by Sera, Drew
“I n-need insurance and the m-money, S-sir.”
I looked in her eyes and searched for her.
“You don’t. You can take a leave of absence and still have insurance. I’ll see to that. Don’t worry about the money.” She started to open her mouth to argue with me so I put my index finger over her lips. “Don’t. End of conversation.”
She nodded and leaned her head back down against me.
“Do you think Anthony is mad at me?”
“Why would he be? Because of Howard? Baby, that’s not your fault. There are some things you don’t know about Anthony yet, baby. He’s very protective of you. I know that’s a lot for you to take in right now. But trust me when I say that he will go to the end of the world for you. He’s a tough guy and can hold his own when it comes down to physical altercations. So, trust me, he’s not angry with you.”
Leslie brought us up some sandwiches around noon from the deli downstairs. Sydney ate about half of her sandwich but looked lost and like her mind was elsewhere. I knew it was doing it’s damage. Howard managed to seep his way into her safe haven of work. She was overthinking things and second-guessing herself. All things we will work on.
“Okay baby, lets go see Master Anthony.”
I told Leslie that I’d be gone for the rest of the day and that we were going to go see Anthony. Sydney had her arms wrapped around her midsection as we walked through the atrium. I kept my arm around her shoulder and gently squeezed every now and then to remind her that I was right there and that she was safe. The area where the altercation had been this morning was roped off with yellow tape and there were people cleaning. I suddenly was hit with the realization that this could trigger her. You could smell cleaning products and it was obvious that blood had been on the ground. I quickly got Sydney outside and walked toward the parking garage without incident. I kept talking to her the entire way to the hospital but I knew she’d start to feel better once she actually saw Anthony. When I parked, I sent Matt a text to let him know we had arrived. He was going to meet us at the front desk to the ER.
“Colin, Sydney. How are you two?” Matt asked as he approached. He spent a fair amount of time looking Sydney over to assess her himself.
“We’re alright. Little bit of shock but otherwise okay.”
“Come on, he’s right this way.”
We followed Matt down the hall and Anthony was sitting on an exam table with his shirt off and was talking to James and Mitch. But when we entered the room, all conversations stopped and that same intensity that I had seen in Anthony’s eyes before, was back when he looked at her.
James, Hannah and Mitch excused themselves and once they left, I encouraged Sydney to go see Anthony. Sydney went to hug him but he stopped her and took hold of her hands. He moved her sleeves to see if she had been cut.
“Are you okay, Anthony?” She asked him.
He looked down in her eyes and he only nodded. I think it caught him off guard because he was quiet. Anthony was a tough guy. I’ve known his childhood was probably rough and he developed that tough guy shell early on. Anthony wasn’t at all concerned about the cut on his arm. While the altercation was going on, he was still calm enough to keep Sydney at a safe distance while maintaining the physical contact that he knew she needed. Sydney looked up at his stitched arm and then backed away from Anthony and stood next to me as she wrapped her arms around her midsection again.
“Sunshine, come here.”
She shook her head and began to look like she felt trapped in the room.
“Baby, he’s okay.”
“It’s my fault he got hurt.”
Matt was rubbing something over the stitches but Anthony jumped off the table and went over to where she was standing. He picked up her hand and pushed back the sleeve to expose her wrist burns.
“The same bastard that gave you these was the one who cut my arm. Not you. Not my sunshine. Understand?”
He waited until she nodded and quickly followed it with “yes, Sir.” Then he bent and kissed her cheek and brought her back over to the exam table.
“Now, stay by me while Dr. Matt attempts to fix my arm.” Anthony winked at her and it was like he just invented fire. She smiled and was quickly returning to herself.
Matt and I shared a glance and we were both thinking the same thing. She has gotten under Anthony’s skin. I stepped outside the room to talk to Mitch, Hannah and James. Mitch said the police were at work and arrested Howard and James had given the police all my contact info. Thankfully that little prick was behind bars. I would do whatever I could to make sure that fucker is prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Bastard nearly kills Sydney and then has the balls to walk into my building to try to attack her again and then stabs my CFO and best friend. Fucking idiot.
