AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You can go, Mabel,” said Gloria. “Nothing for you to do this afternoon while the weapons are locked away.” She paused. “In fact, it doesn’t seem like the Littles need your help anymore. They don’t seem too scared of the weapons now, do they?”
Mabel swallowed. “Well, no, but…”
She found herself panicking at the thought of not working on set alongside Rip anymore. Not just because she wanted to be near him, but because she was actually enjoying having the work too. It gave her a sense of purpose, even if she had spent most of her working hours getting off on thinking about Rip lately.
“The reason the Littles are comfortable with the weapons is because Mabel is here to support them,” said Rip, coming deftly to her defense. “She’s still needed here. Believe me.”
Gloria shrugged. “Well, fine. Only a few days of filming left, anyway. We’ve got the budget for her so why not?”
Mabel felt herself breathe again.
“Go take the afternoon off, though, Mabel, eh? You’re still slightly off-color, and the Littles are going to be busy filming this bar scene.”
Mabel nodded. “Sure.”
She looked over at Rip, but he was busy talking to Gloria about the upcoming stunt.
She looked around the movie set, as if trying to figure out where to go next. She could go sit in the lunch trailer, or take a walk near the old mine, or…
This was weird. She’d never struggled to fill her time in the past. But now that she had a Daddy, she seemed to be struggling to think for herself. She wanted Rip to tell her what to do, how to feel. More than anything, she wanted him to take his key and unlock the padlock on this chastity belt, and make her his…
Come on, Mabel. Pull yourself together.
This was ridiculous. Mabel needed to stop being so silly. She was a grown woman and she had just been given the afternoon off work. That was something to celebrate.
She walked off the set with what was meant to be a happy swagger, but because of the limits of the chastity belt it ended up being more of an awkward limp. As she walked back toward the center of Liberty, she left behind the noise and lights of the movie set, and returned to the reality of the town she lived in.
The beautiful backdrop of the mountains. The sound of the breeze in the trees. The strong sense of community among the kind, interesting people who lived here.
Ah, home. There was nothing like it. Haze had created an oasis here, and she never wanted to leave. Her restless spirit had finally stopped searching for new things.
“Hey, Mabel!” called out a familiar voice. Mabel looked toward The Den, and saw a pink-haired woman on the porch, heading out toward her. Billie. “When are you taking me and June out foraging again? As long as you don’t make us eat pill-bugs — or anything worse — we’re up for it!”
Mabel laughed. “I’m a bit busy with the movie stuff right now.”
“Oh yeah. The movie. How is it working with that grumpy-guts, Rip Steele? Haze says he’s sure he’s a Daddy Dom but I think there’s no way. He’smuchtoo scary to be a Daddy. What do you think?”
Mabel blushed, fighting back the urge to tell Billie everything. She couldn’t do that. This thing between her and Rip had to remain a secret while they were working together on the movie. Otherwise it would seem unprofessional.
Besides, once the movie finished, their relationship was over anyway. Things would just get complicated if they told other people. Too many expectations, judgments.
“You heading into The Den for a drink?” asked Billie. “I wish I could join you, but my Daddy, Angel, said I have to go home and work this afternoon.” Billie stuck out her tongue and blew a big raspberry. “I was just dropping off a silver necklace that the Irish brothers commissioned me to make. A present for Tammy.”
“Wow,” said Mabel. “You do silversmithing now?”
Billie shrugged. “I’m an artist. I do a bit of everything. How well I do it is another matter.”
Mabel laughed. “If you’re getting commissions, you must be pretty good.” Suddenly, a thought struck her. “Hey, do you thinkIcould commission you to make something? I don’t have any money yet, but now that I’ve got this job—”
“I’ll do it for you for free!” Billie said, jumping up and down with excitement. “You’ve already done so much for me, taking me out on survival trips and teaching me how to kill snakes and forage for berries. It’s the least I can do. Seriously.”
Mabel could tell that Billie was being nice. It’s not like the stuff Mabel had done for her was really worth anything, but she knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth, so she said: “That’s kind of you. There is something I’d like. Are you any good at engraving?”
“Of course,” Billie said smiling.
“I’d like you to make me a couple military dog tags. The first one saying “babygirl”. And the second one,” she said, swallowing and trying not to blush, “saying ‘Daddy’.”
“Ooh,” said Billie. “Now you’ve got me interested. Are these for you?”
