Page 12 of Our Broken Pieces
Samuel leans over, addressing Lewis with a warm smile. “Good to finally have you join us. Gigi’s told us great things about you.”
Lewis returns the smile, but I can tell it’s forced. “Happy to be here.”
I know he’s not, but I appreciate the effort. He’s trying to seem at ease for my sake, and that means something.
Sabrina, ever the flirt, picks up her drink—probably a tequila sunrise. She wraps her lips around the short straw and takes a slow, deliberate sip, her gaze lingering on Lewis just a little longer than necessary. She doesn’t even need to try; it’s just Sabrina. She could make walking through mud look sexy.
“So, Lewis,” she purrs. “Gigi mentioned you took a new position a couple of months ago. How’s it going?”
He glances her way, his expression guarded. “It’s going well. The work is pretty straightforward.”
“Good,” she nods, her voice dripping with interest.
Our drinks arrive, and I raise my glass for a toast. The group follows suit, and soon we’re swapping stories about the latest ridiculous customer incidents and sharing our goals for the next month. Lewis seems surprisingly engaged, chatting with Sabrina and Leslie, and even laughing at one of Leslie’s jokes. I’m relieved. He’s not retreating into his usual silence, which makes the evening that much better.
But just as I’m getting comfortable, Lewis leans over and glances at his watch. “Are you almost ready to go?”
I blink, surprised. “It’s already been an hour? You seem like you’re having a good time. Want to stay a little longer?”
He shakes his head. “Can’t. I need to be online in forty-five minutes.”
Of course, the PlayStation. “Right, okay.” I sigh internally, but keep my smile intact. “Let me grab the tab.”
I wave down the server and hand over my card before turning back to the group. “Alright, everyone, Lewis needs to head out, so let me just say thank you—for everything you do for the shop and for coming out tonight. The tab’s on me, so enjoy yourselves!”
Lifting my glass for one last toast, I’m met with cheers and laughter from my team. These people mean the world to me. They’re not just team members—they’re family. The way they care for each other and our customers inspires me every day, and I feel incredibly fortunate to lead them.
When the server returns with my card, I quickly sign the receipt and rise from my seat. Lewis follows me out of the bar, and I loop my arm through his as we walk. His hand stays firmly tucked in his pocket.
“Thanks for being here tonight. It really meant a lot,” I say, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.
“No problem,” he replies, his voice flat.
Back at the apartment, he immediately logs into his game. I grab my Kindle and retreat to the bedroom. They say bookworms and gamers are a match made in heaven, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.
Chapter Eight
Marcus
Iback my truck into the garage and head into the kitchen. Lunch with the guys took a lot out of me. They asked too many questions, and I gave too much information. I had kept Lauren a secret for two years, but now that streak is over.
I walk to the couch and flop down, sinking in and covering my eyes with my arm. I attempt to clear my mind, wanting to think clearly about the situation I’m in. While I was speaking about Lauren with the guys, I realized she had been sort of a safety net for me in the time I’ve known her. I’ve had a friend that I could be open and honest with about anything in life, but I also had a sexual outlet. Between her and the crew, all my needs were covered.
I met Lauren one afternoon at a bar I stopped in for a drink after work. She sat down beside me, shy, but frazzled. She had a rough day of labs and the whole last year of college stress factor was through the roof. We ended up talking for three hours that night. We started hanging out after that, trips to the farmer’s market, early mornings at the gym, me helping her with school work. Our first kiss was two months later, then a month after that, we had sex for the first time.
That night was so goddamn fun. We drank and played pool, then she challenged me that I wouldn’t go into a sex shop with her. Not one to back down, we found one right outside of the city and that’s when she led me around the store, hinting at how interested she was in the more ‘taboo items’, as she called them. We left with a blindfold, pink rope and a flog. I was so turned on that, when I dropped her off, I walked her straight to her bedroom and fucked her. We didn’t use any of the things we bought, but when she asked me to spank her halfway through, it confirmed that I had found someone I could have fun with.
But she could never be an option for my father’s wishes. First of all, she’s young, twenty-three, and wants to be single, refusing any need to be in a fully committed relationship. Secondly, our dynamic isn’t one that I would want to develop into anything more. Our history doesn’t allow for any expansion of feelings.
Lauren has been my submissive for the past year. Sure, we started as just two people with a lot of kinks hooking up, having a good time, pushing our boundaries. Then we decided to delve into a different realm. She wanted to explore serving someone, being dominated in other areas of life outside of the bedroom. I was intrigued by the responsibility and the thought of controlling someone’s body and someone allowing me to direct their everyday activities. She’s the first woman that I felt comfortable exploring that side of myself with. I’ve always liked sex to be a bit rough, not very vanilla, but what Lauren andI partake in would probably scare the average woman, or at the very least, they wouldn’t understand it. And that’s just the physical aspect. There’s also the daily check in requirements, sending me pictures of her food so I know she eats, sending me pictures of grades and letting me know how she slept.
Those are the facets of our relationship that I thrive on. The way she lets me help guide her in life. Helping her work through issues and being a trusted figure in her life that she can count on are things that I have come to like just as much as the sex. I feel needed; I feel like I make an impact on her growth.
I’m not sure if I could ever find another situation like this. Maybe that’s why I’ve stayed in it for so long. But I know deep down, as long as I keep seeing Lauren, I won’t look for a companion. I have to leave her comfort and convenience and approach other women. As much as I hate to give up what’s been a perfect situation for me, it’s not in me to date a woman while fucking someone else on the side.
I pull my phone from my pocket and pull up her text thread. I release a shaky breath as I hit send on a text asking if she’s free tonight. She quickly responds, telling me I can come over anytime after six. I set my phone on the couch and know tonight I have to tell her I can’t see her anymore.
It’s almost seven when I knock on Lauren’s door. My mind is a mess with what I’ll say to her. She opens it, and my chest tightens. Her dark eyes sparkle and her pink lips form the sweetest smile. Fuck, why is this going to be so hard?
