“I didn’t used to hate it. But, ugh, ever since that merger a couple years ago, the whole culture has changed.”
“Then it’s time for you to change. When you get home tonight, put on some comfy clothes, pour a glass of wine, update your LinkedIn, and start looking for a new job. Text me with at least three leads before you go to bed.”
With her Bellini halfway to her lips, Sam blinked. “Has anyone ever told you that you’d make an excellent Domme?”
Emma’s smile was quick and fierce. “You’ve mentioned it a time or two.”
As Sam’s oldest and closest friend, Emma was the only person on Earth who knew anything about Sam’s secret desires. And even Emma only knew part of the truth. While she’d opened up about wanting a Dom in her life, she’d never quite had the nerve to tell Emma what she really wanted.
A Daddy.
“Speaking of Doms…” Eyes sparkling with mischief, Emma leaned in. “Tell me about this guy.”
“What makes you think he’s a Dom?”
“Ummm, because after that last asshole you dated a couple years back, you swore off any guy who wasn’t a Dom and couldn’t give you what you wanted. You made a whole speech about not settling for less than what you deserved. It was quite moving, really.” Sniffling dramatically, Emma wiped under her eyes, swiping away nonexistent tears.
“I did? Jesus, I really need to cut back on the drinking.”
“Well, maybe Mr. Barely Legal can help with that. Is he old enough to drink?”
“Yes.” Sam’s lips twitched as she brought her flute back to her lips. “Barely.”
“I hate you. Tell me everything.”
“You’re right about the Dom thing. At least, he wants to be. Supposedly trained under some guys up in Baltimore, learned the ropes.”
Emma’s sigh was filled with longing. “You gotta love a guy who puts in the work.”
“I suppose. Anyway, even if he learned everything there is to know and he’s literally the greatest Dominant to ever walk the face of the Earth, it’ll never work out.”
“Why not?”
“It’s Dylan. Ethan’s best friend. The one staying with me over the summer while he works an internship in Atlanta.”
Eyes widening, Emma let out a low whistle. “That does complicate things a smidge.”
“A smidge? It feels like a hell of a lot more than a smidge, Em.”
“Hmmm.” Settling back against her sit, Emma sipped her drink before locking her too-seeing gaze on Sam. “All right. Give me the worst-case scenario.”
“Uh, we get involved and when we inevitably break up, he hates me or I hate him, and either way Ethan is forced to choose between his mother and his best friend.”
“Well, first of all, I wouldn’t say breaking up is inevitable.”
Hope sprang to life in Sam’s chest, but she ruthlessly squashed it. “Of course it is. He’s nearly half my age! We have nothing in common.”
Mouth twisting up in a smirk, Emma swirled what was left of her Bellini in her glass. “Uh-huh And you know this from all of the time you’ve spent with him and the hours upon hours of in-depth conversations y’all have had about your lives and values and interests?”
Sam opened her mouth then snapped it closed again and glared at her friend’s smug smile. “Shut up.”
“I love you too. Anyway, it doesn’t have to be as dramatic as all that even if you guys don’t live happily ever after. Both of you just decide going in that no matter what, you don’t put Ethan in the middle.”
“You really think it could be that simple?”
“Simple, yes. Easy…” Emma shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how things go. But he does have one thing going for him.”
“What’s that?”
