“You have honest-to-god roads in your yard,” she marveled as we drove.
“Yeah, and all sorts of little hidden secrets,” I promised. A part of me hoped Gena wouldn’t think we were total freaks once she saw our playhouse. But it was hard to imagine that she would. She’d expressed interest when she’d found out Neil was into dominance and submission, so she had to know at least something about all of this.
After my mom had moved in, Neil had decided that the best course of action to discourage her from poking around the Pavillon was to put up a length of dark green chain-link fence and a motorized gate with a sign warning about electrical equipment.
“Pull in there,” I said, indicating the gate. “Hit the red button on the box.”
“I don’t really feel like getting electrocuted today,” Gena said, her eyes cutting to me before she rolled down her window. “But I’m going to trust you, just this once.”
The gate rolled back, and she put the car in gear, rolling us forward.
“I’m letting you in on our big secret,” I told her. “The only people who know about it are me, Neil, and our…boyfriend.” That was the only word I could think of to describe our relationship with him.
“I’m honored,” she said, distracted as we rounded the curve and the Pavillon came into view. “Is that it?”
“It is. Wait until you see inside.” I motioned to the front of the building. “Pull up there.”
She stopped us in front of the doors. “I thought it was a folly. There’s really an inside?”
“There is.” I pushed open my door and got out. I knelt beside one of the carefully trimmed hedges and found the “rock” that held the key. I pulled it free.
“So much secrecy,” Gena teased.
I hadn’t been in the Pavillon since before…well, since before my entire life had fallen apart. I didn’t know how I would react seeing it, now. I unlocked the door, stepped in.
During the day, the center room didn’t need any lights. The sunlight brightened the whole space in a clean white glow through the filmy curtains. The heavy drapes were pulled back, meaning our cleaning company—a discreet one that Neil assured me could be trusted to keep their mouths shut and our proclivities out of the press—had been in. That also meant the aftercare room would be well stocked, the bed made, and every surface immaculately dusted.
“Okay,” Gena said, nodding slowly as a smile grew on her face. “This is swank.”
“Yeah, it was a wedding present,” I told her, then revised, “Well, not really. The building was here already. What’s in the building, though—”
“I think I understand what it’s for.” Gena pointed to the metal bondage frame and the rack of canes.
I blushed. It had been my idea to bring her here, but suddenly, I was shy? “Let me show you around.”
“Please do.”
I took her to the aftercare room, first, and pointed out all the supplies there. Even though we wouldn’t be engaging in hard play—I was too emotionally fragile to even consider it—I thought it was cool enough to point out.
“The building is designed with four rooms off this central one,” I explained as we walked back to the middle. “Like a cross, but the lines intersect here.”
“It’s stunning,” she said as we entered the bathroom. I flipped on the lights in there, because it was a bit dimmer; half of the windows were just façades, now, covered inside by the shower.
“Are those shackles?” She pointed to the cuffs on the wall.
“Yes, they are. The water pressure in here is fantastic.”
“I would expect nothing less from the two of you.”
I snorted. “What do you mean by that?”
Gena shrugged one shoulder. “You’re so into each other. I envy that. I want to find someone who looks at me the way Neil looks at you.”
“How does he look at me?” I pressed, like I was trying to find out if my crush really did like me. Every day that Neil and I were apart, I became just slightly more pathetic.
“Like you’re the only thing he’ll ever need.” Gena’s tone was a little sad as she said it. Had Ian never looked at her that way?
No matter how shitty our life was, right now, Neil and I were in it together. I was thankful for that, and I hoped Gena would find someone herself, since she wanted to.