“Exactly! We’re condors, Sir. Does that mean nothing to you? Why does everyone else seem to know, but the person closest to you is left in the dark?”
“Brie, I think it would be best if we both returned to LA, where we can discuss this in person, alone.”
Her heart sank. The tone of his voice let her know it was far more serious than she’d imagined. When she hung up the phone, she felt completely numb. It wasn’t until she had made it to the bed and was curled up in the blankets that she finally broke down and cried.
Unfamiliar Territory
Brie woke up from a dream that involved Tono and a trail of orchids. She stretched out her arms above her head with a huge smile on her lips, the gentle presence of the Asian Dom still lingering. That smile died as soon as she remembered her phone call with Sir.
Rather than revisit those unwelcome feelings, she got up from her bed and walked to the desk in the corner. She opened the drawer, thrilled that Master Anderson had stocked it with stationary.
She pulled out several sheets of paper and a well-sharpened pencil. Brie stared at the writing instrument for a moment. How long had it been since she’d written with a pencil?
Inventory at the tobacco shop…
With that thought, a flood of memories came to mind: Mr. Reynolds’ fatherly smile, that lazy ass Jeff, all those damn cigarettes—and Sir.
Brie shook off the feeling of sadness that threatened to smother her and began her letter.
Dear Tono,
I woke up this morning thinking of you and decided I should write you a letter.
I can’t tell you how much I disliked leaving Japan, but I’m grateful for the time I got to spend with you, and for the chance to know your father before his passing. I will never forget honoring his memory with your family at his wake. It is something I’ll always hold dear.
I’m beginning to understand why you chose to stay behind. There are times we must do what is right, even though it’s hard and might tear us up inside. I respect you for remaining true to your values, especially when it comes at great cost.
I hope, with all my heart, you are able to find a balance where you can fulfill your duty to your mother and still honor your own needs. I think back on that night of glowing rope, the erotic beat of the music and the talent of your hands, and I know you have hit on something revolutionary. I hope you pursue it further, maybe even find your escape in it when you have need.
My time in Denver has been crazy. Lea is as full of bad jokes as ever, and wants me to share one with you. If you would like me to subject you to the torture, just say the word and I will include it in my next correspondence. Lea also introduced me to a new friend she met because of my documentary.
Autumn is truly amazing, Tono. Despite losing her leg as a child, she glides on the ice like an angel. I admire her strong spirit, and hope to hang out with her again soon. How cool that my film brought those two together. I just love that!
Although the training center in Denver is very different from the one in LA (practical jokes are the norm here), it seems to have a positive effect on the staff. Even Ms. Clark seems happy.
I think you should know I wear the beautiful comb you gave me whenever I film now. I can’t tell you the number of times I hear your reassuring voice reminding me to breathe… Thank you for the positive influence you are in my life.
Love, Brie
Writing to Tono Nosaka had a calming effect on her, as if she’d actually spent time in his presence. She sealed up the letter, saying aloud, “Domo arigato, Tono.”
Brie spent her afternoon with Lea at a nearby park, under the colorful foliage of a stunning Colorado fall. They lay out on a large blanket, side by side, relaxing in the warmth of the autumn sun. The sky was a spectacular shade of blue, something Brie had never seen before.
“Is it extra blue because we’re a mile above sea level?” she asked.
Lea shrugged, turning her head lazily towards Brie and smiled. “I don’t know and don’t care. I just love being here.” She looked back up at the sky and took in a deep breath.
Brie did the same, breathing in the unique scent of fall. It reminded her of pumpkins, trick-or-treating and dressing in silly costumes as a child in the midwest. She’d missed that smell in California, but hadn’t realized it until now.
“I wish I could stop time and just lie here in the sun forever.”
“And look like a mummified piece of burnt bacon after a few weeks? No, thank you!” Lea replied, elbowing her.
“You know what I mean,” Brie scolded gently.
“Yes. You don’t want to face Sir.”
Brie sighed in misery, vexed her friend knew her so well. “No, I don’t. It makes it that much worse that everyone knows what’s happened except me.”
A tear fell down her cheek.
“I feel like a big joke, Lea.”
Her friend rolled onto her side to face Brie, propping her head up with her hand. “No, girlfriend. No one feels that way about you. None of us would have known anything if the press hadn’t gotten wind of it, and what we know is only what we’ve heard on TV.”
“Why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“Because Master Anderson asked me not to when he realized you didn’t know. Seeing as we’re besties, he figured it would come up in conversation, and he felt strongly that Sir should be the one to tell you.”
“Well, I’m asking you now.”
Lea groaned and lay back down, looking up at the sky. “I can’t.”
“Why?” Brie cried. “You’re my best friend.”
Lea turned towards her again, fidgeting with a stray thread on the blanket. “I know, and it’s killing me not to say anything, but it wouldn’t be fair to Sir.”
“It’s not fair to me,” Brie complained.
Lea looked around apprehensively, then leaned close and whispered, “Okay, I’ll only tell you that it was all over the news a few days before you showed up. It has to do with his mother and it’s not good.”
“Is Ruth coming after Sir again?”
