She found Renee in the bedroom and dragged her by the hand into the living room. She came reluctantly, cautious and wary. Tink was bubbling with barely suppressed excitement. Stefan stood aside and gestured to the box.
“I bought you something,” he said.
Renee approached the box uncertainly, trepidation and caution in her expression and her movements. She couldn’t think of a single thing that would need a box so large and she bit her lip as she knelt on the carpet.
“Open it, Renee!” Tink clapped her hands. She was dancing from one foot to the other like a child at Christmas.
Renee paused for a second longer and glanced up at Stefan. “Why?”
“Because I love you, and because I think it’s something you might enjoy.”
“What is it?”
“Open the box and find out.”
Cautiously Renee peeled apart the folded flaps of the box and looked inside. She froze. Her mouth fell open in disbelief and her eyes widened.
“Oh, My God!” she squealed. She reached into the box and pulled out a warm, squirming, tail-wagging ball of fur.
“A Labrador puppy,” Renee cooed. “He’s beautiful!”
The pup was the color of sand, just a couple of months old, and still growing into his body. Renee cuddled the dog to her and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were brimming with tears.
“Why are you crying?” Tink asked.
“I’m not. I have something in my eye.”
“Both eyes?” she asked suspiciously.
Renee started to laugh, which in turn loosed the tears rolling down her cheeks.
“Do you like him?” Tink asked eagerly. “I helped Stefan pick him, didn’t I Stefan.”
Stefan nodded, enjoying the pleasure on Tink’s face, and touched by Renee’s emotion. He smiled benevolently, too masculine to allow himself to be swept up in all the female excitement, but deeply gratified by the unrestrained joy he saw on Renee’s face. Her cheeks were slick with tears of happiness. She held the puppy up and stared into his face, then leaned forward and sniffed his fur.
“He smells like leather, only sweeter,” she said. She cuffed away her tears and hugged the puppy to her again. His tongue flicked out pink and wet and licked her chin.
“Don’t spoil him,” Stefan cautioned. “One day he is going to be a guard dog. It’s something I should have done six months ago.”
Tink dropped to her knees and for the next five minutes they were like two young girls, chattering about the size of the pup’s paws, the serious expression on the his face, where he would sleep, and negotiating playfully about who would walk him.
“What about a name?” Stefan asked at last.
Renee set the pup down on the floor. He sniffed her palm as he inhaled her scent and then licked her ankle. Tink stretched out on the carpet, rolling onto her back, and the pup began excitedly trying to scramble up onto her belly to investigate.
“He tickles!” Tink giggled. The pup let out a sudden defiant bark, and then cringed and tucked its tail between its legs, as though the sound of its own yelp had frightened it.
Renee gently lifted the pup and set him down on Tink’s stomach while she thought.
“You will let me choose his name?”
“Of course,” Stefan said. “He’s your puppy.”
Renee frowned. She lay down on her stomach next to Tink, set her elbows in the soft carpet and rested her face in her hands, studying the pup thoughtfully. The dog was nuzzling between the buttons of Tink’s blouse and she squealed.
“His nose is so cold!”
Then the pup sat down on her chest and stared back at Renee, and she was taken by the enormity of the pup’s brown eyes and its soulful expression. She fondled his head. He yawned suddenly.
“I’ll call him Jeffrey,” Renee said at last.
Stefan smiled disappeared. He looked horrified. “What?”
“Jeffrey. That’s going to be his name.”
“No. Renee. You can’t.”
“But you said I could choose his name.”
“Yes. But I thought you would choose a name that suited.”
“But he looks like a Jeffrey.”
Stefan shook his head. “No dog looks like a Jeffrey!” he said. “It’s not even a dog’s name.”
“Jeffrey is a name,” she said indignantly. “It’s a good name.”
“For a child, yes. But not for a dog!”
“Stefan, this is not a dog. It’s a baby in a dog’s body. You don’t understand because you’re a man.”
Stefan rolled his eyes. “Renee, dogs have names like King, or Zeus. Strong names.”
Renee scooped the dog up from Tink’s chest and wrapped her arm under his soft warm belly, holding him close to her. With her free hand she covered the pup’s ears.
“Don’t talk like that in front of Jeffrey!” she chastised him – and for a moment Stefan wasn’t entirely sure that she wasn’t serious.
Tink chose that moment to intervene. She sat up and looked at Stefan with her head tilted to one side.
“You did tell Renee she could name the baby…” she reminded him gently.
“It’s not a baby!” Stefan was becoming exasperated.
“Don’t say things like that in front of Jeffrey!” both girls chorused.
“You will give him a complex, Stefan.”
Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, Stefan made one last appeal.
“Why not call him Apollo, or Zeus… and Jeffrey can be his middle name?”
Renee stared at him as though he was quite mad. “A middle name, Stefan?” she asked in wonder. “He’s a dog. And everyone knows they don’t have middle names.”
Stefan capitulated. He threw his arms in the air, knowing further discussion was pointless. He suspected he was being outmaneuvered, and he realized further resistance would be futile. Renee would get her way.
“Fine,” he said. “Jeffrey it is.”
