Fierce Encounters Book 2

Emma panicked at the word – wife. How could she have fallen for a married man? She stood up without waiting for assistance. She managed to slip her shoes back on, and she decided to leave through the back door, not from shame, but from the desire to escape the situation. To think that she’d made love to him and was getting ready to enter a new world with him. Emma made a point to do some on-line research into her next romantic interest.

She wanted to call a friend, but she didn’t want to discuss the darker side of Daniel’s desires. She thought that any honest discussion with a friend would likely lead to that as well. Emma felt very isolated, not knowing who to talk to she decided instead to turn off her phones and read a book.

She decided on a cozy mystery, knowing that a romantic novel was not what she needed at the moment. Emma didn’t have the strength to enjoy a happily ever after at this juncture. A nice juicy murder on the other hand seemed to fit her mood.

Emma passed the day that way, curled up in a corner of the living room, drinking endless cups of steaming hot tea and reading her mystery. By the time she’d finished the novel (and of course, correctly figured out whodunit) Emma felt more ready to face the world again. She turned on the house phone and unmuted her cell phone. She immediately saw that she’d missed two phone calls and had several messages.

She sighed deeply. At least he hadn’t had the temerity to barge down to her house with an “explanation.” She couldn’t have stood that. She felt bad enough for what she’d done to that poor woman. She should have known better than to get involved so fast. She should have asked the questions you’re supposed to ask of a new boyfriend. Instead, she’d gone for the quickie in the bathroom. Emma wasn’t sure why she’d done that, other than being tipsy and attracted to him.

She took a deep breath to steel herself for the messages and pressed play. The first was from her mother, wanting to know about dinner one night this week. The message played on cheerily as her mother rambled on about people they both knew. Emma finally just deleted the message to end the suspense. The second one was from a woman she knew via her friends, thanking her for the party the previous weekend and inviting Emma to another party in two weeks.

Emma pursed her lips. Daniel hadn’t called. He hadn’t even bothered to attempt a call to her cell. She scrolled through the missed calls, but nothing. He apparently wasn’t even going to try to bother to deny his guilt in the matter. Emma felt a pang, realizing that at least a part of her had wanted him to beg her forgiveness and offer her a reasonable excuse of why a woman claiming to be his wife had arrived at his door.

Of course, the wife could still be there. Emma went to the living room and looked out the window. No unrecognized cars sat on the street or in his driveway. So unless she’d arrived by foot, the wife had left long ago. So much for being the contrite lover.

Emma rummaged around in her kitchen looking for something to eat. The cups of tea had only heightened her hunger and the anger and stress made them nearly acute. She grabbed a few eggs, some veggies and began making a frittata for herself.

She’d mastered the single meal over the years. It wasn’t that she’d not been involved in relationships before. She had, but they’d been more like firecrackers than candles, brief, loud and noisy. She’d really hoped that Daniel would be something different, someone who would stay around a while and maybe even for the long run.

She shook her head. She couldn’t be thinking about a long-term relationship with a man who was married. That was ridiculous. Emma had seen a few of her friends do this, pine after a man who was married. The results were always the same. The man went back to his wife or worse, went with the new woman only to do the same thing to her a few years later.

The eggs were done and Emma sat down to eat. The food was warm and delicious, but she barely noticed because her mind was wondering why he hadn’t called. Apparently, she’d not even been worthy of the effort to explain. She washed her dishes, not wanting to waste the money on running the dishwasher while she debated her evening book. The first book had been light and fluffy, taking her away from the issues in her personal life. Perhaps the second one would do the same for a few more hours.

She almost decided on a historical bodice ripper when the doorbell rang. Her heart gave a small flutter at the thought that it could be Daniel. She was definitely going to give herself another talking to if this was her reaction. Emma walked to the door. Indeed, it was Daniel standing outside the door. He looked calm and poised, no hang dog expression on his face for being found out a liar and a cad.

