by Laura Sutton
“Yes, you. I know that you like him.”
Claire just blushed and smiled.
“He likes you too. He hasn't shut up about you since the Bar. He never tells us anything but always asks about you if he knows that any of us have seen you or been near this side of town.”
“Has he?” Claire said unsure of how she should feel. She had been torturing herself with his number on his phone and in the end, told herself that he wasn't interested in her.
Ella watched Claire's face. “Can I see those pictures?”
Claire was jolted from her thoughts and smiled, “Sure. I have them finished.”
Claire walked over to her desk and showed Ella picture after picture of the wedding. They laughed as they got to the drunk groomsmen. “You did that? I can't believe it. I wouldn't have thought of that.” Ella giggled as Claire rehashed the story.
Ella's phone buzzed. “Shit, Aidan.”
Claire arched her eyebrow at her language and remembered Aidan's threat. “I promised to text him once I arrived. He's going to be mad.” She answered the phone and Claire smiled as she listened to Ella's charming ways. She knew that she was talking him down. “No, Aidan. I'm fine, Claire's fine, Dorothy's fine.” She sighed almost in annoyance, “Aidan, Dorothy is the girl who went to Oz and returned. I swear we need to do movie night more often. We're fine and you need to work so hop to. I'm sorry I didn't text you once I arrived. I was temporarily distracted.” She smiled towards Claire. “Yes, I will call you when I leave.”
Claire got up off the couch and went into the kitchen the smell of the food made her stomach growl. She watched as Ella made faces and Aidan spoke to her. Could I ever be that comfortable with a man like Aidan? Could I handle the constant demanding nature that he seemed to possess? Yes, how could she ever think about anyone else? Ella had asked if she liked Aidan. In truth, she had been falling in love with him since that first kiss. She re-microwaved the meal that Ella had picked out and started to dish it out onto two plates for them.
“He is so infuriating. Before I forget he told me to give you this and not to open it myself. What is it?” Ella asked as she laid the manila envelope onto the counter. Claire handed her a plate and a diet coke as she grabbed her own plate and diet coke. “I don't have wine and you're underage.”
“Aidan will love you for that.” Ella rolled her eyes. “I've been trying to get him to let me drink and he always says no. So, what's in the envelope?”
Claire sat her plate down and opened the envelope. The word ‘contract’ was written in bold at the top of the page. Instantly her cheeks flamed as she stuffed the papers back into the folder. “Nothing. It's nothing.” Claire was not the best at hiding things especially when her blushing gave her away so quickly.
She turned to her food and took a few bits. The evening flowed with funny stories from a very energetic Ella. “Well, it's getting late. I better get going. I'm sure my guards think that I've died or fallen asleep.” She giggled. “You know Aidan would love those pictures. He'd never say as much, but they'd mean a lot.” She smiled and kissed Claire's cheek and got up.
“Speaking of Aidan don't forget to call him.”
Her mouth popped into an “O” shape. “Thanks for reminding me. Once he'll forgive, twice I'm grounded.” She pulled out her phone, her fingers flying over the large keyboard before she shoved it back into her pocket. “See you later?” She asked. She sounded so unsure, almost childlike. Something tugged at Claire from deep within her. She just wanted to make the girl before her smile. To see that uncertainty washed away.
“Absolutely.”
“Call me if you need me.” She said as she gave Claire a hug and left.
Claire sat back down on the couch as she thought about what Ella had said. He would love the pictures. She looked over to her laptop and back to the papers in her hands. She had read books about a dominant and submissive in the romance section, but she did not know much about it. After the past two days with Aidan, she wasn't sure that she could walk away. Deep inside, for the first time, she felt safe. She looked at her phone and the texts she had from him earlier. She closed her eyes as she felt him touch her. She bit her lip as she opened her eyes for the first time in a while and lied against the couch in a ball and cried. Cried for a lost childhood, horrible teen years outside of Alyssa, and even the college years. She cried until she made herself sick. She ran to the bathroom as she lost the food that she had eaten. She leaned back as she wet a washcloth and brought it to her face. Could I have a relationship with Aidan? Could she ever let herself go and be happy? Could she ever stop fearing that she would lose him? She almost died when her mother killed herself and she had not loved her mother in a while. “Aidan, what have you done to me?” She asked to the silent bathroom around her. She slowly picked herself up and sat down at her desk.
