by Roxy Harte
“I need you to sit in on this.”
“This?” I ask, thoroughly confused. He hires staff all the time without my input.
“I’m hiring two Dominants for The Attic.”
“Two Dominants?” I repeat even though his meaning is immediately clear. He’s replacing Thomas and George. I can’t believe it. What is he thinking? Surely to goodness Nikos won’t need ongoing care for that much longer. “What happens when they return and their jobs are filled?”
“They’ll be happy to have promotions.”
“What are you talking about?” I say, realizing we are arguing in the middle of the lobby at the same time he does.
He leads me through the hallway to the conference room, but we don’t go inside. “I made you a full partner to protect your interests when we formed the ménage, but I failed in making you aware of how things work. As it stands Thomas is my security manager, meaning he oversees Joel, Allen, and the entire security detail, roughly fifty employees. I have to replace him and not just temporarily.”
“Thomas is coming back,” I insist vehemently.
“Don’t argue, just listen. You know and I know he isn’t here. This month it is his brother, last month it was Eva, I don’t even remember what the month before that entailed, but he wasn’t here. I need a full-time security manager. That doesn’t mean I won’t still need him as my second. Always. That’s why this isn’t a demotion for him, I’m just moving him into a consultant position. I should have done it a year ago. My new security manager will report directly to him, the same as it is now, whether that is Joel, Allen or someone else.”
I know he’s right, because even without the brother-drama, there is always something else lately and Master has been covering. I try to mentally get on board with his decision even though I am emotionally destroyed. I feel really stupid asking because I should know but I ask anyway, “What does Allen do now?”
“He’s our IT guy. All of our data security and building security systems are managed by him.”
“Right.” I’ve seen Allen, mostly after his shift, he’ll come out to play with some of the regulars. He’s a little scary for a computer geek, total Goth. He keeps to the large room in the basement, referred to by staff as The Lounge, even though it isn’t a lounge at all. It’s the data center. Neither him or the other two IT guys have wonderful people skills.
“And Joel is ex-military.”
As if I wouldn’t have figured that out all by myself.I’m tempted to add ‘with a big, fat attitude,’ but I don’t. “You haven’t decided yet?”
“No.”
“Because neither are especially suited for the job or because Thomas does the job of five regular employees?”
Garrett laughs. “I knew I made you a partner for good reason, you catch on quick.”
“You said ‘or someone else’. You’d really hire outside of the family?”
Garrett lets out a heavy sigh.
“And when George returns, he’s just going to find someone new, a stranger, running The Attic?”
“That one’s easier. Morgana is already in charge of scheduling, I’m making hers a management position. For now, she’ll report to me, once George returns full time, she’ll report to him.”
I try to imagine her overseeing the Dominant staff up there. She seems a little young and a little flighty, but lately it seems everyone seems a little young. And if she doesn’t work out, George will deal with it when he returns. Personally, I don’t think she’s up to the task. Besides that, I just don’t like her. I especially don’t like the attention Garrett pays her. I know they’ve never been romantically involved but intimately? Maybe. I really don’t want to know. I don’t ask. I just accept that they are very closely bonded, just as Thomas and George are Garrett’s Number One and Number Two.
He opens the door to the conference room, and I see that Morgana is already seated. I blush, glad she couldn’t read my thoughts.
“Sit.” He takes the center, Morgana on his left, me on his right, and the interviews begin.
If I thought to be bored, I was wrong. Morgana has already terrified the first two applicants but when the third enters she sits up straighter. He’s young, at least younger than Garrett and I. It is then I realize Morgana is very young. I hadn’t noticed before, owing the fact that it’s so hard to see past her tough exterior the last thing I would have ever noticed about her was age.
Looking closer, early twenties.
The man facing us can’t be much more than twenty-one himself. Stripped down to his underwear, as have been all the applicants, he doesn’t fidget nervously. He is lithe, not overly muscular but obviously strong. His haircut marks him as military or ex-military.
