She started to say yes, then thought about it.

Thought really hard.

She let out a sigh. Okay, he wasnt abusive, but he wasnt exactly the most sensitive of guys throughout our marriage. I get it.

Really? I hope so. I dont like to see my clients make repeat mistakes. I dont give out punch cards for discounts to pay for three divorces and get a fourth free. He smiled.

That finally pulled a laugh from her. Really?

No s.h.i.t, one guy, Im working divorce number five for him. At least after number two he got smart and made them sign pre-nups like I begged him to.

Holy cow.

Yeah. That about sums it up.

She started thinking while Ed was writing. Should I get a pre-nup if I get married again?

I would encourage you to do so, yes.

I guess one of the guys I met this past weekend, Don, he doesnt believe in marriage.

Ed laughed. No, Don is smarter than the average Dom. He practices catch and release until he eventually finds the right one. He does it ethically, and he doesnt cheat on his partners. Its not my preferred method of operation, but I cant fault him for it.

He and Carl both seemed nice.

Ed had slipped his gla.s.ses back on. Now he eyed her over the top of the rims. You havent even filed for divorce yet. I would strongly suggest not getting involved with anyone until youve had a little decompression time. Not to mention, you dont want to be in the middle of a legal battle while youre trying to meet new people. Take your time. Playing is fine as long as you dont let yourself get tied up in a bad situation. Eh, no pun intended.

What about Carl and Don? Are they safe?

Id say so, yes. There are several guys who are regulars at the club Id feel comfortable introducing you to. Don and Carl are just two of them.

Okay. Thanks.

Hey, youre friends with the clubs owners. Ask them to help you out. They can make sure you dont run afoul of the wrong people. Derrick and Marcia do a good job of keeping their ears to the ground to prevent problems and making people with bad reputations feel unwelcome, if not outright banning them.

Marcia introduced me to Don and Carl.

Ah.

What?

He smiled. Nothing. But be warned, there are a few self-appointed matchmakers at the club. And they happen to have a d.a.m.n good track record.

Is Marcia one?

Not usually, no.

By the end of her second week staying in Marcia and Derricks guest room, her divorce had been filed, and Mike hadnt even so much as called her.

Shed sent him several FYI texts, such as when the electric and water bills were due, but no response from him.

Okay, fine. Hes a big boy.

At Eds suggestion, she manually deposited half of the mortgage payment into their joint account at her next paycheck. He said she should do that, and pay for half of the homeowners insurance, property taxes, things like that.

But she already had her own auto insurance and had removed herself from their old policy, and from the utility bills.

The only thing she hadnt done yet was to legally change her address, and that was only because she was still hoping to find a better solution than mooching off Marcia and Derrick. She greatly appreciated their help, especially coordinating the move, but she didnt want to live there forever.

She needed a place of her own, that she could afford.

The next Sat.u.r.day, Don and Carl met them all at Sigalos for dinner before going to the club. Theyd just sat down with everyone when Derrick got a call that they were having an electrical problem at the club.

Dammit.

She really liked Don and Carl. Shed sat between them and really didnt want to leave.

Hey, Marcia said, Don, would you guys mind bringing Mel to the club with you after dinner?

Her heart soared. Sure, Don said. No problem.

Thanks! Marcia dashed out after Derrick.

A little suspicion flitted through Mels brain, but then she started talking to the guys and it went right out of her brain again.

Kel and Mallory showed up a few minutes later. Sorry, traffic, Kel apologized. Did you all order yet?

Tilly looked up. What about the electrical problem?

What electrical problem?

At the club?

No one told me about that. Hold on. He pulled his phone from his pocket and walked out. When he returned a few minutes later, he said, Its fine. Derricks got it covered.

Shed been set up and she knew it.

Not that she was going to complain.

On the way over to the club, out of the earshot of the others, she said, I need to apologize to you two.

Why? Carl asked.

I think Marcias trying to set us up.

Don glanced in the rearview mirror. Why do you say that?

Because I bet there wasnt an electrical problem at the club.

Ah.

She sighed. I love Marcia and Derrick, but I need to find my own place. I cant live with them forever.

I have an extra room you can rent.

Don couldnt believe hed said it out loud, but the shocked look on Carls face meant yep, he probably had.

You do? she asked.

He swallowed. Yeah. Pool and a hot tub, too. We could move you in tomorrow, if you wanted.

How much a month?

He did some quick mental calculations. Seven hundred, which includes utilities, plus groceries. He could then drop Carls rent by three hundred a month.

Can we go look at it?

Right now?

Sure, if you dont mind.

Okay. Might want to call Marcia so she doesnt worry when we dont show up, though.

Good idea.

While she was on the phone, he glanced at Carl again, who gave him a thumbs-up close to his body, so Mel couldnt see it from where she sat in the backseat.

When she ended the call, she laughed. Oh, no shocker, the electrical problem was no biggie, and we were told to take our time.

Yeah, we were set up, Don said. But seriously, its okay. And no pressure. If you dont like the house, you can tell us no thanks, and no hard feelings about it.

No, this is probably just what I need. I love them, but I cant mooch off them.

And since Marcia is likely trying to shove us all together, lets make it easy on her, Carl said.

Don fought the urge to smack his friend.

But apparently Mel hadnt taken it the same way he had. Yeah, true. I hope you guys arent mad at her for that.

No, not at all, Don said.

It wont be weird for you guys, having me there?

Not if its not weird for you, Don said.

She went quiet for a moment. Can I ask you guys something?

Sure. He really liked Mel, and not just as a play partner. She was smart, fun to talk to, and funny.

I joined FetLife this week, right? To get in touch with people. And Im getting creeped on already and I havent even been a member for four days. I saw there are options for like under protection and stuff. Would it be okay if I put something like that on my profile and listed you two?

Don nearly ran into the back of the car in front of them, whod stopped to avoid running a stale yellow light.

Absolutely, he said. His eyes widened as he looked over at Carl, whose eyes were also wide.

Maybe we should buy a lotto ticket before going home, too.

Cool, thank you. I really appreciate that.

He stared at Carl, who stared back at him.

Holy mother of farking what the h.e.l.l?

Carl couldnt believe this. A woman he was attracted to was seriously considering moving in with them and had asked if she could list them on her FetLife profile.

Um, h.e.l.lo, Karma? Whatever I did? Thank you!

An hour later, they were heading to the club. Yes, Mel was happy with the room. It was a little larger than the one at Derrick and Marcias house, and they had the pool and hot tub.

While shed used the bathroom at the house, he and Don had stepped into the living room to talk briefly and get on the same page. Don would be lowering his rent, which wasnt even his main concern.

He didnt want to f.u.c.k up their friendship over her.

Shes not even divorced yet, Carl said. Lets agree right now to keep things limited to friends and roomies and play partners until her divorce goes through.

You read my mind.

They shook on it. Let her be our submissive, eventually? Carl asked.

If she wants it, sure, Don said. Im not going to ask her that right now, though. But I think we can have a lot of fun as play partners with her.

I sure hope so, Carl said. Because Id really like to get to know her better.

Chapter Eight.