"When will I see you again?" I ask.
"Tomorrow. We have a staff meeting at ten."
"That's not what I meant."
His mouth curves. "I know. How about tonight? I'll bring dinner. We'll talk about what happens next."
"That sounds perfect."
He leans across the console, kisses me slow and sweet. "Get some rest. Eat something. Text me when you're ready for me to come over."
"So many instructions."
"You need them."
I can't argue with that. He parks the car, gets out and walks me to the door. Men my age don’t do this. He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Follow my instructions. I’ll see you tonight.”
“Yes, Daddy.” The words are almost a whisper, an afterthought. He smiles at me.
“That’s my good girl.”
Inside my apartment, I drop my bag and collapse on the couch, pulling out my phone.
Me: I'm home. And I need to tell you all everything.
Madison: FINALLY
Lily: Emergency zoom meeting in 20 minutes
Chloe: I'm getting wine
Amber: I'm getting POPCORN
Maya: I'll send the link
Emily: So excited glad you are home safe, Holly.
Twenty minutes later, I'm on a video call with six faces staring at me expectantly.
"Okay," Madison says. "Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out."
I take a breath. "So. I might be dating my boss."
The screen erupts in chaos—squealing, questions, demands for details. I tell them everything I can without betraying the intimacy of what Justin and I shared. But I tell them enough.
About the conversations. The trust. The way he sees me. The way I feel safe. I even let them know how good he is in bed.
"He sounds perfect," Lily says when I finish.
"He sounds like a Daddy Dom," Chloe corrects. "A real one, not just some guy who read Fifty Shades and fantasizes about a red room."
"Have you talked about it explicitly?" Madison asks. "Like, the dynamic?"
"Yes. We've been very honest. We’ve talked about expectations, communication and safety. Of course we have a safeword."
"And he's good to you?" Emily's voice is gentle. "Like, really good?"
"He's..." I search for the right word. "He's everything I didn't know I needed."