Emma took a deep, cleansing breath. She opened the door calmly. Daniel was holding a basket in his hand, looking expectantly at her. “May I come in?” he asked, not taking much for granted. Emma was glad that at least he knew his current predicament.

“Just you? No wife?” Emma asked, looking out the door.

“About that. I feel like I should explain.” Daniel cleared his throat and looked at Emma. Now he at least had the good graces to blush slightly. Emma was flustered, because the pink looked good on his dark skin. How could he appear to be sexy even when he was so in the wrong?

“I’d like to hear this one,” Emma said, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back against the wall. She didn’t want them to get overly comfortable or anywhere near horizontal at this point. She would keep her will power by standing and standing firm.

“That woman isn’t my wife,” Daniel said simply, as if that explained everything.

“Nice to know,” Emma responded. “Who is she?”

“Her name is Margot. She’s my ex-wife.”

“And that makes it better? Why is your ex-wife still in the picture and why does she still visit you?”

Daniel cleared his throat again. “I was the one who wanted the divorce. She didn’t. She still gets upset and then has to talk things out with me. It’s basically a rehashing of what’s been said before. It’s awkward, but seems to be unavoidable.”

“It would have been really nice to have known this before she showed up at your door.”

Daniel nodded. “I understand. I’ve really been enjoying the times we’ve spent together, but maybe we also need to spend some time getting to know each other better before we go too far.”

Emma nearly went slack-jawed. The man had actually suggested slowing things down and talking more. She’d always thought of that as a woman’s line. “That would be okay I guess. I’d want to hear more about the ex-wife and why she’s still around.”

Daniel nodded. “I can share some of that with you.”

The words struck Emma as awkward. Why would he only share some of this? Why wouldn’t he tell her the whole truth about the situation? She knew that some people kept awkward relationships with their former spouses, hoping to keep the good parts while moving on in other ways. Perhaps this was another one of those situations. She hoped not, because she knew that she could get overly competitive and more than a little jealous when it came to dating.

“I’d like to hear this story. I need to make sense of what happened today. I left not liking the way I felt at all.” Emma was a bit surprised at her honesty with Daniel. She’d not pulled any punches and she’d not spared his feelings. It was a first for her, and it felt good to speak her mind.

Daniel shifted from foot to foot, looking guilty as hell. Emma wanted to take him by the ear and lead him out of her house, but she managed to cool her temper and jealousy. Why was he waiting so long to try to explain this mess to her? “I was married for five years. It was never very happy.”

“Any children?” Emma interrupted, getting her most important questions out of the way.

“No. God, no. It was just the two of us.” Daniel looked surprised at the question. “Not even a dog. She refused to have one, as much as I like them.”

“Why don’t you have one now?” Emma asked abruptly.

“A dog? I’m on the waiting list at a local rescue shelter for terriers. They’re going to let me know when one comes in. That’s what you wanted to know?” Daniel’s face clearly showed his confusion. Whatever he’d been expecting, it wasn’t an interrogation about canines and children. “We met when we were young. Probably too young. I didn’t know what I wanted in a relationship. She didn’t know what she wanted at all.”

“I’m not sure what that’s supposed to mean?” Emma was getting impatient with the stumbling around. She was highly suspicious that this was the first volley in their break-up, and she just wanted it to be over so she could mourn and move on.

Daniel paused. He looked over her shoulder as if looking for the answer elsewhere. Finally, he spoke again. “At first, she seemed very into being married and having a family, but as time went on, she was more interested in making waves with our friends, causing problems with others, being seen at events and parties. It just seemed like I was more like a trophy spouse to be paraded around rather than a husband to be loved.”

“So then she didn’t miss you when you left? You were the one who left, yes?”

Daniel laughed. “No, she wasn’t happy at all. The image of us as the perfect couple was shattered. She couldn’t be the one that everyone else envied if her husband didn’t think she was perfect too.”

Emma stared at him. “So it was all about position and status? Didn’t she love you?”

Daniel gave her an impish grin, as if a smile could change her mood at the moment. “I know it’s hard to believe that someone could not love this face, but it’s true. She was more in it for the position and the power. Nothing more emasculating than just being a showpiece.”