Chapter Twelve
Tears rushed down the face of four-year-old Aidan. “Stop crying now.” His father smacked him across the face, making him cry even more. “I said stop,” he growled. He started hitting him harder. He had always tried to please his father but nothing he did ever please him. Aidan slid under the end table and wiggled behind the stained, ripped couch. His head bleeding from his father’s latest drunken abuse. The couch was thrown away from the wall as his dad grabbed the top of his hair. “Daddy. No. Daddy. Please.” The pain soon became blackness.
Aidan sat up quickly in his bed. Sweat covered his body. He pushed his hand through his hair. Aidan swung his legs off the bed. He hadn't dreamt of that night in a while. The last night that he saw his father. He had woken up in the bushes of a fire station. What had brought it on? Aidan saw the light on his phone go dim. Picking it up he saw a text from Ella. “Heading home. She ate and I got her away from her work for a while.” She was with Claire at his request. He was glad that he had called his sister. He knew that he couldn't stop working, drop everything, and go babysit Claire. He wanted to call Claire, to call his sister, but he knew that he could not after the dream he just had. Aidan got up from the bed, still soaked in sweat as he stripped off his shirt.
The hot shower felt great as he stood there letting the water calm him and loosen him up. Getting out and stepping into his huge walk-in closet, he looked at his phone. Usually, he would call on of his submissives but the memory of Claire above him, riding him, and their time in the shower stopped him. He wanted her. As he stood there, he grabbed one of his white button-down shirts and his signature gray pants. He wasn't going to sleep again so he went downstairs to his office. He focused on his work projects. Memories of Claire kept coming to him as he sat there. He picked up his phone.
“Have you read the contract yet? -Aiden” He barely sat his phone down before he heard a responding 'ping.'
“No. Your sister distracted me. Thanks for sending her.”
“You accuse me?”
“Yes, Mr. Controlling. You sent her to feed and distract me. Ella confessed. But I do appreciate it.”
“You should be asleep. Not texting me.”
“I'm in bed.”
“You are?”
“Yes. All alone.”
“What are you wearing?”
“Why Mr. Ashby, you wear clothes to bed?”
Aidan reread the text multiple times. Is she trying to turn me on? He felt himself harden at the thought of her naked on the bed.
“Are you trying to turn me on?”
“I must be failing. Maybe this will help.”
He barely finished reading the text when a FaceTime popped up. “Claire.”
“You're working? It's like 2 a.m.?” Claire asked. Her face framed against the pillow.
“I heard that you don't wear anything to bed.”
“I lied. I just wanted to get a rise out of you.”
“Tease.”
“Yep. There's no one here and no reason to be naked. I mean your sister could come back at any moment.”
“I have it on good terms that she is in bed at her apartment. So, if you aren't nake
d what are you wearing?”
“I can't tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Well, I may or may not have packed your shirt.” Claire bit her lip as she angled the phone down showing off the t-shirt that he gave for her to change into.”
“It looks good on you.” Aidan smiled. Seeing her in his shirt made him feel like he was there with her.
“Yes, sir.” She said trying to hide a yawn.
“Go to sleep, Claire.”
“I'm not sleepy.”
“Sleep. Now.” Aidan demanded. She hung up and looked around her empty room. 'Her legs too tired.' The thoughts running through her mind would make Freud blush and stammer in shock. Thoughts of Aidan were not something easy for her to let go so sleep could come. Finally, she pushed up from her bed and moved to the couch where she had left the contract laying on the couch.
