Page 25 of Flogging Faith

“I’m going to grab a drink from the café,” said Bex. “And wait for Faith. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too,” he said.

As it was after the lunch rush, the café was pretty quiet, and Bex grabbed a coffee and sat down at a table. She was looking forward to the scene, definitely, but she just needed a minute to prepare herself. Creating a scene like this, which was so personal to the person subbing, wasn’t something she’d done in this way before, and Bex found that she was nervous.

She wanted Faith to more than like it. She wanted Faith to love it, and if she didn’t, then Bex would feel like she’d misread everything completely.

She thought back to the conversation they’d had by the lake about her dad and home. And she thought back to that feeling, that knowledge she’d had, that Faith was her home.

How did you tell someone that?

How did you go up to someone you’d known less than forty-eight hours and tell them that, hey, this was it for you? That you’d found your person, and that person was them.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she looked down to see a text from Riley.

Hope you’re having fun with your cowgirl. And it’s okay. You can visit.

Even her best friend seemed to sense it, to sense the fact something was fundamentally different.

Bex didn’t know how to respond, because she knew this was Riley’s way of letting her know that if Bex stayed in America, it was fine because she’d know it was because her best friend had finally found true happiness. Too moved to answer, Bex just slid the phone back into her pocket with a smile.

She looked out of the doors of the café and saw Faith waiting for her in the lobby. She was wearing a jumpsuit, and when Bex saw the ribbon that held it up, her heart skipped a beat. Untie that and the material would fall in a puddle at Faith’s feet.

Gods she was crazy about this woman.

CHAPTER 17

Bex hadn’t changed since the picnic, but she had put her hair up into a ponytail, and as they walked toward the elevator together, Faith watched, fascinated, as it swung back and forth.

“What?” asked Bex, looking bemused.

“I like your ponytail,” said Faith.

“Thanks,” said Bex. “I need my hair up and out of the way for our scene this afternoon. I wanted to do it now before the Dungeon closes for cleaning at seven. That way we can have dinner and watch a movie together tonight. Finish off our date day together—if that’s okay, of course. I don’t know if you had other plans…?”

“I don’t,” said Faith. She’d spoken to Mandi about the date day, and they’d agreed to have lunch together on Sunday before Faith left for home. “I’m having lunch with Mandi tomorrow, but I spent all day with her yesterday, and a couple of hours with her today. I’m all yours tonight.” The words sounded like a promise, and they kind of were.

This time, taking the elevator down to the Dungeon, both of them were less nervous. There was a frisson of excitement in the air, and Faith held Bex’s hand, smiling in anticipation for what was to come.

The same security guard was on the entrance to the Dungeon, and he grinned at them both. “All set up for you, Bex.”

“Thanks, Drake.” She grinned at him.

Faith looked between them and furrowed her brow. “What’s set up?”

“Patience,” chided Bex, leading them through the main play space down toward the private playrooms. It was a different one from the room they’d used the night before, and Bex paused before she opened the door.

“Look, it may look really weird, the way it’s set up, but I promise you there’s a good reason for it.”

“Okaaaaay,” said Faith, unsure of what to suspect.

When the door opened, the room beyond looked very odd indeed. It was clearly usually a wet room of some kind, but plastic sheeting had been taped to the walls, and when she looked up, she saw it was on the ceiling as well.

“I think,” said Faith, trying very hard not to burst into hysterical laughter, “you’d better explain what sort of scene you have planned that’s turned this room into something out of a true-crime documentary on serial killers.”

Bex’s mouth dropped open. “Fuck, I didn’t think of that. Shit, Faith, I promise you, it’s nothing like that.”

“Well, considering Drake helped set it up, I should think not. What is going on?”