Born to Make You Smile

TWELVE

On my first day at X-PLORE, I dressed up as a schoolgirl. I shortened my plaid skirt from high school and purchased some knee-high socks and a cute white crop top to pair with it. I wore a bright orange wig and gave myself the nickname Peach.

I dropped off drinks at the arena, which had been transformed into the Pup Pound. Gymnastic-like items were set up around the room to create an obstacle course. Various chew toys were on the tables, and water bowls were on the floor. Joshua wore a brown puppy mask and played with some human pups, kitties, and other animals. Several people were dressed in leather who I would imagine as trainers or owners since many of them held leashes. The sounds of yipping and mewls filled the room. There was growling over toys, and others were playing fetch. Everything about the setup was so damn cool. I had an urge to jump in and play too. But while it looked fun, I wasn’t sure this was exactly my scene.

A man beside me put his hands to his mouth and let out a loud whistle, gaining everyone’s attention.

He was tall and muscular, with trimmed sandy-brown hair and tattoos covering his arms.

“Now!” the man commanded, his deep voice piercing.

Joshua scurried over, and the man hooked a leash on his collar with annoyance, and they left.

Was that Felix?

Holy shit. I swallowed. He had to be at least six foot four and built like a tank. To be honest, I was very intimidated by him.

The club became busy around eleven, with the deep bass of sultry music pumping in the main area. Drink orders had become so hectic that I felt like I didn’t have a second to regroup. I was thankful Joshua had given me that extensive tour, so I knew my way around every room and nook. At midnight, I delivered drinks to the dungeon. The area was packed with people in leather, receiving spankings and getting whipped. The sound of cries and moans and even some giggles. Many submissives were on the floor by their Master’s feet. Kneeling. Waiting in position diligently. I admired their patience and obedience. Part of me was excited by the idea of being a submissive. Something was so enticing about being controlled and not having to make decisions. But at the same time, would it mean giving up a piece of my independence? Becoming weak and small at the hands of a man?

At one point, I could have sworn I saw Bill Salinger, our patient at the dental office. He was in a black vest and leather pants with a small mask over his eyes.

It couldn't be him. Could it? But then I overheard him being called Daddy Sal , and his identity was confirmed. He was so timid and reserved when he came to his appointments. The complete opposite of how he was here. Hopefully, Bill wouldn't recognize me. What if word got out that I worked here? What if it affected my job or Gavin in some way? I knew this place had a strict what happens in here, stays in here policy. But it still made me extremely uncomfortable.

After my first shift, my feet ached. My scalp itched. My knee-high socks had left a dent in my calves. I was completely and utterly exhausted, unsure if I could keep this up. But two weeks later, after receiving my first paycheck, I realized it was all worth the sweat and blisters.

One Thursday at the end of October, I headed to my shift at X-PLORE. Dressed up as a sexy maid, I delivered drinks to a semi-private room. Of course, naturally, the sight of the couple caught my eye. It’s not as if they were trying to hide. The naked woman kneeled before the man as he thrust himself into her mouth. She gagged and groaned but otherwise looked as if she was enjoying herself. I’d watched porn before, but this was on another level. Watching them was so intimate. So real. The man had a hand in her hair as he murmured, “You’re doing so well, my slave. Are you ready for your gift? Your Master’s cum?”

I gently set the drinks down on the table and darted away with a smile. That was a private moment I felt should be between only them. Although I did like the way he praised her, then warned her. That was awfully polite. I imagined Gavin having that dynamic. Commanding, yet caring. My entire body went hot as I pictured myself on my knees for him. His hard cock in my mouth. Swallowing every glorious ounce of his…

Holy shit.

I couldn’t believe I’d just thought about my sweet boss and neighbor in that way. It was wrong.

So very wrong.

***

A third yawn escaped as I set up the room for our next patient. I didn’t get home until three, and then I had to be ready for work by seven, so I only got a few hours of sleep at best. This couldn’t continue. I’d have to nap before heading to the club on the nights I worked. While it was only twice a week, that on top of my full-time job, I knew I’d burn out really quick if I didn’t develop a game plan soon.

“Didn’t get much sleep last night?” Gavin asked with a cocked brow, clearly noticing my fatigued state.

My eyes shifted. “Oh yeah. I had a late night. I got into a book and couldn’t put it down. A murder mystery.”

The lies spilled out of me like candy from a broken vending machine.

He nodded with hesitation, almost as if he didn’t believe me.

Oh God . Did he know? How could he know? Maybe Bill Salinger recognized me and told him.

“Reading always puts me right to sleep before bed,” he said.

I smiled, relieved. “Maybe you’re reading the wrong books.”

“Yes. I suppose The Complete History of Modern Dentistry isn’t quite the page-turner it sounds like.”

A laugh burst out of me, followed by a snort.

