Bound Obsession (BDSM Erotica) (Club Taboo Book 1) by Veronica Wilder

 
    Chapter 1
    “Why the long face, Abby?”
    Abigail Fuller picked at her salad, her eyes fixed on her plate. Mariah sat directly across from her, but she didn’t seem to hear or see her best friend. Hanging her head, Abigail could focus on nothing but the ever-diminishing funds in her bank account. A waitress didn’t make much, but she thought that she could survive on the tips until something better came along.
    And she had been waiting for eight months.
    She sent out over a thousand resumes, some because she knew she was qualified, others out of desperation and the hope that someone would just take a chance on her. Abigail was consumed by the thought of how she was going to make her next month’s rent. She pictured herself losing everything, having to take to the streets with all the belongings that she could manage to carry on her back and huddling beside buildings or over heating grates in a futile attempt to keep warm. Winter was right around the corner.
    “Abby? Hey.”
    The sensation of Mariah’s hand on hers startled her out of her awful reverie, and she was suddenly trapped in her friend’s bright blue stare. How she longed to tell her, to tell someone. But what did Mariah know of struggle? Not one blonde hair was out of place, and her free, French-manicured hand tapped the tabletop as she nodded that it was okay for Abigail to go on.
    “It’s… it’s nothing,” Abigail lied.
    Leaning back, Mariah clicked her tongue and slowly shook her head.
    “It’s one thing if you just don’t want to talk about it,” Mariah started. “But don’t lie. Not to me. I see right through you.”
    Pushing away, Abigail shrugged her bad mood aside and lifted her fork. Spearing a cucumber, she started to bring the food to her lips, but as soon as the taste hit her tongue, she knew that she couldn’t swallow it down without gagging, and she spit the food into her napkin.
    “Jesus, Abby!” Mariah cried. “It can’t be as bad as all that.”
    But it was; it more than was.
    Breaking down, Abigail didn’t resist as Mariah dropped her napkin and shifted from her seat to hold her close.
    “What are you looking at?” Mariah challenged another diner when he looked at them too hard and too long. The man returned to his burger and fries, and Mariah sprang into action.
    “Come on, sweetie,” Mariah said.
    She helped her to her feet and led her to the ladies’ room. Hiding together in one of the stalls, Mariah tore off a generous hunk of toilet tissue and dried the tears from Abigail’s pale face.
    “Just tell me,” she whispered. “Maybe I can help.”
    Mariah waited for the full story, and Abigail could see that she thought she had the magic bullet. All Abigail had to do was ask, and the cure would be hers.
    “I’m… I’m in trouble,” Abigail said. “I’m nearly broke. I can’t get a job. A real job. And I don’t… I just don’t…”
    As much as she hated being weak, Abigail could not stop herself from breaking down. This was not how her life was supposed to turn out. They were both only twenty-four, but Mariah had it all together. Beautiful, a model. Abigail knew that that would never be her. But she was smart. She worked hard and finished a task if given the chance. And she had a degree. Maybe it was in philosophy, but she could always teach with that.
    Those jobs were harder to come by than an admin in a small office. But Abigail would have even jumped at that in a heartbeat. She was ready to jump at anything.
    “It’s tough out there,” Mariah said. “I get it.”
    Her designer dress told a different story, but she couldn’t lash out at her friend. She was always sweet, and she deserved her success.
    “Sure,” Abigail sniffled. “I know you had your hard times, too.”
    To look at her now, no one would be the wiser, and that was a good thing. And Mariah was nothing if not generous. She was footing the bill for this miserable lunch, and as she reached into her purse, Abigail was convinced that