The Bottom Line

by Shelley Munro

  “Maggie!” Susan said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so critical. What I meant is that cybersex could be dangerous.”

  “I intend to be careful,” Maggie said.

  “For goodness sake, tell Maggie cybersex is dangerous,” Susan said.

  “Susan, you sound like my mother when she discovered I knew about the birds and the bees,” Julia said. “Maggie’s having safe sex. What’s wrong with that?”

  “There are all sorts of weird people online,” Susan said. “You’re having sex with one? I don’t believe it. You don’t know anything about him. How do you even know it’s a him? It could be a woman.”

  “Or a horny underage teenager,” Christina added.

  Maggie thought about Kinky Lover’s posts. “No,” she said slowly. “I don’t think it’s an underage male. This man knows his way around a woman’s body. He knows what makes us tick.”

  “He could be married,” Julia said.

  “See,” Susan said with concern. “Even Julia agrees. There has to be something wrong with him if he has to have cybersex. What’s wrong with the real thing? Why can’t he go out and find a date like most men do? Aw, hell, I don’t mean to sound critical. It’s a safety issue.”

  “It’s not always so easy to meet people,” Maggie retorted. “I know. Heck, Susan. You know too. That’s why you’ve applied to a reality show.”

  Susan nodded with a wry smile. “Touché.”

  “We got in,” Christina said, bouncing up and down on her barstool.

  Maggie noticed a new arrival. “Hold that thought,” she ordered, moving down the bar to serve the elderly couple.

  When she returned, the three were in deep conversation. Maggie used the time to remove some empty glasses and wipe down the bar. She chopped up a lemon and restocked the beer fridge.

  “You can take a break now,” the head barman said.

  “Is it okay if I sit with my friends while I’m on my break?”

  “Sure. Don’t be late back.”

  With a nod, she walked around the bar.

  “Are you on a break?” Christina asked. “Or are you finished for the night?”

  “I wish. My feet are sore from standing. No, it’s a break. I have another two hours for this shift.”

  “Let’s sit over there at the table,” Susan said.

  They moved over to the table, Maggie clearing it off and taking the glasses to the bar before she rejoined her friends.

  Susan stood and hugged her. “I’m sorry I was such a bitch about Connor. I have no excuses, but I’ll try not to repeat it ever again,” she whispered fiercely.

  Christina embraced her, too, a tight squeeze that said more than words. Maggie blinked rapidly to control the surge of emotion gripping her chest.

  “Don’t look at me,” Julia said with a wink. “I don’t want to hug you and start spreading rumors about our hot lesbian affair.”

  Maggie laughed and pulled out a chair. “So tell me about the reality show,” she said. “What happens next? Do you get filmed the entire time?”

  “Christina and I have to go to another elimination round next weekend. We get to meet the farmers. From what they said, they allocate each farmer with a group of women. We get to talk to him together as a group and alone. At the end of the day, the farmer whittles us down to his chosen eight.”

  “Sounds scary,” Maggie said. “What are you wearing?”

  “We can talk about that later,” Julia said. “I want to hear about the cybersex. Where does this guy live? How do you even know this guy is from New Zealand?”

  “That’s true,” Susan said. “You don’t know anything about this guy.”

  Christina smirked. “Apart from the fact he’s good at sex.”

  “Yeah, well,” Julia said. “You don’t even know that. He might talk the walk, but can he walk the talk?”

  “Huh?” Susan said. “What does that mean?”

  Maggie laughed. “It might mean he’s all mouth and no trousers.”

  Julia groaned.

  Susan’s confusion cleared. “Oh, you mean he might not be able to get it up. They have pills for that these days.”

  “Gullible,” Julia mouthed in Maggie’s direction and they both started laughing. “Seriously, though,” Julia said when the laughter stopped. “Has he said where he lives or where he wants to meet? If you decide to follow through and actually meet him, you need to be careful. Take safety precautions.”

