Episode 2
Mr. Reevesworth turned Collin’s hand over, revealing the bell. “You thought about it.”
It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway.
Mr. Reevesworth sighed. “I know what our first lesson will be.” He slid one arm under Collin’s knees and another behind his back, lifting him from the floor. The blanket fell away.
Collin squeezed his eyes shut.
“I’ll start coffee,” Mr. Moreau said. “Will you handle breakfast, or would you like me to order in? I can do it in the car on the way to my meeting.”
“If you could order in, that would be helpful.”
Mr. Reevesworth carried Collin through the condo to Collin’s bedroom and into the bathroom. He lowered Collin to the counter by the sink and opened up the drawers, pulling out more of the antiseptic pads he’d used before.
There’s no need. I’ve done worse without cleaning them. Collin couldn’t bring himself to remonstrate though. If Mr. Reevesworth wanted to clean, who was Collin to argue.
They didn’t speak until Mr. Reevesworth was satisfied the entire set of new scratches, elbow to wrist, had been tended.
“Do you need to go back to sleep, or would you like to sit in the living room?”
Collin swallowed. As much as he didn’t want to face Mr. Reevesworth disapproval, he didn’t want to be alone.
“Living room, sir.”
“Then we’ll put the healing cream on after you shower.” He lifted Collin up under the armpits and eased him to the floor. “Strip. The doctor will be here in an hour.”
Collin swallowed. Mr. Reevesworth was standing right there, giving him no space.
“Do you need help, Collin?”
“No, sir.”
Collin put his hands on the waist of his pajamas and pushed them down, underwear and all. Mr. Reevesworth moved to the shower and turned on the water. He tested it on his wrist, once, twice, and then a third time before turning and motioning Collin forward.
“In.”
He didn’t leave the entire time Collin was in the shower, just leaned against the counter, long legs stretched out, arms crossed over his chest, sometimes watching, sometimes studying one article or another in the room.
Collin’s face burned. He showered completely, including his hair and his pubes. His routine included cleaning his ass thoroughly. He hated to be dirty there at all. He glanced up. Mr. Reevesworth was watching him.
He swallowed and dropped his eyes. If he could skip this part, he would.
But this was also the man who had said he fully intended to have sex with him and more. But would he think Collin was trying to be forward if he cleaned himself there? He was already in trouble. He didn’t want to seem like he was trying to seduce his way back into Mr. Reevesworth’s good graces.
“Stop dithering, Collin.”
“Could you…could you turn around, sir?”
“Why?”
“I…I need to clean myself…there.”
“Are you shy, Collin?”
“Yes, sir, but…I’m trying to be appropriate, sir.”
“You’re in a shower, Collin.”
“I’m trying to not be…” Collin blew air out of his mouth. “I don’t want to look like I’m trying to be a goddamn tease when I know I’m in trouble, sir. That’s not the kind of person I am.”
Mr. Reevesworth’s lips stretched in his first smile of the morning.
“Collin, you were a goddam tease on the floor outside of my bedroom door before you even woke up. You’re a goddamn tease standing in that sad excuse of housing that was your former apartment.
You’re a goddam tease fully dressed expounding on the virtues of local produce production. Now clean your ass.”
“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”
“Don’t be. A male who can’t enjoy a tease without sticking with his plans shouldn’t call himself a man.”
Collin’s cheeks tingled deeper. He put soap on his fingers and closed his eyes, trying to pretend he was alone. If he imagined Mr. Reevesworth watching this, his knees would give out. And one concussion was enough for the decade.
He rinsed and turned off the water. Mr. Reevesworth handed him a towel. “Dry off and come out. I’ll get you clothes.”
Collin obeyed. A moment later, he dressed in soft pants and a long-sleeve sweater under Mr. Reevesworth’s watchful eyes. Then and only then was he allowed to go out into the living room.
A knock on the front door signaled breakfast. Mr. Reevesworth summoned him to the kitchen to eat at the table. The doctor arrived just as they finished.
The exam was short and consisted mostly of a physical check on Collin’s eyes, range of motion, any tender places on his head, and a series of questions for both Collin and Mr. Reevesworth.
