Page 3 of Pierced

“Do what?”

“Punish me.”

I laugh. Stop. Then laugh again. It’s a little bit of a guffaw with a healthy dose of maniacal thrown in for good measure. “This is not me trying to punish you, Pierce. This is me biding my time.”

He lifts up one eyebrow. “Biding your time until… what?”

“Until I have the perfect diabolical plan to pay you back.”

He sits back in his chair, breathes deep. “So that’s what you need? Payback?”

“I was publicly humiliated. A woman doesn’t just get over it, Pierce.”

He winces when I snarl his name. “You hate me.”

“People look at me funny now, you do realize that?”

“Look at you funny how?”

“Like I’m hiding some secret sexual fetish side.”

“Aren’t you?”

“What do you want?”

“I mean, you do come off as… kind of a…”

“A what?”

“You know. Like you’re into the whole Red Room spanking thing, right?”

“Anastasia Steele? You’re comparing me to Anastasia Steele? Please.”

“Well, you wear those tight pencil skirts… and those sexy secretary glasses. Plus, I know you read that smut in here. You don’t even use an eReader. Everyone can see the covers. I used to have little Christian Grey fantasies when you used to look at me. Before… ya know, you decided to hate me.”

I laugh. And it’s not even maniacal. It’s real.

“Why is that funny?”

“My dearest Pierce,” I say, still chuckling, “you are no Christian Grey. If anyone is Mr. Grey in this relationship, it’s me.”

Now he laughs.

“Is that funny?”

“Uh, well. No. Well, kinda. I mean, it’s sorta accurate, actually. Which makes it funny.” He clears his throat. “So I laughed.”

“Why are you here again?”

“Yes,” he says, standing up and buttoning his coat. “The Halloween party. You’re in charge.”

“No.” I laugh again, then get deadly serious. “I do not. Do. Halloween.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, a little twinkle in his eye. “Because I could’ve sworn you’d be into it.”

“Into… what? Handing out carbohydrates to sticky-faced children?” How could this man ever think I’d be into Halloween?

“No,” he says, lowering his voice. “You know. Costumes and… roleplaying.” He waggles his eyebrows at me.