On our way home that afternoon, we were caught in heavy traffic on Bathurst, ABBA Gold blasting in the car. The road was down to one lane due to construction that the city was trying to squeeze in before winter. I looked over at Gavin. He faced the road with a huge smile, moving his head and tapping his fingers on the steering wheel while singing “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! A Man After Midnight.”

I pressed my lips together, doing everything to hold back a giggle at the hilarious sight. Traffic never seemed to bother him much, no matter how bad it was. In fact, he almost seemed to enjoy it. Likely because he could relish his favorite music that much longer. He glanced over at me, and I smiled sheepishly. He’d caught me staring.

For a second, I thought about Gavin at the club. Dressed up and dancing in Studio 69. Followed by him requiring his needs met. Immediately.

I could feel the blush creeping up my neck.

I focused away from him, noticing the pink shellac polish on my nails had started to chip. With the extra money coming in, I was able to make minimum payments for the mortgage, pay off some bills, and start paying for the ceiling repairs. Going for a manicure was one of the many luxuries I couldn’t afford right now.

“What are you up to this evening?” Gavin asked. “If you’re not busy, the girls and I were just going to order some Chinese for dinner. You’re more than welcome to join us.”

I nodded, unsure if that would be a good idea to spend extra time with him. But the girls would be there. Seeing them was always wonderful. “Yeah, sure. That’d be great.”

“Only if you didn’t have plans of your own,” he added. “I know you’re rather busy lately.”

I swallowed. “What? What do you mean?”

“I can’t help but notice you going out a lot more. At night. Weeknights in particular.”

I needed to think fast. “I’m actually taking some art classes. On Tuesdays and Thursdays.”

“Art classes. You ?”

I rolled my eyes playfully. “Yes. Me .”

“Looking to improve on your sweet little stick figures with the giant heads,” he teased with a chuckle.

I swatted his arm. “ Gavin. I’m not that bad. I can draw a mean flower.”

“Well, I can’t wait to see the masterpiece you create by the end.”

My stomach bubbled like a cauldron, cooking a steaming-hot pile of bullshit. I hated lying to him. But what choice did I have? I couldn’t risk him finding out about my night job. Besides, it was only until February. My time there would be up soon, and Gavin would be none the wiser.

We pulled into my driveway, and I gathered my things, then looked over at him. The sun shone through my side of the window, grazing him with light. The man was extremely handsome in such a refined and sophisticated way. His bright green eyes stared back at me. They were stunning, emerald with specks of gold.

“I notice you don't wear your glasses as much lately,” I said.

He blinked several times. “I've been getting used to contacts now. Except for the sticking my finger in my eye part. At first, it was a pain, but the peripheral vision is wonderful. It’s as if I’m able to see the world through new eyes.” His intense gaze fixed on mine. “So much beauty I’ve never noticed before.”

His words and the way he looked at me made blood rush to my cheeks. Was his comment referring to me? Could he be starting to feel something too? Perhaps everything I’d been experiencing lately wasn’t one-sided at all.

I nodded slowly. The air suddenly felt thick and heavy.

“So I’ll see you soon!” I said abruptly. “I'll change, get out of the scrubs, and have a quick shower, then I'll be right over.”

“Brilliant.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Any requests? Besides vegetable spring rolls and ginger chicken.”

Licking my lips, I flashed him a smile. Of course, he knew my favorite go-to order. “I’m good with anything.”

“I will however get the hot sauce on the side. You know I can’t handle the heat.” Then he leaned toward me. “Not like you can.”

I swallowed with a nod and left his car, knowing full well that whatever was going on between us was the kind of heat I couldn’t handle at all.

***

Dinner consisted of plenty of conversation and laughs as the girls discussed their days at school. Mackenzie proudly told us all about her presentation on energy consumption and the environment, and Charlotte beamed with excitement about an upcoming field trip to the museum, eager to see the Ancient Egyptian exhibit.

As I sat there, looking at his daughters, sitting at their dinner table, deep in discussion, I had a flashback of them as babies, then toddlers. I recalled the days when I’d accompany them to the park, push them in the swings, then go for ice cream at Baskin-Robbins after.

The girls and I shared a special connection. A pleasant warmth radiated over me, the sense that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I glanced at Gavin. He stared back at me, a tender smile painted on his face. I wondered if he had the same feeling. Then I remembered Michelle. A possible engagement. A marriage.

My stomach twisted and turned at the thought.

“Grace, are you gonna help us carve pumpkins after dinner?” asked Charlotte. “We have two big ones. I want mine to be really scary this year.”

“Of course.” I nodded, taking a bite of chicken.

Mackenzie clapped. “I want a cute pumpkin. A happy one.”

Gavin raised his brow. “Girls. What about your homework?”

They groaned in unison.

“Dad… come on ,” said Charlotte.

“Do your homework, then pumpkins,” he said firmly.

