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Her stomach clenched. If he did, she was so leaving. While he might not be interested in her, she was way too attracted to him and way too emotionally tender after her Introduction Scene last week. She didn’t feel like being in the same building if he was playing with someone else. Give her a couple more weeks to get over her crush and she’d be fine. In fact, knowing he was playing with others would help with that, but tonight she’d leave rather than be in the same building where it was happening.
Deliberately she looked up at Mike, trying to ignore the big, blonde grouchy man who was taking up far too much of her focus.
“Are you going to play tonight?”
“No, pest, I only came here to catch up with you and get my bearings. That and I know what happens when I’m unchaperoned with your housemates,” he teased. Angel laughed, although she couldn’t blame him for not wanting to get sucked into video game land again. It was so hard to get back out again! Especially when the opponents were as engaging and skilled as her housemates. “You can go play if you want to.”
Angel hesitated for a moment and then shook her head. The only man she was currently interested in playing with was still eyeing the Lounge area and she didn’t feel like joining the women over there. If she were to go to the lounge and he ended up picking out a different sub to play with, it would be obvious the reason she was leaving was because of Adam. “No. I’m not going to ditch Leigh.”
Smiling, she reached out to grasp her best friend’s hand. Her best friend rolled her eyes. “I told you I’m fine. Especially if Mike’s going to hang out for a bit.”
“Maybe tomorrow. If we come back.”
“In that case, I’m going to get a real drink,” Mike said, sliding his arm off of Angel’s shoulders and turning towards the bar.
The rest of the night went surprisingly well. Andrew and Mike hit it off right away, talking about their preferences for various whips with Patrick’s occasional interjections, making Angel shiver a little. She and Leigh sat on two bar stools next to each other, chatting with Olivia and Mr. Grouchy. He didn’t say much, but he didn’t leave to go play with anyone either. And he ended up being not so grouchy. He and Olivia were a little bit like brother and sister, constantly poking at and teasing each other. Eventually those who had gone off to do scenes came back, at which point Olivia headed over to the Lounge area to pick out a sub.
By the end of the evening, she and Leigh were no longer sitting together. Instead, Leigh was chatting with Rick, Hilary, and Liam, while Angel was seated between Adam and Justin, arguing with them and Chris about whether the old Batman movies were better than the new ones. She and Chris both liked the newer ones better, but Adam and Justin were holdouts for the originals—although even Chris turned on her when she said her favorite old one was the Adam West version.
“Come on! Bruce Wayne and Catwoman, tied up with their hands behind their backs, having a super sexy moment where he promises he’ll protect her? That was hot!”
“You have issues,” Chris said, shaking his head. “And you can’t claim that as your initial interest in BDSM, because he was tied up too.”
“Just because I’m submissive doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a hot man all tied up. I like to look, I’m not saying I’d know what to do with him. And yes, I do think that’s where my interest in bondage started. Or at least, when I realized what might get me all hot and bothered.”
“With Adam West?” Master Adam groaned. “It kills me that he and I share a name.”
“Oh, come on, you had to like the show when you were growing up.”
“When I was growing up? Yes. Now? Maybe if I’m really drunk.”
Angel giggled at the face he made. He’d already had a couple of drinks at this point and it had loosened him up. “Seriously though, the movie was brilliant! Shark repellant? The penguin submarine?”
“Don’t forget the sky riddles,” Justin said. They all looked at him in surprise and he shrugged. “What? The Riddler was always my favorite.”
When it was finally time to leave, Angel was a little disappointed. She’d been having fun. Especially once Mr. Grouchy stopped being so grouchy and had started talking to her. She’d enjoyed their conversation. While he wasn’t as lighthearted as Chris, that made it even more of a triumph when she managed to make him laugh. And he seemed like he needed more laughter in his life, he was way too serious.
All in all, even though she didn’t get a chance to do any of the things she’d initially set out to do that evening... she couldn’t help but feel like it had been a success.
Tomorrow, though? She was going to go to the Lounge area and offer herself up as an available sub. While she liked the new friends she was making, she was going to Stronghold to explore her sexuality not to make new friends.
And if she was really lucky, maybe Mr. Grouchy would continue to be her tour guide.
12
Adam
So Angel had a very close guy friend she had been sexually attracted to in the past. Who was staying with her for the next two weeks.
What it came down to was trust.
As did so many other things. How much could he trust Angel? He couldn’t know without getting to know her better. He’d started that last night, although he’d never gotten around to asking her if she’d want to do another scene with him at some point. Or apologizing. After “Pretty Boy” had shown up, he hadn’t been entirely sure he wanted to jump right into doing that.
But he’d liked talking to her. It had also helped that Michael had spent more time getting to know the others in the group than he had catching up with Angel. Adam hated to think the other Dom had picked up on the wave of jealousy that had engulfed him when he’d seen how easily Michael and Angel were physically affectionate with each other, but he was pretty sure the other man had caught his glare and that’s why he’d finally moved away from her.
Someone who was interested in Angel wouldn’t do that, would he?
Angel hadn’t seemed upset Michael wasn’t spending any time with her. Then again, he was staying with her, so would she be?
