Sasha gave a forced laugh. “I don’t understand why he feels this way. Everything I am is because of what he has taught me. He’ll never believe it though, and I know that now.”
Sasha kept waiting for the flood of tears that seemed to be coming so easily to Veronica’s eyes, to spill down her own cheeks. They never came, and the two women spent the afternoon quietly sitting in the garden, with only Ronnie’s occasional hitched breaths breaking the silence.
Eventually, Ronnie stood up. “I need to get back to the house. William will be home soon.”
“You go ahead. I’d like to stay here a while longer,” Sasha replied. As Veronica walked away, Sasha called out, “Thank you, Ronnie. Thank you for caring.”
Veronica’s throat tightened and she gave a weak smile as she disappeared through the hedge surrounding the gardens.
Sasha lay back on the pillows and watched the clouds. Her mind was still whirling with disappointment and hurt, but still she could not summon up any tears. She lay gazing at the blue sky for a long time, until a shadow fell across her and she looked up to find William staring down at her. Sasha sat up and took the glass of wine he was holding out to her.
“William, I hope you don’t mind if I stay here for a while. I have nowhere else to go, and it might take me some time to figure out what I’m going to do.” Sasha looked up at him hopefully.
“Sasha, you’re welcome to stay as long as you need to,” William answered.
“I need to ask you for another favor. I don’t want Darien to know that I’m here. Please, William, it would be cruel for him to try to explain, and crueler to know he was aware I was here and did not come to see me.”
“That’s no problem, Sasha. We’re all a bit in shock right now, and don’t understand what’s gotten into him. It’s obvious he’s miserable with this decision and it makes absolutely no sense to us. Veronica told me why you thought this was happening, and if that’s the case, he’s sabotaging his and your happiness for a distorted version of what the two of you have together,” William supplied.
He stood and held down his hand to her. “Come on, dinner is ready.”
Sasha took his hand, and as they left the garden she looked up at him. “I’m not eating out of a dog bowl, William.”
He chuckled and gave her a squeeze.
During dinner, Sasha told them about her summer. Occasionally, William and Veronica glanced at each other, confused by Sasha’s laughter and gaiety as she discussed the things Darien and she had done. William decided Sasha was in shock, or maybe denial, and was waiting for the sobbing and wailing. It never happened, and even he began to become concerned about her apparent lack of concern over the traumatic hand she had been dealt.
William knew Sasha had no money or job, and when he offered to loan her the finances to buy books to start the college semester, she smiled and declined the offer. All references to Darien were met with three answers, ‘That’s nice…That’s too bad’ or simply ‘Oh’. It went on that way for about a week. No one visited, and Ronnie explained that everyone was so uncomfortable they had no idea what to say to her.
“Clara told Henri that Darien almost destroyed the bedroom when he found the necklace on the bed.” William watched Sasha’s expression. As usual, it remained unchanged. “Apparently, he was going to let you stay at the house and he was going to use the apartment or go back to New Mexico.” Nothing. William finally exploded, “Dammit Sasha. Do something about this. Fight for him, for god sakes. The two of you are miserable, and being so stubborn.” William threw up his hands in frustration.
Sasha walked out to the garden after dinner and finalized her plans in her mind before going back to her room and packing. When Veronica came to get her for breakfast, there was a T-shirt on the bed showing a destitute lady gambler and the phrase ‘Oh the pain…the pain’ with the Las Vegas logo under it, and a note thanking them for letting her stay with them for the past week.
Veronica found herself the very uncomfortable center of attention in Edmond’s living room as everyone, Darien included, grilled her on Sasha’s location. “I swear, she never said a word to me. I have no idea where she could have gone. As far as I know, all she had was the two hundred dollars she had managed to save before she got together with you.” Ronnie began crying, and William reached up and pulled her into his lap.
“Leave her alone, Darien. Neither one of us knows where Sasha has gone. Why would you care, anyway? You molded her into the perfect companion, the companion she wanted to be, and then dismissed her without a word of explanation to her. What do you expect from us?” William asked.
Katie’s phone rang and she frowned at the number as she answered. “Yes. Oh…um, yes, I guess you did the right thing. Can I ask you something, Georgie? How did she know? Oh…well, I’m sure Darien won’t mind. Bye.”
All eyes burned on Kate and she gulped a large sip of wine. “Darien, Sasha picked up the collaring dress this morning. Georgie was calling to make sure it was all right, and I told him it was okay to charge it to your account. Did you tell her about the dress?”
Darien looked bewildered. “No, I never said anything. That’s why I had you order it, Kate. Sasha picked it up?”
Melinda’s face broke out into a huge grin and she bounced up and down. “Sasha picked it up.”
All eyes stared at Eric’s joyful companion in confusion, and Melinda rolled her eyes. “Sasha picked it up,” she repeated, and she looked around at the bewildered expressions focused on her. “Don’t you guys get it? Sasha picked up the dress, Darien. Whether you agree to it or not, she’s made her decision.”
A few of the faces began to relax into smiles as Mel’s words began to make sense, and Darien asked hesitantly, “Mel, do you know where Sasha is?”
“Duh…of course, silly. She’s back at your house, waiting for her collaring ceremony. Where else would she be?”
Eyes darted around the room, and then everyone bolted to the door. They made the ten minute drive in less than seven, and as they pulled into the driveway they saw that most of the lights were on downstairs, and Liz and Paul’s car was parked by the garage.
Darien was stunned as he realized Melinda might have been right. Edmond, William and Eric blocked his path to the door, and Edmond said, “Don’t you dare screw this up again, my friend. This ridiculous insistence that you can’t be what she needs is bullshit, and for a Master you’re a bit of a wimp to be afraid to take the plunge. Think of your own training mantras. A companion completes your other half, Darien, and a blind fool can see Sasha and you are meant to be together.”
The front door opened, and Bonita and Brandon stood in the light from the foyer. Bonita said, “It’s about time you got here. We’re getting plastered on a few very good…very expensive…bottles of wine Clara found for us.” Bonita gave Darien a hug and whispered, “I’m so glad I put my phone number on the jar of balm for Sasha and remembered to tell her about the dress.”
Brandon spoke up. “Sorry, old friend, but Sasha isn’t interested in your plans for her well-being. Now get in here, you old fool, or I’ll find out where Terry sent Marie and you can join her. What you did to Sasha was cruel, Darien, but for some strange reason, she seems to understand it. Not many women would be so forgiving.”
The directors half supported him as they guided him into the living room. Sasha was facing the stone fireplace with her back to the room and her hands resting on the mantle. Liz and Paul were seated on the couch, and Clara was standing by a covered table she had set up with candles and a jewelry box Darien thought he had hidden. He raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged.
The room was silent as Sasha glanced up at the clock over the mantle and, slowly turning around, she looked straight into Darien’s eyes and said calmly, “You’re late…by about seven days.”
Darien was stunned by the vision of Sasha in the blue velvet prom dress, embroidered with real jewels and blue mirage film seamed into the front giving glimpses of her breasts. “Sasha, I’m so…”
The collar was melded gold and silver, with sapphires matching Darien’s eyes forming a large letter ‘D’, and emeralds for Sasha forming the small letter ‘s’, connected by a diamond collar embedded on the front of it. Sasha’s formal collar was breathtaking, and she stood proudly as he clasped it on her neck.
He leaned forward and whispered, “Now you may call me Master, and the ceremony you experienced at the beginning of the summer is nothing compared to our reception for the collaring.”
The clock on the mantel chimed midnight, and Sasha shivered in anticipation, cleared her throat and said, “Shall we retire to the game room?”
THE END
Sasha's Game Page 22