“Tell you what.” I leaned close to them. “Get started on your homework. I’ll help you with it so we can get it done faster, then we’ll carve the pumpkins afterward.”

The girls cheered in agreement.

“Grace, that’s not necessary,” Gavin whispered into my ear.

I waved my hand, brushing him away as the girls got up from the table.

“Don’t forget your plates, please,” I reminded them before they left.

A few moments later, the lights went off in the dining room. Gavin and I glanced over, and Mackenzie was standing by the light switch.

“We need to conserve energy!” Mackenzie put her hands on her hips and smiled. “There’s enough light to see.”

“Sweetheart.” Gavin dropped his chopsticks with a sigh of frustration. “Grace and I are still having dinner. We need the lights on. I'm going to mistake the hot sauce for dipping sauce and burn my mouth to shreds.”

Pressing my lips together, I suppressed a giggle.

“Okay,” Mackenzie agreed. “I'm going to dim them, though. Every little bit helps.”

She dimmed them, but the room was still quite dark.

“ Mackenzie …” Gavin massaged his forehead, frustrated. “Oh, never mind. I suppose it adds a bit of ambience around here.”

I blinked, noticing how romantic the dining room looked in the dim light. I shook the thought. Spooky. Definitely spooky. I took a sip of sparkling water.

“It can put us in the mood—” I stopped as a bubble tickled my throat.

His brows shot up.

“For—” The word got cut off as I coughed into the crook of my arm. Holy shit . Could I have had a more horrible pause in my sentence?

“Grace, are you all right?” he asked. I kept coughing but managed to nod my head.

“Pumpkin carving!” I finally spat out with a deep exhale. “The dim lights can put us in the mood for pumpkin carving .”

My cheeks were on fire.

Gavin’s lips twisted into an amused grin. “You’re still swinging by next Sunday for Halloween?”

“Definitely. Michelle and Hunter are coming, right?” I asked, pushing rice around the plate with my chopsticks, secretly hoping they weren’t.

“Yes. The little guy is excited. I believe he’s going to be Spider-Man.”

I stood from the table. “Will you and Michelle be dressing up?”

I thought of Gavin and Michelle dressing up as a couple, and I was curious about what they would be. For some reason, I couldn’t think of anything. I wasn’t quite sure what they had in common.

If Gavin and I coordinated costumes, we could go in ’70s disco attire. Perhaps we could swing by X-PLORE and spend some time in Studio 69…

“No, no,” he said with a firm headshake.

“Aw, come on! It’s fun. I’m dressing up.”

I collected our two plates and stacked them.

His gaze dipped down my body, slowly dragging up again. “What will you be?”

Goose bumps tickled my skin. “It’s a surprise. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

We were in the kitchen cleaning and putting leftovers away when he came up next to me.

“By the way…” He cleared his throat. “I think I may have mentioned it, but there's a dental convention in Ottawa in November. I want to look at some new products and software for the office, digital radiography in particular.”

“That’s great. You’ll love it!” I exclaimed.

“I'd, um…” He scratched his neck. “I’d actually like you to accompany me if that's all right. Being my assistant and knowing your way around technology, I could definitely use your hand to navigate everything.”

“Sure,” I said. My stomach wobbled thinking about us away together. Surely, he’d bring one of the hygienists along too. “Just us, or is anyone else from the office coming?”

He ran a finger over his chin, his gaze intense. “Just us.”

Oh. Just us.

Warm tingles crept up my spine straight to my scalp.

“We will leave Saturday morning, get there in time for the afternoon to check out the products, then go for dinner after,” he continued, tilting his head. “Sunday, we can make our rounds and see some presentations, and then fly back home that evening.”

“Okay. Sounds great,” I said, trying to hide my apprehension. “Let me know what kind of arrangements you’d like me to make.”

“Not to worry, love.” He leaned in close. Damn . He smelled so good. “It’s all taken care of.”

***

After assisting the girls with their god-awful math homework, we all carved pumpkins together for Halloween. When we were done and cleaned up, I was exhausted, so I decided to call it a night. Before I left, Gavin handed me a fairly heavy silver gift bag.

“This was supposed to be for Christmas, but it came early, and I couldn't resist.”

“What is it?” I asked, confused.

He shifted on his feet. “Just a little something. Open it.”

Removing the single white tissue on top, I pulled out a rustic brown leather-bound book with a silver button latch. The word Poetry was embossed on the cover—as well as my name at the bottom.

By Grace Mayer

Running my fingers over the letters of my name, I felt the delicate depressions in the leather, and my eyes began to tear up.

“Gavin...” I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to get my words together. “This is beautiful.”

He leaned in and lowered his head. “You were always such a magnificent poet. I hope you’re still writing.”

“Not lately. But now I definitely will. Thank you.”

My heart became heavy, and I clutched the book against my chest to ease the ache.

This was the most wonderful and thoughtful gift anyone had ever given me.