He watched Melissa come back in, gave her a little nod and a smile. “You did well out there,” he told her. She’d rushed out seconds after the screech of tires, phone in hand, and he’d joined her a minute later. If there had been any actual injuries, her speed might have helped to save the day. As it was, her consoling manner had set the nervous people to calmer.
Melissa looked from him to the spilled purse, and her face reddened, first getting a little bright around the ears and then going right down to her cheeks in a natural blush that no makeup could possibly compare to.
“How do things look out there,” he asked trying to distract her. “Are they calm and settled? Any idea why they hit the pole?”
“I think that everybody’s going to be okay,” she said trying to gather up all her things.
He gave her a little smile as he realized she’d picked up a personal hygiene container, he hadn’t seen one of those for a while. Sure, he knew that women carried them in purses but hadn’t expected to see one at work. And that wasn’t even likely to be the thing that caused her the most embarrassment.
Melissa’s her eyes tracked to the book, the very same book he held in his hands. She made a grab for but he pulled away shaking his head with little smile.
“That’s mine,” she exclaimed and he could tell that she was both nervous and embarrassed.
“Yeah, I know. But I was very curious about it. I thought you would read one of the Shades books.” Glenn arched a brow, giving her a little wink. “You realize that those books have no basis in reality.” He wasn’t commenting on the one he held; he had no basis to compare that one yet.
“I really have no idea,” Melissa said. Her face was bright red. He’d never seen her so uncomfortable before, though it was a cute human moment for his very quiet nurse. Glenn wanted to relax her, to put her at ease.
“Melissa, it’s okay. There are many people into this lifestyle, and if you’re one of them, I’m never gonna judge you.” She arched a brow at that, and it was clear that she didn’t quite know where to go with what he was saying to her. He handed her the book, resting a hand on her shoulder before he pulled away.
“Melissa, if you really want to learn about that lifestyle, we’ll talk.”
Her eyes widened and she looked at him, assessing him. “Exactly what you mean?” she asked. “Are you coming on to me, Doctor?” Her eyes flashed fire for a moment, he saw the spunk inside her. Oh, this was good. This was very, very good.
“No, Melissa,” he said softly, causing her to lean in. “I’m not coming on to you. This is not a sexual harassment issue.” He regarded her steadily for a few minutes, waiting for her to speak. When she didn’t, he found that he was very impressed with how much composure she had in this situation.
“Melissa, it may come as a surprise to you, but this is my lifestyle. I don’t like the popularity that that book is brought to my life, and to my friends. There are things that are very, very wrong about it, and people are getting hurt. At first it seemed as if it was a bit of a passing fancy, something for people to dip their feet into before going elsewhere. But now, now there are innocent people doing things that they have no business doing and getting hurt in the process.”
Melissa watched him, her expression was inscrutable. Finally, she spoke, “I just read the books, Doctor,” she said meeting his eyes for a fleeting moment, before looking down. “This isn’t my lifestyle. This isn’t my life.” She emphasized the “my” and he gave her a little smile. She had no idea that she was broadcasting her interest, regardless of what she said.
“Melissa, I’m a student body language. Whatever you say, your actions are speaking louder than words. If, and I repeat if, you’re interested in exploring this, together or alone, I can help you get through it.” He leaned in, brushing her hair off her shoulder and gave a little smile. “I’ve been there before, Melissa,” he whispered. “I know what it is like to train somebody. If you want to be trained, or if you just want to explore the lifestyle, I’m your man. It will never interfere with our working life. You think about it, and you tell me if you’re interested. If not, I won’t say another word to you.”
Melissa couldn’t quite believe what was happening. First, there was the car accident, thankfully only a fender bender. The people inside, an elderly couple, had been a little shaken up, but they had not wanted her to call EMS. Then, she’d returned to the office to find her purse was open, disengaging all of her personal items onto the floor. It hadn’t been bad enough that her feminine products had been lying out there for anyone to say, but that book, her current favorite book, had fallen out, too. Dr. Glenn had held it in his hands stroking the cover, an unconscious gesture. She had a feeling that he had no idea he was broadcasting his own body language cues, and expressing his interest to her, whether he intended to or not. Not that she had ever considered that he was a student of BDSM. But now that she knew, she was driven crazy with thoughts of him wielding a whip, handcuffing some beautiful young woman, exerting his will over strangers. Dammit, she wanted that to be her.