“You say that now. I still have no idea what to do with this mess.” She ran her fingers through her hair.
“I might be able to help you with that.”
“Oh, you style hair now?”
“No, brat. I was thinking I could get you an appointment down at the spa, but I have something even better in mind.” He pulled out his smartphone and dialed one of his contacts. He smiled at her reflection before wandering out of the room. “Banner, how are things?”
She didn’t hear the rest of the conversation. It was too muffled to make out. Who had he called? Silently she thanked the powers that be he hadn’t made her an appointment at the spa. She was more of a do-it-yourself girl. She’d always had her hair cut at one of the cheap places and dyed it herself. The one time she’d splurged and gone to a salon, the stylist had looked down her nose at her candy-colored hair and given her condescending advice on the dangers of home hair kits. She’d told the snotty bitch to kiss her ass and swore she’d never put herself through that again.
Brian poked his head around the corner. “All taken care of. Help will be arriving in approximately fifteen minutes.”
“Help?” What kind of help?
“I think you’ll like her too. You sit tight. I’m going down to the gym for a quick run.” With that he was gone.
She almost called after him but thought better of it. There was no sense in arguing with him unless she wanted her ass blistered before the opening tonight. Not a bad idea. The soreness might help keep her nervous energy in check, and of course there would be the stress relief from the punishment itself.
No. He was in an exceptionally good mood. Better not ruin that.
She went to the bedroom and laid her lingerie out on the bed. First the classic black lace panties and matching garter then a new pair of black silk stockings with a Cuban heel. Last but not least were the black patent leather, blood-spattered stilettos. Sexy but edgy. At least she thought so. Just as she pulled the plastic cover from her dress a knock sounded at the door.
She frowned, almost afraid to see who Brian had called to
help
. She hoped like hell it wasn’t a stuck-up hairstylist. If it was then she’d deal with it as best she could and thank him later. It was the thought that counted after all. Fake smile in place, she opened the door. A curvy bombshell covered in tattoos greeted her with a huge smile. Her raven hair hung in long waves, complete with deep-purple streaks. She was stunning and not at all what Gen had expected.
“Hi. You must be Genevieve. Name’s Indie.” The woman stuck out her hand. Gen shook it tentatively. “I hear you’re in need of some help. I came prepared.” Indie held up an old-fashioned vinyl train case. Were her eyes actually violet? She breezed past Gen, her insanely high platform stilettos clicking on the floor. “Ooh, swank. Brian certainly has good taste.”
“Um, yeah.”
“Too modern for me though. It lacks a certain something.”
Gen had to agree. How did Brian know this woman?
“Okay, where’s the bathroom? We need to get started.” Indie grabbed her by the hand and pulled her along. “I still have to get myself ready and that can take awhile.”
Indie’s frank attitude and friendly demeanor left Gen surprised and unsure of how to handle the strange situation she’d been thrown into. Maybe she should just go with it. “It’s straight ahead through that bedroom. Will you be at the opening tonight?”
“Banner is dragging me along,” Indie said, leading them into the bathroom. She set her case on the counter and opened it. Holy hell, the woman had more makeup and hair products than a full-service salon. “I don’t have the first clue about art but I figure there will be some interesting people there, and any occasion that gives me a chance to buy a new dress is all right with me.” The barest Southern lilt revealed itself in Indie’s voice the more she talked.
“How did you meet Brian?”
“There’s no history between us, if that’s what you’re asking. I met him through my fiancé, Banner Faust.” She held out her left hand, wiggling her fingers. The light caught a huge oval diamond in an antique setting. “Pretty, huh?”
Gen admired the engagement ring, but it was the silver choker at Indie’s throat that really got her attention. The thin band of metal was engraved with intricate scroll work and had several cabochon amethysts. To the untrained eye, it would appear to be a piece of beautiful jewelry, but Gen knew it was so much more than that. It was a collar.
Envy reared its ugly head. Brian had never so much as mentioned collaring her and she hadn’t thought about it at all, until now. How safe and cherished this woman must have felt when her Dom offered her his collar. “Beautiful. The necklace too.”
Indie gave her a knowing smile as she fingered the jewelry around her neck. “That’s special too, but then you already know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do.” Gen cleared her throat, desperate to change the subject. “So, how does your fiancé know Brian?”
“He met Brian through Jared. You’ll meet them tonight along with Sophia. They’ve all been friends for years, but don’t let that intimidate you. Everyone is great and I’m sure they’ll love you. Apparently it’s been a really long time since Brian’s been in a relationship. They’re all eager to meet his new girl.”
Gen opened her mouth, but she was too stunned to speak so she closed it again.
“He hasn’t told you? That figures.
Men.
I swear they’re so clueless sometimes. I’ll try to fill you in as best I can so you’re not blindsided by the whole thing. Why don’t you show me your outfit so I can come up with a plan for your hair?”
“It’s in here.” Gen took her into the bedroom and showed her the dress.
“This dress… Where on earth did you find it?”
“A vintage shop in Ybor City. It’s all wrong, isn’t it?” Gen couldn’t hide her disappointment.
“Are you kidding? It’s the perfect little black dress—sleeveless, tiny waist, the way the skirt flares out and swings with the crinoline peeking out below. Oh and the bateau neckline screams—”
“Audrey Hepburn.”