  “I suppose it would work if you met him for coffee somewhere or maybe a meal in a public place,” Christina said. “One thing you shouldn’t do is meet in a hotel room. Even though you know him online, you need to get to know him on a personal level.”

  Julia wrinkled her nose, the wine she’d drunk during the evening putting a flush in her cheeks. “Yeah, if he’s short with bad teeth and no hair, you need an escape route.”

  “So you think I should meet with him?” Maggie asked.

  Susan ran her finger around the rim of her wine glass. “I’m not convinced it’s a great idea, but you’re the best one to judge from the emails. I take it you don’t want to share?”

  “No,” Maggie said quickly, unable to halt the race of color across her face.

  “Just out of interest, have you been emailing him back with suggestive replies?” Christina asked.

  “No,” Maggie said, but she couldn’t look at any of them. “Oh, okay,” she muttered. “I can’t lie to you guys. I have, and no, you’re not looking at my replies either.”

  “Why don’t you arrange to meet at a restaurant?” Julia asked. “Tell us the time and place and we’ll book a table there too. That way, we can check him out and give you our opinions. And if there’s any trouble, we’ll be right there with you. Your mystery man won’t even need to know we’re your friends. As far as he’s concerned, we’d be diners.”

  Susan nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.”

  “I’ll think about it and let you know,” Maggie said, after studying each of their faces. “I need to get back to work.”

  Julia grabbed her arm. “Don’t you dare meet this guy without telling us, Maggie. We care about you and don’t want to see anything happen to you.”

  With a knot of emotion blocking her throat, she nodded before hurrying off to the bar, feeling better than she had in days. While the old easy camaraderie wasn’t present again, she hoped they would actually talk soon and drag out the monsters hiding in the closets. Like all people, they each had their hot buttons from the past. Maggie poured a beer and admitted to herself if she had her time over, she’d make most of the same decisions. Sometimes a person just had to follow their gut instincts and hope for the best.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  “What if she doesn’t come?” Connor asked.

  “Stop being such a wimp,” Julia said. “She’ll be here. You didn’t see her face when she was talking about her cyber lover.”

  Connor’s eyes narrowed as he entered the restaurant. “She didn’t tell you about the emails, what was in them?”

  “Relax,” Julia said. “She refused to tell us a thing.”

  “Other than very general things,” Susan said. “I want to know why you didn’t just pick up a phone and call her.”

  “I did call her. Constantly. I tried to see her in person, but she refused to answer her door.” Connor glanced at the door, struggling to hide his nerves. “She needed time. If I’d pushed her any harder, she would have run or at least reported me to the cops as a stalker. She doesn’t believe I want her.”

  “And maybe the blonde parade had something to do with that,” Julia said in a tart voice.

  “I haven’t dated a single blonde since I started seeing Maggie. I’m not interested in anyone other than her.”

  “That’s not what I heard,” Christina said. “Besides, I saw you with a blonde the other day. She was draped all over you.”

  Connor frowned. “Oh, you mean Sylvie. Believe it or not, Sylvie is my cousin, and she’s now dating one of my flatmates. She�
��s putting on a surprise birthday party for him. We were talking about the arrangements.”

  “Are you sure?” Christina asked. “Because from where I stood, it looked as if she was interested in you and would give your flatmate the flick without a second thought.”

  “When did you see me with her?”

  “A couple of weeks ago,” Christina said.

  “Did Maggie see you with her?” Julia asked. “Do you think that’s why she pushed you away?”

  “Yes, she saw us. That’s why we broke up.” Connor shrugged. “She didn’t believe me, and refused to discuss it. I never go out with two women at a time,” he said. “Never. It’s a rule. I never look at another woman while I’m dating someone else.”

  “Does Maggie know that?” Julia asked. “Because I didn’t know that.”

  “Hell.” Connor dragged his hand through his hair and glared at the women. “I can’t believe you’d think so little of me. Yes, I told Maggie our friends with benefits deal was open and we could see other people, but I never did. I didn’t look at another woman after Maggie and I hooked up. And I haven’t since,” he added. “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you. I’m not interested in any woman apart from Maggie.”

