“Great, let’s send it to them.”
Vito slides his chair back.
“Well then, is everyone ready for dessert? I made tiramisù!”
The entire table reflexively puts their hands to their stomachs.
Later, after I’ve watched everyone else try not to projectile vomit up Vito’s tiramisù, and after Nico’s stolen back into the dining room to dispose of the evidence of his crimes against begonia, he and I are in the kitchen loading the dishwasher.
“You know we’re both safe, right?”
I turn to my brother. “Huh?”
“We’re both future-proofed. Dad promised you that he’d never marry you off. Dante’s already wifed up. And I’m the second-born son, so who cares.” He grins. “It’s just Carmine that eventually will have to get his shit together and be a grownup. I mean, if anyone’s going to get forced into a marriage, believe me, it’s gonna be that guy.”
“Good thing he’s had years of practice of forcing his way into other people’s marriages.”
Nico roars with laughter. “Shit, I’m stealing that one.”
My phone dings in my pocket. I pull it out, and instantly, my entire body goes rigid as a blush explodes over my face.
“I… I’ll be right back.”
“Nah, take off if you need to. I’ll finish up here.”
I grin at Nico. “Thanks.”
Out of sight and safely alone in my room, I pull my phone out again and click through to the portal for Venom. That was the notification chime I got: a new message.
My hearts skips a beat when I see the single message sitting in my inbox:
Admin
You have a match.
My pulse thuds in my ears, my skin tingles, and an achy, needy desire throbs in my core. My thumb hovers the message and my breath catches, as if I’m frozen in place, trying to figure out if I’m going to walk through this door or not.
Yes, I am.
I click on the message, my heart hammering in my chest.
Dear BrokenBee,
A match has been made for you with another Member. You have both been notified. Please use this link to initiate a private chat with your potential partner. Like at the Club itself, we encourage the use of anonymity, as well as open and honest communication. Both parties should discuss hard limits and safe words before meeting. Please enjoy your experience.
For a second, it feels like I’m outside my body, watching myself read the message.
Holy. Shit.
Suddenly, this isn’t just fantasy anymore. I’m not just having dirty daydreams about this kink of mine. I’m literally standing at the front door with my finger on the doorbell. Do I push it?
The seconds tick by as I stare at the words “Please use this link to initiate a private chat with your potential partner”.
If I click it, this isn’t fantasy anymore, and there’s no going back. I mean, yes, I could not ask to meet up with this person. Or I could just say no, should they ask me first. Still, if I click it, I’ll have gone through that door and taken the first step down the rabbit hole.
And I’m not sure you can come back from that the same way you went in.
My thumb taps the link, and a jolt of something electric zaps through my core. Instantly, a chat window is brought up between me and my “potential partner”.
RaisedByWolves
Your safe word is VANISH.
I blink, my heart skipping a beat.
That’s the first message. Not “Hello”, not “Good evening, BrokenBee”. No cheesy pickup line at all. I guess this isn’t Tinder.
This is something much, much darker, and much more real.
BrokenBee
Bold to jump right to safe words
RaisedByWolves
If you’re looking for small talk about our favorite books, we can be done now and not waste each other’s time.
