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Jim looks at me, his brow furrowed in concern. “Sure, what’s up?”
I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what I’m about to say. “I’ve been thinking… what would you say about trying some new things in the bedroom? You know, spicing things up a bit?”
Jim’s eyes widen, and I can see the panic flashing across his face. “What kind of things?” he asks, his voice tight.
I lick my lips, my heart pounding in my chest. In for a penny… “Well, I was thinking maybe we could try some… you know, kinkier stuff. Like roleplay, or bondage, or even… inviting someone else…”
The silence that follows is deafening. I can practically hear the gears turning in Jim’s head as he tries to process what I’ve just said.
And then he explodes.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” he shouts, jumping up from the couch like it’s on fire. “You wanna do what? Tie me up? Bring another person into our bed? What the hell, Ava?”
I shrink back, my face burning with shame and embarrassment. “I just thought it might be fun to try something new,” I mumble, my voice small and pathetic. “Didn’t mean to upset you.”
But Jim’s not listening. He’s pacing back and forth, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “I can’t believe this,” he mutters, more to himself than to me. “I thought I knew you, Ava. Thought we had a good thing going here. But I don’t know you at all.”
Tears sting my eyes, and I feel like I’ve been punched in the gut. “Jim, please,” I beg, reaching for him. “Can’t we just talk about this?”
But he jerks away from me like I’m radioactive. “There’s nothing to talk about,” he snaps, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door. “I’m done. We’re fucking done, Ava.”
And with that, he’s gone, slamming the door behind him so hard the walls rattle.
I sit on the couch, stunned and heartbroken, as the reality of what just happened slowly sinks in. I’ve just been dumped. Dumped for being too kinky, too adventurous, too… well, too much.
I spend the rest of the weekend in a haze of misery and self-loathing, alternating between crying my eyes out and stuffing my face with ice cream. By the time Monday morning rolls around, I’m a puffy-eyed, bloated mess who’s had to face the ex-boyfriend she moved across states for come take every single item he owns out of our shared apartment.
But I can’t afford to wallow. I have a job to do, and I’ll be damned if I let my personal life interfere with my career. Especially since that’s all I have left here now. So, I drag myself out of bed, slap on some concealer, and head into the office, determined to put on a brave face and power through.
Except, it’s not that easy. The moment I walk through the door, I can feel my bosses’ eyes on me, their gazes sharp and assessing. They know something’s wrong, but they’re too polite to pry.
At least, until lunchtime rolls around and they corner me in the break room.
“Ava,” Alex says, his deep voice laced with concern. “Is everything alright? You seem… off today.”
I try to smile, but it comes out more like a grimace. “I’m fine,” I lie, my voice brittle. “Just a little tired, that’s all.”
But Liam’s not buying it. He steps closer, his dark eyes searching mine. “Bullshit,” he says bluntly. “Something’s bothering you, and we want to know what it is.”
I open my mouth to deny it, but then Ethan chimes in. “We’re here for you, Ava,” he says softly, his warm hand coming to rest on my shoulder. “Whatever it is, you can tell us.”
And something about the warmth in his voice, the gentleness in his touch, makes me crack. Before I know it, the whole sordid story is spilling out of me in a rush of tears and hiccuping breaths.
I tell them about my disastrous conversation with Jim, and the way he reacted with disgust and horror. I tell them about the breakup, about how he stormed out of my life without a backward glance.
And through it all, they listen. They don’t judge or condemn me. They just listen, their expressions understanding and laced with something that looks suspiciously like… hunger?
When I finally run out of words, I’m trembling, my face wet with tears. I brace myself for the inevitable awkwardness that will follow.
But instead, Alex reaches out and brushes a tear from my cheek with his thumb. “Oh, Ava,” he murmurs, his deep voice low and soothing. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Jim’s a fool for not appreciating the amazing, sensual woman you are.”
I blink up at him, my heart skipping a beat. “You… you don’t think I’m a freak?” I whisper, my voice hoarse.
Ethan barks out a laugh, the sound warm and rich. “Are you kidding? We think you’re fucking incredible.”
Liam nods, his dark eyes smoldering. “And if Jim can’t see that? Can’t appreciate the gift of your submission, your desire to please? Then he doesn’t fucking deserve you.”
I feel a warm glow ignite in my chest, a flicker of hope and excitement. “You really mean that?” I breathe, hardly daring to believe it.