Emma wondered at his words. Perhaps that’s why he was into domination? His last relationship had left him with no choice but to leave. She wondered how she would handle being in a similar situation, being used more for show than for love. In her books, love always won out, but Emma knew enough about life to know that things didn’t always end that well. Real life could get quite messy.

“So why is she still around if she was that unhappy.”

Daniel shrugged. “I’m not sure. Sometimes I think she wants me back, but I’ve made it clear that’s not going to happen. At other times, I think she just wants to keep everyone else at bay, so that if she can’t have me no one else will. It’s all pretty unhealthy, and I’m trying to get her out of my life. That’s about it.” He made the words sound final, as if he was done discussing the matter, even though Emma still had questions for him.

Emma wasn’t sure what to believe by the end of the story. While she couldn’t put her finger on it, the story just didn’t seem to be entirely true. She wished she had more details about it, like what had set Daniel off to leave her. Had this ex-wife been a willing participant in his BDSM fantasies? Emma wanted to know more about that. She felt rather discouraged by his insistence on domination when it perhaps had not held his previous relationship together. What if his ex-wife had participated in it as well, but that it hadn’t been enough – or maybe Daniel wanted something more after he got to the first round of submission. Her earlier decision to submit now seemed under question again.

Emma tried to play it off while continuing the conversation, “Any questions for me? Want to know all of my deep dark secrets? My previous relationships?”

Daniel shrugged. “I always thought that learning about the other person was part of dating. You find out what you need to know to see if the relationship has what it takes to last.” He seemed genuinely unconcerned about Emma’s past. Maybe he just looked at her and figured that anyone who spent the day reading was unlikely to have a wild past of orgies and kink. Was that how others saw her? She wondered if that was why many guys didn’t bother getting to know her. She seemed too timid or uninterested.

Daniel gave her a smile. “Now where were we?”

Emma stood up straight. “You’ve got to be kidding. We were interrupted by your ex-wife and I came home to sit for nearly 8 hours before you decided to stop by and explain. I think we need a little time to contemplate all the shifts in what’s going on with us. I know I do.”

Daniel frowned at her. “If you say so, but as far as I’m concerned, nothing has changed between us. I feel the same way about you.”

Emma looked at him. “I feel the same way about you, but I certainly need to process all of this information before we do anything else intimate.”

Daniel moved towards the door. “I understand. Just give me a shout when you’re ready. You know where I live.” With that, he walked out the door and Emma was alone again.

Emma had spent an uncomfortable two days after that, trying to decide what to do. She genuinely enjoyed Daniel’s company, but at the same time, he was so reticent with the details of his earlier life. She knew from experience that men were not always the best at sharing their feelings, but he was worse than most. She wondered how this would work in a long-term relationship. Would she always feel this way?

Finally on Wednesday, she called him, they chatted for a bit and decided to do dinner that evening. Emma had kept a list of questions that she was still interested in learning the answers to regarding his previous relationship and their current status. However, the conversation never got to that level. They chatted over the Italian food at a local restaurant that Daniel knew of. Emma wondered if he’d taken his former wife to this same restaurant, sat in the same booth, ordered the same things.

At the end of the evening, Daniel gave Emma a rather chaste kiss on the doorstep. Emma was puzzled by this. They’d gone from nearly consummating a BDSM scene in his bedroom four nights ago to tongue-less kisses on the front steps. Had Daniel gotten back together with his ex-wife? Emma tried to clear her head of the thoughts but it was hard not knowing what exactly was going on. She preferred answers, even when the answers broke your heart.

Despite her consternation, Emma asked, “Do you want to come in for a minute?”

Daniel shook his head softly. “No, I don’t want to push things until you’re settled with everything. I don’t want us to just be physical. I’d like to have more than that with you.”

Emma broke into a grin. “Oh. I was just thinking that you were pulling away. How refreshing to hear that a guy wants more than just a physical thing.”