Morgana passes us each a copy of Matthew Farris’s resume, and the name Blaire Harrington glares at me from the third line under references. Likewise the telephone number for the reference is the same as the number for the cellphone Thomas provided for me to use as Blaire. Okay, who in the hell are you? Looking up, our gazes collide and a chill runs down my spine. Did Thomas send him, or is he one of the bad guys? I need to alert Garrett that there is a problem, but he is already asking questions about his experience.
“How long have you been in the scene?” I interrupt. Both Morgana and Garrett jerk at my rudeness.
“I’ve played privately for about six years. I’d say the last two or three I’ve played publically. Mostly in Europe. You’ll see that I worked for a bit at a Fet Club called Whips in Paris.”
I fire questions at him. “Submissive or Dominant?”
“Dominant.”
“Are you straight, gay, bisexual?”
“You don’t have to answer that,” Garrett advises him.
“It could be seen as discrimination if he isn’t hired,” Morgana whispers, though by her dilated pupils I’d guess she’s very interested in his answer.
The man smirks. “I don’t mind. I’m straight as an arrow, but I’ll top a gay or bisexual man if I’m asked to. I believe there’s no intercourse between the professional Dominants and their clients, so I’m not certain why the question is relevant.”
“It isn’t,” Garrett answers, giving me a look that demands my silence.
I’m trying to help. Can’t he tell he’s an imposter?
“But I—”
“Kitten. A word. Outside.”
In the hallway Garrett is none too happy. I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. I also have no idea how to explain my objections to the man without revealing the depth of my involvement in Thomas’s current crisis management.
Master stares me down, then shakes his head. “I’m asking too much of you, too soon. Morgana and I will finish up. Wait for me in The Oasis.”
I put my hand on his elbow to stop him as he turns to go back into the conference room. “I’m sorry.”
He doesn’t even look back.
I can’t let this go and instead of going to The Oasis, I go to Garrett’s office where I keep my briefcase stashed while I’m here. Retrieving the cellphone Thomas gave me out of it, I dial him. He doesn’t answer. Damn it! I text: Matthew Farris?
His response is immediate: Hire him.
I sigh heavily and dial again, knowing he won’t answer. He doesn’t want to talk to me. Does he give a damn that he’s hurting my feelings? I try to not take it personally, trying to believe he is merely focusing on the problems at hand. His brother. Who tried to kill his brother. And my protection. I feel like an idiot, understanding only now that Matthew Farris is here to keep an eye on things. And I screwed things up by getting thrown out of the interview process. I ask the dead phone, “Shouldn’t you have told me this before now?” Damn it. I have no idea how to position myself back into the process to get the man hired. This shouldn’t be my problem! God, what a shit day.
Jackie catches me coming out of the office. “There you are.”
I jerk, startled, and feel like I’ve been caught sneaking around.
“Are we going tonight?”
&nbs
p; “Going?”
“Six p.m. The Primal Birth introduction class. Did you even talk to Garrett?”
“Oh, that.” I roll my eyes. “I talked, he didn’t want to listen.”
Jackie turns away, shaking her head. I think she looks even more disappointed in Garrett’s behavior than me. She stops mid-stride. “I’d like to take you, if you think it will be all right for you to come with me.”
I am close to tears, overwhelmed by everything, as I admit, “Jackie, right now, I’m alone in this pregnancy. I need help coping. Thomas is away. For all intent purposes, Garrett is too. If you are asking should I garner Master’s permission? I think the better question would be, do I even have a Master? I would be very happy if you would take me.”
She looks at me with pity, and I hate that worse than being abandoned by my men. Still, I am happy to be wrapped in her strong arms when she holds them out for a hug. “Anything you can talk about?”
A sob escapes my chest. “No.”
She pats my back, and I press my nose into her ample bosom. She smells citrusy, like oranges or grapefruit mixed with a heavier spice. The scent is unexpected, but also somehow a perfect complement to her vibrancy.
