Prue's Promises [Submissive Sirens 3] (Siren Publishing Allure) (13 page)

Callie and Lulu had had to scurry away directly after the class, Callie to prepare for her demonstration with Alejandro in the afternoon and Lulu to handle a few things for the club. Prue set her bottle down and mopped her face with her towel, moving to the barre in order to do a bit of her own thing before leaving the studio and grabbing her second shower of the day. Idly she wondered if she could persuade Cyrus to join her this time, if he was still at home.

Prue gave herself a mental shake, reminding herself that Cyrus’s house wasn’t “home,” rather it was simply where she was staying with her Dom. She shivered as she thought of Cyrus in Dom mode, remembering all the wicked things he’d done to her last night. Her muscles had complained a little while she was teaching, small twinges that reminded her quite pleasurably of her nocturnal pursuits, and she looked forward to the next time they played with barely contained excitement.

Finishing her own exercises, Prue decided there was no time like the present for her to start nosing around
Cuero
. She grabbed her bottle and towel, retrieving her iPod from the sound system and switching off the lights before leaving the studio. She made her way back to Cyrus’s house, the key he’d given her the day before letting her enter as she pleased.

After a too-quick shower, she dumped her dance gear into the hamper, ignoring the little flutter she felt at seeing her clothes all bundled up with Cyrus’s, and donned a butter-yellow sundress similar in cut to the one she’d worn yesterday. Cyrus had liked the garment so much she wanted to please him by wearing another one, and she recalled what he’d said about her hair, this time making the effort to blow dry it into tousled waves. She reapplied her makeup, slipped into a pair of strappy sandals, and was ready to go.

Prue checked her watch, seeing that she had a couple of hours before she had to attend her session with Alejandro. She thought Lulu might be a good place to start, and she pushed away the twinge of guilt that she was using the woman to get information. She really liked Lulu and didn’t want to see her as a means to an end, but as the front of house, Lulu had to know about the comings and goings of the club, and Prue had to start somewhere.

Conscious that her stomach was rumbling, Prue checked her watch again and saw that it was indeed time for lunch. Inspiration struck as she passed by the club’s café, and she ordered two wraps with side salads, thanking the staff for packing everything up for her along with utensils. She tried to remember the layout of the club as she went looking for Lulu’s office, breathing a sigh of relief when she made it there with no wrong turns.

Prue knocked on the door, hearing Lulu’s voice call out a moment later, inviting her in. She peeked inside the door, smiling to see Lulu looking even tinier than usual as she sat behind an enormous desk piled high with papers.

“Hey! This is a pleasant surprise!” Lulu was clearly thrilled to see her, beaming at Prue and gesturing for her to have a seat.

Prue smiled back. “I realized I was hungry, and I’m willing to bet you haven’t had a break for lunch.” She held up the bag she carried, waving it back and forth.

Lulu’s eyes rolled comically. “It’s like you’re some kind of angel. I’m freaking starving!” With that, Lulu jumped up and began clearing space on the massive desk while Prue started unloading the bag of food.

“I didn’t know what you like, so I got mango lime salads and chicken fajita wraps.”

Lulu practically dove into the food, tearing the wrapping off. “This is exactly what I would have ordered for myself. You’re such a doll.” Lulu dug into her wrap with gusto.

Prue grinned, happy her gesture was so well received. She bit into her own wrap, and they chewed companionably for a few minutes before Prue spoke again.

“So do you have much turnover in staff here?” She tried to make the question casual, as if she was merely curious.

Lulu shook her head vehemently. “Nah. For the most part the people who are hired here tend to be a good fit, and a lot of them like it so much they stay. Most of our staff has been here for the past five years or so.”

Prue’s heart sank. That meant that if there was something illegal going on, whoever was involved would have had ample time to set it up and keep it going. “You certainly have people from all over the globe here. I know Alejandro’s Spanish, and Olenka from my dance class and Viktor from security are Russian. Did they know each other before they came to work here?”

Lulu nodded enthusiastically, her mouth full of salad. She chewed before answering, waving her fork for emphasis. “Yeah, Viktor started working for Cyrus seven or eight years ago, right when Cyrus opened this place. He recommended Cyrus hire Olenka when he heard Cyrus was looking for a Domme in charge, you know, the equivalent of Alejandro.”

