I shut down the grill and take the plate of burgers over to the outdoor kitchen. She likes American cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and pepper. I asked her before she got distracted by the phone. I want this evening to be seamless and knowing what she likes is part of that.

I set her plate down on the small table next to her lounge chair and she smiles up and mouths thank you as Bebe continues to talk on the other end of the line.

I go inside and grab Felicity’s kitchen laptop and take it back outside with me. Then I settle in the lounge chair next to Grace and open up my own Twitter account and navigate to the Dirty Heaven list while I chew on my dinner. I snap a picture of Grace with my laptop camera. She’s got a towel wrapped around her because she was chilled after our last swim, so she’s not naked.

MovieStar @VaughnAsher

@FilthyBlueBird You look #Fuckable…

Her laptop pings a new interaction and I take a big bite of burger and chew as she reads it. The look on her face… priceless. “Oh yeah, baby. Game. On. Tonight.” She rolls her eyes and tries to continue her conversation with Bebe, but even I can hear the screaming coming from the phone as my tweet filters out to the world.

MovieStar @VaughnAsher

@FilthyBlueBird #DirtyHeaven is mine tonight.

The ping. The smile. The feigned indifference. She hangs up the phone. A few seconds of furious keystrokes and…

Grace @FilthyBlueBird

@VaughnAsher I own #DirtyHeaven, bitch. #VaughnAsherIsMyBitch

I laugh out loud. She chews her burger, as she positions the laptop so I can’t see her screen.

MovieStar @VaughnAsher

@FilthyBlueBird #FlashbackTime Get ready.

I navigate to Felicity’s Twitter list of @FilthyBlueBird. It has all of Grace’s tweets. After Grace made her big escape from Saint Thomas and left me searching the airport like a maniac trying to make sure she wasn’t just hiding from me, Felicity figured out who she was on Twitter and started compiling. She even copied them into dummy accounts in anticipation of a possible full account deletion.

I admit, after I realized Grace was not in fact waiting for me to pick her up from departures, I went through her entire timeline. From. Day. One.

I chuckle and look up at Grace. She’s got one of those oh shit looks on her face. “Remember when you wrote this…?” I press the retweet button and shoot her a wide grin.

Her laptop bloops and she looks down. I look down too, so we can read it together.

Grace @FilthyBlueBird

Come here and take off my lip gloss @VaughnAsher #OnMyKneesWaiting

She looks up, biting said lip, and I quickly press send on my reply tweet.

MovieStar @VaughnAsher

@FilthyBlueBird #Flashback to last night. Oh, you weren’t wearing lip gloss. But you are now. #GetOnYourKneesAndWait

She chuckles and smirks as her fingers fly across the keys.

Grace @FilthyBlueBird

@VaughnAsher - Dabbing lips with a napkin. #ThatAllYouGot?

I choose my next favorite tweet of hers and press the retweet symbol.

Grace @FilthyBlueBird

I love Shark Week. And I’m convinced #Megalodon is actually @VaughnAsher penis #hidingInHisPants #NotTheOcean

She covers her face for that one and I use her recovery time to type my response.

MovieStar @VaughnAsher

@FilthyBlueBird Right now. #Megalodon #ReadyAndWaiting for a secret rendezvous. Come on in, the #WaterIsFine

She types out a hasty response.

Grace @FilthyBlueBird

@VaughnAsher - Waiting for a proper invitation #BegForItMaster

MovieStar @VaughnAsher

@FilthyBlueBird My command is your proper invitation #ThoseWhoFollowOrders get rewarded. #MastersDontBeg

“Grace, my sweets. I always win. Why must you fight me? Come on, come sit with me. We can dirty-tweet together, have a melding of the mind. And body.” I wink at her.

She shakes her head and starts typing again, then chews her thumbnail as she deletes, types, deletes again. After several minutes of this, she looks up and swipes her tongue across her perfect lips, pressing a button on her keypad with a flourish.

Grace @FilthyBlueBird

@VaughnAsher #CommandMe and I’ll comply. #AskMe and I’ll give in. #LetMeChoose and I’ll #BeYours Which do you want more?

When I look over at her, she’s twisting her hair, her eyes are wide and expectant, and her breathing is faster than it was. She’s nervous. “Is there any doubt in your mind which one I want more?”

She points to the computer in my lap. “Tell them, not me.”

“You need reassurances?” She nods but lets the question hang there. “You want a public declaration, just like I wanted a public submission?”

She nods again. “I don’t want to be your secret.”

“You’re not a secret. We’re tweeting as ourselves. Everyone can see it.”

“I don’t want to be your servant, either.”

“It’s a joke, sweets. Since when do you take it so seriously, anyway? You never took it seriously on the island. And you have to admit, I’ve been so much better since we came back to our real lives. I’ll stop with the jokes if you want, but that’s all it was. Am I calling you girl? Are you calling me Master? No. We’re in a different phase now, can’t you tell?”

“I…” She exhales and closes the laptop. “I’m not sure. I’m not sure what I’m doing. I need to go home. I’m really confused, to be honest. I mean, so much is going on outside this sanctuary. I’m worried about the fallout. I’m worried about my job. I’m worried about… you. And me. And I have to admit, you’re so much closer to the dream guy I envisioned now, it scares me.”

“Why?” I laugh, but I don’t mean it as a joke. I just don’t understand where she’s coming from.

“God, are you really that oblivious? Do I really need to spell out having your parents murdered, your life ripped apart, and the feelings that leaves behind?”

I close my laptop too, then put it aside. I stand up and scoot over to her lounge, moving her over and wrapping her up in my arms all in the same gesture. I place her on top of me, her head leaning on my chest. “I didn’t mean it that way, Grace. At all. I was just playing with you.”

“I know, but I have a hard time understanding when the game stops.”

“The game is over. I won. You’re mine.”

“That’s caveman talk, Asher.”