AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Trevor scanned her card again, pressing the unlabeled black button below the number one. “I know you’re only with me for my good looks.”
“Oh really.” Rolling her eyes, she couldn’t help but laugh. Trevor was always able to make her smile — it was one of the things she loved the most about him.
“Why else would you be with me?” he asked, and she knew he was just keeping her distracted from the insanity she was about to walk into.
Leaning up, she pressed a light kiss to his cheek, trying not to smudge her lipstick or leave a mark behind on his skin. “Well, other than the arm candy thing, I think we make a pretty awesome team.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Madison said with a smile. “Or, at least you have been pretty awesome these past few weeks while I’ve been crazy.”
“It’s a two-way street, babe. I couldn’t be awesome without you being awesome too.” Trevor squeezed her hand as the elevator slowed to a stop. “After all, there’s no ‘I’ in team, right?”
* * *
Black Light West
February 14th, 6:30pm
The mic check had taken longer than she’d hoped, but since the theater hadn’t even existed two weeks before, the fact that the sound system worked at all felt like an absolute win. The expansion of the theater was a smart move. Hopefully, it would mean the audience wasn’t so packed in like they had been in the last two years… but they wouldn’t know that until people started arriving.
Which will be any minute now.
Skimming through her notecards on the participants, Madison double-checked everything on the stage. Roulette wheels ready, popsicle sticks waiting for the dominants to choose their spin order, mic working, and so far, Elijah hadn’t had a nuclear meltdown. Not a bad way to kick off the night, but her stomach was still in knots.
Checking the little digital clock on the table, she felt the tension returning to her shoulders. Every minute passing by brought them closer to the start of Roulette and it felt like the day of a big test in school. Pass or fail, win or lose — and she didn’t feel prepared at all.
“Fuck it,” she muttered under her breath, heading off the stage to get a drink before she was trapped in the theater for the night.
Madison was halfway to the bar when a brightly colored jacket caught her eye, and she froze in place when she realized who it was.
“DOMINIC?” she shouted, hurrying over to where he was standing with Elijah. The costume designer smiled broadly at her as she approached, opening his arms to give her a hug as they came together.
“Oh, Madison, I have missed you! And look at these boots!” Leaning back from their embrace, he looked down at her shoes, smiling broadly at her. “These are on fire. I fucking love them.”
“Thank you! I got them at—”
“Is everything ready on the stage?” Elijah interrupted, and both she and Dominic looked over at him with a sigh.
“Yes, Elijah. Sound check went great, everything is up there and ready to go!” Sighing, she turned back to Dominic with a smile. “So, what are you doing here? Are you here to watch the event?”
“Nope, I’m back here to save the day from fashion disasters across the kink community.” Winking at her, he swished his hand against the edge of her skirt. “Told you this skirt would look amazing on you.”
Stunned, Madison was speechless for a moment. “Um, thanks, but… wait, you’re back? Like really back? Working here again?”
“Oh yes,” Dominic replied, scratching under his chin as he put on a terrible Godfather impression. “Elijah made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”
“He did what?” she asked, glancing at Elijah, but he just sighed heavily.
“Thanks a lot, Dominic,” he grumbled, staring at the man for a moment before he looked at her again. “For the record, I did not threaten him, no matter what story he comes up with. All I did was pay him what he’s worth and make a few adjustments for him, while also reminding him of the kind of connections he can make here.”
“Whatever,” Dominic said, waving a hand in the air. “The important thing is you need me desperately and I’ve arrived to save the day. Now, I have to go help Annie get organized for the evening, but we’ll see each other again soon, darling.”
Madison accepted another hug from him, along with a quick kiss on the cheek. She was still in shock that Dominic was actually back at Black Light, but she managed a quick, “Okay! Good luck tonight!” before he walked away.
“You too!” he called back, waving one hand in the air. His shimmery purple jacket caught the lights, announcing his presence to every employee still bustling around the club as he passed through the curtain.
“Remind me why he’s so integral to this place?” Elijah muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.