“I wondered about that actually.” Prue chewed thoughtfully. “She didn’t really seem like the other subs in my class this morning.”

Lulu smiled wryly. “I’d be surprised if she did. She’s scary as hell, but she’s crazy awesome at keeping the male subs happy. And she teaches courses as well.”

Prue frowned. “I hope she’ll be okay in the class I’m teaching. She’s a tad more advanced than everyone else, me included.”

Lulu laughed. “Olenka wasn’t kidding when she said there’s no dance for her here. She uses the studio on her own, but this is probably the closest she’s going to get to a real dance class if she doesn’t want to drive into one of the bigger cities.”

“Well, maybe I’ll see if she wants to do something one-on-one while I’m here.” Prue had the strangest feeling that there was more to the gorgeous Russian than just being a Domme at
Cuero
. How did a former Russian ballerina wind up in New Mexico, especially on the recommendation of another Russian? Prue felt like the whole thing was a little fishy, and she determined to get to the bottom of it.

Lulu had finished her wrap and was looking mournfully at one of her hands. “Man, I have got to make time for a manicure. My hands are a damn mess.”

Prue’s interest was piqued immediately. “Is there a spa close by?” She blushed, wondering what Lulu would think if she told her about all the services she was going to need over the coming weeks.

“We have one onsite.” Lulu laughed. “Most of our members use it, and so do lots of our guests. Why?” Lulu smiled. “Do you want to come for a mani with me?”

Prue grimaced, looking at one of her hands. “Nah, it’s not that.” She blushed harder. “I had my nails done right before I came here. Let’s just say Cyrus is particular about the way his subs maintain their grooming.”

“Ooh.” Lulu’s eyes rounded. “I should have known. Well, feel free to give them a call anytime. Chances are when they find out you’re Cyrus’s sub, they’ll move heaven and earth to keep you happy.”

“Good to know.” Prue was thrilled, thinking that maybe subbing for Cyrus would have perks outside the bedroom. “Is there anyone in particular you’d recommend I see?”

Lulu cocked her head to one side, obviously considering Prue’s question. “Actually, it’s funny you should ask.” Lulu frowned. “When you asked about turnover, I was really only thinking about the dungeon staff, but now that you mention it I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same girl twice at the spa.” Lulu’s face brightened, and she started to giggle. “It’s probably because they have no idea what they’re signing on for when they start working here. Can you imagine the shock for someone vanilla, fresh out of school, to think she was working in an upscale boutique spa and wind up here?”

Prue laughed politely, but her mind was racing. “Have you ever asked any of them why they leave? BDSM club or not, it must be a good job with lots of regulars.”

“Nah, most of the girls we get are young immigrants who come here to find better jobs, and a lot of them don’t speak much English.” Lulu shrugged. “I’ve tried to chat with them, but they’re so efficient I don’t have much time. I like to think they refine their skills here before moving on to bigger and better things, maybe trophy wives and bridal parties.”

Prue’s head was spinning, and that sick-to-her-stomach feeling was back. She’d have to check out the spa if women came and went that quickly, especially if the vast majority of them were foreign. Where did they come from, and where did they go?

Prue gave her head a shake, remembering she wasn’t alone. “You know, I think I’ll go head over to the spa now, make an appointment.” She sighed dramatically. “I wouldn’t want to make Cyrus unhappy.” She winked at Lulu. “Can you tell me how to get there from here?”

“Sure!” Lulu walked Prue to the door, pointing her in the right direction. Prue thanked the petite blonde, hugging her impulsively before heading out. She was glad that was over, and hoped fervently she wouldn’t need to involve Lulu in her investigation anymore. The woman had given her lots of food for thought, and now she had to start putting puzzle pieces together. Prue steeled herself for puzzle piece number one as she reached a set of French doors.
Puzzle piece number one. The spa.

* * * *

Ten minutes later, Prue couldn’t believe how right Lulu had been about the effect Cyrus’s name had on the spa staff. Word had gotten around that he’d taken the new dance teacher as his sub, and once Prue had shown her ID badge to the spa receptionist, she’d been whisked right back into a treatment room complete with candles, soft music and a fountain. She’d opted to have a pedicure, knowing her dancing could be hard on her feet. What she hadn’t expected was that she’d been signed up for the pedicure she wanted, as well as something the spa staff referred to as the “Cyrus Special.”