  Susan sighed. “That’s so romantic.”

  “You didn’t tell us it started out as a friends with benefits thing,” Julia said.

  “I couldn’t think of any other way to get together with Maggie. She took a bit of persuading. And yeah, it might be romantic, but if I can’t convince Maggie to change her mind about me, it doesn’t mean a thing.”

  “You’d better take your seat before Maggie catches us together,” Julia said. She grasped his hand and drew him into a tight hug. “Good luck. You and Maggie are my favorite people. You deserve a little happiness.” She kissed him lightly on the lips and drew back. “Oops, you definitely don’t need to wear my badge.”

  Connor wiped his mouth and the women announced him lipstick-free. He crossed the restaurant and took a seat at his allocated table, more nervous than he could ever remember.

  Nerves skittered through her belly as she walked down the street toward the bustling seafood restaurant. Although she wasn’t worried about safety because the restaurant was a busy one, she figured she wouldn’t be human if she wasn’t nervous. Kinky Lover made her feel good. She felt as if she could tell him anything and would receive a thoughtful and insightful reply. Plus the sex was hot. She couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like in person.

  What did he look like?

  That worried her. As the girls said, he could be any age. Photos. Why hadn’t she asked him to send her a photo? Damn, her inexperience showed. Sex and men, she decided, were like a many-headed monster. Lop off one head and another appeared in its place.

  The Friday night traffic seemed heavier than normal. Maggie waited at the crossing for the lights to change and the green man to appear. She inhaled. In. Out. Probably not the best idea while standing in the middle of all that traffic.

  An old Holden carrying several young teens passed. The driver tooted the horn. “Show us your tits!” one hollered.

  Maggie glared after them. They’d die of shock if she actually lifted her top and flashed them.

  At long last, the lights turned and she crossed the street. A thin film of perspiration coated her skin, and her bottom lip ached. Too much nibbling. She’d been doing it all day, letting nerves get the better of her. Her clothes clung to her body, and her panties felt embarrassingly damp.

  A couple exited the restaurant, the man holding the door for her. She couldn’t prevaricate a moment more.

  “Thanks,” she murmured, walking inside.

  A wave of chatter and the clink of cutlery hit her along with the aroma of food and spices. Her stomach let out a rumble of protest. Maggie slammed the flat of her hand against her belly, heat rising in her cheeks. The last thing she needed was a rumbling stomach. That would create a great impression.

  She stopped at the hostess desk, stated her name and said she was here to meet David.

  Her stomach roiled when the hostess smiled and told her to follow. He was here.

  Maggie spotted the girls sitting at a table toward the back of the restaurant, in the direction the hostess was leading her.

  “Good luck, Maggie,” Julia whispered when she passed. “We’ll be here if you need us.”

  Maggie nodded, unable to muster a smile this time.

  The hammer of her heart echoed in her ears. Her fists clenched and unclenched.

  “Here you go,” the hostess said, indicating a fairly private booth. She could see the back of a man’s head. He had short, dark hair and broad shoulders. Turn around, she thought. Turn around so I can see you.

  The man noticed the hostess and stood. Maggie held her breath, nibbled her bottom lip.

  “Connor?” she squeaked. Her legs trembled violently, and she grabbed the top of the table to stabilize her balance.

  They’d tricked her. Tears filled her eyes as she blindly turned away. God, she just didn’t learn.

  “No, wait.” Connor caught her shoulder and pulled her to a stop.

  “Is everything all right?” the hostess asked.

  “It’s fine,” Connor said. “Please, Maggie. I want to talk to you. If you want to go after I’ve talked, that’s fine. I’ll let you go.”

  Maggie shook her head and swiped a tear from her eyes with the back of her hand. She saw Julia stand, blinked as her traitorous friend walked over to her.

  “Please, stay and talk to Connor. He really cares about you. It’s not easy to find love.” Her face clouded and she swallowed. “When you find it you should fight for it, not walk away without a second thought. Just give Connor a chance to try to explain. Please.”

