Chapter 2 #2
I honestly didn't give a damn what people thought of me but sitting across a table attempting to broker a business deal with a woman whose pussy you played in the night before or sharing a drink with a man who caught you exiting a private room where you spent the evening spanking and fucking another woman complicated things.
The majority of my time at Erogenous was during weeknights when most people I did business with were home in bed preparing for their days or at soccer games and school functions for their children. So that rarely ever was an issue, but occasionally, it happened.
"Christian." Giselle greeted me with a friendly smile before motioning to the chair next to hers in the small lounge area of her office.
The space was cozy with soft lighting and a thick furry rug cut in an abstract shape that held two black, bulky leather armchairs.
They looked stiff and uncomfortable but I'd sat in them enough to know the appearance didn't match their buttery soft feel.
I sank into the one next to hers and relaxed against the back.
"What's up, G?"
Her smile expanded a little but it was still elusive, which meant she was about to ask for something.
Giselle and I had an interesting history which began as competitors but we were not friends.
After my implication in trafficking women, which was bogus and initiated by my bitch of an ex-wife, I offered Giselle complete ownership of my escort services for little to nothing, demolishing the association to anything closely related to the accusations that could be interpreted as a bad look for my personal and professional standings.
Giselle, on the other hand, had a lucrative escort service.
So taking on my girls was viewed as a business expansion.
The women who worked for me were respected, treated well, highly compensated, and never pussy for hire.
Just because I was ending my association in that lane didn't mean I didn't want those who chose to continue in that space to not be provided the same opportunities they had with me.
Working for Giselle would grant them that.
After our business deal was complete, we became associates and eventually forged a friendship out of a mutual respect for one another.
"I need a favor."
"I'm sure you do based on that smug ass smile you're rocking right now."
Her eyes lowered some and her smile softened.
Giselle's bone straight, jet black hair framed a beautiful chocolate face camouflaging her age.
She was forty but could easily get away with late twenties, early thirties, which was why most of the men around here were lusting after locking down the Mistress Giselle.
I, on the other hand, knew better than to ruin our relationship.
So as sexy as she was, the most she and I had ever done was scene together during the first few months when I requested membership here at Erogenous.
She personally offered to ensure I understood my role as a Dom to help keep my interactions with others limited while I was in training.
We had only ever played a scene together deciding that keeping a sexual relationship off the table was the best.
"Are you going to hear me out or just say no?"
I chuckled and brushed a hand over my head. "I'm listening."
"You've been doing introductions for months now."
"Because you asked me to."
She nodded. "It was a good way for you to settle into your role as a Dom and also a good way for you to play with multiple women to get a feel for what you prefer in a submissive."
"And?"
"The goal was for you to find one that suits your preference and enter into a contract."
"Contract play isn't a requirement of membership, G."
"No, it's not but…"
"Then why the fuck are you trying to force me into one?"
I narrowed my eyes, feeling annoyed, and her only reaction was the slow crawl of her eyebrow lifting. "We're friends, right?"
I snorted and shook my head, laughing arrogantly. "Doesn't fucking seem like it if you're switching up on me."
She laughed lightly, crossed one leg over the other, and leaned in my direction, dropping her elbow on the arm of the chair.
Giselle gently placed her chin on a closed fist and just stared at me, not speaking until I exhaled my frustration.
"What the fuck do you want, G? Every time you hit me with that damn pose, you're either in business mode or on some bullshit. "
"When you applied for membership here at Erogenous, you said you needed to regain some control over your life. The situation with Aja and the complications with the rumors she got you caught up in really fucked with your head."
"Don't bring her into a gotdamn thing that has to do with who or what I am now."
"Unfortunately there's no way to avoid me doing so. She is the reason why you're so closed off. Why you feel the need to control when and how you deal with women."
I grunted. Part of that was true. What started as me needing control turned into a satiated feeling I never knew I was missing.
Having a woman submit to me gave me something I wasn't used to.
I fucking loved restraining a woman, playing with her, being the sole reason for her pleasure and desire.
It was much more gratifying than simply fucking her until I reached my own orgasm.
"That might have been what got me here, but that doesn't have shit to do with why I chose to stay. I like being a Dom; that doesn't have anything to do with her."
Unfortunately, everything in my life tied back to my ex-wife, whether I liked it or not. However, not all of it was bad. If I felt anything at all for the woman, I would thank her for fucking me over because it created a need that was now satisfied with my time spent at Erogenous.
"This is natural for you which is evident by the number of requests I receive from submissives demanding contracts with you. You always turn them down but I also know you're refusing contracts because being detached is safe. You're still not dealing with the fucked up shit she did to you."
I chuckled, shaking my head. "Did you recently earn a doctorate in psychology I'm unaware of, G?"
She grinned. "No, but my skill set with reading people is above average. You no longer trust women and it's very fucking obvious, Christian. You're enjoying your role as a Dom but you still haven't fully embraced it. Submission can't be one-sided."
"It can if that's what I want."
She sighed. "It can, but again, I'm asking for a favor, so…"
My head was shaking before the word left my mouth. "No."
Based on the conversation, I could already assume what she wanted and in whatever form she would ask for my commitment to someone, the gotdamn answer was no.
"Can I ask first?" She smiled arrogantly.
"If you want to waste your time, ball the fuck out."
"I have a new member. She'll only be in town for a month…"
"If you're about to ask me to do a one month contract with her then I might as well leave now because the answer is no."
"Can you at least consider it? She's new…"
"You have new members twice a month, G. That's not arguing your case."
"New to the lifestyle." After revealing that detail, she watched me carefully.
That was my one sweet spot. There was something addictive about being a woman's first. She was fresh, untainted by experiences in this lifestyle or expectations, basically a blank canvas.
