“Yeah, definitely.”
Emily helped me pour the dip into the crockpot. Tally had thrown herself into the crowd, as she always did, and I was left to find my own way. I loved her, but sometimes I could feel a little abandoned.
“Gray, this is my wife, Devi.” I almost let out a sound of shock because Devi was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever seen in person.Glossy dark hair, deep brown eyes, and geometrically perfect features.
“H-hi,” I managed to get out.
“Nice to meet you,” she said, giving me a smile that made me weak in the knees. I couldn’t stop staring at her face. She didn’t look real.
“Are you nervous?” Devi asked me after sharing a look with Emily.
“A little,” I said.
“Oh my goodness, I love your shirt!” I’d completely forgotten about my T-shirt. Why the hell had I let Tally convince me to wear this? I was going to die of embarrassment.
Devi laughed and my face turned fifteen shades of red, including some that hadn’t been invented yet.
She touched my arm. “Don’t be nervous. We’re a very casual group. Sometimes we talk about kink, sometimes we talk about cookie recipes. And sometimes we share our worst sex injury stories. It all depends on the night.”
Okay, cool. I could handle that. I didn’t see any whips or chains or sex furniture. I did see a few harnesses, and even some other silly T-shirts. One person even had pants that said “IT’S NOT GONNA SPANK ITSELF” on their ass.
Deciding that the only way to get through this night was to take the first step, I let Devi take me toward the seating area and introduce me to several people. Everyone wore stick-on nametags with their pronouns, which was a huge help. You could even add your preferences, if you wanted.
“See? Not so scary,” Tally said in my ear once I’d started to relax. Boomer the dog made the rounds and tried to see what food he could get access to.
I guess I’d expected more structure, but it was very informal.
“The hot tub is up and running if anyone wants to take a dip!” Emily announced and a few people said they were going to change.
“I figured you wouldn’t be ready for that the first night,” Tally said, when I gave her a look.
“Yeah, I’m good on that,” I said. Not that I’d be opposed, given the right circumstances.
A few more people had trickled in and one in particular looked familiar.
“Do you know the woman who’s getting a drink from Devi right now?” I asked Tally, keeping my voice low. Someone announced that they were going outside to smoke, and a few people joined in. In hindsight, I should have had a little nibble on an edible before I came to help me calm down.
“Mmmm, no. She doesn’t look familiar.”
I knew I’d seen her before, but I couldn’t place her. That was going to bug me all night.
You’d think I would remember someone who had waist-length red hair. The shiniest, most stunning red hair that I’d ever seen.
“She’s gorgeous, that’s for sure,” Tally said.
“So?” I whispered back.
Tally gave me a look. “A lot of people schedule hookups at these things. You should go talk to her. Offer her some corn dip. And then tell her you want her to make you cry.”
“Tally,” I whisper-yelled. This might have been a kinky event, but I didn’t need her telling everyone about my dacryphilia. That wasn’t something I just busted out with strangers. Not even the ones who wouldn’t judge me for it.
The woman turned and I finally realized where I knew her from, and I desperately wished there were a plant I could dive behind.
She was my next-door-neighbor.
Chapter Two
Mal
