There’s also a dungeon-esque setup downstairs, and before I leave I plan to make my way down there and double check that there’s nothing that needs to be replaced. The rougher play usually results in more replacements for the toys, especially if the club just went through a rush of newbies.
Beside Russell is Emilio, and my mood immediately sours seeing the two guards. I yank a little too hard on the display mannequin, and it’s a good thing that I haven’t set any jewelry on it yet as it tips over. Emilio is one of the club members I have a grudge against.
I don’t think he even knows about it. Emilio has his own partner now, and he’s moved into the head security officer for the club. His partner is this bubbly blonde girl named Laci that’s fun to chat with, but I don’t see her at the moment.
My problem with Emilio stems from Kim. She had a thing for him for a while, and in return Emilio treated her like an item to use and discard. I wouldn’t say he was cruel; he followed the rules of the club. But he had no empathy for Kimber either, which always pisses me off to think about.
She really did like him, I know she did. But he turned her down in front of too many people too many times, and it stung. From what I’ve seen it looks like the two of them mostly avoid each other these days.
Speaking of…
Kimber walks in, looking flushed. She’s wearing tall heels and tight shorts, showing off her long legs. It’s not the club uniform, so I doubt she’s here for a shift.
My eyes laser in on her. She adjusts her shoes at one of the many couches, fluffing her short hair, and takes a few breaths. Kim still looks a bit off balance, but it could be from how quickly she’s buzzing around the room. There’s hardly anyone here right now, but she straightened up and started moving around like she needed to avoid people.
By the time I’ve finished placing the lingerie on the racks, I turn to find Kimber talking to Emilio. It immediately sours my mood, and I drop my tablet in my bags before heading for the door. I don’t need to do anything else here today.
Russell’s walking this way, so I guess he’s the store guard this evening. He studies Emilio and Kimber too before catching the glass door and glancing at me. I’m a few inches taller than he is, and he shoots me a wink. “All good to go in here?”
“Yep,” I say, moving past him. Russell’s supposed to do mainly cyber security, but sometimes he sits and physically works as one of the security officers too when they need coverage. I don’t wait to see if he needs something from me as I make my way towards Kimber. I do my best to keep my focus off Emilio when I stop beside them, because getting irritated withone of the biggest guys here isn’t going to do me any good right now.
“...anything about it?” Kimber asks, biting her lip. In the past I’ve seen her drop to her knees for him, but that doesn’t seem to be her plan right now. She glances my way and immediately puts on a smile that looks fake.
“I don’t have access to files like that,” Emilio says, and it’s not what I expected to hear. I force my gaze his way, fighting back the annoyance that she’s even asking him something, and he shoots me a quizzical look. “If it’s not common knowledge or something you can find by searching a person’s name it's doubtful I would have access to it as is. What was his name?”
Kimber blanches, eyes sliding to me. “Uh, no one. Never mind.”
Emilio pauses, and he has to be as curious as I am. I can’t help wondering if she would say something about who it was if I hadn’t walked over. Instead he clears his throat and glances at me. “Do you need something, Rich?”
“Just came to say hi to Kim,” I tell him, narrowing my eyes. He doesn’t glare back, and I turn again.
Kimber’s cheeks are still flushed, but she doesn’t look like she’s blushing. It looks kind of like she’s winded. “Hey, Rich.”
“You good?” I ask her, and I don’t knowwhyI’m asking her. Emilio’s not a bad guy or anything, he just doesn’t particularly care about Kim.
She smiles, and it looks fake again. “Oh yeah, I’m good. Just catching up with Milo.”
Emilio looks perplexed at that, but Kim just smiles and pivots on her heels. I half expect her to stumble, but she remains upright as she turns and waves. “Don’t even worry about it, Milo. I’ll figure it out. You two have a fun night.”
He still looks confused as she walks away, and I’m way too curious about what she asked him. Clearing my throat, he lifts an eyebrow and glances at me before I speak. “Is she really good?”
“It’s hard to tell,” he says, looking away to eye Kimber again. That flare of jealousy burns in my chest again, and I need to crush it. Emilio isn’t a threat when it comes to her. He’s obsessed with his partner.
She stumbles as we watch, and behind the bar, Callie turns and starts talking to her. Callie is a no-nonsense type of person, so if something’s wrong she’ll eventually get it out of Kimber.
Clearing my throat, I decide to let it be for now. I doubt that Emilio would be interested in sharing what she asked anyway. “I’ll be back in a couple days if stocks drop again."
He nods but doesn’t say anything, and I take my leave. It would be better if I don’t sit here and stew while watching her.
This is where Kim wants to be. I have to remind myself of that as I take the bags and head out towards my car, shaking off concerns. She can keep her secrets, but I still wonder about her sometimes.
Something happened. I can’t pinpoint when, but she’s not casual anymore. Things used to roll off her shoulders and she took her partners frequently. She could joke easily with me at her job and at the club. Now it’s like there’s a rift between us, and I’m not entirely sure what caused it.
Once I’ve got everything packed into the car, my phone buzzes. It distracts me from all the drama I know about inside S&S, and I click my bluetooth headphones to answer the call as I round my vehicle. “Rich Intimates.”
“You always sound a little douchy when you answer the phone like that,” Jude says with a snort, and I recognize his voiceright away. I haven’t heard from him in a month, not since the last bulk delivery. “Your website’s down and I need a new order.”
“Text it to me.”