Lea shook her head sadly. “No, nothing like that.”
“What, then?” Brie pleaded.
“Look, sweetie, there has to be a reason he didn’t tell you when you were in Japan. You’ll have to give him the benefit of the doubt until you talk to him in person.”
Brie put her hands to her face, covering her eyes to keep from crying. “I remember when Baron spoke about her; I sat there like a complete idiot complaining about how crazy she was. I should have known something was up when he acted so strangely. Then there was Ms. Clark. She mentioned that Sir was keeping things from me just before we started to film.” Brie rolled away from Lea, staring at the mountains in the far distance. “All of which makes me feel like a fool.”
Lea scooted over and hugged her, pressing her large boobs against Brie’s back. “No one thinks you’re a fool. We’re just worried about you two.”
Brie curled up into a ball. “I don’t want to go home, Lea. I’m so angry with Sir for putting me in this situation, but I’m terrified that whatever he’s hiding will tear us apart.”
Lea squeezed her tighter. “Nothing can tear you two apart.”
“I thought that once, but I’m not so sure now…”
Lea rolled Brie back over and said forcibly, “Don’t think like that, not even for a second.”
The tears started, and Brie was defenseless to stop them.
Lea wiped them away, stating in a serious tone, “A condor pair were nibbling on a dead clown. The male condor asked the female, ‘Does this taste funny to you?’”
“Oh, Lea,” Brie groaned, but as she mulled it over in her head it struck her as perfect. The joke not only referred to their condor love but hinted at her cooking skills. She smiled, but complained as she did so. “I hate that I love your bad jokes.”
“I know, honey.”
Master Anderson saw Brie off at the airport early the next morning, wearing his cowboy hat and tight-fitting blue jean
s. He tipped the brim of his black hat as he said goodbye at the entrance of the security line. “Tell Thane I expect you two to return. He owes me.”
Brie tried to sound more positive than she felt. “Sure.”
Master Anderson lifted her chin, his intense green eyes boring into hers. “Young Brie, Thane is dedicated to you. Do not doubt that, even if current circumstances suggest otherwise.”
She looked down at the floor, unable to look at him when she admitted, “It’s humiliating to be the last to know.”
“Look at me.”
Brie looked up, facing his penetrating gaze.
“Are the opinions of others more important than his?”
She shook her head slowly.
“Instead of worrying what others think, what you should be concerned with is the fact that he felt the need to protect you. Knowing Thane, only something extreme would evoke such a reaction from him.”
“And you know what it is, don’t you?”
“Although I know what’s happened with his mother, I don’t know Thane’s reaction to it. He hasn’t spoken to anyone—and that distresses me.”
Brie suddenly felt ashamed. The whole time she’d been fuming about being shut out, not once had she considered Sir’s emotional state. Something dreadful must have happened for him to isolate himself like that.
She told Master Anderson with renewed conviction, “Sir has called me home to talk. I trust we can work through it, whatever it is we have to face.”
“You’d better, young Brie, or I will lose all hope that true love exists.”
She smiled. “It does, Mr. Anderson, and your turn is coming.”
Brie squealed when he lifted her off the floor in his strong arms. “What? Are you convinced that if you keep saying that, it’ll make it come true?”
She met his gaze under the brim of his cowboy hat. “I only speak the truth, Mr. Anderson.”
He chuckled as he put her back down, spanking her lightly on the bottom as if she were a child. “Run along, young lady, and bring comfort to your man.”
She scooted towards the line but looked back at him, struck by how handsome he looked. “Thank you for this week…and for the candid talk.”
He tipped his hat to her. “Anytime, little heifer.”
She giggled, finding it humorous that he’d just called her a cow—and she liked it. “Be off with you, Mr. Cowboy. Go find yourself a new heifer to play with.”
He nodded towards two girls at a magazine rack nearby, who’d been staring at him. “Actually, I’ve just spied my next conquest.”
Brie waved one last time as she settled into line, smiling to herself as she watched him heading towards the girls. Her smile faded when he walked past the two and headed out the doors. She sighed with frustration but sent out a thought to him. Don’t lose hope, Master Anderson. Your day is coming.
She got on the plane feeling more hopeful than she had before, because of her talk with Master Anderson. She truly believed that condor love was an impenetrable force, but she’d forgotten that in her shock. Unfortunately, when she landed in LA, Sir’s text message rekindled her doubt.
I will meet you at home.
Brie frowned, disappointed that he would not be picking her up at the airport, but she took solace in the word ‘home’. It spoke of warmth and comfort—a safe place to gather in the storm.
She felt a mixture of excitement and dread as she entered their apartment. Although she longed to see Sir again, she did not want to face the confrontation about to take place. Brie was disappointed to find the apartment dark and silent as she walked in.
She set her luggage down in the hallway, noting that the smell of Sir lingered in the air, which hinted to the fact that he’d been there recently. She glanced around their place and was startled to see her journal haphazardly thrown on the coffee table, along with other items from his recent trip. She walked over to her beloved journal and picked up the wrapped package. Sir had never even opened it.
What did that mean?