Daniel pulled her close and kissed her again, this time with more feeling. Their lips rutted together and Emma opened her lips to allow his tongue inside. She greeted it enthusiastically. They hadn’t done much since the night they’d made love. She’d missed it, though she understood Daniels’ misgivings. She wanted things to be a combination of physical and emotional, and she’d felt too many non-romantic emotions lately. She thought that moving slow might be a good idea, but she was still intrigued by the whole BDSM thing. How far would she have gone if they hadn’t been interrupted? Would she have submitted fully? How far would she take it?

The kiss broke off and she smiled up at him. This felt more like dating than the earlier peck.

“How about we try again on Friday?” Daniel asked.

“Try again?”

“I had you on the floor the other day, waiting, when things went to shit. I was hoping to explore that a little more with you.”

Emma started. It was like he’d been reading her mind. “Okay. I’m game to try again. Any other ex-wives I should know about before we start this time?”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “No, definitely not. Once was enough.”

Emma tensed a bit in his arms and he apparently felt it. She’d wondered at his words. Did he mean that he would never marry again?

Daniel cleared his throat. “I can feel the question in your stance. I’m open to marrying again if it’s the right woman. The last one definitely was not right.”

Emma was unsure what to wear on Friday night. Would he be tearing her clothes off of her? She read a little bit about it on-line. She felt better as she learned more about the concepts and the roles involved. It was not how she had envisioned it in her mind at all. She had dungeons, whips and chains in her mind, which seemed ridiculous, given that they were meeting at her house, which had none of those items. She still felt odd enough about the whole thing to clear her browser history when she was finished. No use in leaving that around for others to see.

The evening started easily enough. Emma decided on a bottle of red and put two glasses out with it. She’d cut some brie and other cheeses to have as a snack. Daniel arrived promptly, and they downed the first glass of wine without discussing the night’s activities.

“So what’s our safe word going to be?” Emma asked after pouring herself a second glass.

“I don’t think that we’ll be doing much for a while that will require one, but what would you like it to be?”

“Madame Bovary,” she replied. “It’s definitely not a phrase that will come up in our conversations during our activities, will it?”

Daniel smiled. “I’ve never heard of that as a safe word, but that’s fine with me.”

“So how do we get started? Do you want me at your feet again?”

Daniel looked down at his wine glass. “That’s a good start.”

Emma stood up and took a seat on the carpet at Daniel’s feet. The act didn’t feel submissive; it almost felt cozy as if she were going to curl up with him for the evening like a housecat. Without looking at her, Daniel said, “Strip to the waist.”

Emma was surprised by the cold tone he’d adopted, but she complied. Part of her brain wondered what he’d do if she said no. Would he punish her or would the games be over? She wondered what the ramifications would be. She was titillated by the thoughts.

Her blouse and bra fell to the floor. The evening was cold, and her nipples were quickly hard. “Now the panties.”

Emma removed her panties, leaving her in just a skirt. She could see where this scenario might lead. So far everything was moving fine. “Let’s go to the bedroom.”

Daniel led the way and Emma followed submissively. She stayed back three steps from him, just as she would royalty. She was amused by the thought, but she tried not to giggle. It was tempting.

When they reached the bedroom, Daniel pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Hold out your wrists.”

Emma held them out in front of her like she’d seen in so many cop dramas. Daniel put one on her wrist and then lightly tugged that arm behind her back. With the cuffs behind her, he clicked the other wrist into the cuffs. Emma felt the first real feelings of helplessness now. She was at his mercy, and while she was certain of his character, there was a small chill in knowing the power he had over her at this point.

Without asking, Daniel slid a blindfold over her eyes and tied it snugly. “Don’t speak unless you’re asked a question.” Emma nodded meekly. She’d lost one of her senses and her ability to free herself, and she really felt that loss.

