Totlandia: Summer (8 page)

Ally was speechless for a moment, then pointed to the pie and kissed her friend on the cheek. “Come on in. I’ll put on some coffee.”

Jillian nodded, then followed her inside with the girls.

8:14 p.m.

The thought of losing Brady had Jade crying, nonstop, until Tuesday evening.

She hadn’t eaten a bite all day. “At least take a bottle of water. You’re crying yourself dry,” Reggie warned her from outside the door of her new cottage’s bedroom suite.

“If you want me to hydrate, get me a martini,” she shouted back.

“Sorry, Ophelia,” he retorted. “You’re stuck with me as a roommate, not a bartender.”

“Oh yeah? Says who?”

“I do.”

“Tell me the truth—was this Brady’s idea?”

“In fact, I’m paying your ex for the privilege.”

“Liar.”

He had no rejoinder to that.

His silence was so long that it worried her. The thought that the one person who actually seemed to appreciate what she’d done for him was also deserting her sent her into another fit of uncontrollable sobs. How she would miss the way he smiled whenever she came into view.

She’d even miss the way he teased her. Unlike other men, who annoyed or embarrassed her with lascivious double entendres, Reggie never talked down to her, but always treated her as if she were in on the joke. Granted, she hid the fact that half of what he said went over her head. Later, however, she would look up the reference, and prepare a rejoinder for the next time he joked with her.

Finally he muttered, “Believe what you will, but I mean it when I say that Brady Pierce can’t influence my actions, or my feelings about…anything.”

She wished she could say the same.

Since arriving at her new home she had done nothing but cry and sleep.

Finally, just after nightfall she made her way to her new kitchen. The smell of meat loaf and rosemary mashed potatoes was simply too good to ignore.

Reggie didn’t speak when he saw her. Instead, he shoved a steaming wedge of the meat loaf onto a plate, along with a full ladle’s worth of potatoes.

She took a spoonful.
Wow, not bad,
she thought. In the middle of her fifth bite, she grumbled, “Where did you learn to cook?”

“My dorm, at Berkeley. Communal living means pulling your weight.” He stared down at the ladle. “Sadly it’s also where I learned to drink like a fish. Hence, a good deal of upchucking. I was the best cook in the place. Otherwise, I would have been relegated to scrubbing my own vomit off the toilets after our weekend parties.”

She shrugged. “We all have our vices.”

“Frankly, you’ve taught me it’s the other way around. Our vices have us.” He poured her a glass of water. “You gave me a new start, Jade. I’ll always remember that.”

She turned so that he could see her blushing.

He hesitated, then added, “Maybe being out from under Brady’s roof will give you a new start as well.”

Yeah,
she thought.
Brady is my crack.

She shoved her plate away. “This is a temporary arrangement, for both of us. Nothing more.”

“I hear you loud and clear,” he murmured.

She could barely hear him, she was already halfway up the stairs.

When she reached her bedroom, the crying started all over again.

9:41 p.m.

A good night’s flogging was doing Bettina a world of good.

She had no doubt that Art’s night was just as satisfying, if his squirming on their new spanking bench was any indication.

The paddle did double duty when he had the audacity to suggest that they consider joining a local S and M club.

“It’s called Incognito, because everyone wears masks. You know, to spice things up,” was how he put it.

“Why?” she asked as she placed a butt plug into his bottom. “This isn’t spicy enough for you?”

His scream had her wishing she’d shoved the plug into his mouth instead.

To remind him that the downstairs neighbor in their condo building was a former Secretary of State, she lashed a cat-o’-nine-tails across his back.

“Ouch! My God, Bettina! It’s just that…well…I’d never want to disappoint you…Ouch! Because…Ouch! Ouch! I know how much you like to hone your technique…
Ouch!
But I only suggested it because I want to live long enough to see our daughter graduate from college someday…
PRINCE VSEVOLOD!
”

What a wuss,
she thought. She lowered the whip, but kept him shackled to the bench. Better he should wonder about the extent of her disappointment over his use of their safety word so early in the evening.

Frankly, she hated to admit it, but his suggestion had some merit.

In all those years in which she only emotionally abused him, they had practically no sex life at all. When she discovered his craving for physical punishment—and her desire to give it—their sex life had flourished.

