United

by Karen Nappa

  Chris stepped away, and Kate moved in behind her. Another flogger hit her. This one bit into her flesh, and Yvonne recognized the eight-tail braided flogger. She loved and hated that one and the need to come amplified.

  “Oh, please, please,” Yvonne pleaded for permission to come, falling back into Dutch. “Alsjeblieft, mag ik komen?”

  “Sounds like our sub is getting desperate.” Chris’ voice was laced with amusement.

  Kate’s only answer was her bright laughter. Yvonne loved Kate’s melodic laugh and told her Mistress, “Ik hou van uw lach.”

  “She’s deep in la-la-land.” Chris’ words didn’t make sense, but she could listen to him all day.

  “Yes, let’s finish this part and give her a few moments before we move to the scaffold.”

  Yvonne couldn’t take more, could she? “Nee, niet meer.” But she wanted it; she wanted it all and more.

  “… safeword?” Kate’s question reached her foggy mind.

  “Nee, geen safeword. Meer!” She shook her head against the bench. She wanted more, she did.

  “Yvonne, angel?” Yvonne peeled open her eyes. Chris was kneeling in front of her. She smiled at him. “Je bent zo knap.” He was handsome, the most handsome man she’d ever seen.

  “Angel, we need you to focus,” Chris insisted. Focus? “Can you answer us in English?” Engels?

  The fog receded, and her surroundings became clear. Oh right, Club Indigo, Kansas City, Chris, and Kate. “Have I been talking Dutch again?”

  “Yes, angel.” Kate pressed a tender kiss to her back, and Yvonne shivered in delight.

  Chris stroked her hair. “Are you good to continue, or have you have enough?”

  “Oh no, I’m good. I can take more, I want more,” Yvonne rushed to answer.

  Chris gave her a sweet kiss and breathed against her lips. “Good to know because we want more, too. Kate is going to switch you, and after she’s finished, I’m going to take a paddle to your ass.”

  “Sounds good,” Yvonne rested her head back on the leather.

  Chris had his head in the clouds as he remembered the previous weekend’s play with Yvonne and Kate, and almost missed James’ statement. “There’s a rumor going around that you’re going to be a father.”

  His head flew back in a double take as he checked to make sure no one else was in the construction trailer. Of course there wasn’t! He recovered himself quickly. “Lots of rumors floating around. I overheard one of the new guys today say that we’re giving everyone a raise next month. I asked how much. He said, ‘Don’t you know?’” Even to Chris’ ears his laughter was forced.

  “You’re changing the subject.”

  “No, I’m not. We were talking about rumors.” Chris kept a big grin on his face.

  “Spill, Smith. Is it true?” James’ Dom-look could scorch the flesh of someone’s skin.

  “Yeah, it’s true. Yvonne is pregnant. I’m the father.”

  “What about Kate?”

  “What do you mean?” Chris’ skin tingled. “Kate’s also the mother. This child will have three parents.”

  “That’s pretty fast off the mark. You’ve only been together, what, three months?” James brows formed a deep V above his eyes, reminding Chris of James’ grandfather.

  The older man had raised James after his parents died, and Chris had spent many hours with them in their youth. He inhaled deeply to shake off his unsettlement at the uncanny resemblance. “Sometimes, you just know when something’s right.”

  “So you planned this baby?”

  “Plan, shplan.” He lifted his shoulders. “Planning is overrated sometimes. We’re in love. Yvonne and I have an appointment with an immigration lawyer next week to find out what we have to do to get her a green card besides getting married. We’re going to be moving into Kate’s upper unit sometime in the near future and before I forget, will you be best man at the wedding?”

  James was speechless and it thrilled Chris. For as long as they’d known each other, James had always been the one who knew what to say in any circumstance. To see him standing there with his mouth open as he struggled to process all the information Chris had thrown at him was an absolute joy.

  “Cat got your tongue, bro?”

  James spluttered. “Y-you, you. You did that deliberately. Of course, I’ll be your best man. When’s the wedding? Have you told your parents they’re finally going to get a grandchild?”

