"They become a mother, and all of a sudden they're in charge of everyone," Ben complained. He nudged Dana. "So why exactly are we going to a lingerie store, other than to endanger my life with all your husbands?"
"These." Dana cupped her small breasts. "I want something that makes my tits look bigger and set up higher. He likes them the size they are, but no reason not to plump them up a little. Give them a different look. Variety and all that.”
“Fair enough.” Ben flicked her ear again, got punched once more, then checked his watch. “It’s within walking distance, so I’ll text Max where he can find us.”
The driver had been invited to join them for lunch, but Max had said he’d take the time to gas up the limo and run a quick errand.
“Tell him to take his time,” Dana said. “There are plenty of places to shop around here until he gets back. We don’t want him to cut his lunch short.”
“Because he went to see Janet,” Ben agreed, dipping another French fry in her ketchup.
“How do you know that?” Marcie asked, stealing a potato chip off his plate and leaving him a couple slices of artichoke in exchange. She’d gone with the beet and artichoke salad.
“Because I know everything. How did you know, Dana?”
“Because I know him. And I heard him receive a text about a half hour ago. My guess is she was offering to make him lunch if he had the time for a break.”
“I really want to know how that’s working between them,” Cass mused. “With Janet being a Mistress, but Max not being a sub.”
“However it works,” Dana said with a wicked smile, “It has got to be totally hot. He’s got a service streak a mile wide, but it’s the ‘sweep you off your feet and carry you up a mountain’ versus ‘scrub your floors’ kind.”
“That works for me. I already have a maid,” Savannah said, making them all laugh.
Marcie nudged Ben. “Has he given you any details? We won’t tell.”
He chuckled at her attempt at an innocent face. “Only because everyone you would tell is at this table. If I did know details, it’s a guy code. I couldn’t share. But before you try to torture it out of me by threatening more shopping, I don’t really know any. If you’ve noticed, Max would give a sphinx a run for its money.”
“True,” Dana agreed. “You have to pick it up from what he doesn’t say, rather than from what he does.”
“So, what doesn’t he say?” Rachel asked, inciting more smiles.
“I think he’s really into her,” Dana said, her expression becoming less teasing and more thoughtful. “And I think it’s reciprocated.”
“I can vouch for that one,” Ben said. “Janet seems distracted these days. For her, that is. Which means her hundred and fifty percent efficiency has dropped a percent.”
“Good for them,” Savannah said quietly. “They both deserve someone special to love.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Ben advised. “It could be all about the sex, you know.”
“Well, with Max involved, there better be sex,” Dana returned. “A lot of it. Otherwise, what a waste.”
“Amen,” Cass said fervently, a sentiment echoed around the table, including Marcie. Ben shot her a narrow glance.
“Just being agreeable,” she said blithely.
“I’m going to tell Matt he needs to fire Max and hire someone ugly. Or better yet, a hot female with big breasts. We need more diversity in the limo pool.”
“Or a workshop on sexual harassment,” Cass said dryly.
“I’ve only groped his ass three times,” Dana said primly. “And I don’t work for K&A, so you can’t allege harassment.”
“Max might feel differently about that.” Ben gathered up the women’s leavings on one tray and took it to a nearby trash can, dumping the contents and leaving the tray on a shelf provided for them. “So, what was that next place you wanted to go, Reverend Dana?” he asked blithely. “The bible store?”
“Whoever wrote Song of Solomon has no problem with Hot Toddy,” Dana retorted as they left the table. Rachel tucked Dana’s hand into the crook of her elbow as they began to wind their way out of the Market eating area.
As Ben had noted, Hot Toddy wasn’t a far walk. The upscale lingerie and erotica boutique had a silver framed large display window that was partially obscured by a white chalk, cartoon style drawing of a voluptuous woman in a corset and panties, lounging on a divan. She was reading a book and eating bonbons, a pair of glasses perched on the end of her nose.
The open spaces in the drawing gave the passersby tempting glimpses of the lingerie and sexy apparel contained within. The store kept clothing up front, with sex toys, particularly those of the BDSM variety, tucked into elegant and female-friendly alcoves in the back. The store was a franchise expansion of an erotica store in North Carolina called Naughty Bits. Though the owner of Naughty Bits, Madison Scott, had an expanding number of stores operating in the Southeast, she allowed each franchise owner to choose the name they wanted, adding “A Naughty Bits store” in small script beneath it.
Ben had met Madison on a business trip to Charlotte, when he decided to browse her BDSM inventory. He’d come away with a superior quality carbon cane. The one he’d used on Marcie last night.
Madison’s Master, Logan, was the hardware storeowner next door to Naughty Bits. He also made BDSM custom furniture. Madison and Logan were the type of contacts Ben and the rest of the team appreciated. The couple had recently opened an erotic theater, the first of its kind in that part of the world.
The BDSM world wasn’t a large one, so it was Marcus Stanton, a New York gallery owner and friend of Lucas’s, who had recommended Ben stop at the store when he was in Charlotte. Marcus’s friend Julie was the stage manager for Madison’s theater. The visit by Ben had in turn put Madison in contact with the lingerie storeowner in NOLA, Wallenda Matisse, who Ben knew wanted to do more with her business. Hence, Hot Toddy had become a Naughty Bits store.
Wallenda was a black woman with long thin braids to her waist, a diamond stud in her nose, and black nails decorated with a single tiny ruby on each finger, except the thumb. At the sight of the women and Ben, she smiled from ear to ear and came around the counter to exchange kisses and hugs with the ladies.
“I’m so pleased you came to see me.” She gave Ben her usual blatant appraisal. The woman was as subtle as a shot of Jack to the gut. Her lush lips and smoky dark eyes had an even more thudding impact on a man not braced for the smoldering sensuality that was always there, seemingly ready to be unleashed with any trigger Wallenda chose.
“It’s a fine, fine escort you have today, ladies. Mr. O’Callahan, what have you done to be blessed with this much female energy?”
“I drew the winning hand,” he said, brushing his lips along her cheek, temptingly close to the full lips. She gave him a feline look and a throaty chuckle, nudging Marcie.