Quarantine Pet - His Pet

I shut the door and leaned on it, breathing a sigh of relief.

“Is he gone?” asked Sandra walking into the room.

“Yeah, I think he bought it,” I told her. “Or at least, I think he’s decided he had no choice. Thanks for backing me up in there.”

“Yeah, sure,” she said sheepishly. “Guess we’re engaged now. That was fast.”

“We’ll have to keep up appearances — at least until after the merger happens. After that, we can just tell everyone we changed our minds,” I assured her. “Might take a few weeks. Maybe months.”

“I don’t mind,” Sandra shrugged, looking away.

Did she really want to be engaged? She looks disappointed. Better lighten the mood. I shouldn’t have been so hard on her. Sandra’s new to this lifestyle, and I should be more understanding.

“What’s your favorite dinner?” I asked.

“Lamb chops,” she told me.

“I just happen to have a bunch of them in my freezer,” I revealed. “Tell you what, I’ll thaw them up and braise them on the grill for dinner. How’s that sound?”

“That sounds good,” she said, giving me a little smile.

“While I do that, let’s get to work on the contract today,” I advised. “Now that Jake came all the way out here, I want him to see us working together. Let’s see if we can finish up the arbitration clauses, okay?”

Sandra nodded. I could feel the mood in the room get lighter. Going into the garage, I fetched the lamb chops and set them out to thaw.

The rest of the day went smoothly. We not only finished the arbitration clauses in the contract but quite a few other provisions that needed to be addressed. When Jake checked the firm’s network and our work on the contract, I think he’d be pleased.

Maybe I had made too big of a deal about the kiss. Sandra was new, and that intimate request had caught me off guard. When you’re the dom, there’s often so much to remember. There’s a lot of pressure because you’re entirely in charge. Maybe I had let that pressure get to me. What I needed was a night off, then we could come together fresh the next night.

Later, over dinner, I discussed that very thing with Sandra.

“Hey, look, sorry if I’ve been tense the last couple of days,” I apologized. “Too much on my mind with this merger. I just… Well, it’s a lot of pressure being the dominant. I want us to take the night off tonight, but tomorrow night you’ll meet me in the playroom, okay?”

“That sounds great,” she smiled. “Sorry if I pushed things or if I overstepped my bounds, sir.”

“It’s on me,” I assured her. “As the one in charge, it’s my responsibility to train you correctly. Other than that, are you enjoying the training?”

“Yes, sir,” she blushed. “Very much so.”

“You’re a good girl,” I told her. “You know, maybe it’s this pandemic too. I’ve been watching some of the news, and it’s just so depressing.”

“Yeah, my friend is still in the city, and she said there was a truck full of bodies being moved somewhere,” she relayed.

“It’s crazy that your life can be one way one day and then totally different the next,” I said, looking off into the distance. “Guess this is our generation’s World War.”

“I’ve heard that said,” she agreed. “This is our crisis.”

“Feels weird addressing the crisis by staying home, doesn’t it?” I noted.

“Yes, sir,” she nodded.

Chapter Fifteen – Sandra

Jack was now happy again, but I wasn’t. The fake engagement was just like our relationship. Fake. I don’t know how others might react to this situation. However, for Jack to definitively tell me we were going to break up after the merger, it put a bad taste in my mouth. What was I supposed to think? Was I just his toy and only another associate?

And I have to admit, everything Jake had said about him had gotten to me too. I researched some of the women he had been with on Facebook. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get access to any of their posts. Some of them were still Facebook friends with Jack, but what did that really mean?

“Sandra!” Jack called. “The lamb chops are ready.”

Jack’s voice seemed light and airy now. He was bubbling, having solved his problems, I guess. I just couldn’t get into it.

“These lamb chops are succulent,” he assured. “Not as succulent as you, of course, but I think you’ll enjoy them.”

“Jack,” I said. “I don’t feel well. My head is just really bothering me. I think I’m going to go to bed, okay?”

“Oh. Yeah, sure,” he said, suddenly realizing my distress. “There should be plenty of pain reliever in the bathroom.”

“I’m sure I’ll find it. Good night.”

“Good night,” he called after. “Oh, and don’t take the Ibuprofen. They say that’s bad if you have the virus.”

I went to bed hungry and annoyed. Maybe I should’ve had dinner with him, but I didn’t want Jack to think I was okay with our situation. I wanted to send the message that I was unhappy. Coming right out and saying it? That would’ve been weird, right? I mean, Bella’s advice wasn’t bad, but it’s hard to articulate your thoughts sometimes.