  “Please,” Connor added his plea.

  Finally, aware they were the center of attention, Maggie allowed Connor to lead her back to the table. She sat, glad to take the weight off her unsteady limbs.

  “I’m meeting someone,” Maggie said.

  “I’m Kinky Lover,” Connor said, watching her closely.

  “You?”

  “Yeah.” He stopped and dragged a hand through his hair, making her realize he wasn’t as confident as he appeared. “I’ve gone about this the wrong way. I should have been honest from the start.”

  “About the blonde. Yeah, you should have,” Maggie spat.

  Connor frowned. “You mean Sylvie.”

  “I saw you with the blonde. She had her hands all over you. You kissed her. And there was the one in the pub too.”

  “Sylvie is my cousin. You know Frank is my stepfather. Sylvie is my cousin via his side of the family. She thought we’d be good together and took some persuading otherwise. Jenny was the woman in the pub. It’s true I used to date her, but she was there celebrating her engagement. Jenny and her friends suggested I do something special for you, something memorable, and that’s when I came up with the idea for the corset. Our meeting was totally innocent.”

  “I rang your flat to talk to you, and this Sylvie answered. She said she wasn’t your cousin,” Maggie accused.

  “You rang me?” The realization brought both relief, and anger at Sylvie. “She misled you on purpose. I’d be happy to give you my mother’s phone number right now. You can ring and ask both my mother and Frank about Sylvie. Do you want me to ring them? Sylvie is dating one of my flatmates now. I could ring her so she can apologize to you. If I have my way she’s going to say sorry whether she likes it or not.” Connor grimaced. “Part of this is my fault. I should have told you straight off that I was interested in you and no one else. I love you. I’ve thought about you as more than a friend for ages. You seemed so cautious and wary I decided to do the friends with benefits thing. I couldn’t think of any other way to romance you.”

  “But the blog. I remember getting an email from you almost straight away. You mean you knew all along?”

  “Julia told me,” he said. “She told me I couldn’t say anything so
I emailed you under a false name.”

  The waiter approached. “Can I get you a drink? Are you ready to order?”

  “I’ll have a Steinlager beer and the lady will have a glass of Shingle Peak Sauvignon Blanc,” Connor said without consulting her. “We’re not ready to order yet.”

  “Very good, sir.” The waiter bustled off.

  “But I don’t understand,” Maggie said. “Why did you take so long to spank me?”

  “I was frightened I’d muck everything up between us. You know about my father. Hell, your own background isn’t dissimilar. Surely you understand?”

  Maggie glanced at him and blushed. “You’ve never hurt me.”

  “I know I’ve told you before, but the intensity of the spanking is incredible. I feel really close to you.” Connor reached across the table to grasp her hand. “I love you. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “But you always go out with blondes,” Maggie said.

  “That was until a particular brunette seized my heart. Maggie, there’s no one but you. I haven’t looked at another woman, let alone had sex with one, since our first time together at the beach. You’re the color in my life, babe. Everyone else is black and white.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. I want to marry you. Will you marry me?”

  She closed her eyes briefly before opening them to stare at him. “Yes,” she blurted.

  He laughed and leaned over the table to cup her face with her hands. Maggie leaned even closer and kissed him, trying to put everything she felt into that one kiss. It went on and on because she had a lot to say.

  She was vaguely aware of applause, and when she and Connor pulled apart, she found everyone staring at them. Most were grinning.

  “Way to go, Maggie,” Julia shouted.

  “Oh, heck,” Maggie muttered. “I can’t believe I did that in front of everyone.”

  “Yeah, you’ve been a naughty girl. You know what happens to naughty girls, don’t you?”

  Maggie’s throat went dry. She opened and closed her mouth, licked her lips.

  “Maggie?”

  “They get spanked?”

  “That’s right,” Connor said. “It will be a long spanking, because I have a lot of time to make up.”