Ch 2.37: ❤ Guests

Thoughts of spending the night with Tira dancing through her head, it was difficult for Elaina to keep focused on her meal, no matter how good it tasted. She’d been thinking a weekend out with the girls would’ve led to maybe even more than that, but that had always been wishful thinking; the four of them didn’t quite have that kind of relationship, right?

“I’m expecting another person from your school sometime soon,” Abel said, breaking Elaina out of her thoughts as he came over with a pitcher to refill their drinks.

“Another group of students?” Flora asked as she went to grab her mug.

“Not sure, but they only reserved one room. Paying for it even if it’s kept empty, which is pretty nice I must stay.” Once his pitcher was empty he reached in his pocket, pulling out two keys, each attached to a numbered piece of wood. “And speaking of rooms, four and five are yours tonight. Both have two beds, so no need to worry about that.”

“What if we wanted a room with one large bed?” Tira asked, causing Elaina to choke into her mug a bit. It was a forwardness she’d expect from someone like Flora, but not Tira. Maybe the former was rubbing off?

“Well, I wouldn’t normally mind, but the only empty one I have is reserved like I said,” Abel said, seemingly undisturbed by the request.

“Shame,” Flora said, “guess we won’t get to fight over it after all.” Carline was the one who choked this time.

Abel returned to his work, and Elaina’s party returned to their meal. “I really do hope those monsters don’t come near here,” Carline said, breaking the silence.

“You’re worrying too much,” Flora said, finally finishing her bowl and stretching her arms out. “They were miles away from town, and I saw one of them out there a few months ago, and it still hasn’t shown up here.”

“It is weird though, right?” Carline said. “No one’s seen these things in how long?”

Elaina glanced at her bag down on the floor. “Something like nine hundred years, but that’s probably a conversation for later,” she said, gesturing to the bag for the others to see.

“Elaina’s right,” Tira said as she stood up and grabbed one of the keys, chair legs creaking across the wood floor. “Right now it’s time to rest.”

“Are you sure?” Flora said with a smirk. “It’s only what, seven or eight?”

“I need to rest up,” Tira said, patting her injured arm. “Doctor’s orders, right Carline?”

“Uhm, I’m not a doctor, but probably.”

“Right right, go rest up then,” Flora said, “but don’t rest so hard we miss checkout. Elaina, you keep her in line, okay?”

“Huh?” Elaina nearly squeaked out the reply, not expecting to be addressed. How exactly was she supposed to keep Tira of all people in line? But Flora’s subsequent laugh made it clear that Elaina wasn’t actually expected to do any of the sort.

“Come on,” Tira said, ignoring Flora and grabbing Elaina’s bag. “Let’s get going.” The tone of her voice was different. It was a subtle change, one probably only Elaina noticed. Tira always had a sense of authority in her words, and that was still there, but there was also an element of playfulness that was usually absent. Playtime’s already started, Elaina realized.

She stood up, following Tira towards the stairs. She knew better than to make Tira wait when she got like this. It felt like all eyes should be on them, but everyone in the inn seemed to be absorbed in their own tables, their own conversations. How could anyone look anywhere but Tira when she walked like that, dominance in each step of her boot, authority with each sway of her hips?

It wasn’t long before Tira had led her up the stairs, was deftly unlocking their room’s door before sliding inside. Elaina went to follow still, but Tira turned around, blocking the entrance. “Flora told me about something unfair that happened earlier.”

Unfair? Given the context, given it was Flora that said it, she could only mean one thing. “You— you were asleep?” Elaina wasn’t sure why it was a question.

“You liked it, didn’t you? Being undressed in public?”

“Yes…”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, Mistress, I did like it…”

“Good. But I can’t be the only one that didn’t see it, right?”

Elaina understood. She knew she could stop it too with her safeword, that Tira would let her in at anytime with just two syllables. She also knew that at that moment, she wanted nothing more than to obey every last one of Tira’s words. “Right, mistress…”

She looked down each side of the hall as she reached for the top button of her jacket.