Uncollared (2 page)

Mia gave the attendant a five-dollar bill, thanked her, and slipped out of the lounge. Yes, she was a coward, but she couldn’t go back to the table. She didn’t want to disrespect Master Philip. But torn by confusion, sadness and,
yes
, anger, she couldn’t face him now. Now that they had no future.

She’d ask the doorman to hail a cab to take her home.

As she turned toward the lobby she bumped, almost literally, into Chess Ryan. He appeared suddenly, as if he’d been waiting right outside the ladies’ lounge.

“Oh!” She stepped backward in surprise, wobbling on her high heels. Chess steadied her, his hands warm on her bare arms, his gray eyes fixed on her face.

“I didn’t, uh, didn’t expect you—”

“Have you been crying?” His voice was rough. He sounded angry.

“I’m not feeling well,” she murmured, looking away.

His fingers flexed briefly on her skin and then fell away as he withdrew. “Let me take you back to your table.”

“No!” Mia cried, panic-stricken. His eyebrows flew up, and she immediately calmed herself. “I mean, no, thank you. I’m going home now.”

His brow lowered, and his gaze drifted to her bare throat. Something flashed in his eyes. She was shaken, as though he’d seen her nude.

Though one of the most respected Doms at Restraint and one of the most popular, he had never done more with Mia than exchange a few pleasantries. Master Philip wasn’t into sharing, and neither was she.

But now he said, “I’ll take you home.”

“No…your friends…”

“They’re not really friends. Business acquaintances, more like. I’ll make my excuses.” Before Mia could even think what to say next, he quickly took charge. “Wait for me right here. We’ll leave in a moment.”

She could have easily slipped away while he said good night to his dinner companions, but for some reason Mia waited, just as Chess told her. She had no idea why. Was it easier to simply let someone else take charge? Or perhaps Chess’s attention soothed the hurt of Philip’s rejection?

A dull ache throbbed behind Mia’s left eye. She was almost grateful for the distraction it provided from the pain in her soul.

Chess appeared again, his expression still taut with simmering anger.

“Your friends weren’t upset?” she asked.

He shrugged as if it made no difference. “They’re fine.” He paused a moment. “I spoke to Philip.”

Her steps faltered. “You didn’t—”

“I only told him I’m taking you home. He was fine with it.”

Fine with it
. Another hurt, another small sign that Philip no longer wanted her.

In spite of Chess’s abrupt manner, he was most gentle as he took her by the arm. “Come, Mia. We’re leaving.”

AFTER TELLING HIM her address, Mia had nothing to say on the drive home, and Chess didn’t push. Her bare throat and stricken expression told him all he needed to know. He kept a tight rein on his own anger so as not to upset her further, but he couldn’t help wondering what the hell was wrong with Philip.

How could he just let Mia go with no explanation?

Chess remembered the startling sting of jealousy he felt when he first saw them together at Restraint. That wasn’t like him at all. Mia was appealing, sure, and if she’d been available, he’d have enjoyed playing with her. But he’d played with plenty of willing subs, some of them real knockouts. So why did Mia get him going?

He thought of the way she looked at Philip as if the sun rose and set on him. Could it be that he, Chess Ryan, wanted a woman to gaze on him with that kind of admiration and love? As if he were Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, and George Clooney rolled into one. But she’d always been off-limits because she belonged to Philip.

She’s not off-limits now.
Chess frowned, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as he pushed the thought aside. Mia was in a bad place emotionally. He wouldn’t take advantage of her vulnerability by putting the moves on her.

“Here it is.” Mia’s voice was low as she pointed out the multiunit building where she lived. He pulled into the lot and accompanied her inside. Without speaking, they climbed to the second floor and stopped in front of Mia’s door.

“Thank you,” she murmured as she unlocked the door.

Before she crossed the threshold, he spoke. “Mia.”

When she turned toward him, he told her, “Look at me.”

She lifted her beautiful brown eyes to meet his gaze, and he took her hands in his. “You
will
have another Master, Mia. And when he finds you, I hope he realizes what a lucky man he is.”

As she stared at him, he felt as though he could look into her eyes forever. A shiver went through her and passed to him before they pulled away simultaneously. She fumbled with her keys and finally managed to slip them back into her purse. “Thank you,” she repeated, stepping quickly inside and closing the door quietly but firmly.

