This is a little teaser from my current work in progress, to be released in 2020. Feel free to comment if you like it. The cover is temporary and the teaser isn’t edited.
Warning: F/f, Domme/sub, BDSM.
AUDREY
“So… um… You’ve worked here for a while, haven’t you?” I released my hands and placed them behind my back. “Do you always work on Christmas?”
His eyes were even darker when he looked up at me and the nervous tapping of his pen against the paper grew more frequent and intense. I swallowed and squeezed my poor hands harder. Fuck.
“No, I’ve only been working in here for a little more than a year. Lily hired me because she needed someone to help with the Halloween bake sale.” He shrugged casually but his dark gaze kept studying me with the intensity of a wolf lurking after its weak prey. What was I thinking? Those girls at the office were a much safer option. “She wasn’t convinced I’d be a good fit and yet… here we are.”
Great. What the hell was I supposed to say now? All the safe small talk topics ran out of my mind.
“I guess it saves you a lot when you don’t have to do much shopping on the holidays, right?” I let out a nervous laughter and cringed at how awkward it sounded. “Um… I mean, this is the first time I work on the holidays and…”
David dropped the pen and crossed arms over the Two Ladies apron. It looked quite ridiculous on his bulging chest.
“All right, Red, what the hell is going on here?” A growl crept into his voice.
Well, that was unexpected. I blinked like a broken neon sign for a few second and squeezed my wrist harder. Fuck, Olivia, what did you get me into?
“I’m not sure what you mean, I…”
“Oh please, little girl.” He rolled his eyes at me. “Don’t try to play innocent with me. Why do you take such an interest all of a sudden?”
The bagel I ate this morning felt very heavy in my stomach. Red dots were dancing before my yes and I had to apply all my weight so I wouldn’t run away to the bathroom.
“I… I’m sorry, I was trying to be friendly and… I’ll go away. Sorry if I insulted you somehow…”
He interrupted me with a raised hand and his expression softened a little.
“Hey, relax, I’m not going to eat you.” David tried a reassuring smile. “Calm down and try to breathe, okay? That’s what I’m talking about. Every time we’re in the same room you act like a scared rabbit. You never look me in the eye and you hurry to run away as if I’m a serial killer. Now, you suddenly want to talk to me and get all sweet and friendly? Forgive me but I find it weird as fuck. What’s going on?”
I stared at him with shock and exhaled loudly. Was that how I appeared? That whole time I thought I was hiding my intimidation so well. David even noticed me? How was that possible?
“I… I didn’t know I looked that way to you.” I swallowed. “Honestly, I didn’t think you noticed me at all or that you knew I existed, I…”
“Come on, Audrey.” He smiled at me with something of a warmth but his eyes were still suspicious. “We’re a handful of people in here. Do you really think that you can go by unnoticed? I mean, don’t get me wrong. I get that attitude all the time and I’m kind of used to it. Mothers often pull their children away from me in the supermarket. I saw you were nervous around me and thought I shouldn’t make any trouble for myself in here. I didn’t want to make you more afraid than you already were.”
If he felt sad or bitter about it that didn’t show. That suspicious look was simmering in his blue gaze and he had hunched his shoulders. I stood there and watched him with confusion as I recalled the number of times we had interacted. Annoying blush of embarrassment crept on my cheeks again.
“I… Oh, I never stopped to think how it may look to you.” I said and looked down, still with nails in my palms. “I’m so sorry, David, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad or like you are a threat for me. I just…”
He was silent and looking at me with a mild curiosity. I still wanted to run away and hide in the bathroom until my heart calmed down. That familiar knot of poison ivy would have strangled me if it was real. What was I supposed to say? All the sweet, convenient excuses were running out of my brain. The raw, ugly truth remained and its edges were razor sharp.
“I might have been a little afraid of you…” I trembled when I said those words. “You kind of remind me of some people I knew back home but… I didn’t mean to be rude or unfriendly. I’m just not very good with people.”
The black and white tiles on the floor grew so fascinating in that moment of sincerity. His eyes were scanning me and I could feel it even without looking up.
“I guess my parents dropped me on my head when I was little and damaged that part that takes care of socializing.” I laughed nervously and scratched my raw palms again. “I… I never had many friends growing up… and I guess I was just trying to get to know you. It didn’t go very well. I’m sorry.”
I heard David’s footsteps and felt his heavy palm on my shoulder. Strange shiver coursed through me but it was so different than these times when Olivia touched me. When I looked up I nearly gasped with shock. He had a warm and kind smile, the last thing I’d expect of him.
“Are you always that intense about everything?” He smirked and squeezed my shoulder in a friendly way. “Relax, you haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just suspicious of everyone and everything. Besides, you’re a woman in a big city. I don’t blame you for being afraid, actually. It shows you have a head on your shoulders. And I haven’t been all that friendly either.”
