing inside of my skull, “how the hell am I supposed to get into his campaign? And, besides, he’s my stepfather. It’s not like I get off on sabotaging family.”

“Parker and I aren’t together anymore, so let go of that family talk,” she shoots at me, walking around my desk and leaning into me, her hands resting on my chair’s hand rests. “And we were only married for a year, Amy. Don’t bullshit me and say you care about him. You hardly know him.”

That’s true. I was only 18 when mom and Parker called it quits and split up. But that only strengthens my case.

“Yeah, that’s right. So what am I supposed to do? Stroll into his campaign’s headquarters and announce myself? Hey, daddy? I missed you! Gimme a job. How do you think that’ll play out?”

“It’s not like you have a choice,” my mom says, her grin widening as she lowers her voice. Here we go.

“Yeah?”

“That’s right, Amy. I still have that tape, and unless you want your business to go up in flames, together with your reputation, you’ll help me do this,” she hisses, an amused expression on her face. Ever since she got her hands on that tape, there’s been no stopping her.

You see, Parker left a lasting impression on me. I was only 18 when he left, but I grew up dreaming of his strong frame, deep voice, and smart eyes … God, just thinking about that is enough to make my heart race.

Anyway, I’m not ashamed to say that I had some solo fun thinking of Parker once puberty hit. Too bad that, once in college, I never found anyone that managed to fill Parker’s shoes.

That only happened after college.

I was still working as a model when I got a very lucrative offer to star in a movie—a porn movie. I said no at first, but when I saw the man I’d be, ahem, co-starring with, I started having second thoughts. And for a very simple reason—he looked a lot like Parker. Sure, the voice was off, and he didn’t tower over me like my stepfather did, nor his body was as perfect as I needed it to be… But there were a few resemblances, and I found myself signing a contract just so that I could get the chance to live out a fantasy of mine.

I don’t even remember that man’s name. All I know is that he looked like Parker and, once our clothes were off, he became Parker. I closed my eyes once he slid his cock inside of me, and I moaned and screamed Parker’s name until my throat grew raw. I forgot all about the cameras, the director and the crew; in that moment, I was just living out a dream.

Once that was over, I started having second thoughts. Did I really want to star in a porno? Did I really want to go down that road? Push came to shove, and I decided to bail out of my contract. I returned all the money I was paid, and the producers were kind enough to bury the footage. I chucked out that moment in my life to a lapse of judgment and promptly forgot about it. I had the only copy in existence, and so my little secret would never see the light of day.

Except, of course, I made a slight miscalculation. You see, I always knew my mother was a ruthless person, but I never thought she’d be shrewd enough to go looking through my stuff, trying to find some dirt on me.

Once she found the tape, it was downhill from there.

Anytime she wants me to do anything, she resorts to her threats right away. And it isn’t like there’s anything I can do. If that tape sees the light of day, Kinky Amy’s is going to be swept away by the resulting scandal, and I can kiss goodbye all the sweet investment I managed to secure with my hard work.

“I’ve done enough for you,” I say, gritting my teeth and making an effort not to slap my mother. It’s kinda sad if you think about it. She’s my mom, and all I really want to do right now is smack her across the face.

Ever since she got her hands on that tape, she has used me like some disposable tool. I’m not proud to say it, but she has forced me to seduce some of her political rivals in the past so that she could force them to align with her, or get out of the way. Yeah, I’m her femme fatale of service.

But I can’t do that to Parker. He’s my stepfather, for God’s sake!

“In case you haven’t noticed, Amy, this isn’t up for debate. You will do this. But don’t think I’m an evil bitch,” she whispers with a smile, and I do exactly the opposite. She couldn’t be any more of an evil bitch. “Do this for me, and I’ll let you have the tape once you’re done. Just do your mom one last favor.”

“One last job,” I correct her, pursing my lips.

“Whatever you want to call it, Amy,” she chuckles, throwing her purse over her shoulder and straightening the front of her haute couture dress. “Just make sure you do it,” she finishes off, and then walks out of my office.

I sit there in silence, my hands balled into fists. Once again, my mother has pulled me into her political schemes. And, once again, I have no choice but to do her bidding.

One last job then.