I pride myself on being calm and composed. Organized. But lately it seems I’m anything but. Is there such a thing as late-onset ADHD? If so, I might be a prime example. It doesn’t help that I haven’t been to The Rabbit Hole in weeks, but life’s been busy, and I’ve been distracted.
One of my phones vibrates on the dresser and I reach for the cell I reserve for club business and subbies—though I don’t currently have any of those.
“Dominus,” I answer.
“Hello, Sir, this is Everleigh. I handle onboarding, and, you know, the vetting? For, um, new members?”
I nod—we’ve met half a dozen times; she certainly doesn’t need to remind me of her role within the club. “Yes, hello, Everleigh. Something I can help you with?”
“Well, we had an application come through, and it’s good, I mean, everything is fine, but I just wanted to check with you before I approved the applicant. I mean, well, you’ve always handled the intake forms of your guests personally, so this was a little unexpected.”
I nod, hope swelling in my chest because there’s only one person I’m expecting to fill out the intake forms. Could this be it?
“Did the applicant put my name on the sponsorship form?”
“Yes, Sir.”
I smile, unable to keep it at bay. “Name?”
“Everleigh, Sir.”
I roll my eyes. “No. What is the name of the applicant?”
“Oh, yes, um…” The sound of Everleigh shuffling papers fills the silence and I hold my breath. “Sutton Hart.”
I close my eyes and breathe deeply through my nose. She applied.
Fuck, I shouldn’t want this so badly, but just the idea of seeing her inside the club makes my palms itch and my veins heat with adrenaline. “And the application, the background check… all clear?”
“Yes, Sir, she’s been cleared, but without a sponsor—”
“She has a sponsor,” I say much too quickly and with a little too much force behind the words. Clearing my throat, I try again. “Please put my name down as Ms. Hart’s sponsor, and I’ll sign the intake forms when I come in. Wave that first month of dues as well, please. I’ll cover them myself.”
“Oh, okay, um…”
“Something else on your mind, Everleigh?”
“It’s just that I’ve already taken her payment.”
I sigh. I’m playing a dangerous game, but I know damn well Sutton doesn’t have that kind of frivolous money laying around. If I’m going to go all in, I might as well just fucking throttle the gas. “Refund it.”
“Okay, great, thank you… um…”
I wait, but when she doesn’t continue, I huff out a breath. “Is there something else, Everleigh?”
“Well, she’s here now, Sir. She filled out the entire application in the lobby.”
My pulse kicks into overdrive.Eager little thing.
“I can be there in thirty minutes. Put her in my room when you’re done with her.” I pause, smirking as I realize it’s the first Thursday of the month. “Actually, no, I want her in the common area. Let her see what she’s just gotten herself into.”
“Yes, Sir. Understood.”
I hang up and inhale what feels like the first full breath I’ve taken in weeks.
Chapter Twenty-One
Sutton
