Page 16 of Flirt

“How many children do you have?” he asked as he walked toward me.

“Just one,” I answered as I clasped my hands in front of me, feeling awkward and unsure of what to say or do. Fighting to keep from running out the door or, worse, running toward Max. What happened to fulfilling a need for both of us then going our separate ways? Everything I read and researched made it sound so simple. Wasn’t it why I joined the club? No commitments. No dinner to sit through after you find no connection with your date. Not enough time to pursue a relationship even if you found a man you liked.

“A boy or a girl?”

“A girl.”

Max bent over and picked up his bag and slung the strap over his shoulder. “Ready?” he asked and placed a hand at the small of my back. When the heat of his touch reached through my shirt to my skin, I knew then nothing about being with Max would be easy.

We walked out of the room and through the club to where the women’s and men’s restrooms and locker rooms were. I used the facilities, then retrieved my coat and purse from the locker. As I turned to leave, two women entered, and I stepped to the side to give them room. I smiled at them as they passed.

“Master Max can make you wet with one look,” was said by one of the women as I started to walk out of the locker room area. My step faltered, and I slapped my hand against the wall to keep my balance.

“Girl, I would give anything for him to choose me again. I haven’t come so hard since,” was said by the other woman.

“You might as well get that out of your head. He doesn’t do repeats often, and when he does, they are always months apart. I overheard him talking with one of the other masters, and he has no desire to have a permanent sub,” the first woman spoke again, and her words struck me hard. I needed to get out of there before more was said. The old saying ‘eavesdroppers never hear anything good of themselves’ went through my mind as I pushed off the wall.

“Hey, we haven’t seen you around here. You must be new.” I turned toward the women. “I’m Crista,” the blonde said, and I saw her look at my wrist and the band that signified I was new and unattached.

“Hi, I’m Gabriella,” I answered and forced a smile.

Crista, the blonde, waved her hand to the redhead beside her. “This is Stephie.”

“It’s nice to meet you both,” I forced out between my lips, then turned around and walked out of the locker room, not waiting for a reply. When I swung the bathroom door open, I wasn’t even shocked to see Max in the hallway, leaning against the wall.

“Ready, Angel?” he asked as he pushed off the wall.

“Yes,” I said and shared yet another forced smile. The moment he touched me, and it felt like coming home, I should have walked away and never looked back. I had lived through heartache before, and I knew if I allowed Max in, he would crush my heart. I wasn’t sure I was willing or able to pay the price a second time.

As we walked back out into the club, I was aware of everything going on around me, from the people milling about to the couples heading toward the main area. The club was at least double in occupancy from when I first entered.

Max led us to the entrance/exit doors. Neither of us spoke until we were outside. I reached in my purse and pulled out my keys.

“I am not sure what we are supposed to say. Goodnight, see you around or thank you...” I left off there because really, what else was there for me to say after I overheard the women in the restroom.

“Let’s start with, where did you park? Then I can walk you to your car, and we can set another club date,” Max said. His words caught me off guard, and I wondered how far out he actually made a second encounter, considering.

“Okay,” was all I said and pointed in the direction where I parked. “The white Highlander.”

“Well, that works out. You parked in the same row I did,” he said and placed his hand at my back again. It seemed he was always touching me, even if it was just a brush of his arm as he stood beside me.

“The parking lot wasn’t half this full when I arrived.” We cut between a row to reach the one where we parked.

“The lot doesn’t start to really fill up until around ten,” he answered, then pointed to a black extended cab truck and added. “That’s me.”

Two vehicles down and we reached my car, and I hit the key fob to kill the alarm and unlock the doors. Max grabbed the handle before I could and pulled the door open.

“Next Friday or Saturday work for you?” Max asked as I tossed my purse inside and grabbed the ‘oh shit’ bar and boosted myself into the driver’s seat. “You need running bars with the built-in step,” he added when I plopped down in the seat.

“I have been meaning to get them, but sometimes there aren’t enough hours in a day.” I placed the key fob down on the center console and pushed the engine start button.

“So, Friday or Saturday?” he repeated.

“Oh, I can’t do every week. It wouldn’t be fair to my daughter. I could try and do every other week,” I answered and expected to hear the same gripes like a few previous men had voiced when I told them I wasn’t going to go out every weekend and leave Sawyer with a sitter. Especially since she already spent a good part of her week with one.

“Alright. How about the same time Friday, week after next?” he asked and pulled out his cell. “What’s your number?”

I rattled it off without a thought. Shocked when he hadn’t given me the ‘you have to have time for yourself too’ speech. Or ‘you can’t expect us to have a relationship when we only see each other on the weekend’ complaint because I wouldn’t go out during the week. And the few times I had sex and got out of bed to leave, they hadn’t understood why I couldn’t call the sitter and ask them to stay overnight. Then again, this hadn’t been a real date. It was a sexual encounter between adults with no commitment or the chance of one. My phone dinged, and I absently reached for it.

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