Chapter 11
KYLEN
“Why are you never in the same place twice?”
I look up as the Lennon twins enter the parlor I’m sitting in to study. With them is their on-and-off fuck buddy, Evan. Since I’m the only one in the parlor, there’s no confusion about who they’re talking to.
“To avoid being found,” I answer.
Twin smiles tell me I’m cute for thinking that’s possible with the people in this house. They’re not wrong, I suppose.
I’m sitting in a comfortable leather chair at one of the round tables.
I have my laptop open to the class portal’s list of assignments, a tablet propped up with my notes, and an eReader open to my textbook.
I sometimes wonder how people work with only a single piece of technology available to them.
I’m not even sure which I’d choose. All three feel essential to a successful college experience.
The three guys gather around the table with me. The twins have tablets in their hands, but Evan has a canvas bag that he sets on the table.
“Okay, let’s talk about Secrets,” Otis says.
“I’m not sharing my secrets with you,” I answer.
For a second, both brothers stare at me in confusion before Otto laughs. “No, Ky. Secrets is the name we’re working with for the kink club.”
“Oh. Well… I can see how that ties in, I suppose.”
“We’re not set yet,” Evan says. “It doesn’t quite have the same vibe that the other DIK porn names have. I mean… Rumor, Confessions, and Hush? They’re honestly fucking awesome. I love the vibe they give. I’m not sure Secrets truly has the same feel, you know?”
“I see what you’re saying, though I don’t think it’s a bad option,” I answer.
“Agreed. If we don’t come up with something better before we have to have a name to move forward, then I think we’ll go with it,” Otis says, shrugging.
“Why do you want to talk to me about it?” I ask.
“You got Hush up and running. You seem like a good place to start with our ideas,” Otto says.
“Actually, Nolan was a huge help. Probably more than I was. And Kole, too,” I admit. “I feel like my name is just on the official documents as the organizer. I’m a figurehead.”
“That’s fine. We still want to see what you think about our ideas,” Otto says. “Besides, we talked about partnering with a few different ideas.”
I close my laptop and sit back. “Okay. I’m listening.”
“Cool,” Evan says, and begins dumping the contents of his bag onto the table. I recognize sex toys and a few obviously traditional BDSM tools—like a paddle and cuffs.
Shockingly, my face burns, and I want to sink into the seat. Fuck’s sake.
“First, we worked out with Omega, Sigma, and Alpha that we’ll use the other half of the first floor in the same building where Hush is set up. It’ll be easier that way when we want to do a partner night,” Otto says. “We have eight rooms, and we’re beginning with the basics.”
Otis picks up the paddle and slaps the table with it. I jump at the loud slap, even as I watch him do it. I may burn a little hotter.
“I think we’re going to begin with mandatory demonstrations and conversations.
Not classes, exactly, but it’s important to teach new players the importance of consent, safewords, and open communication.
Everyone will be required to attend the class that they want to try in the space,” Otto says.
“I think we’ll hold the classes in the evenings—with demonstrations—and then on the weekends we’ll be set up for people to come in and try it out.
Kind of like Hush. I anticipate that we’re going to get a lot of people coming in not partnered, so we’ll pair them based on the information in their paperwork. ”
I nod. “That makes sense.”
“We’d really appreciate it if you’d sit in on a couple classes and go through a couple of dry runs,” Otis says. “Because this is kind of sensitive, we don’t feel comfortable having a hot opening.”
I groan on the inside. Nothing is going to be more uncomfortable than this! “Alright,” I say, hesitantly.
“We’ve already partnered with Bad Kraken for masters to demonstrate classes, a supplier, and general resources about the BDSM community,” Evan says as he holds up a harness absently.
“We’re being realistic here. As much as maybe we’ve read and dabbled in BDSM—we, as in our peers in general—the average age of people on campus is nineteen to twenty-one, right?
Which means no one is old enough to have lived the lifestyle.
We need to go about this slowly and intelligently. ”
“Right,” I agree. “So… set up? Schedule? Website?”
“Nolan is helping us with the website and business side of things,” Otto says, grinning. “We know he helped Arek get his Fuck You model cocks up and running right before he helped you with Hush.”
