Page 34 of Mastered By Desire

A small audience forms in front of the viewing window, blocking my vantage point. It’s fine, because I figured out what’s missing. It’s the same thing that’s always missing.

I need to be directing the scene.

Finally, Dmitri leaves his post. He walks along the perpendicular side of the bar, sees me, and stops short.

I wait. Surely he won’t allow himself to be frightened off by my mere presence.

Looking annoyed, he continues his progress before stopping a few feet from my place at the bar.

“Dmitri, hey.” Betty pours him a coffee without being asked.

“Hey,” he says back, but Betty has more customers waiting. She passes Dmitri his coffee and gets busy with other tasks.

“Do you need something, Mr. Jannik?” Dmitri bites out the words, his voice quiet, almost imperceptible beneath the club’s deep, moody music.

“Please.” I give him my most charming smile, the one that used to adorn teen magazines. “We’ve shared a woman. I think we should be on a first-name basis, don’t you?”

“Sure. Whatever.”

“You can stop with the sullen act. We both want the same thing.”

His gray eyes meet mine in a challenge.

“Yes,” I say.

He knows who I mean. He doesn’t have to ask.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out a wisp of crumpled black satin and hand it to him.

He takes the fabric. Recognition narrows his eyes. “You sick fuck. What the hell is this?”

“You know what they are.”

“Why are you giving these to me?”

“To return them to their owner. She’s living with you now, isn’t she? Have you had any further…transactions?”

“That’s none of your goddamn business, motherfucker.” He gapes at the panties, clenching them in his big, bruising fist. “Why are you giving me her dirty underwear?”

“They’re clean. I had them washed. You can do with them what you will.”

Now that I’ve said my piece, there’s nothing more to do here. I get up, wave farewell to Betty, and walk out of the club.

Dmitri

Why do I want to punch my boss? All the time now, I want to hit him.

Before Leah’s auction, I never saw the guy. Now he’s fucking everywhere, butting into my business. Acting like a prick every chance he gets.

He plays hard. Too hard. I heard the stories, like most others. And I’m as surprised as anyone else that Margot and Betty trust him.

The asshole’s on a power trip, and he has an ego the size of Jupiter. Whatever he wants to do, he thinks he can do it.

I have a decision to make. Do I give Leah her underwear back, or toss them in the garbage?

Tossing them means I don’t have to think about it anymore. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want them after they made the rounds in the club.

Still undecided, I go home and let myself inside. I expected Leah to be asleep, but the television is on and she’s curled up on the couch. Her pajama bottoms have little ducks printed on them. Cute.

---