Lacey sighed. “I’m jobless. The economy’s tough for recent graduates and since I want to stay here in Plenty it’s even tougher. I have a degree in art and design. Shit, I should have been a nurse, but blood makes me nauseous.”
“I remember. You almost passed out that time Jason cut open his leg playing tackle football in the backyard. Didn’t he fall over a pottery planter?”
Lacey shuddered. “He did. I don’t know how Mom did it. She just wrapped his leg up in a towel, tossed him in the back seat of the car, and took him to the doctor, cool as a cucumber.”
“She was probably just as sick to her stomach as you were, but couldn’t show it since she was the mom.”
“I swear I’m never having kids. Poop, pee, blood, and puke. Why would anyone do that to themselves?”
Sami had often pictured herself having a baby with Gabe and Jason. “Babies are cute.”
The waitress set their coffees down on the table. “Becca’s little son, Noah, is a doll. Wait until you see him. He’s going to have girls falling all over him when he gets older. Heck, he’s got girls fawning on him now. He’s super cute and works it.”
Sami sipped her coffee. “Since you’re out of work, I guess asking you how I might find a temporary job while I’m here is out of the question.”
“What kind of work are you looking for?”
Sami shrugged. “Waitress, clean houses, run errands. I’m not picky. I just need to make some money.” She leaned forward, not wanting this overheard. “I’m just about broke. There’s always too much month at the end of my paychecks.”
Lacey frowned. “I thought you got a great job at one of those fancy places for tourists?”
Sami plucked at her paper napkin. Lacey was a friend so it was okay to tell her, but she wasn’t proud of the situation. She’d given Lacey the phone number to her new job, but never the details about it.
“I got laid off when a new corporation bought the hotel and brought in their own staff. Then I couldn’t seem to find a new job that paid the same, so I took a job as a night desk clerk in another hotel. Then I had to quit that job due to some…difficulties. I took a waitress job, then I cleaned hotel rooms for awhile. My last job was as a waitress but, and please don’t tell anyone, they fired me when I said I needed to come to Plenty.”
Lacey’s expression was sympathetic. “Shit, I’m sorry. I knew you weren’t at the original place, but I didn’t realize things were that bad. It sounds like it hasn’t been easy.”
“It hasn’t. I wish I’d never left Plenty, but you can’t turn back the clock.”
“Oh honey, I’m so sorry.”
Sami swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. “I just hit a rough patch. Everything will be fine.”
They chatted for a few minutes more than Lacey looked at her watch and scowled. “I have to go. I promised Mom I would pick her up from her dentist appointment. They gave her laughing gas and she hates to drive afterward.”
Sami hugged Lacey. “Tell her hi from me. I miss her.”
“She’s going to insist you come over for dinner one night.”
Sami had fond memories of Jason’s mother. She’d never judged Sami for her somewhat less than stellar family tree. Both of Sami’s parents were drunks and ne’er do wells. Gran had been the only real parent Sami had ever known.
“That would be good. If I can have breakfast with your brother, I can have dinner with your mom and dad.”
Lacey shoved her phone into her purse. “I think my brother wants to have more than breakfast with you, but I promised you I wouldn’t talk about that.”
Sami shook her head. “It’s too late. I wish it wasn’t, but it is.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Jason hasn’t been serious in the least with anyone since you left. I think he still loves you. When we were decorating the house for Christmas, Mom found your Christmas stocking. Jason’s expression bordered on tortured.”
“I can’t deal with this right now. I need to concentrate on Gran and making some money.”
Lacey stood, gathering up her purse and keys. “I’ll leave it for now, but not forever. I want you to stay and if I have to play dirty to do it, I will.”
That made Sami laugh. This tiny, dark haired sprite acting tough was hilarious. “I’m terrified.”
“You should be,” Lacey called over her shoulder. “Call you tomorrow.”
Lacey disappeared down the block and Sami finished the last of her coffee. A handsome man came over to clean the table.
“Welcome to Josh’s Java. I’m Josh, the owner. You must be Samantha.”
Sami groaned. “The gossip moves just as fast as it did a few years ago. Maybe faster.”
“Well, we have Wi-Fi now.” His smile was teasing and she liked his easy-going manner.
“I am Samantha, but everyone calls me Sami. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you. Can I get you anything else?”
She shook her head. “Actually, I don’t suppose you’re looking for any help here are you? I’m looking to pick up some work while I’m in town. I’m an experienced waitress.”
Josh rubbed his chin and then smiled. “Actually, I do know of something. Not here, but someplace else. I had someone in here today that was saying they’re having trouble finding competent help.”
Sami nodded eagerly. “I do have experience. I’ve been waiting tables for a little over a year.”
Josh looked over his shoulder as another customer waved to him. “I’ll write down the information and you can go talk to him. Are you open-minded?”
That was a weird question. “Um, yeah. I guess so.”
“Good. Let me write down the address.” Josh looked at his watch. “He’s probably there now, getting set up for tonight. You might be able to catch him.”
