2. Garret

2

Garret

"I'm heading on a few errands, the bank included," I told my office manager, Carol.

Carol peered up at me over her red-rimmed glasses and the top of her computer screen.

"Sounds good, boss."

"Can you take a message if anyone calls?"

"Sure thing." She shot me a poised smile.

Carol was the best in the business. She was loyal and that was important to me. If I asked her to jump, she'd already be halfway in the air before I completed the request.

She had a wealth of experience. She had only been with me for a couple of years, but I was impressed with her professionalism and flexibility to be there when I needed her. She took care of all the finances, bookkeeping, and even some of the PR for the club.

Carol was the one who took all my phone calls, took messages when I didn't want to talk to certain people and was otherwise a token of relief for me here in the office setting.

I walked out the back door of the club and began zipping down the street. My bank, the post office, and all the other places I needed to hit were all within walking distance to my club, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I had been on the hefty side as a child, and I tried to be as physically active in adulthood as I could, so that none of the chubbiness of my youth would blossom back to my life. I had suffered at the hands of bullies for most of my childhood, and I took care of my physique as an adult because of it.

For me, it wasn't just about being trim and physically toned. I wanted to stay healthy and active, keeping my heart, lungs, and the rest of my organs functioning at their peak. I only had one body, and I intended to take care of it.

I preferred to walk or bike to most of the places I had to go, and only used a car when it was absolutely necessary. That was one of the perks of living in the heart of Chicago. The world was at my fingertips with everything I could have wanted at my disposal.

I began to slow my pace to a leisurely stroll, enjoying the nice day and the sun being out, warming the back of my neck and shoulders. My mind kept wandering back to Felix, the sexy Dom with the ocean blue eyes, so cobalt in color that they nearly pierced my soul. His chocolate brown hair was luxuriously smooth and silky looking.

I would be lying if I said I hadn't fantasized about brushing my fingers through his hair while he nibbled on my bottom lip, making me moan with ecstasy. He was clean shaven, too, which was a plus in my book.

I wished he hadn't left the club so quickly last night. He hadn't been willing to budge or bend in any capacity. When I had suggested he try being submissive to explore his options, he had gotten extremely quiet, his features etched in defensiveness.

He was apparently a tough horse to break, but I still saw potential in him that I was willing to bet he didn't know he had deeply rooted in himself. I loved to live life to the fullest and be as adventurous as I could. That was simply the point I was trying to get across to him at the time, but he had misunderstood me and left in a huff.

Part of me wanted to take on the challenge of fixing him. Not that I had to necessarily fix him, but I knew there was flexibility lingering in his mind somewhere. That's where I could come in.

I'd been a Dom all my life, but I recognized the potential for a sub when I saw one. If he would just open his mind and not be so stubborn, the possibilities were endless.

I pushed open the door to the post office, the first stop on my list. My head was down, and I was focused in concentration on my tasks and thoughts. I wasn't giving much attention to my surroundings.

I was brainstorming a way to craft another encounter with Felix when I nearly bumped into someone, lifting my gaze to avoid a tumble.

"Oh, sorry," I mumbled and skirted out of the way to let the person pass, but they just stood there.

"Garret?"

The recognition dawned on me and it was as if a light bulb had spontaneously clicked on in my mind.

"Felix?" My heart drummed with wild excitement.

"Hey." His smile was infectious.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, then chuckled at the absurdity of my question. "Well, it's a post office in a town we both live in, so it's not like I'm running into you at the North Pole or something."

Felix's eyes danced with amusement and his lips curled into an earnest smile. "That's true. I'm just doing my usual errands."

"Me too," I chimed. "What a coincidence."

"Are you sure you're not just following me?" Felix asked, a smile playing on his lips.

"No, just dropping these things off. I can assure you; I am far too busy to do that," I said with a polite smile. "Hey, you should come by the club tonight," I said, desperately excited by the prospect of seeing him again for a longer session.

"Maybe. I'll think about it," Felix responded casually, trying to appear as indifferent as possible.

His eyes met mine and locked in place. For a moment or two, the intensity of his sultry stare caught my breath in my throat.

"You should do more than think about it," I flirted. "I would love to see you there. The club could use a guy like you." I lightly grazed his arm and a tingle of passion surged through me.

Felix's eyes brightened as if he wholeheartedly absorbed the compliment. "Really?"

"Absolutely." I gave him a beaming smile laced with a dose of charisma.

"Okay. Maybe I'll take you up on your offer." This time he nodded with more enthusiasm.

"Great." We stood there, staring at each other as the mounting sexual tension between us threatened to explode. "I know you have it in you," I whispered, baiting him with the challenge to see if he could handle it.

"Well, in that case, I'll be there." Felix puffed out his chest with assertion.

