Page 37 of See You Sometime
Skye perked up, concerned. “Why?”
Gilo snorted. “Say good-bye to your ass. I wouldn’t even scene with him, and I’m a damned SAM who’s scened with Tilly in the past.”
“Gilo and Abbey are both switches,” Cali explained before Skye could even process his comment.
“Ah.” The picture slipped into place for her. He was just joking around. “I’m a really heavy masochist looking for a good, hard, strings-free beating that I’ll feel for days. I haven’t scened in over a year and I really need it.”
He shrugged. “Oh. Well, in that case, enjoy. He’ll be the perfect sadist for the job.” Smiling, he held up his red plastic cup in toast.
She held up her cup. “Thanks. I think.”
Cali started leading her toward sliders that appeared to open onto a pool deck with a screened lanai. “Walt and Holly will be here tonight, too. Sometimes he’ll play with people. And maybe Keith, if they come. Scrye, Ross, Leah, and Kel will suspend other people. They’re rope riggers, but they don’t do impact play with anyone but their own partners.”
She stopped and turned. “Landry and Cris, their wife, Tilly, she’s out of town again right now with work, but sometimes she tops others, too. They have full communication. She actually spent a couple of years as a pro-Domme before she met Landry.”
“Wow. That’s interesting.” Now Gilo’s comment about her had better context.
“Yeah, she said it wasn’t as much fun of a gig as people think it is. They’re actually good friends with one of her former clients they still play with. In fact, he’s supposed to be here tonight, too.”
They crossed the lanai and walked around the pool, to where two men Skye didn’t recognize stood talking to Tony and Shayla. Skye hugged both of them in greeting.
“Hey, Lan, Cris, this is Skye,” Cali said. “She’s the one I talked to you about.”
The older man, Landry, was a little shorter than Cris by a couple of inches, dark hair peppered with grey at the temples, and green eyes possessing the good kind of calculating look about him. Cris appeared slightly younger, brown hair brushing his shoulders and brown eyes that appraised her. While they both wore jeans and button-up shirts, Cris was barefoot and wore a leather collar around his neck. They had money, that much she could tell, from their expensive, designer shirts and jeans, and the perfect haircut on Landry, but they looked like the kind of men who wore it in a subdued kind of way.
“How do you do?” He held out a hand. “Landry LaCroux. Pleasure to meet you.”
She thought she caught the hint of an accent but wasn’t sure. “Skye Bauer. Nice to meet you, too.” She shook with him, and that’s when she got a good look at his watch, which he wore on his right wrist. “Holycrap, is that a Blancpain?”
She realized she was still holding his hand and finally remembered to let go.
Even more embarrassing, she realized she’d spoken the question out loud.
Damn, can’t take me anywhere.
Landry glanced at the timepiece, one eyebrow sliding up in a most Domly way if she ever saw it. “Yes, but I am particularly curious as to howyouknow that. Most people never notice, and by most I mean pretty much everyone except jewelry store clerks. Even then, it is hit and miss, as they say.”
She swallowed. Obviously, this guy didn’t just have money, he hadMoney. At least he didn’t sound snooty and judgmental about it, more like he was genuinely curious.
“I have one. I mean, a ladies’ one. It was a wedding gift from my father-in-law. Ex.” He’d given all the daughters- and sons-in-law one when they married Carling siblings.
And she’d worn it precisely eight times, all at Carling family events. Once she discovered how much the stupid thing was worth, she’d nearly had a panic attack. She wasn’t even sure her parents’ first home when they’d gotten married nearly fifty years ago had been worth as much. It was definitely worth more than any car they’d ever owned. Only Kelly ordering her to wear it to an event, in the context of being her Master, had gotten the dang thing on her wrist and out of the townhouse.
Currently, it sat in her new safety deposit box, where she’d dumped it that first Monday morning after she arrived in Sarasota, along with a couple of other pieces of jewelry. Kelly’s father had been a huge believer in dressing the part, so her Old Navy and Target fashion sense had probably gone a long way to fostering their disdain of her.
She’d held on to it just in case, because if she ever hit true financial rock bottom, she knew she could sell the stupid thing. Even a fraction of what it was worth would help, but she didn’t want to make that decision lightly or in haste.
And she also knew her watch, brand new, wasn’t worth a quarter of what Landry’s watch was worth.
She might have hated Kelly, but she didn’t hate the few fringe benefits she did get to enjoy. And the prenup specifically said any jewelry or gifts she was given during the marriage, she was free to keep.
She’d sold her wedding and engagement rings to pay for attorney number two.
Landry and Cris exchanged a glance.
“Cris Guerrero.” He extended his hand and they shook.
“Nice to meet you. Thanks for agreeing to talk with me.”