Renee and Tink exchanged conspiratorial glances and smiled at their little victory in the secret way that only women can do.
Five.
“I’m worried about Jeffrey,” Renee said, as she tilted her head to the side to put on an earring. “Do you think he’ll be alright?”
Stefan raised an eyebrow. “We’re only going out to dinner.”
“But he’ll be scared.”
“I’m sure Tink can manage.”
Stefan’s vague reassurance wasn’t enough to satisfy Renee. “But she’s never had a pet before, Stefan. What if he gets sick? What if he runs off and can’t be found? What if he doesn’t sleep?”
Stefan checked his watch for the third time, becoming alarmed at how late they were for their dinner reservation.
“He won’t get sick. He’s too small to run anywhere – and he will most likely sleep through the entire evening after all the excitement he’s had this afternoon. He probably won’t even realise we have gone.”
Renee frowned, irritated that Stefan wasn’t taking her fears seriously. She dashed back into the en suite to check her hair for the tenth time and touch up her makeup. Stefan came around the bed to watch her from the doorway with his arms folded. She saw him in the mirror’s reflection and knew he was scowling.
“Almost ready,” she said, and flapped him away with her hands. He checked his watch again, and began pacing around the bedroom.
“The table is booked for eight,” he reminded her. “We’re already running late.”
Renee came from the en suite and began trying shoes. “And what will we do if Tink leaves us?” she suddenly worried. “If she gets along well with Master Peter, we might lose her. Then who will take care of Jeffrey if we go out to dinner?”
Stefan rubbed the back of his neck. There was a limit to his patience, and he was approaching it fast.
“Renee, I am taking Tink to meet Master Peter the day after tomorrow. And that’s all it is at this stage – a meeting,” Stefan reminded her. “They’re just going to talk. And even if the
y do get along well… and even if Tink does feel comfortable serving Master Peter, it will still be some months before she moves in with him. And he only lives an hour away. It’s not like the girl is moving to the other side of the world. And besides… by the time Tink does move away, Jeffrey won’t be a puppy any more. He’ll be more than capable of looking after himself for a few hours.”
The red heels were the most comfortable pair Renee owned, but there was no way she could wear them with the outfit she had on. For a fleeting moment she considered quickly changing clothes – and only the impatient look on Stefan’s face stopped her. Renee snatched up the pair of black heels instead. She sat on the edge of the bed and bent to buckle the straps.
“But you said Master Peter would be perfect for Tink. That’s what you said.”
“And that’s what I believe,” Stefan agreed. “He’s a good man. I’ve known him for many years, and he’s a gentle, considerate Master.
“Is… is he another one of those men…” her voice trailed off suddenly and there was a passing shadow of hurt in her eyes. Stefan knew what she was going to say.
He nodded stiffly. “I met Peter at the same time I met Larry Madden. We all knew each other. But they are very different people, Renee. I wouldn’t have contacted Master Peter unless I was certain he would be a good and caring man for Tink...”
There was a long heavy silence between them and then Renee suddenly bounced energetically to her feet and turned a complete circle.
“Do these shoes look okay with this outfit?” she asked brightly, as if she needed to change the subject. There was a smile on her face but it was a brittle, haunted little gesture that barely touched at the corners of her lipsticked lips.
She was wearing an oyster-colored silk blouse and the fabric was so sheer that the delicate lace patterning of her bra showed through across the swelling press of her breasts. She stood for his inspection, smoothing down the knee-length black skirt she had chosen and then waiting with her hands on her hips while he gazed at her.
Stefan nodded and smiled his approval. The mention of Madden’s name had cast a dark gloomy pall over the room, and he was equally determined to cast the bad memories aside.
Especially tonight.
“Shoes look fine,” he said. “You look sensational. Let’s go.”
Stefan shepherded Renee out of the bedroom – and into the living room where Tink sat cross-legged on the floor. She was rolling a wadded ball of paper along the carpet while Jeffrey watched on with curious fascination.
But when Jeffrey saw Renee appear from the bedroom, the little pup’s tail began to thump excitedly on the floor and he scampered on clumsy legs to greet her. She scooped the pup up and held him at arms length while he wriggled and squirmed with excitement
It took nearly five full minutes for Stefan to get Renee from the living room into the car.
As if he were trying to herd a chicken to its coop, Stefan battled valiantly to get Renee through the obstacle course that Tink and the puppy represented. He would get her shuffling slowly in front of him towards the front steps, Renee clucking and fussing over the puppy as she went. Then suddenly she would gasp, hand the dog to Tink, and turn hastily back to the bedroom to retrieve a lipstick or hairbrush she had forgotten – and the whole process would have to re-start again.
The third time this happened Stefan felt the thinly-stretched elastic of his patience finally snap. He folded his arms across his chest, and his face became thunderous.
“In the car. Now!” he bellowed.
The puppy let out a fearful little whimper and tried to bury its head in the security of Tink’s arms. A stunned hush fell over the women – and Tink looked so distraught Stefan though she might even burst into tears.
“We’re going. We’re going. Stay calm.” Renee planted a kiss on the tip of Stefan’s nose.
