“It might to get you in. We’re going to a club. Do you have black jeans?”
“Yes,” I said, still confused but I wasn’t going to waste time asking questions.
“Put on the tightest pair you have. You looked to be about the same size as Ethan. If you don’t have an equally tight black T-shirt, then wear Ethan’s. He has a few.” To Frank and her mom, she said, “Without getting into any of my personal stuff outside life with the family, don’t ask questions, please. It’s not a dancing, drinking place. And it’s totally safe. I’ve been going for years so don’t worry.”
While Gabby was still talking, I ran into the bedroom. I washed my face, brushed my hair and made a quick change as per Gabby’s standards. I added Ethan’s leather bracelet for good luck. He’d never worn it with me, but I had a suspicion that where we were headed, leather was going to fit in just fine.
Ten minutes later, I was in the kitchen again. Mamma had food in the microwave.
“Jude,” Frank said. “Gabby was going to tell her boss that she had a family emergency and leave immediately.”
“I hope she doesn’t get in trouble,” I said. “Ethan doesn’t need to feel guilty about anything else.”
“No, she won’t,” he assured me. “She’s been bartending there since her college days. Her boss knows she wouldn’t ask to leave on a busy night unless it was an emergency. And this is one.”
“Sit,” Mamma told me. She put a small portion of Chinese food in front of me. “Mangiare, Jude. Eat,” she repeated in English. “Even just a few bites.”
I picked up the fork and once I had a taste, I ate without further urging. “Thank you, Mamma. I was hungry.”
She made a plate for Frank with the rest of the carton and added a serving of Thai food that I’d gotten for lunch. Then she set about making a grilled cheese sandwich.
I finished my food and brought the plate to the sink.
“You’d better go down and wait out front, Jude,” Frank said. “The bar’s not far.”
Grabbing my wallet and house keys, I quickly hugged both of them. “Thank you.”
“Go,” Mamma said but I detected a few rogue tear drops.
I jogged to the elevator and tapped the palm of my hand on the cool metal of the door with impatience. Going down five stories never took so long, and when the elevator stopped to pick up a passenger and her dog on the third floor, I cursed inwardly.
Right, and of course on the ground floor, I held the door for her to exit first because my nature hardly ever allowed me to be other than polite. I was outside, shifting from one foot to another, for only a minute before Gabby pulled up in an Audi.
She pushed the door open even before I got to the car, and I wasn’t even buckled yet before she sped off. I felt bad because she didn’t look good. Being July, the sun was still bright at seven and the light highlighted the bags under her eyes and stress lines bracketing her mouth. I couldn’t say anything because I’d met her only once, but I also couldn’t keep my mouth shut.
Before she could say anything, I said, “Sorry my mother caused all this, Gabby. You don’t need this stress. But thank you.”
“It’s Ethan we’re talking about,” Gabby said simply. “I would’ve been mad as fuck if you or my dad kept me in the dark. Plus, I’m the only one who knows where he is.”
“Which is?”
“Hard Limit. It’s a BDSM club.” Gabby gave me a sidelong glance. “Is that going to be a problem? I brought you because I’m sure Ethan’s going to want you there. But if you feel uncomfortable?—”
“It’s fine,” I said and put my hand on Gabby’s arm for just a moment as a gesture of my sincerity. “I was in the seminary at twenty and never had a chance to discover a lot about… anything, really,” I scoffed. “Except for being gay. But when Ethan told me that he was a submissive, he also asked me to read about BDSM, especially the dynamic between a submissive and a dominant.”
Gabby tested the speed limit as she drove, but she glanced at me. “I’ve done mild impact scenes with him. Non-sexual, and Belle has always been present. But it works for us because Belle doesn’t have any tolerance for pain. And Ethan likes it hard. Which I’m sure drove him to Hard Limit.”
“Is it a private club?” I asked.
“Uh-huh, I’ve been a member for over ten years and Ethan had joined even before he and I met.”
I didn’t like the idea of Ethan being desperate and having a Dom take advantage. “So, the Doms who might agree to do a scene with Ethan are reputable?”
“Yes, Master Beckett and his wife have the majority of stock in the club and are the founding members. He has a stellar reputation as a Dom and has very strict rules. And to answer your question, if a Dom suspects that Ethan is seeking to have a scene to punish himself, the Dom will refuse to play with him. If the Dom is concerned enough about Ethan’s disposition, he might ask Master Beckett to intervene.”
I sighed in relief. “Thank you for easing my worry.”
“And here we are,” Gabby said as she turned onto a paved drive that led up to a gatehouse. Instead of an attendant, there was a Smart-card reader. After Gabby inserted her personal code with her cell phone, the iron gates opened, and she continued to the parking lot.
