His day job wasn’t particularly demanding - Adam had hooked him up with an administrative assistant position through his temp agency - and he was between shows right now, so he had plenty of free time.

As they waited for Kate, he couldn’t help but think he felt a bit at loose ends. He’d come back to DC because he wanted something more permanent. He’d gotten tired of always being on the road for theater, always traveling and living out of a suitcase. It had been an incredible ride, but over the years, the enjoyment had started to pale. Now that he was here, he was still feeling restless and unsatisfied. Maybe it was the theater life in general that was starting to pale.

It was a lot of hard fucking work and not a lot of pay. Anyone who got into theater wasn’t doing it for the money.

Maybe he was just getting old. There were plenty of other actors who were older than him but... it just didn’t appeal the way it used to. He just didn’t know what else he wanted to do. Definitely not be an administrative assistant full time. He couldn’t see himself not working either. But he wasn’t happy with where he was. Especially since a few months ago a great-uncle had passed away and left Michael with an inheritance. He didn’t have to work anymore, he just didn’t know what else to do. The feeling of being unsettled had been growing stronger every day he’d gone to work at a job he didn’t actually need. Being unsettled by Ellie hadn’t helped either.

Hanging out with friends helped.

Ellie turned down the invitation to go out and practically fled the lobby after giving Kate a quick hug, but the flushed look she gave Michael before she ran made him feel incredibly impatient for tomorrow. She was on edge and needed some time to regroup, and he was okay with that, even if he wished she had come out. Angel and Adam also headed home, Angel yawning her way through the goodbyes, and Jared and Leigh weren’t far behind them. Although Kate tried to talk Sharon into joining them, Sharon had gotten a text on her phone and was off to meet Brian, one of the newly trained Doms at Stronghold.

Standing next to Olivia, Michael was surprised to see her frowning as Sharon trotted off.

“Everything okay?” he asked the fiery-haired Domme. He liked Olivia, although he sometimes felt like she was still holding back her judgment on him.

“Yeah. I’m just having a hard time picturing Brian and Sharon together. He’s... definitely not the Dom I would have chosen for her.” Olivia had taught the new Doms class, so she was well acquainted with the Doms and their preferences.