He returned her smile. “Okay.”
He got out, walked around, and opened her door for her. When she stepped out he laced his fingers through hers and walked with her inside the restaurant.
Tilly’s nerves tightened, like coiled barbed wire inside her gut.
I can do anything I put my mind to.
Loren smiled when she spotted Tilly. Ross smiled, but she didn’t miss his slightly puzzled look.
Landry squeezed her hand and offered her a quick smile as he let her lead him across the restaurant. Tilly made the introductions and Landry even pulled her chair out for her before sitting next to her.
She didn’t miss the odd look on Kim and Kylee’s faces. The women seemed shocked to see
Tilly arrive with a guest.
As Tilly had expected, Loren started in immediately. “So! How did you two meet?”
“Mutual acquaintance,” Tilly said, hoping Loren wouldn’t want to kill her later. “Boring story, seriously.”
They asked him about his job, appropriately impressed to find out he ran a software firm and made good money. Loren had asked that question, unashamedly stepping into her overprotective best friend role.
The waitress took their orders. When she left, Kylee leaned in. “You look really familiar. Like I’ve seen you somewhere before.”
Landry smiled. “I’ve been told I have one of those kinds of faces.”
Kylee didn’t look convinced.
Before their food arrived, Tilly had to go to the bathroom, her glass of tea already stretching her nervous bladder to the max. As she expected, Loren and Kim both jumped up to accompany her. The bathroom door was no sooner shut behind them that the two woman stood outside her bathroom stall, hounding her with questions she quickly dodged. Then they went strangely silent as Tilly heard the door open and someone else enter.
“Look, can we talk about this later? Seriously? And please don’t scare him away, I really like him.” She washed her hands and dodged out the door. Ross and Landry sat alone talking at the table.
That meant Kylee had most likely been the one to enter the bathroom. So why hadn’t she chimed in with her questions?
She pushed it out of her mind as she returned to her seat. Landry offered her a smile and a quick peck on the lips.
When she looked at Ross she didn’t miss his beaming grin. “I was just telling Landry you look really happy, and I asked him what drug he slipped you.”
She laughed.
Ross cleared his throat. “He, ah, also told me he’s sick.”
She shot a glance Landry’s way. The man shrugged. “He asked if we would be at a party next week. I told him you were going with me to my biopsy, and that I probably wouldn’t feel like attending. I couldn’t speak for whether or not you’ll be there.” She knew Ross couldn’t see him wink at her.
She relaxed. He hadn’t spilled the beans.
Ross continued. “You would have made a great nurse, Tilly. This’ll give you a chance to kick back and relax for a while.”
Okay, maybe he had spilled the beans.
Landry clasped her hand. “I also told him you offered to let me stay with you during my treatments.” He looked back at Ross. “I wouldn’t feel right about staying there if I didn’t pay my own way, and pay for her time.”
She relaxed again. Her irritation at him faded. Maybe this would be okay after all. And what the hell was taking the girls so long?
Ross looked down suddenly and pulled his BlackBerry from his belt. He thumbed it, scowled as he read a message, then his face shifted to a strange, blank expression Tilly wasn’t sure how to interpret. “Can you excuse me for just a minute?” He got up from the table and walked away.
Landry leaned in. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It seemed easiest that way, straightforward. I didn’t tell him about getting married, or about Cris.”
“Great,” she whispered, almost a hiss. “So how the fuck am I supposed to work those little factoids in?”
He was about to answer when Kim and Kylee returned, both of them looking…weird.
They managed to uphold a stilted conversation for a few moments until Ross and Loren returned.
Whatever message Ross had received, he looked ready to kill and cast a murderous glance toward Landry.
“What’s wrong?” Tilly asked him.
He shook his head, his face clearing. “Nothing. Sorry, got an issue at work I’m dealing with.”
She felt relieved. If she didn’t know any better, it was like they’d all suddenly passed an unfavorable judgment on Landry.
The conversation felt forced from that point on but Tilly couldn’t put her finger on it. Kim and
Kylee didn’t seem to want to talk to Landry now, and Ross barely talked to anyone. Loren had slipped into dutiful slave wife mode in that Tilly would swear she was only acting normal due to some order on Ross’ part for her to act that way.
It creeped Tilly out.
After their meal, Tilly hugged her friends and told them she’d see them in an hour at the club.
When they got into the SUV, Landry glanced at her. “I suspect your suspicions mirror mine. The text message Ross received had nothing to do with work.”
“Yeah,” she admitted. “I think you’re right.”
They returned to her house, changed clothes, and headed out again. Tilly liked that he helped her tighten her corset, but she felt unsettled. “We don’t have to go tonight if you don’t want to.” Truth be told, she wouldn’t mind staying home and trying to talk him into a repeat performance of that afternoon.
“That’s all right. I don’t mind. Unless you wish to stay home?”
Part of her wanted to do just that. On the other hand, she wanted the chance to introduce him to her friends before they had to take time away from the scene for his treatments.
He carried her toy bag inside the club for her. Ross and Loren had already arrived. Tilly and Landry no sooner walked in when Loren cornered her.
“I need your help with my corset, please.”
Tilly couldn’t help but notice Loren seemed agitated. “Since when?”
“Please, Til?”
Tilly rolled her eyes and left Landry out in the dungeon playspace while she followed Loren into the bathroom. They were alone, and Loren’s corset didn’t need tightening.
“Sweetie, I don’t know what’s going on with that guy, but please, just let him go handle his problems by himself!”
“What the fuck, Lor?”
Her face looked torn between pained and murderous. “We didn’t want to tell you this the other night.” She took a deep breath. “That guy, Kim and Kylee saw him up in Tampa at the old club we all used to go to. The one in Ybor.”
“So?”
“They saw him with Cristo.”
Tilly closed her eyes. Okay, so in some ways this would be easier, and some ways this would be harder.
Loren wasn’t done. “So please, just tell him no-go, you can’t help him. I’m still not sure how you met him, but—”
“He’s Cris’ Master,” Tilly quietly admitted.
Loren’s eyes widened. “What?”
Tilly nodded.
Her friend stood there, shocked. After a long moment, she finally spoke. “What?”
“You said that.”
“What the hell?”
“That’s different.”
“Tilly, quit fucking around! You know he’s with Cris?”
She leaned against the counter and folded her arms over her chest. “Yeah. I’ve already seen and spoken to Cris. He doesn’t know about Landry’s cancer returning.”
Her eyes widened even more. “What?”