by Sherri Hayes
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“You did well tonight. I’m proud of you.”
Grace glanced over at her sister, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Thanks.”
Gabby laughed. “I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just . . . it was good seeing you get out of the house and enjoying yourself a little. You’ve been a bit of a recluse since you’ve been back.”
“I get out of the house. I work five days a week.”
Instead of responding to what Grace had said, Gabby went a different route. “I know it was hard on you, losing Kurt. I can’t say I know how you feel, but I know he wouldn’t want you to be miserable for the rest of your life. He’d want you to be happy.”
“I know,” Grace said, looking out the window at the passing houses. If only her sister knew exactly what it was Kurt wanted her to do—how he wanted her to get on with her life. But that wasn’t something she could share with Gabby. “I’m working on it.”
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Chapter 3
Alexander had plenty to keep him busy for the rest of the week. An Army buddy of his had made a call and got him an interview with a company that might be interested in having him do some consulting work. If he was going to stay in St. Louis long term then he was going to need a job.
Eventually he wanted to get back to seeing patients of his own, which meant filing all the paperwork through the state of Missouri for a medical license. It would take time—probably a year—before he’d be able to begin looking at opening a practice of his own or joining an already established one in town. Until then, he would be stuck reading through files and offering opinions.
But did he want to permanently move to St. Louis? It was the question he’d asked himself multiple times throughout the week. He could go anywhere. There wasn’t anything holding him there anymore.
Except there was. He’d been in town for less than two months but he’d begun to feel settled in a way he hadn’t in a long time. Growing up a military brat, and then joining the Army right out of med school, he hadn’t put down many roots outside his years in college. The only time he’d ever felt he had a place was when he’d visited his grandparents. And it was thanks to them that he had some wiggle room financially to figure out exactly what he wanted now his military career was over.
On Friday evening Alexander hurried into the old brick building that housed Serpent’s Kiss, trying to get out of the rain as swiftly as his legs would carry him.
Ali smiled when she saw him step into what they all referred to as the coatroom. He grinned as he ran a hand over the top of his head to brush away any water droplets. “How are you this evening, Ali?”
“I’m good, Sir. How about you?” Ali was always polite. She was a good sub. Why she didn’t have a Dom he didn’t know.
“Glad it’s the weekend.”
She smiled wider. “Long week?”
“You could say that.” Long was one way of putting it.
“Well, I hope you enjoy your evening,” she said.
Alexander nodded and headed into the main room of the club.
He’d been in his share of kink clubs over the years. They all were a little different. Some bordered on gentlemen’s clubs but with a kinky theme. Others were wall-to-wall play areas. Serpent’s Kiss was neither. The main floor was set up much like any other club. There was a bar, a dance floor, and sitting areas where people could gather and socialize. Although, that didn’t mean things were kept vanilla. Not by a long shot. All around the room, subs—some more clothed than others—knelt at their Dom’s feet.
As he made his way across the room toward the bar, he passed a Dom leading a female sub by a leash. They were headed upstairs to where the play areas were. The woman had a smirk on her face, which caused Alexander to chuckle. It looked as if someone was going to have some fun tonight.
“What can I get you?” Brandon asked from behind the bar. The man was in his mid-thirties, same as Alexander was, but Alexander could have passed for being ten years his senior. That was what war did to a person.
“Scotch on the rocks.” He wasn’t playing tonight, but it wouldn’t matter. The club owner, Katrina Mayer, was a stickler for rules. Club members were only allowed one drink of hard liquor or two beers per night. It was a good rule and it ensured everyone came for the right reasons. This wasn’t somewhere a person went to drown their sorrows.
With his drink in hand, Alexander scanned the room while Brandon moved down the bar to wait on someone else. Alexander had gotten to know many of the club members since he’d joined. Some he’d clicked with more than others. One of the Doms he’d gotten to know spotted him from halfway across the room.
“Rough week?” Daniel asked as he came up beside Alexander, tilting his head toward the glass in Alexander’s hand.
“The longest.” Alexander took a drink of his scotch before resting it on the bar. Between the interview and filling out all the paperwork required for his licensing, the week had seemed as if it would never end.
The other reason his week had seemed so incredibly long was because his thoughts kept drifting to Grace Martin. He’d done his duty: delivered the letter. He should be able to move on, but he couldn’t. Something kept bringing her to the forefront of his mind.
A mischievous glint in his friend’s eye gave Alexander fair warning of what was coming next. “I’m sure you could persuade one of the subs to play. Maybe even more than one. I’ve seen some of the looks a few of them have sent your way. Speaking of which . . .” Daniel nodded in the direction of the dance floor where a group of subs were dancing.
As if sensing Daniel and Alexander’s gaze, two members of the group looked their way. One of them, Bridget he thought her name was, quickly lowered her gaze and blushed. Her reaction amused him, but did nothing to spark his interest. “I think I’m good.”
