by Brooke, T
“I can’t do this right now, Scarlett. You have no idea how hard it is for me not to call him up and tell him how sorry I am for the things I said, and for running off.” All she wanted to do just then was to find her phone and do exactly that.
“That’s what I’m talking about; you don’t have anything to be sorry for.” She knew Carla was hurting, and knew she didn’t want to talk about the situation, but if she didn’t she would find a way to excuse everything Jason had done and go back to him. There wasn’t a doubt in Scarlett’s mind about that.
“You said it yourself, Scarlett; neither of us really knew what we were getting into with this.” She wanted to forgive him; it was killing her to sit there, knowing that she’d never touch him again.
“Carla, honey, you can’t do this. Do you think anything has changed? You still aren’t ready for his games, and he obviously has no idea how to train someone as innocent in the lifestyle as you.
“He needs an experienced submissive, someone who can handle whatever situation he puts her in, and who knows her limits well enough to put restrictions on the relationship right from the start. And you need someone who is willing to take the time to let you become accustomed to a sexual life, whether it involves the lifestyle or not.”
“So you’re saying I should go and find someone else to teach me about sex and being a submissive?” Carla hadn’t wanted to be with a man in any way before Jason came along, and she wasn’t sure she’d want to be with a man again.
“No, I don’t mean you should just go out and find someone, honey. What I mean is, if you’re going to be involved with someone, and I want you to be, I want you to have what I have with Daniel, then you should find someone you can trust, someone who will take their time with you.
“It doesn’t matter if they’re in the lifestyle or if it’s just a vanilla relationship, as long as you can trust them and they’re willing to be patient with you,” Scarlett told her friend, hoping she could convince her. “Jason has proven that he’s no good for you, that he doesn’t have the patience to guide you as you need to be. I don’t want you to go back to him, and I know you want to, and find yourself in the same position.
“If you don’t do something he’ll destroy you. You already have problems with men.” She saw the look on her friend’s face as she said that and hurriedly spoke again. “I’m sorry, honey, but you know it’s true. After how your dad treated your mom it’s no surprise that you have issues with men. If you go back to Jason and let him continue to treat you as he has then you’ll just get worse.”
Carla was silent for a few moments, her face turned away from her friend as she stared out over the fire pit at the expanse of Daniel’s garden. It was beautiful, she thought idly; a lush green lawn with a pond and water feature in the middle, and the whole thing surrounded by beds and beds of brightly colored flowers.
“I know you’re right, Scarlett,” she said finally. “It’s just hard as hell to think of never seeing or talking to him again.” She couldn’t even begin to describe the level of pain that thought filled her with. Tears threatened to spill and she quickly blinked them away. “I really can’t talk about this right now.”
It hurt Scarlett to see her friend in such pain. “I’m sorry, honey, I wish I knew what to do to make you feel better, but short of building a time machine, going back and stopping you meeting Jason in the first place, I don’t know what I can do.”
“It’s okay, seriously, I just need some time, and to focus my mind on something else until I can breathe without thinking about him.” She couldn’t help but wonder if there would ever come a day when she didn’t think of him almost every minute. Before meeting Jason she wouldn’t have believed it was possible for her thoughts to be so consumed by a man, now she found it hard to believe she would ever stop thinking about him.
“We could take another vacation, I’m sure that would take your mind off things.” Scarlett waggled her eyebrows suggestively, trying to lighten the mood. “We can go anywhere you like, my treat, well daddy’s treat, but it’s the same thing really.”
“I’m still recovering from the last one,” Carla said, though she couldn’t help admitting to herself that the idea was a temptation. “Actually I’m thinking a job hunt might be the right thing to do just now.” She noted the rolling of Scarlett’s eyes and shook her head at her friend’s response. “Come on, Scarlett, we should find something useful to do with our degrees, now that we’ve actually got them.”
“I’ll help you look, but I have no intention of joining you on the job trail until the summer is over.”
“Well I’ll definitely take the help.” She could only imagine how difficult it was going to be for her to find a job in New York, even with a degree.
“Okay then, but let’s not start on this until tomorrow, not seriously anyway, it’s a little late in the day to start something that is going to require so much brainpower.” Scarlett got to her feet abruptly, reaching out a hand to Carla. “Come on, we should probably get back in there before Daniel thinks I’ve abandoned him and demands I serve us dinner in the nude or something as punishment.” Scarlett laughed.
“He would do that?” Carla asked uncertainly; she didn’t know Daniel well enough to know what he would or wouldn’t do to or with Scarlett.
Scarlett burst out laughing. “No, he wouldn’t make me do that, but maybe I should talk to him about it one day; it could be a fun little fantasy to play out,” she said with a mischievous smile on her face.
Carla fought to hold back a fresh batch of tears as she realized there were going to be no more fantasies for her. “Well then, let’s get inside; I’d hate to be the reason for you to become demoted to the hired help.” With an effort she hid her pain from her friend.
The famous Mushroom Ravioli by Daniel was delicious. Equally delicious was the dessert that followed it, Devil’s Food Cake with French Vanilla Ice Cream. It was sinfully good, but none of them gave any thought to the calories the food contained.