“He’ll be fine. He should ice his hand some this evening,” Matt said quietly to me. I glanced down at his hand and saw his knuckles on his right hand were red.
I got home with Anthony and Sydney by 4:30. Anthony didn’t bother bringing home his bloodied white shirt. Matt had an extra tee shirt in his office that he sent Anthony home in. As I drove I thought about how it was probably the first time Sydney had seen Anthony without a shirt. So it was probably her first time seeing that scar of his. I find it interesting that she didn’t even ask about it. Scars meant nothing to her.
I had pizza delivered and while we ate we talked to Anthony about Sydney taking a leave of absence for a while. After dinner, we worked more on some basic preferences of Seth and Evan but kept it very light for this evening. Anthony sat in the chair that was closest to the fireplace, icing his hand and was in touching distance of Sydney as she practiced her “present pose.” I had her stay like that for forty-five minutes and she never once moved. I even offered her a break. She is a strong, determined woman.
The more we got into poses and instructions, the more I knew everything Howard said to her was garbage. Which was no surprise. But if Sydney truly had obedience issues or issues following directions, I’d have seen that by now. Sydney was going to make some Dom very happy and he will realize he struck gold with her. The thought of releasing her to another man though made me feel like I had just been hit in the stomach. I glanced at Anthony. He’s so perfect for her. He’s gentle but isn’t a pushover. He’s firm but would never hurt her. She’d be taken care of and cherished. He’d be taken care of too.
Chapter 40
Friday, November 8th
Colin
Today was Sydney's last day of work for a while. Her plate was full and she needed some time off and away from work worries. Like clock work, Anthony and I went down to check on Sydney every thirty minutes. Each time I stopped by, she was nibbling on M&M’s from Anthony.
The people in Openin threw here a going away party of sorts. It was nice and while I was invited, I didn’t want to take any attention away from her. They had a luncheon and Dwayne had my number and would call me if something came up. In the meantime, Anthony and I met Matt for lunch at Vito’s.
“So, today’s her last day of work and first evening at Irons,” Matt said as soon as the waiter left. “She ready?”
“She needs time off work and she wants to jump into training. It bothers me how that guy beat into her that she was at fault and wasn’t good enough. From what I’ve seen so far, there aren’t any issues.”
“How are the nightmares?”
“Still having them every night,” Anthony said.
Matt took his sunglasses off and pulled his phone out. He gave me the number to Chris Anderson. Chris is the psychiatrist that helped Gina. I told him I’d look into it. She needs to be on solid footing for a while before we throw in another person.
We discussed our upcoming evening at Irons. Matt and Gina had an intense scene last week and Matt said that he and Gina weren’t playing this evening but would be there as support for us. I had a great support system with Anthony and Matt and I knew if something came up, they’d be there to help me.
For tonight,
I wanted Sydney to see the place and work towards feeling comfortable with it. Depending upon how it goes, I may talk to Evan and see what he has in mind for a future scene with her. But first, I need to see what kind of chemistry they have. So far when I’ve seen them together, I don’t get the vibe that there’s a connection.
Anthony and I headed back to work and went over to see Sydney at the reception desk. She looked happy and waved us over as if we weren’t already planning on going over to her. She went to the counter behind her and brought over two small plates with a piece of cake on each of them.
“I saved cake for you guys.”
We took the cake and stood there talking with her while we ate it. It looked like she had her personal stuff in a small box off to the side. Today was golf day and Anthony and I usually leave at 2:30. But if Sydney wasn't ready to go then, I’d forgo the golf. I couldn’t help but notice all of the additional sets of Openin eyes that were on us as Anthony and I stood there chatting away with Sydney.
“Will you be ready and able to leave at 2:30?” I asked her.