  “We’re thinking Valentine’s Day for the wedding. I took Kate and Yvonne to Arizona for Thanksgiving, and my father threw us out, so no, I haven’t told them. What’s the point? They’re narrow-minded dinosaurs when it comes to non-traditional relationships.”

  “How much did you tell them, and did you give them time to get used to the idea before you presented them with your future ‘wives’?” He used air quotes around the last word.

  “I told them I was bringing friends for Thanksgiving, and my mother apparently missed the plural. They were pretty shocked. But my father was flat out rude, and he disowned me. What was I supposed to do?”

  “Have you talked to either of them since?”

  Chris shook his head.

  James crossed his arms. “Your parents are good people, Chris. Maybe they just need a little time to get used to the idea and a little finesse in how it’s presented. News of a grandchild might go a long way toward making things right with them. The wedding won’t hurt either. Speaking of which, how does Kate feel about that?”

  “It was Kate’s idea. She knows the immigration lawyer as a client and got a lot of information from him about how these things work. I don’t know what we’d do if Yvonne weren’t Dutch, but given the circumstances, we’re doing what we need to do to make things work. Kate will be the maid of honor, of course. She stays our Mistress, and it works all the way around.”

  “You might want to leave that part out when you talk to your parents.” James’ lips twitched and the lines beside his eyes crinkled.

  “No, I was going to lead with the BDSM,” Chris said sarcastically. “Give me a little credit, man. Seriously, James. Do you have any ideas about how to get them to come around?”

  “Would you like me to talk to them for you?”

  Chris choked up a bit. How had he deserved this amazing friend? “I’ll have to think about that.” He blinked and cleared his throat. “Hey, who told you about the baby, anyway? We haven’t told anyone but Yvonne’s aunt and uncle.”

  “Laura told me. Apparently, Suzie spotted it first. If you let your pregnant girlfriend parade around the club naked, you have to realize someone is going to catch on.”

  “Great. So now, for all practical purposes, everyone knows.”

  James lost control over his grin, and they both burst out laughing.

  Yvonne chewed on her pen during the weekly menu discussion at The Sweet and Savory Table on Saturday morning. She wasn’t a partner, only part-time help, but since she joined Club Indigo Sonja and Suzie had involved her more and more in their day-to-day business. Today, she was wishing she had a green card or a visa that would let her work for them for real and missed part of the conversation.

  “I’d like to do something special to bring in more customers as well as keep our regulars happy. I know our products are selling well, but we need to keep innovating to attract new people,” Sonja stated.

  Suzie stretched and rolled her shoulders. “I agree, but somehow I haven’t had much inspiration lately. All I seem to do is keep the peace between Abby and Tim.” She sighed. “Teenagers!”

  Yvonne remembered how she and her sister had fought growing up. From the time Yvonne was six and Els was eight until Els left home to study in Eindhoven, they fought about anything and everything. Somehow Els moving out triggered a change, and the sisters got along well from then on. Now she missed Els, her last living relative besides her Tante Wilma. She didn’t miss Haarlem, but she did miss some of the Dutch foods, like chocolate sprinkles on her bread for breakfast! And she longed for a kroket.

>   Yvonne shot upright and almost poked her eye out with her pen. She ignored it and blurted out her idea. “We could do a Dutch week!”

  Sonja paused with her mouth wide open.

  Whoops, Sonja had been mid-sentence by the looks of it. Yvonne felt her cheeks heat, and she cursed her fair skin silently. “Sorry.”

  Suzie studied her with a pensive gaze in her eyes. “No, don’t be. Please continue, Yvonne.”

  Yvonne looked from Suzie to Sonja and back. She took a deep breath and launched into her explanation. Both women listened with growing attention until she finished her monologue. “There must be more Dutch people here or people who are curious about other cultures, right?”

  Suzie looked puzzled. “Croquet sounds French to me, what is it?”