Emma shuddered as something brushed across her breasts. She couldn’t tell if that was one of Daniel’s fingers or perhaps something soft and light like a feather. It didn’t linger, just a quick touch that left her wanting more. She felt the touch again on her back and then down one arm. She found herself getting turned on by the thought of where it would be next. She wondered if Daniel was still clothed or if he’d stripped as well. In her mind, she could still visualize his strong, smooth chest and the size of his ample manhood. Whatever else she could say about this session, she was getting very turned on. The entire thing was so different from her usual activities where she had to be in charge of everything. With this, she could just relax and let Daniel make the plans. It was almost relaxing in a way.

“You will not cum until I tell you that you may,” Daniel said firmly.

Emma wondered what was next. She heard the squishy sound of lube being used and she wasn’t shocked when she felt a finger enter her. At least, she was fairly certain it was a finger. The sensation warmed her, feeling the slow motion of Daniel’s finger inside of her. She started moving her hips, but she felt a hand on her waist, which made her wait for the motion. She waited patiently. Daniel seemed to be taking his time about it. The single digit massaged her and stretched her slowly.

She was glad when he added a second finger. She was long past ready for it. She started to buck her hips to meet the finger, but again she felt a hand against her hip, this time firmer and more insistent. He held her there, letting the fingers do the work. She gasped as he found her clit. He wasn’t shy about manually manipulating it as he thrust into her. “Remember,” Daniel said again. “Wait for me to tell you to come.”

This may be a more difficult command than she’d first thought, Emma realized. His fingers were insistent, pushing her open, teasing her clit. She tried to turn her mind to other things, to making a grocery list or naming all the winners of American Idol. Anything but give into her growing desire.

She gasped when a third finger entered her. She’d not been expecting more and the full feeling reminded her of the other night with Daniel, the size of his manhood and the amazing sex. She stopped herself and went back to her list making. She couldn’t allow herself to get aroused, because she’d soon come. She wanted to play the game with him.

She could feel the sweat build on her forehead, always a sure sign that her body was starting to build to a climax. She bit her lip, but before she could decide on what to do, the motion stopped. The fingers slid out of her and she just sat spread-legged on the bed with nothing inside of her. She wanted to ask what was going on, but she was not supposed to talk. She remembered some of the articles she’d read had discussed delayed orgasm as a domination technique. Was that what Daniel was trying now?

She waited patiently for something to happen which actually allowed her the chance to let her climbing orgasm recede. She felt less like she was going to climax the longer she sat there. Daniel didn’t say a word, but Emma could hear the sounds of his breathing in the room. He was here, just planning what to do next.

When she felt something press under her skirt again, she was ready. It was if she’d just started from the beginning with him, though there was a low strumming in her body that had told of an earlier sexual encounter. She decided he must be using a dildo on her. She felt the lube-covered device slide into her. She gasped. It was bigger than the three fingers had been, thicker than before. The device kept going into her, longer than his fingers and much longer than Daniel himself. He’d slicked it up well with lube and despite the size of it, the dildo moved easily in her. With everything in her, she wanted to move her hips, to start a rhythm that would end with her climax. The time she’d needed to start thinking about an orgasm was next to nothing this second time around. She’d wanted it from the time it entered her. She had more difficulty this time in forcing her mind to think of non-sexual matters. The dildo practically screamed for her to pay attention to it, even though it only sat inside of her – not moving at all. She didn’t want to start moving. She knew there would be a price for disobeying, but she wanted pleasure now. She shifted herself, trying to pretend like she was only getting comfortable, rather than trying to get off.

“Tsk, tsk, no moving,” Daniel said. They were the first words that he’d said in some time. Emma wasn’t certain why his voice calmed her but it did. However, after telling her to be still, Daniel had lightly pushed her back on the bed so that she was now flat on the bed, skirt hiked up. She felt much more exposed now, even though the actions were the same.

Daniel began moving the dildo in and out, slowly at first and then more rapidly. The motions of the big plastic tool made her moan as he dragged it in and out, faster and more forceful. His actions felt like he was trying to mimic what he did during sex the last time. The feeling was similar, but again Emma tried to pull herself back from climax. She didn’t want to disappoint Daniel on this first attempt; she saw this as a challenge and she was competitive enough to want to win.

