The bartender placed her drink in front of her and threw her a crooked smile before walking away. She took a sip and moaned. Damn, but that was a strong drink.
“Holy hell, Chip was totally checking you out,” Sasha all but squealed.
“What?” Cassie looked around, holding her drink to her lips. “Who?” She turned back to Sasha. “Where?”
“The bartender.”
Cassie shrugged. The guy was definitely a looker, but she knew how this game was played. “He’s in it for the tips. Don’t let him sucker you.” She chuckled.
“Oh no, I’ve been here a few different times, and he’s always all business. Sure, he’ll yap it up if he has time, but he’s usually too busy to flirt.”
“He was not flirting with me,” Cassie mumbled into her delicious drink.
“Whateva.” Sasha ran her hand through her short locks, scrunching her hair. “So why were you looking for me earlier?”
“Oh. Different reasons.” Cassie took a big gulp and set her drink down, leaning toward Sasha. “Boring stuff first. You know that meeting I had earlier? Well, Dick Weiner wasn’t invited to come play.”
“Hmm. So the Mac Daddy skirted protocol. What’s up with that?” Sasha downed the rest of her frozen drink and waved her empty glass at Chip.
“Don’t know. But it’s a little suspicious, don’t you think? To be honest, there aren’t very many changes that need to be made to that application. Ian’s office could’ve handled it without our involvement at all.”
Chip refreshed Sasha’s frozen delight, giving her a brief smile before turning his attention to Cassie. “You doin’ okay, babe?”
Cassie nodded, sipping greedily at her martini. He winked at her again as he walked away.
“Told you,” Sasha murmured as she took a drink. Cassie rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively at Sasha. It didn’t matter what Chip thought of her. Ian’s directive for Cassie not to let any man touch her played on a seductive loop in her head. Sasha set her drink down and looked at Cassie. “I don’t know what to think about that. It does seem odd. Maybe Mac likes ruling the roost.”
“I just have a weird feeling about this.”
“Well, not to sound like a total bitch, but I didn’t skip Farmville to come out and have drinks and talk about work,” Sasha said with a laugh as she picked her drink back up. “I hope the other reason you were searching me out earlier today is juicer than office shenanigans.”
Cassie took a big gulp of her drink, finishing it, finding the courage to bring up the next topic. Then she pulled out the olives and started eating them, letting the tart juice burst in her mouth. Within seconds, Chip had another martini sitting in front of her. She glanced up at him as he walked away, still watching her as he left. He winked when she made eye contact, then filled another customer’s drink order.
“Okay. This conversation stays between us. If you so much as breathe another word of this to anybody, Sasha, I’ll tell Paul from accounting that you have the biggest crush on him.”
“Eww. Gross. I’d rather eat dog shit. And I mean the white, putrefied shit that no one likes to clean up.”
Cassie threw her head back and laughed. Sasha was a bit of a drama queen, but she was funny as hell. She enjoyed hanging out with her every chance she got.
Cassie’s laughter drew Chip’s attention. He walked to their end of the bar, tossing a towel over his shoulder. “You ladies havin’ a good time?” Though the question was posed to both, he was staring right at Cassie.
“Yeah, thanks,” Cassie said.
Luckily, a customer asked for a mixed drink, so he walked away, keeping him from getting into a deeper conversation.
“I’m surprised you don’t reek of urine,” Sasha said to Cassie. “Because Chip is pissing all over you, marking you as his.”
Cassie choked on her drink and gawked at Sasha. “Are you out of your mind? He’s just being nice.”
“Oh please, girl. I admit, it’s been a while since I’ve had a man go all territorial on me, but I know when a guy is staking a claim. And that one over there is about to grab you by the hair and drag you back to his cave.”
“He should get in line,” Cassie mumbled as she swallowed an olive.
Sasha’s eyes got really big, and she slammed her drink down. “Oh my God. Is Ian staking a claim?”
“Oh yeah. He’s definitely doing his share of pissing.”
Sasha laughed, clapping her hands. “That’s awesome, girl! Of course I hate your guts.”
Cassie giggled. “I know, right? I’m a little overwhelmed, which is what I need to talk to you about.”
Sasha nodded seriously as she picked up her glass and took a sip. “Spill. And I’ll take it to the grave.”
Cassie took a deep breath. “Have you ever been with a dominant guy?”
Sasha frowned. “You mean like whips and chains and shit? Why would any woman since the feminist movement be into that?” She shrugged as she brought her drink up to her mouth and then hesitated. Her gaze shot to Cassie’s. “Good Lord! Ian’s a Dom?”
“Hush! I don’t want everybody knowing my business. But no, he’s not really a Dom. He’s just dominant.”
“Er, what’s the difference?”
Cassie groaned. This conversation wasn’t going how she wanted it to. “He’s sexually assertive. But not into the full lifestyle. I’ve been with a Dom before and really liked it, but it wasn’t a life calling for me either.”
“Hold up. You were a sub?” Sasha stared at Cassie with an unfathomable expression. It could’ve been worse. She could’ve stared at her in disgust, but her eyes twinkled with something akin to interest and maybe a little amusement. “When did this happen? And why am I just now finding out?”
“A few years ago. I met this guy. I had an itch. He scratched it. End of story.”
“That’s a big ol’ pile of bullshit right there. I want deets!”
“Damn, girl.