I grin. “Interesting that he’s not even a business major.”
“Imagine how he can put these new, successful business models on his resume,” Otis snickers. “Designed, built, and launched replicated cocks business, anonymous hookup key party business, and a kink club business.”
I laugh. “Oh my god, can you imagine employers’ faces when they read that?”
Evan snorts. “Let’s be real. He has a rich boyfriend.”
“They don’t pay college coaches all that much money,” Otto says.
“Probably not, but Coach Tavis coached in the NHL for like two decades. Maybe longer. He drives a mid-level truck and lives in a modest-sized condo. I think he’s probably pretty frugal, so I bet he still has a lot of money tucked away,” Evan says.
The twins exchange considering looks.
“Huh. I guess. I don’t see Nolan as someone who’d be comfortable living off his partner for long, but what do I know? We’re not besties or anything,” Otto says.
I think about Evan’s assessment, and I think Otto is right.
Nolan likely won’t settle for a job that he isn’t excited about, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with his current relationship.
He has five older siblings and five fathers, so there’s a ton of support if he needs time to find what he wants to do.
And that’s discounting his current relationship, but I don’t think that Coach Tavis would allow him to settle for a job he’s unhappy with either.
“Anyway,” Evan says. He taps the table. “Back on track. I think we’ll start with the basics and probably keep them relatively constant.
So bondage, impact play, restraint play, basic Dom/sub structure—that kind of thing.
We’re thinking the classes and demonstrations will run Monday through Wednesday.
On Thursday, we’ll do something that’s not necessarily as common, like sex swings and sensation play.
Our idea is to rotate through some different things and expose everyone to the lifestyle in a healthy, safe environment. ”
“I think maybe you should require them to start with the basics,” I say.
“Like… they have to attend a certain number of specific… beginner levels, and participate in them on the weekends before they dive into something bigger—like sex swings. I don’t imagine that’s a beginner level, uh… play thing.”
Evan gives me a big, amused smile as the twins laugh. Obviously, I flush a deep, hot red and try to sink into my chair.
“You’re so cute,” Otto says.
I huff, rolling my eyes. Trying to make my annoyance the loudest thing about me instead of my blushing.
“First, they’re called scenes. Second, absolutely.
That’s why we want you specifically to be among our guinea pigs,” Otis says.
“Please know that I don’t mean this in the least bit insulting, because it’s not coming from that place.
But you’re very quiet, shy, and a little…
obliviously na?ve. Which means you’re kind of our perfect candidate. ”
“How do you know I didn’t grow up learning about BDSM?” I shoot back. I’m not exactly insulted, but still.
They look at each other. “I guess we don’t know that,” Otto says. “Did you?”
I think about my parents and know that they’re into kinky shit.
My brother, sister, and I don’t know details, of course.
That’s not something you share with your kids.
But we know enough not to judge. We’ve seen enough things to recognize what we’re looking at.
Actually… I imagine we know quite a bit about the Dom/sub dynamics, given the very clear roles that our parents fall into.
Not only that, there’s Nolan’s parents. I cannot say how many times the kids left the house because their daddies were playing weird games.
Don’t misunderstand. They were never exposed to anything inappropriate.
But looking back, I have a feeling that their roleplaying went beyond the bedroom.
Not the sexual parts but the… other parts.
“I know more than you give me credit for,” I say eventually.
“You do?” Otto asks.
“I’m offended by your shock,” I mutter and cross my arms. “However, I’ve never been involved in any aspect of BDSM. My education is more based on a removed observation of a lived lifestyle than anything else.”
“Ohhh… I bet that’s interesting.”
I shrug. “Trust me when I tell you, my entire neighborhood would shock you. In a good way. I may be… shy.” The word is accompanied by new heat in my cheeks. “But that’s a me thing. Not because I’m completely innocent and oblivious to anything outside a vanilla lifestyle.”
“I’m immensely fascinated with this conversation,” Otis says, “but let’s save it for a little while. What does your schedule after classes look like this coming week? I’d like to run all three beginner classes through with a small audience. And this weekend for the dry run.”
