Page 41 of Dominate Me

My cheeks heated until I felt the blush spread to the tips of my ears. “Yeah, I guess. I’m sorry, it’s so new to me and I have so many questions.”

“It’s important to have someone to talk to.” She glanced at Anya and smiled. “And you seem like a great friend to be there for her, I assume.”

“I’m always here for Haley.”

“That’s good.” Her smile softened. “Like any relationship or friendship, you need people in your life who can listen. Other subs or slaves are good for that, but sometimes an ear of someone on the outside can be just as helpful. Have you met any Doms yet?”

I pressed the bottle to my lips while I debated how much to tell her. She was effectively a stranger. “Um, yes?”

It was more of a question and her eyes narrowed. “If you’re not sure about him—”

“It’s not that,” I assured her. “Like I said, it’s all new. And sometimes overwhelming.”

“I understand that,” Gabby said. “I’ll give you my card with my cell number on it. I’ve been in my current relationship for years, but just like dating, it can be hard to find a good one. If you ever need anything or have questions, you can always call me.”

“That’s very kind of you,” I said.

“You’ll learn the kink community is very much a large, sometimes seemingly dysfunctional family. But we’re here to help, and if you want, I can look into your Dom, see what my Master says. He knows pretty much everyone.”

I didn’t like the idea of investigating Jensen, or what that would say if it got back to him. Plus, so far he hadn’t made me doubt him. And I still trusted Dylan.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Great.” She slid from the booth and hitched her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll go get my card but I should get back to work. Paul’s good,” she said and winked. “But I’m still better.”

Anya chuckled and I waved her off.

“You know...” Anya said as soon as she was gone. “I don’t mean to be rude, or judgmental...but she seemed so normal.”

I snorted and took a drink of my beer. “Funny how I had the same thought.”

“This makes me feel better for you,” my best friend said. “I mean, you can always talk to me, but she seems willing to help in ways I can’t, too.”

I examined Anya but found nothing but truth and her typical gentleness. There was no jealousy in her tone.

“Tell me about school,” I said, changing the subject. We’d talked about me enough for one night.

Anya rolled her eyes. “School’s out in six weeks and I have a handful of kindergarteners ready for summer. How do you think it’s going?”

I figured only Anya could handle that kind of commotion on a daily basis without tearing out her hair. It certainly wasn’t my strength. We fell into discussing her job and Lance’s new business, how he was getting more business quicker than he’d expected, when Gabby returned and slid me her business card.

“Thank you,” I said, sliding the card into my clutch. “I mean it.”

“Like I said,” she said, her smile dropping. She frowned, becoming distracted by a group of men behind her. “I’m here to help. Whatever you need.”

She walked away just as two of the men, dressed in stretched-tight shirts got in each other’s faces.

I couldn’t hear their words, but they were clearly angry.

“Uh-oh,” Anya said, saying what I was just thinking. “Bar brawl.”

“Yeah.”

Gabby didn’t seem deterred, but I still moved out of the booth to pull her away. Why, I had no idea, but a woman my size getting between two bulky men didn’t seem like a great idea.

I reached her right as the first man swung back to punch, his hands curled into a fists, but before I could say anything, Gabby grabbed his wrist, twisted his arm behind his back and jerked him against the front of her.

“No fighting in my bar!” she shouted, and then yelled for Paul. “Get these guys out of here!”

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