Ricochet (6 page)

beside Rick, and Karl beside Daniel. Cara and

Casey came rushing up excitedly, a blur of

squealing energy, as usual. Petra fixed them with a

stern look that calmed them instantly, and they took

their place beside Matt, holding hands as usual.

They were identical twins with long blonde hair,

big baby blue eyes and perfect golden skin. They

weren't the brightest bulbs in the box, but their

sweet natures made them favorites with everyone

on set. They played undercover agents on the

show, always swapping into different colored

wigs and outfits and confusing the bad guys by

seemingly being in two places at the same time.

Estelle strolled along after them; she was the

grand dame of the show, a character actress in her

sixties. She always walked with a slow, graceful

elegance, which was completely at odds with the

salty language that tumbled out whenever she

opened her mouth. Estelle played Chief Christie's

boss with a quirkiness that gave the show a lot of

its humor - along with Rick's antics as Agent

Tanner. Estelle had a cloud of white hair, a throaty

laugh, and was rarely seen without a long, slim

cigar on the end of a cigar holder.

Sharlene threw back her mane of tumbling

brown hair, flashed a massive smile at the camera,

and then began.

"Hi - I'm Sharlene Milton reporting for

TeeVee
, and you join me on the set of HBC's

surprise hit
Collar Crime
, now in its second

season on the back of unprecedented ratings last

year. The producers have promised us bigger and

even more dramatic storylines this season than its

barnstorming first year!"

Sharlene turned her fixed, megawatt smile on

Rick. "Richard O'Shea - you play the naughtiest

sub on TV at the moment," she simpered. "But in

real life you're not a sub at all! How does it feel

playing one? And how do you manage to do it so

convincingly?" She fingered the plain silver collar

around her throat and gazed up at him through her

eyelashes. "Maybe the sub in your life gives you

coaching?" she suggested throatily.

"Well, there isn't a sub in my life right now,"

Rick replied, giving her a wide smile that showed

off his dazzling white teeth. "And my friends call

me Rick, Sharlene." He winked at her, and she

positively melted in front of him.

Matt sighed. Rick's inevitable and unsubtle

flirting with every new sub in sight, collared or

not, always grated on his nerves.

"Well, Rick, I'm sure that special sub is

waiting out there for you somewhere," Sharlene

said.

"If you weren't collared, I'd say I was looking

at her right now," Rick replied. It was all Matt

could do not to roll his eyes. "As for playing the

naughtiest sub on TV - this job is the most fun I've

ever had at work!"

"Every time we watch the show my dom says

to me, 'if that boy was mine he wouldn't sit

comfortably again for the rest of his life'!"

Sharlene laughed.

"Yeah, Alex Tanner does get into a lot of

trouble," Rick agreed.

"It's strange seeing you without that big ol'

black collar you usually wear on the show!"

Rick ran his hand over his bare neck. "Well,

I'm off duty and out of costume right now," he said,

gesturing to his clothes.

"I don't think the chief over there would let

Alex wear these kinds of clothes on one of his ops,

do you?" Rick glanced at Daniel.

Sharlene thrust her microphone under

Daniel's nose. "Daniel Mayfield, you play the chief

of this motley band of
Collar Crime
agents - a man

with a dark past and a tough way with the subs on

his team."

"I think the chief just wants to keep them all

alive," Daniel replied, with a courteous smile at

Sharlene. "And he has to keep them on a short

leash to ensure their safety."

"And you, Matthew Lake." Sharlene turned to

him, looking a lot less interested than she had been

when talking to Rick. "Last season your character,

Ben Harris, was the newbie on the team, but I hear

this season that you might finally win the chief's

trust - and even be given that much-coveted

apprenticeship collar!"

"Well, it's possible - but I think Ben has a lot

of growing up to do first - and some mistakes to

make as well," Matt replied, smiling at her through

gritted teeth. "He wants to wear the chief's

apprenticeship collar and really feel part of the

team, but the chief will make him earn it."

Sharlene couldn't have been less interested.

She turned back to Daniel. "It's unusual, isn't it,

Daniel, for a boss to collar his workplace

subordinates? I mean, usually a dom only collars a

sub when they're sexually or romantically

involved. But the chief hasn't taken any of his

subordinates to his bed - the collars he gives them

are for work only."

"It is unusual." Daniel nodded. "But not

completely unheard of. The show runner, Petra

Davies, based the character of Chief Christie on a

real life guy she met a few years ago when

researching a show about the Marines. That guy

was as much of a hardass as Chief Christie, and I

think he's the inspiration behind the character."

"Well, I did not know that!" Sharlene

exclaimed.

Daniel nodded. "Apparently, it's not unusual

in small law-enforcement teams or combat teams,

for

a

boss

to

give

their

subordinates

apprenticeship collars. It can create a sense of

bonding and trust in a team like this."

"So that's why the chief collared Alex Tanner

and the twins?" She glanced at Cara and Casey

who waved back at her.

"Yes, it is. We covered it in an episode at the

beginning of last season, and I think it fits in well

with the theme of the show," Daniel replied.