Looking up at her, I tell her, “I bought the book advertised in the brochure you gave me and read it cover to cover. I want to thank you for opening my eyes to what this birth could be like.”
She pulls away from me. “Let me guess, Garrett is being difficult?”
I nod, a fresh batch of tears welling up. “And the obstetrician he’s making me see is a nightmare. I’m so afraid that after the birth he’s going to have my babies taken away from me because of mine and Garrett’s lifestyle. He hates us.”
Several of Garrett’s Dominants come out of the employees’ lounge and walk by us. Jackie hurries me down the hallway toward the exit, asking, “What did the doctor say to make you feel that way?” rapidly followed by, “Does Garrett know your concerns?”
“This is what is hardest, to close the open hand because one loves.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
Chapter 30
Garrett
I’m excited to be finished hours earlier than I believed possible and hope to have a relaxing dinner with Kitten. The interviews went better than I’d ever hoped with our third candidate proving to be more than qualified for the position of security manager than just a mere Dom for The Attic. I hope he can straddle being both manager and additional help in The Attic as Thomas has for years because despite Kitten’s obvious objection to him I hired him. I honestly think she just can’t stand the thought of replacing Thomas, which I might be able to understand if he was still off the grid, but she’s seen him several times. He’s in the city. He’s fine. I think it’s fairly obvious that once everything is in order with his brother, he’ll be rejoining us.
The thought is both a disappointment and a relief.
As much as I’d love to be Kitten’s only Master, the three of us balance each other out well. We have the perfect ménage. I know this intellectually…emotionally, it’s been tougher to accept. For a moment, right after Thomas had left with his brother, I’d allowed myself to imagine the possibility of what could be. Kitten and I raising a family together. I would be the twins’ father, their only male parent. I can imagine the shock on my parents’ faces. God, they don’t even know about Celia’s pregnancy yet. They’ll have to be told. Even with Thomas back in the picture, they’re going to be grandparents. I doubt they’ll see it that way. There’s plenty of time to break the news to them.
I regret being so harsh with Kitten the last few weeks. My only excuse is exhaustion. I hope to make it up to her with a nice dinner. We’ll go out, someplace romantic. Someplace far away from Lewd Larry’s. Hopefully she will be as happy as I am when I tell her I also hired four additional Dominants for the lower levels. Not finding her in The Oasis, I ask Hillary, our executive secretary, “Have you seen Kitten tonight?”
“Yes, Sir, she was here earlier.” She takes a call coming in and holds up a finger as she answers questions. She mutes the call and points toward the employee exit. “She left with Jackie Sandburg about two hours ago.”
“She what?” I look at the face of my cellphone and see that I have a missed text: Went to Primal Birth class with Jackie.
“Primal Birth class?” I thought we settled this, but then I remember wanting to sleep one day last week and saying anything to make that happen. Damn it.
I find the damn brochure in the middle of my desk right where she left it, right next to the book she asked me to read it in my spare time and the sticky note with the time and directions. At least it’s a local address not too far away, and I hurry to meet them there. Pulling into the parking lot, I look toward the large glass-domed building and see her and Jackie standing in what appears to be the foyer. The interior lights brighten her face as they exit. The meeting must be over. I can’t say I’m sorry I missed it.
Kitten looks radiant. Happy. Her smile is as wide as I’ve ever seen it. I don’t park, opting to pull up to the curb instead. I step out of the car to watch their approach. Other couples are going to their vehicles as well. As soon as she sees me, Kitten’s smile fades, and that really pisses me off. I walk around the car to meet them.
“Garrett,” Jackie says. “Nice of you to join us.”
“Jackie.” I force a tight smile as I open the passenger door. “Kitten, get in the car. You can ride back to the club with me.”
