Page 29 of S is for…

Roses and potted queen palms shielded three sides of the little seating area, so they couldn’t see who was approaching, but that was definitely the sound of multiple people walking.

Lihn, Julen, and Peter exchanged a glance just before the newcomers rounded the corner.

Three women in business attire lined up shoulder to shoulder.They looked so different from the pictures on their checklists that it took Lihn a moment to recognize each of them.

Diann was on the left, her curly hair pulled back in a tight bun.She wore a suit with heels and a shiny blouse.Laney was on the right, wearing slacks and a structured sweater, her hair loose around her shoulders.

Joni was in the middle, looking fucking stunning in a sheath dress with a diagonal leather panel cutting across the front.Her arms were bare, her hair a shiny curtain around her face, and her brows raised.

Lihn was not a businessperson, and only wore suits for the aesthetic, not to meet some societal dress code norms.Staring at the three women, who looked ready to do some serious corporate…something…he had no problem admitting he was intimidated.

Peter and Julen looked stunned.Silence stretched between them, growing more awkward with each second.

Joni cleared her throat.

Lihn shook himself, then pushed to his feet.Peter and Julen did the same.

“Thank you for joining us,” Lihn said.Should he shake her hand?No, they’d already done that.Should he shake Diann and Laney’s hands?

“You’re welcome,” Joni said, apparently speaking for all three of them.“Let’s sit.”

Okay, no hand shaking.Peter and Julen took one of the loveseats, Laney and Diann across from them on the other small couch.Joni sat in the armchair directly across from Lihn.

“You were getting ready to leave,” Julen said quietly, studying them.Those were clearly their street clothes, and seeing them dressed this way while in the club itself induced a sense of vertigo.The context was all wrong.It was like seeing your teacher at the grocery store.

“No,” Joni answered with a slight smile.“I decided that it would be better if we got dressed before having this conversation, to ensure it wasn’t colored by any sub manners or residual power exchange.”

Again Peter, Julen, and Lihn exchanged glances.Julen’s expression was blank, Peter looked considering, and Lihn felt… Lihn felt all kind of things including a bone-deep certainty that if he were a switch, he would happily lick Joni’s boots.

“Thank you for joining us,” Lihn said, wrestling down the fantasy.

“I’m sorry you thought wearing your court clothes was necessary,” Peter added, looking at Diann.

Diann arched a brow, looking at Peter as if he were a bug.Yikes.

“We have a problem,” Joni declared.“The problem is two-fold.First, you two fucked up your scenes.You were bad tops.”

Joni was looking at Peter and Julen.

Just them?By force of will, Lihn kept himself from asking that question aloud, trusting the information he wanted would be revealed in the course of the conversation if he was patient.

“Yes,” Julen said, “I was.”

“So was I,” Peter agreed.

Laney shook her head.“No, it’s fine.I should have?—”

“Knock it off,” Joni ordered, pairing the words with little kick to Laney’s ankle.

“Fuck, you’re bossy,” Laney muttered, reaching down to rub her leg.

“In real life, yes, I am,” Joni said unrepentant.“Which is why I come to the club to give up all control.”

Lihn stared at her, as if by concentrating hard enough he’d somehow magically figure out precisely what had gone wrong for them.From what she’d said, it seemed like she didn’t blame him for whatever had gone wrong, but still, she had used her safe word.

“The second problem,” Joni continued, “is that your plan was a piece of shit from the start.”

Julen leaned back in his seat, brows raised in surprise.

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