The doctor closed his bag with a smile for Collin.
“Well, young man. Looks like you’re making a full recovery.
I’d be more concerned about the exhaustion and malnutrition than the concussion at this point, but it seems that you’re working on that already.
Just keep taking it easy. No significant physical exertion for at least five or six more days, and make sure you’re eating well. ”
“Would you say that Mr. Ryker is mentally and medically competent to sign a legal document or make decisions at this point?” Mr. Reevesworth inquired.
“I find Mr. Ryker competent. He’s had no personality changes and he self-reports that his moods remain much the same, except for some distress because he’s not working.
Momentarily forgetting an anniversary during a time period of stress and while he was away from his calendar reminders is also understandable.
His ability to calmly talk down both the officers and his mother points to a complete return to normal function.
Honestly, the memory lapse could have come more from sleep deprivation than the concussion. ”
Mr. Reevesworth saw the doctor out and returned to the living room.
“I’m going to go into my office. In half an hour, I will return with an updated version of the contract.
We will read it together. I will answer your questions.
I will give you privacy to think it over.
You may ask for changes. I may or may not agree. ”
Collin nodded.
“While I am in my office, check your phone for any future appointments, birthdays, anniversaries, etcetera. I will need a copy of dates and commitments that are important to you. You may leave off anything school related or work related. I am already informed of those details.”
“Yes, sir.”
Mr. Reevesworth disappeared behind his door.
Collin slumped to the couch. He pulled his phone from his pocket and thumbed in the passcode. How far ahead does he need? One week, a month, a year?
Flipping behind his calendar and the note app was too hard.
He pushed himself up and dragged himself into the bedroom.
There was a small computer desk with a writing pad and pen to the right of the window.
The chair was some sort of futuristic uncomfortable design with no back legs, only a sweeping curve from the front to back.
He sat in it slowly. It bounced under his weight but held.
Collin refreshed his screen. Dates. His mother’s cancer-free anniversary. Like he would ever be able to forget that again. His sister’s birthday. His mother’s birthday. Grandmother’s. The day they were told his father was dead.
Collin’s pen paused over the paper. No. Now was not the time.
Grandpa’s birthday.
His sister’s graduation date and school holidays.
That was it. Nothing more. He could put down important holidays. Was that important? Did he care?
His mother never made a big deal out of Christmas. But she did observe Samhain. It was the one significant observance that she asked for even if there was never much time off. He wrote that down.
Followed by New Year’s Eve. But that one was for him.
He folded the paper in half and stood up, replacing the weird chair and went back to the living room.
It was too awkward to sit on the couch where he wouldn’t see Mr. Reevesworth coming back and too confrontational to sit in one of the other chairs opposite where he’d look like he was waiting to stare him down. He wandered back to the window seat.
Mr. Reevesworth returned with a sheaf of white paper in hand. He laid the pages out on the coffee table and invited Collin to sit beside him on the seat. The contract was five pages, three of which were made up entirely of lists with checkboxes.
Collin swallowed, his eyes trailing over the lists. “All of this?”
“It’s best to be clear. These lists are not exhaustive, but they give us points from which to start.
” Mr. Reevesworth tapped the first page of lists.
“This page has to do with social interactions, for example, what we will disclose of our relationship and to whom and how much of our relationship we will carry into the public sphere. This second page has to do with control and care, specifically what you are willing to surrender and what I am willing to take responsibility for. And this third page is what I assumed you thought most of this would be about.”
Collin smiled weakly. “You read my mind.”
Mr. Reevesworth chuckled softly. “This page has to do with what we agree is physically and emotionally permissible in our relationship, particularly in terms of domination and submission and emotional entanglement.”
Collin ran his eyes over the pages. So short and yet so much more than he felt ready to speak to even concerning his own wants and needs. “What if I don’t know enough to say yes or no?”
“This contract is subject to revisitation at regular intervals. And there is language for adjustment in practice, via verbal communication, to be transferred into permanent written amendments, if desired. You will have safe words, as will I, and I’ve included safe people for us both to go to, if needed, for perspective, if there is confusion that either you or I do not feel we can bring up with each other. ”
“Shouldn’t we be communicating with each other?”