Chapter Three
Rouge
I stood outside of Kay’s office, wringing my hands together. Leland was off to the side; his strong presence was a tiny bit encouraging and a lot intimidating. Swallowing, I lifted my shaking hand and knocked on her door.
“Come in,” her tight voice answered. You made her feel that way with your temper. Why couldn’t you just let it go?
Looking back at Leland, I waited until he nodded before going inside.
Kay was sitting at her desk, resting her head in her hands. She looked up after a few moments of me dancing foot to foot in front of her. Her eyes were red-rimmed and I physically felt sick. I deserved it.
“I’m so sorry,” I said sincerely.
She pushed back her chair and opened her arms to me. Unsure of what she wanted, I hesitated.
“Give me a hug, you stubborn little cuss.”
She smelled like lilies. That was the first thing I noticed when I stepped into her arms. The second was how good it felt to be hugged. Rubbing my back, she rocked us back and forth. “Honey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you that hard.”
What she had been pushing me about was silly in comparison to our fight. Daddies Ink was holding a raffle and she wanted me to give a free session for the event. I didn’t feel that a free session with me would bring in the type of money we were trying to raise. Not wishing to admit that to her, I’d told her I didn’t want to. She pushed, I pushed, and then I’d lost my temper. Digging my nails into my palm, I tried to ignore my racing thoughts. I wasn’t used to being hugged unless it was by one of the Little girls and I hated the emotions clogging my throat.
Swallowing, I said, “I’m sorry I threw a cup at you. I-I...” I wanted to say ‘I love you’, but fear stopped the words from coming. “I really like working with you.”
“I really like working with you too,” she said as she gave me a final squeeze. “Even if I want to spank your ass.”
Heat rushed to my face before I even registered the chuckle that came from Leland.
It wasn’t a secret Kay was a Mommy Domme and honestly, she probably really did want to spank me.
“I love you too much to let you keep hurting this way, Little girl.”
A lot of people care about you, silly girl.
Leland’s words played back inside my head. Was he right? Did people care about me?
“I’m not a Little,” I argued instead.
She threw her head back and laughed. Her long blue hair shimmered in the light as she laughed.
“You are a Little and you are the most stubborn Little I’ve ever met . ”
I rolled my eyes as anger built low in my belly. Grinding my teeth together, I worked to keep myself in check. Why couldn’t they understand why I could never be a Little?
“Denial isn’t just a river in Egypt,” Leland said as he placed his large hands on my shoulders and led me from her office.
“I’m proud of you for apologizing.”
His praise made my tummy flip and once again, I bit my cheek in irritation. How fucking pathetic could I get?
“Thank you,” I said, trying to be kind. It wasn’t his fault I was grouchy.
“Have you already broken down your station?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, you’re good to go for the day. I’ll call you later tonight to check in, and I’ll see you Sunday, okay?”
“Oh, you don’t have to check in. I’m fine. We didn’t even do a scene or anything.”
He smiled gently at me and those damn elephants ran through my belly again. “We didn’t do a scene, but we talked about some hard things and then you apologized to Kay, which was another hard thing. You may be feeling fine now, but the scary feelings may come later.”
“Oh,” I answered lamely. I was so stupid. Why hadn’t I thought of that?
After grabbing my coat from the hook in the break room and helping me into it, he walked me through the shop. My face burnt in shame as I walked past all my coworkers and the clients who had seen me pitch a fit.
A firm, solid hand on my back helped me to relax just a tiny bit. “Everyone makes mistakes, sugar.”
He walked me out the front doors and over to my bike. My bike was the one thing in my life that always brought a smile to my face. I had purchased it on my own with my first real paycheck. It was an ocean blue with white pedals and white tires. My favorite part was the white wicker basket on the front.
After pulling my helmet from the basket and securing it on my head, I climbed on.
“Be careful riding home, okay? Make sure you look both ways every time.”
He gave me this speech at least four times a week.
“Okay,” I agreed.
“You’ve had a busy week; are you going to have some downtime this weekend? You need a good night's sleep.”
We needed to hire another artist. Leland had done several interviews, but nobody had been right for the position so far. Because of this, I had taken on several new clients.
“Yeah. I’m gonna rest,” I lied before pedaling off. “Have a good rest of your day,” I called out, knowing he would watch me until I was out of sight.
***
Leland
“You actually did it? Holy shit,” Smoke said, motioning for another beer. He was my best friend, but I was totally visualizing bashing his smug face in.
“Yeah, I didn’t think you’d have the balls,” Blade admitted.
“Shut up, before I fire you,” I threatened. It was against policy for employees to be involved with each other and what Blade and Rouge had done together at the club was definitely against my policy, but clearly I wasn’t enforcing the rule. It would have been ridiculously hypocritical of me because I had every intention of being involved with Rouge.
“I could find a hot sugar momma, I’d be fine,” Blade said, laughing.
“Ew. Mental images,” Kay groaned, rubbing her temples.
“Your mom’s hot, is she single?” Blade teased.
I laughed when he winked at Kay. These people were loons, but I loved them.