"I can't wait." I gave him the sincerest smile I could offer.

It was cute, really, how hard Felix was trying to be the Dom in the situation. I could tell he wanted to impress me on some level. Even though he was practically baring his teeth to show his dominance, he was more like a puppy who was learning to growl. He was trying to show off his tough exterior when underneath it, he was probably just a big ol' softy at heart.

"Just a sec," he said as he walked over to the counter, spoke to the cashier, and dropped off his things.

He quickly returned to me.

"Let me get the door for you," I offered with a smile.

Felix gave me a wide-eyed look as if he was bummed that he hadn't thought of that proposal first. "You don't have to. I can get it for us."

"I insist," I grinned and swung the door open before he had a chance to do it first.

I wasn't necessarily trying to gain a one-up on him. I genuinely enjoyed doing nice favors for friends and strangers alike.

But I didn't want Felix to be a stranger. I wanted him in my club, having the time of his life.

As we stepped out of the post office together, I screeched to a grinding halt. Nelson Sanderson stood on the curb with that same smug smirk on his face that I constantly wanted to slap right off his lips.

He was leaning against his sleek black Mustang. His arms were crossed, and he shot me a condescending glance over the rims of his black sunglasses.

"What do you want?" I practically hissed.

"To make you another offer," Nelson said, standing up straight.

"I'll refuse any offer you make me," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. I began walking away. I didn't have time for Nelson or his antics.

"Two million?" Nelson called out behind me.

I slowly turned around, glaring at him. "No."

Nelson belted out a patronizing chuckle. "You don't have the luxury of time, Garret. You know that, right? Time is running out on your end."

"I know I don't have time to deal with people like you ," I quipped back.

I spun on a heel and began briskly walking away.

"What was that about?" Felix asked me with a confused frown after we had walked a few steps away from the post office.

I stared straight ahead. I was afraid that if I stole even one glance at him, I would crack. "Never mind."

Much to my relief, Felix didn't press me for answers. As we edged closer to the next intersection, I pointed to the right. "I need to head this way, to the bank."

"Oh, all right." Felix cast me a handsome and friendly smile with those gorgeous eyes of his. "I guess I'll be on my way then."

"So, I'll see you tonight at the club? Is eight o'clock good for you?"

Felix didn't skip a beat this time. "Eight is perfect."

I lightly grazed his arm again, needing to experience the rush of our skin to skin contact one more time before parting ways.

"See you then." I tossed him a flirty wink and departed, riding on the high of his touch.

Later that afternoon, I was heading downstairs from my apartment. I had the luxury of living above the club, so I was always there in an emergency and I had control over every aspect of the day to day operations.

There were several issues to resolve before the doors opened at seven. Glitches with the bar televisions, a leaky faucet in one of the bathrooms, various issues that were easy to repair, but I had to oversee it all before the club's nightly opening.

When the doors officially opened for the night, I did what I always did. I walked around the dance floor, the bar areas, the two-story loft balcony, my office, making sure to visit every corner of the club.

I tried to ignore the mounting anxiety I felt waiting for Felix to arrive. The sight of the full club helped soothe my nerves some, but I couldn't deny that I was only waiting on one man.

I wandered back up the stairs, perching myself in my usual position in the center of the balcony overlook. This was my favorite place to stand and watch the events happening down below. I had a bird's eye view of my entire club, aside from the private rooms of course, and I felt more in control over everything. If something sketchy unfolded, I would be able to easily spot it from here.

After a while, I glanced at my watch. It was a little after eight. My stomach pattered with anxious butterflies.

"So, he's a little behind schedule," I shrugged, reassuring myself. "Maybe he likes to be fashionably late."

But my heart pounded, and I couldn't stop sweating. I was nervous that he wasn't going to show up, and when Felix's arrival time came and went, my stomach churned in a sea of unrest.

Disappointment settled into my bones and fatigued me. I was suddenly cloaked in mental sorrow. Why was I reacting in such a negative way? I didn't even know the guy. I had encountered him twice and for less than fifteen-minute conversations a piece. I needed to figure out a way to snap myself out of my bleak demeanor.

I knew what it was. My pride was wounded. I had a bruised ego because a sub pretending to be a Dom had stood me up. I found myself wagering whether I had been given mixed signals by Felix or completely misread his interest in me.

I was normally acutely aware of a man's interest, but the water was murky with Felix. He was harder to figure out than the rest and the challenge made him even more appealing to me.

I wasn't bored. He kept me guessing, on my toes all the time. I had my work cut out for me. I was somewhat crestfallen in response to his absence, but I wasn't down for the count yet. I had never been the type to give up before crossing the finish line, and I wasn't going to be derailed yet.