“Jeez, Row, I said I didn’t wanna know this stuff,” Ben appealed to me, cutting her off.
“I tried to stop you,” I told him.
“Well, ya’ didn’t try to stop her.”
“Aye, like he could,” Felicity replied. “Now, can I finish the story?”
“I wish you wouldn’t,” my friend said.
“It’s just sex, Ben,” she stated.
He shook his head. “Apparently not, if you were… If it was…”
“Kinky?” she asked.
“Jeezus fuckin’ Christ, yeah… ‘Zactly… Besides, with you two… It’s like… Like… I dunno, like hearin’ your parents talk about doin’ it.”
“Come on. We aren’t that old, Ben,” she admonished. “At least, I’m not. You’re both older than me, then.”
“That’s not what I mean and you know it… Shit. Can we just move on ta’ somethin’ else, please?”
“You’re embarrassed,” Felicity stated with a grin as she took her glasses off and cocked her head to the side. She was thoroughly enjoying the fact that she had him squirming. Maybe even a little too much.
“So what if I am?” he replied.
“It’s funny.”
“No it ain’t.”
She nodded vigorously. “Aye, but it is.”
“Listen, does this even have anything at all to do with what I came here ta’ show you?”
“Actually, I think it does.”
“How?”
“Well, when I think about it, it all makes perfect sense.”
He looked over at me as if seeking help. I just shook my head as I set a full coffee mug and the sugar bowl in front of my wife then said, “Leave me out of it.”
I was pretty sure I knew where she was headed, and she was correct, it did make perfect sense. Still, I wasn’t about to get in the middle the conversation. Not yet, anyway.
“Jeezzzz… I know I’m gonna regret this…” he began as he looked back at her. “Damn… Okay, what makes sense?”
“Why I connected so easily with the sexual energy in that room,” she replied.
“Well yeah, it’s ‘cause you’re a Twilight Zone freakazoid just like Rowan,” he told her.
“Not funny.”
“It wasn’t a joke,” he said. “Besides, it’s just about as funny as me bein’ embarrassed. Anyway, what’s the big deal? I thought Row felt it too.”
“I did,” I offered. “But, that’s just it. I felt it. Felicity, on the other hand, really connected. Up to and including channeling it.”
“You felt it yourself,” Felicity told him flatly.
“I dunno about that,” he replied. “Like I said, it’s pretty obvious what goes on in a place like that.”
“That’s beside the point,” she returned. “You felt it whether you realized it or not.”
“Okay, I give. How do ya’ know that?”
“You were flirting with me when we arrived,” she returned.
“I’ve flirted with ya’ before,” he huffed. “It’s just, ya’know, friendly… Well, you know what I mean.”
“Aye, but you were flirting with me at a crime scene, Ben. Heavily.”
“Jeez,” he mumbled. She had him more flustered than I’d ever seen. “Listen, I’m not doin’ the hocus-pocus, that’s you two, so give it a rest. Now let’s get back ta’ what you were originally sayin’… If I’m understandin’ the deal here, you mean because you’re female and the killer is prob’ly a whor… hook… Fuckit… a prostitute, you tapped into this shit?” His words were half-statement, half-question.
“That aspect of her profession has nothing to do with it,” she replied. “But yes, I think the killer was a woman.”
“Lemme ask ya’ this, how’d’ya know it wasn’t some kinda gay thing?” He waggled his fingers before her to represent something mystical. “Wouldn’t that make for some girly Twilight Zone shit too?”
“Ben,” she snipped. “That’s simply rude.”
“I’m just askin’,” he replied.
“Did Wentworth have a history of bisexual activity?” I asked.
“Not that we’re aware of.” He shrugged. “Just coverin’ the angles.”
“Your killer is a woman,” Felicity stated with unshakeable determination.
“So she’s prob’ly a hooker then.” Ben wasn’t asking, he was telling.
“Actually, she may be a professional dominatrix,” she replied.
“Yeah, okay, and the difference is?”
“Professional domination is just that, Ben. Domination. It’s not prostitution.”
“Tell that to a judge.”
She reached out and tapped the photos. “It looks as if someone already did.”
“Yeah, right,” he returned. “So what makes ya’ think she’s a pro dominatrix?”
“Because I’m no stranger to the scene.”
“The scene?”
“Yes,” she said with a nod again. “Fem Dom.”
Ben began shaking his head and waving his hands vigorously as he spoke, “Awwww, Jeez, I already told ya’ I don’t wanna know what you two do when…”
“Whoa… Hold up.” I cut him off then added, “This isn’t a ‘you two’ thing.”
My stint of neutrality had been immediately ended by her comment as my curiosity piqued. Now I was going to get into the middle of things. I looked over at my wife. “So, do you think you might want to expand on that a bit?”
“Not much to tell really,” she said with a shrug. “Quite awhile before I met you, I dated a guy for a couple of years who was heavily into submissive role play. I used to dominate him all the time.”
“Really,” I replied, surprised but not really shocked. “You never mentioned that before.”
“It never came up,” she said, shaking her head. “Does it bother you?”
“No. Just a little surprised, that’s all… Of course, given your personality I guess I shouldn’t be.”
“Aye. I do have a dominant personality. And I must admit, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the role.”
Ben groaned as if he had just been struck square between the eyes and reached up to massage the bridge of his nose. He started to speak, hesitated, then shook his head and groaned again. It was obvious that a question was rattling inside his head, and a large part of him wanted it to remain unspoken.
“What is it, Ben?” Felicity asked.
Her prompting fueled his curiosity, and the words came tumbling out before he could stop them. “So you’re actually sayin’ you’re into like whips ‘n chains and all that?”
“Whips, every now and then,” she replied. “Actually, it was a leather flogger and a belt. Chains, not so much. Quite a bit of bondage, superior attitude, some verbal humiliation… But, his real turn on was trampling.”
“What’s a trampoline got ta’ do with it?” he asked with a puzzled shake of his head.
“Not a trampoline,” she replied. “Trample- ing. He got off from me walking on him in high heels.”
“Awww, Jeezus…” My friend held up his hands again. “Stop. I don’t wanna hear any more.”
“Why?” Felicity pressed. “Are you getting turned on?”
“Do what?” he spat, staring back at her with an incredulous gaze.
“Well, you put on a good front, Ben, but deep down I think you would probably enjoy submitting to a woman.” She stated the observation without apology.
“Excuse me?” he almost yelped.
“And, you do have a thing for women’s legs,” she continued. “You’ve said so yourself. Bob did too, so it stands to reason that you might very well have the same kind of kink that he had.”
Felicity was obviously taking more than just a bit of pleasure from his discomfort. In fact, there was a recognizable glint in her eye that told me she might even be getting turned on again. However, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was sexual arousal or merely giddiness over antagonizing Ben. Considering what had happened earlier, if it
