In the Blind (7 page)

She
picked up a tube of her favorite lotion and squeezed a dab onto her hand. Sweet
vanilla filled her senses. Rubbing her hands back and forth, she enjoyed the
silky touch of her nourished skin, and she imagined slipping her hands around
Rob’s neck to hold him close.

Work
first and then play.

The
contract was pretty straightforward. He even offered Rob a signing bonus to
sweeten the deal. She realized what her cut would be and giggled like a girl about
to pay the rent she’d renegotiated and buy a new pair of shoes. Her
celebrations died a quick death when she found the final stipulation. Rob would
be working remotely. He wasn’t expected in the office except for team meetings
once a week.

Jane
stared blankly across the room, shook her head, and read the terms again. One
question flashed through her thoughts. Why was this in the contract? They
couldn’t possibly have had enough time to discuss this when she ran out to talk
to Anne. Could they? The not knowing was doing funny things to her thought
process. She knew Rob liked working from home, but she also knew he wanted to
work in an office with a team.

She
squeezed her eyes shut. Could this be about his ex?

“No,
it can’t be about her.” Maybe this was all Keller’s doing. His company was
growing rather quickly.

She
grabbed her phone.

“Hello,
Voyage Industries.”

“Anne,
how many of your employees work from home?” Jane paced back and forth.

“So,
you got the contract.”

“Please,
Anne. Is this typical for Keller now, or does he
think
having Rob work in the office will be a problem?” Their building was large, but
the staff could be pushing at the seams.

“It
could be either or both, I suppose.”

“Not
helping.”

“Jane,
are you trying to get him a job or something more?”

“It
could be both.”

“Jane?”

“I
know, but this is the guy I told you about a couple months ago.”

“Rob
Meyer is the guy from the convention?”

“Yes.”

“Really.
Hmm, I remember
he took his ring off a couple of months ago. Marcus had been bugging him about
it for a while, and then one day he finally took it off. That’s also about the
time Marcus started talking to him about …”

“What?”
With Anne’s continued silence she added, “Please, just tell me.”

“That’s
when Marcus started talking to him about going to Club Blind.”

“Oh my.”

“What if?”

“Oh my.”
Jane sat on the
edge of her bed. “You’re thinking Rob went last weekend, aren’t you?”

“Marcus
has been working behind the scenes at Club Blind, trying to build awareness.
It’s been a couple of months since he’s worked a night at the club. It would
make sense he’d take a shift the night Rob would be there. Do you think he
paired you two?”

“Oh,
Anne, I don’t know.” She paced in circles around her room.

“Do
you want it to be possible?”

The
tension drained from her body, and she slid onto the floor. She flashed through
her memories, recalling her fantasy of Rob being her mystery man from the club.
“I’d never be that lucky. Marcus and I had never met before that night, so it would
be a coincidence if he matched us together.” She pulled down a blanket and
wrapped it around her shoulders. “I’m not thinking about it anymore. I want it
to be true too badly.”

 
“Okay, let’s change the subject. What was the
other reason you called?”

“I’m
trying to figure out why Rob will be working from home, and I need to make sure
Gina had no bearing on the decision.” She flung off the blanket, got up, and
found her broom. “I was wrong about Adam, and I don’t want to be wrong about
Rob, too.”

“Oh,
honey, I wouldn’t assume that’s the reasoning here, not when Gina’s involved.”

“She
wants him back?” Jane stabbed her broom into a corner trying to get something,
anything out of the corner.

“No,
I don’t think so, but Gina’s different. I think she lives by a different rule
book.”

“Is
she going to try to cook my bunny?”

“No,
nothing like that, she’s protective and has skills of persuasion.”

Jane
put away the broom and grabbed her rubber gloves.

“I
know you keep telling me you’re not ready for Club Voyage, but I wish you’d sit
down and talk with Mistress Charlie. She’s been a tremendous help to me.”

“You’re
right. I need Mistress Charlie. I’m second guessing everything. I’m not used to
feeling this out of control. Something has got to change.”

“Finish
this contract with Rob and then we’ll figure it out.”

“Oh,
Anne, I pushed him away today.”

“Why?”

“I
thought it would be best for him to get settled into his new job first. Now
with him working from home, I’m not sure what to do.”

“I’m
calling Mistress Charlie and scheduling a session for you. You’re making levelheaded
moves, but you need to talk to Rob about all of this. No assumptions. No
secrets. Communication is
key
. The Mistress is what
you need, you’ll see.”

****

Rob
spent the afternoon on the court, bouncing the ball, and taking shot after shot
and missing every one. His head wasn’t in the game. He was thinking of Jane and
what happened to turn her off. He was going to love his new job, and he was happy
to be helping her company in the process.

He
meant what he said to her today. He didn’t think Gina would be a problem. He
couldn’t say for certain how she’d treat anyone he dated, though. Keller’s work
from home idea was a good one. He was glad they’d had a moment alone to discuss
it. He’d have the best of both worlds. He could continue his patterns and work
for Keller.

He
hoped Jane didn’t read anything into it.

He
thought back to how beautiful she looked in the car. Her stubborn streak would
light his life. Their first date needed to be special. His instincts told him
they’d be great together. Her hand in his felt right, and her lips were sweet
heaven.

He
bounced the ball several times and took his shot. The ball smacked the board,
bounced off the court and into the grass. Rob gave up on the game and stole
another look at his watch. Maybe he should call her, but that’s not what she
asked for, unless she changed her mind.