As if he knew what she was thinking, Daniel stopped the movements and removed the dildo from her. Again she felt naked, exposed, and ridiculously turned on. She wanted to be fucked by Daniel. She was surprised by the insistence of her desires. Most times, Emma was fine to just follow the traditional sexual path of kissing, oral play and then sex. She didn’t think about what she really wanted or what would be done to whom by whom. It was strange for her to know what her desires were with this clarity.

When Daniel returned to her, she thought about just trying to get what she wanted, but without sight that would be next to impossible. She didn’t even know if Daniel were still clothed or not. She couldn’t undress him with her hands tied behind her back. She had to wait for him despite how long that might take. She sighed as she felt his weight on the bed and steeled herself for the next round of play.

She was surprised when she felt his lips against her breasts. All of his attentions had been below the waist and now he’d changed the game again. She definitely was never sure of what to expect next. He seemed to be hovering over her, licking and teasing one nipple and then the other. She tried stretching a leg out to see if she encountered him, but she felt nothing. Daniel tsked again, chiding her for trying to learn more than he was willing to tell her.

She drew her leg back up and waited for him. She hoped that the leg might remind of him of the pleasures he’d been sampling just a while before. The kissing and licking continued for several more minutes. Emma found the attention enjoyable, pleasurable even, but she was fixated on wanting more.

With her other heightened senses, she heard the squish again of the lube bottle as she had with his fingers. She tried to wait patiently for what would happen next. She felt something else press against the lips of her vagina. She knew that she was wet and willing. Daniel would have no trouble getting inside. She was sure that this time it was his cock. She felt the heat as he inserted just an inch inside of her and then a little more. He waited as he had with the dildo. There was no movement, no push, just the feeling of something inside of her, waiting.

Emma didn’t push her hips as much as she wanted. She didn’t want to make this go away. She figured that with Daniel inside of her that he would be having his own orgasm which would likely mean that she could have one as well. Even so, she tried her best to be patient.

Daniel pushed further into her. She tried in her memory to think of how he’d felt when he was fully inside of her, in to the hilt, but she couldn’t remember. Maybe some of this exercise would allow her to remember the precise feelings of the sex this time.

Daniel pushed further. She felt his balls press between her legs which were now bent and to each side of his waist. She gave him a slight squeeze with her legs. He took both calves in his hands and wrapped her legs around him. Using his hands under her back, he brought her to a sitting position, sitting on his lap with him inside of her. Now he started a rhythm with her. He used the softness of the mattress to bounce with each push. He grunted as all of him filled her. She moaned, hoping that the guttural sounds didn’t count as speaking. She had to let out some of this desire now or she’d burst. He thrust inside of her again and again. Despite the hours of play, Daniel seemed in control of himself. She could feel him inside of her but there was only patient movement, no rush to climax. She relied solely on Daniel’s hands to hold her upright. With her hands still behind her, she had no way to balance herself. With this obvious lack of control, and his member inside of her for her third penetration, she didn’t know how much longer she could last. She wanted it now.

Daniel pushed up again, thrusting deep inside of her. Emma felt something change with his movements. They were getting faster and more desperate. He must be getting close, she thought. He still didn’t speak, just grunting like a caveman as he took her. The sound made it difficult to concentrate on keeping herself under control. It would be difficult to last much longer than this.

Finally Daniel said, “you may –“ Emma assumed that he finished the sentence, but she didn’t remember. A blinding white orgasm came over her, rushing across her skin and through her body to where she couldn’t think, only feel. She could tell from his motions that Daniel was experiencing orgasm too, and she wished she could see his face as he experienced climax. Finally, when they were both spent, Daniel rested her back on the bed.

She could hear his footsteps out of the room, and for a moment, Emma grew panicky, fearing that he would leave her this way. However, in a second he had returned, wiping her gently with a washcloth. He took off the blindfold and rolled her to one side to remove the cuffs.

