[Author's note: Cassidy Hayes, psychologist by day and mother of two, is struggling with the fragmentation of her marriage as her husband Damian cheats on her with Lily, a sexy blonde younger woman. Far from calling her husband out on his infidelity, Cassie has found herself being blackmailed by Lily into doing what the younger woman tells her. Meanwhile, Cassie is exploring a different world, having made a new friend in Madame Syn, the owner of the Lost and Found, and a highly accomplished Dominatrix.
While this story can be read standalone, the backstory can be found in
What We Say In The Dark
. This story also runs in parallel with the latter half of
Oxygen Games
]
---
ENEMIES
Damian swept past her carrying the tray of meat as Cassie took one last look around the kitchen before heading out into the back garden. The tables were set, and the beers were cooling in the ice bucket. She had Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc chilling in another, and bowls of snacks out.
"Brenton's going to be a little late. His wife had something prior that he has to pick her up from first," Damian called out from the barbeque as he put the tray down, covering it with a tea towel.
He grinned at her, flashing perfect white teeth. He had a gorgeous smile.
"So, we get a bit of respite before the boss gets here," he continued. "His wife's a nightmare anyway."
Cassie smiled back and Damian approached her, suddenly taking her into his arms and kissing her.
"Just a few hours, Cassie, then it's all over for another year."
Cassie reached up and ran her hand through her husband's hair, saying, "You owe me big time."
"You say that every year."
"You owe me every year."
Damian bent his face down to his wife and kissed her again. Cassie felt herself thrill to the soft touch of his lips on hers.
"I pay you back every year," he murmured.
She jolted as her husband slapped her bottom playfully. Suddenly, he broke off the embrace, frowning.
"It's quiet. Too quiet. Where are the boys?"
She watched him leave, striding into the house, now preoccupied with his sons, and Cassie felt her heart melt. Damian reappeared a few moments later with the twins and a ball.
"Just a few minutes now, and then maybe later, after the people Daddy works with have gone home," he told them as he led them into the middle of the lawn.
She watched them throw and catch, leaning up against the trestle table with the neat rows of plastic party tumblers. Sam was the better thrower, and Charlie knew it. Cassie could see the rivalry as they competed with each other to return their father's throws. She lost herself in the moment, contentedly watching her family at play.
The doorbell rang. Reluctantly, she broke off and went to answer it, steeling herself. Just a few hours, Damian had said. Brenton was the boss, she reflected uncharitably, the one with the big CEO house; maybe next year he should host the work barbeque at his place. His wife could be the one making the effort. Composing her face into a welcoming smile, Cassie took a deep breath and opened the front door. Here we go, she thought.
---
The party was in full swing, people mingling and chatting on the lawn in the soft afternoon light, drinks sparkling in the sun. Damian had invited some of the clients as well, mixing business with pleasure. Cassie seemed to be constantly running around making sure the ice buckets were full and the snacks were topped up. The latter was a thankless task, as the bowls were constantly being emptied by the eager hands of a dozen children. Cassie had resorted to filling up two bowls and putting them in the tree house at the bottom of the garden, just to get the kids out of the way. Damian was holding court over at the barbeque, tongs in one hand and a beer in the other, flipping the steaks and joking with half a dozen men around him. He stole a quick glance over in her direction and made a pleading face, waggling his beer.
Cassie sighed, fishing a replacement from the ice and taking it over to him.
"Thank you," he said with a smile, opening it.
"I saw how busy you were," Cassie replied.
His companions laughed and she looked around them quickly, recognising a few that Damian had worked with for years, but seeing new faces too. Starling was expanding, taking on new hires. Yes, Cassie thought to herself, next year would be at the boss's house. Cassie's lawn wouldn't be big enough.
"Irony is," Cassie said to the group, "He's convinced he's the one doing all the cooking."
They all laughed again, and Cassie picked up the empty meat tray. She left them to it, threading her way back through the crowd, listening to the buzz of conversation over the background music. Yes, she thought, it was all going well. She allowed herself a moment to contemplate how Damian was going to be paying her back later and she smiled to herself in anticipation.
Through the press of bodies, Cassie got a glimpse of straight blonde hair. She looked again, but people were moving, obscuring her view. When at last she could see again, there was no-one there. Cassie cursed herself for her reaction; this was no time to be seeing enemies around every corner. She needed to keep it together, not have some shadow of her nemesis standing over her shoulder when she had such a nice party underway on such a beautiful day. Her mind drifted back to thoughts of her husband, tonight, naked in her bed, his muscled bulk above her, poised, ready to slide into her willing body. It gave her a lovely warm feeling.
Part of her knew what she'd done, the part with the psychology degree. Cassie had compartmentalised her life as a coping mechanism. Here, now, she was the devoted wife and mother, playing up to her gorgeous husband and anticipating a night of fun after the party was done.
There was also herself as Mistress Grace, in the other world of the Lost and Found, falling in with a new set of friends, broadening her horizons. She hadn't told Damian about it, and she justified her choice because she wasn't cheating on him, she was helping other people and exploring a new side to herself that one day, maybe, he would also want to see.
She had to be careful of this second life, this alter ego, of the damage it could cause if it became generally known that she was attending a kink club, embroiling herself in a world of power games, dominance, and submission. Just the thought of it created a gulf between her and the people standing around her at the party, a secret life that none of the guests, or indeed her husband, would have believed demure, motherly, thirty-something Cassie was capable of: her lethal little secret.