“She’s able to leave whenever you need her too.” I turned to see Dwayne was approaching.
“I will be down at 2:30.”
I spent the next hour on the phone with Blake regarding Sydney’s visit tonight. He said he’d be around and would be sure to stop by and talk with us. He also reminded me to make sure I get her to fill out a profile card to keep on file. Blake was a close, trusted friend and I would never have any issue with trusting her in his care. He’d be another safety net.
At 2:30 fragile kitten was standing to the side of her desk with a small box and was talking to Dwayne. I had a feeling Dwayne was hanging around as extra security for her. After one of his employees was nearly attacked at work, he was on his toes. Anthony took the box from her and pretended it was heavy. Sydney laughed so it was worth it to hear that pleasant sound. While she quickly said goodbye to the other ladies in reception Dwayne bent my ear some.
“Colin, please keep me posted on how she’s doing and if you hear anything from the police.”
“I will be filing charges myself as he knifed my CFO. We at least have that on video. On top of all the shit he did to Sydney, I don't think he will make bail. But I will keep you in the loop.”
The three of us turned to watch Sydney. She was a sweetie and didn’t deserve the shit hand she was dealt.
“Look out for her. She doesn’t have anyone else. I’m assuming she’s staying with you.” He directed the last part to me.
I confirmed that she was and I gave Dwayne my home number and address info. Sydney came back over and reached for her box but Anthony held it up over his head so she wouldn’t carry it.
Once she had her seat belt on in my car, he gave her the box to hold on the way home. Since Anthony’s car was here overnight due to the Howard visit he drove home separately. On the way home Sydney was quiet but kept sniffing her flowers.
“You’re looking at those like you’ve never seen flowers before.”
Her laughter filled my car and I couldn’t help but look over at her and see her smiling face.
“I’ve seen flowers before. It’s just that no one has ever given me flowers before.”
“No boys in high school gave your flowers or a corsage for a dance?”
“Nope. I never went to any dances.”
I wanted to give this girl the world.
When we arrived home, Matt’s Mercedes SUV was parked in the driveway. I pulled into the garage and Anthony pulled in behind my car. We walked out to the driveway and Gina started talking to Sydney about her flowers. They went on and on about them while us guys stood by and watched them speaking their flower language.
“I’m not sure what these are called but they’re my favorite, I think,” Sydney said as she turned the vase around to show Gina which flower she was talking about.
Matt and I were close to them but Anthony was leaning against his car taking in the sights and sounds of flower talk. He looked very GQ leaning on the car, hands in his pockets and sunglasses on. Gina got her bag from the car and then we all headed inside. Anthony, Matt and I were going to go play the back nine while our girls stayed here. Then they’d get ready for dinner and Irons. I was nervous for tonight for a number of reasons. It was her first time in a club like Irons, Evan and Seth were going to be hanging around and I needed to pay attention to her reactions and connections tonight. I was a little nervous to leave her home without Anthony or I but Gina would be here.
I went up upstairs to change into my golf attire while Matt hung out with the girls. I looked around poking my head in the kitchen looking for Anthony when I got back downstairs.
“He’s still changing,” Matt said as I looked down at my watch.
“Lets go, Anth. Gophers don’t care what you look like.”
Matt and I looked over at the girls when they laughed. I explained to Sydney that Anthony is usually our straggler. He finally came out and was wearing gray shorts and a florescent yellow golf shirt with a straight black argyle print across the front. We often teased him when he wore that shirt.
“You look like Charlie Brown, man,” Matt said as the girls laughed.
Anthony put his hand over his chest and smoothed out the shirt while looking down.
“This is an awesome shirt. Charlie Brown would have loved to have my body,” he teased back and winked at Sydney.
We were finally heading out to the golf course and Matt made sure the girls had all of our phone numbers. Just in case. I didn’t think anything would come up, but couldn’t afford to risk it.
Anthony teed off first. “Fucking kidding me?” He swore at the ball as it landed in the water.
