Page 57 of Interview with a Sadist
“Right of the Slash,” she says, reading the title before turning the book over and checking out the back. “By Nasir Booker. Oh, he’s cute, too. What does he write about?”
“BDSM,” I tell her, and her eyes quickly shift over to me a little wider than they were before. “Ah, sothat’swhy you’re interested. All right, since you brought it up, go ahead and spill the beans.”
“Spill the beans? People still say that?”
“Don’t you dare deflect, Bree. You spill those beans right now or I’m walking out of here.”
I take the book back from her and open it, glancing at the inside flap to read the blurb. “There’s not much to spill. We’ve been hanging out a lot and having a great time. He’s incredible, and the people I’ve met from hanging out with him have been amazing, too. His friends, E and J, are super cool.”
“Ah, unlike those two stiff bitches you were hanging out with before?”
“Hey, those stiff, stuck up, judgmental, bratty bitches were my friends. Well, at least I thought they were, and yes, E and J are much cooler than Melissa and Teagan. So, I’ve upgraded my life in all aspects.”
“That’s great, Bree. I’m really happy for you,” Octavia says as I tuck the book under my arm and pick up another by Nasir Booker. “So, is it safe to assume that you’re now very comfortable with the owner of the BDSM club? Are you guys officially dating?”
“Umm,” I begin, still unsure how to answer that question. “Yeah, I think we are. We’ve done a lot since I told you about the time he flogged me on the couch in his office. We’ve been out to dinner … sort of … I’ve even been to his house since then.”
“Oh, you two are dating big time. You’ve been to his house? Wow. Did you guys watch Nutflix?”
“No, we definitely didn’t watch a mov—wait, what?”
“Did you role play? Did he turn you into Princess Bubblecum?”
“Octavia!” I blare as I burst into gut-wrenching laughter. I laugh so hard I have to place my hand on the shelf to hold myself up. “Nutflix and Princess Bubblecum? What is wrong with you?”
“Don’t laugh at me. I bet you’d get an Oscar for that role. Anyway, keep going. Besides the kinky sex that now has you ready to purchase books by Nasir Booker, how is he? Did he turn out to be a good person? As much as I care about the sex being great, what I really want for you, Bree, is to be happy. So, is he a good guy?”
As I manage to pull myself together and stand up straight, I think about everything I’ve learned about Nolan since we met. He has always been polite, even when he’s being sadistic. He has always cared about honesty and love, and I’ve never heard him be an asshole to any of his friends or employees.
“To be honest,” I start, grinning with pride as I think about him. “Nolan has done nothing but impress me. Yes, the sex is out of this world and he has shown me things I never would’ve dreamed I’d experience, let alone enjoy, but we have a connection that resonates with me. We laugh a lot, which I’m not used to with a guy. Most men who are as sexy as Nolanknowthey’re sexy, and they try too hard to fit that image. They’re always smoldering and licking their lips.”
“God, I hate that shit.”
“Right? So annoying. Anyway, Nolan doesn’t do any of that. Fitting the female gaze is just part of his personality—the way he dresses, the cologne he wears, how humble he is in a world where he’s revered, all of it is perfect. I actually find myself being envious of how well he and his friends get along. They’re all so cool, funny, and accepting. The whole thing has been a dream. I don’t know, maybe I got lucky and stumbled intotheone.”
“All from an assignment that you didn’t even want,” Octavia says, beaming as she listens. “Look at God!”
I scoff and chuckle. “Please. Unless your god is into watching me squirm from nipple clamps and drool from a ball gag, I’d say this isn’t divine intervention.”
Just as I finish talking, I turn to find an old woman standing directly behind me. She looks at me with wide eyes, obviously having overheard what I said about clamps and gags. She speed-walks away from us, and the second she’s out of earshot, Octavia and I burst into laughter again.
“Well, I just ruined her day,” I joke, still chuckling.
“Or made it. You never know. Don’t let that gray hair fool you,” Octavia quips.
After we pay for four books between the two of us, we spend the next hour roaming around the mall, talking about everything and nothing at all. While I’d like to get home and give Nolan a call, it’s actually really nice just to spend time with Octavia. After everything that happened between my college friends and me, it’s great to have her around, and part of me wishes I would’ve been spending my time hanging out with her instead of wasting it on those two. Nonetheless, we’re here now, and our trip to Philadelphia Mills has been a tremendous, hilarious success.
With multiple bags in both of our hands, we finally decide to make our way out to the parking lot. Unfortunately, that means we have to leave the way we came in, which is through the food court. We parked where we did because it was close to Barnes & Noble, but now that we have to exit through the massive crowd of people searching for a place to eat, it feels like we’ve made a mistake. So, we put our heads down and try to make a straight line for the exit.
We pass most of the crowd and walk past B&N again, which is only a few feet from the mall exit, and I glance over my shoulder at a group of people in the center of the court. Somehow, in the middle of all those people, I manage to catch eyes staring at me. A blonde with curly hair stands next to one of the many tables, and she’s staring directly at me, unblinking. My feet slow down all on their own as my heart begins to race.
Is that … Maddy?
“Hey, you good?” Octavia asks, just as a large family walks past us and directly into my line of sight, blocking the woman from view as Octavia and I step outside. The automatic doors to the mall close behind us, and we’re finally underneath the sky and clouds, but my mind is consumed by the woman.
“Umm,” I start, unsure of whether I saw what I think I saw. “I just thought I saw someone.”
“Who?” Octavia asks, but instead of responding to her, I follow my feet as they lead me back through the doors of the mall.
