AllFreeNovel
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This year?
His ex-wife and son were spending the holidays in Aspen with her new boyfriend.
All of a sudden, the most wonderful time of the year had become his worst nightmare.
He’d rather brood. Instead, Aviana wanted him to waltz into her club so he could pay homage to her and her reign?
Ho, ho, fucking ho.
* * *
“Are you sure you can manage by yourself?”
Before answering her best friend, Abigail glanced around at the other vendors setting up for this evening’s holiday bazaar at the Quarter. Most booths had two or more people staffing them. But she would be handling this one alone.
Digging deep for a heap of confidence she was nowhere close to feeling, Abigail smiled sunnily. “Piece of cake.”
Raven tilted her head to the side and studied Abigail hard. “Oh, Abigail. You’re a terrible liar. You’re nervous as hell.”
“You got me.” Abigail laughed—well, as much as she could in the tight-fitting corset that Raven had cinched her into.
Raven worried her lower lip. “I think I should cancel the downtown event.”
Even though Abigail shook her head, Raven had reason to be concerned.
She owned a corset store, and during the holidays she also set up stalls at festivals and fairs. Because Christmas was just around the corner, she was busier than normal.
Abigail had agreed to be an assistant for Raven’s store manager while Raven handled another event. Yesterday the manager had come down with a terrible cold, leaving Abigail by herself. Though she’d helped Raven before, Abigail had never done this alone. “I’ll manage.” After all, she spent her days teaching preschoolers. That had definitely prepared her for an evening of chaos. “How hard can it be?”
“I think you’re about to find out.”
Raven had already spent much longer than she’d planned helping with setup. They’d draped garland everywhere, including over the shop’s sign. Then for a festive flair, they’d hung mistletoe over the entrance. Finally Raven had plugged in bright lights to attract attention, but nothing happened. Troubleshooting had required twenty minutes and assistance from the club’s lead AV technician.
“Go.” Abigail pointed toward the dungeon’s exit.
Stubbornly Raven looked over her shoulder. “The cashbox is—”
“Stocked with money and emergency credit card slips.” Abigail grinned. “You’ve been over this already.”
With a skeptical sigh, Raven checked her watch. “I owe you…big time.” Then she hurried away.
Because the club wasn’t yet open to attendees, Abigail checked out the other vendors. Their wares were impressive. Sexy clothing suitable for the club, candles for hot wax play, hand-crafted paddles and whips, collars, all kinds of plugs, and a wild array of vibrators.
A shop offering stained glass intrigued her, and the combination of bright lights and festive colors beckoned her into the booth. One large suncatcher ensnared her. The piece was of a woman—her expression serene and surrendered—suspended in bondage. Though the price was outside her budget, looking at the artwork would bring Abigail joy every day.
“Shall I wrap it up for you?”
“Thank you. Yes.”Merry Christmas to me.
Purchase in hand, she continued on, admiring the spanking benches and other pieces of fetish furniture.
Once she’d looked at all the choices, she returned to her own stall.
The event’s volunteers began to arrive to change into their elf costumes. From what she’d heard, the evening would be a spectacle. The club’s owner, Mistress Aviana, had surprises she hadn’t shared with anyone.
The only thing Abigail knew for sure was that there would be a grand parade, complete with Santa, and all activities would be suspended for an hour. That would be the only time she could take a break.
For the next few minutes, Abigail straightened clothes that were already perfectly displayed. Then, still battling her jitters, she dug her purse out from beneath the table and grabbed her lipstick and was using the mirror when her fellow submissive and friend, Maddie, came into view.
