Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
Tessica arrived at Connections right at nine o’clock and parked near the front. The lobby doors opened as she stepped out of her car. She waved at Gwen, Susan, and several other friends as she went to the back of the line. Paul and Tucker had put up a post on the club’s website letting everyone know that tonight’s theme was Disney, and she was eager to check it out.
Once she’d paid her entrance fee, she put her coat in a locker and scanned the room. Mulan was playing on the television in one section of the room. Half of the snacks were princess-themed with lots of pastels and sprinkles. The other half of the snacks were bug-themed. There were sandwiches cut into strips with pretzels sticking out of them to make them caterpillars. A serving dish in the shape of an upside-down ladybug was filled with chips where its back would be, and dip where its head would be. Over in the craft area, there were stacks of printed black-and-white images of all the classic Disney characters waiting to be colored.
Tessica walked over to the bookshelf where she usually spent most of the evening, and noted that her normal selection of books had all been replaced with Disney stories. She had no idea where Paul or Tucker had gotten the new books, but she was impressed with the amount of effort they had put into the night. She knew it made the Littles feel special.
She scanned the book titles as Gwen came to stand next to her. Gwen had changed out of her street clothes and into Winnie the Pooh pajamas.
“Aw, you look so cute,” Tessica cooed.
Gwen did a little twirl and beamed.
“Absolutely adorable.”
“Wait ‘till you see Susan!” Gwen clapped her hands and jumped up and down a couple of times.
Tessica chuckled, “Maybe you should have worn Tigger pajamas. You’re very bouncy.”
Gwen giggled and shook her head. “That wouldn’t work, Mommy.”
“No?” Tessica couldn’t help but smile every time Gwen decided to call her Mommy. They’d been playing together platonically for over a year, so even though they didn’t have a real dynamic between them, they were comfortable with titles.
Gwen glanced down the hall toward the bathrooms where she’d changed. “Wait a minute.” She dashed down the hall and knocked on one of the doors. It opened a crack, and Gwen squealed with glee and clapped her hands again. She reached an arm into the bathroom and pulled Susan out.
Tessica had to cover her mouth for a moment to get a hold of her laughter when she saw Susan in Piglet pajamas. By the time the girls were in front of her, she was in control.
“Look Mommy Tessica! We’re Piglet and Pooh!”
Tessica grinned at the odd couple. “You certainly are. You girls are perfect together. You look darling, Susan.”
“Thanks,” she answered softly.
Gwen wrapped an arm around Susan’s waist and pulled her close. “Even though Susan’s taller than me, and Piglet is smaller than Pooh, Susan is more of a Piglet. A little bit afraid of the big wide world, but super brave when she’s with her best friend.”
“That’s lovely,” Tessica said. “Piglet and Pooh are the best of friends, just like you two. Those are the perfect outfits for tonight.”
Gwen frowned and let go of Susan. “Where’s your outfit, Mommy Tessica?”
“I don’t have one.”
Susan whispered something to Gwen. Gwen gasped and rushed over to the craft table.
“What are you two up to?” Tessica asked suspiciously.
Susan shrugged and bit her fingernail.
Tessica grasped Susan’s hand and pulled it away from her mouth. “None of that. You know better. Do you have your pacifier?”
Susan nodded, pulled it out of her pocket, and stuck it in her mouth.
“Good girl.”
Gwen came rushing back with a pair of Minnie Mouse ears in her hand. She handed them to Tessica. “Here you go. Now you’re not left out.”
“Oh, I see.” Tessica put the headband on so she had mouse ears with a pink polka- dot bow. “How do they look?”
“Perfect,” Gwen answered, and Susan nodded.
Tessica gestured to the bookshelf. “We have all new books tonight. Do you want to pick one out, or do you want to do something else first?”
Gwen and Susan exchanged a glance, and then Gwen answered for them. “One book. Then crafts, snacks, and back to books.”
“Okay.” Tessica sat in the chair by the bookshelf. “Susan, why don’t you pick first.”
An hour later, Tessica had a group of five Littles, including Susan and Gwen sitting in a circle around her. They all listened attentively while she read an abridged version of Cinderella. There were colorful pictures on each page so Tessica held the book open facing the Littles while she read.
