But that’s exactly what happened right before the wedding when he decided you weren’t enough then, either.
I shook my head trying to dislodge the thought. A chill ran through me and I ran upstairs to put on a thicker sweater. As soon as I put it on, the weight of it was comforting and it made the cold feel less threatening. I hit the button on the remote start and warmed my coffee. A beep from the fob pulled me out of the lull I fell into while stirring my coffee. I poured it into a to-go cup, grabbed the truck keys, and headed to the Dungeon.
Observation was in full swing when I arrived. Various triads and quads were set up in different sections of the main Dungeon space, demonstrating their dynamics for the students who’d signed up to observe and learn.
I spotted Majesty immediately. He was talking to a submissive near the bondage section. She was beautiful—long dark hair, perfect posture, wearing a leather corset that looked like it had been custom-made to her body. She was laughing at something he said, her hand resting lightly on his arm. He was instructing her on something, gesturing to the rope work on display. Her two Dominants stood nearby, watching with appreciation. I knew it was innocent. Professional. But Iris’swords were still fresh in my mind and watching him made something twist in my stomach.
They know exactly what their Dominants need without being told.
I turned away and went to find Lex.
He was standing near a scene in progress, his arms crossed, watching with that intense focus he got when he was analyzing technique. I approached quietly and stood beside him.
“Hey,” he said without looking away from the scene. “How did it go with Iris?”
“She’s struggling. She broke things off with those guys officially.”
“That’s probably for the best. They weren’t good for her.” He glanced at me. “How are you feeling about it?”
“I just feel bad for her. She seems really lost and?—”
“Hold on.” He held up a hand, his attention snapping back to the scene. “Something’s off.”
I watched as he moved quickly toward a triad mid-scene. The submissive’s breathing was wrong, too fast and shallow. Neither of the Dominants had noticed, but Lex did.
“Yellow,” Lex called out. “Everyone pause.”
He spoke quietly with the triad, pointing out what he’d observed, giving suggestions for adjustment. It took ten minutes before he was satisfied and the scene resumed properly.
When he came back to me, he looked distracted. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“Just that Iris’s having a hard time.”
“Right.” He checked his watch. “We should finish this conversation later when I can actually focus on you properly and I do want to discuss it. This is going to be a long day of monitoring.”
“Of course. Yeah.”
He pressed a quick kiss to my temple and moved on to check another scene.
I stood there feeling dismissed. Rationally, I knew he was working. That this was important. That scenes required attention and focus. But emotionally, it felt like I didn’t matter as much as the work.
If they wanted you to stay, they would have said something by now.
Around noon, Scarlett found me. “Hey, we’re going to lunch at the Italian restaurant. You want to come? It’s me, Iris, and Eliana.”
“Let me ask.” I went to ask Lex but he was busy. So I found Majesty. “Is it okay if I eat lunch with the girls at the Italian place?”
“Yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem since Lex is still working in that scene. Try and have fun.” He pulled me in for a brief kiss and then I ran off to find the girls.
We went to the Italian restaurant upstairs, and I tried to be present for the conversation. But my mind kept drifting. Kept replaying Iris’s words. Kept wondering why Majesty and Lex hadn’t said anything about what happens when I leave.
When we returned to the Dungeon, both men were gone.
“Where did they go?” I asked one of the other observers.
“Lunch, I think. They left about twenty minutes ago.”
They’d gone to lunch. I sighed, thinking I should have stayed back with them to spend lunch together. But they hadn’t come to find me either.