Kitten meets my gaze but doesn’t say anything and I can’t read her expression. Looking down at the ground, she kicks a pebble with her shoe. In a tone so soft I can barely hear her, she tells Jackie, “Thanks for bringing me. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Jackie hugs her. “You need me…you call me sooner than that.” To me, her best friend, she says nothing, making me feel like a supreme ass.
Kitten climbs into the car without another word. I close the door before facing Jackie. It isn’t hard to figure out she is a woman with something on her mind.
“Our girl tells me you’ve forbidden her from seeking out a doula and pursuing a Primal Birth.” She makes the statement lightly, but it feels like an accusation.
“Am I a horrible person because I want the babies born in the safety of a hospital?”
“Sterile. Unnatural. That’s the introduction to the world you want to give the babies?”
I throw up my hands. “This is ridiculous. I do not even believe I am having this conversation again!”
“From what I gather, you haven’t discussed it once.”
“This is really none of your concern, Jackie.”
“Um-hmm.”
Frustrated, I demand, “What does that mean?”
She bobs her head side to side, challenging, “Your house, your rules, right? Did you ever think you might want to check with Thomas about how he feels about things? Because I’m pretty certain that he is the man who flew halfway around the world to make certain his wife gave birth on the sand of her homeland under a blazing sun.”
“Kitten isn’t Thomas’s wife.”
“Nope, she isn’t, but last I heard the two of you agreed to share her equally and seeing that she carries his children, what does he say about all of this?”
I look away, not knowing what Kitten’s told her. The official word at Lewd Larry’s is that both he and George are on vacation. “When he returns, we’ll discuss it.”
Her eyes narrow. “What are you and Kitten hiding? There’s too many tight lips about this man. Did he go back to his wife? Or did that blond bitch he showed up with a few weeks ago ruin everything for the three of you?”
“Nothing so dramatic,” I lie. “Our ménage is fine, thank you for asking.”
“Well, it should be interesting when he gets back. That’s all I have to say. Interesting. Um-hmm.” She kisses both of my cheeks before turning to walk to her car, and I try to not give her comments any thought. I do not want Thomas supporting this insanity.
Once I am buckled in besi
de Kitten and preparing to pull away from the curb, she says, “You’re mad at me again.”
I put the car back into park. “You left the club without asking permission.”
“You were supposed to go with me to this meeting. It’s on the calendar.”
I really don’t like her tone but then she looks at me, her eyes filled with tears, and although she doesn’t say another word, I can read the accusation in the lines around her eyes. You promised.
I want to apologize, but don’t want to appear weak. She’s already trampling my authority. Trying to sound enthusiastic, I announce, “I hired Matthew Farris and four other Dominants. That should lighten the burden on me, give us more time together.”
She doesn’t comment.
“How would you like to skip the club tonight?”
She shakes her head. “You know I don’t like being stuck at home alone.”
I squeeze her fingers. “I’m saying I would like for us to spend an evening alone together. Name the restaurant, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go.”
“I already ate.”
Leaning over, I kiss her cheek. “We could go home, snuggle on the sofa, watch a movie.”
She nuzzles back, caressing my cheek with hers, whispering, “You could hurt me.”
“Ah, no.” Leaning back, I shift the car into drive and pull away from the curb. “Be happy with your servitude during your pregnancy, Kitten. There will be plenty of time for play after the babies are born.”
“But the other night—”
“Doesn’t change anything.” Dead silence falls over the car as I leave the building’s parking lot and pull into traffic. I can feel her simmering beside me. She doesn’t have to say it out loud that Lord Fyre would play with her for me to know what she’s thinking.
Several miles later she demands, “You expect me to wait four months?”
Why does everything have to be an argument? I don’t answer.
With a huff, she wraps herself into her arms. “Fine, let’s go home, but I don’t want to watch a movie. I want to tell you all about the Primal Birth class and how excited I am about creating a birthing nest and surrounding myself with people who will love and support my decision for a natural birth.” She punctuates that she knows this is a thorny issue for me by adding, emphatically, “Outside, in nature.”
