Anchor Line

by Dawne Walters

  This was bullshit. He didn’t say any damn thing about her being a sub to him. Nothing of the sort even came up. Addie was a smart girl, she could probably guess that Lisa was a sub. One that he used every now and then and dismissed without care. Kind of like Susan. What he was trying to figure out though was why he was so pissed off. He’d never been pissed if a woman walked out on him. He had several others to take her place. But Addie…there was just something about her. No wonder Charles kept her on a string. If she only knew what a bastard Charles was though. He’d never say anything unless she asked though. He wasn’t that much of a dick to burst her bubble.

  Conrad blew through two yellow lights as he pushed the pedal down on his truck to try and bring him closer to the black Audi that he was trying to find in traffic. It was only a little after twelve, so traffic sucked big time. As he came up to the gate not seeing the Audi in traffic, he decided to wait in the back of the parking lot of her work. Stalkerish? Yeah, so fucking what. He wanted answers and he was going to get them. So, he backed in and put his truck in park. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed the front desk, knowing that it was manned all the time. No answer. Shit. That’s right, Claymore sent everyone to lunch. So he dialed another number.

  “Sergeant Gibbons.” Carl answered the phone.

  “It’s Renner. Has Jess heard from Addie?” Conrad asked cautiously.

  “Hey babe, you talk to Addie?” Carl asked as he held the phone.

  Conrad heard her tell him something but he couldn’t make out what it was.

  “She only texted that she came back from lunch early, rescheduled her appointments and took the rest of the day off. Why? What’s going on?” Carl asked as Jessica was talking in the background.

  “Lisa happened.” Conrad answered.

  “Oh holy fuck.” Was Carl’s only answer. “I told you man. That bitch is fierce. She’s been wanting another piece of you forever.”

  “Yeah, no shit.” Conrad said. “What does she drive?”

  “Lisa? I don’t…”

  “No, Addie. What does Addie drive?” Conrad was almost yelling in the phone. He was almost panicked. Over a woman. What the fuck was wrong with him. He’d never been like this before. He heard Carl ask and Jessica didn’t seem to inclined to answer the question if Conrad was the problem.

  “Baby it’s important.” Carl crooned. “Two tone grey ‘88 Z24.”

  “Seriously?” Conrad was shocked her car was so old. It must look like shit. But he immediately started scanning the few cars in the parking lot.

  “Jess said she heard you and that it was in great condition.” Carl answered.

  “Appreciate it man. You guys headed to the Messo this weekend?” Conrad asked.

  “Hell yeah, especially since we are going to the field on Monday for two weeks.” Carl chuckled. “Grubs here man, have a good weekend. See you at the Messo.”

  “Yeah, count on it.” Then Conrad hung up.

  He put the truck in drive and drove all over the parking lot. Twice. Yet he didn’t see her car. Unless the guy she was with knew a shortcut she was already gone. But, Jess said that she’d rescheduled her appointments. What the actual fuck was going on? He was getting even more pissed. Pissed that this shit actually mattered.

  “Fuck it.” He mumbled to himself. Then his phone dinged for a text message alert.

  Carl: Ck the back lot. She parks there.

  Conrad: Tks.

  Carl: Np

  Thank God for the power of persuasion of a Dom over a sub. Conrad didn’t even know there was a back lot. As he pulled out of the main parking lot, he saw Addie’s car make a right out of the back parking lot. She was headed off post. So, he decided to follow at a discreet distance. Yes, he was still pissed, but he’d figure it out as he went along. So for now, he’d follow her. Once off post, she’d gone straight home. He knew the area, he had a few soldiers that lived out this way. Not the greatest, just older. He passed her as she pulled into a small apartment building complex of just four buildings. Then he swung around at the next four-way stop and turned around, then gunned it back to her buildings.

  He pulled off the road, got out and ran alongside the front building just as Addie was making her way up the sidewalk to her apartment door. Score! Now he knew where she lived so that he could come over and help her move. He just had to find out what time and where her new apartment was. As he walked back to his truck and got it in, his phone was ringing. Ah, perfect timing. ‘Big Boobs’ as Addie called her was calling him. So, he hit the green button and answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey hot stuff.” Candy exuded sexy into her voice. “What are you doing tonight?”