Claire pulled out the contract. “This is a binding agreement between the Dominant and the Submissive.” Claire scanned down the page of information. She froze when she saw the rules. So many rules. How was she supposed to remember all these rules when there were times that she could barely remember to eat or even sleep.
“Rule 1. Submissive must get at least eight hours of sleep.”
“Shit I've already failed and I'm just at Rule 1,” Claire shook her head.
“Rule 2. Submissive must maintain cleanliness in all areas. Rule 3. Submissive will spend at least two nights a week at the Dominant's residence of his choice. The Dominant may require more than this, see Appendix 25b. Rule 4. Submissive must maintain an exercise regimen of three times a week. Dominant will hire a trainer if preferred. Rule 5. The Submissive will eat healthy twice a day at least. Snacks and junk food will not be allowed. Rule 6. The Submissive will follow all directions given by the Dominant without question or hesitation. Rule 7. The Submissive may not become intoxicated.”
“Finally, a rule I can do easily.” Claire huffed. Suddenly thinking that the relationship with Aidan might not be the best thing for her to do.
“Rule 8. The Submissive must not enter dangerous situations that could put them in danger. Rule 9. The Submissive must be on birth control, not missing a pill or shot. Rule 10. The Submissive will be respectful at all times. No language, sex talk, or other crude talks.”
The rules alone went on for three pages on how she should act, public engagements, drugs, and alcohol, wardrobes, what she would receive from the Dominant. Claire touched the word 'protection' on the page. Could he protect me, truly? She kept reading, flipping through the pages.
She froze at the mention, “Safe Words. The Submissive will give the safe word “purple” and all activity will cease immediately.” Could he stop immediately if I said the word? Would he hate me, leave me, if I spoke the words? “Roleplaying. At times the Dominant may bring costumes for the submissive to wear in the bed. The Submissive will wear the outfit without question. See Rule 6.” Claire bit the inside of her cheek at the one word that scared her the most, punishment. “Punishment. Punishment will be given as the Dominant sees fit with which rule broken.” The paragraph went on with punishments, but Claire's breathing was labored. When he spanked me for my language was that punishment or his type of foreplay?
Fifteen pages later she had finished reading the contract. It was a lot to take in. Would I be submissive enough in the bed to please him? Could I stand the punishments for breaking the rules? There was so much in the contract. Would he actually love me, or would I just be another notch on his dominant belt? Why not sign the contract, no one else would love a girl as broken as her? She never felt as broken as she felt when she finished reading through the contract. Claire wiped away a single tear as she went into the other room where she had a painting drop cloth. She pulled off his t-shirt and folded it, laying it on the couch and put on a painting smock that was already covered in paint. She started painting with a ferocious desire.
Purple. Silver. Black. The colors blended together before she even realized that the colors were just like the drapes in the guest bed in Aidan's penthouse. Aidan. A smile formed on her lips as she remembered Ella telling her that Aidan would love the pictures but would never ask for them. Claire looked at the clock and it was already 10 a.m. Claire walked to her desk and saved the family pictures and several of the other shots he was in or others of the family. She found the picture of them dancing and renamed it, “One Dance.” Once all the files had downloaded, she pulled out the thumb drive and pulled out one of her cards. “It all starts with a dance. -Baby Bear.” She put the note in the envelope and sealed it.
Going into the bathroom, she showered and put on a nice light blue sundress that showed off her tan that she got on her latest photoshoot and the tanning booth with Alyssa. She smiled as she curled her hair and put on her make-up. She knew that Aidan was working, and she won't even see him, but she still wanted to look her best. Plus, today was the day that she planned to check outbuildings for her gallery. She swore that she would never touch her family money but for this once she was going to use it to get her gallery. For the first time, she was ready to show her creations, her emotions to the world. She had a plan for the gallery already. She really liked Aidan's name the 'blind painter' but she wanted to sign her name in not only braille but with her pen as well. Claire smiled. Her first painting with her signature was Alyssa and Topher's painting that she had delivered to their new house.
Claire grabbed her bag, then left the apartment. She walked to the curb and hailed a taxi.
