“But what if it did?” I replied. “What if it could? After everything we’ve been through and put up with, don’t you think the universe owes it to us to cut us a break for once in our lives?”
“What I think about the universe and the totally random bullshit it spits out are two vastly different things,” he replied.
“Okay, but if we don’t even try when an opportunity is handed to us, then don’t you think we’d just be helping the universe bury us in shit?”
Another sigh. His was resolved this time. We both knew he was fixing to give in, because at heart, he was a romantic and wanted to believe in the possibilities of happily ever after, even if he was too scared to admit to wanting one.
“Fine, but if it blows up in our faces, you’d better be ready to stick something in my mouth, or I’ll be singing you a long, loud chorus ofI told you the whole idea was bullshit.”
“I’m sure I can find many ways of shutting you up if it comes to that, but I trust Phoenix when he says this Mr. Dorian is legit, and I believe in our ability to seduce a camera the same way we do people at the club,” I replied. “So, I’m going to grab that card and make the call before we chicken out. Just know that you’re not the only one who’s scared to take a chance on something new. I’m right there with you. But after last night, I feel that we need this too. What that guy did, waiting for you and grabbing you the way he did even with me standing right there, was just way too bold and way too scary. I don’t know what I’d do if anything ever happened to you.”
“Ditto. You’re my world, Murr. So, if you really think we should try this and believe we can do it, then make the call, and I’ll do my best not to fuck it up.”
“Oh, honey,” I murmured as I moved from hugging him from the side to sitting in his lap so I could meet his wary gaze. “If I ever get my hands on the people who made you feel like you couldn’t do anything right, I am going to make what I did to that creep last night look like foreplay.”
“Eww, I don’t even want to think about foreplay and those assholes in the same sentence.”
“Okay,” I admitted. “So, maybe that wasn’t my best comparison, but you know what the hell I meant.”
“Yeah, that you’re still feeling bloodthirsty and vengeful,” he remarked, finally cracking a thin semblance of a smile as I leaned in to rub noses with him. “Have I told you lately what a sexy goddamn look that is on you?”
“Nope.”
“Well, it is.”
All these years, and he still managed to make me blush when he said things like that. Not only was Raleigh my best friend and the closest thing to a brother that I’d ever had, but we were partners in every sense of the word. The only thing that had ever been lacking in our lives was someone to love us wholly and equally and understand that we were a package deal, no exceptions. That last part tended to throw people. I hated thinking about how many times someone had come along and thought that they could get in between us or make one of us jealous enough to turn on the other. It was more like we turned on them and kicked them out of our lives faster than the runaway train inUnstoppable.
He tugged me close enough that our foreheads touched and we were breathing the same air, hands framing my face, just holding me there. I could tell he was using me as a touchstone, so I just held still and waited for him to find his center of calm again.
“Go get the card before I change my mind,” he murmured, “and do you, um, think you can grab my ears?”
“Of course I can,” I replied, sliding out of his lap when he finally let go.
Though he had several pairs of kitty cat ears, I didn’t have to ask which ones he wanted. There was only one pair he put on when he was stressed. The fluffy, black and gray pair was part of an awesome beanie hat he’d found at a street fair. It was such an adorable look on him that I couldn’t resist being the one to place it on his head and adjust it for him. The smile he gave me was a lot less hesitant, though it faded the moment I plucked my phone from the basket on the coffee table and started to dial the number on the card.
“Dorian McGraff here, what can I do for you?”
“Hi, I, um, I’m Murry. We sort of met the other night at the club. I was one of the dancers. You gave your card to a friend of mine to pass to us, and we’d, um, like to talk to you more about the modeling job you told him about.”
Okay, now it was my heart that was hammering, though Raleigh’s hand, as he ran it up my back, kept it from getting too out of control waiting for Dorian to reply.
“I was hoping one or both of you would call,” he replied. “Do you happen to know if the other dancer was interested as well?”
“His name is Raleigh, and he’s right here. I have you on speakerphone, actually, since we live together,” I replied. “We’re both interested.”
“Hello, Raleigh, I’m glad to hear from you both,” he said. “Like I explained to your friend, I design pet play gear, which are outfits for those in the kink community that like to dress up and play as the pets that are best suited to their personalities, if you’re unfamiliar with the term.”
“No, we, um, we’re actually, um, I’m a bunny and Raleigh is a kitty,” I admitted, wanting to clear the air right off the bat in the hopes that it would help our chances of getting to work with him. “We are very familiar with pet play.”
“Seriously? That’s perfect,” he replied. “I was already enthralled by the way you two danced together; now I absolutely can’t wait to see how you interact while in the gear I’ve designed. I’d love to meet with the two of you to show you the collection I’ve been working on as well as the outfits already available in my shop so you can get a full picture of my design aesthetic as well asthe variety of different pet play gear I’ve created so far. Would Tuesday afternoon at two work for you?”
“Uh-huh, we don’t have to be at work until six, so that will give us plenty of time to discuss everything,” I declared, but only after Raleigh nodded his agreement to me.
“Wonderful, I’ll see you then, at the address on the card,” he replied before ending the call.
“Guess we’re really giving this a shot,” Raleigh remarked as I tossed my phone back in the basket.
“Sounds that way,” I replied as I leaned back against the arm of the couch.
