Page 3 of C is for Comfort

“Thanks.”

He and Blake are sitting on the sofa, watching a film. Or they were, but now that I’ve arrived, Blake is doing his bouncy ‘I’ve got something to tell you’ thing. I ignore him and check the fridge. Archie has left me a large portion of chicken casserole and mashed potato. I turn the oven on and put the covered dish straight in before setting a timer on my phone for half an hour. It takes ten minutes for the oven to heat up, so it probably won’t be ready then, but it’s still a good point to check it. I flop down on the armchair adjacent to the sofa.

“What are we watching?”

“Some action movie,” Archie says. “I can’t remember the name. It’s that good.” His voice drips with sarcasm.

“Mum and Dad are babysitting Lexi tomorrow night,” Blake blurts out.

“Uh, why?” I ask.

“Because we’re all going to a party.” He grins at me and then waggles his eyebrows. “A kink party.”

I’m not sure I’m in the mood for a party, kinky or otherwise. “Don’t I get a say?”

“Nope.”

I look to Archie. “Are you in on this?”

“Sort of.” He pulls his feet onto the sofa and sits cross-legged. “Blake’s the one who got invited, but he’s allowed to bring us along.”

“Tell him where the party is,” Blake says, poking Archie in the ribs.

Archie shifts uncomfortably. “Apparently, my new boss holds kink parties. It’s at his house.”

“An exclusive, invite-only kink party,” Blake says.

“Huh, so Hamish Cameron really is a Dom?” I say. “Is he gay?”

“Only men are allowed at the party, so it looks that way,” Archie says.

Archie has been working as Hamish’s PA since Tuesday. After his interview on Monday, he came home and told us that Hamish liked it when he’d called him ‘sir’. Blake teased him and declared that Hamish Cameron, best-selling mystery and thriller author, was a Dom. Apparently, Blake was right.

“Does Hamish know you’re going to his party?”

Archie’s face goes bright red, and he shakes his head. “No.”

“Is that a good idea?” I’ll admit I’m a little shocked at Archie. He’s normally cautious and sensible.

Archie stares at his lap.

“Hamish is your boss,” I remind him.

“Do you think I don’t know that?”

“He might sack you.”

Archie sighs. “I know that too.”

“So why go?”

“Because I like him.”

“Why don’t you just tell him that?”

“I will.”

“By going to one of his parties unannounced?”