“I am calm,” Stefan’s voice was quivering with the enormous effort it took to maintain his restraint. “But if you are not in the car by the time I count to twenty – I’ll put you over my knee.”
She was seated by the count of seventeen.
Stefan reversed out of the driveway and turned the car towards Bishop’s Bridge.
Six.
It was a few minutes past eight when Stefan parked the car on Weaver Street and escorted Renee to the front door of the ‘Socrates’ restaurant.
Renee stepped inside and felt a sudden tremble of excitement. This was such a happy place for her. She remembered the evening when Stefan had gifted her the diamond bracelet. It had been a significant event in their relationship – the moment when Stefan had unlocked the door to his heart, and given her a glimpse of how loving her life might one day be.
And now it was. Her life was everything she could have ever dreamed of. Stefan was her man. She was his woman. They were no longer Master and submissive. They were a couple in love.
Renee squeezed Stefan’s arm and felt the delicious tingles of her delight send shivers down her spine as the maître de escorted them to the same table in the quiet little alcove in the far corner of the restaurant.
Renee let Stefan hold her chair for her and she sat, glancing around the converted old warehouse’s cavernous interior. Everything was the same… and yet somehow different. There had been no re-decorating; the sandstone walls and exposed beams across the ceiling were unchanged. She frowned. The lighting was the same. There were two lit candles on their table, and the restaurant lights were turned low to create the subdued, intimate atmosphere she remembered.
But still…
And then she realized the tables around theirs had been removed. She remembered the nest of surrounding diners when they had last been here, and now they were all alone. There was a cleared space as though several tables had been taken away for the evening.
Stefan sat down and a waiter appeared at his shoulder. They ordered a bottle of champagne.
Renee took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. “Thank you for tonight,” she said, “even though you haven’t told me what we’re celebrating.”
“Does there need to be a reason?” Stefan raised his eyebrow.
He gazed at her across the table and yet again Renee was taken by Stefan’s rugged good looks. He was such a handsome man, and yet for Renee the deep attraction she felt towards him was harder to pinpoint.
He seemed to epitomize everything she had ever dreamed about in a man. He was fit and muscled, with the conditioning of an athlete, and yet he was a man of extraordinary intelligence and wisdom. She could listen to him talk for hours, enjoying the sexy deep timbre of his voice, but also enthralled and impressed by his knowledge on subjects that ranged from politics to history to art.
Renee remembered Tink asking her once to list all the things about Stefan she loved, and after struggling to encapsulate the depth and breath of her attraction to him she had eventually shrugged her shoulders. “Stefan is a man,” she had said finally. “A real man.”
A tiny smile played across her lips at the memory. Then the waiter arrived with the bottle of champagne and when Renee looked up, drawn back from her thoughts, she realized Stefan was appraising her carefully.
“What?” she asked, and gave him a dazzling smile.
Stefan shook his head. “I was just admiring you,” he said softly. “Admiring your beauty.”
Renee blushed. She felt the color rise in her cheeks and a warm flush spread across her chest. She reached for her glass and took a tiny sip. The bubbles tickled her nose and she gave a little gasp.
Stefan nodded to the waiter who backed away discreetly. He raised his own glass and held it up in salute.
“To us,” he toasted.
Their glasses clinked together softly and Renee took another small sip. Stefan was watching her over the rim of his glass and there was a dark fathomless expression in his eyes.
They ordered from the menu and the waitress refilled Stefan’s glass. Renee sat with her hands in her lap and leaned across the table.
“So why are we here
?” she whispered.
“No reason,” Stefan said evasively. “I just thought it was time we went out to dinner again – and I know how much you like it here at the ‘Socrates’.”
Renee knew it was pointless to press further. She changed the subject.
“Did you notice what they’ve done to the tables?” she asked. “Last time we were here there were tables all around us. Tonight they’re all gone.”
Stefan looked around the restaurant as though he was surprised. “Yes…” he said slowly. “There does seem to be a few less tables…”
“A few?” Renee repeated. “Stefan, it’s like they have emptied this part of the restaurant. Look at all the floor space that is going to waste. Do you think the business is struggling?”
Stefan smiled. “No. I don’t think the ‘Socrates’ is struggling for customers,” he said. He frowned for a moment, staring down at the empty area of polished flooring around them. “They’re probably cleaning and waxing the floor in stages,” he said at last. “The floorboards in this part of the restaurant look like they’ve been freshly polished. Most likely they’re having the whole floor re-done, but in stages.”
Renee pouted. Stefan’s explanation made sense, but it was far too mundane to satisfy Renee’s sudden curiosity. She cast her eyes around the room once more and realized there were very few couples in the restaurant. There were just three other groups of diners, and they were all finishing up their meals. It was a Thursday night. She frowned. None of this made sense…
Their main meals arrived and Stefan attacked his food with relish. He gave the food his full concentration, while Renee picked only lightly at her plate. Her female intuition told her something was wrong; there was something happening around her that didn’t make sense, and her naturally curious mind went looking for more clues.
Finally Stefan looked up at her and he frowned, his expression concerned. “Are you feeling okay?”
Her Master's Kiss Page 16
