Chapter 21 – Sage
I t’s been about a week since Elias gave me control in the bedroom. He seems lighter.
I’m not sure how often he’ll let me tie him up and edge him, but I hope he knows it’s always an option. That if he ever needs an escape, I can take over for him.
It’s Thursday evening and tonight I’m taking Elias out on a date.
He walks through the door an hour before we’re supposed to leave.
“Finally!” I say and walk over to him, arms crossed.
“Sorry, I had a lead on Chase, but it turned out to be nothing.”
He boops my nose, and I playfully try to bite his fingers.
“Come on, let’s get you ready.” I take hold of his hand and turn to lead him to our bedroom closet.
“So what are these date plans you have for me? ”
“It’s a surprise,” I tease.
“I need to know where we’re going so I have enough men—”
“Taken care of.”
“What?”
“I already talked to Jax. He’ll make sure we have enough security where we’re going.”
Elias opens his mouth, then promptly shuts it.
I didn’t think it was possible, but I’ve left Elias speechless.
“You’re too good for me, woman.”
I giggle. “I know. Now get dressed. Not a suit. Something casual. Bar wear.”
“No suit?”
“No. Suit.”
Elias rarely goes out in public in casual clothes. The only time I’ve seen him dressed down is when we’re lounging in the living room. Which always leads to sex because I go feral seeing him in sweats and a t-shirt.
I go to the bathroom where I left my clothes and get dressed.
When I walk out, Elias is wearing a black, short-sleeve button down with a dark gray skull design throughout and a pair of black jeans.
It matches the black skull and rose design on my red cocktail dress with a full skirt .
“See,” I say, smirking. “I knew you were going to choose a mobby outfit.”
“Mobby? Is that even a real word?”
“It is now.” I wave my hand up and down his body. “Mobby. You just need the hat.”
“A fedora?”
I smile and nod and grab the collar of his shirt to pull him closer.
“I’m more of a trilby guy.”
I place a soft kiss on his cheek, leaving a lipstick print behind. I’m not going to tell him because I want him to wear the mark all night.
“Ready?”
“I’m scared.”
I snort. “No you’re not. Nothing scares you.”
“ K araoke?”
Maybe I was wrong about Elias because he does look terrified. A 300-some pound bear-of-a-man intimidated by... singing?
It’s nearing ten at night, and we had a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant in Little Italy. Elias has been a nervous wreck, glancing over his shoulder nonstop because we’re in ‘Empire territory.’ It doesn’t even matter that three of his men are on guard.
If I’m honest, it’s probably more than three men. Some are likely hidden.
Now we’re at my favorite bar in Midtown East where karaoke just got underway. The host starts off singing a fast-paced number where he puts on a show, dancing and walking around the bar to get people pumped.
Elias and I find a seat near the back where it’s semi-private and somewhat quiet.
“Sage!” a familiar voice calls out.
My bartender friend, Allan, shoves his way through the crowd and nearly tackles me with a hug.
I’ve known Allan for years, ever since I first moved to New York City, and we worked together at a hole in the wall bar in the East Village.
But I haven’t seen him since moving back.
He’s gotten even more handsome. Tall and slender with a head full of blond curls and piercing blue eyes.
I can’t see Elias’s reaction to the hug, but I flick my hand at him anyway, knowing he’s already plotting all the ways to kill my friend.
To be fair, I’m also ready to sucker punch every person eyeing my man. He looks fine as fuck tonight. The mobby outfit makes him even more intimidating, if that’s possible. He’s also a massive guy so maybe people are wondering if he’s a football player or someone else famous .
His thick black hair is styled short at the sides with a few long pieces hanging over his forehead. I always want to push it back.
“Oh. Wow,” Allan says when he pulls away and spots Elias. “You’ve brought a scary one.”
“This is...”
Should I introduce him as Elias? Or Johnny, his alias?
“Um...”
“Carter,” Elias grumbles.
Okay, so we’re going with last name.
Elias shoots death glares Allan’s way, and I roll my eyes.
“Don’t mind him.” I wave my hand to distract Allan’s heated eyes away from my man.
Okay.
Wowww. I’ve never been the jealous type. This overwhelming possessiveness is new.
And I don’t exactly hate it.
“Do you two want anything to drink? I’m behind the bar tonight, but I’ll send your server out with them.”
