The car ride back to my place is done in silence. The idea that I’d invite her in and give Dria a tour of my place has long since passed. Every time I look at her, her eyes are focused on the road ahead and her lower lip is pulled between her teeth. Whatever came up has completely ruined the mood for the day.

I thought I was making progress. We were flirting back and forth, and while I may have initiated the contact by reaching for her hand, she didn’t let go or squirm away. In fact, she stepped closer to me, leaning into me to point out certain vendors. When the opportunity to kiss her came up, I didn’t hesitate. Hell, I couldn’t. I would’ve been an idiot for not taking the chance.

And now I’m standing in the parking lot of my building, watching the red tail light of her Camry disappear. Part of me wants to believe that it’s a family emergency, but deep down I know it’s the mystery guy. Wherever he was, he’s back and taking my Dria with him. Fucking bastard.

As soon as I open the door to my apartment, the instant smell of flowers hits my senses. I bought them to decorate, to show Dria that I’m not living in a bachelor pad, that I actually have some taste. The bottle of wine I started to chill is sitting in the ice bucket, mocking me.

“So much for trying,” I say to the bottle. I leave it there and opt for a beer instead. No man should drink wine when they’re alone. It doesn’t seem right.

Sitting down on my couch, I prop my feet up on my coffee table, have my cold beer in one hand and the remote in the other. I surf between the sports channels, hoping to find a game that interests me. When my phone chimes, I think it’s Dria, only to find a text from Jenica.

My heart sinks at the word spanking. I am not keen on hitting a woman, and while I know it’s not the same, spanking doesn’t appeal to me, not even during sex. I’m tempted to tell Jenica no, but I asked for this to be setup and knowing that my lady friend was a virgin until last week, I don’t want to disappoint her. She needed something and I was the one who ended up giving it to her. I don’t want to let her down.

I dump my beer in the sink and rush off to the club after texting Jenica back. Usually I would like more time so I can shower and feel clean, but thirty minutes doesn’t give me enough time.

When I pull in my anxiety level is at an all-time high. What if I hit her too hard or not hard enough? Do I use my hand or a paddle? The one time I spanked a woman was during sex. She liked it rough, but her definition of rough and mine were vastly different. She wanted welts on her ass and handprints left around her neck. I finished my deed and got my ass out of her apartment. That freaky shit isn’t for me.

Jenica is there to meet me at the door. I half smile when I see her, but she’s full on happy. “Let me take you to the room.”

Oh joy, can you please? I follow her down the hall, tempted to ask her what’s going on in the viewing room. My membership fee allows me to go in there, but I haven’t been tempted until now. Maybe I need some live action porn to get me over this funk or whatever it is that I’m feeling toward this woman. Unfortunately for me, I’m out of time because the play room door is staring me straight in the face.

“There’s an assortment of toys that you can use on your partner. She won’t be able to see you and she indicated that she’d like sex with anal penetration.”

Jenica smiles and disappears down the hall before the words register in my mind. Anal penetration. Is that supposed to be a toy I stick up her ass or my finger? Fuck, why isn’t there a rulebook with this place?

The door opens and I step in and slip off my shoes without looking at my partner. When I finally do, my heart sinks a little, but my cock starts dancing around as if he’s won the lottery.

Her ass is straight up in the air and her ankles are tied the posts on the table. I can’t believe I’m about to do this, and while I know it’s to please her, you can bet I won’t be asking for this in return.

Next to her is an assortment of toys that I can use. Different size paddles, whips, floggers, and something that is shaped like a heart. That’s cute. I can leave heart welts all over her backside. And there are the butt plugs. So at least I know she wants something shoved up her ass. Perfect. Just great.

She clears her throat, getting my attention. Her ass shimmies in the air, causing me to step back. Tilting my head, I look at her backside and her legs. Something seems off. When she grunts, I know this isn’t my partner. The woman I have been with is shy and reserved. She would never shake her ass or grunt to get my attention, and I can’t imagine she would bend over a table like this, bare-assed so I can spank her.

Stepping away from the table, I slip my shoes back on and press the button to leave the room. By the time the door opens, Jenica is there and she doesn’t seem pleased. “What’s wrong?” she asks.

“That,” I say, pointing toward the room, “isn’t the woman I have been with.”

