It was a pleasant enough walk, even though her thoughts were heavy and the air was chilled. The sun kept trying to peek through the clouds, but the scent of rain hung in the air, warning of a potentially wet afternoon.
The pathways were clear of guests, which was something of a relief. She really wasn’t in the mood to smile and wave at guests who recognized her, or spend a few minutes chatting to friends or co-workers who expected her to be her usual charming self.
Afternoons were a mixture of activities for the guests—some enjoyed gentler pursuits supplied by the club such as the small spa, massage therapists, the gym, swimming, while others took advantage of their vacation time to nap or whatever struck their fancy in their cabins.
She made it to the clubhouse without being accosted, but found herself face to face with the delicate apple of Merrick’s eye, Tamsyn, as she walked through the door. The dark-haired sub with tawny brown eyes speckled with green and gray flecks was potentially the biggest sweetheart alive, despite her very dark and turbulent history.
If she was here, her Dom was not far away.
Shit.
“Mistress Violet.” Tamsyn’s eyes lit with adoration.
“Tamsyn. You look… delightful.” It was true; even in the panda bear onesie, the girl was physically much healthier and happier than she’d been when Merrick found her huddled in the storage closet just a few feet away from where they were standing now. There were still shadows in her eyes, but those were to be expected. “Playtime at Callie’s, by any chance?”
Tamsyn nodded miserably. “Merrick has to work until ten tonight. He feels better when I have company.”
“And that company has a strict dress code,” Violet said wryly, earning an amused eyeroll. “Did the princess not demand a tribute?”
“Apparently, the costume will suffice. Merrick tried to make a trade, but Callie would rather see me suffer in this than eat all the candy he can buy.” Tamsyn ran her hand over her face wearily. “Is it possible to suffocate in one of these things?”
What a difference a few months made, Violet thought proudly. When Tamsyn first stumbled her way into Serenity, she was unable to say a word. They’d never rooted out the cause of her mutism, but Violet suspected it was either fear or trauma that stole her voice for several weeks before she found the courage to find it again.
Terminally shy, struck with separation anxiety whenever Merrick was out of sight, Tamsyn’s journey had been rough, rocky, and a testament to her inner strength.
Now, there were occasions when she knelt quietly in the corner as her Master went to work, putting his considerable skills to effect on club clientele, but if he felt the scene was too severe for his little owl to watch, he made alternative arrangements.
“I can’t promise anything, but I think you’re safe.”
Tamsyn didn’t look convinced. Worrying her lip, she avoided eye contact for a few seconds, then peeked beseechingly beneath her lashes. “Mistress Violet, I know it’s a lot to ask, but… could I stay with you a while? Even for just a couple hours?”
The request was unexpected—Callie was the life and soul of the party, even if she was the only one there. The anticipation of spending time with her might be daunting, but Tamsyn would have fun once she relaxed. Unless…
Folding her arms over her chest, Violet lifted her eyebrow. “What is Callie obsessed with now?”
“Glee. I love music,” she added in a desperate whisper. “Love it, but when she puts episodes on repeat again and again… I won’t survive, Mistress.”
Her initial thought was to refuse the girl, despite her obvious distress. Violet’s own problems were crowding her mind, wearing Boudreaux’s charming grin as they mocked her. However, it occurred to her that Tamsyn could provide a few hours of distraction, a physical barrier between Violet and her big, sexy problem.
With a sigh, she glanced at the clock above the receptionist’s desk. “I need to run upstairs. You’ve got fifteen minutes to convince Merrick to let you come with me instead of spending eight hours with your ears bleeding. If he says no…”
“He won’t. Thank you, thank you!” Obviously relieved, Tamsyn spun on her heels and rushed through the double doors to her left, disappearing into the bar to find Merrick, who was probably talking to the bartender, Liam.
Sometimes the smallest quandaries were the most amusing, Violet thought. She made her way up the stairs to the clinic, knocking politely on the closed door and waiting.
The club’s usual doctor on duty, Linnie, had been on sick leave for a couple months after attacking Merrick over a… misunderstanding. A traumatic event in her teenage years hadfestered like a splinter buried in flesh until the circumstances between Merrick and Tamsyn lanced the abscess and released a lot of toxic shit.
Since her temporary departure, a few doctors had been drafted to cover the clinic, most of whom werenotsuited to the club lifestyle for one reason or another. The current replacement seemed to be a good, honest man who was either adept at keeping his thoughts to himself, or didn’t have a judgmental bone in his body.
The door swung open to reveal the man in question. Wearing green corduroy trousers and a brown woolen sweater, with reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, Doctor Isaac could easily have been mistaken for a grandfather disturbed from perusing the Sunday morning newspaper.
He blinked in surprise, then smiled quietly. “Mistress Violet. You’re the last person I expected to require my services today, but it’s a pleasure as always. Please, come in, come in.” He stepped back gallantly, waiting until she crossed the threshold to close the door, then held out his hands to the sides. “How can I be of help, Mistress?”
This was going to be harder than she imagined, wasn’t it? Quite frankly, it was embarrassing. Her reputation in the club was one of responsibility, so how was she supposed to explain why she needed a damn emergency contraceptive pill after being completely, unthinkinglyirresponsible?
When the silence dragged out for too long, her tongue tied and unable to form the words, Isaac nodded once and gestured to a chair beside his desk. “Why don’t you have a seat, Violet, and gather your thoughts. Whatever you need, there’s no rush.”
Violet blew out a quiet breath, ignoring the stress building across her shoulders, creeping into her neck and the base of her skull. “Thank you, I’ll stand. I don’t want to take up any more ofyour time than necessary.” She pinched the bright of her nose. “This is mortifying, Doctor, but I need a dose of Plan B.”
