The waiter nodded briskly, turned on his heel and hurried away.
Red turned his attention to her now. He folded his hands on the table. “Do you like it here?”
“It’s very elegant. But it would have been nice if you’d asked what I wanted to eat. I was going to order the organic chicken.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why were you going to order the organic chicken?”
She hesitated, realizing she didn’t even know why. “Because…”
“Because it was safe.”
She frowned. “I like chicken.”
“Then you’ll love the duck cassoulet.”
“You need to be in control all of the time,” she said. “It must get exhausting for you.”
He shrugged. “I think it’s worked out pretty well for me.”
“It’s exhausting for anyone who has to deal with you.”
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly. “Depends on who you ask.”
“I’m sure all the girls you bring back to the apartment love it.”
The waiter came to the table with the wine, showed it to them both, and opened it with a flourish. Red tasted it and seemed to approve, so the waiter poured them each a half glass and set the bottle in the center of the table before leaving.
Nicole sipped her wine. It tasted amazing, better than any drink she’d ever had. She was trying to decide if the wonderful taste of her wine was more an after-effect of being in Red’s presence. Everything seemed better right now. Her clothes felt sexier, her eyes sharper, she heard everything.
The clinking forks and knives as an older couple ate something unrecognizable at a table just over Red’s shoulder, someone across the room tittering laughter.
Red was looking at her with interest. “You’re so young,” he marveled.
She shrugged. “I guess.”
“Perhaps too young for such a complicated relationship.”
“And perhaps you’re too old to be playing games all the time.” She arched her eyebrow at him.
“Touché.” He grinned and sipped his wine.
A few minutes later, the waiter brought their food on steaming hot plates. Nicole ate her duck without any outward signs of hesitation, knowing that Red would be looking for any excuse to poke fun at her naiveté.
And in any case, the food was tasty; she did enjoy the duck after all.
“So what’s it like to be one of the richest people in the world?” she asked him at one point.
He chuckled. “It’s not too bad.” He considered it further. “You know I didn’t come from money.”
“You grew up in a two-bedroom apartment with just your mother and little brother. Your mother worked two jobs. You did so well in school academically and with your swimming that you received a full scholarship to Harvard.”
He looked surprised. “You did your research.” Red leaned over and poured more wine into her glass.
“I guess I have the advantage when it comes to knowing your past,” she said. “You know almost nothing about me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he said.
“Oh? Tell me something about my childhood.”
He sighed and checked his watch. “Another time perhaps.”
“That means you don’t know.”
“I’m not in the habit of lying.” For the first time, his voice had an edge to it. His dark eyes locked on hers and she thought again that she would do anything to please him.
The waiter came and collected their plates and asked if they’d like any dessert. Red answered. “No, we have other plans for desert,” he said, staring right at her.
“Very good, Mr. Jameson. I’ll get your check.”
***
Nicole was quiet on the ride to the apartment, but Red didn’t seem to notice.
She was excited to go there with him. She remembered how it had felt when she’d come the last time. She wanted that feeling again, wanted to have his hands touching her in every private place, wanted to be naked so he could look at her, watch her, do with her as he liked.
But she was also afraid. What if he continued to escalate the punishment and pain he was inflicting? Nicole wasn’t sure that she wanted to experience much more of that kind of thing.
And she also didn’t like going to a place that was clearly designed for this purpose, knowing she was just one of many, many women he’d brought there for exactly this kind of rendezvous.
Red parked his car in an underground lot and then escorted Nicole up through an entrance that brought them out at street level. When they came out, he pointed across the road to a brick building with a large man outside in leather pants and a tight black t-shirt. He had a handlebar mustache and tattoos on only one arm.
“That’s Club Dominion,” he said. “A very interesting place. Maybe I’ll take you sometime.”
The bouncer—or whatever he was—glared at them, oblivious of who Red was, or simply not caring.
“What’s so interesting about it?” she asked, as they continued walking in the other direction.
“You need to experience it yourself to answer that question.”
“So it’s an S&M club,” she said.
He laughed. “That’s a quaint term.”