“How could you possibly know, Kai? You’re not allowed to speak to the clientele. It’s in the contract you signed.”

“We aren’t speaking, but I can tell. A man knows things and that woman isn’t the same one.”

Jenica pulls out her phone and presses some buttons. “I’m afraid it is. You need to go back in there.”

I shake my head. “The woman I’ve been with is inexperienced. The one in the room, her demeanor says otherwise.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way, but we don’t make mistakes here.”

I glance back at the door and know that I’m right. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”

“But Kai—”

“No, listen. When I filled out that application, I did it so you’d leave me alone. My friend brought me here for lunch that day. I had no idea what this place was. I put things down on that form that I would never do to a woman, and spanking is one of them. That’s not who I am and that certainly isn’t the woman I requested. I’m sorry, but I can’t give that woman what she wants right now.”

With that I leave the club with Jenica calling after me. I don’t care if they revoke my membership and ban me for life at this point. I trust my instincts and those are telling me to run.

By the time I get home, I’m depressed. I was looking forward to seeing the woman tonight, and hopefully learning something new about her, but as my luck would have it, I’m going to drown my sorrow in a case of local brew and figure out how to cancel my membership.

I hate the thought of canceling and never seeing my lady friend again, but I can’t stomach going back there. That voodoo shit messed with my head one too many times, and I’m better off focusing on Sweet Briar, and maybe Dria if her mystery asshole will ever leave her alone.

Speaking of Dria, I pull out my phone and call her. It’s been hours since she dropped me off, and while I know I shouldn’t call her, I can’t help myself.

The phone rings four times and I’m about to hang up when I hear her come on. “Hello,” she croaks out. I sit up quickly, jostling my beer and spilling some on my shirt.

“Dria?”

“Hey, Kai.”

The sound of my name coming from her lips is such a turn on. I want to ask her to say it over and over again, but I refrain.

“Are you crying?”

She sniffles and tells me no. I think about calling her out on her little white lie, but I don’t want her to hang up.

“Want me to come over?” I ask.

She laughs. “No, I’m fine.”

“Yeah that’s probably best. I’ve had a little too much to drink anyway.”

“Are you drunk?”

I hold my bottle out as if she can see, and eye the other five or six sitting on my coffee table. “Maybe,” I say. “I don’t know because I haven’t moved in a while.”

“Perhaps I should join you.”

“Yes! Yes, you should. The beautiful Alexandria should come over so I can take care of her.” She laughs again and it’s music to my ear. “Tell me why you’re crying,” I plead.

“It’s a long story, Kai, and not one that I’m proud of.”

“Does it have to do with that text you received? It was from him, right?”

Dria sighs. “It was, sort of. I don’t know how to explain things between us. I thought … well, I don’t know what I thought, but after tonight it’s definitely over.”

“He didn’t like your almonds, huh?”

“No, I guess he didn’t.”

“I like your almonds,” I tell her, while trying not to laugh. Who knew that the nut could become a sexual innuendo? “I had fun earlier, Dria. A lot of fun. I’d like to see you again. Preferably on the other side of my door in about thirty minutes?”

“Oh, Kai. I can’t even believe you’re on the phone with me right now after the way I treated you. I should’ve never looked at my phone. I’m sorry I did, and I’m sorry I ruined our day. It was very selfish of me.”

“And you’re on your way over?” I hedge.

Dria laughs. “And what would we do while I was there?”

“I can think of a hundred things we could do. Most of them revolve around kissing because let’s face it, I didn’t get enough of your lips today. Or we could watch a movie, snuggle on my couch, finish off my case of beer or play Twister.”

“Do you actually have Twister?”

“Uh … not the board game version.”

“Oh,” she says, suddenly quiet.

“Seriously, though. I want to see you again.”

“Okay,” she replies, causing me to sit up even more.

“Yeah? Good. I know this is going to sound stupid, but I’d like to make you dinner.”

“That’s not stupid at all,” she says.

“But it is. You’re a chef. I’m sure you can cook circles around me.”

“No one besides my mom has ever cooked for me, Kai. So I would really like that.”

Dria and I stay on the phone for an hour while I sober up. I ask her again if she wants to talk about her night, but she changes the subject quickly. Whatever happened this evening has really put her in a funk, but I’m determined to help her get over him. One home-cooked meal at a time.