Sami was going to impress the hell out of this guy. She desperately needed this job.
“Thank you so much, Josh. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”
“No problem. I’m glad to be able to help two people. It’s a win for everyone.”
Sami felt her burdens get a little lighter. If she could get a job, things would really be looking up.
* * * *
The address led to the building where Leah and Gabe’s dad had an auto repair shop. All the old signage had been pulled down and replaced with one smaller, discreet sign on the side of the building in black with gold lettering—Original Sin. She tried the door next to the sign but it was locked and she was starting to turn away when the door swung open.
“I thought I heard someone out here. Come on in.”
Gabe stood in the doorway, looking incredibly handsome in faded blue jeans and a white button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. His arms were tan and muscular, sprinkled with a smattering of golden hair. She resisted the urge to reach out and run her hand over his arms and up to his wide shoulders. She knew his skin would feel warm and his body firm under her fingers. She’d always loved the contrast between their hard, male bodies and her soft, feminine one.
“I think there’s been a mistake.”
She started to back toward her car, but he stepped forward and caught her hand in his, sending a streak of lightning through her so strong it almost brought her to her knees. It had always been like this with Gabe and Jason.
“Why don’t you come in and tell me about it and maybe we can fix whatever mistake’s been made?”
She didn’t want to be alone with him but he tugged gently on her arm and she found herself following him inside. She could have pulled away at any time but her heart wanted to be near him more than she wanted to run away.
They entered a large room with high ceilings and warm furnishings. There were couches scattered around the room, along with several tables and chairs that looked suspiciously like something Gabe would have made himself. The focal point of the room was the large dark oak bar at the far end with a mirrored wall behind it.
“This is beautiful. You did the woodwork.”
>
She didn’t phrase it as a question and he didn’t take it as one. He simply smiled and motioned toward an overstuffed couch.
“Relax. Can I get you a soda or something?”
She perched on the edge of the couch. “No, thank you. I just came from the coffee shop actually.”
He sat on the couch and she had to steel herself not to reach for him. Touching him was a habit she couldn’t indulge. He leaned back and stretched out his long legs.
“So tell me about this mistake.”
She gripped her handbag on her lap. “Josh said he knew someone looking for a waitress. I didn’t realize it was you.”
The corner of Gabe’s mouth tipped up. “I am looking for a waitress. Are you applying? I need the help badly.”
She shook her head. “I think it would be a very bad idea.”
Gabe pursed his lips. “I don’t know about that. It sounds like you need a job and I need a waitress. Seems like it would suit everyone.”
She exhaled in frustration. “Don’t be deliberately obtuse. I can’t work here.”
He sat up and leaned his elbows on his knees. “Because I was an asshole and things didn’t work out? Are you worried about me losing my temper and control? I can assure you it won’t happen. You may not believe me but I’ve changed these last few years.”
“You do seem different.” That was an understatement. The old Gabe wouldn’t have been this calm and matter of fact. He’d been a wild man, racing his motorcycle on the back roads and being loud and boisterous. This Gabe was quiet and almost contemplative.
Gabe nodded. “I am, but I don’t expect you to be able to trust that without seeing it. I understand I broke your trust. I hurt you. I’m sorry about that, Samantha. You’ll never know how much.”
Her heart ached in her chest. “You’re the only one who calls me by my full name.”
He smiled. “Jason does when he’s teasing you.”
“I didn’t mean my whole name. I meant just Samantha.”
“I know. I always wanted to have something that was just ours.”
His voice was soft, almost caressing and she felt her entire body responding, waking up after a long winter’s sleep.
“I’m sorry, too. I told Jason this morning and I’m saying it to you now. I’m sorry I ran out the way I did.”
Gabe shook his head. “You don’t owe me any explanations or apologies. I did some bad things.”
“It didn’t mean I should leave. I wish I’d stayed.”
“It never would have worked out for us if we’d all stayed here.” He reached out and brought her fingers to his lips sending wave of heat through her body. “We would have crashed and burned for sure. I needed to go away and figure out what I needed to do to get my life turned around. I guess you needed to go away too. My regret is that we left Jason here holding the bag so to speak. It wasn’t fair to him, but shit, the way I was back then wasn’t fair to any of us. I was out of control. Something had to change.” He smiled a crooked smile. “So I changed my location.”
“And it worked?”
He chuckled. “It was a start. When I left, I’d hit rock bottom with you. I knew I had to do something or I was going to die at an early age. I sought help from a psychiatrist. He sent me on the road to recovery.”
“I’m glad. But I still don’t think it’s a good idea for me to work for you.”
He gazed at her for a long time. “Got any better offers? You can make around three hundred a night here in tips. Five hundred on a weekend night.”
Her eyes widened in amazement. That was way more than she made at the shit hole restaurant in Orlando.
“Wow, that’s good money.” She looked around. “You do that much business here? It doesn’t look like it holds that many people.”
He laughed, a warm, rich sound that sent a shiver up her spine. “This is a private, members only club which means each check has a minimum tip on it. They can also tip extra if they wish, and they often do. This is also just the front room. If you want to make three to five hundred a night, you have to work the back room as well. That’s where the big money is.”
