AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s coming in great,” he said. He was an employee of the audiovisual supplier for the event, and had done the delivery and install for the evening’s equipment rentals. Though Skye had the lead on coordinating all the audiovisuals, at her recommendation, Athena had retained him for the evening to support her. With this much tech in play, it was better to have one person at the controls and one person circling, identifying troubleshooting needs.
“I’m yours to command, miss,” he’d told her at the beginning of the night. Her favorite words from any man. Though Nakul seemed oblivious to their significance, Athena had coughed to cover her laugh as she introduced them.
Nakul was an older man who didn’t get easily rattled by tech glitches, which likely made him a popular choice for high-profile events like this.
The clip he was showing her now was from the back gardens, where one of the junk car artists was airbrushing a chariot pulled by golden white horses onto the metal. Their heads were tossed back in wild abandon, teeth bared. They ran against a sunlit sky, the rays shooting up around the broken-out windows. On the roof was the receding night, a moon among a shower of shooting stars.
Nakul nodded to the screen for the second drone. The female artist with the Goth look had painted her sub’s upper torso a slick blue. Crimson maple leaves were painted over her breasts, the silver veins of the leaves running from her nipples. Moreleaves seemed to be falling down her torso, pooling together over her mound and hip bones. Her face was the same blue, eyes highlighted with white and silver paint.
Because a full body art job could take far more than four hours, the artists were doing partial coverings. Even so, what they had managed to do in just a couple of hours was impressive.
As the drone moved on, it hovered over a bearded artist wearing a utility kilt and a green silk turban. He’d painted a waterfall from the neck to the thighs of his canvas’s body, the water curling and rushing over protrusions of rock inspired by the male’s musculature and limbs.
Nakul flipped her to footage from the station that had been left cloaked by night, except for downward-facing ground lights that brought the audience safely along the foot path, and the lighting needed to make the neon paints she was using glow.
This artist looked like a large-breasted and wide-hipped priestess, in a flowing black smock she’d donned over a crinkled ankle-length skirt and tie-dyed cotton shirt. With the paints, she’d turned her model’s face and shoulders into that of a sci-fi creature, possibly inspired by the ocean creatures who lived at depths where the only light came from the glow of their own bodies.
The model and artist had given permission for the patrons to get hands-on with the canvas. The audience dipped their fingers in the glowing color of their choice and added random swirls and streaks to the skin below the artist’s creation. She came in behind them and enhanced those marks, connecting them into a larger design.
Skye approvingly noted the DM assigned to that area was staying close, to ensure no one took that too far. And that the female sub was doing okay with it.
“Everyone seems enchanted,” Athena said at her elbow.
The hostess had donned a glittery gown that showed off her excellent legs and toned curves. A swimmer who used her pool for her workouts, Athena’s forty-something physique would have been envied by a woman of any age. A Navy SEAL trident pendant graced her cleavage.
Earlier in the evening, when Athena leaned over to light a candle on one of the tables, the trident had dangled forward and turned, revealing the engraving on the back. Since Skye was helping her, shielding the candle from the breeze, she’d been close enough to see the words.Property of Dale Rousseau.
“You two are doing an excellent job,” Athena told her. Nakul gave her a little salute before returning his attention to the controls and screens.
“Is everything acceptable to you, with respect to Tiger?” Athena asked. At Skye’s nod, she smiled. “I’m glad Evan drew his name. I figured they’d do well together. If I don’t get a chance to tell him myself, let Tiger know we all hope he opens his garage again soon. Dale says he and his people do outstanding work.”
“Where is Dale tonight?” Skye typed, sticking with Angelina’s voice.
“A demo in Baton Rouge. He hated to miss this, but he’ll enjoy the book you and the photographers are putting together. Plus the drone footage DVD.”
Athena glanced toward the screens. “Evan told you he and Niall won’t show up on any of this, right? I assume they’re wearing one of those devices bank robbers use that scrub them from photographic imagery.” She chuckled. “Though I prefer to think they’re vampires. They’re certainly mesmerizing enough.”
Skye liked the idea herself. Even though it was sort of unsettlingly accurate.
Athena continued, “I expect he has his temperamental eccentric artist reasons for not wanting to be included in any of the visuals, but I’m glad he had a solution that keeps you frombeing stuck with the work of editing him and Niall out. Are you still okay with getting the initial layout ready by next month?”
Work was busy, but Skye had already planned to spend her evenings with it, so she nodded. Then she typed, “Is everything else going well tonight?”
“Yes.” A brief frown crossed Athena’s face. “One of our visiting Doms misinterpreted the environment earlier in the evening. He decided to pat Alanna on the ass and wrap his hand in all that long hair.”
“Where did Niall put the body?” Skye typed.
The laugh lines around Athena’s green eyes crinkled. She sent Skye a conspiratorial wink that reminded her of the Mistress side Athena had once wielded so capably. “You can’t tell when Evan is absorbed in his art, but he’s just as protective toward both AlannaandNiall.
“Alanna handled it, though, very smoothly. I was nearby when it happened. He asked her who she belonged to. Before I could barely blink, she’d put his hand away from her and said, ‘Not to you.’
“I think she must have pinched a pressure point, because he was rubbing his hand. She politely asked if she could get him something from the bar. To his credit, he did apologize to her. He came to me afterward to do the same.”
Which was good, because if the Dom hadn’t self-corrected, Athena would have been on it herself. Athena didn’t suffer fools, or being taken advantage of. Skye pitied whoever tried, since beyond Athena’s own formidable will, she had the forcible backup of a loving and protective Master.
One of the caterers was approaching to corral Athena for a question. She touched Skye’s shoulder, a fond gesture. “I’ll go see what that’s about. Thank you again, both you and Nakul. I admit I was concerned about technology catastrophes. They’realways the rule for events like this. You’ve stayed on top of it and made sure everything worked beautifully.”
She met Skye’s gaze. “I know you told me you weren’t certain if you would stay the night, but remember, that blue and white guest house on the northwest side of the gardens is reserved for you. It’s a peaceful and very private place.”