“Can I get the usual? And Carter will have a whiskey on the rocks. Top shelf.”
Allan smirks. “Fancy.”
With a wink, he spins away, and I reach out my hand. Elias immediately takes it.
“We’re just friends.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“Mhm. ”
He squeezes my hand gently. “What’s your usual?”
I smile because there are a lot of things we still don’t know about each other. Except, I know he loves whiskey. I always taste it on his kisses. I love the taste. His taste.
Do I have a taste?
“Depends. When I go out to bars or clubs, I get vodka soda with cranberry. For brunch I do mimosas or espresso martinis. If I’m chilling at home, wine. Tell me your favorite color—and black doesn’t count.”
He pouts. “Why the fuck not?”
“Because I said so.”
He snarls at me, appearing adorable and grumpy instead of angry and intimidating, which is what he was probably going for.
“I love the color red,” I answer first since Elias is being difficult. “It’s seductive. To me, it represents power and love.”
And I look fantastic in a short red dress.
“Now you.”
“Since you won’t let me pick black, I choose teal.”
My mouth forms an ‘o’, surprised by that response.
“It’s the color of your eyes.”
Eyes that I roll. “You’re such a cheeseball.”
He shrugs, not at all concerned by giving a cheesy response.
“Favorite food?” I ask.
“Hot dogs ”
I scrunch up my nose.
“Specifically, Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs because my mom used to take Lance and me out to Coney Island every summer.
” He looks down at his hands while revisiting this memory.
“We’d start the day eating a hot dog covered in chili and cheese, then we’d get on every single ride until we were both sick to our stomachs. ”
He smiles sadly before looking up at me.
“What about you?”
“There’s this dish my mom makes. Tater tot casserole.
It has chicken—or you can make it with beef—sour cream, cheese, and a can of cream of mushroom soup.
It became tradition to have it when we were celebrating something.
It could be anything: an A on a test, a pay raise, passing my driving test. I could make it for you sometime. ”
The corner of his mouth turns up in a half smile. “I’d love that.”
We spend about five minutes going through a few other favorites, including books, movies, TV shows, and music. We even talk about pet peeves.
Mine: loud chewers.
Elias: people being late.
“Tell me about your family. Your childhood,” Elias says, moving on to the deeper stuff.
I shrug. “There’s not much to tell. My life’s boring... well, it was before I met you. ”
“I can be boring.” He gives me that adorable half smile that makes me swoon.
I scoff. “Maybe when you’re sleeping.”
Except not even when he’s sleeping. He mumbles and tosses and turns. If I wake up first, sometimes I’ll just watch him. It’s when he’s his most vulnerable.
I notice someone waving at me from over Elias’s shoulder.
I wave back at the karaoke DJ, and he points at the television.
I nod, letting him know to put in one of my usual songs to sing.
It’ll probably take half an hour to get to me so I guess I can share my boring life with the least boring person I know.
Especially since he’s waiting so patiently like a good boy.
“I was born and raised in Connecticut in the same home where you found me on Christmas Day.”
I frown, realizing my parents may never be able to go back to that home. Even if Elias finds Chase, I’d be worried about Mom and Dad being connected to Elias now. I wonder if he can put them in some sort of witness protection.
“I grew up fat, and I was bullied in elementary school for it, then puberty hit me, and my breasts got bigger which, despite still being fat, made me popular with the boys at school. It fed into my ego and gave me more confidence in myself and my body. I was happy for the most part and did well in school. I did everything a high school kid was supposed to do. Decent grades, extracurricular activities. I applied to dozens of colleges and got accepted to some of them, but I realized I didn’t want to go to school anymore, so after graduation, I moved here to Manhattan.
“I made good money waitressing, so I saved as much as I could while I tried different things to see what I enjoyed and what direction to take my life. By the time I met Chase, I was itching for an adventure. To travel. I hadn’t been anywhere except Atlantic City, a yearly trip my parents would take to kick off summer.
We didn’t have a whole lot of money. My mom was a teacher, and my dad had a safety officer position at this furniture making company before they both retired. ”
I pause when the bar roars with excitement as a singer starts belting out the latest Taylor Swift song. Elias winces, which makes me smile.
This is torture for him.
When the bar’s enthusiasm becomes bearable, I continue.