He
ran back to his apartment and checked his email. Keller kept his word. Jane
sent him the contract and instructions for questions and acceptance. Nowhere
did it suggest he give her a call. She’d sent him a neat little package. Either
she was good at her job or she really didn’t want to talk to him. The only
surprise was the signing bonus. He wasn’t expecting even half that much, and
the benefits package was quite generous.

First
things first, he electronically signed the contract that he couldn’t possibly
say no to and sent it back to her. Somewhere along the way he’d taken a misstep
with Gina, but she’d never been as clear with her wishes as Jane had been. He’d
continue to honor her request. Next up was his first day. Then, he would call
Jane and get his second chance.

His
phone buzzed with an incoming call. Disappointment ran thick when he didn’t see
her number on the caller id, but his buddy was the next best thing at the
moment.

“Marcus, or should I say co-worker.”

“Are
you sure about this?”

“Ah,
yeah, you know the size of Keller’s signing bonuses.”

“Tell
me that’s not why you’re taking the job.”

“No,
this is really the right job for me, and I have a feeling this will help Jane
and her business.”

“Chivalry
is dead.”

“No
wonder you’re single. All jokes aside, I’ve been getting bored with my
assignments lately, and I know Keller will push me to stay on top of new
technology. Plus, I’ll get the opportunity to stretch my career.”

“That’s
why I’m here.”

“He’s
going to let me work from home.”

“I’m
not surprised. We have several team members telecommuting. There’s even a few
I’ve never met in person. Jim lives in an RV and is in constant travel around
North America. Keller’s only rule is he has to be able to reach you during
office hours.”

“Yes,
that’s stated in the contract.”

“I
don’t think Gina is going to be a problem, but if she is, I’ll take care of
it.”

“I
had a feeling you’d say that. I think you’re what she needs.”

“What?
That’s not why—”

“Marcus,
it’s okay. You probably don’t even see it yet, but
it’s
okay with me.”

“Well
… change of topic. I think you should come back to Club Blind this Saturday.”

“I
don’t think so, this Saturday is date night, and there’s only one person I’d
want to meet there.” Blood rushed to his cock when he thought of taking Jane in
one of those pitch black rooms. “I haven’t talked to her about it yet. Believe
me, I intend to.”

“Do
you trust me?”

****

The
next morning Jane sat at her favorite table in her coffee house, drinking a
cozy latte and stared at nothing in the direction of the window, her thoughts
full of Rob and Club Blind. It would be just her twisted kind of luck to have a
night of unbelievable passion with the man of her dreams and not even know it.

With
the contracts successfully delivered to Keller last night and Rob’s welcome packet
sent this morning, she wouldn’t have to talk to Rob for another two weeks, but
after a revealing conversation last night with Mistress Charlie, she’d promised
to call him. She picked at a chipped corner of her nail polish.

“Fancy meeting you here.”

She
looked in the direction of the deep voice and found Marcus examining her.
“Just trying to get a bit of work done.”
Her blank tablet
screen called her out.

“It
helps if you turn it on.”

“Thanks.”
She put her things in her bag. Clearly she wouldn’t be getting any work done
here today. “Have a seat. Is this a coincidence or were you looking for me?” She
couldn’t imagine which would be better or less embarrassing.

“I
was hoping to run into you, actually. I wanted to invite you back to Club Blind
this Saturday night.” He slid an invite across the table that read Date Night.

“What
are you up to, Marcus?” She searched his face for a hint of a joke and found
none.

“I’m
not sure you’d believe me if I told you.” He moved into the seat across from
her. “Have you ever seen a friend stand in the way of their own happiness?”

“Yes,
I have in fact,” she said. He gave her a knowing smile, but she didn’t think he
came here to talk about Anne.

“I’ve
listened to my friend talk and talk and talk about the woman he wants to be with.
Over the past two days, I thought he was finally going to get what he wanted,
but today he’s like the kid that didn’t get picked for a team on the
playground.” His lips pressed tight together, and his pinched expression left
her feeling accused and guilty. “You don’t have any reason to trust me, but you
and I never saw each other before last Saturday night, isn’t that right?”

“Yes,
that’s right.” Her shoulders tensed under the pressure.
Communication is
key
.
“Are you saying you
didn’t match me with Rob last Saturday?”

“The
club’s confidentiality policy forbids me from telling you anything. Date Night
is different. If you come, you’ll know who will be waiting for you.”

“Your friend who’s ready to move on?”
She re-imagined
Rob’s contract from the perspective of someone who’s enjoyed the freedom of
working from home. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temple. “I
shouldn’t have assumed.”

“You
were trying to protect yourself. I’m guessing your personal experiences have
already proven relationships to be a minefield.”

“Most definitely.”

“Good,
I’m glad I found you today.”

In
that moment, she believed Rob was ready to move on. It was Jane that was
holding them back. Taking risks had never come easy for her, no matter how
often she practiced.

“I’m
giving you an opportunity here. Come to the club Saturday. You know exactly
what to expect, and I think it’s exactly what you need, which
is not sitting here
beating yourself up over a choice you
made.”

“Does
Rob know you’re here? Wait …
don’t
answer that.” She reached
out her hand. “Thanks, Marcus.”

“You
really do have the prettiest brown eyes.” He shook her hand and stood. “I’ll
see you Saturday.”

She
picked up the invitation and rubbed her thumb against the raised letters. The
ridges felt smooth against her skin. Back and forth, back and forth, she allowed
herself to imagine entering the club knowing she was going to meet Rob. She
took a deep breath as her heart fluttered and desire pulled her belly tight.
Her free hand came to her chest, and she noticed the trembling had traveled to
her fingers. The anticipation was almost too much to handle, but she knew she’d
go. She’d compel herself to go.