Waiting on Tuesday

by Bella Settarra

  “Tanks fer dat. I’ve got a shift starting at six,” Tuesday explained with a grateful nod.

  “I don’t think you’ll be working tonight,” Charlotte told her.

  Tuesday was taken aback. “God in heaven, why ever not?”

  Charlotte giggled. “You were in pretty bad shape last night. You need to get some rest. The doctor’ll tell you how long you need to stay off work for. He’ll be round in a bit. I’ll see you later and one of us will be back to take the drip out as long as you keep drinking that water.” She shook her head incredulously as she wheeled the machine out the door.

  Tuesday sighed.

  “Are you eager to get back to work?” Paulette asked.

  “Too right I am. I love my job, and I’ve got rent to pay. I can’t do either while I’m holed up in here now, can I?”

  “I’m sure one night off can’t hurt,” Paulette told her. “You sure seem a lot brighter now.”

  “I feel fine, honestly,” Tuesday assured her, leaning over to pour herself a glass of water from the jug on the nightstand. She wasn’t going to give them any excuse to keep her in here a moment longer than necessary.

  Paulette smiled. “That’s good. Physically you’re doing well.”

  Tuesday felt a shudder down her back. But mentally you’re fucked! She took a long swig of her water. “Do you like being a counselor or therapist or whatever you call yourself?”

  Paulette smiled. “Looks like I’m busted,” she said.

  Tuesday looked at her quizzically.

  “Yes I do. It gives me a lot of pleasure knowing that I can help people,” she said. “Have you had therapy before?”

  “I had some when I broke my leg once, but not the kind you’re talking about. I’ve never had anyone messing with my head if that’s what you mean. Well, not in a professional capacity if you catch my drift.” Tuesday grinned, starting to feel a lot braver now that she knew she was going home.

  “Messing with your head? Is that what you think I do?” Thankfully, Paulette looked more intrigued than offended.

  “No offense or anything. I just think that sometimes you can overthink things, ya know? Let them roll round and round in your mind until they morph into something much worse than they really are. I’m not into that. What’s done is done and can’t be changed. No use in thinking about it so you just have to move on.” She took another swig of her water.

  “What sort of things roll round and round in your head? Memories, problems, bad dreams?” Paulette asked lightly.

  “Haha! See what I mean? You’re trying it on now. Trying to find out what’s inside my head so you can analyze it fer me. Well I’m sorry to disappoint you, lassie, but there’s nothing in there worth talking about. I just like to get on with my life, you know? Don’t think too hard. Now, where’s this doctor got to? It must be getting on fer lunchtime by now, surely?” Tuesday looked around for a clock. She didn’t wear a watch for work so had come without one, and she knew her cell phone would be back in her locker at the club.

  “He’ll be here as soon as he’s ready,” Paulette replied calmly.

  Tuesday was a little disappointed that the older lady didn’t get up and leave the room. She was trying to make it as clear as she could that she wasn’t in the mood for talking now. Or ever!

  “How do I get my clothes? Sure I could be getting ready while I wait fer him, could I not?” Tuesday glanced around the little room for any sign of her things. The room was only large enough for a bed and nightstand, one chair, and a few shelves on the wall with medical equipment on them. “Is there a cupboard under this ting?” She was examining the nightstand now.

  “Tuesday…” Paulette looked a little exasperated.

  “I hope they brought underwear,” the Irish girl went on, unperturbed. “I don’t mind showing the club everything I’ve got, but I don’t think a bare arse will go down too well in a place like this, you know? Make your patients feel even more sick than they are already.”

  “We don’t know for sure that you are going home until the doctor confirms it, so why don’t you just sit still and wait for him?” Paulette sounded quite stern, and Tuesday felt a little taken aback. She really was like a schoolmistress.

  “Are you causing trouble again Tuesday O’Leary?” A familiar voice chided her as the door opened.

