Mel nodded and slid behind the bar. Soon, she had a steady flow of customers. She had no trouble keeping up. James had taught her well. Eventually, she got into a rhythm, working on muscle memory alone, allowing her thoughts to wander. How well did James know Vanessa? Mel wanted to ask him about her. Would it be suspicious if she did?
The stream of customers gradually died down. Mel took the time to tidy up the bar. She was returning a few bottles of tequila to their place on the shelf behind her when she heard a familiar voice.
“Hello, Melanie.”
Mel turned. “Vanessa?”
Vanessa stood before her in a sleek red dress. A thin gold necklace with a sapphire pendant hung around her neck. Mel’s eyes fell to Vanessa’s lips. They were the same deep red color as her dress. Mel couldn’t help but recall how those lips had felt on her lips. And on her nipples. And for a brief moment, she imagined how they would feel on certain other parts of her body.
“Make me a drink,” Vanessa said. “Your choice.”
“Sure.” Mel chose one of the club’s signature cocktails, a variation of a whiskey sour. She could practically make it with her eyes closed now. She placed it before Vanessa on the bar.
Vanessa sampled the drink. “Not bad.”
Mel couldn’t contain herself any longer. “I’ve been waiting for you to come back.”
“Have you?” Vanessa leaned down on the bar. “Why?”
“Because the other night was incredible. Because falling to my knees before you made me feel freer than I’ve felt in years. Because it made me realize that there’s this whole side of me that craves this…” Mel trailed off, suddenly self-conscious.
“What exactly is it that you crave, Melanie?” Vanessa asked. “I want to hear it from you.”
Mel looked straight into Vanessa’s eyes. “Submission.”
Vanessa beckoned Mel closer. “If you let me, I can show you what it really means to submit. I can make your darkest desires reality. I can grant you your wildest fantasies. Do you want that?” She slid her hand up Mel’s arm.
“Yes.” Vanessa’s touch sent a shiver along Mel’s skin. “More than anything.”
The door to the back room swung open and James emerged. Mel snapped back upright. Vanessa seemed unfazed.
“Vanessa.” James’s voice was subdued. “Do you have a minute?”
Vanessa nodded. She took another sip of her drink and pushed it toward Mel. “Hold on to this for me. Our conversation isn’t over.”
James looked from Vanessa to Mel and back again, scratching his beard. Mel busied herself behind the bar, hoping that her expression hadn’t given anything away.
Vanessa and James walked off to the side. Mel focused her attention on cleaning up the bar. But her curiosity won out. Vanessa and James were too far away for Mel to hear them. Instead, she watched the conversation out of the corner of her eye. She couldn’t tell what they were talking about. After a while, James placed a hand on Vanessa’s arm and spoke into her ear.
Vanessa transformed in an instant. Her expression darkened and her body tensed. Then the two of them started arguing. Vanessa was clearly angry about something, although her anger didn’
t seem to be directed at James. As the conversation died down, James placed a hand on Vanessa’s shoulder as if to try to calm her. Mel was surprised by the intimateness of the gesture. She didn’t know that they were that close. Before Mel could finish her thought, Vanessa turned and stormed off toward the corridor that led to her room.
What was that about?
James returned to the bar, his face scrunched up with concern.
“Is everything okay?” Mel asked.
“Yep. Just business stuff.” He looked at Mel curiously. “What were you and Vanessa talking about before I interrupted you?”
“She was just saying hi,” Mel said quickly.
“Right.”
Mel couldn’t tell if James was convinced or not. She took Vanessa’s drink and placed it behind the bar. As the night went on, the drink sat there, the ice slowly melting. By the time Mel’s shift ended, Vanessa hadn’t emerged from her room. Mel wasn’t bothered by the fact that Vanessa hadn’t returned to finish their conversation. It was clear that Vanessa had more important things on her mind.
Mel made her way home. As she walked through her apartment door, her phone buzzed. It was a text message from an unknown number. As soon as Mel read the message, she knew who it was from. It contained no greeting, no explanation. Just a single sentence.