Good Girl (Playroom) (20 page)

“I love you,
too,” Violet replies, properly cowed.

“Good. Go play with
them and be nice. I bet they’ll even let you be Princess Peach.” Violet strides away with her head held high and her shoulders back. She looks like she’s holding a tiara on her head- Queen of Violence.
Mario Kart
is probably too mild of a game for her. I should break out
Gears of War
- the Lancer with its chainsaw bayonet is more Violet’s speed.

“How’d you manage that?” I say to Devon as I walk us to the reading nook. I curl up in the front w
indow seat and Devon joins me. I laugh as I watch the kids get along. All you have to do is give them a video game and everyone behaves. It’s the United Nations for deviants.

“I saw the twins when I was picking the kids up from school. I thought it would be a gr
eat time to test the waters.” Devon leans his back against the front window and clasps his hands over his chest. My eyes linger over the strain of his shirt across his pecs. I blush and look away when he catches me.

What the fuck is wrong with me?
I get a taste for sex and it’s all I can think of. Thank God, only certain people affect me or I’d be walking around in perpetual heat.

“After winter break
, I’ll be the Truant Officer for K-12- it’s the grunt position. I may have fudged the truth of what the job entails. I think Violet’s scared of me now. Good news,” he sings, “We have four more helpers tonight because I told them I’d stalk them for the rest of their school careers.”

“You’
re a bad, bad man, Officer Mason,” I tease, and then turn serious. “Can I ask you something?”

“I’ll b
e an open book for you,” Devon sincerely replies. I glance at the kids to make sure they’re staying out of trouble and not listening in on our conversation.

“Are you okay with me and you? I don’t know what you’re getting out of this. I know what Auggie expects, but what about you?”
All day, I’ve tried to push the thought away. I’ve felt guilty that Auggie told someone to be my friend- worse, my boyfriend. I hate how it makes me feel worthless and used. The more I examine my relationship with Auggie, the worse I feel, and the more I want to avoid the thoughts because I’m not ready to accept reality.

“You mean the fact that Auggie is practically
pimping you out, and that he didn’t give you a choice,” Devon angrily hisses. “No, I’m not fine with that. What I want is my friend back. The only reason I went to those parties was so that I could hang out with you. I missed you when I went to the academy. What’s between you and me isn’t about Auggie or the
Playroom
. I just want to hang out with the quirky girl who has the husky laugh. I won’t have sex with you just because they say fuck her. I’d feel like a total douchebag. And I’m not pretending to hang out with you just to get into your pants so it’s easier on my conscience. I also don’t feel right turning this into something more when you’re obviously hooked on that arrogant shithead.”

“Okay,” I quietly mumble because Devon’
s outburst shriveled up any reply I’d formulated. “Friends,” I hold my hand out to shake.

“Friends,” Devon
assuredly replies. He takes my hand and squeezes it instead of shaking. Warmth from his big palm causes me to shiver. “I better get the kids fed. They tend to get grouchy if they’re hungry. I don’t want to find out what a grouchy Violet and Rae would do.” He shudders in horror. “What time will you be at the Spook House?”

“I close here at six, so probably a quarter after.”

“Well, that will give you a few hours of help. I have to have everyone home by nine. It’s a school night. I’d be a shitty Truant Officer if I kept them out all night and made them late in the morning.”

“Nah- it’d make you an evil one,” I giggle.

“Don’t give me ideas. I may use them.” Devon laughs as he stands up from the reading nook. He surprises me by yanking my arm until my body is flush with his. Devon wraps his hands around my waist and holds my gaze. “Friends hug goodbye- I crave our hugs.” His voice holds as much intensity as his deep blue eyes. I shiver and fall into his embrace.

The moment we make contact
, my face buries itself into the side of Devon’s neck- it’s involuntary at this point. If Devon hugs me, I must breathe his scent deep into my lungs. Vanilla musk inundates my senses until I’m dizzy with bliss.

The combination of Devon’
s scent and the warmth radiating off his body lulls me better than my drug of choice. My eyes droop shut and my muscles relax. A giddy giggle has my eyelashes fluttering until I can hold my eyes open- Weston and Seth are giggling at us and blushing, while the girls roll their eyes in distaste.

I ignore them and bury my face farther into the side of Devon’s neck until his black waves tickle my cheeks. I plant a not-so friendly kiss to the smooth skin where his neck meets his shoulder. He jolts as if I touched a livewire to his
sensitive flesh.

Devon’s arms fully embrace me, one tangling up in the back of my hair and the other crossing over my back with his fingers gripping my hip. Our friendly hug turns into something more intimate than my two failed attempts at sex. Auggie will scorch my heart to ashes on the wind, but I fear what Devon will be capable of if just a hug renders me into swooning idiot.

One last squeeze and Devon steps out of our embrace. Neither of us can look at the other in fear of what our faces will reveal. Devon clears his throat several times before, “Time to eat,” rumbles out his mouth at the kids. Four heads pop up and look as one.

“What’s for dinn
er?” Weston asks.

“First one in the ca
r gets to pick where we eat.” Devon and I share a snicker. We only have one restaurant- the No-name Diner. The kids realize this half-way out the door.

“Well played, Officer Devon,”
Violet says with respect.

“Later,” I say to the group and start picking up the mess in the video game section.

~Chapter Fourteen~

“Are you going to the house tonight?” Auggie asks me as I’m
closing out the cash register. He’s been suspiciously silent, even after our earlier talk.

