Owned (4 page)

“Well for once, it looks good,” I laughed.

“What are you
saying
?” she asked, as she squinted her eyes and scrunched her nose.

“I just said it.
Your hair looks nice.
It’s always so fucked up, Heather. It’s fried. You know it. Right now it looks good,” I smiled as I dropped my purse in the chair beside me.

“I can’t believe you just said that,” she hissed.

“Don’t get all pissy. It’s kind of a compliment,” I began to explain.

“Compliment?
Seriously?” she barked, leaning back in her chair and glaring at me with her best stink eye.

“Listen. Your hair has been a mess since I’ve known you. All you do is change it - every couple of weeks. It’s been fried since we were fourteen. It looks nice now. It shows me that you’re healthy, you
feel
healthy, that you feel pretty,” I explained as I leaned closer to the center of the table.

“Well, it’s the same hair,” she argued.

“Well, it must just be
you
,” I laughed.

“Well, Teddy has me insane happy. He just. Well. He just makes me so freaking happy. Do I
look
happier?” she asked as she rocked her chair onto its rear legs.

“That’s my entire point, girl. You
look
happy. Content. Satisfied. You don’t even have to say anything,” I responded as the waiter walked up to the table and interrupted our conversation.

“Ladies, who has the Bud
Light?” he asked, looking at each of us.

Heather raised her hand and waved it at him.

“You haven’t been drinking lately,” she said as she took the beer from the waiter’s hand.

“Well, Erik doesn’t drink. He says he doesn’t care if I do, but out of respect to him I am trying not to drink,” I answered.

“Oh, Teddy likes beer. He can drink a lot,” she laughed.

“I bet he can, he’s fucking huge,” I straightened my posture and tried to sit up in my seat.

“He’s huge alright,” she took a sip of beer and laughed.

“He doesn’t make me fuck him in movie theatres, or finger bang me in restaurants like Erik does you. We fuck at home like normal people,” she giggled as she took another drink.

“Erik doesn’t
make
me do anything. I do what I do because I want to. We share the same sexual interests. I’ve tried to explain it all to you, and I’m tired of trying. Vanilla people are always going to be
vanilla
. You’ll never really understand. Just know I am happier than I have ever been. I’m where I belong,” I paused and took a drink of water, wishing it was a vodka cranberry.

“And normal?
What does that even mean?
Fuck at home like normal people.
Maybe you ought to try fucking in a movie theatre. Erik says that the sexual diversity of a D/s relationship makes it a more successful relationship. Fewer people cheat on their spouses or girlfriends. There’s less break-ups,” I said in a defensive tone.

“Well, don’t get all
pissy, as you say. I’m just saying. Teddy and I don’t do all that weird shit,” she said, waving her hand in my direction.

“It’s not
weird
, Heather. Just because you don’t do it doesn’t make it wrong. Seriously, you don’t have to agree with it, or do it, but you should be happy for me. Happy that I’m happy,” I argued, hoping for something affirmative from her.

“I am happy that you’re happy. And I’m happy that I don’t have to do that crazy shit to be happy. You know, like it or not, you were a little slut your entire life. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m…”

“I can’t believe you just called me a slut,” I interrupted.

Heather put her elbows on the table and leaned forward, “Let me finish, please. You
were
a slut. You have probably sucked more dicks than every girl in college combined. Kelli, you were
nasty
. You never had a boyfriend, and acted like you were in a dick sucking contest or something. You were gross. You’re my best friend, but I’ve always wondered when you’d die or settle down - which would come first. If Erik is the person to settle you down, even if for a little bit - I’m happy for you both.”

“You don’t think we’ll last?”

“I didn’t say that. From what Teddy says, Erik really likes you - but he’s never been in a relationship either. So this is new for both of you. I hope it works. I really do,” she leaned into her chair and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Pizza?” the waiter asked.

Heather raised her hand. The waiter placed her pizza in front of her, and my salad in front of me.

“Cheese or pepper?” he asked, alternating glances between us.

We both shook out heads.

“Enjoy,” he said as he walked away.

“A slut. Yeah. Well, I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve thought about that a lot since Erik and I have been going out. I think it was weird. I think I wanted some kind of affirmation I was sexy, or that I was doing a good job, fuck I don’t know. I know now that I will never be that way again. I’ve seen what truly makes me happy, and I know I will do whatever is necessary to maintain this relationship. If this doesn’t last, it isn’t because I didn’t give it everything I have within me,” I took a breath and looked at my salad.

I didn’t want to eat. I wanted Erik. As sickening as it was, I had reached a point that all I cared about was Erik. My difference between being happy and
just being
was Erik. Erik made my good days great, my great moments more like a dream, and my dreams reality. 

Having Erik talk to me made me happy. When I received a text from him, I smiled – inside and out. When we spoke on the phone, my heart raced. In his presence, I was content just standing beside him. Knowing he could chose whoever he wanted to, and that the person he
did
chose was me…was enough to make me stand beside him and be
proud.

“Well, I
hope
it lasts. I hope both of these relationships last. I’ve never been happier. I hope you’re half as happy as me,” Heather said as she took a bite of pizza.

After being with Erik, and being exposed to a man that was dominant, I knew I was submissive. I never perceived myself as such before I met him, but now I
knew
. I have never felt more naturally in place than I have since I met him.