Doms either loved or hated that experience. Me personally? I loved the challenge.
"Are you not going to say anything?"
"Being new is just as much a headache as it is a selling point. You personally know how many try the lifestyle because they think they can handle it only to find out they're not built for it. I don't need that shit."
"I do personally know but I also know this is the perfect opportunity for you to try a contract with no strings attached. She's in town on business ,which means after the contract is up, you won't have to see her again since you're convinced a permanent sub is never going to be your thing."
"It's not." I shrugged. My life was good as it was.
My time had also expired when it came to romanticizing having one person in my life who would be my equal, especially now, considering what I'd discovered about myself.
But even if I did find that woman, one who understood my proclivities for the lifestyle, I didn't know that I would ever have the ability to trust anyone enough to fully commit to anything outside of what I was currently doing. Focusing on my physical pleasures.
"You believe it's not but I believe you simply haven't found a woman who deserves the trust I know you want to hand over."
I shook my head and chuckled lightly. "G, I don't really give a fuck what you believe."
"If you were anyone else saying that to me, I would be offended, Christian."
"No you wouldn't because you don't really give a fuck what anyone else believes."
She smiled arrogantly. "True but I'm asking you to do this for me as a friend."
"Because you believe it will somehow change my life and my mind about contract play."
"No, I don't think I have a chance in hell of changing your mind. In fact, I know with certainty I won't. That task will be solely up to the woman the universe pairs you with."
"Then why the hell do you want me to do this?"
"Because whatever introduction you have into the lifestyle will shape your experience. One bad experience can ruin it for you."
Which was why Giselle insisted on being my first. I'd been hesitant, given our past business relationship and that she was the owner. That was a slippery slope but having her as my introduction had been the best possible decision I could have ever made.
She grinned. "I know what you're thinking."
I arched my brow and she shrugged. "That me being your first was a blessing and a curse."
I chuckled. "Get the fuck out of my head, G. Maybe you do have a mystery psychology degree I'm not aware of."
"A degree on Christian Devereaux." She winked. "But in all honesty, you were a Dom in spirit. The only thing I did was teach you how to apply that here at the club and in your bedroom."
I hadn't fucked a woman in my bedroom ,or any bedroom for that matter, in years. Since my ex-wife actually.
"Regardless, I'm not interested."
"Which I was prepared for, so now I'm bringing out my big guns."
"Shit, G, what now?" I sighed.
"When you made the decision to come here…" Fuck, I already knew where this was going. I owed her. She was calling in a favor.
"Are you sure you want to waste this on a woman you don't know?" I frowned and considered something. "Wait, do you know her? Is this personal?"
She shook her head. "No, I don't know her personally but I trust my gut with these things. And with this one, it has to be you."
There was something she wasn't saying which really fucked with me.
"And if I say no?"
"I'll deny her membership. The only other option she has within proximity is Devil's Dungeon and you know what that might be like."
I did. I'd visited there twice when considering my options.
The thought of engaging at a sex club in Crescent Falls given my reputation throughout the city after the skin trade rumors didn't feel like the best decision.
The last thing I wanted was to answer questions about my personal shit and bondage with women was at the top of that list of things I had no desire to discuss.
One visit to Devil's Dungeon changed my mind.
Clearly there were rules, very similar to the ones here at Erogenous.
Based on my time there, I understood they weren't enforced.
The most important rule everyone needed to follow in this space was to never touch someone without consent and consent could be withdrawn at any time.
The staff at Devil's Dungeon didn't enforce that as strictly as Giselle did based on what I witnessed.
There had been multiple times when women were approached and their personal space and bodies were compromised.
The staff saw this and only stepped in if and when it got out of hand.
However, by then, in most cases, things had gone too far which was a problem.
That was never an issue here at Erogenous.
"Now you see my dilemma."
My eyes narrowed on Giselle who grinned.
"If she's serious about this and I deny her, she'll end up at Devil's Dungeon.
You and I both know that's no place for an introduction.
The Doms there push limits instead of respecting them and finding suitable matches for themselves. You don't want that for her."
"I'm assuming you're in my head again."
"No, but I don't have to be. Your thoughts are all over your face, Christian.
You look like you want to murder everyone within reach and I'm guessing that's because you know what her experience will be like if she goes there.
" She sighed. "You owe me a favor and I would like for her to be that favor. "
She was pushing too hard for this which made me uncomfortable with agreeing.
"What the hell aren't you telling me?"
"I'm not hiding anything from you about her. I just really want you to be the one."
"When does she get here?"
"Next Wednesday but she's not scheduled for her first visit at the club until Thursday."
A week to think about it.
"I'll let you know by Wednesday evening."
I stood and so did she. I dropped a kiss on her cheek and lowered my eyes to hers. "I don't trust whatever the fuck this is you're doing but I trust you. With all things considered, please don't make me regret this shit."
"I won't." She beamed like my mind was made up so I reiterated my original decision.
"I'll let you know by Wednesday, and if I agree, you're giving me one free year of membership."
"How are you demanding a price for a favor you owe me?" She frowned.
"Above all else, I'm a man about my business, G. You're pushing too damn hard for this, which means the terms are negotiable. That's what I'm negotiating."
She rolled her eyes. "I'm the one who needs to be rethinking this friendship. That's a lot of money."
"I'm aware. I'll let you know as soon as I decide."
Giselle smiled smugly because she might not have expertise on me but she did know me very well. There was no way I would agree to let this woman end up at Devil's Dungeon. However, I also didn't plan on spending the next thirty days with her.
Once she had the contract, Giselle wouldn't dare force her out. All I had to do was get her acclimated, figure out who else at Erogenous would be a good fit, then hand her off. Problem solved because I damn sure didn't want or need any complications in the one place I came to uncomplicate my life.