Page 21 of Dance for Me

To really piss off his subbie—because, hell, if she decided to admit she swayed that way, he would do his damnedest to claim her before anyone else got a shot at her—he spun his chair around until his back was almost, but not quite, facing her. He could just see her out of the corner of his eye.

“Braun, it’s Michael.”

“Michael, it’s been a while. How are you and that sassy sub of yours keeping?” Honest pleasure rang in Braun’s tone. “We’ve missed seeing you around these parts.”

Michael was a longstanding Dom at Avalon. In his middle sixties, the lawyer had been a regular before he’d had the good fortune to meet his submissive—now wife—in the middle of a wax play demonstration in barn three.

Kathleen was a sweet woman in her late fifties who’d come to the club to tick off an item on her bucket list after her husband of thirty years passed away in his sleep. She and Michael had hit it off straight away, and what might have been simply a dalliance for her turned into something from a romance novel.

They’d been absent from the club for nearly three months; Braun wasn’t lying when he said they were missed. Kathleen’s laugh could light up a room and her sense of humor was both dirty and limitless.

“As we’ve missed you. Had a health scare,” Michael admitted slowly, almost uncomfortably. “Turns out I haven’t been taking good enough care of my ticker. Needed some time out from life after I had a minor heart attack.”

“Well, fuck. I’m sorry to hear that, Mike.”

“Nothing a change of diet and some bedrest hasn’t fixed. I got the all clear from the hospital last week to resume normal activity, and normal for us is...well, Avalon.” Michael cleared his throat. “Kathleen and I would like to come back, Braun.”

Swinging around to the computer, Braun dismissed the club logo and quickly accessed the membership records. “That shouldn’t be a problem. We’d love to have you back. Membership fees for you both are up to date,” he noted, scanning names and payment dates. “It’ll be great to see you.”

“Well, ah, that wasn’t the only reason for me calling.”

“Oh?”

“Kathleen turns sixty next week. She’s coped remarkably well since this nightmare kicked off three months ago. Looking after the house, taking care of me in hospital and again at home. It’s been harder on her, I think, than it has on me. The woman hasn’t faltered in her devotion, Braun.” The love and wonder in the older man’s voice was humbling. Romance novel, indeed. “I was hoping you might consider doing me a favor.”

Braun frowned. “If I can help, Mike, you know I will.”

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you be willing to hire me Avalon either this Saturday night or next? Money isn’t an issue. I’d like to throw Kathleen a birthday party, something special as both a gift and a thank you for everything she’s done. God knows I wouldn’t still be on this earth if not for her,” Michael muttered before clearing his throat sharply. “She loves Avalon and the people in it. I can’t think of a better place, or people we like more, to celebrate sixty years of her life with.”

Good job he was sitting down, Braun thought as the request hit him in the gut. He knew he’d built a community here, brought people from every kink of life together as a family unit, but sometimes reminders like this forced him to see just how true that was to some members. It humbled him to think Michael and Kathleen thought so much of the place and the people.

Now it was his turn to clear his throat, emotion deepening his voice by an octave. “Well, that’s some favor, Mike. One I’d be honored to help you with, of course.” He pulled up the calendar, the scheduling. “I’ve got a series of demonstrations booked for this Saturday, but the one after is free.”

“Excellent. You’ll let me know a figure?”

“No, no charge, Mike. We’ll call it a birthday present to the lucky sub.”

There was silence for a few seconds. “I can’t let you do that, Braun.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Kathleen’s a club favorite and a valued member of the community, as are you. It’s my pleasure to be able to give her something so simple to make her happy after everything you’ve both been through lately. Just tell me what you need me to do and I’ll get it done. I’m sure the Masters and Mistresses will be happy to help set everything up.”

“If you’re sure, Braun, I appreciate it more than you know.”

“I’m absolutely positive. Let’s get the details down so I can make a headstart on things.” Braun opened a new document and set his fingers on the keyboard, propping the phone between his shoulder and his ear. “Ready when you are.”

*

This was such a stupid idea.

Bodie huffed loudly and shook out her hand, annoyed at the cramp in her wrist and the one building in her fingers from gripping the pen. She was on her third sheet of paper, and with every line she wrote, her handwriting deteriorated a bit more.

If Master Braun gives me an order, I will obey it.

That one sentence circled around and around in her head until her lips formed the words as she scratched ink onto paper. It was seeping into her blood, tattooed into the ache of her muscles. The more she repeated it, the less...adverse she became to heeding it.

Why oh why had she offered to do this?

Because he hadn’t demanded it.

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