  Yvonne smiled. “Oh believe me it’s very Dutch and we also make them in a smaller version called bitterballen.” At the stunned expressions on their faces, she chuckled. “Yeah, I know it doesn’t sound good but it tastes great! Basically, it’s a deep fried roll filled with meat, shellfish, fish, cheese, mashed potatoes or vegetables, mixed with béchamel or brown sauce, and shaped into a cylinder, disk, or oval covered in breadcrumbs – bitterbal is the snack variety”

  Sonja looked doubtful but Suzie became more excited. She loved trying new foods. “Let’s try to make them and have a tasting at Club Indigo tonight.” Suzie seemed to be unable to sit still and her voice rose in volume. “We could also make two of the pastries.”

  Yvonne hoped she wouldn’t screw it up and she took in a fortifying breath. “I’d like that, but I have to call Tante Wilma. I hope she can manage today without me.” Yvonne excused herself to make her phone call.

  After an afternoon of experimenting in the café kitchen, Yvonne and Suzie decided on bite-sized beef bitterballen. Their first try had been an utter disaster. The balls had disintegrated in the deep fryer. Yvonne had been ready to abandon the idea, but Suzie laughed it away and told her, “shit happens.” They also made a batch with cheese filling which was Sonja’s favorite and Dutch hazelnut meringue cream cakes, called hazelinos.

  Now Yvonne proudly made a round through the main room at Club Indigo with a plate full of golden-brown balls the diameter of a quarter. She halted at James and Laura’s table. Laura looked stunning in her purple corset and Yvonne admired how well the woman wore her age with grey-streaked hair and a few lines that gave her face character. “These have beef in them, but we have a vegetarian version, too.”

  James smiled at her and his gaze collided with hers. “I’m impressed you remembered my preferences, pet. I’d love to try those.” He stroked Laura’s neck along her collar, and she turned her head to give him more access. Heat gathered in Yvonne’s belly as she witnessed the sensual play between the couple. She envied their connection and she hoped to reach the same level of intimacy with Kate and Chris one day, too.

  “We also brought a sweet treat,” Yvonne said politely, “and I’ll be right back with the cheese bitterballen.”

  “I love it when you talk dirty!”

  Two strong arms snaked around her from behind and Chris chuckled in her ear as he steadied the plate. She tried to turn but he halted her movement with the pressure of his arms.

  “What have you brought us and why aren’t you serving us topless.”

  Yvonne turned her head to make eye contact and gave him a smile as sweet as the hazelinos they had also made. “These are Dutch specialties. We’re doing a tryout for The Sweet and Savory Table.” She twisted out of his grip and pushed the plate between them, “If you want to see my breasts, you can always negotiate a scene with me.”

  Behind her, Laura chuckled and then groaned. Yvonne had to concentrate not to look behind her to see what James was doing. At this rate her thong would be soaked before she even got to a scene. She fixed her gaze on Chris who wore a grin on his face and mirth in his eyes. He lifted a treat from her plate and popped it into his mouth.

  He chewed, closed his eyes and groaned. As soon as he swallowed, his eyes popped open and he scooped two others from her plate. “Delicious.” He winked. “Find me and Kate when you’ve finished your rounds.”

  The sign on the door read Ellis and Associates, attorneys-at-law, but the noises coming from inside reminded Yvonne of an out-of-control children’s party. “Are you sure this is the right place?” she whispered to Chris.

  “Sign says so, but maybe he’s running a daycare center on the side?” Chris winked at her. “I don’t know about the noise, but everyone sounds happy, so I take that as a good sign.”

  He opened the door and ushered her in. The noise level increased markedly, but the young woman seated at the desk facing her seemed oblivious to the noise. Without looking at them, she said, “Buenos días,” followed by a string of rapid Spanish and handed them a clipboard which Yvonne took.

  “This makes no sense!” Yvonne handed the clipboard to Chris. “What language is this? Latin?”

  “No, angel, it’s in Spanish.” He turned to the receptionist. “Excuse me, miss; we don’t speak Spanish. I think you’ve given us the wrong form.”

  The woman looked up at them, lingered on their blond hair, and dropped her gaze to her desk. She glanced at the stack of clipboards and selected a different one. “Please take a seat and fill this out. Mr. Ellis will be with you shortly.” She turned back to her computer, clearly dismissing them once more from her mind.

