When we finished eating, I left Bucktown Bistro to drive home so that Kara, my daughters, and I could head for the dojo. I’d missed quite a few prac...ices, but there really wasn’t much I could have done about that because of the necessity of traveling. I’d run on treadmills and done my kata, so I was getting sufficient exercise, but that didn’t help my students at all. I spent most of the class working with Miyu, but also some time with Misty. When class finished, Kara, Birgit, Stephie, Ashley,. Did she tell you about Martin Greaves?”“He’s her new boyfriend. He’s helped her through this awful business. She’s only been with him since you were unfaithful.”“I’m sick of this! I was not unfaithful. I can’t talk now, these people are waiting to play. And by the way, Penny is lying about Martin as well.”I put the phone down. “Damned woman,” I snarled, but I wasn’t sure which woman I meant.I played very badly that night, but Zena, my partner, did not complain. Lovely girl! Fucking Roasburie. I was so far out of my comfort zone it was unreal. The only thing that stopped me running for the hills was the mystical hold this mesmerising man had over me. It was like he’d created a force field that was impossible to break out of. When I looked back at him, his eyes were looking over my shoulder. I turned to follow their gaze and immediately saw what had caught his attention. The bound redhead writhed from side to side on the table, and screeched loud enough to gain much of the room’s. “This is hard…” “Open your eyes Corrine. Look at me.” I open my eyes to find Patrick has moved closer, propped up on one elbow. He reaches his other hand and gently rests it on my breast bone, two fingers on my pulse. His hand is hot. His eyes are focused on me. Warm. Accepting. “What did you know?” “Okay… It got to the point that in our day to day lives, I…shit this is hard… I was in control. If you asked him, he would never have thought that, but I was.” I pause, hoping this is enough. One.