Chapter 18
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
As James strode through the throngs of people, he could see his friend and partner pacing in front of the BlackSmith booth. When their eyes met through the crowd, Chris surged forward and pounced on him. “It’s about time, man! You are not going to believe what happened.”
To say that James was taken aback was an understatement. Chris was the most laid-back guy he knew. He could be exuberant at times – obnoxiously so – but never agitated. “What’s the matter? Is someone hurt?” Worry tightened his gut, but as James glanced over to the young work crew, taking a break from their maintenance work, everything seemed in perfect order.
Chris shook his head. “Sorry, man, everything is fine, but I was dying for you to get here. She’s here.”
“Who’s here?”
“Laundromat Lady. She’s here at the Festival!”
“What do you mean?” Hope soared to life and buzzed through his veins. “ Laura’s here? Are you sure? Why didn’t you call me? ”
Chris gave him a pointed look. “When’s the last time you looked at your phone?”
James pulled out his phone and discovered six texts and two missed calls from his friend. “Shit, sorry, man,” James said, his tone sheepish as he glanced at Chris. “I turned it off while I was on break.”
Chris made a ‘whatever’ gesture. “Don’t fret. This woman – she was at the last munch.”
“She what? And you didn’t tell me?”
“What was there to tell? I met a Laura. Do you know how many Lauras there are in the world? I didn’t want to set you off moping again. But I was talking with her here and she went white as a ghost when I mentioned your name. Then it hit me. She has to be Laundromat Lady. As soon as I said that, she took off.”
“Took off?” James ran a hand over his mouth. “How do you mean?”
Chris scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “I mean, she ran away.”
“Why? When?”
“I sort of hoped you could tell me why.” Chris gaze narrowed. “What in the hell happened between the two of you?”
“Nothing.” James glanced at the sky. “Well, a lot. But nothing bad. It was good, really good between the two of us.”
Chris raised an eyebrow, as if silently questioning the validity of the statement. “I guess you’d know if a woman was into you. But I’m telling you, she didn’t just leave, she ran .”
James shook his head. “I need to talk to her to find out. I suspect it has something to do with her ex. He sounds like quite the asshole, from what she told me. ”
“You didn’t push too hard?” Chris inquired. “Doms can be overwhelming, especially to newbies.”
“I don’t think so.” James shoved his hands in his pockets, fighting the restless energy inside. “I gave her a safeword and our play was mild. But again, I need to talk with her, to get things straight.”
Chris nodded. “Look, she’ll be long gone by now and if not, what are the odds of you finding her in this crowd? She came to the munch once, maybe she’ll come again?”
James wasn’t too sure about Chris’s words, but he nodded and suggested, “Why don’t you go and stretch your legs? I’ll hold down the fort.”
Chris left James behind and went straight for the massage booth where Kate was working. The curtain was down, so Chris waited for her to finish with her client. Within a few minutes, she emerged with a balding man.
After saying goodbye and washing her hands she turned to Chris. “Hey Chris, are you here for a massage?”
“Beautiful, I knew you couldn’t wait to get your hands on me.” He winked at her, but as Kate rolled her eyes, Chris turned serious. “Banter aside, I need your help.”
Kate shrugged and waved him inside the massage booth, pulling the curtain so they could talk in private.
“Remember the new sub from the munch?” he asked her.
“Laura? Yes, sure. What about her?” Placing her hands on her hips, she gave him her patented Domme-look. “You don’t expect me to set you up on a date, do you? ”
Against Chris’s will, his cock stiffened. He ignored his unruly body and focused on the matter at hand. “No, or yes actually, but not with me. Hell, I’m not making sense.” He raked a hand though his hair. “Has James told you about the night of the tornado?”
Kate shook her head.
Chris explained, “He got trapped in a laundromat with a woman – a submissive woman.”
“Stuck in a laundromat, but Laura…” Her sentence died away as realization hit home and she whispered, “had one night stand with a Dom.” Her intelligent green eyes met his. “You think that was him? And she’s her? You think James and Laura spent the night together!”
“Exactly! James is desperate to find her again, but when I said his name, she took off running,” Chris answered. “Is she into him at all?”
Kate narrowed her eyes. “I have her number. But I won’t give it to him–” She held up her hand. “— nor to you! Sure, when she talked about her encounter, she seemed like she had a good time. I don’t think she regrets it, but she didn’t sound like she wanted to see him again, so I am not going to force her into that situation. Besides if she’s avoiding him, she’d probably hang up on him.”
As much as it irritated him, that made sense. “You’re right. But how about if we get them both together at the munch next Wednesday? I’ll get James to come if I have to knock him unconscious and drag him in. You make sure that sub shows up.”
“Yes, Sir!” Kate said with a mock salute. “I’ll see what I can do. You know I can’t guarantee anything.”
Chris stepped closer to her and whispered. “See, I knew you were a closet submissive.” He quickly dodged her slap to the head and walked away grinning. When he tossed a gaze over his shoulder, Kate stood at the entrance of her tent, shaking her head, but with a cheerful smile on her face. It took all his willpower to walk away from her.