She craned her neck, looking for another door. “There’s another room?”
He pointed to a long set of drapes at one end of the room, off in the corner. “Behind those drapes is a door with a key card lock on it. The backroom is behind that door. Are you interested in taking a look?”
She nodded, overcoming her reticence. It was too much money to turn down. Money like that could make a real difference in her life.
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
He stood up and pulled her to her feet. “I don’t mind at all. Just one question. Do you still have an open mind?”
That was the second time someone had asked her that. “Are you running some sort of illegal gambling back there, Gabe? Is that what this is about? I won’t be involved with something that’s against the law.”
She’d learned her lesson.
“No, sweetheart. Ryan would kick my ass if I did anything illegal. This isn’t illegal, it’s simply…unusual, I guess you would say. I don’t think it’s immoral, but it is unusual.”
Her curiosity was piqued. “If it’s not illegal, bring it on.”
She marched over to the curtain and waited. He chuckled. “Just remember you wanted to see this. I didn’t drag you back here.”
He was making her crazy with his mysterious statements. This was the Gabe she remembered. He’d loved to tease her.
“Just show it to me already. What do you have back there, a torture chamber?”
He pulled the curtain aside and swiped a card through a reader, the door beeping, and popped open. He pushed it wider and allowed her to walk in first, flipping on lights. It was only when the last light when on she realized why he’d been so shady. She knew her mouth was hanging open in shock and tried to close it but each time she did she saw something even more shocking. She turned to him, aghast at what he’d revealed.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Chapter Three
Samantha was taking it better than he’d expected. Her face was bright red and her mouth was gaped open like a fish, but she hadn’t run from the room screaming so that was a positive sign.
“I haven’t lost my mind, although I can see you’re not convinced.”
She shook her head and started to walk around, looking at the toys in the dungeon room closely. Her first stop was the St. Andrew’s cross against the far wall. She ran her hands over the smooth surface and his mind crowded with vivid memories of those same fingers stroking his own skin. Dangerous thoughts.
She moved to the bondage table, her brow furrowed as she examined the clips on the corners of the table. She appeared to be trying to figure out how the table worked. He chuckled and decided to help her. He’d been worried how she would take this news, but this was better than he’d hoped for. She’d become defiant instead of sliding into some puritan shock.
“The cuffs hook to these carabineer type clips. The submissive lies on the table and his or her wrist cuffs are clipped here.” He pointed to the top corners of the table. “And their legs are bent up, spread, and clipped to the bottom corners here. They’re open and ready to be used for their Dominant’s pleasure.”
She continued her tour of the dungeon, and he watched her expression carefully. She didn’t appear disgusted, more like intrigued. She wasn’t the submissive type but it didn’t mean they couldn’t have some fun in here. Snorting, he realized he was getting ahead of himself. He wanted her but nothing about this relationship was a given. There were things that needed to be talked about first.
She had moved to the area with spanking benches and a pair of wooden stocks. Every now and then she’d turn to him, start to open her mouth to ask him something, snap it shut, and move on to look at something else. Finally, she stopped in front of a wall of floggers and whirled around, poking him in the chest.
“I suppose this is funny to you? Start talking and don�
��t stop until you’ve told me everything.”
There was no way he could tell her everything. What he’d seen in Iraq stayed in Iraq. He and Jason had agreed on that. They couldn’t shelter her from everything, but the realities of war were something she didn’t need to know about.
“What do you want to know?”
He knew what she wanted to know but he wanted to make her say it. She’d always been shy when it came to talking about sex or body parts. If they were going to fall in love with each other again, she would have to move out of her comfort zone. He didn’t need to tie her up and beat on her. He’d become a Dominant as a way to learn to control his emotions after leaving the service. He did need her to understand that what consenting adults do was okay. People in the lifestyle didn’t have a mental defect. They weren’t crazy. They simply had different needs, not all of them sexual.
She gave him a look that said he was a fucking asshole and he had to hide his chuckle. They may not have been together for the last few years but they still knew how to push each other’s buttons.
She waved her hand. “This is what you’re into now? You’re some sort of Marquis de Sade?”
“No.” He leaned down and looked into her almost amethyst eyes. “No, I am not a sadist. I am a Dominant man. I opened this club a few months ago. It’s been successful. It brings people into Plenty from all over central Florida. I’m a fucking pillar of the community, sweetheart.”
Her eyes went wide. “You mean the town council knows what’s going on in this room? It’s not a secret?”
He grinned. “No secrets. I let them know exactly what I wanted to do. Hell, there are enough alpha males in this town alone to keep me in business but I have friends in the lifestyle all over Florida and the word got around. Stan’s fishing cabins are filled almost every night of the week plus a waiting list. It’s brought in tourist dollars, my sweet. In fact, they’re talking about building a hotel to make it easier. Right now, most of them have to stay in Tampa or Orlando.”
Plenty of Chances [Plenty, FL 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 3