Page 45 of Dark Bonds

“That makes me feel better. I’m also glad we didn’t talk about being wrapped in seaweed while we were in public,” I chuckled.

“Most people think about it literally. I guarantee you wouldn’t have been alone,” Sandra said.

By the time we walked out just over an hour later, we were essentially limp. It was a wonder we were even capable of walking. I was grateful we’d kept a couple of hours between the wrap and our dinner reservation. There’s no way we could have gone right back to our room and started getting ready. We vegged in front of the TV for an hour and then started our hair and makeup. I styled her hair into a side fishtail braid, loose yet elegant. She did mine in some sort of low twisty-wavy loose bun-like thing.

“I don’t know what the hell you did to my hair, but I kind of love it. What’s it called?”

“Hmm… it doesn’t have a name. How about Sasha’s Sub Style?”

“Jesus, leave it to you,” I giggled. “So, now that our hair is done and faces are on, what have you decided I’ll be wearing?”

“Holy shit! I forgot I get to dress you up!”

I looked at her flatly, trying not to worry too much about the dress she chose for me. I was quite relieved when she took out an ankle-length shimmery silver gown. I was pleasantly surprised to see the halter-neck dress was at least somewhat modest.

I was so, so wrong.

When I put the dress on, I realized three things. It was very low cut, it was backless, and the slit on the left side was near my hip. Thankfully the strappy silver stilettos I packed worked nicely.

“Sasha, how the hell am I supposed to keep my tits in this dress?”

“Oh shit, one second,” she said, reaching into her overnight bag. “I brought tape!”

“Well, thank God for that. There’s no point in dressing up for the fancy restaurant if I’m just going to flash them!”

“You should have known I’d have planned for that.”

“Maybe, but I also would have thought I would remember to pack my dress.”

Sasha’s dark red velvet dress was strapless and came to just above her knees. A pair of black stilettos and a silver choker finished the look. She looked gorgeous. When we walked into the restaurant, I was happy to see that we were dressed appropriately. Our dresses might have been a little more seductive than others, but they were still classy as hell. Sasha chose the pan-roasted duck breast and I opted for the scallops. As with breakfast, everything tasted amazing. It was definitely worth the arm and leg it cost. By the time we got back to the room, it was clear to us it wasn’t going to be a spicy weekend.

Relaxing is hard fucking work.

After another restful night, we chose to have breakfast in the restaurant. Thankfully, breakfast was a far less fancy affair, our jeans and T-shirts being appropriate. Mani-pedis rounded up our spa weekend and then it was time for us to head home.

“That was a truly fantastic weekend, Leah. Thank you so much for sharing it with me.”

“No need to thank me. I had a blast. We should do it more often but maybe at a more affordable spa.”

“Definitely. Maybe Raven could come too. Have you told her yet?”

“No,” I sighed. “I think I’m going to have to, though. I hate keeping shit from her.”

“If she’s the friend you’ve described to me, she’s still going to love you.”

“I sure hope so. You’re probably right. I don’t think she’s as straight-laced as she comes across.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know. There isn’t any one thing that makes me think that. It’s really just a feeling.”

“I’ve always said you can’t go wrong if you trust your gut. So, trust your gut!”

“I know you’re right. It’s nothing more than me being scared.”

“Well, I trust you to make the right choice, whatever it is you choose,” she said, pulling into my driveway.

“Thanks, Sash.”

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