"These guys are a crack unit of federal agents

whose specialty is investigating crimes involving

collars in situations like fraud, espionage and

coercion. I like that the show's writers have done

something unusual with the characters' own collars

- it's a fresh look at an old cliché, if you like."

Sharlene nodded enthusiastically. "Well, it

certainly seems to work if the ratings are anything

to go by! Viewers are definitely intrigued! But it

also seems like the chief wants to have his cake

and not eat it by collaring the subs on his team and

yet not sleeping with them. What's that about,

Daniel?"

Daniel gave a secretive little smile. "Oh,

you'll find out in the episode airing tonight, so

make sure you watch! We're going to find out why

Chief Christie is keeping them all at arm's length."

"Rick…" Sharlene's voice became a purr

again as she turned back to him. "The cast of

Collar Crime
is well known for being composed

almost entirely of subs!" She sounded as if this

was the most amazing thing in the world. "What's it

like being the only dom in the cast?"

Rick grinned down at her. "Oh, it's great,

Sharlene. I love it! Who wouldn't - being on set

with all these beautiful subs?" He glanced around

at his co-stars with a beatific smile, and Matt

fought back an urge to stamp on his expensive

black cowboy boots.

"Uh… Rick's not the only dom in the cast,"

Karl said.

Sharlene whirled around. "Ah yes - Karl

Morgan - you're new to the cast this season. I hear

you're the new villain who knows something about

the chief's dark and mysterious past. Can you give

us any clues about that?"

"Sorry!" Karl winked. "You'll have to watch

and find out. But it's safe to say that the chief is

hiding a dark secret - and Karl knows all about it."

"And you're a dom playing a dom - I believe

your character, Jason Jarvis, is a dominant, isn't

he?"

"Yes, he is. You should ask Matt here about

that - Jason has some big scenes coming up with

Ben soon. I can't tell you more except that I'm

looking forward to filming them!" Karl shot Matt a

mischievous grin, and Matt's stomach did an

anxious flip.

"Well, I look forward to finding out about that

dark old secret!" Sharlene said, her brown eyes

gleaming. She exchanged a few brief, disinterested

words with the twins, looked horrified when

Estelle blew a cloud of cigar smoke into her hair,

and then turned back to the camera with that

megawatt smile fixed firmly in place. "And that's

all we have time for - but be sure to watch the

exciting new episode of
Collar Crime
tonight to

find out what Chief Christie has been hiding!"

Matt let out a sigh of relief as the interview

ended and turned to go. He knew publicity was

necessary, and he was grateful to have a job on a

hit show, but he hated doing these stupid

interviews. He watched as Rick leaned casually

against the wall and said; "So, Sharlene, that's a

pretty collar around an equally pretty neck, but I

don't see your dom anywhere around, and my

trailer is just over there, so…"

Matt rolled his eyes. Trust Rick to dive

straight in there. Sharlene looked very interested,

but at that moment a tall, dark, exotic-looking

woman approached and snapped a lead on

Sharlene's collar with a little snarl in Rick's

direction. Rick grinned and spread his hands in a

good-humored gesture of defeat.

"Hey - it was worth a try," he said to the

woman. She glared at him and led Sharlene away,

one hand cupped possessively around her sub's

shapely bottom.

Matt was glad to get out of there and drive

home. He did his yoga practice when he got in, to

unwind and get himself in the right frame of mind

for his date with Emily. Yoga both calmed him

down and kept him supple and strong, and he

enjoyed the discipline of it. After that, he took a

nice warm bath and rubbed lotion into his body.

Emily expected him to present himself without a

hair out of place, so he took the time to groom

himself thoroughly. He ensured he didn't have one

single piece of pubic hair - Emily liked him to be

smooth, and he took great care in his personal

appearance.

Emily was a service-oriented dom and that

suited Matt fine. It didn't really chime with his own

personal fantasies, but they were full of scenarios

that scared him: it was far safer to have them as

fantasies than to act on them.

He was ready and waiting on his porch at

7.55pm in case Emily was early. He was wearing

a vivid blue shirt that he hoped brought out the

color of his eyes, and a pair of navy blue chinos.

He had spent some time styling his hair, which

seemed to have a mind of its own and often wanted

to spring up messily rather than sit flat on his head.

Emily insisted that it be neat, so he took a long

time smoothing it into submission.

She drove up in her expensive car at 8pm on

the dot, and he ran out to get in beside her. Emily

was a partner in a big accounting firm and made

more money than he did, as she liked to remind

him frequently. He liked that she was hard working

and focused - those were qualities he appreciated

in a dom.

They went to a nearby restaurant - not a very

pricey one, as Emily was a great believer in

saving money and not spending it on frivolities.

"So, tell me what you've been doing since I

last saw you," she said, beckoning over the

waitress. "How long has it been?"

"Eight days, Ma'am," Matt said promptly.

Emily liked to maintain a formality to their

interactions, to ensure that Matt was always aware

that she was his dom and he her sub. Sometimes

she gave him permission to address her by name,

but he had to earn that with good behavior first.

Emily glanced at her diary. If Matt had got the

number of days wrong then he'd be punished, but

Matt was confident he hadn't - remembering