In the Blind (8 page)

The
club and its darkness held a special power. It striped away your defenses and
got you to feel. She and Rob needed the special power. She needed to stop the
second guessing and go after what she wanted, and she wanted Rob.

****

The
next couple days flew by in a daze. She had nothing much to do except work.
There was nothing to clean in her home, and all her laundry was done. She
didn’t even need to plan her outfit for Saturday night because all she’d be
wearing was what God gave her.

Fortunately,
Keller’s colleagues were contacting her with their job requisitions, and she
easily filled the rest of her week with Internet searches, phone interviews,
and another contract negotiation. She expected to have another contract to
review early next week. Her company was finally taking off. It wouldn’t be long
now before she could hire a recruiter. The possibilities were endless, and her
confidence was through the roof.

She
walked into the bistro a little before eleven on Friday morning. A quick scan
of the restaurant told her she had made it before her lunch date. By getting
here slightly before her meeting and before the lunch crowd, she could pick the
right table. The smell of fresh baked bread made her stomach rumble. She wished
she’d gotten here with enough time to get something to eat before the meeting.

The
call had come in late yesterday. The potential client was starting a new project
next month. If the meeting went well, she’d have a dozen positions to fill.

Pushing
the deal through with Keller and Rob had most definitely been the right thing
to do for her career. She hadn’t heard from Rob since Tuesday. After her
conversation with Marcus, she’d been tempted to call him, but she didn’t know
what she’d say.

She
may not know for sure who she was with last Saturday, but regardless of the
truth, tomorrow night could be the start of the most important relationship of
her life. Tomorrow, she’d see him at the club. Well, actually she wouldn’t see
him. She’d feel him, hold him. She squeezed her legs and told the heat to hold
on.

She
snagged a table in the middle of the room, sat in the chair facing the door and
began pulling out everything she’d need for the meeting.

“Excuse
me.”

Jane
continued to search for her favorite pen. “Hi, can I get a coffee?” She tugged
at her bag. “Why can’t I find what I’m looking for? Sorry.”

“No,
that’s okay. I’m not here to help you anyways.”

Jane
froze and raised her gaze to see a striking woman standing before her. Long
sleek hair and the most beautiful blue eyes met her straight on.

“Are
you Jane?”

“Yes,
and you’d be?”

The
woman held out her hand. “I’m Gina.”

“Oh.”

Gina’s
grip was strong and professional.

“I
figured you’d heard of me. I wanted to give you a face to put with the name.”

Silence
followed Gina’s declaration for what seemed like an awfully long time until
Jane’s potential client walked around her and set his briefcase on the free
chair.

“Hi, Jane.”

“Hi,
Colin,” said Gina.

“Gina, Hi.”
His eyes lit,
and he grabbed hold of her hand. “It’s been ages. How have you been?”

“I’m
doing much better these days. I didn’t realize you’d started seeing someone, Colin.”

Jane
was speechless. Time seemed to slow down. She got the sense Gina was trying to
stay two steps ahead of her. Fortunately, Colin wasn’t fazed by any of it.

“Nope,
no time for dating, but I have a new contract. That’s why I’m meeting with
Jane. I’m hoping she can help me with the new project.”

“Is
that right?”

“Yes,
my company specializes in finding the right resources.” Jane utilized her
professionalism and pushed back her shoulders. She had nothing to hide, but
apparently Gina was choosing a different angle. There was no mistaking the
venom in her glare. The first chance Gina got she’d try to wipe the floor with
Jane, she had no doubt. Jane didn’t know if she was being protective of Rob or
just plain vindictive.

“I
know how you meet people, Jane.”

“I’m
flattered that you’ve taken such an interest in my company.” She couldn’t be referring
to the club? Had she been talking to Marcus? No, Marcus and Gina didn’t get
along, or was that not true? Were they working a game together? Was this some
kind of set-up? Jane’s pulse skipped a couple of beats, and she struggled to
keep eye contact with Gina.

“I
sure have. You’ve been working with several people I know well. I’ll be sure to
keep my eye on you.” The awkward moment ended when she turned to Colin and added,
“It was good to see you. Will you be at the club this weekend?”

“Maybe,”
said Colin.

“Think
about it. I’m not the only one who’s missed you.” Gina’s sweet smile slipped
away when she nodded to Jane.

Both
Colin and Jane watched as Gina walked from the restaurant. Her head was high,
and Jane didn’t miss the swing of her hips as she disappeared from view.

Once
they both cleared their throats and settled in their seats, the meeting
commenced and Jane easily sold him on her company. He’d even asked her to get
in touch with his assistant who was going on maternity leave soon. She hoped to
find him the perfect temporary assistant to ease his mind while he ventured
into his new project.

Jane
walked home from the restaurant in a haze. Her professional life was on a high
while her personal life felt like it was unraveling. Rob had given her the
impression Marcus and Gina didn’t get along, but Jane had no idea how the
puzzle pieces fit together.

After
talking with Marcus the other day, it was hard for Jane to believe there was
anything conniving in his invitation. Anne’s warning ran through her thoughts. Could
Gina be up to something more than watching out for her ex? Maybe it would be
better to pull out now before she risked any more of her heart.

Risks.

Jane
had played it safe in the love department for years. Adam was a perfect
example. The kind of guy you could take home. He had a great career, good home,
fine family. Her grandpa had seen his worth straight away. She’d still tried to
make it work, believing he was her prince and a ticket to an easy ending.

She
needed to listen to her gut this time.