  “I haven’t thought that far yet.” He answered. “What about you?”

  “Well, I am getting out of here in like three hours and was going to hit my big jacuzzi tub. Wanna join me? I can hold my breath underwater a really…long…long time.” She whispered sexily.

  Conrad looked at his phone and chuckled. “That does sound rather appealing.” Then the idea hit him. “I’ll do it on one condition.”

  “Mmm, anything you want baby.” Candy was practically panting into the phone.

  “My friend Addie that I was there with. The one that signed for an apartment. A friend of mine has a crush on her and wants to surprise her at her apartment tomorrow to help her move in.” Conrad spoke into the phone. “Can you break your rules just once to help me help a friend?”

  “Well I don’t know honey.” Candy sounded unsure, all the sexy gone from her voice.

  He had to get her on his side, even if he had to be a bastard about it. “I won’t be able to come over tonight and suck on those big luscious tits of yours if you don’t help me babe. I’ll have to help Addie move myself.”

  “Hold on.” Candy paused for a moment. Conrad heard shuffling around. “Building eight, the new one in the back, by the construction. Apartment 4B. It faces the apartments beside us.”

  Sweet Jesus. Conrad was ready to go to church and thank God and all that was holy. He would be able to see her apartment from his. He put his phone down and then realized that Candy was still on the line, talking in a sexy whisper that ordinarily wouldn’t get on his nerves. But it was.

  “Hey babe, let me get this other call, text me your apartment number and building okay?”

  “Oh, I don’t live here. I live in a house.” Candy giggled. “I’ll text you directions.”

  “Perfect. Gotta go.” And he promptly hung up before she could say anything.

  Conrad had no intention of going over to Candy’s house tonight or any other night for that matter. He beat feet back home and when he turned down his street, he made a last minute decision to pull into Addie’s new apartment complex. He drove all the way to the back and sure as shit. Her building was right across from his. He pulled in front of the building and let his truck running, looking for 4B on the second floor. Score again. She faced him too. Getting back into his truck, he made his way home.

  Addie looked around her almost packed living room. Her mom must have been by. There were boxes in the kitchen and dining room and in her bedroom and bathroom. Everything was off the walls and wrapped up in brown wrapping paper. Even her linens were off her bed. Just a sleeping bag and a pillow with a little teddy bear on top and a note.

  You have been working so hard. I thought I would help out. Love you baby girl. Amore’Mama

  Almost in tears now, she put the note on her night table and changed into a pair of baggy, holey jeans and a Pittsburgh Steelers t-shirt that her dad had gotten her last year, and started to pack the stuff her mom didn’t get to. Packing was going to help her get over that disastrous fifteen minutes that was called lunch and the stupid blonde bimbos that Conrad kept on a string. After a few hours, she realized that it was five-thirty, she decided to put on some shoes and socks and head out for her favorite Thai food place that was closer to her new apartment. She was glad of that. But first, Target, to get a new coffee pot.

  T
arget was her weakness. She loved to shop there. But, she was on a mission, and was in and out with a coffee maker and some more filters for just forty dollars. On her way to her favorite Thai place, the belt on her car slipped just as she made it in the parking lot and she coasted into a parking spot up front luckily.

  Sliding out of her car, she decided to fix the belt on her car first and then go in for take-out. It wasn’t too hard to fix. The belt was a little too big and the engine was easy to maneuver around. So she tugged on it a bit to slide it over the wheel with the help of a screwdriver and made sure that it was in the groove. The tensioner was as tight as it would go. The belt itself wasn’t expensive, she just never made time to go and get it and then she’d have to put it on. Sometimes, it was just easier for her to lift the hood and slide the belt back on and wait for it to slip off again.

  That done, she went inside and smiled when she saw that the owners were up front taking orders. Dao and Gee were great people. She’d gotten to know them the past few years since her father got stationed here. She made small talk and then excused herself to the restroom to wash her hands. When she was done, she sat up at the bar and ordered a Shirley Temple while she waited.

