Page 101 of Masters of Control

He liked to be prepared for anything.

While he was sitting and working, his text message notification sounded. Picking up his phone, he glanced at the message.

Lexie: Happy New Year! Where are you?

Shaking his head, he quickly swiped a response.

Freddy: I have to work today.

Lexie: It is a national holiday. Get your butt over here. Olivia told me you had a hookup last night. I need deets!

Frowning, Freddy resisted the urge to tell Lexie it wasn’t a hookup because he knew she would read all sorts of things into that statement. He also didn’t know for sure that it wasn’t a hookup. He just hoped it wasn’t.

Sighing inwardly, he called her.

“Hello? You’re coming over, right?” The sounds of multiple people in the background clued him into her location. He’d almost forgotten that Adam and Angel were having people over for New Year’s Day.

“No, I told you I have work to do,” he repeated, doing his best to keep his amusement out of his voice. She would consider that encouragement.

“But I want to hear about your night last night,” she whined. “I didn’t get to meet Mistress Camille. I had to hear about her afterward from Olivia.”

“Well, hopefully, you’ll get the chance in the future,” he said, keeping his voice even as he tried not to let his own hopes bubble over. “She said she would be coming back to the clubs, and we exchanged numbers this morning.”

The happy screech that came through the phone nearly blew his ear drum. Yanking the phone away, he shook his head but couldn’t help smiling. Lexie had often despaired of finding a match for him, considering how long he’d been around the clubs without finding someone. It hadn’t stopped her from hoping, though.

She might be even happier than he was.

Probably was since she had all the hope with none of the trepidation.

“It’s a good thing I didn’t need that ear,” he teased when he got the phone back in place.

“Sorry!” She didn’t sound sorry at all. “I’m thrilled for you. You deserve all the happiness, Freddy. You’re going to eat a million black-eyed peas today, right?”

Freddy rolled his eyes. He wasn’t a fan of black-eyed peas or kale, but Angel had dropped off a container of Hoppin’ John yesterday afternoon since he’d told her he wouldn’t be making her party today. Supposedly, the black-eyed peas were for luck and the kale was for money in the new year. Put them together with ham, rice, and seasonings and they weren’t the worst tasting things in the world.

“Yes, I will eat the Hoppin’ John Angel made me for dinner tonight,” he said patiently.

He would, too, because even if it wasn’t his favorite food, he figured he needed the luck. Plus, it meant he didn’t have to cook.

“Good boy,” Lexie replied.

It definitely didn’t have the power of Mistress Camille’s accolades.

“Is that all?” He didn’t bother to keep his amusement out of his voice.

“For now. Happy New Year, Freddy.”

“Happy New Year, Lexie.”

Bemused, he hung up the phone and looked down at his computer. Did he kind of wish he’d gone to Angel and Adam’s to hang out with everyone? Yes, but he’d known he would have work to do. And even though he was friends with all of them and would have had a lot of fun, he never really felt like he was part of them.

That was how he was at the club. Friends with everyone. Besties with no one. He had twenty people he could call who would come running at the drop of a hat if he needed them, yet no one to hang out with. It was a very odd place to be.

Besides… he had work to get done.

Then, hopefully, a Domme to win.

Chapter Six