For a while, anyway. True, abusing him gave her another outlet for her own emotional pain. But lately it had begun to bore her. Unshackling him, then telling him the how/what/where of making her orgasm, seemed redundant.

Besides, it bothered her that his orgasms were obviously more intense than hers.

To hell with that.

She tried to keep her tone nonchalant as she asked, “How do you know about these S and M clubs?”

“Oh, you know. I heard about them from some guy, who knows a guy, who knows a guy—”

She put her mouth close to his ear and hissed, “No, I
don’t
know. Do you mean ‘some guy who knows a guy who knows a guy—who knows
some girl
who looks better than me in leather’? Are you trying to tell me that you’ve already checked this place out?”

“No! No, Bettina, I swear I haven’t! On—on Prince Vsevolod’s life!”

“Don’t you ever take his name in vain!” To make her point, she crammed the plug deeper into his ass.

When, finally, he quit sobbing, she whispered, “Tell you what, send me a link to this so-called club. If I like what I see, we’ll talk.”

She whistled for Prince Vsevolod.

The sound of the dog’s footsteps elicited a groan from Art’s lips, but it put a smile to Bettina’s. She’d been training the Tibetan mastiff to growl whenever Art moved or complained. Once she found Art whimpering because Prince Vsevolod was licking the wounds on his bum.

Even Bettina had to admit Art had reason to worry, what with the way in which the bench left all his naughty bits exposed.

“Bettina, please! Keep him away from me,” he begged. “Before he bites a piece of anatomy we both love too much!”

What the hell could that be?
she wondered.

Instead, she laughed and walked away.

So that he wouldn’t presume the S and M club was a slam dunk, she left him shackled to the bench for the rest of the night.

Wednesday, 15 May

9:55 a.m.

The next morning, Jade’s eyes were still too puffy to go out of the house without sunglasses.

Brady didn’t even notice. He handed over Oliver without saying a word, let alone a cursory glance.

She was so late for her debriefing with Bettina there was no time to discuss Monday’s reconnaissance mission. By the time she reached the Moscone Recreation Center, the PHM&T advanced placement classes had already begun.

Oliver whined the second she handed him off to Janine Ledbetter, one of the legacy Onesies moms. She couldn’t blame him. Janine’s son, Jackson, was a biter. He preferred to play with Zoe.

Well
that
will never happen again,
she thought.

Even as she kissed Oliver on the nose and cooed goodbye, she stilled her trembling lips into a smile, then walked into the small room where the Foursies yoga class was taking place.

Bettina’s heart swelled with pride at the sight of the PHM&T Foursies—her daughter, Lily, included—cross-legged and chanting unintelligently along with their meditation instructor, Swami Jay.

That is, with the exception of one little boy, who was crooning, too loudly and oh so clearly, the lyrics to Justin Timberlake’s
Suit & Tie.

Noting Bettina’s scowl at his promise to touch something that is so, so hot, and to show them a few things, the boy’s mother scooped him up and ran out of the room.

Obviously she was still within hearing distance to hear Bettina query Jade, “Isn’t castration still the only cure for perversion?” because the errant tot’s mother burst into tears just as she reached the classroom door.

Kimberley and Bettina snickered, but Jade sat as still as a zombie.

Bettina wanted to yell,
Snap out of it.
After all, they had a long day ahead of them. Soon they’d have to head outside to watch the Twosies’ soccer lessons with the Manchester footballer. After lunch, there was Mr. Pudberry’s Shakespeare class, again with the Foursies.

She nudged Kimberley. “Outside. Now. And grab Sleeping Beauty there, too.”

She got up without waiting for Kimberley’s response.

Both she and Jade were getting on her nerves lately. One thing she knew, and wasn’t afraid to remind them of:
everyone is replaceable.

Then again, who would want to be a Top Mom once word got out that the club was being sued? Sure, it was great to be one of Bettina’s chosen few. It meant they’d aced the club’s unspoken criteria. But the moment that unspoken criteria was aired in a public court of law, no one would welcome being at her side.

She’d have to make the spinelessness of these two work in her favor. Otherwise, what chance did she have with the thick-skinned Mallory, the every-woman-for-herself Joanna, and the gullibly stupid Sally?