As though she wanted to escape him.

The young woman flipped her hair back over her shoulder. “Yeah, Miz Manetti, it’s goin’ real good.”

“I’m glad to hear it.” Mia leaned back in the chair behind her desk. The two women were seated in Mia’s cubicle in the Social Services office, where Mia served as a caseworker. On the other side of the desk sat her client Serina Dawes. They were discussing Serina’s recent success in finding a job, with Mia’s help.

“Yeah, yeah.” The young woman bounced in her chair with the excitement of a child. Mia had to smile. In these past two months without her Master, she rarely felt like smiling, but Serina’s enthusiasm was infectious.

Serina had come to the Department of Social Services like a number of clients—a sixteen-year-old single mom with little education, few skills, and a whole lot of attitude.

But sheer determination had helped Serina succeed where others failed. She now had a job she enjoyed that helped support her child and that someday might lead to better things.

“They got me doing some filing and stuff, and you know they’re changing a lot of stuff over to the computers, so they’re showing me how to do that too.” Serina’s chest expanded with pride, which filled out the tight T-shirt she wore with the name of a group Mia didn’t recognize: Slammin’ Hammers.

“That’s terrific, Serina…but, um”—Mia cleared her throat—“you don’t wear anything like that on the job, do you?”

The girl blinked and gave her a huge grin. “Aw, no, Miz Manetti, don’t worry about that. I remember the stuff from that class you made me take. About proper business attire and all that.”

The class that Mia had “made” Serina attend was part of the county’s program to assist the unemployed in finding jobs. Of course not everyone needed to learn the basic skills to make them employable. Mia worked with many folks who were employed, but who were part of the working poor and could not make ends meet though working forty or more hours a week. But Serina came from a family where intergenerational poverty and unemployment meant some of the basic skills were simply lacking. The girl’s original attitude had been
Why do I gotta take some dumb classes?
and
How come you can’t just give me what I need?

But once she started, Serina soaked up the information like a sponge. And she used her knowledge first helping to file in the County Office Building, then moving on to the job in an insurance office that she enjoyed so well.

“I was real nervous when I first started, you know, thinking maybe they’d look down on me for being a single mom and everything,” Serina went on, flipping back her hair in her trademark gesture. “But this lady there—her name’s Teresa; she’s real nice—she took me under her wing, kind of. She’s got a teenage daughter with a baby, like me, and they live with her.” The girl sighed. “Sure wish
my
mom was like Teresa.”

Serina did not get along with her mother, mainly due to the fact that the mother drank and was often verbally abusive. Serina had also been the result of a teenage pregnancy.

“I’m not gonna treat my baby like my mom treats me,” Serina murmured, as though making a promise to herself.

It broke Mia’s heart. She wished she could do more for girls like Serina, for all the people who came to her for help.

“How’s Jacob doing?” Mia asked, referring to Serina’s son.

“Oh, he’s getting so big! He’s so cute, Miz Manetti. Wait, I got a picture!” She dug around in her backpack-sized bag and came out with a wallet. She proudly showed Mia a photo of a sturdy little toddler with chubby cheeks and a mischievous smile.

“He’s sweet,” Mia said.

“Oh, he
looks
sweet, Miz Manetti, but let me tell you, he’s a terror! I mean, I’m chasin’ after him all day long! My sister’s watchin’ him now; I hope she’s still in one piece by the time I get back!”

Mia laughed. “How old is he now?”

“Getting on to three.” She returned the wallet and pulled something else out of the bag. “There’s something else I wanted to show you.” She was shy now and seemed younger than her nineteen years as she handed the framed object to Mia.

“Oh, Serina.” It was the girl’s GED certificate.

“I took it to one of those stores, you know, where they frame it real professionally. See, I picked out the color of the matte and everything. I wanted you to see it, ’cause I couldn’t of done it without you.”

Tears stung Mia’s eyes. Most days in the social services department were like banging your head against a stone wall, but moments like this made the job worthwhile. “
You
were the one who did it. It was your hard work.”