He came back and stood by me as Matt took position. Matt can carry on conversations while he plays. I can’t concentrate on talking and playing. It’s not in my genetic makeup.
“How’s your arm, Anth?” Matt asked as he swung and the ball looked to be on target with the hole.
“My arm is fine. It’s your shitty stitch work that’s cramping my style.” Anthony pulled up his sleeve to look at the stitches. “Seriously, man I look like a doll that a seven year old took a needle and thread to.”
“That’s right, Anth. You’re my little doll.”
Anthony flipped Matt off and I couldn’t help but laugh. Sarcasm was always abundant with us and none of us ever took it seriously. But I swore I detected a hint of annoyance behind Anthony’s words this afternoon.
When Anthony teed off again, Matt asked me how her nightmares were and if they were any less frequent.
“They’re about the same. Fucking breaks my heart. Anthony and I wake up to hear her pleading with someone to stop doing something or telling someone it hurts. She says broken words every now and then. She says fire a lot. I have a sick feeling it’s in relation to being burned. It’s absolutely fucking gut wrenching, Matt.”
We wrapped up with Matt winning and headed back to my house to get ready for dinner and Irons. Matt brought a change of clothes and would use one of the spare bathrooms I had upstairs. When we went into the kitchen, Sydney hopped off the bar stool and raced to the fridge to pull out bottles of water for the three of us. I wasn’t used to having someone bring me water after our golf game. To be honest, it was kind of nice.
“Thank you, baby.”
We stood around and asked the girls what they had been up to. Gina had brought over a few fashion magazines and they were going through them. I knew we needed to take Sydney shopping. She needed some clothes.
“Sunshine, come help me get ready,” Anthony said to Sydney and he held his hand out for her to take.
Sydney’s cheeks grew red and she put her hand in his. After they went down the hall I explained to Matt that Anthony was going to be treating her like his sub while I worked on training and observing her.
“She responded pretty quickly to him,” Matt said.
He and I went off in separate directions to get ready for tonight.
C
hapter 41
Friday, November 8th
Anthony
I needed to test my waters and range with Sydney. I knew I had to start asserting myself more with her while remaining the positive, strong shoulder for her. I wasn’t sure where that balance would be, but I needed to find it quickly.
She needed to be around Doms and take all of that in. I shut the door to our room and went over to sit on the chair to take my shoes off. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Sydney walking closer and then she'd stop. Then she’d come closer and stop again. Finally she was near the ottoman and when I saw her hands go together like magnets, I knew she was nervous. I didn’t look up at her but reached my hand out to still her hands.
“Doms can sense that, Sydney.”
I looked up at her and she pulled her hands apart.
“I’m sorry, Sir.”
I tugged on one of her hands so she’d sit on the ottoman in front of me. I leaned forward, resting my arms on my knees and looked into her eyes. Her eyes were such an interesting shade of blue. So dark and deep blue.
“There wasn’t anything for you to apologize for, honey. I know you’re nervous but I want you to try something for me. Whenever you feel yourself start to get nervous, find something else to do with your hands.”
I pulled her hands gently and sent them flat on my thighs and looked at them. At the base of some of the nails, it was red where she’s been nervously pulling and rubbing. Many Doms would punish her for doing something like that if they caught her. Something about that thought made my stomach hurt. I put my fingers over the sore spots on her fingers and looked in her eyes. She hadn’t flinched or reacted nervously to my touching her hands that were obviously sore.
“Do I make you nervous?”
“No, Sir.”
“I’m glad. You and I will get to know each other better. You’ll pick up on things I like and things I don’t like. You’ll get good at making decisions that will affect your Dom and ultimately make him happy. Like if it’s hotter than hell out when he comes home from work, you showing up at the door with his favorite drink will please him. Or if it’s cold, have the fireplace on when we gets home. It’s not rocket science, you just need to find the things he likes and make him happy and try to work them in."