Once they had eaten Carla asked to be driven back to the condo; since Scarlett wasn’t of a mind to start on job hunting just then, and neither was she, she wanted to start getting their things sorted. That was when she remembered about the furniture and electronics she and Scarlett had bought the previous day, quickly she turned to Scarlett to ask about it.
“Don’t worry about it,” Daniel told her with a grin, “I took care of it. I sent Jackson over early this morning to wait for your deliveries. I couldn’t have you two girls without something to sit on the next time I visit, or more importantly, somewhere to sleep. Though of course you are both welcome to stay here as long as you wish.” Jackson was his newest employee, he’d hired him as a favor to his cook, since he was her son, but he didn’t have a firm position for the boy at that time, which left him doing whatever odd tasks came along.
“Thank you for taking such good care of me, Sir.” Walking round the table Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck from behind and kissed his cheek.
“Can I ask you guys something without offending you?” Carla wanted to know, curious about the differences between their relationship and what Jason had shown her of the lifestyle.
“Absolutely, Carla, what’s on your mind?” Daniel queried, his arm still around Scarlett’s waist.
“Well, why doesn’t she call you Sir all the time? I thought it was necessary for a submissive to show respect to her Master at all times.
Daniel chuckled in answer. “I don’t live this life all the time, Carla,” he told her. “I enjoy playing in the dungeon, and so does Scarlett, but to me it is just something fun to do occasionally. It isn’t a lifestyle to be maintained twenty-four seven as far as I am concerned; there are times in life when the lifestyle gets in the way so I restrict it to the bedroom as much as possible.”
“So Scarlett can pretty much do what she wants?” Carla was confused, especially after his earlier comment about punishing her that night.
“Scarlett and I came to an agreement about
what we wanted from each other when we got together. I believe she showed you the contract.” At her nod he smiled and continued. “Outside of the boundaries we agreed on she can do whatever she wants, and even those boundaries are up for negotiation.”
“I guess I’m just surprised, the two of you seem to have a regular relationship, outside of the bedroom anyway.”
“Carla, Jason has only shown you a very narrow view of the lifestyle. There are many different ways that people choose to live out this life, and everyone will tell you their way is the right way. The truth is, if it works for the couple then it doesn’t matter what anyone outside of that relationship believes.” Scarlett winked, looking up at Daniel with adoring eyes.
“Thanks for being so open about your relationship; I know it’s none of my business.” She wasn’t normally so inclined to ask people about their relationships, generally she wasn’t interested in the slightest since she had no desire to be in a relationship, but what she saw between Scarlett and Daniel was so different to what Jason had shown her that it made her curious.
“Don’t worry about it, Carla,” Daniel told her with a smile. “Feel free to ask Scarlett or me anything you wish to know; we’ll tell you if something is too personal, other than that we will answer as best we can.
“If you are okay with it I would love for you to consider Scarlett and me your mentors, if you decide you wish to continue in the lifestyle. We can show you a different side to it than what you have seen so far.”
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.” Carla found herself liking Daniel more and more, and could really understand what her friend saw in him. “For now I’d better get home and get some sorting out done. I have to make a plan so I can start hunting for a job tomorrow.”
“I’ll have my driver take you girls home then. I need to do a few hours’ work this evening, before I lose some clients.” He leaned down and kissed Scarlett deeply. “Call me later, babe.” He let go of her and walked them out to the car, leaving the dirty dishes to be cleaned later.
CHAPTER TWENTy-three
Both Carla and Scarlett were amazed when they walked into the condo, the transformation was beyond belief.
“Um, someone has been busy,” Carla said, staring around her. Instead of an empty space filled with boxes they now had a living room, in more than just name.
“Apparently Jackson decided to arrange everything for us,” Scarlett remarked, also looking around in surprise.
Not only had the three piece suite they’d purchased been positioned to gain the best of the light that came in through the windows on the far side of the room, the glass coffee table was sat in the middle of the suite, ready for use. On the coffee table was the remote for the huge flat screen television, which had already been hung on the wall.
Picking the remote up Scarlett hit the power button.” Daniel should give him a raise,” she said when she saw that not only did the television turn on, but all the channels had been tuned in properly.
When they entered their bedrooms they discovered they too had been organized. All of the furniture they had bought was in place and the rooms looked as good as they might have done if an interior decorator had been hired to arrange everything. The only things missing were the boxes containing their belongings.
“You don’t think Jackson unpacked our stuff do you?” Carla asked Scarlett, joining her friend in her bedroom. “The boxes with my stuff are gone from my room.” She found the idea that Daniel’s man had been through her belongings a little disturbing.
“I’m sure he didn’t.”
“Then where are the boxes with all your stuff? I didn’t see the boxes we left in the living room either, the ones with the stuff for the living room and the kitchen.”
“No idea,” Scarlett said with a shrug, crossing the room to her new closet she pulled open the doors to reveal that it was empty, as was the chest of drawers. “Come on, let’s find them.” Leaving the room she made a quick search of the condo, which took almost no time at all, and found the boxes in the spare bedroom.
