Page 85 of Masters of Pleasure
Domi and Rae looked at Avery expectantly.
Well, that would solve the problem, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask Olivia for another favor tonight.
“You should go ask her.You’re the one about to date her boyfriend’s brother,” Rae said, nudging Avery with her elbow.
“Why don’t you go ask her?You’ve known her longer, and she was your teacher,” Avery said, digging in her heels, looking back and forth between Rae and Domi.
“Yeah, which means we know exactly how scary she can be.She’ll be nice to you.”
“I’ll go ask her,” Freddy interrupted, rolling his eyes and grinning with amusement.“And just so you know, we submissives almost never need to be scared of her.The Dominants, on the other hand…” He winked at them, sauntering over to knock on Olivia’s door.
All three of them watched him.
“Maybe she gets less scary the more you get to know her… or with long-term exposure?”Avery murmured.
“I think Freddy might be a special case.He’s worked here a long time.Did you know he’s a lawyer?”Domi asked, keeping her voice hushed.
Freddy opened Olivia’s door and leaned in to say something to her before turning around and giving them a thumbs up.
Ten minutes later, they were downstairs in Marquis.It turned out he hadn’t been kidding about Olivia keeping dresses for anyone who wanted to use the first floor and hadn’t brought a change of clothes—she’d had more than a few.She had an entire wardrobe in multiple sizes.
The blue wrap dress Avery wore didn’t fit her perfectly, but it was good enough.Domi’s was a little big, and Rae’s was a little short, but no one gave them a second glance as they made their way to one of the booths on the far side of the bar.It was late enough in the evening the floor was clearing out, which would give them even more privacy.
Only a moment after they slid into their seats, one of the servers came by to take their order.While they waited for their drinks, they talked about Domi’s daughter and how things were going with her boyfriend, Mitch, waiting by silent agreement to talk about Avery and Nick.Which was much appreciated since their server was Josie, one of the gossipiest members of the staff.
Once they had their drinks and Josie had walked away, it was on.
“Okay, so… how are you feeling?”Domi leaned forward, her hands clasped around the bottom of her beer glass.
Lifting the dry martini she’d ordered to her lips, Avery took a moment to let the burn glide over her tongue and down her throat while she thought about how to answer.
“Excited… nervous…” She sighed, putting the glass down and rubbing her fingers against the stem, not twirling the glass, but in the same motion.There was something soothing about it.“I’m really afraid of fucking up my job.I’m worried he’ll discover he doesn’t like kink… yet.”
“Yet you want him.”Rae nodded, sympathy emanating off her.“Sometimes, we want what we can’t have, but what’s the harm in trying?”
“Yeah, Rae, what’s the harm?”Domi murmured, making Avery giggle.Rae’s worst kept secret was she had the hots for Brian, one of the Daddy Dom members of the club, but she refused to acknowledge it.
Rae glared at her.
“If you remember correctly, I did try, but I decided it wasn’t for me,” Rae said tartly.Domi opened her mouth to say something—probably an argument—but Rae pointed her finger at her.“Besides, we’re focusing on Avery right now, not me.”
“Fine.”Domi rolled her eyes.“But we’re coming back to this, eventually.”
Ignoring her, Rae twisted in the booth, so she could look directly at Avery.Making a face, Avery took another sip of her martini.It was a little disconcerting to have both of them so focused on her.She knew she was the third wheel in their bestie friendship, and she was okay with that.Partly because she was used to not having a best friend and partly because it was hard for her to open up to people.
Best friends tended to expect to be told all sorts of secrets.Avery didn’t have any earth-shattering ones, but she wasn’t great at sharing much about herself.Maybe because she got out of the habit back home when it seemed like anything she said was judged or misinterpreted.The kinksters in Atlanta she’d met had been friendly, but none of them had sucked her into their friendship circle the way Domi and Rae had.
“What’s the worst that could happen if you and Nick do the class together?”Rae asked.
Avery’s stomach twisted.Even making herself say the words was hard.
“He could decide things wouldn’t work out between us because I’m messed up in the head for liking kink, everything becomes way too awkward in the kitchen, and he fires me.”She kept her voice low, wincing as her eyes dropped to the table.Looking at her friends to see their reactions was as hard as saying the words out loud.
There was a moment of silence, then Rae reached over to touch Avery’s arm gently.
“Sweetie, you know there’s nothing wrong with you for being kinky, right?”
Avery straightened in her seat.Yeah, of course, she knew that, but… She’d only told one friend back home about her interest in kink.Shannon had stared at her in horror and suggested Avery see a therapist.After that, she hadn’t tried to talk to any of her friends about it.Pressing her lips together, Avery nodded.