  “Master Dan! What in hell kept ya, man? I’m still waiting on the doctor with my get out of jail free card. Any idea what’s keeping him?” Tuesday grinned at the sight of the handsome Dom, and her stomach did a little flip. He was dressed casually in jeans and white shirt, and she guessed he hadn’t been to work today.

  Dan came over and kissed her softly on the head. She felt his heat right through her body and sighed contentedly. Somehow he managed to make her feel relaxed and excited all at the same time. She loved feeling like that whenever he was around.

  “You must be her counselor?” Dan smiled at Paulette as he held out his hand and shook hers. Paulette was not unaffected by the handsome man. She flushed profusely as she stared up at him, nodding.

  “Paulette Simpson,” she concurred.

  “Dan Parker. I was with her when the paramedics arrived. How’s she doing?”

  Tuesday was surprised at how serious he sounded, and realized that he really was concerned about her. She felt a little pang inside her, though she wasn’t sure why.

  “Well, we haven’t actually talked yet, Mr. Parker.” Paulette gave Tuesday a withered look. “But physically she seems to be much better.”

  “I’m going home as soon as the doc gets here,” Tuesday announced.

  Dan looked back at her and raised one eyebrow quizzically. “Is that right?” He looked back to Paulette.

  “Possibly. The nurse is happy with her physical progress, but she can’t be discharged until the doctor has seen her. And I need to speak with her before the doctor will allow her to leave, too.”

  Tuesday noticed that Paulette had suddenly become a little more forthright now that Master Dan was here. Master Dan was very insistent on following rules and doing everything strictly by the book, and she just knew that he wouldn’t take her out of here until all the ‘t’s had been crossed and the ‘i’s dotted. Subconsciously she reached up and touched his arm. Master Dan looked around at her with only kindness in his eyes. He held her hand and perched on the side of the bed next to her.

  “Do you want to tell me what happened, little one?”

  His voice was like a cool wave on hot sand, washing through her head. A moment ago there was no way she’d ever talk about the incident. Now that Master Dan was asking her, it was different somehow. He put an arm around her, cradling her into his big, muscular body while he continued to hold her good hand around the glass. Tuesday sighed, not sure if it was contentment at his proximity or resignation because she knew she couldn’t refuse him. There was nowhere to hide, and she was in no position to just walk away this time.

  “That guy got annoyed with me last night. He shut me in a closet, that’s all,” she relented with a shrug.

  “Did you know this man?” Paulette asked quietly.

  She didn’t know why she did it, but Tuesday looked up at Master Dan right then. He didn’t look at her, but squeezed her tightly, reassuringly.

  She swallowed. “Sort of. He was a Dom at the club. We’d been playing for a while. I sort of wound him up a little.”

  Dan sniggered. “Nothing new there then, little one.” He turned to Paulette and explained, “Tuesday has a penchant for winding up the Doms. She seems to enjoy seeing how far she can go.”

  Paulette nodded. “Is that right, Tuesday?”

  She shrugged. There was no denying it. “I like to see them earn my submission. That asshole seemed to think he deserved it just because he wore a pair of leathers. That just doesn’t cut it with me.”

  “I see. And did he earn your submission?”

  “Not really. I submitted to him anyhow,” Tuesday said thoughtfully.

  “Why?”

  She sh
rugged. “Because I wanted him to beat me, I suppose. Though he wasn’t that good at it, to be fair.” She took another sip of her water, reluctantly feeling Master Dan’s hand fall away as she moved.

  Dan immediately refilled her water while Paulette was talking.

  “Why did you want him to beat you? And did it have to be him or could it have been anyone?”

  “Oh, I needed the beating, so I did. And no, I suppose it didn’t have to be him. Anyone from the club would do. I knew whoever went there would be safe so it didn’t really matter which Dom it was, though it helps if they’re good-looking.” She chuckled and felt Master Dan snigger next to her.

  Paulette smiled. “And by safe, do you mean that they wouldn’t really hurt you or safe in a sexual way—no STD’s or anything?”

