Chapter 25
KYLIE
“Never?”
“Never.”
“But you’re staying to be with me?”
“Honestly, I’d like you to go with me. But seeing as though I fucked up and made this relationship impermanent, and you don’t want me meeting your family, I’m staying here instead.”
My mind reeled.
“You don’t have to stay for me.”
I dressed in my bra and underwear, shaking out the wrinkles that had formed in my work pants.
“Here, let me iron them for you.”
Luc reached for my pants and top and pulled down an ironing board hidden in the bathroom wall. How had I always thought that subs took care of the doms? Since last night, Luc had done nothing but wait on me hand and foot.
“I want to be here with you. The trip to Houston is optional, and I opted out. It gives me five days to spend at home before the second half of the season ramps up.”
“Luc, are we dating?”
I paid close attention as he ironed my clothes—a task most boyfriends wouldn’t do for their partners. And, fuck if he didn’t seem to enjoy it.
“I would say so. I mean, we’ve slept at each other’s houses. You have the code to mine. We aren’t seeing anyone else.”
“It’s a complete mind-fuck, honestly, this expiration date. Every relationship has the potential to end, but I’m trying my best to protect myself here, Luc. It’s like you’ve already promised to break my damn heart. Only a fool would continue to move forward in this situation.”
He finished ironing my pants, handed them to me, and started on my blouse.
“Kylie, I’m not ending things with you. I would leave only if I saw that I no longer fit into the future you envision.
Kids and marriage are non-negotiables for me.
I will not change my mind, and as long as you’re good with what we have, then yes, we’re dating.
Call me whatever you want, your boyfriend, fuck friend, or partner.
I won’t ever go by the name husband or daddy. ”
In an attempt to bring some levity, I asked, “No, Daddy kink?”
“Fuck no.” Was that a gag?
“Good, it weirds me out.”
“Promise you will tell me if I’m no longer meeting your needs?” Luc handed me my shirt and stared into my soul. How could we be having such an important conversation in the middle of doing something as trivial as ironing?
“I promise.”
“As for your family, I won’t tell them, but I won’t lie to them. And that goes for Sam if this thing between him and your sister continues.”
“OK. That’s reasonable. I don’t like the thought of either of us lying.”
Luc had put on shorts and a polo; his casual look made him appear to be headed to a country club for a round of golf.
I finished my skincare and makeup and packed them back into my work bag while Luc went downstairs and made us both a cup of coffee.
“Don’t think this will get you out of a trip to Amanda’s.”
“Nope, not at all. But you’re going to be late if you don’t get moving.”
I looked down at my wrists, and the faint lines had faded slightly.
“I don’t think I need to stop at home.” I held up my arms, and Luc nodded in agreement.
“More time to relax at the coffee shop.”
“What time is your flight?”
“Late afternoon. What are your plans tonight?”
“I was going to read a book and relax.” And try to distract myself from wondering what the fuck I was doing with this relationship. I looked forward to the workday for precisely that reason.
“Wait, that reminds me. I still have two books I picked up for you in Minnesota.”
I smiled, “Thank you. I’m almost done with my current book.”
Zipping it, I fit the two books into my bag. “Ready?”
The fact that Luc not only remembered the books we talked about on the flight here but purchased them for me—found a deep well of emotion, one that I wasn’t sure I was ready to feel with him.
It’s only books, Kylie.
He didn’t look at me like it was only books.
In the daylight, in these moments, his brown eyes softened, and he turned into a caretaker.
My perception and research of D/s relationships never would have supported Luc as a caretaker.
But this morning, that is what he’d been.
And while I’d always worried that this dynamic would make me feel used, I instead felt cherished.
“You’ve been taking care of me all morning…” I observed as we both settled into his car.
“Yeah, partly because it’s part of aftercare, but also because that’s the type of dominant I am. It’s a means for me to control the situation if I do it myself.”
“Um, are you sure that’s not just a form of OCD?”
Luc laughed. “I don’t know, Ky. But did you hate it when I ironed your clothes? Or would you prefer I had you iron mine?”
“I hate ironing. I rarely buy clothes that require ironing. This business casual thing at work has been forcing me out of my comfort zone.”
“See? We’re perfect for each other.”
Perfect for each other. Damn you, Luc! Why do you keep reminding me that this will end one day?