“Yeah, but you were the one who encouraged me. My mom never—well, you know she never graduated high school. And she told me, ‘Aw, what d’you want to bother with that stuff for?’ Sometimes I think she’s jealous, you know? Or maybe she’s scared I’d think I was better than her or something? You were the one who told me I could succeed if I tried. And I did! Thank you, Miz Manetti.”

“Okay, you’re gonna make me cry now.” Mia laughed. “Like I said, it’s your doing. But if I helped, I’m glad.”

Serina beamed as she took back the framed document and admired it a bit longer.

“I hope you’ve got a special place on your wall for that,” Mia remarked, surreptitiously wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.

“Oh, you bet. And I’m gonna show it to Jacob and say, ‘See, your mommy’s a graduate. The first one in our family. But not the last. You’re gonna be one too.’ Oh! I almost forgot!” Serina took a foil-wrapped item from her bag and placed it on top of the files cramming Mia’s desk.

“What?” Mia found a dozen brownies when she opened the foil. “Oh, Serina. How nice.”

The girl lifted her shoulder, trying to make light of it. “I made them myself. Hope they didn’t get too squashed in my purse.”

Mia broke off a corner from one of the brownies and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm. Delicious. Thank you.”

“I wanted to, you know, just say thanks. No, that’s okay,” Serina replied when Mia offered her one of the treats. When she pulled the strap of the purse over her shoulder, Mia wondered that she didn’t list sideways. Serina stood, hesitating.

“Um…I was just wondering…” She shifted from one foot to the other. “I mean, are
you
okay?”

The question startled Mia. “Of course. I…” A nervous laugh escaped her. “Why? Do I seem like I’m not okay?”

“Well, kinda.” Serina’s mouth twisted in discomfort, but her forthright nature would not let her hold back. “You’ve been sorta droopy the past couple times I’ve been here.”

Droopy
. Oh boy.

“I mean, you’re not sick or something, are you?”

Mia’s face warmed with embarrassment. “No, I’m not sick. I’m all right. But thanks for asking.”

“Okay, sure. I gotta get going,” Serina said, stepping back, her own cheeks flushed. “Gary’s supposed to be picking up Jacob today. He was supposed to come yesterday, but he’s such an ass—oops, ’scuse me, I mean jerk—that he never showed.”

“Has everything been all right with Gary lately?” Serina’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend and baby daddy was contentious to say the least.

“Oh yeah.” Serina blew off the question like it was no big deal.

“Because if you don’t feel safe—”

“Aw, it’s nothing like that. Gary just likes to flex his muscles, show off. He’s just a bas—I mean, a creep, sometimes.”

Serina said good-bye and left, leaving Mia with her thoughts and her brownies. A few minutes later, someone peeked in the opening of Mia’s cubicle.

“Are those brownies you have there?” Ronni Washington batted her big brown eyes, clearly hoping for an invitation to share.

Mia motioned her in. “Yes, they are and how did you know?”

“You know how word travels around here—especially when food is concerned.”

“I better have one now, then,” Mia replied, offering one to her coworker as well.

Ronni lowered herself to the seat that Serina had vacated and rubbed her very large baby bump. “Thanks. I’ve been craving sweets a lot more with this pregnancy than with any of my others. I wonder if that means I’m finally going to get my little girl.” Ronni and her husband already had three sons.

“If it’s another boy, are you going to go again?”

Ronni’s eyes widened as though Mia had flipped her lid. “Bite your tongue, woman.”

They chewed their treats with a few murmurs of appreciation. “Serina brought you these?”

Mia nodded. “She wanted to show me her GED. And thank me. It was sweet.”

Ronni sighed. “It’s nice to have a happy outcome once in a while, isn’t it? I swear it’s like swimming upstream some days, fighting the current all the way.”

“I hear you.” Mia frowned. “I’m concerned that ex of Serina’s is giving her a hard time.”

“Listen, what have I told you? You can’t solve the world’s problems. Once you’ve done the best you can—
and you have
—you just have to let go and let God.” Ronni gave her a stern look. “Do you hear me?”

“Yes, yes, I hear.” She paused a moment. “Have I been looking…droopy lately?”

Ronni answered promptly. “Yes.”

Mia’s mouth crimped. “Thanks.”

Ronni shrugged. “Honey, you’ve been dragging around here for weeks. Did Serina say something?” At Mia’s nod, she went on. “Well, it’s about time somebody did.”