“Do it right now before you chicken out.”
I give her a hug, grab my laptop from the table, and head to my room.
The application process is thorough but straightforward. I apply for an internship as the assistant to the event planner, press send, and close my computer. With nothing else to do, I head to the kitchen to make a cup of cocoa and pick up Em’s copy of Bound on the way. With cocoa in hand, I collapse onto the soft, overstuffed sofa. A few minutes later, I hear the beep of a text coming in.
Hi, it’s Damon. I am hoping maybe we could be friends in some capacity. Are you having a nice night, Katarina? What are you doing?
I think about his question. Could I be friends with him? I suppose there’s no harm in being nice, so I text him back.
Damon, if you’re going to be my friend, then you have to call me Kat. All my friends call me Kat. Right now, I’m drinking hot chocolate and reading Emma’s naughty romance novel.
I picked up a copy for myself today. I wanted to see what all the women are talking about. What page are you on?
That’s interesting. I’d never have imagined you to be a fan of “girlie” books. I’m on page 57.
I’m learning you can find out a lot about women from a “girlie” book. I should have been reading these all along. I’d be so much smarter when it came to the fairer sex if I’d paid attention from the beginning.
Don’t get pure entertainment mixed up with what girls want. Take this book, for instance. The protagonist is a young college graduate who meets a charming man while doing her friend a favor. Doesn’t that sound familiar? He wants to see her on certain nights, and he’s willing to pay her. Wow, that’s sounds familiar too. Where the story differs is she says yes and well … you know the rest.
This is a book about exploring different avenues for sexual satisfaction. When I was a boy, you could only find stories like this in adult magazines. It seems to be mainstream these days. That’s what the sexual revolution has done for us.
Since I haven’t read that far, I’m not sure where this is leading, but with a title such as Bound, I’m guessing we’re headed to the kinky side. It’s not my normal genre. I like sweeter romance novels, like the ones where the man comes racing in on a white stallion and saves the day. Emma tells me this story will get way out of control.
What about you, Kat? Do you like being out of control?
How do you mean? Are you talking about restraints and gags, or something different?
No, just your average scarves or a pair of fur-lined handcuffs. No Saint Andrew’s Cross or dungeon cages.
Holy shit. The man gets straight to it.
I haven’t given it much thought. If I’m being honest with you, and I feel one should be honest with their friends, then I find the idea intriguing. I definitely would not want my mouth gagged, but being restrained could be fun. You would have to have some agreement as to what you’re willing or not willing to do.
Check out page 87 and text me back.
What am I doing? I feel like I’m in a book club for the deranged. I put down the book, refusing to be tempted to see what lies ahead. Then I think about restraints, and then I think about Damon and restraints. My body reacts at the thought of being restrained in front of Damon, and I wonder what he would do. I can’t resist the temptation, so I pick up the book and flip to page 87.
Oh, holy hell. I can’t believe what I’m reading. The agreement is long and comprehensive. Many of the things he wants to do to her are foreign. I open up my computer and type in seahorse triple action. The picture that shows up is shocking. I’m stunned by the sheer size of it. Oh … my … goodness! People can get inventive.
I slam my computer closed and put the book on the table. My cheeks flush as heat courses through my body. My phone beeps with another incoming message.
Well?
I lie.
I haven’t read it, so I don’t know.
Didn’t you tell me that one should be honest with friends?
Leave it to him to throw my words back at me. I type out the longest text ever.
Yes, I did, and you’ve caught me. I’m uncomfortable talking to you about this book. I read it, and I’m quite appalled. I had to look up one device, just to see what it was. It comes in several speeds, widths, lengths, and colors. What happened to good old regular sex?
People have different tastes. This book describes a particular flavor, but there are many out there. Where have you been hiding?
I haven’t been hiding. I just haven’t been experiencing too much of what other people are tasting.
I could present you with a buffet of experiences to try. What do you say?
Good night, Damon.
I put my phone down and mosey my way to my bed. Laying my head against the pillow, I think about Damon and how he’ll be the death of me.
Chapter Seven
I wake to the sound of my ringtone—a cacophony of birds chirping. They are loud enough to hear and unpleasant enough to want to answer immediately.
“Hello.”
“Can I speak to Katarina Cross, please?” the woman asks.
I sit up and try to sound wide awake. “Yes, this is Katarina.”
“This is Della Fields from Noble Enterprises, and I’m calling about the internship position. I have your résumé in front of me, and I’d love for you to come talk to us about the opening we posted.”
My heart rate picks up its pace, but I control my excitement and tell her in a calm and professional voice, “That sounds great. What day and time would work best?”
“I know it’s last minute, but can you be here at one o’clock today?”
“Absolutely.” I hop out of bed and start dancing around my room. “Where do I go when I enter the building?”
“Someone at the reception desk will guide you to the human resources department.”
“Perfect, I’ll see you then.” I hang up the phone and jump into the air, waving my arms in celebration. It’s only an interview, but it means one of two things. I have the skills they are looking for, or they are desperate and need warm bodies. Either way, it’s a job opportunity.
Another option enters my mind. Did Damon have anything to do with me getting the call? The idea is silly since I just filled out the application last night. I can’t imagine him even knowing I applied for the internship. I dance across the hall to tell Emma.
“I’ve got an interview at Noble Enterprises!” I scream in delight as I sashay around her room.
“What time is it?” she grumbles and pulls her duvet cover over her head to shield her from the sun peeking through her window.
“It’s nine o’clock, and everything is all right in the world, Em. Get up and have coffee with me, and then help me find the perfect interview outfit.” I dash from her room to the kitchen to make us both a cup of coffee. I slam every drawer and cabinet to make sure she doesn’t fall back to sleep. “Don’t forget, you owe me big, and I’m taking my payment now. Get up!”
Em appears in the kitchen in her flannel pajamas and bunny slippers. She slides into a seat at the table and circles the coffee mug with both hands, before she brings it to her lips. I know she needs that first sip to jump-start her morning.
“Okay, so what time is this interview?” she asks.