“Mrs. Townsend.” I greet Charles’s wife with a small nod, and she gives me a soft smile in return. “I’m a little shocked at your being here. Seeing as you're married.” I’ve heard whispers, and if the tone of Charles’s casino and the collar around his wife’s neck are any indication, they’re into some kind of kink.
I never thought I was into a kink until my Samantha. I don’t know what drives me to take such control of her when we have sex, but I can’t seem to help myself. I can start to see why Charles might do the same thing with his wife. He just might use a few more toys and names than I do.
Even after knowing that about them, I can’t imagine Charles is here to get a Mistress, even with his wife’s approval. He’s seems extremely possessive. I don’t think he’d want another male or female to ever see his wife in the buff.
“Sam called in one of her notorious favors.” He glances towards the stage like he expects her to be there. She doesn’t even do the Auctions. Most of the time she just works backstage, wrapping up contracts and such.
I glance around the room again. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many people in here at once. She must have a long line up.
“Oh. There are the Cortezes. I didn’t know they’d be here, too,” Mandy says, trying to pull from his grip but getting nowhere. She lets out a little huff before giving Charles a look.
“I’ll take you over there, kitten. Retract the claws before they get you more than you bargained for.”
She pushes into his body. “Promises, promises.”
He smiles down at her before giving her a kiss.
I use the opportunity to try to slip away.
“Join us.”
I look around and see that every table is full, so I take Charles up on his offer, not wanting to be rude. Some manners are so deeply ingrained in me I can’t seem to kick them.
When we reach the table, I see Justin Cortez and his brother, Aaron, with their very pregnant wife, Stella, in his lap. She jumps up when she sees us and wobbles over to give Mandy a hug. Charles reluctantly lets her go.
“You’re about to pop,” Mandy says, hugging her back.
“I know.”
They both take their seats in their husbands’ laps. I take one of the vacant chairs, trying not to let the sight eat me up too much.
“Wait until you meet Don’s wife. You’re going to die,” Stella says excitedly while Aaron absently rubs her stomach, making the bite of jealousy hit me again.
“They’re married?” Mandy half-squeals, almost coming out of her chair, but Charles locks his arm around her waist. “I just thought they were shacking up at the moment. I knew it was serious, I just didn’t know he put a ring on it.”
“Oh, yeah, he did. You should see that rock.” Stella lifts her hand in an approximation of the ring’s size. It has to be an exaggeration because I’m not sure they even make rings that big. Or how someone would walk around with one that size on their hand.
“Men,” Mandy sighs. “They just have to mark us. To let the whole world know we’re taken.” Her eyes roll, contradicting the dreamy tone of her words as her hand goes to the chain around her neck, making Stella smile.
“Oh, there they are.” Stella tries to jump from Aaron’s lap, but this time he holds firm.
“Calm down, or you’re going to go into labor.”
More hugs are exchanged before Don and his new wife, Peaches, join us at the table. Don eyes me knowingly as his wife, too, sits in his lap. He probably remembers seeing me out to dinner with Samantha a little while back at his casino’s steakhouse.
Everyone chitchats idly about babies and weddings. I try to ignore it, hating how I want the things they have, but I’ll only ever want them with one person. I can’t seem to get through to her, but I’ll keep trying. Even if she doesn’t want marriage and babies and all that, I just want all of her. Every piece.
It isn’t long before another couple is joining us.
“Aren’t you on the wrong side of the curtain, Kim?” Peaches asks the tall woman who joins us. She looks familiar, and it’s then I realize she’s one of the top lawyers in Vegas.
“He tricked me! That last contract I filled out had a marriage license in it.”
Peaches’ mouth falls open. “You, too?! These sneaky bastards. You have to watch out for those city boys. They’re slicker than snot on a doorknob.”
Kim settles in next to her husband, who wraps an arm around her.
“Guess you can only run for so long before you get caught,” Kim says, clearly not upset about being caught.
“It really is the best part,” Peaches agrees.
I silently agree, too. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to finally really catch Samantha.
“I wonder what Sam is up to. This place is crazy packed. I’ve never seen it like this before.” Kim looks around the room, voicing my thoughts.
I pull out my phone to check to see if Samantha has texted me. Nothing since I asked if she wanted me to bring her lunch today, which I’d gotten a “no” to.