XII

                                        

                                                  
Domina
********

                              
Elli sat in the truck for a moment longer, taking a steeling breath and conjuring images of things that would make her feel brave. She exhaled and pushed the door open, the chill of the morning air blowing in like a winter storm. 
                              
"Hey." Trevor smiled gently at her. "Get any sleep?"

                              
Elli climbed from the cab, pulling her jacket close. "Yeah, actually." 
                              
She still couldn't quite meet his eyes. She brought her hands up to blow on them and keep them warm.
                              
"Good, I'm glad." He hauled her duffle bag out of the truck bed. "Follow me."
                              
She trailed behind him as they headed toward the building. She could hear Samuel's heavy steps crushing frozen leaves behind them as he brought up the rear. She hid a small smile, unable to help but compare the svelte and stealthy blonde to the dark-haired man stomping around behind her. Trevor came to a halt in front of a part of the building that was marked with graffiti. Elli peered around his tall frame to study the labyrinth-like "Q" spray painted in purple on the concrete.
                              
"Open sesame." Trevor commanded, his soft voice booming in the quiet wake of dawn.
                              
Elli didn't know if it was more startling to hear the silence broken by such a dominant tone from her docile teacher—er, former teacher, or the fact that the wall actually began to shift like some hokey old cartoon show. She gaped in awe as a long corridor into the interior of the building was revealed, LED sting lights flickering to life in the upper corners of the walls.
                              
Trevor turned, flashing his award-winning smile.
                              
"Welcome home."
                              
Samuel scoffed. "Such that it is."
                              
Trevor ignored him, speaking to Elli. "They can be a rambunctious lot, but everyone means well. You'll fit in in no time."
                              
Elli's heart decided to resume some of its acrobatics, and she wondered if she could really hold out being mad at Trevor for very long. Or give up all thoughts of romance like she'd vowed to do not even an hour prior.
                              
"Come on." He ushered her into the long corridor. "I called ahead the last time we had cell signal, so breakfast should be ready. You'll get to meet everyone in the mess hall and then we'll do a briefing with the core team."
                              
By 'mess hall' he meant a rundown cafeteria whitewashed with mid-century décor and mismatched furniture. Elli wasn't all that solid with directions, so by the second or third turn down near-identical semi-dark hallways she had become disoriented. She took a step into the old cafeteria, curious.
                              
There was a spread of food and dishes laid out across three tables that had been shoved together. There was a large wooden trencher in the center filled with an assortment of breads and bagels, various jars of jams and preserves surrounded it like an oblong halo. On either side of the trencher were bowls of fresh fruit, and about 20 place settings lined the tables around the food. Elli's mouth began to water as she caught the scent of something meaty cooking nearby.
                              
Elli turned to find Samuel and Trevor studying her for a reaction. 
                              
"Well..." she smiled, genuinely excited by the thought of food. "If I wasn't hungry, I am now!"
                              
Samuel barked a laugh and Trevor smiled widely at her, gently ushering her over to the tables.
                              
"Breakfast!' Samuel roared and sat a few places down from Elli's right as Trevor sat at the head of the table to her left, his blue eyes dancing with excitement.
                              
A young woman with ebony skin and turquoise-dyed dreadlocks barreled through a set of double doors at the end of the room, her athletic frame shrouded in a stained apron.