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Her bed took up most of the space, but there was a small nightstand on one side with a lamp and a stack of books. She strolled over and turned on the light before kicking off her shoes and crawling onto the bed. Over the last month or so she’d started reading again. Her boss, Beth, had even lent her some of her favorite novels.
But tonight the only thing on Grace’s mind was her husband’s words. Sure, she could ignore her master’s last command, but Grace had never been good at that. She’d always been a good little sub, and disregarding her Dom’s last order wasn’t in her.
Without much thought, Grace kicked the sheets down until she was able to burrow beneath them. Fall had arrived and the weather was starting to cool. She hadn’t needed to turn on the air-conditioning for the last week. Still, most people probably wouldn’t have wanted more than a sheet, let alone the comforter she kept on her bed, but she liked the weight.
She unfolded the letter and read it for the third time, hoping somehow that the words would have changed. They hadn’t. It had taken years for her and Kurt to build the trust they’d had together, years to form the bond that gave her so much joy and pleasure. Even when he’d been thousands of miles away she could feel their connection.
He’d given her no timetable for finding another master. She could put it off, but in her heart she’d know she was disobeying.
Sliding farther down onto the mattress, she brought the sheet up until it was tucked beneath her chin, and rolled onto her side. Was she ready to start dating again? Find another master?
She had no idea how to answer that.
Somewhere along the line, Grace must have fallen asleep. It was dark out when she opened her eyes. She went to use the bathroom and get a drink of water before returning to her bed. There were so many decisions she needed to make and she’d never been good at that.
Grace lay there contemplating her options until her alarm went off at five thirty. It was Tuesday and she had to get ready for work. At least there she knew her place, what she needed to do.
Tommy was the first person Grace saw when she walked through the back door of the café. He was putting some of Beth’s blueberry muffins into the oven. The thought alone made her mouth start to water.
“Morning, Grace.”
She gave a small wave and went to put her purse on the shelf and grab her apron.
“How was your weekend?” he asked.
“It was good. How was yours?” It was the same way she answered every time he asked.
“Tommy had a date this weekend,” Beth chimed in as she came around the corner and placed a large bag of flour on the counter. “Morning, Grace.”
Grace went to the sink to wash her hands so she could help with the baking. “Morning.”
They fell into what had become their normal routine. Beth and Tommy had known each other for years, since before Beth had opened the café, and you could tell by the way they teased each other. Grace never felt left out, though. They tried to include her as much as possible in their conversations and she appreciated it. The café was the one place Grace felt like she belonged these days.
The buzzer went off and Tommy went to get the muffins out of the oven to cool while Grace and Beth loaded the front counter with all the goodies they’d made that morning. Once everything was in place and ready to go, they each pulled a stool up to one of the prep tables and grabbed a muffin. It had become a morning ritual of theirs.
Beth said it was because she rarely was able to grab breakfast before she left for work anymore since her fiancé, Drew, had moved in with her. She said they tended to get distracted and food wasn’t high on their list of priorities. While Grace could see where Drew could be a distraction, their morning muffin break hadn’t started until after Beth had found out that Grace didn’t always eat breakfast before coming to work.
“So have you and Drew set a date?” Tommy asked Beth as he polished off his muffin.
“We’re still discussing it.”
Tommy shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re waiting for.”
“We’ve only been engaged for a month.” Beth looked to Grace. “That’s not long, right?”
Their discussion was cut short when the oven timer went off, letting them know that not only were the scones ready, but it was time to open the doors. Tommy hopped off his stool and took his plate over to the large stainless steel sink along the wall then he disappeared through the swinging doors that separated the front of the restaurant from the kitchen area.
“I guess that means it’s showtime,” Beth said, scraping some crumbs off the counter.
Grace tied a clean apron around her waist. “I’ll get the soup started.”
The day flew by and before Grace knew it, they were putting food away and wiping down tables. In the two months she’d been working for Beth, she’d gotten to know a lot of the regulars. They greeted her with a smile and always brightened her day. She felt like she’d found an extended family at Beth’s Café. She owed her sister, Gabby, a huge thank you for pushing her to apply for the job.
“Any big plans for tonight, Grace?” Tommy asked as he cleaned the display case.
The first thing she thought of was her husband’s letter. Of course, she couldn’t say anything about that to Tommy. “I might swing by my sister’s.” It was a lie, but he didn’t need to know that. Grace was planning to do the same thing she did most nights after work—go home to her lonely house and find a way to pass the time.
He poked his head up over the display case. “You should come out to dinner with us.”
