Page 68 of Left of the Slash
“I couldn't help it,” Olivia replies. “A switch would flip every time I saw you, and I would change from being the boss to a needy little submissive in an instant. That’s how I knew I wanted you. You brought out the submissive in me, and the more time we spent together, I knew I needed to bring out the Dominant in you.”
“The left of the slash,” I quip.
“Absolutely, Sir,” she says flirtatiously.
“Oh, don't say that word or I swear this nice little aftercare moment will be turned upside. You know I can't resist it.”
She laughs again. “I know. It’s nice having a little button I can push to set you off. It’s what you get for being so perfect that you set me off just by entering my office. I risked it all for you back then.”
“Indeed you did. It has definitely been a fun journey. Even through the ups and downs, I've enjoyed the fuck out of this ride. Personally, I think we should stay on it together.”
“Well, I agree.”
“Yeah? And what happens when people from work start to find out that we’re together?”
“I couldn't care less,” Olivia says, shocking the hell out of me. “We’ll pay HR a visit in the morning just to make sure we’re doing it right, and after that nothing else matters. People may act surprised in the beginning, but eventually it’ll just become the norm. And if it doesn't, I’ll fire them for not being able to act professionally.”
“Ooh, you're getting fiery and I think I love it,” I say with a laugh. “You already know the main culprits are going to be Stephen and Nick. They will always be our biggest haters.”
“Well, that hate will get them fired,” she says, and I can tell she's just playing. “They'vebeenon thin ice, and I thought I needed their experience after getting rid of Jon, but you and I were the ones who brought in the EWB deal. Well, it was pretty much all you, but you know what I mean.”
My smile is big. “Yeah, I know what you mean, baby girl.”
“Right. We don'tneed them. This can be a new beginning for Obsidian. My father's old company, now being run by his daughter in a way that he wasn't able to get around to. Same company, new way of doing things. New leadership. New thought processes. New attitude. Out with the fucking old. Anybody who can't get on board can get the fuck off then.”
“Nowthatis the boss ass CEO I know and love,” I say with a chuckle, and the room goes silent. A few intense seconds go by as I take the time to repeat the phrase in my head while swallowing hard, then I add, “Well, you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean,” she says slowly, copying the words I just used a few seconds ago. “Umm, yeah … so … I guess all I'm saying is that I'm in a new frame of mind now. No more fear. I feel strong and ready to move forward … with you.”
My teeth scrape across my bottom lip. “I can't even tell you how good it feels to hear you say that. I'm ready for that, too. I think we can be on some power couple shit. The two of us running the fastest growing cybersecurity company on the east coast, pissing off all of our haters as we continue to grow and succeed together. We’ll be unstoppable, even if I have to hack everybody’s servers to get them to see it.”
Olivia laughs, but I can tell she knows I'm not kidding. I’ll do whatever it takes for us to get what we want. She can be the hero wearing the cape for her father and women who deserve to be in power all across the world. I’ll be the villain making sure she gets it all by any means necessary.
“It sounds like a bright future to me,” she says, nuzzling into my neck and breathing in my scent.
“As bright as the sun, baby girl,” I reply as I somehow pull her in even closer. “We’re two stars orbiting each other, and there won't be anything brighter than us.”
Olivia turns her head and buries her face into my neck as she squeezes me back with one arm, and I close my eyes, settling into it without a care in the world. Not too long ago, I was confused and unsure of myself. I was ashamed of the person I was on the inside, and just as ashamed of my past. All of that is gone now. No more shame. No more fear. I finally feel settled. With Olivia, I am home.
THREE MONTHS LATER
FORTY-THREE - Quinn
“Ijust need you to trust me.”
“Aww, come on, man. Seriously?”
“Of course. Trust that I know how to take care of you.”
“Well, I know you do, but usually it’s the other way around. I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you, baby girl.”
Olivia smiles, wrapping both of her arms around one of mine as we walk along the sidewalk together. Bright lights from the shops and restaurants we stroll past brighten up the street as cars slowly cruise through the city on the busy road to my right. The cold air from the oncoming winter tries to find its way inside my coat, but I'm wrapped up tight, as is Olivia in her dark blue jacket with a tan and white fur hood. Once we’re inside wherever the hell we’re going, she’ll remove it and showcase a white dress that will cast a magic spell on me like I've drank a love potion, and I’ll spend the entire night waiting to go back toour playhouse and wreak havoc. But for now, I remain patient as my submissive plays the Dominant role and guides me down the street to an unknown destination for my birthday.
The past few months have been busy. Work at Obsidian has picked up exponentially since our contract with EWB, because more and more companies realized that little old Obsidian was ready for big time partnerships. Suddenly, we weren't the ones begging companies to work with us or having to scheme our way into securing deals. Alliant Credit Union called us and practically threw their money at us after the EWB deal, with Louviers coming in right on their heels. We locked in both credit unions quickly, which only made us even more popular. In no time at all, Olivia had tripled Obsidian’s revenue and made us the hottest cybersecurity company in the state, using her expertise in finance to link us to financial institutions. The work she was doing before taking over Obsidian actually came in handy, killing a common talking point her detractors used to love to use. Bitches like Nick and Stephen still tried to hate when Olivia began bringing in new clients, but when she promptly fired them both, all of that came to a screeching halt. Rob was promoted into Nick’s position, and then he made a hire of his own to fill Stephen’s old spot. Now the executive wing is filled with bosses who know how to lead without having to rely on racism, patriarchy, or misogyny. No more mediocrity. All of this was part of our plan. Now we have a meeting tomorrow with one of Delaware’s premier banking establishments, with twelve locations statewide. It’s called Del-One, and once we lock this in, we’re going to need a much bigger office!
As for Olivia and I, we fell into the routine of being together like it was something we’d been doing our entire lives. Sometimes people just fit together without much effort. Having the same sense of humor, work ethic, ambition, sex drive, and love certainly did the trick for us, but the most important partof all of it has almost nothing to do with the way we have sex. Our best attribute as a couple is that we’re best friends. Our foundation has been built on the way we communicate with each other the same way best friends do. We laugh together, keep it real with each other, and support each other like we grew up living next door. To me, Olivia is on the same level as Marcus and Rob, but then we’re able to turn everything up once we’re alone. Our D/s dynamic kicks in like we’ve popped pills the second we touch each other, and it’s the best thing ever. This is what true love looks and feels like. I didn't know what perfection was until this. My best friend is also my submissive—my right of the slash.
“Is the place at least close by?” I ask, chattering my teeth on purpose. “I'm freezing my ass off out here, baby.”
