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“The growth of our debauchery,” Fort agreed.
“Alice has been asking me about The Gallery,” I blurted out. “Well, ever since your gossipy submissives tried to ‘help me out’ by telling her about it.” I rubbed the back of my neck, staring down at my mostly rare steak. “I’m not sure what to do.”
“You mean, whether to take her?” Fort asked after a moment. “Do you think it would be too much for her?”
“She’s really just started this journey.”
“Yeah,” Dev laughed. “But she started it withyou. It’s not like Ella and Jules didn’t warn her about every damn thing from the start. My feeling is, if she’s interested in going, you’ll probably need to sate her curiosity.”
Fort shrugged. “It’s a good place to connect, to grow closer as a kinky couple. I’m sure if you brought her, she’d enjoy the experience. You’d know how to make it work for her.”
“Yeah.” My lips tightened into a line. “She’s game to try anything. Maybe that’s why I’m nervous.”
Fort and Dev looked at each other, then Dev spoke up. “Maybe we could all go, you know, to offer moral support. Ella always enjoys it.”
“Juliet does too,” said Fort. “And if they were there, it might make Alice more comfortable during her first time. And Dev and I could be there in case, you know…”
In case something awful happens. In case you take shit too far.In an atmosphere as intense as The Gallery, things occasionally went wrong. Very wrong. As it happened, the two men across from me knew that from personal experience.
“Well, I’ll think about it. We’re still discussing the possibility,” I said.
In the flush of our dawning relationship, since she’d taken to masochism so naturally, I’d been excited about introducing her to The Gallery. Early on, I’d taken her to Michelle to be fitted for the requisite uniform, but going through that process with someone I cared about so deeply… It wasn’t the same as fitting out other girls. I started having second thoughts.
Of course, by then, Alice was beside herself with excitement about the whole perverse secret-club thing, and assumed it was just a matter of time until we went there together. I loved The Gallery—it was such a fundamental part of my life and identity, but when it came to Alice, I was torn. I wanted to take her, but I didn’t want anything between us to change. I didn’t want the pathos and violence of The Gallery to scare her off the path we’d embarked on together.
“He’s not listening to you,” said Dev, drawing me from my thoughts and anxieties.
“What? Huh?” I shoved a piece of steak in my mouth, pretending I was only preoccupied by the food.
“I asked what your parents think of you and Alice getting together,” said Fort, “considering how long you’ve been family friends?”
“Oh, Jesus. They don’t know we’re together yet. Like, carnally together. They think we’re still friends. Otherwise, they’d never allow her to stay at my apartment. They’d make her move to Chappaqua so they could shelter her from immoral urges,” I said, laughing.
“It cracks me up that your parents are so traditional.”
“Wait,” said Devin. “You said your mom wanted a love-and-romance name for the violin.”
“Yeah, because they want us to fall in love. They’ve wanted it forever.”
“So why don’t you tell them?” Fort said. “They’ll be so excited.”
“I can’t. Blue would lose his shit if she had to move out.”
“You’re both in your thirties,” said Dev with a snort. “I don’t think your parents can make either of you do anything you don’t want to do.”
“You don’t know my parents. Or hers. Her dad is this hulking Swedish type that I’m still scared of from my violin-lesson days.”
“You’re a mess.” Fort topped off my glass with the last of the wine. “Well, let us know about The Gallery. I know Juliet’s been missing it, and would love to go. If we all went, it would be a lot of fun, and Dev and I could run interference on all the pervs who were interested in the new girl.”
All the pervs.Fuck. That was the only thing about taking my new love to The Gallery. I’d shared women all my life, including dozens with Devin and Fort, but the idea of sharing Alice made my nerves go tight. Sharing had always been the height of kinky abandon for me, and Alice got off on the idea too, but what if I couldn’t do it?
I looked across the table at my friends, seeing them as rivals and interlopers for the first time. I tried to keep my thoughts from showing on my face, but I wasn’t sure I was successful, because Fort and Dev both buried their faces in the dessert menu, and we never, ever ordered dessert.
Chapter Sixteen: Alice
Ichecked theapp on my phone, making sure I was going the right direction on Broome Street. Michelle’s studio wasn’t that far from Ella’s loaner apartment.
I had the uniform she’d made me tucked into the handbag under my arm. Lord knew the wispy thing didn’t take up a whole lot of space. It was beautiful though, and it fit perfectly. Michelle was a skilled costumer for the Met Ballet, and it showed in the quality of the seams and trim. There was just one problem: my legs turned out to be too long for the standard stockings she provided. She’d special-ordered some for me, and I’d asked if I could come pick them up, since I needed them by tonight.