“To be clear, I’m not necessarily interested in… any of this. So while I’m down to sit through your classes, I don’t particularly want to be involved in, you know, the scene itself,” I say, and pretend I say it all with confidence and do not try to sink through my chair.
“Of course,” Evan says. “The dry run is more about signing in and the best way to do it. Hush does their paperwork ahead of time. So we’d really love it if you did our paperwork ahead of time, but with three different kinds of answers for the interest questions, because we need to work out how to match partners.
It’s not about you in the room and getting busy. It’s more about the process.”
“We want to get it right and keep everyone’s comfort in focus,” Otis says.
“Which means we need a few combinations of Doms and subs for the different kinds of scenes. While Dom and sub aren’t part of everything, there’s a role everyone plays, right?
You’re either the person receiving the spankings or giving them.
You’re the person being tied up or doing the tying.
For this conversation, it’s about simplicity, though we’re working on how to make it not make the Dom/sub roles feel so forced, you know? ”
I shake my head. “That’s kind of where you’re wrong, though.
You’re always going to have natural Doms and subs in those situations.
You’re also going to have switches. But you’re going to fall into those roles depending on the part of the scene that speaks to you.
What you’re wrong about is that the person being tied up is always the sub.
Doms enjoy being tied up too, and that doesn’t always mean they’re a switch either. ”
All three of them stare at me. As their unwavering attention remains and time stretches, I fidget and flush under their stare.
“You do know some shit, don’t you?” Otto says, grinning suggestively.
Huffing, I cross my arms over my chest.
“Okay, okay,” Evan says, trying to fight his amused smile. “Good point, and not something we considered.”
“Or really understood,” Otis admits.
“While I know that this is further down the road, I’d also like to touch base on how we add some BDSM nights to Hush. I think Hush, right? Not Hush Anonymous,” Evan says.
“I’m not entirely sure how we’re going to be able to…
” My words trail off as I think about this.
An image flashes in my mind of an old porn star called Benny Bop.
His face was always entirely covered, save for his eyes and mouth.
If we have both participants in full face masks like that, they can see each other and be safe and still remain anonymous.
“Your mind just went somewhere,” Otto says.
“I was about to say that it can’t be part of Hush Anonymous because I can only imagine how many horror stories would come out when you’re in a completely dark room, but then I thought…
what if we have them in full face masks?
Eyes and mouths open, but with both faces entirely covered… It’s still anonymous, right?”
The twins cock their heads consideringly at the same time, and it makes me laugh.
“I like that,” Evan says, nodding.
“As for the activities, I think we use the same model that you’re doing and maybe stick with the basics for Hush Anonymous.
Designate it to maybe one of the six sessions every weekend.
The specific session can change, so it’s always available at some point.
We can do the same for Hush—basics and a specific session every week that alternates throughout the month.
Maybe once a month, as Secrets begins to get regulars who are serious about BDSM, we’ll open up the Hush scenes to something more…
adventurous, like the swings or something. ”
“I like that idea,” Otto says, smiling. “We’ll keep the dialogue open for a while until Secrets is running smoothly before we partner, but I think it’ll be a lot of fun.”
“Okay, cool,” Evan says and starts shoving all the toys he clearly didn’t need to dump on the table back into the canvas bag as they get to their feet.
“Thanks for the chat, Ky,” Otis says. “You were more helpful than you anticipated being.”
“Uh… you’re welcome?”
Otto shoves my shoulder playfully, and they head for the door.
I watch them leave and find I’m staring after them.
One of our new pledges walks by in an itty-bitty skirt that does not cover his ass cheeks, and whatever he’s wearing around his dick does more to make it bounce as he walks than to conceal it.
He also has little stars over his nipples and a halo headband on his head.
I recognize him as Emric, Arek’s cousin.
Maybe because they pass the door together, both looking into the parlor.
Arek’s dark eyes trap mine until they’re out of sight.
His lips are moving as he talks to Emric.
Maybe he says something about me because Emric turns his head, looking in my direction.
A smile touches his lips before both men are out of sight.
My skin feels hot. Shocking, I know. There’s something about the way Arek looks at me that I’m not sure has any business in this environment. It’s… kind of crazy. Beyond Kole’s crazy.