Now, as Prue sighed in bliss as the pedicurist massaged her calves and feet with a fragrant oil, she blushed a little at what she’d been put through. The spa staff had worked with crazy efficiency, knowing Prue had somewhere to be, and in the short time she’d been there she’d been exfoliated, moisturized…and she’d had her very first enema. She’d almost had a heart attack when she’d been told it was part of the Cyrus Special, and she hadn’t exactly enjoyed it. It hadn’t been awful or anything, but really, why on earth would her Dom insist she have an enema?

Prue banished the thought as the pedicurist dug clever fingers into her feet. “You’re very good at this,” Prue said, smiling at the young Asian woman rubbing her arches.

“Thank you,” the woman responded softly.

Introduced to Prue as Violet, she’d barely said a word, struggling to respond in English as Prue attempted to draw her out. Prue had asked question after question, but for the most part Violet had simply shrugged her shoulders, unable to understand what Prue was saying.

Prue sighed. She hadn’t been able to learn much from Violet, but judging by her age, there was no way she’d have had time to complete any kind of course in esthetics before starting to work at
Cuero
. There was definitely something up with the spa, and Prue decided to come back as often as she legitimately could, wondering if she could persuade Cyrus to let her go for more treatments than just the ones he insisted on.

“All done,” Violet said in the same soft voice, screwing the cap back on the bottle of bright pink polish she’d just finished applying to Prue’s toenails.

Prue waggled her toes. “Perfect! I love it.” She was genuinely appreciative, knowing her feet looked like a million bucks. “Thanks, Violet!” She beamed at the young woman.

Violet smiled slowly at Prue. “Welcome.” She ushered Prue back to the receptionist’s desk, where Prue thanked her once more before turning to the receptionist.

“She was amazing!” Prue knew she was gushing, but she wanted to see what kind of reaction the receptionist would have. “I can’t wait to come back and see her again. Should I book in advance?” Prue knew she was pushing it, but something told her she was right on the edge of a piece to add to the puzzle.

The receptionist smiled. “Not to worry, Miss, we’ll clear Violet’s schedule next time you’re in. No need to book in advance. You just come back when you’re ready.”

Far from satisfied, Prue tried once more. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to put anyone else out if they’re already booked with her. Wouldn’t it just be easier if I made an appointment with Violet now in, say, two weeks?”

The receptionist’s smile grew slightly frosty, a fact not lost on Prue. “As I said, Miss, we’ll make any necessary arrangements the day of your appointment. Please leave the scheduling to us.”

Prue shrugged, smiling at the receptionist with way more warmth than she was feeling. She had the distinct impression that the receptionist was trying to prevent her from seeing Violet again, but she couldn’t very well do anything about it.

“Okay, I trust you.” Prue giggled, hoping she seemed airheaded. “What can I say, I use my feet hard! When I find someone as good as Violet, I don’t like to share!” She smiled winningly, gratified to see the receptionist relax and smile back.

“She is a gem,” the receptionist acknowledged. The woman smiled. “I’m sure we could charge twice as much for her services and no one would bat an eye.”

Prue did a double take. She was probably reading into it, but the receptionist’s words seemed to have a deeper meaning, and Prue was astounded as the woman chuckled to herself as if reminded of an inside joke.

Remembering she was supposed to be totally empty headed, Prue joined in the woman’s laughter. “I certainly would!” Prue fished a bill out of her purse, handing it to the receptionist. “Please see that she gets this.” Blowing a kiss at the receptionist, Prue turned and left the spa. She had a very, very bad feeling about this, and she was hoping beyond hope that there was another, less sinister explanation. Taking a deep breath, Prue released her tension, and with it her fears. She had nothing to substantiate them at this point. For all she knew Lulu was right, and the receptionist didn’t want to book her an appointment with Violet in case she got a better job elsewhere in the meantime.

Brightening at the thought, Prue checked her cellphone, seeing that it was almost time for her next session with Alejandro to begin. She shivered with anticipation, already a little aroused as she pondered what they’d be working on today. She thought about sitting through the session with Cyrus and doubled her step, excited to get the party started, her heart pounding as she fantasized about practicing whatever she was taught. She and Cyrus had all afternoon and evening, not to mention all day tomorrow, and Prue hoped he wouldn’t have to work for too much of it. She rather hoped he’d be working
her
instead.