“Cinderella rushed down the stairs to show her stepmother the gown she’d made.”
Gwen spoke up. “Maybe you should skip the next page. Her stepmom and sisters are mean.”
Tessica glanced around the group. “Let’s see a show of hands. Who thinks I should skip the next page?”
Everyone raised their hands.
“Okay.” She turned the book toward herself to check the next couple of pages. Once she saw the fairy godmother, she turned the book back around. “Is this better?”
“Much better,” Gwen said.
Tessica saw movement on the outskirts of her reading circle and looked up to see if someone wanted to join. Connor Doyle stared back at her. Tessica froze. Her eyes opened wide, and her face flushed with so much heat, she was certain she had to be bright pink. Her stomach clenched and churned, and her breath came in shallow puffs.
“Mommy Tessica?” Gwen asked.
‘This can’t be happening’, danced inside her head on repeat. She’d kept this part of her life meticulously separate from her ‘real life’ for so long, that the thought of them mingling made her want to vomit.
“Mommy Tessica?” Gwen asked again, sounding panicked. “Are you okay?”
Tessica opened her mouth, but nothing came out except shallow breaths.
Connor’s shocked expression morphed into one of reassurance in seconds. “She’s okay, she’s just surprised to see me.”
Gwen glared over her shoulder. “Who are you?”
Tessica’s mothering instincts kicked in automatically through her panic. “Ask nicely, Gwen.”
With much less attitude, Gwen said, “I’m Gwen. What’s your name?”
“I’m Connor.” He gestured to a Black man in his early thirties who stood next to him. “And this is my friend, Brian. Nice to meet you, Gwen. We read about the club’s Littles’ Night and decided to come check it out.”
Gwen frowned suspiciously. “Are you Dominants?”
“We are,” Connor answered. “I’m a Daddy Dom, and Brian is mostly here for moral support, but he’s got some Daddy Dom tendencies.”
Gwen nodded seriously and turned her attention back to Tessica.
Tessica finally managed to drag a full breath of air into her lungs. Her entire body grew warm, and her stomach stopped lurching. Even though the adrenaline still coursed through her body, her initial panic receded after hearing Connor’s words. He wasn’t at the club by accident. Life as she knew it wasn’t over in the blink of an eye.
She was still trying to get her wits about her when Paul stepped up to Connor and Brian, and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Paul. I own this club.”
Connor shook his hand. “Nice to meet you, Paul. I’m Connor, and this is…”
“Brian,” Paul supplied for him. “I almost didn’t recognize you. I’ve never seen you here on Littles’ night.”
“True, BDSM night is more my thing.” Brian patted Connor’s shoulder. “I’m here to support my friend.”
“I see. Well I’m glad you guys could make it.” Paul turned to Tessica. “Everything all right?”
Tessica quickly nodded, embarrassed that she had caused enough of a scene to make Paul come over and check on her. “Yes, of course. Everything’s fine. I just know Connor outside the club scene.”
“Ah,” Paul said. “It happens.” He stepped over the Littles to get to Tessica and held out his hand. “I’ll finish reading this. You go sort things out with Connor, and then come back when you’re ready.”
Several of the Littles groaned and whined.
“Oh, I don’t?—”
“Tessica,” Paul said sternly as he took the book out of her hand. “Go talk to Connor. That’s an order.”
Some of the Littles gasped, and all of them fell silent.
A whole new wave of embarrassment washed over Tessica. She bit her lip, gave Paul a curt nod, and focused on the Littles. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes,” she reassured them. Then she stepped around the back of the bookcase and stood near Connor.
Connor glanced at Brian. “You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all.”
Connor gestured to the hallway with the bedrooms and bathrooms. “Let’s go talk in private.”
She nodded and followed him to one of the bedrooms. He gestured for her to go in first, and once they were both inside, he shut the door behind them.
“Please don’t tell anyone,” Tessica begged softly before he’d even made eye contact.
His eyes snapped to hers. “I would never out you.”
The sincerity of those words hit her chest. She put a hand over her heart, nodded, and tried to take a deep calming breath.