  “What’s wrong with your car?”

  That deep mellow voice just hit her in the gut and made goose bumps pop up all over her. Why did that bastard have to have a deep voice and hot body? Why couldn’t he be a…oh, who knows. Just someone that she wasn’t attracted to. Someone who didn’t have submissives every time she turned around. She’d keep it cool. Mellow.

  “Ah, Staff Sergeant Renner.” She turned in her stool to face him. “No. Nothing wrong with my car.” She smiled a fake smile.

  “Then why were you under the hood?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “I had nothing else better to do and thought I’d monkey with the serpentine belt.” She picked up her drink and sipped through the straw.

  Holy guacamole he looked hot. Jeans, and dark blue t-shirt that stretched over his muscles. His dark brown hair was longer on the top and regulation on the sides. It was perfectly messy, like he’d just climbed out of the shower and shook his head to…Oh dear Lord, what was she thinking? She’d never really noticed his hair before. Weird. Looking at her drink, she wondered if Dao hadn’t spiked it. The guy was a total jerk to her at lunch. She wasn’t about to forget that.

  “You’re driving around with a loose serpentine belt?” He tilted his head a little. “Now that you’ve been promoted, surely you can afford a new one can’t you?”

  “I could afford one before. I just hadn’t gotten around to fixing it.” She sipped a little of her drink and looked around for ‘Big boobs Susan’ as she’d so aptly named her. Or his recent one, Lisa.

  “Where’s your date?”

  Conrad tilted his head to the left and right as though his neck were stiff before answering her. “No date. Looks like it’s just you and me.”

  Addie smiled genuinely now and reached in her glass to pull one of the maraschino cherries out by the stem. “Well, we aren’t on a date.” She popped the cherry into her mouth and pulled lightly on the stem.

  He groaned. It was low, and it was short, but she’d heard it. Oh, it was on now. She was going to have fun.

  “Tell you what there skippy.” She took another sip from the straw. “If you can tie a knot in this cherry stem, we’ll eat together. You can tell me all about your lunch date with Lisa. If you can’t…well then, we eat alone. Separately.” She held the cherry stem between her finger and thumb.

  Conrad didn’t move. He huffed a breath through his nose at her. “Eat together. Here?” He blew off the Lisa comment totally.

  “I ordered take out. We can go to your place if you want. Mine’s all packed up. Boxes everywhere.” She shrugged her shoulders.

  He could do that. He’d already seen where she lived though. “Eat at my place? Why, do you still live with mommy and daddy?”

  “Nah.” She shook her head. “I’m just…in the mood for a scenery change.” She shrugged. “Besides, I’m still mad at you from lunch.”

  “Ah, an I have to tie a knot in that for your company to make up for lunch?” He didn’t sound very sure of himself.

  “If you can’t hang.” She eluded, sweetly, batting her eyelashes.

  “Sugar, I don’t have to tie cherry stems with my mouth to get women to come over for dinner.”

  “Aw, how sweet. I’ll bet you just rely on your looks and your dick.” She tilted her head to the side. “Here’s a real challenge. But, hey, if you can’t do…no…if you won’t do it. You can always call big boo…”

  “Give me the fucking stem.” He pulled the stem from her fingers cutting her off. He popped it in his mouth and chewed and shifted for a moment. “If I do this, we eat at your house.” He mumbled.

  “Deal.” She exclaimed. “All my stuff is packed, but we can put everything on boxes and still watch TV. I’ll even let you spend the night. It’ll be great.” Confident that she was going to win, she set her glass on the bar and crossed her arms over her chest at her little joke for him to spend the night.

  He chewed and flexed his jaw for what seemed like a few minutes and finally he stopped. He took Addie’s hand and held it cupped in front of his lips. Slowly, he opened his mouth and on his tongue was the cherry stem. He pushed it off his tongue with his upper lip and it fell into the palm of her hand. Letting her go, she lowered her hand slowly so that she could see the cherry stem and her mouth fell open in astonishment.