“There’s Paisley,” Bash boomed, his deep voice echoing even in the crowded bar. Paisley was a piercer at Daddies Ink. She was also a saccharine-sweet Little girl and we adored both her and her Daddy.
I slid a chair out from the other table and whipped it around to ours. I knew there was no point in getting two chairs. Her over-protective Daddy wouldn’t let her leave his lap. I was surprised he even let her come.
“Hi!” she chirped.
“Hey, darlin’, I’m glad you made it,” I said before shaking Axel’s hand.
He sat and sure enough, pulled her into his lap.
“Daddy was being a slow-poke.”
I chuckled at her wording. I was sure it was much more than that.
“Oh yeah?” I asked after taking a sip of my beer.
“Yas-huh, so slow.”
Axel popped her thigh and she rubbed it petulantly. “Ouchie.”
“She’s got the sniffles. I called Elliot to make sure it was okay for her to be out.”
“You’ve been feeling bad?” Bash asked. His gruff voice made his words sound a bit angry.
“I just sneezed,” Paisley protested, clearly unaffected by his gruffness. She was probably used to it.
“Maybe you should have stayed home, Little girl,” I scolded.
“One. Sneeze.”
“Four sneezes,” Axel corrected, “and lose the sass before I take you back home and turn your bottom red.”
Hiding my laugh behind another swallow of beer, I nodded.
“Poor baby, come here and give Auntie Kay a hug,” Kay commanded.
Axel helped Paisley off his knee and we enjoyed watching Kay soak up the babygirl snuggles.
“I am going to see what’s taking so long,” Smoke grumbled before asking Axel if he wanted anything and heading to the bar.
“Did you hear Leland got his head out of his ass and finally told Rouge how he felt?” Blade asked Axel.
“Well he kinda told her how he felt; he did it with a proposition,” Kay amended.
“A proposition?”
“He asked her to be his submissive for six weeks,” Blade said, filling him in.
Axel stretched his neck and looked like he was thinking. “It’s not a bad idea. I mean, our relationships are far from normal and it’s not a weird way to start,” he said after shrugging.
“And I think the important part of the story is that I did tell her how I feel about her.”
“Finally?” he asked, turning to me with a shit-eating grin on his face. “It took you long enough.”
“Fuck you,” I laughed. He was right, though. It had taken me far longer than it should have. Damn nerves.
“Hey! Hey! No. Don’t say that to my Daddy,” Paisley scolded from Kay’s lap. She waggled her finger at me. Kay laughed at her antics.
“I’m sorry, Little one. I won’t say ugly words to your Daddy.”
“Fank you,” she said, pleased I complied.
I snagged my phone from my pocket and typed out a message to Axel. I told Paisley I wouldn’t say ugly words to her Daddy, but I was definitely going to text them to him.
“Uh, Leland?” Smoke said, interrupting my witty messaging.
“Yeah?”
“Did you know Rouge is working here? As a bartender?”
“What? No fucking way.” I stood up so quickly, I tipped over the bottle of beer I’d been working on. There was no way that Little girl was working fifty-plus hours a week at Daddies Ink and then working here. At a fucking bar.
I stomped up to the bar and wedged between two stools scanning for my sugar. She looked up from the drinks she was handing out and immediately saw me. I could tell by the way her eyes widened.
I crooked my finger and summoned her to me. She obediently came and my cock hardened.
Dammit.
“What are you doing here, Rouge?”
“I’m not Rouge.”
Well, that certainly wasn’t what I expected her to say.
“Oh, really?” I asked, entertaining her for the moment.
“Yes. I get called that a lot.”
“Who are you then?”
“Kelly.”
“Kelly?”
“Yes. Rouge, Emily, and I are triplets.”
“Oh, triplets, huh?” I asked, trying not to laugh. Lies were very naughty. Even silly ones. And this was the second time she had lied to me today.
“Wow, I knew Emily and Rouge were twins, but I never knew they had a triplet.”
“Oh, actually we’re quadruplets, but Rouge ate the fourth baby in utero. She’s so naughty,” she said, shaking her head. Her side pony swung with her movements.
I couldn’t stop the bark of laughter before it erupted from my chest. She was so damn cute.
“Yes, I think she’s very naughty, considering she lied to me twice today.”
“She lied to you? That’s so bad.”
“Not bad, naughty.”
“I heard Rouge is very bad.”
“I don’t think Rouge is bad.”
“She has a bad temper and throws stuff at her friends.”
“Did you hear what she did after?” I asked, playing along with her little game.
“Probably took candy from a baby or something.”
Chuckling, I reached out and took her hand. “She apologized. Everyone makes mistakes, but only a few are brave enough to say they’re sorry.”
“I’m sorry I lied to you. Twice."
“Thank you, sugar. If you need more money, we can negotiate a raise.”
“No, I don’t need the money. Their regular bartender is out because her mom passed, so I’m just helping out for a few weeks.”
Warmth filled my chest, and I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and cupping her chin in my palm. “You are such a light in this dark word, baby.”
Flushing, she looked away again, but that way okay. I’d help her see how much she brightened the lives of those around her.