Page 23 of Minha Dona

“No,” Helena said. “But I might. Same for you?”

“I’m happy being free, single and casual for now.”

“You should try it. See if you can find someone who’s looking for an immensely fun, stunningly beautiful, and breathtakingly dominant woman to rule them exquisitely.” Helena smiled as she saw Juliana blush at her description. “Dating’s different as a dominant or a submissive, there’s a lot more to be careful about, but it can be so much better as a result.”

“Now that I’ll need your guidance on. How about a deal? Casual stays casual between us, but both of us promise that if we want to pause it because we’re seeing someone then we’re honest with each other. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Good.” Juliana looked at Helena for a long few moments, a smile playing at the edges of her mouth. “What you were saying earlier. About,” she raised her eyebrows, “being my submissive. You meant that?”

“Genuinely. You’re such a natural dominant, and you bring so much fun to it.”

Juliana thought about it. “I’d like to explore doing that with you, casually, but I think you’re right about dating.” She looked at Helena and grinned. “Where do I even start with that?”

Helena laughed. “That, I can help with. Are you on any of the apps?”

“No. Not the more specialist ones.”

“Then give me your phone. We’ve got until the end of this bottle to get you set up with a killer set of profiles…”

***

The weeks until Miami passed quickly. Helena’s work was busy, a mix of the usual day-to-day and planning for the conference. In theory, Helena was only expected to turn up at the partner conference and meet people. In theory. In practice, she was treating it like a military operation, planning in detail with the São Paulo partners who she needed to meet, which sessions she needed to attend, what she needed to do to prove that she deserved to be there along with everyone else.

The goal wasn’t to attend the conference and come back with some fun memories. It was to attend the conference and make it so blindingly obvious to everyone who mattered that she deserved to be there that next year’s invite was a no-brainer.

When she wasn’t working, Helena’s social life was its usual level of hectic, not to mention fun. She saw Juliana a couple of times, both times ‘accidentally’ being out in the same place and ending the night leaving together. One of those nights she caught Isabella flashing a knowing grin at Mariana and Mariana rolling her eyes in exasperation, but neither Helena nor Juliana minded… particularly an hour later when Helena found herself bound, helpless, marvelling at quite how incredible a dominant Juliana was becoming. By that point Helena really couldn’t have cared less what her sister or her best friend thought about it all.

Helena was walking home the morning after the second of those nights, the Saturday morning before the conference, enjoying the cooler morning air and the neighbourhood starting to wake up around her, when her phone buzzed.

She saw the alert on her watch and her heart nearly stopped.

Gatinha.

Caitlin’s name in her contact list, the name Helena had given her during that crazy week in Houston. Gatinha. This magnificently commanding and dominant woman turned into a playful kitten in Helena’s presence.

Helena couldn’t get her phone out of her bag fast enough.

Hey Helena. Hope you’re well. I saw from the attendee list that you’ll be at the conference next week. Congratulations on the invite, that’s a big deal. I was wondering if you’d like to grab a drink after the welcome dinner on the first night? Would be great to catch up properly. Caitlin x

Helena stared at her phone.

She read the message again. And again. And one more time, just to make absolutely certain that the words said what she thought they said.

I was wondering if you’d like to grab a drink.

Would be great to catch up properly.

Caitlin x

A kiss. A single x at the end, casual, friendly, the sort of thing people added to messages without thinking. Or the sort of thing they added very deliberately, knowing exactly what it signalled.

Helena’s hands were shaking. She stopped in the street in the shade of a tree as the people around her carried on with their Saturday mornings, oblivious to how Helena’s whole world had just tilted on its axis.

Caitlin had reached out. After all those months, Caitlin had initiated contact. Not about work. Not professional pleasantries. A drink. Just the two of them. Catching up properly.

Don’t read too much into it. She could practically hear what Isabella would say. It’s a drink at a conference. Colleagues do this. It doesn’t have to mean anything. She might just want to catch up professionally.