Page 8 of Going Deep (Odyssey #3)

S he slept like the dead and woke up anxious. Since anxious was her default, she couldn’t pin that on Michael .

The fact that she woke up horny? That was on him.

She went down to the coffee shop on the corner for a mocha latte, then set off for the clinic Michael had recommended, knowing the walk through the just-waking city streets would help soothe her jangling nerves.

Her lifelong struggle with anxiety had taught her to use all the coping methods available to her—and to never miss a dose of her meds.

Exercise and deep breathing and therapy all helped, but SSRIs had saved her life.

By the time she had completed the paperwork and had given up a vial of blood, the sun was going full blast and the sidewalks were steaming, so she walked into her apartment coated in a light sheen of sweat.

Deciding she might as well keep sweating, she unrolled her yoga mat and spent an hour in a routine meant to stretch out the muscles and calm the mind.

Unfortunately , it didn’t make her less horny.

Giving up on exercise, she wiped down the yoga mat and went to see what the massaging shower head could do for her.

Forty-five minutes later, refreshed and clean and with the leading edge of lust dulled by what she’d decided to call hydrotherapy, she took her morning meds and was pulling a carton of eggs out of the refrigerator when the doorbell rang.

And found it didn’t surprise her at all to see Lola and Anna on her doorstep.

She eyed the paper bags in Lola’s hands. “ Tell me that’s a bunch of greasy, revolting, fast-food breakfast sandwiches.”

Lola strode in. “ That’s exactly what it is.”

“Bless you.”

Anna followed with a drink carrier holding three coffees. “ Dibs on the bacon ones.”

“I told you, we each get one,” Lola called back from the kitchen.

Ginger closed the door and followed them into the kitchen. “ Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”

Lola was pulling down plates and cups. “ We brought breakfast.”

“And it’s appreciated,” Ginger said, sniffing at the bags. There was sausage in there, and hash browns. “ But again, why?”

“We thought you might want to talk before tonight.”

“And after,” Anna chimed in. “ Which is why we’re having brunch here tomorrow.”

“We are?”

Lola began to unpack the bags. “ Anna’s making crepes.”

“With lemon crème and fresh blueberries,” Anna said, handing out coffees. “ And mimosas.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

Lola handed her a plate with a breakfast sandwich and a hash brown. “ We want to.”

“Just think of us as your kinky fairy godmothers,” Anna advised.

The image made Ginger’s lips twitch. “ Are you going to sing Bibbidi - Bobbidi - Boo ?”

Lola snorted. “ No , but if Prince Charming doesn’t treat you right, I’ll stomp his dick into paste.”

“Less Disney , more Brothers Grimm ,” Ginger mused while Anna winced. “ I like it.”

“Good.” Lola handed Anna a plate, grabbed her own, and scooped up her coffee. “ Let’s eat.”

Twenty minutes later, Ginger lay back on her living room floor with a groan. “ I shouldn’t have had that second sausage biscuit.”

“I shouldn’t have had that third hash brown,” Anna replied.

“I shouldn’t have had two coffees. I have to pee,” Lola said and hauled herself off the couch. “ Be right back.”

“How are you feeling?” Anna asked as Lola hurried down the hall.

“My stomach is going to explode,” Ginger complained.

“I meant, how are you feeling about playing with Michael tonight?”

“Oh. That .” Ginger tried rolling to her side, but it didn’t make her feel any better, so she flopped to her back again. “ Fine , I guess. A little anxious.”

“About what you’re going to do?”

It was hard to have a conversation while staring at the ceiling, so she wiggled around until she was sitting with her back against the sofa. “ He didn’t tell me what he’s planning.”

“They never do unless they want to make you more nervous,” Anna said. “ It’s a Dom thing.”

“Good to know. Anyway , I’m used to it.”

“Dom things?”

Ginger laughed. “ No , being anxious. I have generalized anxiety disorder.”

Lola trotted back into the room and sprawled back onto the sofa. “ What’d I miss?”

“Ginger has an anxiety disorder,” Anna told her and looked back at Ginger . “ Is it a big deal?”

Ginger shrugged. It certainly could be—and at points in her life, had been—but she didn’t really want to get into all of that. “ I manage it well with medication, and I have good coping strategies.”

“Do you have a therapist?”

“Back in Ohio ,” Ginger told Anna . “ I don’t see her regularly at this point, just if something comes up.”

“Is she kink-friendly?”

“I have no idea,” Ginger said with a laugh. “ Why ? Do you think I should talk to her about this?”

Anna shrugged. “ Up to you. It’s not for everyone, but I find it helpful.”

Ginger eyed her curiously. “ You have a therapist?”

“I started seeing someone when I started my own business. Just to help handle the stress, you know?”

Ginger nodded. “ Sure .”

“Grant and I had started seeing each other around the same time, so I had that going on, too. It helped—helps,” Anna amended. “ When I’m feeling overwhelmed, or just need a neutral third party to talk to.”