  Two knots were in the stem. Two! She was so screwed. It was about this time that Gee came out with two plastic bags of their carry out dinners and set them on the bar.

  “Here you go guys. Have a great night.” Gee said happily as he looked from Conrad to Addie and smiled as if he knew what was going on.

  “Thanks.” Conrad said as he picked up his bag.

  “Thanks Gee.” Addie said distractedly, still looking at he stem in her hand.

  “Miss Marshall…” Conrad smiled brightly. “After you.” He swept his hand toward the door to indicate that it was time to go.

  Chapter Eight

  Addie picked up her bag and slowly walked to her car and got in. For some reason, she put the cherry stem in the console of her car. She started her car and put it in gear and backed out. She saw that Conrad was behind her and she started off to her apartment. She even thought about trying to lose him in traffic and thought better of it. It would just show that she was a coward. And she wasn’t. So, she slowed when she got to the turnoff and pulled into the small, worn down complex, and into her spot. Conrad pulled into the available spot next to her. She pushed the seat forward to get the bag that had her coffee maker in it and her dinner in the other and locked her car. Conrad locked his truck with his key fob and waited for Addie to lead the way to her apartment.

  Conrad followed her car through traffic with no problems given the evening hour that most people would have been out. It was only six-thirty, the traffic was mild on the south side of town. She pulled into her little complex, and Conrad took it in for the first time since he’d followed her there earlier. A rather old apartment complex with faded brick buildings and railings with peeling black paint. The grass was worn in front of the buildings, and the parking lot had some pot holes that had been filled with dirt. He eyed the cars around the four buildings and saw that most of them were actually nice cars. A few ones, like Addie’s Z-24 were older. But there weren’t many.

  He watched her pull her dinner and another bag from her car and followed her quietly to her apartment. He was secretly hoping that the inside was nicer than the out. As she opened the black door to 3G his nostrils were hit with the scent of eucalyptus. He knew what it was. His sisters used it all the time in their houses in Pennsylvania.

  “It’s not glamorous right now, but its home until eight o’clock tomorrow when the movers come.” Addie said, as she ushered Conrad to walk past her.

  Smiling at her, Conrad walked down the short bare hallwa
y. He imagined that it might have held family pictures at one time. The hallway spilled into a large living/dining area. The dining area on the left, and the kitchen just beyond. The living room was on the right. She had a large olive green sofa that boasted several pillows of the same color as well as some tan and dark brown ones. In front of it sat a heavy looking sofa table that had magazines for fitness and cooking. The sliding glass door was covered with the standard vertical blinds, that were pulled back to let the sun in. She set her bags down on the kitchen counter and moved over to the blinds and closed them. Then turned on the two lamps next to the sofa.

  “We can eat in the dining room or in the living room. I have a small TV. So, if you have glasses, I’d recommend putting them on.” She tried joking to lighten either the mood or her nerves she wasn’t sure.

  “Where ever is fine.” Conrad smiled at her as he walked to the dining area.

  The dining room was small. She only had a small black wrought iron bistro set in the small square space. He set his bag on the little bistro table and watched Addie set her new coffee maker box on the faded old laminate. The cabinets looked like pieces of lacquered ply wood from the seventies with yellow laminate and appliances so old, they were sure to be on their last leg.

  “I have bottled water and unsweet tea.” Addie said turning around to face Conrad with a look of unease on her face. “I have OJ too. But, I don’t think that’ll set well with Thai food.”

  “Water’s fine Sugar.” Conrad walked up to her smiling. “You seem nervous.”

  She waived her arms around at the cabinets in her kitchen. “This isn’t really what a Sergeant Majors kid should be living in I suppose. You must have been expecting something more.” She chuckled nervously. “But, I wanted to prove to my family that I could make it on my own.”

  Conrad stopped in front of her. “You’ve done very well for yourself. It’s clean and tidy except for the boxes. But I’m sure it suited you when it was decorated. I’m sure I’d like it.” He smiled down at her.