“Teddy’s not dominant with you at all?” Without interest, I poked at my salad.

“Nope. Not at all. He likes me on top,” Heather laughed in between chewing her pizza.

“He likes you on top because you have huge boobs,” I giggled.

She pressed her boobs together again with her upper arms and we both starting laughing. I began to eat my salad, wondering when Erik and Teddy would be done with their meeting. As I took a bite, my phone beeped. I pulled it from my purse and looked at the screen.

Erik Ead:
Basically, we’re done. Teddy and I will be at Peaks in thirty minutes if you want to meet.

“That’s Erik. They’re going to be at Peaks in thirty minutes. You want to meet them there?” I asked excitedly.

“Well, duh,” she responded as she licked her fingers free of pizza sauce.

I looked at her empty plate and down at my untouched salad.

“You sure you’re not prego?” I laughed.

“Pretty sure,” she giggled.

I responded to Erik’s text message, telling him we’d meet them there in thirty minutes. I looked at my salad and took a bite. Knowing that we’d be together in a few minutes made me feel like eating. I began shoveling the salad in my mouth.

“Get hungry all of a sudden?” Heather asked, smiling.

“Shut it,” I nagged as I stabbed another forkful of food.

“He’s not going to be there when you’re done. They’re all the way at the other end of town. Take your time,” Heather tipped her beer up and took a long drink.

As I wiped the salad dressing from my mouth with the back of my hand I realized she was right. Five minutes had passed since Erik had texted me, and I was half done with my salad. I slowed my pace a little and looked up at Heather.

“You know, people talk shit on bikers,” Heather said as she held her beer bottle up and inspected it.

“Okay?” I responded, wondering where she was going with this statement.

“But Erik and Teddy are probably the two nicest guys I have ever met - at least so far,” she said as she placed her empty bottle on the table.

“I agree. Erik told me people fear what they don’t understand. People don’t understand bikers, so they fear them. There’s also some T.V. shows that don’t help. You know - the shows about the MC’s. They’re entertaining, but they aren’t accurate. People watch them and assume that all bikers are like that,” I paused, stabbed at my remaining salad with my fork, and continued.

“People don’t understand D/s relationships either. Erik and I talk about this a lot. A dominant male that isn’t a wannabe takes care of his submissive female. He takes care of her before he takes care of himself. She trusts him to look out for her best interest, always. Her satisfaction is his concern, his is hers. People think it’s about beating and slapping and ordering someone around, and it isn’t. It’s about caring, guiding, determining limits, and riding that line. I think Erik fucks with me a lot. I think he mind fucks me,” I laughed, thinking about Erik whispering in my ear.

“You’re both weird, and people don’t understand it because they don’t give a shit. Let’s get out of here,” Heather said as she scooted her chair away from the table.

“You know, it was at that table right over there where he fingered me before we went to the mall that
day,” I pointed to the table two tables away from us.

“Yeah, I know. I don’t want to hear about it again, let’s go. You’re gross. You wiped cum on a pair of jeans and gave them to the cashier. That’s fucking sick. Come on,” she stood from her chair and straightened her pants.

“She deserved it, she was a little bitch,” I said defensively.

Heather turned to me, raised one eyebrow and didn’t say a word.

She got what she deserved. Sooner or later, most people do.

KELLI.
Sometimes our past comes back to haunt us, and other times it remind us of who we
were
, and how things have changed for the better. We all have a past, and we’re all human. Only one person on this earth was close to perfect, and he was crucified for it.

Anyone that thinks or says they don’t have a skeleton in their closet is a liar or really confused.  We’re not always ready to be reminded of our past, and it’s
never
a good time to discuss
some
things.

Heather and I pulled into the parking lot and parked our cars. I walked to Heather’s car and waited for her to get out.

“I don’t see their bikes, but they’ll be here in a few,” I said as she got out of the car.

“Damn girl, settle down. I know. They’ll be here when they get here. I was just sick of that restaurant,” she responded sharply.

“Well,
you
picked it,” I laughed.

“Yeah, and I don’t ever want to go back. You and Erik creep me out,” she giggled as she stepped beside me.

“Just stop,” I laughed.

As we came around the corner of the parking lot, we could see the patio was pretty full. We spotted a table at the far side that was open, and decided we’d get it. It was on the west side and got all of the hot evening sun, but it’s all that was available. We walked through the entrance to the patio, made our way to the table, and sat down.

“We snagged the last one,” I chuckled as we sat down on the stools.

“Yeah, the patio here is crazy in the summer. Always busy. I’ll get one of the girls to wipe this down,” she said as she walked toward the door that led inside the restaurant.

I heard motorcycles coming, and looked out to the street to see if it was Erik and Teddy. They were leading, with two other motorcycles behind them I didn’t immediately recognize. My heart raced as I sat down. No matter how frequently I saw Erik, each time excited me as much as the first.

“Kelli Parks,” a voice said from behind me.

I turned around toward the familiar voice.
Oh God. Tommy whatever his last name is.
I smiled and turned toward the parking lot and watched the guys park their bikes. I felt a shadow over my shoulder and turned toward the patio.

Tommy still stood there with a beer in his hand.

“You just gonna act like you don’t know me?” he hoisted his beer mug to his mouth.

“Hi Tommy.
I’m meeting someone,” I said as I turned toward the parking lot.