“He definitely is thorough,” Carla said, pleased to see that the boxes had been kept separate to avoid any confusion. Her boxes were on one side of the room, while Scarlett’s were on the other, and the boxes containing the stuff to go in the living room and kitchen were in the far corner.
“Shame he couldn’t have put the boxes in our bedrooms after he finished with the furniture, after all, he managed to figure out what furniture belonged in which bedroom. “
“Come on, Scarlett, given everything else he did for us, which he didn’t have to do, the least we can do is shift the boxes into our rooms,” Carla said. She’d expected to have to spend the evening moving furniture about, and was greatly relieved that that chore was unnecessary. Compared to the furniture, a few boxes were nothing.
“Fine.” Scarlett gave an exaggerated smile. “I’d like to be able to find my underwear. Wearing the same clothes two days running is just about acceptable, I suppose, but there is no way I am wearing the same underwear for more than a day.”
They spent the next hour shifting the boxes into their rooms and then sorting the contents, putting all of their clothes away. A task that Carla allowed to take over her thoughts, to the point where she was oblivious to almost everything around her, including the CD that Scarlett decided to play loud enough to be heard throughout the condo.
The doorbell ringing cut through Carla’s thoughts where Scarlett’s music hadn’t. It was Jason, she was sure of it, and her heart thumped heavily in her chest, fear and excitement combining in her, as she stood as still as a statue until she heard Scarlett thank someone. It was clear from Scarlett’s words, and the tone of her voice, that it wasn’t Jason.
“Carla, you have a package,” Scarlett called out. For a moment she had considered refusing to sign for it and insisting that the courier take it away, but in the end she hadn’t, it wasn’t up to her to send the package away, that was Carla’s decision.
“Just put it on the counter, Scarlett,” Carla told her friend as she wandered out into the living room. The package was from Jason, she was sure of that, no one but he would be sending her anything, and she wasn’t sure she had the strength to deal with whatever he might have sent her just then.
Scarlett nodded and tossed the package casually onto the kitchen island, thinking idly that the best thing she could do with it would be to toss it out of the window. “We could do with taking a trip to the shop,” she said, hoping to distract her friend from the package, the look on Carla’s face indicated she needed a distraction. “We really need to get some food in, at the moment the fridge is bare. We don’t even have any coffee or wine, and that, honey, is a fucking tragedy.” She laughed.
Carla joined in the laughter, as Scarlett had hoped she would. “We could do with getting some decent cutlery and kitchenware as well, not to mention pots and pans; neither of us has much of use.”
“That lot can wait until tomorrow, honey, we have wine glasses, that’s enough on that front for now, wine, and something so we won’t starve tomorrow is far more important this evening.” Scarlett grabbed her keys and together they headed out.
The next couple of hours were taken up with a shopping spree as Scarlett endeavored to keep her friend occupied, and stop her thinking about Jason. They not only bought food, and more importantly wine, but they also found themselves cutlery and kitchenware.
Carla knew what her friend was doing, and was grateful for it, but realized that she couldn’t avoid things forever. Sooner or later she would have to face her memories and learn to cope with them, she just wasn’t ready to do so then.
When they made it home Scarlett went off to take a bath, while Carla sorted out their shopping. She tried to ignore it but her eyes were constantly drawn to the package from Jason as it sat on island. Finally she could resist the temptation no longer and was compelled to pull the package toward her.
Tearing the wrapping off the package she slit the seal and opened it. Her br
eath caught in her throat as she saw the beautiful figurine that sat in the velvet lined box. It was a crystal ballerina. For a few moments all she could do was stare at it, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
With a shaking hand she reached out to pick up the small card that rested on the figurine. ‘The night you danced for me I felt my heart come alive for the first time. I am sorry I hurt you. I hope you can forgive me. RH.’
The beginning of their ten nights together, it felt like a hundred years ago when it all started, she thought, wiping her cheeks as tears trickled down them. Setting the card down she carefully lifted the figurine from the box and set it on the counter; the weight of it surprised her, at the same time it gave her some idea of the value of the piece. The figurine, which was about a foot high, looked even more beautiful out of the box than it had in it.
Her tears increased as she stared at the dancer and she felt a strong desire to call up Jason, or to get in her car and race over to his house. Angry with herself she hurriedly returned the figurine to the box and closed it up before carrying it into her bedroom, where she placed the box carefully on top of the closet. She hoped having it up there, out of sight, would stop her thinking about it, and Jason.
A beeping sound startled Carla as she was putting the box on top of the closet and she almost dropped it, catching it just in time. With the box out of the way she looked around the room for the source of the beeping noise. It was a few moments before she realized that it was the iPhone Jason had given her, beeping to alert her to the arrival of a message, she had forgotten all about the phone.
Dropping onto the bed she grabbed up her purse to take out the iPhone. When she unlocked the phone she was surprised to find not just one message but dozens, all of them from Jason, the first was from the early hours of the morning. Looking at the time on the earliest of the messages she realized he must have sent it shortly after Scarlett and Daniel had found her.
