right. But she could just imagine Trey's reaction if she put out $50,000 on his behalf without any kind of discussion. "I have to do it this way, Amanda."
"Okay, sure. Don't expect me to mop up the mess if the photo gets published."
"Have you seen it?"
"He emailed me a copy, the shit-head. It's you."
"We have twenty-four hours, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'll call you tonight."
"While I have you on the phone, there's a new project I'd like to discuss with you."
Liv sat down in the bed, impatient to get to work and, hopefully, see Trey, but ready to discuss business if she had to. Life had to roll on, even if she was unhappy.
* * *
Trey mopped up his egg yolk with a buttered corn muffin and slurped down some coffee. He had to get busy helping Ace clear out some of the equipment from the old house. The rest of the BDSM Boot Camp was more instructional and social. The party was their lead-off event. Quite a few people came to the party who were otherwise not going to attend the rest of the week's activities.
The morning's planned events were low-key, owing to the possible hangovers of the attendees. It gave Trey and Ace a chance to make some conference space and for the cleaning crew to do their job as well.
Ace was getting into his truck when Trey walked outside. "Give me a ride, bro?"
"Sure," Ace said. "I know you left your truck at the old house last night."
"Yeah. I had enough liquor that I didn't want to drive, and I thought the walk would do me good."
They got into Ace's vehicle and slammed the doors shut. "Did it?"
"Not really." He thought about that. "Kinda."
The truck revved to life and Ace backed away from the house. "Liv has you twisted in knots, doesn't she?"
"She's got her issues."
"Don't we all."
"Yeah, well. I haven't quite decided how involved in her issues I want to become."
"Pretty outside isn't necessarily pretty inside."
"She's pretty inside, too, but has some problems with trust. And there's somethin’ screwy about her relationship to food. She might have an eatin’ disorder."
"She's not rail skinny. How could that be if she had a problem like that?"
"I dunno. I can't figure it out."
"Do you want to? Figure it out, I mean."
They parked in front of the old house. "She's got baggage, Ace, but I think I'm fallin' for her."
Ace pulled the key out of the ignition, but didn't open the door. He gave Trey a thoughtful look. "What about your worries about deployment?"
"They seem less important at the moment."
Ace nodded. "Don't let your dick tell you what to do."
"I'm not. That's the least of it."
The door hinge squeaked a little as Ace got out. Trey met him around the front of the truck. The air was cooler today, and clouds were accumulating.
"I'm sure you can handle it, Trey."
"Thanks. I'm gonna try."
Chapter 7
By five o'clock, Trey hadn't come by yet and Liv worried that he wasn't going to show up at all. She didn't know if she should go find him so that she could discuss the blackmail attempt with him, or handle it on her own. If she dealt with it by herself, she would be kissing any hope of a relationship with Trey goodbye. But with his no-show during the shoot today, that might be the case anyway.
Indecision made her fretful. Gabriella bounced over with a big smile. "That was a good session, Liv. I love what you did with your hands."
"Thanks." She didn't want a conversation, she wanted peace so she could think over her situation and make a plan.
"So…Trey's not here today?"
"Why would he be?"
Gabriella rolled her eyes dramatically. "To see you, silly. He practically drools when he is near you."
So his interest was apparent to others. Why couldn't Liv accept it and build on it? Why did she have to question his motives so often? "I think you're overstating it, Gabby."
"Fine. Are you saying you're not interested in him? 'Cause if you're not, I sure am."
It would kill Liv to watch him and Gabriella together. Raindrops began to fall on the tent overhead and Liv thought they were
"Okay, sure. Don't expect me to mop up the mess if the photo gets published."
"Have you seen it?"
"He emailed me a copy, the shit-head. It's you."
"We have twenty-four hours, right?"
"Yeah."
"I'll call you tonight."
"While I have you on the phone, there's a new project I'd like to discuss with you."
Liv sat down in the bed, impatient to get to work and, hopefully, see Trey, but ready to discuss business if she had to. Life had to roll on, even if she was unhappy.
* * *
Trey mopped up his egg yolk with a buttered corn muffin and slurped down some coffee. He had to get busy helping Ace clear out some of the equipment from the old house. The rest of the BDSM Boot Camp was more instructional and social. The party was their lead-off event. Quite a few people came to the party who were otherwise not going to attend the rest of the week's activities.
The morning's planned events were low-key, owing to the possible hangovers of the attendees. It gave Trey and Ace a chance to make some conference space and for the cleaning crew to do their job as well.
Ace was getting into his truck when Trey walked outside. "Give me a ride, bro?"
"Sure," Ace said. "I know you left your truck at the old house last night."
"Yeah. I had enough liquor that I didn't want to drive, and I thought the walk would do me good."
They got into Ace's vehicle and slammed the doors shut. "Did it?"
"Not really." He thought about that. "Kinda."
The truck revved to life and Ace backed away from the house. "Liv has you twisted in knots, doesn't she?"
"She's got her issues."
"Don't we all."
"Yeah, well. I haven't quite decided how involved in her issues I want to become."
"Pretty outside isn't necessarily pretty inside."
"She's pretty inside, too, but has some problems with trust. And there's somethin’ screwy about her relationship to food. She might have an eatin’ disorder."
"She's not rail skinny. How could that be if she had a problem like that?"
"I dunno. I can't figure it out."
"Do you want to? Figure it out, I mean."
They parked in front of the old house. "She's got baggage, Ace, but I think I'm fallin' for her."
Ace pulled the key out of the ignition, but didn't open the door. He gave Trey a thoughtful look. "What about your worries about deployment?"
"They seem less important at the moment."
Ace nodded. "Don't let your dick tell you what to do."
"I'm not. That's the least of it."
The door hinge squeaked a little as Ace got out. Trey met him around the front of the truck. The air was cooler today, and clouds were accumulating.
"I'm sure you can handle it, Trey."
"Thanks. I'm gonna try."
Chapter 7
By five o'clock, Trey hadn't come by yet and Liv worried that he wasn't going to show up at all. She didn't know if she should go find him so that she could discuss the blackmail attempt with him, or handle it on her own. If she dealt with it by herself, she would be kissing any hope of a relationship with Trey goodbye. But with his no-show during the shoot today, that might be the case anyway.
Indecision made her fretful. Gabriella bounced over with a big smile. "That was a good session, Liv. I love what you did with your hands."
"Thanks." She didn't want a conversation, she wanted peace so she could think over her situation and make a plan.
"So…Trey's not here today?"
"Why would he be?"
Gabriella rolled her eyes dramatically. "To see you, silly. He practically drools when he is near you."
So his interest was apparent to others. Why couldn't Liv accept it and build on it? Why did she have to question his motives so often? "I think you're overstating it, Gabby."
"Fine. Are you saying you're not interested in him? 'Cause if you're not, I sure am."
It would kill Liv to watch him and Gabriella together. Raindrops began to fall on the tent overhead and Liv thought they were
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