“She has?”  Marina asked in astonishment.

Doyle’s head snapped up at Susan’s question, and she looked at the domme with confusion and hurt in her eyes.  Susan patted her hand, leaned over and gave her a soft kiss. 

            “Doyle, dear,” she smiled, “you are the most creative conceptual designer I know. You … you see right into the heart and soul of a place, no matter what it looks like.  But when it comes to actually building it….” she shook her head, still smiling, “well, we need Tina’s practical hand there.”

            Doyle pursed her lips momentarily before agreeing, “You’re right, Susan.  I guess I’m just too much of a dreamer and not enough of an engineer.”

            Tina threw her head back and laughed.  “Well, I’m no engineer either but I am pretty good at seeing how it needs to happen.”  Tina sat back and took a deep breath, surprised at her own willingness to see herself as actually being good at something.  She’d slowly lost that self-confidence in the last few years with Bette.

            “You and Doyle did a great job on the Lost ‘n Found.  People comment on it all the time,” Susan said, grinning as Tina blushed furiously.  “It’s true.  You two make a great team.  I know I can trust you to make this all come true.”

            Lara pulled the corks on several bottles of red and white wine, and poured generous servings for everyone but herself.  She hung back, hands behind her back, a classic sub stance and she met Susan’s eyes.

            “You’re not joining us, Lara?” Susan asked, giving the redhead a serious look before breaking eye contact.  A heat rising in her that she’d never known before seeing the commanding, yet not so commanding stance of the young chef.  Lara didn’t break the gaze, but Susan did, and Lara wondered why?

            “Please do,” Marina said softly.  “After all, you’re going to send us a good chef, yes?”

            “Yes,” Lara conceded, and reached for an empty glass, filling it with the crisp dry sauvignon blanc.  Raising the glass, she offered a toast.  “To Coffee ‘n Cuffs, the best damned bondage restaurant in California.”  She giggled at the thought.