He gave her a big smile. “I could ask you how it was, but I think I have my answer.”

She smiled up at him. “No question there. I had a good time.”

“Would you like to take this to the next level soon?”

Emma laughed. “You might have to rehydrate me afterwards, but I’d be interested in it, yes.”

“Good.” Daniel came back to bed and sat with her for a while, neither one of them moving to dress. After a long while, Daniel picked up his clothes and began to dress. “Let’s talk this week? Maybe we can get together on Tuesday?”

Emma agreed and just watched as Daniel let himself out of the house.

Emma had received a text from Daniel just before 3pm on Tuesday, saying that he couldn’t make their dinner that evening. Something had come up with the ex-wife drama, and he needed to take care of it. Emma had visions of him wining and dining her as they laughed about poor naïve Emma. The thought of sitting home alone and brooding wasn’t appealing. She needed to get out and have her own fun. She’d been fine on her own up until two weeks ago.

A few phone calls later and she had plans. Emma felt a bit odd going out with her friends for an evening. It had been nearly a month since she’d seen some of them and others, like Jenna who she worked with, she hadn’t spent much time with them outside of work. She’d forgotten the fun of just being herself, not trying to be part of a couple, especially one with a particularly noxious ex-wife involved.

They’d selected a bar with a large outdoor patio attached. The paving stones had been there for years and had been worn smooth by countless patrons. Some of her co-workers had started early, and Emma saw them first, all huddled around a table with two pitchers of margaritas. A warm breeze had made a few of the women shuck their more professional attire, leaving just a t-shirt or sleeveless blouse on. Emma thought this looked like trouble.

She sat down between two single co-workers who were laughing about something to do with the waiter. They called the waiter back so that Emma could have a good look at him. She agreed that he was worth a good laugh. Emma thought they were being a bit mean. He wasn’t much to look at, but certainly he deserved better than ridicule. She hoped it was the alcohol talking.

She gladly moved when a few of her other friends showed up. They all hugged and talked too quickly about office politics and who was dating whom. Emma brushed over her own situation, unsure of how to present her BDSM-loving boyfriend with a much too involved ex-wife. She sighed and shrugged, and they moved on to discuss other relationships.

Emma wondered as Jamie and Marie stood up and waved at a tall, thin man with dark hair and a wide grin. They practically started their own breeze with the waving. Emma smelled a rat, and it wasn’t the citrusy cologne that Gage, as he was introduced, was wearing. Perhaps her lack of enthusiasm over Daniel had been apparent enough for these friends to try an alternative.

Gage was nice enough looking. He was wearing khakis and a polo shirt, just like almost every other man in the bar. He apparently worked with Jamie as a temp, which Emma saw as strike one. She wasn’t sure why a thirty year old man was working as a temp. She had visions of him living at home. Still her friends had seen something in him, so she felt that she should at least take a few minutes to find out more about him for herself. After all, she and Daniel had never spoken about being exclusive.

“So how do you know Jamie?” Gage asked across the table.

“College. We were in the same dorm our sophomore year. How long have you been working with Jamie?”

He smiled at her. Emma was surprised that this was going so easily. She had thought of Daniel as one of the rare men she was truly attracted to and now Gage was making her question that belief. “About three months. Being a temp is not my ideal. I just needed a way to make ends meet. I had to move here because of my parents.”

Emma looked a bit surprised. “Is everything okay?”

Gage sighed. “My family is getting ready to put them into assisted living. My mother has Alzheimer’s and she needs more help than my dad can give her. My sisters, who are all married, thought that someone should be around to help, and since I was the single one, I got picked to help.”

Emma nodded. She got chosen for a number of family chores due to her singleness as well. She could easily relate. “Well, at least it’s good that they have someone to help – at least that’s what I’m always told every time I get stuck doing one of those chores.”

Gage stood back up. “Since I’m a man who is able to help others, how about I help you to another round of drinks?”