“Exactly! It’s perfect. God I wish I were skinny enough to wear something like this. Sadly I can’t do backless. My girls need too much support.” Indie emphasized her point by lifting her ample breasts.
“Oh please. What I wouldn’t give to have curves like you.”
“You have a great body,” Indie scoffed.
“I’m built like a twelve-year-old boy.”
“You are not. Don’t get down on yourself like that. I won’t have it. You have to love what you were born with or no one else will. Got it?”
She liked this woman more as each minute passed. “Yes ma’am.”
“Ugh. Please don’t ma’am me. In my book, only mommas and Mistresses deserve to be called ma’am.” Indie wandered back into the bathroom. “Well, come on, girl. Let’s get started on your hair.”
Gen sat down at the counter and waited.
“I’m thinking with the vintage dress and length of your hair we’ll go with a sexy Lauren Bacall look. It’s really too bad Brian didn’t call yesterday. I’d have come over last night and set you in pin curls. No worries though. Curling irons are a girl’s best friend. I can fake it and it will only take about fifteen minutes. Do you have any hair pins or barrettes, something sparkly?”
“All I have is a brooch.” After digging through her toiletry bag, Gen came up with a little box, opened it and handed Indie a rhinestone spider pin.
“Very cool. I can work with this.” Indie lined up several hair products and went straight to work, brushing out her hair. “I love this color.”
“Oh thanks. Yours is really great too. Do you do hair for a living?”
“No, but I used to model. Fetish, pin-up, that sort of thing. It’s actually how I met Banner. I took a job as a naked sushi model for an event at his restaurant, Crave.”
“Oh wow. You’re braver than me.”
“It was an interesting experience, that’s for sure. But I don’t model anymore. I quit when he offered me a job as a pastry chef. It was totally a bribe. Like I couldn’t see through that. He didn’t like me taking the kinkier assignments. He’s sort of possessive. I don’t mind though. It’s kind of sexy and I did get my dream job out of it.”
“So you work for him and you’re in a relationship? That must be hard.” Gen happened to know firsthand just how complicated that type of relationship could be.
“Not really, although it does have its challenges,” Indie said as she plugged in the curling iron. “Actually, working for him isn’t much different than submitting to him. He gives orders, I follow them. Of course there’s no sex involved at the restaurant. Not that I wouldn’t mind, but business is business. How about you? What do you do for work?”
Gen cringed, embarrassed. “I’m a bartender.”
“Nothing wrong with that. I have the utmost respect for anyone employed in the service industry. It’s hard work and you have to put up with a lot of crap. Is that how you met Brian?”
“He’s sort of my boss, in more ways than one. I’m sure you can relate,” Gen muttered.
Indie let out a loud, boisterous laugh. “Hon, you said a mouthful. So how’d you end up his submissive, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The strange thing was Gen didn’t mind. She’d only just met Indie but the woman’s easygoing nature made it easy to talk to her. “Well, I was late for work for the third time in a week and he bent me over his desk and spanked me for it.”
“He did not!”
“Yes he did. A few days later he took me out for pie and we negotiated an arrangement. I’ve been his submissive for about two months now.” There was so much more she wanted to say. The words just wouldn’t come. There was too much risk involved. What if what she said got back to Brian? She didn’t know Indie well enough to trust her yet.
“Ho-ly shit. Talk about throwing you into the deep end. Banner was a little more subtle but not by much. I was lying on the display table in the middle of his restaurant, naked and covered in poisonous fish. I’d known him for maybe half an hour when he dropped this bomb on me. He asked if I wanted to be his submissive for three days and then walked away, leaving me there. Can you believe the nerve? I had another hour and a half before my shift was over. It was torture. Of course I said yes. Three days, a play party at Jared’s, followed by a full-blown fight and we’ve been together ever since. That was almost a year ago and now we’re getting married. Can you believe it?”
Gen smiled at Indie’s reflection. “That’s quite a story. Tell me about the others. You mentioned Jared?”
“Jared.” A sly grin slid over Indie’s lips. “Think
300
.”
“The movie about the Spartans?”
“Mm hm.”
“Oh
really
.”
“Mm hm. He’s tall and bronzed and built like a god. He has this huge house with a dungeon and he trains slaves.” Indie imparted the last phrase as if she were letting Gen in on a secret.
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. They all wear red collars and cuffs, live at his house and serve all the Doms with blind obedience. It’s kind of creepy in a Stepford sort of way.” Indie’s eyes went wide. “But if you’re into that sort of thing, who am I to judge? Your kink is not my kink—”
“Indie, I’m not a slave.”
“Okay, phew. I thought I just stuck my foot in my mouth. Would you mind taking your glasses off? Very geek chic, by the way. I love ’em, but they gotta go if I’m going to do this quickly.”
“Oh sure.” Gen removed her glasses and set them on the counter.
“You have pretty eyes. You should wear contacts tonight if you have them.” Indie went to town curling and parting and pinning. She worked fast and talked nonstop. Gen was saddened by the fact that they lived so far away from one another. A friendship with another submissive, especially one as crazy and unique as Indie, would have been nice. Ivy would like her.