I waited on the curbside in front of the court when my company’s Maybach pulled up and got me. I jumped into the back and allowed my legs to stretch out. The weather must’ve been changing because almost every join in my body had a small ache that warmly radiated into my bones.
“It’s about to rain,” I mumbled to myself.
“Hello, Mr. Reign,” the driver said.
This voice was different. This was a female, not the usual man that drove me at my request.
“Ms. Keller? What are you doing driving today?” I asked, startled.
She was usually the secretary who’d greet people who came into the office, and call me if there were appointments.
She never drove for me. Never.
I didn’t even know she had her driver’s license.
“Well, your driver is sick today. And I couldn’t leave you out there for long.”
Ms. Keller’s outfit of choice was a tight white silk shirt. And judging from what I could see, she wore a tight black pencil skirt along with it.
“I see. Very well then,” I said, taking my phone out. I had an impulse to call Wendy and see how she was doing. Then I remembered she was driving and if anything, I wasn’t going to be the one who took her attention off the road.
“Mr. Reign?” Ms. Keller interrupted my thoughts, her voice low and sultry. I didn’t like the mood she was setting.
“Yes?”
“How about lunch after this?” she asked, glancing back at me in the rearview mirror.
“No, I’m fine. I have to hurry back home to my wife.”
Her face was hell frozen over. “You’re married?!”
“Ms. Keller, the road!” I ordered, catching her before she rear ended another vehicle ahead of us.
“I’m so sorry!” she blathered. She sniffled and kept her eyes on the road.
My eyes fell on her hands. They gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
“Are you happy?” she asked me.
“Very. Why are you asking?” My voice begins to sound curt.
“Do you want more women? You don’t have to stop at one…”
I cleared my throat, shoved my phone in my pocket, and folded my arms.
“First of all, Ms. Keller. I’d like you to stop right here. Now,” I barked. She pulled the car over against the sidewalk. Good thing the dress wasn’t too far from here.
“Second of all, you’re fired. Return this car and leave my premises immediately.”
She spun around in her seat, her eyes pleading.
“No, you’re supposed to be mine!” she shouted. I got out the car, taking my cane with me. But before I closed the door, I said, “If you even so much as go near me or my wife, or even speak to us, I’ll have you in jail. For life. Be gone.”
I slammed the car door shut and walked down the street, swallowing the growing pains in my joints. I walked until I got to my destination, because I was done with crazy Ms. Keller.
The Ella Bridal store was on my right, and I pushed in the golden framed door to the loud screeches of an argument.
At first I thought it was just a bride and her family in a major disagreement.
But one of the voices was familiar. Looking over, I confirmed who I thought it was.
“Look at this! This isn’t done; the bust is strictly off by almost an inch!”
“The person wearing it has to come in for a—”
“Not if you’re given the direct sizing. Do you know who this is for?”
“Of course I do—”
“You must not care then!”
I dragged my aching limbs over to the two squabbling ladies and butted in.
“Ms. Bell, what on earth is going on here? I need you two to calm down.”
The two women, both glared at each other. One was the designer of Wendy’s dream wedding dress, and the other one was my personal assistant, Ms. Bell.
The designer’s name was Ella, the same as her store. She dropped herself down into one of the chairs surrounding the dress and sighed, rubbing her head.
“Ms. Bell, calmly tell me what’s going on. It’s not the end of the earth now, is it?”
“The dress isn’t completed yet, Boss,” Ms. Bell explained, holding a death stare on the designer who was shrinking in her heels. Ms. Bell may’ve been a shorter lady, but her strong voice and crisp accent made a lot of people feel inferior. That was one of the main reasons I hired her. I didn’t want the front line of my company to be looked on as weak and docile. That wasn’t good for business at all.
“Not done? It looks done to me. What’s wrong?” I circled the dress that sat on a golden wired mannequin. It was made of a rare white silk that had an opalescent shine. The bust was littered with diamonds and opals, and the train was ten feet long.
I didn’t know how Wendy would take the long train, as she didn’t really seem like the traditional type, but I had a gut feeling that there should be one. However, there was something else that was still missing and that was of no fault of Ella’s. Ella sat still and looked at Ms. Bell, who only stayed silent. That was the designer’s cue to speak.
“Well, as your assistant noted, the bust is off by a few centimeters. I’ll be able to fix it and it’ll be done in about three days—”
“Three days? Madness! This is a fifty thousand dollar dress. Isn’t there any way you could—”
I lifted my hand up to stop Ms. Bell from haggling the poor designer. She stopped mid sentence and turned away, so she could cool down. There were almost visible fumes coming off Ms. Bell. She took her job seriously, and I knew every request I made of her would be done to the tee. That’s why I employed her. When I told her about Wendy and me getting married, it made her sense of perfection bump up to level twenty. If only Benson could act like her.
“That’s fine,” I told the designer who was breaking out in a sweat from stress. “I’ll be back in three days then.”
