“He’s big on safety,” Abigail said. “I’d hate to say ‘too’ big on safety, but…”
“He’s a pro,” Mike said, shrugging. “Anyway, I know him. But he doesn’t know me as Mike Jenkins. He doesn’t even know that I’m in the Keys, or for that matter out of the teams. I don’t think I’ve talked to him in three or four years. He might not remember me.”
“Well, I think I’ll take you on your word,” Abigail said. “What are you planning on doing for scene with the girls?”
Mike rolled his eyes and shrugged.
“We’ve got the time and luxury to… take our time,” Mike said. “I’d, frankly, planned a rather drawn-out slave-training scene. Captured girls, being taken on a boat to be sold, et cetera. Pseudo Gorian, I suppose.”
“Sounds heavenly,” Abigail said, sighing. “But…”
“I don’t intend to break them,” Mike said. “I want them to be clear about the bedroom door. If they want to expand, later, fine. But… I don’t want the scene to become their life.”
“You’re pretty smart for a SEAL,” Abigail said.
“We’re smarter than you think,” Mike said. “But… I’m a bit unusual even for a team guy, yeah.”
“Well, give me the FedEx number and I’ll get the birth certificate out today,” Abigail said, then sniffed theatrically. “My little girl is growing up and getting her own master. It’s so sad.”
“Mrs. Tray?” Mike said. “And is it Mrs. Tray or Mistress Tray?”
“Oh, it’s Mrs.,” Abigail said.
“Mrs. Tray? You are a nut.”
“Takes one to know one,” Abigail said, laughing. “Be careful with my daughter, please, Mike whoever you are.”
“Harmon,” Mike said quietly.
“You’re not DEA or something, are you?” Abigail asked.
“No,” Mike said, chuckling. “I don’t do the drug thing. I do the other war.”
“Oh. Well, it was good talking to you Mr… Jenkins,” Abigail said after a moment’s thought. “And, well, if you’re ever in Steelville and are interested in training a forty-two-year-old slave, give me a call,” she said with a laugh.
“Hmmm…” Mike said, smiling. “Do you look anything like your daughter?”
“Somewhat older,” Abigail said. “I keep in pretty good shape, though.”
“You tempt me, madam,” Mike said, smiling.
“I’ll let you go to tempt my daughter now,” Abigail said. “Good talking to you.”
“And you,” Mike replied, hitting the disconnect and going up on the flying bridge.
“I need a beer,” Courtney said. “I can’t believe the conversation I just had with my mother.”
“I can’t believe the conversation I just had with your mother,” Mike said, sighing and sitting down next to her. “But I don’t suppose there’s any possibility of mother-daughter…”
“Don’t even go there!” Courtney said, dropping her face into her hands. “Oh, God!”
“Well, she did suggest if I was ever in Steelville I should give her a call,” he said teasingly.
“Oh, God!” Courtney replied, shaking her head. “There are things you don’t want to know about your parents!”
“Well, that wasn’t fun,” Pam said, coming up on deck. “They’re going to ‘think’ about it. My mom’s calling Courtney’s mom to talk to her.”
“Oh,” Courtney said, shaking her head. “That could be bad.”
“Why?” Pam said. “Did she go off on you?”
“No,” Courtney said. “But…”
“Courtney just found out far more about her parent’s love life than she ever wanted to,” Mike said. “So did I.”
“My mom came on to him!” Courtney wailed.
“What?” Pam gasped.
“Her parents are, apparently, in the ‘scene,’ ” Mike said, chuckling. “We had a long talk about bondage safety.”
“Dad whips her,” Courtney gasped. “My mom has always been the boss in the family. This is getting a little hard to take.”
Pam’s phone rang and she looked at it as if it was a snake, then hit Connect.
“Yeah, Mom?” she said, then blinked. “Really? Great. Okaaay.” She held it out to Mike. “She wants to talk to you.”
“Hello?” Mike said, trying not to sigh. This was turning into one hell of a lot of work for a couple of… no, it wasn’t. What in the hell was he thinking?
“Yes, ma’am,” Mike said, taking a breath and definitely not sighing. There was a pause as he listened to Pam’s mother.
“Go ahead,” Mike said, his eyebrows raising.
“Probably ring,” Mike said. “Some ball but only monitored. Possibly cock.”…
“I will be.”…
“I’m still making up my order in my mind,” Mike said. “But leather. Probably locking.”…
“Can’t get it off if there’s a panic attack,” Mike said. “You can cut leather.” He looked over at Pam, who was staring at him, wide-eyed, and shrugged.
“Possibly,” Mike said. “I’m a trained bosun, we are trained to raise multihundred-ton boats. In a storm. If I do, it will probably be my own rig; I don’t like most of the suspension rigs out there.”…
“I’m going to contract and do the best negotiation I can,” Mike said. “I was going to go over that sometime today or tomorrow and no major scene until we do.”…
“Yes,” Mike said. “I was. I’m still scripting the details.”…
“Fine,” he said, nodding. “Good talking to you, too, ma’am. No, I won’t say that in front of the girls. Yes I will. Goodbye.”
“Was that conversation about what I think it was about?” Pam said, staring in horror.
“Yep,” Mike said, shaking his head. “You two have got a couple of kinky moms. I guess the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
“Oh, God!” Pam wailed. “I did so not want to know that!”
“It was better than having the conversation with her yourself,” Courtney said. “Trust me.” She paused and her brow furrowed. “Oh, God, your parents and my parents have been friends since…”
“We were in grade school,” Pam said, closing her eyes. “I don’t want to think about this!”
“At least your mom didn’t describe to you the pleasure of being whipped,” Courtney said.
“Really?” Mike asked.
“No!” Pam said.
“Yes! It was a… terribly weird conversation,” Courtney said. “She ended up telling Mike to come by if he was ever in Steelville! And don’t you dare say anything about…”
“Mother-daughter action?” Mike asked, grinning. “Never crossed my mind.”
“I so don’t want to think about…” Courtney said, closing her eyes. “You. My mom. Me. Oh, God, I need some brain floss!”
Pam was simply staring, wide-eyed, at the horizon.
“Hello?” Mike said, somewhat seriously. “Earth to Pam.”
“Us,” she whispered. “In a scene. With our parents.”
“Aaaah!” Courtney wailed. “You had to say that! I’ve seen some bondage pictures. I so don’t want to think about that!”
“Your dad’s… kinda cute,” Pam said, still staring at the horizon.
“Noooo!” Courtney said. “Don’t say these things!”
Chapter Eight
There were quite a few things, besides bondage gear, to pick up before they were ready to head out. Most of the food and drinks for the trip they picked up in the Islamorada Wal-Mart, but Mike took them to specialty shops to get bathing suits. He had them pick up some light-weight “sun” shirts as well as broad-brimmed hats. He also had them each get a pair of high-heeled shoes but didn’t shop for any other clothing. He, meanwhile, shopped the tools and hardware section, picking up various items he felt might be useful.