Isabelle
Daniel’s red face and body language are unmistakable. His fists clench at his side and teeth clamp together as he looks me directly in the eyes.
"You fucking bitch!" he yells, spittle flying from his lips, the smell of alcohol too strong to miss. "You got me fired!" His finger points in my face. James smacks his hand down and steps forward.
"Making a big fucking mistake talking to my woman like that, Daniel. Get the fuck out of here before you fucking regret it!" James barks, his tone commanding. His frame seems to double in size as he straightens his spine and steps right up to Daniel’s face, grimacing with disgust. "Jesus! Daniel, how many bottles of whisky you had? Been drowning your sorrows?" James laughs as he wafts the air between them. Daniel shifts on his feet, agitation and anger radiating from him.
Alexandra Ravensbrook
I place my hand on James' arm. "James, step away from him. He’s not worth getting hurt for."
"Yeah, James, obey the little lady! Fucking pussy! No wonder Laura left you. Now there’s a real woman! One who likes a man in charge," he spits, his tone mocking.
"Oh, shut the fuck up, Daniel. Give it a rest and move on!" I shout, pushing past James to get in his face. "Step back, James. He isn’t worth it."
"Oh yeah, she was telling me all about your fantasies, James. Only took her a couple of glasses of wine before she was happy to show me what she liked," he sneers.
And there it is. That’s how he knows. Daniel and Laura know each other, in more ways than one, and she has told all of James' secrets. I hate her even more now. He told her that as her husband, he was being vulnerable, and she just pissed all over that.
"Daniel, get the fuck out of here before I put you on your ass and make you regret it," James says, his voice stone cold.
"Fuck you, prissy boy! Do as your slutty mummy says!" he jeers, laughing to himself.
James darts forward and shoves Daniel back, sending a table and its glasses smashing to the floor. A collective gasp rises from our table as Amy stumbles forward, pulling James back, while Jen and I stand motionless in shock.
Yes, Miss
Daniel fumbles as he rises to his feet, swiping his hands down his pants, wiping off debris. "And you! You fucking dyke!" he slurs, pointing at Jen.
His head swings back as James’s fist collides with Daniel’s jaw. A loud crack sounds, and Daniel slumps back, dropping to the floor once again. One of the barmen rounds the countertop and stands between them.
"I’ll have you fired for assaulting a colleague! You fucking moron!" he grits out, wiping blood from his mouth.
"You’re the fucking moron, you dickhead! You’re not my colleague anymore!"
The barman pulls Daniel up to his feet. "Get out. We won’t accept homophobia in this pub. You’re barred," he says as he shoves him out the doors.
We sit stunned for a few moments until Paulette, now tipsy from her wine, gasps and starts laughing. She waves at James and whisper-shouts, "Oh my god, I neeeeeeeed to talk to you!" as she shuffles past and sinks down in the seat next to us.
"He called you a ‘slutty mummy’, Isabelle!" She has an odd look of excitement on her face and laughs. I can’t tell where this is going or if Paulette has simply had far too much to drink and lost it. "And you, a prissy boy!" She laughs more to herself than anything and sighs out. "Oh, I’m just going to ask, fuck it! James, Isabelle, are you in a thing...?" She motions between us.
Alexandra Ravensbrook
Holy shit, she’s drunk.
"Yes, Paulette, we said that ages ago. Do you want some water?" James asks, concerned.
It suddenly clicks with me why she seems excited.
"Yes, Paulette, we are," I smile.
Her face drops in surprise, and a sudden excitable shriek comes out that makes us flinch. She leans forward conspiratorially and puts her arm around James’s shoulder. "I’m gonna guess you're the sub!" She taps his chest with her finger. "And you, my beautiful girl, are his Domme." She beams proudly, James staring at me with a what-the-fuck look on his face.
She kicks her feet in a mini excitable dance and sits forward again, an earnest look settling across her pink cheeks.
"James, welcome," she grins. "I am also a sub. Are you a member anywhere? Have any friends in the lifestyle?"
I smile, happy I was right about where this was heading. It will be amazing for James to have friends in the lifestyle to help him accept that he isn’t some freak like his ex made him out to be.