“Yeah, I always liked that part,” Ginger agreed.

“Not to knock therapy, but you can always talk to us,” Lola reminded her. “ We’re not neutral, but we’re pretty good with overwhelmed.”

“Weirdly, I don’t feel overwhelmed,” Ginger mused. “ I probably should. I have no idea what I’m doing, half the things on that list still make no sense, and last night a guy I’ve met twice gave me an orgasm after I watched two men fuck one woman at the same time.”

“Nice,” was Lola’s opinion of that. “ DP or spit roast?”

“DP. Which until last night, was firmly on my No list.”

Anna wiggled her eyebrows. “ And now?”

Ginger blew out a breath. “ It’s still a no, but with an asterisk.”

“Does that mean maybe?” Lola wanted to know.

“It means, it could be a maybe if it didn’t involve another person.”

“Not interested in a threesome?”

“It just seems like that would be, I don’t know, a lot to manage.”

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t be the one managing it,” Lola pointed out. “ You’re the submissive, remember? You’re not in charge.”

“I keep forgetting that,” Ginger admitted.

“I kind of had a threesome with Grant and Michael ,” Anna mused.

Ginger’s jaw dropped as she stared at Anna . “ You what?”

“When was this?” Lola demanded, her eyes narrowed.

“When we first met, up in Michigan ,” Anna said, her smile dreamy with memories. “ I told you about the interrogation scene, Lo .”

“Oh, okay,” Lola said, and looked at Ginger . “ Virtual threesome.”

“I’m confused. What’s a virtual threesome?”

“Grant had this interrogation scene set up—super intense—and he had Michael on a video call for it.”

“So as, what, an observer?”

Anna waggled her hand back and forth. “ Kind of? It’s hard to explain without getting into the details. He was playing a role, like Grant was—and I was. It really added something, even though he wasn’t physically there.”

“Okay,” Ginger said, even though she wasn’t sure she understood. “ Was it weird?”

“A little, at first. But I knew Michael , or I’d met him, anyway. And once the scene got going, I was really into the role, and so were they.” Anna shrugged. “ It worked.”

“And it wasn’t weird after?” Ginger prompted. “ Seeing him, I mean, knowing he’d seen you all…”

“Naked and fucked?” Anna finished, and shook her head. “ No . Mostly because Michael didn’t make it weird, but also because naked and fucked is, well, kind of the default at Odyssey .”

She lifted her hands, then let them fall. “ You kind of get used to it.”

“You know that’s a whackadoodle thing to say, right?”

Anna laughed. “ Whackadoodle , but true.”

“So,” Lola said. “ What’s the plan for tonight?”

“He didn’t tell her,” Anna put in.

Lola rolled her eyes. “ Doms .”

“I have instructions, though.”

Anna’s eyebrows went up. “ Oh ?”

“I’m supposed to be there at nine-thirty, in the skirt I wore last night and whatever shirt I choose, with my completed list.”

Lola grinned. “ Really ?”

“Oh, and no underwear.” Ginger blushed, remembering the look in his eyes when he’d told her that.

Lola snickered. “ You’re blushing.”

Ginger sighed, blushing harder. “ I know. It’s a curse.”

“I bet Michael doesn’t think so,” Lola said with a smirk.

“I wish we were going to be there so I could watch this,” Anna complained.

“No offense, but I don’t really want you to see me naked and fucked,” Ginger told her.

Lola just raised her eyebrows. “ If you think we won’t—or you won’t eventually see us—you should stop going to Odyssey now.”

“Shit.” Ginger thought for a moment. “ Let’s make a pact. What happens at Odyssey stays at Odyssey .”

“Or at girls' night,” Anna chimed in.

“Or at girls' night,” Ginger agreed. “ Deal ?”

Anna swiped an X across her chest. “ Cross my heart, hope to never get spanked again.”

Lola snorted. “ A solemn oath.”

Anna reached up to poke her. “ Take it.”

“Cross my heart, hope to never get spanked again,” Lola repeated obediently between snickers.

Grinning, and mentally thanking whatever guardian angel had put these delightful, wonderful women in her life, Ginger nodded. “ Okay , then.”

“You have to say it, too,” Anna insisted.

“Cross my heart, hope to never get spanked again,” Ginger recited.

“We good?” Anna asked and got nods from both Lola and Ginger . “ Good . What now?”

“Well, since you’re here, do you want to help me pick out a shirt for tonight?”

“Oh, yeah.” Lola hopped up. “ Let’s go find something to make the big man sweat.”

Ginger climbed to her feet and led the way down the hall. “ I get veto power,” she warned.

“We’ll see,” Lola said ominously.

Anna patted Ginger’s arm. “ Give in now. You’ll save yourself a lot of grief.”

* * *

At nine-twenty-five that evening, Ginger strolled into the club.