Chapter Eight
August
After our date night, I thought it might be a good thing to make our next time together at a place where we could feel free to say or do anything we liked. Without fear of judgment. And in this town that meant Chained.
Ms. Lily, who was in charge of the little room at Chained and also special events and so many other things, had set up a sort of a kinksters’ marketplace for the next weekend.
According to the email I received, small business vendors of all things kinky would be represented there, either directly selling or taking orders for their specialty products.
Ms. Lily tried to ensure that for as many events as possible, there was a benefit or charity aspect, and in this one, the table fees as well as the funds raised through a raffle would be going to establish a grant for new small businesses servicing the kink community.
“Wow, this place is mobbed.” Hal glanced down the block behind us. “There’s a line to get in.”
“I’ve never seen that before.” The place didn’t even have a real sign other than a small brass plate next to the door that said Chained. We got along well with the surrounding community largely because we minded our own business and didn’t create chaos. “But it’s a good sign for fundraising.”
“Is it ever.” Hal shuffled a couple of steps forward.
This event would not be open to the general public.
Nobody was allowed through the doors without being screened ahead of time, but it looked as if the whole membership and lots of invited guests had shown up.
“Did I mention how much I like your sweater?” He was not dressed in little clothes, but he wore a fuzzy white sweater emblazoned with a rainbow unicorn.
“You didn’t, but thank you.” He pranced a little as we finally made our way into the foyer. “It makes me happy. Like my bracelet.” Lifting his arm, he wiggled his hand, making the bracelet dance. “I really was glad for you to have it, you know.”
“And I am happy to see it on you where it belongs. But mostly because I knew how special it was that you gave it to me…I couldn’t keep it.”
We handed our phones to the submissive manning the desk and followed the crowd into the main floor area.
Most nights, that section would have been one station after another occupied by dominants and submissives plying their kink, but tonight, or at least for this portion of the evening, the space was filled by rows of tables featuring all sorts of products and services.
“What shall we do first?” I asked. “Would you like something to drink?”
“Let’s go see who’s here. I think some of my friends were coming.”
So, we headed for the conversation area and found a group of daddies and littles sitting around having drinks and snacks.
“Hal!” called one of them who sat on his daddy’s lap.
Ernie, Jovan’s little and one of Hal’s friends.
“Are you excited to see everything at the tables?
I think the artist who made your bracelet is here.
“I am, but we wanted to come over and visit first.” Hal plopped down on the sofa next to Jovan and Ernie. “What are you guys drinking?
“I am having lemonade.” Ernie, like my date, wore adult clothes but with an edge of adorableness that no daddy could miss. He leaned back against Jovan with a casual coziness I envied. Would we ever be there? “Do you want some?”
Hal lifted his eyes to mine and gave me a winsome smile. “Can I…”
“You visit with your friends, and I’ll go to the bar.
The servers look very busy right now. Anyone else need a drink?
” I got a few more orders and went to stand in line—a very long line.
Twenty minutes or so later, I returned to find Hal, Ernie, and Hudson—Bridger’s little—huddled together having a big whispered conversation that cut off into giggles when I arrived juggling the glasses.
“What have I interrupted?” I set all the drinks on the low table in the middle of the conversational grouping.
Hal’s eyes were sparkling, but he just shrugged.
I sat down next to him and thrust out my lower lip, pretending to pout. “Okay, be that way, then.”
“No, don’t be sad. My friends were just saying how nice you are and how much they like you.”
I had a feeling there was more to it than that, but anything more might make their already-red faces burn even hotter, so I nodded graciously and settled back to sip my drink and listen to the conversations.
Big and small. I learned that Ridge, another little friend, was not here tonight because he was off dealing with family business of some sort and that most of their other friends from the little room were already off exploring the booths.
Hal was not a member, as he’d informed me, but he came to special events when funds permitted and hoped to join someday.
After we’d finished our drinks, Jovan stood up, placing Ernie on his feet. “Well, I’m ready to explore the vendors. What do you think, my good boy?”
“Can Hal come with us?” he asked.
Hal thrust out his unicorn-emblazoned chest. “I’m a big boy. I can go by myself.”
So. Adorable.
“Or, you can come with me? I’m interested to get a look too.”
His smile in response was everything, and he even slipped his hand into mine as we set off to explore the goods.
I was determined to find something to buy for Hal as a souvenir of our first time together at the club, so as we passed each table, I kept an eye on his reactions.
A club-wide event, there were many things not geared to daddies and mommies and littles, but far more than I expected.
Of course, leather dominated at least a third of the tables.
Garments, bondage gear, quirts, and floggers.
One craftsman was personalizing wooden paddles with names and sayings or other decorations.
He had at least a dozen people crowded around him, but I was not the kind of daddy who liked impact play, physical punishments, or anything like that, so I was happy that Hal never slowed his steps in the vicinity.
A dungeon furniture purveyor had some home-sized pieces that a number of dominants seemed to like. In addition to the spanking bench and St. Andrew’s cross, that I could see over the shoppers’ heads, he had a whole catalogue on a side table and was busily taking orders.
Rarely spending much time in the part of the club, I was much more interested when I spotted a whole aisle geared to our kink.
Hal sucked in a breath and released my hand, darting over to the first booth, a jeweler. He held up his wrist and showed the craftsman. “I got this from you.”
“I remember. It was one of my favorites, and I was happy to have it get a good home.” They spoke for a few minutes, and Hal took a card to show his friends who might want something too.
One after another, we admired the various items for sale.
Divided dishes and sippy cups. Adult-sized diapers with all the adorableness that the bright, cheerful patterns could provide.
Onesies and shorts and knee socks. Nursery furniture every bit as cute as anyone could imagine and the linens and towels to stock it.
At each stop, I pictured Hal wearing clothes, sleeping in the crib…sucking on the bottle or the paci… There was so much we didn’t know about one another yet, and I made mental notes of his comments, trying to fill in the blanks.
But when he saw the handmade bear stuffie wearing the rainbow sweater, Hal reached for his wallet. “I want this. It’s so cute!”
“It is adorable.” But I stilled his hand. “But I want to buy it for you. To remember our first evening here. together.”
At first, I thought he might protest, but then he let his hand fall. “Thank you. But even if I didn’t get him, I’d never forget tonight.