“Where to?”
“Ashby Enterprises, downtown...”
The driver started driving. Claire had two manila envelopes clutched in her hands. To say she was nervous was an understatement. The taxi stopped in the drive of the Ashby building. It was even larger than she remembered, or maybe she felt smaller than the last time. The last time. The smile hit her lips as she walked through the glass doors. The receptionist smiled at her. “How may I help you?”
“I need to see Mr. Ashby's personal secretary. I have some forms he requested.” Claire was official sounding. She never knew where her nerve came from, but she always seemed to step up when she was in these situations.
“Your name?”
“Claire Henderson.”
“Ms. Henderson. Yes. I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. Follow me please.” The woman was suddenly nervous.
Recognize me? Claire followed her a little nervous. Why would the woman notice me?
They walked down a long hall, past the elevators and around the corner. They stopped at another elevator looking door. She slid her I.D. card and the door slid open. She ushers her in. Claire stepped into the elevator. “They will meet you on the floor. She pressed one of the two buttons on the elevator and stepped out. “Good day, Ms. Henderson.” She smiled as the door closed.
That was weird.
The elevator door opened, and Claire stepped out. There was a lady standing there with a smile. She was gorgeous. Her red, wavy hair standing out against the black suit she was wearing. “Good afternoon, Ms. Henderson. Mr. Ashby is in a meeting but should be out in just a few minutes if you'd like to wait. May I get you a drink?”
“I'm not here to see Mr. Ashby. I... could you give these to him?” Claire held out the manila envelopes.
“Claire.” Aidan was stepping out of his office. He shook hands with two of the men as they walked to the other elevators that were behind the secretary. She looked back to the elevator. “It's my private elevator.” He said nonchalantly as if private elevators were normal. “Come.”
Claire stepped up and into his office. “I wasn't here to bother you. I know that you're busy. I just wanted to leave these with your secretary.”
“You could never bother me, Ms. Henderson.” He smiled as he pulled her close and kissed her. She leaned against his arm to keep herself upright in her heels. “What did you bring for me that you could leave with the secretary?”
“Oh right.” Claire saw the envelopes on the floor where she had dropped them as s
he kissed him. She walked over and bent to pick them up. Soon he was there. Standing so close behind her.
“This dress is too short.” His voice had gone husky. She knew that the dress did not reveal anything, and it was one of the longer sundresses that she had. Though she was not used to wearing the heels and having to bed the extra couple inches.
“Is it? I thought you'd like it.” She smiled as she held the envelopes in her hands.
“In private, yes. It reveals too much. I don't want men to see all of you. To lust,” he whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arm around her waist from behind, “after you.”
Claire moved away from him. She knew that if she stayed near him like this, she would be tempted to do something right here in the open. “I have pictures for you.” He arched his eyebrow. “From the wedding.” She handed him one envelope.
Opening it he read the note. “It all starts with a dance. -Baby Bear?”
“It makes sense when you see the pictures.” He nods and plugs the thumb drive into his laptop, sitting in his office chair.
All the pictures are in different files but the most important one in her mind was one of the two of them. He clicked on it and smiled as he saw the picture of them dancing. “I think that your camera partner is infatuated with you.”
“Clinton?”
“Yes. He grabbed a picture of you, when he was off duty.”
“Mr. Ashby, I do believe that you are blind. There are two people in this picture. Yes, he is infatuated with the person in the picture.” She watched as his fists formed on each side of his laptop. “He's in love with you, Aidan.” Aidan looked up to her shocked. “Yes Aidan, he's gay. Very gay but he does not show it while working.”
“What's in the private album? This is a work computer.”
“Get your head out of the gutter. It's pictures we took before the non-disclosure agreement. They won't be uploaded to the wedding site.” He clicked it and saw the close-up pictures of group family shots. “These. Are. Good.” He said quietly.
“Ella said that you would like them. I wasn't sure.” It wasn't until she heard from him that he liked them did she realize that was why she was so nervous. She wanted him to like them.