Carrot and stick,
she reminded herself.
Keep your friends close, and your frenemies closer.

If only she could stay there in the yoga sanctuary beside Lily, breathing, relaxing, cleansing her chakras! But no. Instead, she had to save her club.

With that, she clasped her hands and bowed slightly to Swami Jay, and followed the others out the door.

“Jade, darling! So sorry I missed you earlier this morning.” Bettina bared her teeth as she smiled.

Jade shuddered as Bettina put her arm on her shoulder and pulled her close.

Kimberley, on the other hand, practically threw her arms around both of them. “It’s great having Jade in the Top Moms, isn’t it, Bettina?”

Look at the way she fawns over me,
Bettina thought.
She’s afraid I’ll cast her aside. I wonder if Jade feels the same way. With Ally threatening a lawsuit, I can’t have any doubts about her, ever.

Bettina’s eyes went from Jade’s to Kimberley’s and back again. Slowly she disentangled herself from the others. “I’ve no doubt, Kimberley, that with your support, Jade will be up to snuff for the task.” She pushed Kimberley away. “Now, beat it. There’s something I need to say to Jade—alone.”

Kimberley’s mouth fell open. She glared openly at Jade.

“My God, quit pouting! This has nothing to do with you.” Bettina studied the nail on the index finger of her right hand, as if it held far more fascination than anything Kimberley could ever say or do. Wasn’t it better to be on Bettina’s radar than under it? She loved the fact that Kimberley would be just as upset in either regard.

Kimberley stalked off without another word.

“I’m just dying to know what poison Ally is spreading to the other Onesies moms. Care to enlighten me?” The lilt in Bettina’s voice did nothing to reassure Jade that their conversation wasn’t going to disappoint one of them.

Better she than Bettina.

Jade bit her lip, then stuttered, “They’re certainly having second thoughts about keeping up any connection with her.”

Bettina smiled. “That’s it? Just ‘second thoughts’? Not outright condemnation?”

“No…I mean, yes—at least, as far as Jillian was concerned. She was pretty upset over Ally’s…er, indiscretions.”

“That one has potential. Not too bright, but a team player nonetheless.
Submissive.
” She made a point to emphasize that last word, as if to impress the point:
everyone can be replaced.

Jade’s wince may have been induced by the relish with which Bettina stroked that last word, but what caused her to step back was the hatred in Bettina’s voice as she added, “You’ve parsed your words so diplomatically that I now presume Lorna is giving Ally the benefit of the doubt. Shame on her.” She shrugged. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of her. You’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

“Fish…What?” Confused, Jade furrowed her brow.

Bettina turn to Jade. “An issue has come up that affects the well-being of the club, and all of its members—including you.”

Jade frowned. “What…is it something I did?”

“Don’t be silly! Why, you’re practically perfect in every way.” By the way Jade’s brow relaxed, apparently she took Bettina’s sarcasm as the Gospel truth. So be it. “By turning in your friend for her egregious indiscretions, you’ve proven your loyalty to all of us.” Bettina sighed grandly. “Unfortunately, that odious woman may try to threaten us with a lawsuit.”

“Ally wants to sue us?” Unconsciously, Jade took a step back.

“Yes, according to her mad-dog-faux-husband-real-lawyer. Needless to say, it will put many of our members in an uncomfortable—perhaps even compromising—position. We’ve all said or done something we’d prefer to keep private, if you get my drift. Who knows what this Thornton woman will blurt out in an open courtroom? Hell, I guess you know better than me. ”

Jade stared down at her feet and muttered, “Yes, sadly I do.”

Bettina looked sharply at Jade.
Ha,
she thought.
Does Ally know about Jade’s history as a stripper? If so, and Jade’s moneybags hubby is in the dark, it certainly makes things more interesting.

Bettina’s arm went around Jade’s waist. “Well then, perhaps it’s time that you two made up—for the good of the club, of course. You know, bury the hatchet before she has a chance to scalp all of us with it. I’m sure that, with your gentle persuasion, she’ll come around.”

Jade took a step back. “What do you mean, my ‘gentle persuasion’?”