“Suit yourself.” Daniel ordered a bottle of water from Brandon, downed half of it, and then pushed away from the bar. “Missy asked if I would test out the newest addition to her toy bag. I’ll find you later?”
“I’ll be around.”
Alexander finished his scotch, grabbed a bottle of water for himself, and went to find a seat. It had been a good day for him physically. So far his leg wasn’t bothering him, but there was no sense in pushing his luck.
An hour later, Daniel had joined him and several others in one of the larger seating areas with Missy, who looked completely content after their scene. She sat quietly beside him wrapped in a blanket, sipping her water. The two weren’t a couple, but they did play together from time to time. Then again, Daniel played with a lot of subs. He was a master flogger and the club’s subs loved him for it.
“Did you ever track down the woman you were looking for?” Beth, one of the club’s Femdoms, asked him.
Alexander hadn’t been paying much attention to the conversation, so it took him a little longer than it should to answer. “Yes, I did.”
“Does that mean you’ll be leaving town soon?”
The question came from Beth’s fiancé and sub, Drew. “No. I’m thinking of sticking around for a while. See what my options are.”
Katrina chose that moment to walk by. She stopped when she heard what they were talking about. “Did I hear that right? Are you staying in St. Louis?”
“It looks that way.”
She rested her hip against the side of the couch and stretched one arm along the back. The position was casual, but the men in the area turned to look. Katrina had a body on her and every male in the room, Dom or sub, could appreciate it. “Good. I was kind of hoping I could talk to you about doing a medical scene demonstration. I know there are members who would appreciate exploring that area of play.”
“Maybe you could get Bridget to help you,” Daniel said.
Alexander ignored him. “Let me think about it.”
“Just let me know. The invitation is there.” Katrina’s gaze went to the stairs. She stood and straightened the corset she
was wearing. “If you’ll excuse me, it looks as if I’m needed upstairs.”
The rest of the evening dissolved into ideas for the scene Alexander had been asked to consider doing. It seemed Katrina wasn’t exaggerating when she said members were interested. Role playing was the easy part. Knowing how to use the instruments properly and to maximum effect was where it could get tricky.
At eleven o’clock he said farewell to his new friends and drove back to the one-bedroom apartment he was renting. It was small but adequate. The space had come furnished, which had made things easier.
After tossing his keys onto the long kitchen counter that separated his living room from his kitchen, he strolled into his bedroom and stripped out of his clothes. The steam from the shower filled the bathroom as he stepped under the spray. He tilted his head forward, letting the water trail down his back and shoulders before reaching for the soap.
A jolt of pain streaked down his leg when he moved to rinse, and he knew he needed to hurry. Dealing with his physical limitations was part of his reality now. But he’d take it considering the alternative.
Of course his train of thought, as was so often the case this week, had led him to Grace. How was she holding up? Was she eating enough? Taking care of herself? He’d hoped she would call, but she hadn’t.
***
Grace crawled out of bed Saturday morning and got ready for work. Her sister had come over the night before for a girls’ night while their mom watched Gabby’s daughter, Taylor, for a few hours. They’d watched a movie, eaten pizza, and downed about a dozen cookies. Gabby really was trying to pull Grace out of her shell, and in some ways it was working. For the first time since she’d gotten the news that Kurt had been killed, she hadn’t needed to leave the room when the two people in the movie had kissed. The scene had still made her chest clench and caused moisture to well up in her eyes, but she’d held it together. Barely.
That didn’t mean she hadn’t shed more than her share of tears this week. She’d read her husband’s letter over and over again and each time she ended up an emotional mess. Grace still had no idea how she was going to fulfill her Master’s last command, but she would try.
The roads were practically empty as she headed downtown toward the café. During the week, people were already on their way to work at this hour, but on a Saturday most of them were still at home in bed. She appreciated the solitude.
After pulling up to what had become her spot behind the café, Grace made her way inside. She waved to Beth and Tommy and donned her apron before getting to work.
“The DJ was awesome,” Tommy said as he helped her take the chairs off the tables and get them ready for customers. “We’re going back tonight. You could come with us.”
She flipped another chair and placed it on the floor before responding. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
He shook his head but didn’t say anything more.
When Kurt was home, they would go out on dates, to munches, or to play parties, but that was different than going out to a dance club. It was either only the two of them, or people in the lifestyle who understood her tendency to let her husband take the lead.
Beth strolled into the front room with a tray of fresh cherry Danishes. “Everything almost ready up here?”
“Yep. We’re good,” Tommy said, already making a beeline toward the back. He’d fully embraced the preopening muffin break.
Beth chuckled. “You’d think he didn’t eat breakfast before he came.”
Grace grinned at her boss. “Typical man.”
This earned an even bigger laugh. “So true.”
The breakfast and lunch rush came and went with them all rushing around trying to fill orders as quickly as possible. By the time things started to slow down, Grace was feeling it. So when Beth nodded toward a stool and pushed a sandwich her way, it didn’t even cross her mind to object. “Thanks.”