She
was going back to the club.

Chapter Six

Jane
could barely contain her excitement as she stepped onto the curb in front of Club
Blind, until she spotted Gina by the door. No sense in hoping she was waiting
for somebody else.

“Are
you following me?”

“Hardly,
but I am glad I ran into you again.” Gina pushed her hair behind her shoulder.
“I’ve learned several new things about you today. I might have pegged you wrong.”

“Was
that an apology?” She clenched her fists at her sides and looked at Gina head
on.

“I
don’t apologize.” Gina took a step closer to her. “I know what you’re about to
do, and I wanted to warn you.”

“Somehow
you know I’ve done this before. So, I don’t need your warning.”

“I’m
not concerned about you, sweetheart.” Gina crossed her arms over her beautiful
figure.

Jane
locked her knees against the desire to shake the woman.

“It’s
Rob I’m worried about. This place isn’t his style, and I’m afraid his needs
aren’t going to be met.”

“What
is it you think he needs?”

“For
starters, he needs to be at the club upstairs. He needs to dominate, and I’m
not sure if you’re capable or willing. This place won’t be enough for him.”

Jane
swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d just talked with Anne about Club Voyage
and she had a meeting with Mistress Charlie next Sunday afternoon, but she
hadn’t promised anything because she didn’t know if she was ready. The bundle
of uneasy nerves that danced along her skin told her she wasn’t.

There
was no telling what all Rob would need from her. Some dominance and submission
excited her, but the rest might push her limits.

“It
might be best for you both to stop now, before someone gets hurt. He needs a
submissive, and I don’t think it’s you.” Gina walked away with the same
confident stroll. Her work here was apparently done.

Why
hadn’t Anne told her Rob was a Dom? She wanted to rip apart every
confidentiality policy that ever existed, as apparently it was a love-hate
relationship. A nervous giggle bubbled out of her.

Anne
had been slowly broaching the subject of the club and had pointed out the
interest Jane hadn’t been able to hide. Time seemed to slow when they had
in-depth conversations about Club Voyage. Now, she couldn’t tell which was
gaining more ground, anxiety or anticipation.

She
pounded her fists against her thighs wishing she’d already talked it through
with Mistress Charlie. There was no way she’d figure this out now. She looked
down at her toes and tried to convince herself to forget about Gina, walk
through the door, and get the answers she’d been craving.

Adam
never took the time to understand her desires, and until last weekend Jane
hadn’t either. Entering Club Blind now felt like a simple move. She knew she
wanted to do it again, but what if this was her limit?

She
hunched her shoulders when she remembered how long it had taken her to ask Adam
to blindfold her. The nasty attack that followed made her glad she hadn’t asked
for anything else. He’d condemned her desires. It was possible she was still
reeling from his cruelty and not accepting her own needs. She might not be able
to give Rob what he needed.

She
pulled out her phone and called Anne.

“Why
aren’t you already inside?”

“I’m
not sure I should go in.” She kicked the side of the building and then leaned
against it.

“What
happened?”

“I
think I should hold off until I talk everything through with Mistress Charlie.
I really don’t know what I’m doing.” She turned around, looking for an escape
route.

“But
you know who you want, and he’s waiting for you inside.”

“I
don’t know if I can give him what he needs.” She spotted a cab coming her way.
It wouldn’t take much to flag it down.

“Have
you forgotten? You’ve already been to this club? You know what will happen.
Tonight isn’t about what will happen next. It’s about two people bringing each
other pleasure.”

“You’re
right.” Jane turned around and blocked the street from her view and took a long
deep breath.

“This
is the only way you’ll know for sure if you were with Rob last week. Plus, Mistress
Charlie will help you with the rest. Don’t rush the process.”

“Love
you, Anne.”

“I
love you, too. Call me in the morning.”

She
pulled her purse higher on her shoulder, shook out her hands, and walked
through the front door of Club Blind.

The
locker room felt nothing like last week. The women danced around the room,
clearly excited to hang with their men in a kinky night of blind sex. Last week,
she’d had no idea who was about to touch her. This week, she knew exactly who would
drive her nerves right to the edge. Her palms were sweating and her toes were
tingling, almost like her blood was pumping so hard it forgot to travel full south.

She
hung the last of her things in the white locker and froze when she heard the
welcome speech.

“Good
evening, ladies. Thank you for trusting Club Blind with your sexual fantasies.
Tonight is date night. Your partners are ready and waiting in their rooms.”
Marcus’s gaze landed on Jane. Staring right at her he continued, “Club Blind is
not a BDSM club. However, even though you know your dates, the monitors will be
listening for safe words. Call out ‘yellow’ if you need your scene to slow and ‘red’
if you want a full stop. For yellow, we’ll monitor your scene and ensure your
partner slows. For red, we’ll escort you back to this room. Are there any
questions?”

She
had no idea what it was like to have an older brother, but she couldn’t deny
Marcus seemed to be looking out for her. Her thoughts of Marcus trying to trick
her flew out the window. The whole idea had just been her nerves talking.

Who
had first dates like this?
Could you even call this a date?
Her leg muscles tightened. She shook them out, signaling the tension to leave. She
had to know, had to know what had been eating her all week.

Was
Rob her mystery man?

A
flutter flipped through her chest, and her whole body heated. She was
determined not to get discouraged when it turned out he wasn’t the one. Maybe the
experience would be even better with Rob, although she didn’t know if it was
entirely possible.

“Time to go, ladies.
Line up for me right here.”