Page 7 of Falling for Them

I look over to where Kingston sits.One of his eyebrows his raised sardonically.I say, “Uh, I’m on my way to meet my friend—”

But she’s pulling a half-wrinkled sticky note from her handbag and digging for a pen.I’d be a dick to say no, so I wait while she finds the pen, and then I autograph the paper.Not that my autograph is that sought after anymore—I haven’t released a song in years.I’m only seeing some renewed interest in my music because we’re now in the age of remixes.Apparently my lyrics are filthy enough that they’re timeless.

The guy shakes my hand and the girl thanks me and wanders off, staring at her prized sticky note.

Sighing, I make my way over to Kingston, feeling old as fuck.

“Hey,” he says with a laugh when I get close, “you’re the one who wanted to come here.”

“Yeah, well, I’m experiencing regrets.”

“We could leave,” he says, moving to stand up.

“Nope, sit your ass down, old man.We’re going to find someone to play with.”

He shakes his head.“Not me.Not tonight.”

“No?”I want to ask him why not, but a server has just glided up to the table.

“What can I get for you?”she asks with a flirtatious wink.

I wink back.“An iced tea would be great, thanks.”

“You got it.”

If she’s disappointed that I’m not ordering pricey champagne or some top-shelf liquor, she doesn’t show it, and I’ll tip her the same either way.

She walks away to retrieve my order, and I turn back to Kingston once more.

“Tell me what’s going on,” I say.

He shrugs.“I don’t know.Nothing, really.I’m just not in the mood.”

Fair enough, but it’s so unlike King, so out of the blue.Usually he’s the one pointing out potential women for us.He’s great at finding them.Even if they look posh and grown-up, he can find the women who, deep down, want to be treated like naughty little girls.Those are our favorites.They want spankings, they want to be punished and rewarded.They want all the twisted things we love doling out.

“You’re going to the gala without a date, then?”I ask, because I know he isn’t seeing anyone seriously enough to ask them.

“Probably.Are you bringing anyone?”He takes a sip of his whiskey.

“I don’t know, maybe.”I accept my iced tea from the server and wait until she has moved on before saying, “I’m bored, King.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

We sit back in the comfortable booth.The DJ plays another of my tracks, mixing it with something pulsing and magnetic.

Look at me, say my name

Give me your all

Your submission, my bliss

Lift up your skirt, princess

Give Daddy a kiss.

King nods to the beat.“That’s not a bad arrangement.”

“I guess not,” I say, watching the dancers.Off to one shadowy area of the dance floor, two men dance on either side of a brown-haired woman.The way they’re moving makes me immediately suspicious.