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Going through our letters with Griff had forced me to admit I’d been to blame as well. Long before David’s abuse got too much and I left him, I’d emotionally checked out of a relationship with him. Somewhere along the timeline of those letters, Griff had crept into my thoughts and my heart.
If one thing my rift with Jay had taught me, it was to admit to my faults and be sincere in apologizing for the hurt I might have caused others. So I’d agreed to meet David in a public place. The mall was as public as it got, and I needed to pick up some new lingerie anyway.
I wound my way through the throng of laughing and chattering people and slipped into my favorite adult shop. The soft music and dim lighting provided a comforting sense of anonymity that calmed my nerves. I glanced at my watch. Good, I had half an hour to kill before I had to go to the benches next to the ice cream stand on the second floor.
“Hi, it’s nice to have you back with us,” Eden, the shop owner, said. She was a free-spirited, petite woman in her fifties with streaks of gray in her Afro hair. Dressed in tight leather pants and a bustier that displayed the swell of her breasts, she embodied a dominatrix. The black leather boots had heels that made me wince just looking at them. She was amazing and had put me at ease the first time I had popped into the store, my face lobster red.
“Hi, Eden, how are you?”
“I’m doing great. What are you looking for today? Some lingerie?”
Hmm. Was I that predictable that she assumed I only wanted to buy lingerie? Of course I was. I always ordered the few sex toys I owned online. I frowned. What if Griff thought I was predictable too? I couldn’t have that happen.
“Yes, but something a little different too.”
“Have anything specific in mind?”
“What would you recommend for someone new to this stuff?” My face probably resembled the first day I walked into the store, but Eden didn’t draw attention to my discomfort.
“Why don’t you come over here, and I’ll show you?”
I became engrossed in all the unique items she suggested: bodysuits, baby dolls, and corsets displayed meticulously on racks. The corsets were eye-catching, and I chose a black one with red lace trimmings. Griff said black and red looked best on my fair skin.
When I walked out of the store, I was on the verge of dying from embarrassment by what I’d bought. Luckily, the discreet bags kept all my goodies well hidden, but I was late for my meeting with David. I hurried to the escalator, weaving through families and couples. As I approached the ice cream stand, my heart pounded. David was waiting and checking his watch with a scowl.
He hadn’t seen me yet, which gave me a chance to study him. He was only a few years younger than Griff. His short brown hair was cropped to perfection. Today, he had gone for semiformal khaki trousers and a navy blue polo shirt. From an attractive standpoint, he was a solid eight. I’d quickly been smitten with him, especially when he started pouring attention on me, but he’d never given me the rush Griff did.
Taking a deep breath, I walked over to him, my steps measured, my heart pounding louder with each one. I pushed my fear aside. I wasn’t the same timid boy he could shove around, and we were in public. His behavior around others tended to be proper, but when we were home, he would punish me for whatever slight I’d made in public.
“David,” I said calmly.
His head shot up, and those familiar gray eyes narrowed slightly. He swept his gaze over me, then settled back on my face.
“You’re late,” he said, annoyance ripe in his tone. “A minute more and I would have left.”
“I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”
In the past, if he was in a bad mood, I could expect a smack when we were home to make sure I knew how valuable his time was. My stomach clenched. Maybe I shouldn’t have contacted him to apologize, but a letter or a phone call had seemed so impersonal.
“Well?” he asked. “You said you wanted to see me.”
“Yeah. Can we sit?”
We sat on a bench nearby, the cold metal sending a chill up my spine. He was too close to me, so I shifted away and placed the bags on the seat between us.
“Well?” He turned and stretched out his arm along the back of the bench, his fingertips grazing my shoulder. “Have you come to your senses and are ready to return home?”
Wait…what? I blinked several times. He thought I was here to get back together with him? No wonder he had agreed.
“N-n-no. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Then you’re wasting my time.” He jumped to his feet.
“Actually, I asked to meet you so I could apologize to you.”
“Apologize? What for?”
“Can you sit first?”
