Page 3 of Pretty ’n Peak

“No,” Austin sighed, imagining Kato’s bubbly enthusiasm. He was into sensory play, but that didn’t appeal either.

“Andrew.”

“I don’t think I have the patience for ropes tonight.” Not even close.

“What are you looking for then? We’ll get it for you,” Jamie swore.

Sebastian made a noise in the back of his throat, a subtle Daddy warning to his sub. “Or Austin might just want to enjoy the lounge tonight. Are you looking for a scene tonight, or just conversation?”

Austin huffed. “I have no idea. I just feel… tired.” He hadn’t meant to say that, but now that it was out, it felt good to confess.

“Tired from work, or tired of the scene?” Sebastian asked.

Austin shrugged. “I don’t know. Both, maybe? Work’s been overwhelming, but I enjoy my job.” Or at least he told himself that. It had been true once, but now it was just a tired thing he said. Nothing had captured his interest in so long. “It’s just long hours. Not a ton of new challenges.” But he was good at it. Or at least as good as any other interchangeable mid-level software manager.

Neil spoke up, in that same deep but gentle voice. “I quit my job last year. After I met these two. It was the best thing I ever did.”

“You mean we’re the best thing you ever did!” laughed Jamie.

“That’s right,” he acknowledged sweetly. There was another soft kissing sound and a blur of bodies. “But what I was trying to say,” he continued, sounding more amused than annoyed, “is that sometimes you just have to take a leap of faith. Leave your job. Take a break. Find out what you want to do.”

The idea of switching jobs left him both nervous and exhausted. He’d worked there his entire adult life—after a quick jaunt at a startup that failed—and he didn’t have any reason to think that changing jobs would be better. Not to mention that he’d have to convince some new administrator that he was capable of doing his job with his vision impairments, as long as the company bought him several thousand dollars of adaptive equipment. He was damned good at his work, but it wasn’t hard for a hiring committee to choose another interchangeable mid-level software manager who didn’t have a disability to worry about.

But why would he even consider it? His current job was fine, even with the long hours.

No, the problem was all him.

“What do you do?” he asked.

“I advise small businesses. Just part-time, but that’s nice after all the years of eighty-hour weeks.”

“And he’s been indispensable in financial management for the Meadowlark,” Sebastian added proudly. It took Austin a moment to recall that that was the name of their hotel. “Neil’s invested in the property with us, and he’s had a lot of good ideas.”

“So the business is going well?” Austin asked.

“More than well,” Sebastian agreed. “You should come out sometime.”

Austin shook his head automatically. “I don’t know when I’d find the time.” He worked most weekends. One of the many things Cam had complained about. And it had only gotten worse since his boy left.

“Yes!” Jamie put in. “We’re doing Cuffd Destinations this summer. You have to come!”

“I don’t even know what that is. I mean, I know what Cuffd is.” It was the kinky app that everyone used. He’d never made an account, though, because he had the local community and then Cam. The club had worked plenty well for him for the past decade.

And right now he wasn’t even sure he was interested.

“So Cuffd is doing this partnership thing with a bunch of hotels and B&Bs.” Jamie bubbled with enthusiasm, his usual state. “It’s basically a kinky singles hook-up weekend with some activities built in. You know, kayaking, hiking, and of course, climbing.” Jamie led mountain climbing excursions. “There’s a mixer the first night, and a kink demo/public scene the second, and otherwise the playroom is open. Or just hanging out in nature. Might be that you need some time away from daily life to refresh and figure out what you need.”

Austin nodded. He could really see that. Spending a weekend out in the mountains sounded amazing. Now that he was thinking about the Meadowlark instead of just Cam, he remembered the airy light and smell of fresh plants, both relaxing and invigorating.

Not to mention that the staff had been excellent at making accommodations for his disability, and that wasn’t something that he found every day. “When’s the next one?”

“Well, the first one’s next weekend, but it’s a lesbian-only event. The one after that is Daddy/boy oriented, which I know isn’t quite your jam, but if you’re just looking for a few scenes or hook-ups, we can guarantee a lot of interested subs. Then there’s a mixed-gender weekend, and finally a general gay one at the end of the summer.”

“I’ll think about it,” he said. It really did sound relaxing. Maybe after some down time, he could figure out what he needed. What had been missing. Coming back to the club had been too close to home, but in a new environment…

But then, taking off work and organizing the trip all sounded exhausting, too.

“What else have you guys been up to?” he asked, ready to change the subject.