Normally, they all tried to take a break before lunch, but there hadn’t been time for more than downing a slice of bread with a little butter on it. And even then, Beth had to run an order out to a table for her. Saturdays weren’t typically so busy.
Beth moved a few things around before pulling up a chair across from Grace and picking up her own sandwich. Tommy could handle the customers, and if not he’d come get them.
“Any plans for tonight?” Beth asked between bites.
“Not really. I’ll probably finish reading this book I’ve been working on.” Grace didn’t mind Beth asking about her plans. She wasn’t as pushy as Tommy and there was something about her boss that made Grace think she kind of understood, at least maybe a little.
“Is it any good?”
“Yeah. It’s pretty good.” Grace really hoped Beth didn’t ask her what the name of it was. She wasn’t sure she could handle that. Given Kurt’s wishes for her to move on, to find a new Dom, she’d been attempting to get herself into the correct mindset. In order to do that, she’d dug out some of her old novels, the ones that had made her interested in the lifestyle to begin with, and began reading them again.
“I might be interested in borrowing it. I’m always looking for a good read.”
Grace swallowed. What would Beth say if she found out Grace was a submissive? Or would Beth just think Grace enjoyed reading kinky romance novels? She had no way to know and Grace didn’t want to lose this job.
The doors that led to the front counter pushed open and Tommy poked his head in. “I’m gonna go ahead and flip the sign.”
Beth stood. “How many customers are still out there?”
“Just two tables. I’ve got it, B. You two finish eating.”
Instead of sitting back down, Beth started filling the sink with water. One of the downsides to working in a restaurant of any kind was the dishes. Grace finished the rest of her sandwich, rolled her sleeves up, and went to help.
It was a little after three when she said goodbye to Beth and Tommy behind the café. Grace was ready to go home, but first she had to stop at the store. She was completely out of milk and she’d had to throw out the bread she had this morning because it had molded.
Everything was going fine—well, maybe not fine, but okay—until she was leaving the grocery store and her car wouldn’t start. She tried to crank the engine but nothing happened.
Her first instinct was to call for roadside assistance, something Kurt had insisted upon since he was overseas, but then Grace remembered that she’d let the coverage lapse. It hadn’t seemed important with everything else she was dealing with. Besides, she never went anywhere anyway. Why would she need it?
Fate was laughing at her now.
The only person she knew to call was her sister, although she had no idea what Gabby would do. Call a tow truck probably. And that was assuming her sister wasn’t working today, which she often did on Saturdays. If not, Grace could be sitting there, milk spoiling in the back seat, for a couple of hours. Her mother was another option, but again all she would be able to do was call someone.
Alexander’s words came back to Grace. If you need anything, call me. Day or night.
She hesitated for only a minute before digging his card out of her purse and dialing his number.
“Alexander Greco.” His voice was strong and confident as he answered.
“Hi. It’s Grace. Grace Martin.” She felt silly calling him, but did she really have another option?
“Grace. I’m glad you called.” He sounded genuinely pleased, which eased some of her tension.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but my car won’t start and both my sister and my mom—”
“Where are you?”
Grace gave him her location and he said he’d be there in fifteen minutes. Knowing he was coming allowed her to relax. She rolled down the windows to let the breeze keep the inside of the car from getting too warm.
She spotted him first and got out of the car to get his attention. He grinned when he saw her and pulled his vehicle in a few spaces down from hers.
“Th
ank you for coming,” she said when he approached.
“I told you to call me anytime. I meant it.” He motioned toward her car. “Do you mind?”
“No, no. Of course not.” She moved so he could get behind the wheel.
Alexander tried to turn the engine over twice but it did the same thing for him as it did for her—nothing. “Sounds like your battery’s dead. How long have you had this one?”
She had to think. “I don’t know. Four or five years, maybe.”
“They usually only last about five years.” He exited her vehicle, pulled out his phone, and started searching. “Surely there has to be a place nearby that sells batteries. We’ll go get you a new one and get it put in. That should take care of the problem.”
They loaded the few groceries she’d bought into his car, and then drove a few miles away to a place he found on his phone that said they sold car batteries. She followed him inside and waited while he told the woman behind the counter what they needed. It took them less than an hour to get the battery and for Alexander to switch the old one out with the new one. While he was replacing her battery, he even turned on his car’s air conditioner to keep her groceries from spoiling.
“Thank you again,” she said, sliding into the driver’s seat, unable to convey how grateful she really was for his help. Her engine was running, good as new, once he’d replaced the battery.
“You’re very welcome, Grace.” She’d expected him to go, but he didn’t. “Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?”
Grace knew she had to look as if she’d seen a ghost, but she hadn’t been expecting his question. “Dinner?”
“I haven’t had good Italian food since before I left on my last tour, and a friend told me about a restaurant here in town I’ve wanted to try. I’d be honored if you’d come with me.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to say no, but her husband’s insistence that she move on was there in the back of her mind. Going to dinner with Alexander would be a good test run to see if she could do this. “I need to take my groceries home first.”