  Tuesday squirmed a little awkwardly and felt her face go slightly red. “I didn’t have sex with the guy or anything,” she assured them, “but it’s good to know that if I had then it would have been all right. Everyone who joins the club gets regular checks on that score. No, I really meant that he wouldn’t hurt me any more than was acceptable. All the Doms go through a special sort of induction program before they’re let loose on us subs. And everyone gets checked out for criminal records and stuff. Master Dan’s very particular about all that.”

  She looked up at the handsome man next to her and was surprised at his uncomfortable expression. He squeezed her a little tighter, and she snuggled into him.

  “Actually, speaking of all that, I’d better get off to work. I’ve got loads to do with all the new members starting. Will you be all right, little one? I’ll come and collect you as soon as you’ve been given permission to leave.” Dan gently pulled his arm from around her and slid off the bed.

  Tuesday felt lost and was suddenly gripped by a mild panic. Dan must have seen it in her face.

  “You’ll be OK. Paulette will look after you until the doctor gets here and the staff at the desk will give me a call as soon as you’re ready to leave. I’ll be straight back to fetch you, all right?” His eyes were kind, and almost sad. He smiled as he bent down and kissed her gently on the cheek.

  Tuesday took a deep breath. For a workaholic like Master Dan, taking time out just for her was one hell of a sacrifice. When she had seen him in his Levi’s she had assumed he was taking the whole day off, but now she realized that she was wishing for too much.

  “I’ll be fine,” she told him as brightly as she could. “Just you get that butt of yours back here as soon as they call you, d’ya hear?”

  “I’ll be back to spank that butt of yours if you speak to me like that again, young lady,” he warned her with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Tuesday grinned as she watched his gorgeous body leave the room, hoping he wasn’t joking about that spanking he’d just promised her.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Dan felt like shit. He left his contact details with the front desk once more and climbed into his car. He knew it was best for Tuesday to speak to the counselor without him there, but he still felt like he had just fed her to the lions. He could tell it hadn’t been going well before he arrived, but at least it seemed like Tuesday was a bit more willing to talk now. He knew it was what Tuesday needed. She never spoke about herself, and he cursed himself for not trying harder to get her to. Last night had proven to him just how little he knew about the young sub, and he was ashamed.

  He didn’t bother to go home and change. When he’d left the house he hadn’t even thought of going into work today. Even after all he had drunk with Nathan last night he had found it hard to sleep. He blamed himself totally for the whole incident. He should have stuck to his guns when Dexter insisted on allowing unchecked members into the club. He should have told Nathan to watch Tuesday for him while he went upstairs.

  He grimaced. He hadn’t even told his best buddy how he felt about the little Irish sub. She had wormed her way into his heart a long time ago and was definitely there to stay. Trouble was, he wasn’t even sure if she knew it herself. And what if she didn’t feel the same? She never stayed around long enough after a scene to really enjoy any aftercare. It was almost as if she was afraid to let herself relax in front of anyone. She certainly never fell asleep like all the other subs after a heavy session. And when he tried to talk to her about her feelings, she just waved him off. No, there was a lot of pent-up emotion in that little sub, and he was sure that she was now in the right place to let it out.

  The parking lot at the club was almost empty. Most of the day staff would have gone for lunch now. Good. He didn’t fancy having to answer questions about last night. He slipped into his office on the top floor and helped himself to a coffee.

  “I thought it was you. Any news?” Nathan Faulkner stuck his head around the door before he had even sat down.

  “She’s OK,” he said with a sigh as he eased himself into his leather swivel chair.

  Nathan strode over to his desk and plunked himself on a chair opposite him. “So she’s awake?”

  Dan nodded. “Awake and running rings around the counselor when I arrived,” he said with a chuckle. “You know Tuesday!”

  “But she’s talking? Is the counselor getting anywhere?” Nathan frowned.

  Dan smacked his lips together. “She was starting to get her to open up when I left. That’s one reason why I left.” He took another sip of his coffee. “Tuesday had just started to talk about what happened with that asshole last night. I thought she’d do better without me breathing down her neck.”

