I shrugged. “Possibly, but it’s only online.” Peering around to be sure no one was listening to me, I lowered my voice. “Actually, it’s rather kinky.”
This got Shelby’s attention. “Tell me more. When are you going to get together with him? Have you even seen him?”
I took a sip of my iced tea then mumbled, “We don’t really have plans for that.”
Shelby set down her fork. “Wait, what?”
“It’s purely an online kind of thing. They call it cyber-training.”
She rolled her eyes. “Whatever. That must just mean he’s too ugly for words. Honey, you’re screwing around with the Elephant Man. Or a serial killer or something. A guy like that—he’s got something to hide.”
“Now hold on a minute. We don’t know that. He wanted to do things on camera. I was the one who said no to that.”
“Why’d you do that?”
“Because then there could be video of me doing kinky things—naked—all over the internet!”
Shelby bit her lip. “Good point.”
“So it doesn’t mean he’s the Elephant Man. It’s not like he was afraid for me to see him. In fact, he begged to do things over a webcam.” I might have exaggerated a tad when I said that.
“Maybe, but I’m not convinced. There’s something creepy going on here. Most men would die to get in a woman’s pants, especially one as cute as you.”
“He doesn’t know what I look like.”
“Huh. Has he ever asked?”
“Nope.”
“Have you asked what he looks like?”
“No.”
“You guys are weird. Maybe you’re a perfect match.” She giggled, and it was my turn to roll my eyes.
“I can’t help it though. I’m completely infatuated with him.”
“Sounds like it. You know, they did a study that found that the hormones a woman’s body releases after she has sex makes her fall in love with the guy she just banged. I’ll bet that’s what happened to you.”
“Where’d you hear that?”
She shrugged. “I get around. Listen, it’s not like you seem happy with this. I can tell you’re not.”
I sighed. “No, I’m not,” I said, picking up my fork to stab a bite of chicken salad.
“Tell him then. Give him an ultimatum. Tell him you meet in person, or you’ll end it.”
How very Shelby-like to recommend a power play. “That’s not how it works, Shelby. I’m the submissive one in the relationship.”
“And how’s that working for you?” she asked, crunching on a crouton.
“Not so well, I guess.” I wanted to throw my napkin at her, but it wasn’t her fault. Maybe it was time for me to take some responsibility for my own needs and ask for what I want. “But what if he says no?”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be. In your mind, how do you see this ending anyway?”
Suddenly I lost my appetite. That was the question I’d been trying to avoid for weeks. “I’m not sure.”
“Well, you might want to figure it out. Look, you’ve finally gotten rid of that philandering husband of yours. I understand that you need to sow some wild oats, play the field, and all that. Believe me—I get it. But you should do them with a real guy, get it out of your system.”
“I don’t think this guy wants more. He’s happy the way things are.”
“Then you need to find someone else.”
“You’re probably right.”
Shelby flagged the waiter to bring her another glass of wine. “Oh, honey, I’m always right,” she said with a sugary smile.
Later that evening, I was surprised to get a phone call from MC. In the past, the only other time he’d contacted me by phone was that day he texted me while I was at dinner with my parents. Other than that one time, we always communicated via internet to set up a phone conversation. I assumed that was his way of us keeping our boundaries clear, and I followed his lead. It would have never occurred to me to simply call him out of the blue, so I was thrown by his impromptu call.
“Hello? Sir?”
“Yes, it’s me. Hello, Sophie. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. This won’t take long.”
“Okaaaay.”
“I’ve been thinking about your wanting to have a live session.”
“You have?” He was full of surprises.
“Yes, where in the Central Time Zone do you live?” My heart began to soar, and I tried to hold back from getting excited.
“Texas, why?”
“How would you feel if I flew to where you are, and we spent some time together? Had a session in person?”
“Are you serious?”
“I am. What would work best for you?”
“Wow. Um, before the beginning of school would be best. And maybe we could meet in Houston.” The idea of meeting MC in Fort Worth, where I lived, freaked me out. But Houston was only a few hours away. I could drive there, and the airport would be convenient from wherever he was coming from. I probably could stay in a hotel and not see anyone I knew…
“Houston, okay. Is that near where you live?”
“Close enough.” My heart thudded in my chest. Could this be for real? Because now that it was thrust upon me, I realized this could be a very good, or a very bad, idea. What if we met and he hated me? Or I hated him? This could ruin everything.
Or, it could give me exactly what had been lacking from our experiment, or training, or whatever you wanted to call it—the kinky fuckery we engaged in.
“You’ll be flying out of what city?”
“Seattle. I live in the area.”
“But not in Seattle?”
“No, a little bit outside the city. It’s more rural, woodsy.”
“Oh. Sounds nice.”
“It is.”
“Great. Should I find a place for us to stay?”
“That would be nice. Why don’t you make a reservation, and I’ll pay for it. Email me a few dates that are good for you.”
“Yes, sir.” I could hardly contain my excitement.
“It’s nice to hear you so upbeat. I’ve been concerned lately that we were hitting a roadblock in your training.”
“You’re right. I’ve been quite frustrated lately, but I think this will help a ton.” Of course I had my doubts. I knew meeting each other in person could completely destroy everything between us, but I needed it so badly that I couldn’t let on that I expected anything but for this to be the perfect next step in my journey.
“All right.”
“Oh, sir… there’s one more thing.”
“Yes?”
“Well, if you want me to make a reservation, I should probably know your name, in case you get to the hotel before I do.”
“I see.”
Flustered, I forged ahead, babbling, “I mean you know my name, at least my real first name, but if you don’t want to tell me, I’ll understand—”
He interrupted me. “It’s all right, Sophie. My name is Quentin Andrews.”
From the moment he told me his name until the morning I finished packing my bags to drive to Houston, Quentin Andrews consumed my thoughts. He hadn’t balked when I told him which hotel I’d chosen, so I assumed he could afford it. We continued our play sessions, and I had to admit the passion between us felt energized by our upcoming meeting. I no longer fretted over not having a “live” man, and that allowed me to focus enthusiastically on the tasks he gave me. After all, he’d shown me he was willing to give me what I needed—a live experience with a Dom.
I’d considered shopping for some sexy lingerie, but that would probably be a waste. I imagined he would expect me to be naked in his presence most of the weekend. The very thought gave me goosebumps all over. What would he do to me in person? Would it be better or worse than what he had me do to myself? It had to be worse, and in some ways that might be even more delicious. Oh, I was all discombobulated, but for the most part I tried to remain on an even keel and keep my expectations low. If I wasn’t attracted to him, it would be okay. I could always close my eyes and focus on what he did to my body. Surely, that would be acceptable. It was close to how we currently operated.