Emma gave him an order, and he set off to the bar. Jamie poked her and said, “So what do you think?”

Emma smiled at her friend. “He’s nice. I’m just not sure what I want right now.”

“Wow.”

Emma’s eyebrows went up. “Wow what?”

“If I didn’t work with him, I’d be asking him out myself and you’re not sure. Is everything okay with you? You’ve been quieter than normal lately.” Jamie leaned a little closer so that she could talk without the others hearing her.

Emma decided to share just a tad. It was Jamie, who could be trusted for the most part. “I met someone. It doesn’t seem to be working out, so I’m just off my game. That’s all.”

“And what has this man done for it to not work out? Lie, cheat, date other women, date other men?”

Emma’s face must have betrayed her, because Jamie squeaked. “A cheater, eh? You need to get rid of him now. It will only get worse.”

Emma nodded. “I’m not sure that he’s cheating, but –“

She stopped dead in her sentence for across the street, Emma saw Daniel get out of his car, walk around and open the passenger door for a tall, blonde woman. This had to be the ex-wife, the one who was causing drama. She was laughing and touching his arm as he helped her out. It didn’t look like much drama to her. They looked like they were having a good time.

Emma blinked twice. The woman was gorgeous, the type of body that models possessed. Tall, lithe, sophisticated. Emma was in shock. Daniel’s words had made this woman seem undesirable, when she was anything but that. Her hair was worn braided and wrapped around in the back. She wore an outfit that probably cost more than Emma’s house payment. Emma slumped down in her seat. She felt very small at that moment. There was no way that she could compete with a woman like that, a woman with all the grace, looks and style that Emma lacked. She felt every bit the bookworm and despaired of ever finding someone who would appreciate her, as she was.

Daniel was in the restaurant before Gage got back with drinks. Emma thought of going home with Gage out of spite, but she wasn’t that far gone. She knew that wasn’t fair to either Gage or herself. Still she could engage in some flirting. No harm, no foul there.

Gage set the drinks down and picked his up for a toast. “To getting to know new people. I think it was your turn to tell me about yourself. Why is a beautiful woman like yourself still single?”

 

Emma blushed. She felt her cheeks grow warm. No one ever thought that she was beautiful, much less articulated it. Daniel had acted like he felt that way, but Emma never had heard the words from him. She wondered if he said those words to his ex-wife. “Just getting over a bad relationship,” Emma said somewhat evasively. “I seem to pick them all wrong.”

Gage nodded. “I think we’ve all been there. I was in a pretty serious relationship before I came here, but she didn’t really understand why I had to do this. So we broke up just before I left. It’s hard to get back into the dating pool after that.”

They’d talked for nearly two hours with Jamie throwing in a casual word or two when the conversation started to dim. Emma laughed and chatted with Gage, and a few of the other women at Jamie’s office, all of whom listened closely to his every word. He certainly seemed to be the center of interest.

It had been almost 9:30pm when Daniel and the blonde left the restaurant. Emma hadn’t been staying purposely to spy on him, but she’d been having a good time and had noticed on a couple of occasions that his car was still in the lot. They got in the car together and drove off. Emma was tempted to text him and see what story he’d come up with for the evening. Would he lie outright or would he skirt the issue to avoid answering?

In the end, she’d opted to do nothing about it. She couldn’t change the situation or Daniel. She could only be responsible for her own behavior. She was trying to be the mature one in the situation. She wanted to be able to walk away from this with her head held high, knowing that she’d done what she could.

Before leaving for the evening, Emma decided to visit the women’s room. She wasn’t one of those who had to visit the loo with two or three others. She was independent enough to find her own way. She started to return to the table to say good-bye, when Gage stepped out of the shadows. “I figured you were getting ready to leave. I just wanted to give you a more personal good-bye.” He handed her a sheet of paper with what Emma assumed was his phone number.

She smiled. “Thanks. I had a nice time talking to you tonight. Good luck with everything with your parents and all.”

Gage started to extend a hand, stopped and awkwardly leaned in for a kiss.