Page 170 of Masters of Pleasure
Now, she wished she could come home and relax without having to worry about being pulled into whatever drama was swirling around Noelle this week.Granted, there wasn’talwaysdrama, but coming home felt like Russian roulette, never knowing if things in Noelle’s life had exploded again while she was away.
Taking a deep breath, she stuck her keys in the door and pushed it open.The television was on, and she could see Noelle’s dark blonde head over the back of the couch, twisting around.
“Hey.”The brief greeting didn’t give her much to go on, and Iris mentally crossed her fingers that it had been a good night.
“Hey.”Coming in, she locked the door behind her, yawning exaggeratedly, so Noelle wouldn’t protest when she went right to bed.“Long night.”
“Ugh, you have no idea.”Noelle sat up, twisting around on the couch, and Iris inwardly cursed.Dammit.She’d meant that to be a hint about why she was going to bed, not an invitation.“Do you know what Tyler did tonight?”
“Um, well, no, but…” Iris gestured vaguely toward the hallway.Of course, she didn’t know what Noelle’s boyfriend had done tonight since she’d been at Stronghold, and it wasn’t like Noelle had texted her about it.
She didn’t let Iris stop her, launching straight into the story right over Iris’ ‘but.’Sighing inwardly, Iris moved to the side of the couch so Noelle could see her easily.She was also a little closer to the hallway leading to the bedrooms, which would help her make her escape more easily.Hopefully, not sitting down would also give Noelle a hint she needed to get to bed.
“Well, we were supposed to go out, but then, like an hour before he was supposed to pick me up, he got called into work.”Noelle crossed her arms across her chest and huffed.“He didn’t even try to tell them he had plans tonight.He just went!I asked him if he could tell them he hadn’t realized he’d double-booked himself and back out, but he said he’d already told them yes and didn’t want to go back on his word.I guess going back on his word to me wasn’t a big deal.”
Ouch.Iris made a face.Yeah, that was pretty shitty.On the other hand, it wasn’t like Noelle was a cheap date.Tyler seemed to be picking up an awful lot of extra shifts lately, and it was hard to tell if it was because he was trying to avoid his girlfriend or afford her.
“I’m sorry, that really sucks,” Iris said, infusing sympathy into her voice.“Hopefully, he’ll find a way to make it up to you.”
“He’d better.”Noelle tilted her head as Iris took a step back, starting to turn.“What are you doing home so late?Don’t you have work tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I do.I should probably get to bed.”Iris yawned again.She wasn’t faking how tired she was.Starting to turn, she inwardly winced when Noelle’s voice went a little shriller.
“So, why are you home so late?You were hanging out with those new girls, weren’t you?You’d rather hang out with them than with me.That’s why you’re home so late.”
Ugh.Guilt welled because there was enough truth in Noelle’s accusation to make things uncomfortable.
“I just took a little extra time at the club to chill out before coming home, that’s all, Noelle.You know you’re my bestie.”She turned back to her friend, knowing if she didn’t soothe Noelle before she went to bed, it would be days of sulking and probably the silent treatment until Noelle felt Iris had begged for forgiveness enough.
Not how she wanted things to be around the apartment.
Noelle crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.Dressed in her pajamas, sulky expression on her face, she looked far younger than she actually was.
“You don’t act like I’m your bestie.You stay late at the club to hang out withotherpeople, then come home and don’t want to talk to me, just like Tyler.Apparently, no one wants to be around me tonight.”Big blue eyes filled with tears, hurt radiating off every inch of her.“Whatever… just go to bed.You don’t have to stay out here pretending you care.”
“I do care, Noelle.”Iris dropped her purse on the armchair and moved to sit down next to Noelle on the couch, guilt still simmering.She hadn’t realized Noelle had noticed Iris pulling away.Not that she’d meant to pull away exactly, but… well, she had more fun with Rae, Domi, and Avery.They had more in common.
She still loved Noelle, and they had their past in common, but living with her had become harder.They hadn’t much time to hang out, and maybe Noelle was right.Maybe she was a shitty friend.And selfish.If she’d come home earlier, Noelle would have told her about Tyler then, and she could already be in bed.
So, really, tonight’s late night was her own fault.
Wrapping her arm around Noelle’s shoulders, she pulled her friend into a half hug.
“I’m sorry, you’re right.Tell me about what’s going on with you and Tyler.I’m here for you and always will be.”
“Thank you, Iris.I don’t know what I would do without you.Sometimes, I think you’re the only reason I can hold myself together.”Sniffling, Noelle leaned onto Iris’ shoulder, unaware of how her words sank Iris’ stomach like a lead weight.“I just don’t know what to do about Tyler.I’m pretty sure he’s working up to dumping me, and I don’t know how I’ll live without him.”
“Okay, well, let’s start there,” Iris said soothingly, letting her head rest on top of Noelle’s and pushing away her drowsiness.It was going to be a long night.She could consider this her penance for putting off coming home.
Law
Another late night at Stronghold, which wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.Even though he was tired at the end of it, it sure as hell beat sitting alone at home with nothing to distract him from his thoughts.
Law sighed as he peeled off his leather pants, kicking them away across his bedroom floor as he headed for the shower.Another late night at Stronghold, another night of watching Iris, and another night of not scening.No wonder he was antsy.
It had been too long since he’d scened and he knew it.The Dom class was over, and the new submissives class wouldn’t start till next month, which didn’t help since it took away another of his outlets.The problem was, there wasn’t anyone he wanted to scene with.
Liar.