“I believe it was you who said I had to be the
re every moment of my free time,” I snarkily tease. Auggie’s vibe is off. It has been since last night, and it worries me. His carefree attitude has changed since our relationship- if that’s what you call it- has evolved from boss and employee to Master and pet.

“I won’t be joining you tonight. I have somewhere I ne
ed to be,” Auggie sheepishly says while he ducks his head. It’s not like Auggie to be reluctant. If he means something, he says it. Anger flashes through my veins when I realize what is making him behave peculiarly. 

“If you’re going to the
Playroom
just say it, Auggie. When you have to lie about it, it means you think it’s wrong,” my voice doesn’t hold the anger I feel, I just sound exhausted.

I’d assumed Auggie would eventually have to go to the Playroom
. I was expecting it, and I’ll deal with the emotional fallout that follows. I assume that’s the shitty hand we’re dealt when we become adults- we’re no longer allowed to throw a shit-fit when things don’t go our way.

“I don’t think it’s wrong. I’m just not sure how you’ll feel about it.”
Auggie won’t look at me.

“Why does
it matter?” I try to coax the truth out of him.

“What do you mean?”
Auggie still won’t look at me.

“
You’re acting strange. You won’t look me in the eye. And why does it matter how I feel about it? You’d go anyway, right?” As soon as the words spill from my lips I realize I just inadvertently perfected the female trap that men despise-
the damned if I do, damned if I don’t.
Where either answer is the wrong answer. I’m so not going there.

“Yes, I would. I
t feels weird. I don’t know,” Auggie sighs heavily and runs his fingers through the wavy mop of his hair.

“
I don’t want to fight with you, so I won’t. But you do realize that you just admitted that you were going to lie to me about the
Playroom
and go anyway even if it bothered me. That shit won’t fly with me, Auggie. Not about the
Playroom
- the obvious lying and disrespect. I won’t turn into a crazed female. It’s not who I am, and this is, what it is,” I muse, pointing between us. “Besides, next time I can go with you,” I hopefully say.

“No, Willow, you
won’t be going to the club.” Auggie’s voice deepens with command and he finally looks me in the eye. I wish he hadn’t when I see anger lurking in their depths.

“What?” I scrunch my f
ace in confusion. “What’d I do wrong this time?”

“I set the rules of the club and the
Playroom.
You’re not twenty-one and I didn’t invite you to play. You’re not going back.” Auggie pins me with his angry stare. I feel about an inch tall and tears prickle the back of my eyes. With a handful of sentences Auggie managed to tear any self-confidence I’ve built and reduced it to shit.

“What the fuck, Auggie? What sort of sick game are you playing?”
I defiantly hiss.

“I’m not playing around, Willow. The answer is no. I’m not saying it as if I’m your father
, because you are an adult. I’m saying no as you Master, as your boss, and as the owner of the club. No,” Auggie firmly says.

“Understood, Mr. Kline.” I yank my coat on and ignore the plethora of emotions screaming inside my brain. “I have to get to work. I
’ll see ya when I see ya,” I flippantly mutter.

“Here,” Auggie
drops a set of keys into my hand. “Don’t act out in retaliation,” he warns, “the only person you’ll hurt is yourself.”

Auggie
knows me too well. The old Willow would have acted like a brat and threw a tantrum, just like Robbie still does. But that Willow only threw a shit-fit when it was someone other than Mr. Kline telling her what to do. It disappoints me that Auggie doesn’t know the difference.

“I take
back what I said earlier,” I sadly admit. I just shake my head over and over at Auggie for a moment. “I don’t accept your apology. Obviously you didn’t mean it. I guess I’m back to being too stupid to make a simple choice between A or B. Thanks for making me feel this small,” I pinch my fingers together.

I run to my car. It’s the first time I’ve ever driven it and I don’t even get to enjoy it. I don’t kno
w if I want to scream or cry. Auggie thinks I ran off because I had to pitch a fit like a spoiled child. That isn’t the case. I just couldn’t look at Auggie as he silently judges me, as he thinks of me as worthless.

~Chapter Fifteen~

“This place is huge,” Devon says in awe as he follows me into the house.

Earlier
, I would have felt pride for the house- a sense of ownership. I don’t now. It’s Auggie’s house, and I’m just an employee. Every second of my time I work in the house, I reason, will be rent for the future. I won’t live off of Auggie. I was only his pet in the
Playroom.
And since I’m not allowed at the club again, I’m no longer Mr. Kline’s pet. I’ve grown up enough to know that Auggie’s advice is sound, so I won’t discredit it. I’m smart enough to recognize that, even if Auggie thinks I’m not.

The lights flicker
with a static hiss for a minute after I flip the switch. A two-story foyer houses the staircase to the upper floors. I decide against going up the staircase. I’m not sure it’s sound. The place is a disaster area. The elderly lady’s furniture is still in the house. Her relative just wanted the cash and nothing else.

I
dramatically sigh as I turn in a wide circle. “Where to begin,” I say to myself. “I guess we can’t do the walls and floors if there’s stuff on them.”

“Jesus,” Rae hisses. “We’re just kids. You’d need a wrecking-ball to fix this shithole.”

“I agree. Lesson learned: ya get what ya pay for. We’ll begin by moving all the furniture from the front rooms to the back of the house. Let’s separate it into three piles: one for a bonfire, a maybe pile, and a keep pile.”

An hour into moving ancient furniture, we’re all dragging ass. One benefit of hard work is that Officer Devon peeled his sweat-soaked t-shirt off and I discovered that he isn’t as lanky as he looks. His training has left him cut
, and it’s lighting my fire.