Page 26 of James

The boy hesitated, then turned to the barker. “Can I add my two to her one and get the pony from the top row? The one with the rainbow tail?”

The barker, surrounded by spectators, was no fool. “You bet,” he said and passed the plushie down to the squealing little girl.

James watched them leave. The little cutie hugged the pony to her chest as she skipped at her brother’s side. The mother smiled back over her shoulder at James, her eyes shining with happiness and pride.

Warmth filled his chest. James had had more fun teaching that little girl than he’d imagined. Maybe it was his Dom nature? There was also something about the eyes of the mother that sparked his interest. He was certain he didn’t know her, and he didn’t think he was attracted toher, but there was something about her that sparked his interest. Maybe not so much her as something about her that reminded him of someone else?

As prospective players gathered around the ring toss, James got out of the way. Time to unload the rest of these drinks and return to his own booth. Chris would be happy to take a break.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

As James strode through the throngs of people, he could see his friend and partner pacing in front of the BlackSmith booth. When their eyes met through the crowd, Chris surged forward and pounced on him. “It’s about time, man! You are not going to believe what happened.”

To say that James was taken aback was an understatement. Chris was the most laid-back guy he knew. He could be exuberant at times – obnoxiously so – but never agitated. “What’s the matter? Is someone hurt?” Worry tightened his gut, but as James glanced over to the young work crew, taking a break from their maintenance work, everything seemed in perfect order.

Chris shook his head. “Sorry, man, everything is fine, but I was dying for you to get here. She’s here.”

“Who’s here?”

“Laundromat Lady. She’s here at the Festival!”

“What do you mean?” Hope soared to life and buzzed through his veins. “Laura’shere? Are you sure? Why didn’t you call me?”

Chris gave him a pointed look. “When’s the last time you looked at your phone?”

James pulled out his phone and discovered six texts and two missed calls from his friend. “Shit, sorry, man,” James said, his tone sheepish as he glanced at Chris. “I turned it off while I was on break.”

Chris made a ‘whatever’ gesture. “Don’t fret. This woman – she was at the last munch.”

“She what? And you didn’t tell me?”

“What was there to tell? I met a Laura. Do you know how many Lauras there are in the world? I didn’t want to set you off moping again. But I was talking with her here and she went white as a ghost when I mentioned your name. Then it hit me. She has to be Laundromat Lady. As soon as I said that, she took off.”

“Took off?” James ran a hand over his mouth. “How do you mean?”

Chris scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “I mean, she ran away.”

“Why? When?”

“I sort of hoped you could tell me why.” Chris gaze narrowed. “What in the hell happened between the two of you?”

“Nothing.” James glanced at the sky. “Well, a lot. But nothing bad. It was good, really good between the two of us.”

Chris raised an eyebrow, as if silently questioning the validity of the statement. “I guess you’d know if a woman was into you. But I’m telling you, she didn’t just leave, sheran.”

James shook his head. “I need to talk to her to find out. I suspect it has something to do with her ex. He sounds like quite the asshole, from what she told me.”

“You didn’t push too hard?” Chris inquired. “Doms can be overwhelming, especially to newbies.”

“I don’t think so.” James shoved his hands in his pockets, fighting the restless energy inside. “I gave her a safeword and our play was mild. But again, I need to talk with her, to get things straight.”

Chris nodded. “Look, she’ll be long gone by now and if not, what are the odds of you finding her in this crowd? She came to the munch once, maybe she’ll come again?”

James wasn’t too sure about Chris’s words, but he nodded and suggested, “Why don’t you go and stretch your legs? I’ll hold down the fort.”

Chris left James behind and went straight for the massage booth where Kate was working. The curtain was down, so Chris waited for her to finish with her client. Within a few minutes, she emerged with a balding man.

After saying goodbye and washing her hands she turned to Chris. “Hey Chris, are you here for a massage?”

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