She walked into the bedroom and placed it in its normal resting place inside the drawer of her nightstand. Brie turned away, feeling profoundly hurt. A sense of foreboding gnawed at her heart, knowing that whatever Sir was hiding truly did have the potential to tear them apart.
What had Ruth done this time? How was the witch planning to ruin their lives now?
She decided to do the only thing that would bring her peace. After unpacking her suitcase, she lit a fragrant candle and turned out the lights. Then she slowly undressed and knelt at the front door, waiting for Sir.
Brie closed her eyes and commanded herself not to dwell on the what ifs. Instead she thought back to the last time they’d been together, reliving it in her mind. The night before she’d left Japan—a precious memory of hers.
“Let me make love to you before we say goodbye,” Sir told her, pushing her gently onto the bed. “Death has a way of helping you to appreciate what you have…”
She closed her eyes as he undressed her, desperate for the healing power of his touch.
“Right now all that exists is you, me and this moment in time.” Her heart melted when he growled those words into her ear. She needed this cherished intimacy with Sir before she left his side, bound for Denver.
Things had been difficult with the passing of Tono’s father—so many raw emotions exposed—but it was knowing that Tono Nosaka would not be returning to America that absolutely crushed her. It was tragic that the talented Dom would be staying in Japan to care for his ungrateful mother, giving up everything he loved and worked hard for.
Brie hadn’t been able to shake off the feeling of grief until Sir had wrapped her in his loving embrace. “This is all I need,” she confessed.
He kissed her tenderly. “I agree.”
Brie mulled over those simple words, as she knelt waiting for him in the dark. They held more significance now that she understood. That night he’d kept his terrible secret inside as he made love to her, finding his escape in her embrace—and she had been oblivious. Instead of concentrating on his own pain, he had focused on relieving hers.
Time had seemed to stop when he began kissing her lightly, trailing a path from her neck down to her stomach, making a leisurely detour to kiss and suckle her breasts…
“You have gorgeous breasts, babygirl,” Sir complimented as he kneaded and rolled them in his fingertips. He sucked and flicked his tongue against her erect nipples until her pussy ached with longing. Continuing lower, he licked and nibbled her stomach, causing her entire body to focus on his mouth as she anticipated his wicked attention to her clit.
That first, long, drawn-out lick made her shudder with desire. Sir tasting her wetness, seeming to savor it, made her feel sexually irresistible. She pressed her mound against his skilled tongue, begging for more of his attention.
Sir grabbed her ass cheeks and dived into her, lapping, sucking and teasing her pussy with his mouth. It was obvious that he took as much pleasure in eating her as she did in sucking him. She tilted her head back as she grasped his head, surrendering to his tongue.
“You will come many times tonight,” he informed her. “Not because I command it, but because I plan to love your body well.”
She moaned as the first orgasm began to build in intensity.
“Don’t resist me tonight, babygirl. Let your body respond freely.”
She closed her eyes, overwhelmed by the love flowing from him. She let her climax build until it reached a glorious level before letting go, needing him to feel how much he pleased her.
“That’s my good girl…” he murmured between her legs. Sir rode out her orgasm with his tongue pressed against her pulsating clit, then he moved slowly down her legs, teasing her with sensual nibbles and licks. He stopped at her feet, tickling them with light kisses until she giggled and squirmed.
Sir paused, looking at her intently, the smile on his lips about doing her in. “Lie still and let me have my way with you.”
Brie willingl
y opened her legs to him again and purred, “Have your way with me, Thane.”
Using his given name had a definite effect on Sir. He hesitated for a second before crawling between her legs. He stopped to gaze down into her eyes before taking her. “I count on your love more than you know.”
At the time, she’d thought he’d meant it as a sweet nothing, but now she understood he’d been speaking from a heart overwhelmed with pain.
Brie was brought back to reality by that revelation. She swallowed back tears, straightening her posture. One sobering thought echoed in her mind as she knelt on the floor waiting for him…
Sir needed me that night.
She’d been blind to his pain, greedily receiving the love he offered, ravenous for its healing power. All the tension and sadness caused by her week in Tokyo dissolved the moment he’d entered her. Afterwards she’d lain in his arms, exhausted but content, reflecting on his earlier statement that death had the ability to help a person appreciate what they have.
Brie distinctly remembered looking at his handsome face as she caressed his strong jaw, and being filled with a deep sense of gratitude.
In response, he’d taken her hand and placed it over the brand on his chest.
The Truth
When she heard the jingle of keys as the door was unlocked, her heart almost stopped. This moment before confrontation was excruciatingly cruel; the knowledge that it could either end well or in complete disaster.
Think before you speak, but don’t hold back, she commanded herself.
The door swung open, but Sir stayed in the hallway for a moment before entering their apartment. He shut the door and walked over to her, placing his hand on her head. A flood of energy passed between them, even though neither had spoken. When he removed his hand, she looked up at him expectantly.
“Stand, Brie.”
The use of her given name was significant in this situation. Although he had accepted her submission by placing his hand on her head, Sir wanted to speak to her as an equal.
Brie stood up gracefully, keeping her head bowed, suddenly aware how naked she felt standing before him—it was a new and unwelcome feeling.