  Nathan nodded. “There’s got to be more to it than that one incident—you saw the state she was in. That girl’s got issues only she knows about. I just hope she can find a way to talk about it.”

  “Me too. Physically she’s good to come home, but mentally…I don’t know.” Dan sighed again.

  “So, she could be out today?”

  “Yep. I’m waiting on a call to go fetch her. She needs to speak to this counselor-woman first though; the doc won’t go and discharge her unless she’s happy with her.”

  Nathan pulled a face. “I’ll bet Tuesday’s happy about that. Not!”

  Dan shook his head. “I just hope she doesn’t get any ideas about discharging herself, that’s all.”

  “Yeah, you never know with Tuesday. Actually, I wasn’t expecting to see you here today, bro. Shouldn’t you be getting some rest or something?” Nathan had been halfway to the door when he turned back.

  “I need to get these checks done. And I’m waiting for Dexter to get back off his fancy lunch so I can go and tell him exactly what I think about his idea of flouting our own rules just to get the cash in quicker.” Dan spoke through gritted teeth.

  “Good luck with that one, bro. If you need back up just holler, you hear?”

  “Thanks, buddy.” Dan was pleased for the support, and immediately started to sort through the referrals on his desk.

  He found Jenner’s toward the bottom of the pile. Damn, that meant he’d hardly got any checks done on him! He read through his notes and flicked to the referral letter attached to the back. He sneered when he noticed the guy had been referred by the manager of Ropes, a seedy little dive on the outskirts of town. Usually Dexter wouldn’t entertain the idea of allowing anyone from there into Collar and Cuffs. He frowned. Something must be really wrong if Dexter was this desperate for new members.

  Studying the meager information provided by Ropes, it seemed that Jenner hadn’t been a member for more than a couple of months. There didn’t seem to be any training programs in place for their members, and no details of even an induction course. He picked up the phone. Hopefully the staff there could provide him with some much-needed info on the guy.

  As he’d suspected, the manager was unavailable, but the receptionist was quite chatty. It seemed she had been working there for some time and knew all the members.

  “Mike Jenner? Oh yeah, I remember him. Joined us just after the takeover. He was pretty popular with the subs at first, but after they’d played with him for a ses
sion or two none of them bothered with him again. Seems it was only his looks that attracted them to him, anyway. He didn’t seem to know how to handle them unless they automatically did as he wanted. I think the subs get a bit bored of that, to be honest. They want to have a bit of banter sometimes and see how far they can push a Dom. Test his limits, so to speak.”

  Dan sighed. That was certainly what Tuesday wanted. “How did he react with bratty behavior?” He tried to sound casual.

  “He didn’t put up with it. I think he was a bit too harsh, to be honest. No one seemed to like him once they got to know him a little.” She paused and then her voice fell to a whisper. “He didn’t seem to be in control of himself, let alone anyone else. Lost it big-time last time he was here. I think that’s why he left in the end.”

  Dan guessed that she wasn’t really supposed to talk about the members. He thanked her for her trouble and replaced the receiver with a frown.

  Looking back at the referral he now realized why there wasn’t much information given about the fucker. Ropes was probably just glad to get rid of him. Their poor staff already had enough to cope with after their club suddenly changed hands practically overnight. Looked like a few of the local clubs were headed the same way too.

  His next port of call was Steve Ratner. He called him on his private number, not wishing to get caught up in the red tape of the local police department.

  “We had to let him go, bro,” Steve told him with a sigh. “Once he’d sobered up we questioned him, but he really hadn’t broken the law. Locking someone up is only an offense if it’s against their will, and Tuesday hadn’t objected to it.”

  “How the hell could she? She was gagged for fuck’s sake!” Dan spat down the phone.

  “I know, bro. But unfortunately the law’s a little gray where BDSM clubs are concerned. We gave him a good warning, though. He admitted that he just lost it. He hasn’t had any formal coaching either. I’ve told him to stay away from the clubs until he can find somewhere with a reputable training program.” Steve didn’t sound pleased with the outcome, but Dan had to concede that he was only doing his job.