Connor walked up to her and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Never, Tessica. I swear.”
She nodded again. “I believe you.”
“How about we sit down before you pass out?” He gestured to the side of the bed.
“Pass out?” Tessica wasn’t seeing spots or feeling dizzy, but she was still having trouble taking a deep breath.
He guided her to the edge of the bed and nudged her shoulders down. She sat and he settled in next to her. Then he took one of her hands in his and held it on the bed between them.
She stared at their interlocked hands and blinked a few times.
“Just breathe with me for a second, and let yourself calm down.”
“I’m okay,” she said. “Really. It was?—”
“Nope.” Connor shook his head. “Breathe with me.”
Tessica scowled. She wasn’t some hapless Little in need of breathing lessons.
“Breathe in.” Connor gestured up with his free hand, and took a deep breath himself.
Sometimes it was easier to give in, rather than argue with a well-meaning Dominant, so she dutifully copied his breathing.
After several deep breaths, Tessica actually felt more like herself, but there was no way she’d admit that to him.
“Good.” Connor let go of her hand, clasped his hands in his lap. “So…”
“So…” she parroted back as she pulled her hand into her lap.
Connor opened his mouth, closed it, took another deep breath, and then opened his mouth again. “Okay. The way I see it, we have two options. I can leave right now, and we can pretend this never happened, but I hate that option.”
She didn’t exactly hate the option, but since she was running a business out of his house, it was impossible not to see him or interact with him. And now that she knew he was kinky, she couldn’t un-know it. “What’s option two?” she asked.
“Come to dinner with me tomorrow night.”
“Dinner?” She couldn’t seem to formulate actual sentences.
“A real dinner in a restaurant. Something with seven courses, a quiet secluded booth where we can talk, and a lot of wine to help us both relax.”
“Wine?”
He nodded. “And an Uber ride home.” After a short pause, he added, “To our separate houses.”
That helped Tessica get a grip on herself. “You mean something like, you tell me your secret life, and I tell you mine?”
“Exactly. I mean, I’d like to know some of the basics tonight, but I don’t think this is the time or place to bear our souls. We’ve both got people waiting on us.”
She glanced at the door. It could trigger some Littles when they saw the Mommies or Daddies that took care of them fall apart. With that thought, she nodded. “You’re right. We need to talk, but not right now. Short version, I’m a switch, but I’d say I’m ninety percent Mommy Domme and ten percent submissive.”
“Little?” he asked.
She winced, not really wanting to admit it, but not wanting to lie either. “Yes, but very rarely. What about you?”
“I suppose if I had to classify it like that, I’d say ninety percent Daddy Dom, and ten percent Sadist. I enjoy dishing out a bit of pain.”
It seemed surreal to hear those words coming out of Connor’s mouth. A sudden thought struck her. “Do your sisters know?”
“What?” Connor frowned. “Of course not.” Then he gasped. “Does Erin know about you?”
“Absolutely not.”
“That’s a relief.” Connor sighed. “But… why not? You two were thick as thieves when you were in high school.”
“I wasn’t self-aware back then. I wouldn’t even say I was in denial; I just didn’t know what kinky was until I was in college.”
“Ah, I see.” Connor nodded. “I knew I liked unusual things from an early age, but I didn’t have a label for it until I joined the Air Force.”
The last of Tessica’s concerns faded. Knowing that Connor had been kinky his entire adult life made it easier to trust him. “Okay then. Let’s save the rest for tomorrow night, because my Littles are going to be upset if I don’t get back out there.”
He stood, and held his hand out for her. “Pick you up from the shelter at five?”
She put her hand in his, and stood up with him. “If we’re taking an Uber, you should probably pick me up from my apartment instead. It’s not far from your mom’s place. I can text you the address. Five-thirty?”
“Sounds good.”
To her surprise, he pulled her into a quick tight hug.
“Thank you,” he whispered in her ear.
“For?” she asked, hugging back.
“For taking the time to talk to me.” He let her go and opened the bedroom door.
Tessica didn’t think she’d had much of a choice, but nodded anyway and went out to reassure Gwen, Susan, and the other Littles that she was okay, and ready for more play time.