She glanced at her phone and huffed, disappointed she hadn’t heard from him all day. He had been gone when she woke up and he had not called on his lunch break or even sent a text throughout the day. She had cleaned the living room, bathroom, washed the dishes, and folded all the laundry in the house to deter her thoughts from him with no avail. After binge watched several episodes of The Big Bang Theory, she fell asleep on the couch wearing his hoodie.

She was awoken by the sound of a plant falling over, courtesy of her new kitten. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she quickly glances at her phone and gasps in surprise at the time. He should be walking in the door at any moment and she wasn’t even ready. She ran through the living room to her bedroom, snatching her collar from the dresser and clasping it on her neck. Just as she heard keys jingling as he unlocked the door, she threw his hoodie over her head and as it fell on the floor beside the couch, she sank to her knees and lowered her head.

The New-Hire

She stood off to the side of the crowd in the darkness of the corner. The club was quiet, disturbingly so. The only sounds were the harsh breathing of the on lookers and the echoing of a wooden paddle meeting flesh. The theater like room was dim, with a spot light hanging from the ceiling and pointed towards a raised platform at the front. The couple on the stage were regulars and had been involved in the lifestyle for a couple years now. The petite blonde on the stage was kneeling at the feet of a tall, muscular man, completely in submission to her Master and lover.

However, the woman standing in the shadows wasn’t focused on the couple on the stage or the lewd acts being played out by the couples in the audience. Instead, her eyes continuously returned to the bartender across the room. There was no one seated at the bar and from the looks of his face, there hadn’t been in a while. He sat on a stool behind the bar, drying glasses while glancing towards the stage every few seconds. She stood in the shadows, staring at the man and silently urging herself to walk across the room and speak with him. The room seemed to become smaller and warmer as she glanced between the bartender and the scene on the stage.

Okay, together and safe.

He smiled, noticing there was a fall wreath now decorating the front door, along with orange and brown pillows adorning the porch swing that was swaying in the fall breeze. In the three door garage, a red Corvette was parked closest to the door that would lead straight into the laundry room, if entered. He parked beside the sports car, quickly turning off the engine and reaching for his briefcase in the seat beside him. As soon as he stepped out of his Elantra, he could hear the sound of music drifting from inside the house. He chuckled to himself and made his way to the door. 

As he walked in, he was overwhelmed by the smell of pumpkin spice. He dropped his briefcase on the bench that ran against the wall across the room from the washing machine and dryer. The clothes basket on top of the dryer had been knocked over and clothes were spread across the top of the machine. He made his way through the room, leading into the den. The large, flat screen television was paused on the opening credits of Southland.