Page 68 of Free Fall

“Both,” Sejin says, his eyes twinkling. He’s so handsome my heart skips a beat.

“Uh-huh, well, good for you guys.” Rye grins. “I had a nice night, myself. Even got paid for it.”

I waggle my eyebrows, but Sejin looks around to see if anyone’s listening. “I’m pretty sure this isn’t Nevada and sex work isn’t legal here,” he murmurs.

“If it were Nevada, I’d have to be registered and all kinds of nonsense.” Rye shrugs. “It’s not like it’s a felony. I mean, what’s a misdemeanor in this day and age?”

“So long as you don’t let Andrew know about your side-gig,” I remind him. “He’d sic his lawyers on you like white on rice, and you’dneversee Jeanie again.”

Rye eyes me with irritation. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re an asshole?”

“Regularly.”

He turns his attention to Sejin, who still looks uncomfortable with the conversation. “C’mon,” he says. “You’re saying you’ve never accepted money for it? Get real. I know you have.”

Sejin sputters, coffee hitting the table. He wipes it with his napkin and again looks around to ensure privacy. “How’d you know about that? I never told anyone,” he whispers.

Rye points two fingers at his own eyes and then at Sejin’s. “I see you. Like recognizes like.”

“I’d hardly say you two are very alike. You’re a Dom and he’s…not,” I say.

Sejin leans over the table and explains, “I only took money a few times while I was traveling across the country. It was never the only reason I slept with them. But when they’d offer, I’d accept. I was super strapped for cash, and I really needed the help. So…” He shrugs. “I took it.”

“Take out the traveling part and the not asking to be paid part, and I’m the same,” Rye says. “I don’t Dom men unless I want to, but it’s a lot of work and I deserve to get paid.” He grins again. “Even if it’s all very pleasurable labor which I enjoy very much.”

“How did you get into that work?” Sejin asks, running his finger over the crumbs on his plate before bringing it up to his mouth to lick clean.

I lean back. This is a long story and a salacious one. “Go on, tell him,” I urge.

Rye rolls his eyes, but he has a smug little smile on his lips too, giving away that he enjoys blowing Sejin’s mind like this. “Before our divorce, Andrew and I had fallen into a kink-based sexual relationship. He got off on submitting, and I got off on making him submit. Both of us had been raised in the Mormon church, so it was allverynaughty and taboo, of course. Which made it crazy-hot for him—and for me.”

“Ah.”

“That worked well for a little while. We were both happy with at leastthataspect of our relationship, if nothing else. Until I decided that I wanted to transition…”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. He’s straight and not into men. That’s reasonable, but he also thought what I wanted was a crime against God and that I was setting a horrible example for Jeanie. Things got ugly.”

“Oof,” Sejin says. “I’m sorry.”

“What made it worse was how mean our divorce and my transition made him. He became very cruel to me and, well, in general. Though I think he’s still a good dad to Jeanie. He’s gone back to the church—except in the ways he hasn’t—and he tries to do the right thing by her, even if it’s doing the wrong thing by me. Maybe even especially if it hurts me.”

“Yes. I remember.”

Rye shakes off the bad memories and rouses a smile again. It looks effortful, but not insincere. “Now, I’m finally at home in my skin. I’m not ashamed of who I am. And Andrew? Well, he’s looking for just the right woman to be his secret Dominatrix. Because Andrewwillkeep it secret even from the Mormon women he dates or marries. I think at this point he prefers it to be illicit, you know? It’s more fun for him that way.”

“Andrew,” Sejin says on a sigh. “He’s…” He shakes his head.

“Oh, believe me, I know.”

“Seat taken?” The deep, resonant voice is followed by the last empty chair being scraped back and Lowell sinking down into it. His eyes are brighter than usual, and he’s not as scruffy-looking as he has been the last few months. He looks shiny, well-scrubbed, and almost like he’s something close to happy.

“Hi,” Sejin greets him. “Join us.”

“Yeah, join us,” I say.

Rye lifts his boba in a greeting. “Lowell, long time, no see. How’s it going?”