Chapter 16
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN
BODEN
“Umm, yes, I was calling to see if you could look at our profile and see if the Dominatrix my wife and I saw two years ago still works there.”
There’s a pause on the other end of the phone.
“Boden and Audrey Taylor,” I confirm.
I hear the clacking of the keyboard.
“Yes, I’m fine with holding.”
*I place the phone between my shoulder and ear to flip the steaks I have going on the flattop grill on our back deck. Audrey should be home any minute, and I always like to have food ready when she gets off work.
Something has been up with Audrey the past couple of weeks, but I’m not sure what.
Things have been off since that morning I woke her up with the orgasms and I finally told her I know she dreams about the Domme.
We had talked about it previously, but this last time it seems to have changed something.
The receptionist comes back on the line and breaks the news, “She moved back to her hometown a couple of months ago, but we can’t give any other info outside of that.”
“That’s all I needed, thank you so much!”
Well, there goes the only chance I had at getting Audrey another encounter with the one and only woman she apparently wants to be with. But at the same time, I remember the two of them together; there did seem to be a connection of sorts between them.
I pull the steaks off the grill, turn off the propane, and head inside. When I open the door, Audrey is setting her things on the counter, looking extremely sad.
“What’s wrong, Darlin’?” I set the steaks on the counter so I can wrap my arms around her, and the back of her head falls to my chest.
She takes a deep breath and sighs. “Nothing… just work stress.”
I ponder how to help because she normally doesn’t have a ton of stress there, or at least not any she tells me about. “Is it a new nurse that’s giving you issues?”
She shakes her head. “No, one of the midwives… It’s actually Stevie—remember Daniella’s friend from high school?” I feel her body tense slightly, and I step back to massage some of the stress from her shoulders.
“Yeah, I think so. The one with the shitty mom.” The girl practically lived with us their senior year. Not that we saw much of them, between sports and god knows what else.
“That’s her, the new midwife.”
“Isn’t she way too young to be a midwife?!”
“She only had two years left to get her nursing degree and then went straight into midwifery school. I was so shocked my first day working with her, but she’s amazing at it.” I can hear the compassion and care in Audrey’s voice. Her passion for her work is one of the things I love most about her.
She loves her job.
And that’s why it’s a shock to see her come in so stressed.
“I’m glad she’s doing so well, but what did she do to you? Or is it one of the other midwives?”
“I don’t know what it is… I think I’m just tired.” After over twenty years with her, I know she’s holding something back, but I’ve learned to just let her come to me about it instead of prying it out of her. That never ends well.
“Well, let’s eat. We can shower together after, and I’ll wash your hair for you.
” She turns in my arms, and I get a whiff of cherry before she presses her lips to mine, and when I lick my lips after it’s there too.
“New cherry lip stuff?” She puts her fingers over her lips and her brows furrow.
“Whatever it is, it tastes good and smells heavenly.”
Without answering, she ducks out of my hold and heads over to make her plate. We eat and talk about what I did at work, but anytime I ask about how her day was, she seems to brush it off and move on.
“I’m going to go shower real quick—it’s not a hair wash day, but we can tomorrow if that’s okay.” She leans down and presses a kiss to the top of my head.
“Of course, Darlin’.” I tilt my head up, and she leans down to press another kiss to my lips.
By the time I’ve cleaned the kitchen up, she’s already been in the shower for a minute.
Our en suite doesn’t have a door, and I can hear her in there sniffling, until eventually it stops.
I can’t tell if what’s going on is only work or maybe something more, but I don’t pry tonight—the last thing I want to do is talk about something she’s not ready to have a conversation about.
I place her towel in the towel warmer she always forgets to use and wait right outside the bathroom to jump in the shower once she’s finished up.
“Will you leave the shower on for me?” I ask.
She sniffles and then says, “Yes, baby.”
* Exchange - Bryson Tiller