[Steel]

But, even if his goal was eyerollingly impossible, that didn't mean that his games didn't bother her. He left her feeling flustered and unsettled. He had made her feel uncomfortable about her relationship with Sharath by making her think about what sex with a more dominant man would be like. And, frankly, he now occupied far too much space in her brain.

She needed something to recenter her opinion on Rakesh. A way to cut through his mind games and remind herself, consciously and subconsciously, that Rakesh was a disgusting little toad unworthy of her time or energy.

As crazy as it was to go and spy on his sexual encounter, Kusha thought it was just what she needed. She would watch Rakesh's pathetic attempts to act like the "alpha males" he always harped on about, see his stocky little body, and all the mystique that Rakesh had been trying to build would drain instantly away. The next time he tried to act like a big shot, Kusha would remember his pathetic attempts at sexual dominance and completely disregard his empty bravado.

That was what pulled her forward as she reached the doorway. A stubborn belief that underneath it all, Rakesh had to be as unimpressive as she always assumed.

She took a deep breath and parted the curtain hanging across the doorway.

Inside, she expected to see the massage table, but it seemed that there was a small entryway room between the hallway and the massage area. Probably to ensure that there was no accidental exposure of the guests as the masseuses moved in and out. Neat trays of perfumes, supplies and a small handwashing station sat along one wall, and opposite the door she entered was another curtained doorway... one that Kusha could hear voices coming from.

"... pisses me off so bad about you, Rocky. You only ever think about yourself."

Kusha crept closer to the curtain. She had definitely gotten the right room, that was that slut Laila's voice.

"Oh, please. Don't act like it's some sort of chore. You love it just as much as I do, you dirty slut."

Rakesh's voice made Kusha's old familiar rage bubble up inside her. He sounded just as cocky and smug as ever. No one should speak to anyone else that way, even if they were a slut. Kusha paused at the shrouding curtains, trying to judge how easy it would be to peek through them without being caught.

Laila scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Charming as always. How could I ever resist?"

"Resist...this?" Rakesh's voice was low and utterly confident. There was a long moment of silence.

"Fucking asshole..." murmured Laila quietly enough that Kusha could barely hear it. Then... soft wet noises. Were they kissing? The thought sent a squirming sensation of complex discomfort through Kusha's belly. Her ideal scenario was that she would discover that Rakesh was merely pressuring or paying Laila to act a part. That was what it had sounded like at first: Laila didn't sound like a submissive sex doll up until now. But how did kissing fit into that?