  Yvonne looked around the room for empty chairs. It wasn’t a large area, but every surface seemed to be covered with children or toys. There must have been twenty under the age of five or six and several older children who seemed to be in charge. She only saw three adults besides themselves and the receptionist. A woman who looked to be in her fifties looked up and waved them over, moving a child and toys off two chairs for them.

  They picked their way through the other children and toys without incident and joined the woman.

  “Buenos días,” Chris said politely.

  The woman responded in kind and continued in Spanish. Chris made the universal gesture of surrender. “No hablo Español, señora. ¿Habla usted Inglés?”

  “Un poco. Me llamo Maria.” She tapped her chest. “¿Y tú?” She indicated him.

  “Me llamo Chris. Se llama Yvonne.” He turned to Yvonne. “I have now used up my high school Spanish. Everything else I know I learned from the day laborers we take on occasionally, and most of that isn’t polite.” He turned back to Maria. “Lo siento, Maria. I’m sorry I don’t speak any more.”

  “Is okay.” She lifted her hands with the palms up. “You,” Maria pointed at both of them, “you married?”

  “Not yet.” Chris folded his long legs under the plastic chair. “We’re engaged. Yvonne is Dutch. From the Netherlands. We need immigration help.”

  “Todos, all,” Maria indicated the room, “all need help with la migra. Señor Ellis, he good man. He will help.”

  The inner office door opened, and a young man who looked to be still in high school escorted out a couple. They spoke Spanish as the couple collected three of the children from the group and left. He glanced around the room and did a double take when his eyes took in Chris and Yvonne. He walked over. “Josh Ellis. You must be the Van Dijks.”

  “I am Yvonne Van Dijk. This is my fiancé, Chris Smith.” She stood and held out her hand to shake.

  “Good to meet you.” The young man shook hands with both of them. “Why don’t you come back to my office and we can discuss what you need.”

  Miss Clara, one of The Sweet and Savory Table’s regulars, patted her arm when Yvonne stopped to check on her. “The food really is lovely, dear. I think it’s a wonderful idea to introduce new foods. I never would have thought to put fried eggs on top of ham and cheese. It tastes delicious.”

  “I’m so glad you like it, Miss Clara.” Yvonne smiled at the kind old lady and looked at the menu:

  12 o’clock (2 slices of bread with Gouda cheese, ham and 2 eggs sunny side up, potato salad and tomato soup)

&
nbsp; 2 Croquets on fresh rolls served with mustard (fried food roll filled with meat mixed with béchamel sauce shaped into a cylinder covered in a bread crumbed crust)

  Healthy Heart Attack (Ham and cheese sandwich with tomato, cucumber, coleslaw and hard-boiled egg served on a small baguette)

  Speculaas/Spiced biscuits (cookies made with brown sugar and a spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and pepper))

  Frisian Sugar Bread (2 slices of soft white bread with crunchy sugar candy)

  Bossche Balls (supersized profiterole, dunked in glossy dark chocolate)

  Banquet Bar (Dutch Flaky Pastry Log with Almond Paste)

  Hazelinos (Dutch Hazelnut Meringue Cream Cake)

  “Can I get you some dessert?”

  “What do you recommend dear? I’ve already eaten a lot,” Miss Clara patted her stomach.

  “I think you should try the Speculaas, they’re spiced cookies, and you can always take home any you don’t want to eat here.” Yvonne pointed at the menu.

  “That sounds perfect.” Miss Clara gave another affectionate pat on Yvonne’s arm.

  “I’ll bring them right out.”

  Yvonne continued circulating around the room, thrilled with the reactions people had to the Dutch menu. Miss Clara wasn’t the only one enjoying the new tastes. Yvonne received multiple compliments. At the end of the day, Sonja surprised her by pulling her into a big hug. “This was a brilliant idea, Yvonne. Thank you so much.”

  “I’m happy to help out. I was feeling a little bit homesick when I suggested it. I’m glad it’s worked out so well. Maybe after I get my immigration status straightened out, I can do more for you.”

  “Honey, you have a job here any time you want it, once you can legally work. I know we shouldn’t have been using you like we have, but you’re a breath of fresh air and you have a real feeling for service and what people will like.” Sonja let go of Yvonne’s arm. “But your day here is done, so why don’t you get going now.”