“Surely I’ll honor a discount, Mr. Reign,” the designer began.
“No such thing. Mistakes happen. I’m glad the dress can be fixed.”
When I looked for Ms. Bell, I had noticed she was at the door, waiting for me to finish my business. I had left the designer to her work and began to stride towards Ms. Bell until something caught my attention.
There was a section in the store called “Honey Moon Lace” and it featured a Swarovski crystal garter with matching thong, fishnets, and bra.
Needless to say the twenty thousand dollar price tag didn’t deter me one bit.
My cock already began to grow against my tight boxers with the image of Wendy’s body in such an elegant and erotic set of threads.
“I’ll take this too,” I said.
***
“I’m so sorry that happened,” Ms. Bell said, raking up a piece of hair back into her updo. She had an irritated look on her face. She was more upset than I was. “I can’t believe they wasted your time like this.”
“Calm down, Ms. Brown. You’re more upset than I should be. It’ll be okay. I’m glad you spotted out that imperfection before I took it to my wife. That would’ve been a hell of a lot worse. Don’t you think?”
I was hoping that I made her feel better. She frowned and sighed.
“Plus, my time wasn’t wasted. I bought my fiancé a few presents from the store. Presents that I wouldn’t have seen anywhere else.”
Ms. Brown peered up at me and smiled quaintly. I could tell she was holding back a laughter.
“Well, when you mention it like that, Boss, I suppose you’re right. Would you like me to drive you back to the office?” she asked me, her car keys ready in hand.
“Actually, I’d appreciate that very much. I gave my fiancé the car.”
“Bet she’s enjoying it.”
“As long as she isn’t speeding,” I added.
Ms. Bell and I walked to her car and she unlocked it with her remote. She was a responsible driver, and got me all the way home without touching the freeway.
When we pulled up to my front door, I got out and collected my bags. A slip of fishnet stockings peeked out of the Ella bag, and a rash of heat skipped across my face.
Ms. Bell blushed as well and smiled. “Hope she likes the gifts, Boss. Have a nice day!”
“You too!”
I closed her door and hobbled up to the front door.
Sometimes the fact would escape me, but this home was mine. Wendy’s and mine, now. And every time I looked at these custom made one hundred thousand dollar gold and iron doors, I was reminded of the success I had reached, and the other future success right beyond this door…
I unlocked the doors and entered inside. I expected to see Wendy bounce up to me with a kiss.
“Hm? Wendy?” I called out, looking into the living room closest to the entrance.
I looked around the house some more and didn’t find Wendy in the places I thought she’d be. There was one place left that I could check, and after that, I could start worrying. She wasn’t the type to be this quiet. I was surprised I didn’t even get a call from her when I left her in the garage for the courthouse.
The bedroom’s double doors were shut. Something that I rarely did. I loved walking up to the master bedroom, seeing the grand entrance and the results of my success staring me in the face.
Wendy had to be in there. She’d better me.
Without ramping up any further worry in my chest, I pushed open the doors and saw Wendy spiraled out on the bed asleep. Sound asleep. Her snoring was light, but something had caught my eye.
On the bed next to her glinted the shiny metal of a knife. Not a small one either. This was a butcher knife.
Why was it on the bed with her? She had it tucked close to her shoulder where she could grab it easily.
It probably isn’t safe for her to wake up with that knife so close to her. I should take it.
So, I inched over quietly without using my cane. Carefully, I leaned over and gently grabbed the knife. Once it was safely in my grasp, I backed up and went to the farthest side of the room and placed it in a drawer.
Now it was safe to wake her up.
I limped back over and shook her shoulder. “Wendy?”
She stirred awake. “Mmmn,” she grunted.
I shook her another time, determined to get some answers out of her.
“Wendy, wake up—”
Wendy’s eyes shot open into a widened panicked expression as if she had seen hell knock on her door.
“Ahhh! Stop! Help, someone help, he’s trying to kill me!” Wendy cried, flailing her fists around and kicking her legs. Good thing I was a good distance away, as she had some powerful kicks and punches there.
“Wendy, calm down, no one’s going to hurt you!” I shouted, grabbing her arms and wrapping her in a tight embrace. Wendy’s body shook against mine as she realized she was safe. She took a breath of relief and relaxed into my chest.
“Sam! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to act like a total nut case.” Wendy closed her eyes and shook her head, her body trembling.
“What was that for? Why did you think someone was going to harm you?”
Wendy fluttered her eyes open and scooted off the bed. She paced the room, picking her nails.
“I… I don’t even know if I should even get you involved in this. He’s probably not thinking about me anyways,” she mumbled still pacing.
“Who? Who’s not thinking about you?”
Wendy still kept pacing. I got off the bed without my cane and marched up to her. Holding my arms out, I caught her by the shoulders and made her look me in the eyes.
“Wendy, I need you to tell me right now what’s bothering you!”