As we sipped our lattes and I picked at my muffin, one of my co-workers, Gabby, had come into the cafe. She waved and approached our table while she waited for her order to be made.
“Kylie, hey. I’m glad I caught you.” She eyed Luc and waited patiently for me to introduce them.
“Hi Gabby, this is Luc, my boyfriend.”
My voice wavered a bit when I said the word boyfriend, but Luc’s smile was worth it. He stood and shook Gabby’s hand.
“Would you like to join us?” Luc asked.
“No, I’m headed in a little early. I don’t have time to sit. We’re planning post-work drinks tonight. Are you in?”
“Oh, I can stop in for one.” I peeked at Luc to see how he reacted to me having drinks with my co-workers, and he seemed completely unbothered. From what I could tell, my co-workers were tight-knit and had bonded over late nights and disease outbreaks. What can I say? These were my people.
Gabby smiled at Luc. “I’ll have to let Jayson know you’re off the market. It will save you both the awkwardness of you turning him down.”
“Thanks,” I said, looking again at Luc to gauge his reaction. He seemed more amused than jealous.
“Gabby?” The barista called her name from the pick-up counter.
“Ooh, that’s me. I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“See ya soon.”
Luc waited until Gabby left before speaking. “God, Kylie. I owe you an apology.”
“What for?”
“I haven’t asked you about your new job. I don’t understand what an epidemiologist does and haven’t asked. Baseball filled most of our conversation. I didn’t mean to be so self-absorbed.”
“Well, I like baseball. I’ll gladly talk about it.
Bonus points if you throw in some juicy player gossip.
Unfortunately, there’s not enough time for me to explain what I do if I’m going to make it to work on time.
But if you call me from the hotel tonight, I’ll be happy to tell you all about how many cases of Lyme disease there are in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. ”
Luc smiled, and I immediately got sucked into him again. I lost focus on everything else but him when he was in the room.
“Sure, I’ll look forward to it. Call me after you get back from drinks with your new friends.”
“Are you okay with Jayson being there?”
“Are you interested in Jayson?”
“No.”
“Then why would I mind?”
“I don’t know.”
“Kylie, we’re going to spend more time apart than we’ll be together. Without a semblance of trust, we’re fucked.”
“Okay.”
“Come on, we should head out. The traffic is getting shitty.”
I leaned over and kissed Luc when we pulled up in front of my office building, lingering for as long as I could.
“If I text you during the day, can you answer? I want to make sure you’re feeling okay after last night.”
“Yes, I can answer, but maybe not right away. I will do my best not to leave you hanging.”
“Okay. If you need anything, let me know.”
“Have a safe trip, and I’ll talk to you tonight.”
I watched his Audi slip into traffic, completely disappearing before I headed into the building.
Once I got to my desk and checked my e-mail, I got buried in work. I handled Lyme and tick-borne diseases, and with the summer being in full swing, there were a ton of new and probable cases.
Midmorning, Gabby dropped by my desk.
“Where did you find Luc? Sheesh, he’s hot as hell.”
Gabby was known in the office for telling it like it was, and she never hesitated to share her opinion.
“We met on a plane. I was moving home, and our seats were in the same row.”
“Lucky you. I get stuck either with a snorer who can’t stop itching, or with a restless toddler.”
“I was the snorer, and in this case, I fell asleep on him. But if it makes you feel better, we annoyed the hell out of the other passenger in our row.”
“Great story to tell your kids.”
She couldn’t have been further off with her assessment if she tried, but it highlighted how easily people commented on whether couples had children. It wasn’t anybody’s business.
“Mmm. I guess so. We’re not there, though.”
“I told Jayson that you’re off limits. You’re welcome.”
“Thank you. Who is going tonight?”
“Cassidy, Jayson, Dory, and you. Oh, and me, of course.”
Oh great, I thought to myself. I had privately nicknamed Dory Public Health Barbie.
While we all dressed professionally in the office, Dory was a bit extra.
I stumbled upon her “Get Ready with Me” TikToks, and she never missed an “Outfit of the Day.” You would never guess that she worked in a state office.
Some days, it looked like she was going for the office siren approach.
Luc and I chatted back and forth throughout the day, mainly because he was checking in on me. Once he boarded the plane, he stopped responding. I had to bite back my disappointment when I looked at my phone to find no notifications.