Chapter 7 #2
Ray touched his thumb to the screen, scrolling the grid of photos up one row at a time.
This particular folder kept shots of ink drawings and some of his digital art.
He enlarged a few of his favorites to show Will.
“I’m not as tatted up as our new friend,” he said, “but nearly everything on my body, I designed myself. Some of these are designs I drew for friends, after they saw my tats.”
“Nice. I’m starting to think you’re in the wrong business.”
Ray laughed. “I’m a fair artist, but it’s strictly a hobby.
I fear if I try to monetize it, I’ll lose my passion, you know?
” He believed the same about his interests in BDSM.
More than once, he’d been approached to hire himself out as a Dom, but Ray preferred to enjoy the Lifestyle on his own terms. “I originally went to school to become a teacher but I found counseling more my speed. Shame this school district can’t find the budget to keep us. ”
“For real.” Will looked away from the phone and met Ray’s eyes. “Then again, I doubt we’d have crossed paths if you were still working in a high school. I don’t recall seeing you working at mine.”
“Our age gap can’t be that wide. How old are you, Will?”
“Twenty-five.”
Not bad. “I’ll be thirty-two in August,” Ray said. “I’d say that’s respectable.”
“Me, too.”
The sincerity of Will’s smile, coupled with his words, warmed Ray’s blood.
His Alpha stirred with want but he tamped it down.
Desire bubbled underneath the surface, along with the need to care for this Omega, but Ray chose caution.
The barista’s earlier outburst weighed on his mind, though Ray wouldn’t dream of hedging his bets with multiple Omegas.
Talk drifted further into tattoo territory, with Will calling up photos of ink on skin that caught his fancy. “I don’t have any myself,” he was saying, “if I could choose one I’d look at something from my favorite manga series.”
Ray rolled his lower lip between his teeth to hold in a response.
He wanted to say that Will didn’t need to mark up his body, that he possessed flawless pale skin.
He wanted to tell Will how he ached to see all of it, south of his throat to the ridges of his lower ribcage, and around to the globes of his ass.
He noticed the light dusting of hair on Will’s arms and imagined that same soft peach fuzz on his thighs, maybe thicker and redder in a triangle above his sweet Omega cock…
“I hadn’t considered there might be copyright concerns with tattoos, though.” Will was still on about manga designs, and Ray turned his focus back on the table. “I see lots of people with cartoon characters on their arms.”
“Some artists, I understand, like when their drawings become tattoos,” Ray said. “I’m not sure of the procedure myself. I don’t have anybody else’s IP on my body.”
“You make yourself sound like a billboard.” Will laughed, and after a beat eyed the round mark underneath Ray’s wrist. “This one here,” Will said, “it looks like something religious.”
Ray’s heartbeat ticked up a notch. He thought for a second Will might touch it, he looked so fascinated. Here goes. He took a deep breath before speaking, knowing his explanation would set the tone for their acquaintance going forward.
“For some people, it may be,” he said. “I take it you’re not familiar with the triskelion.”
Will’s expression darkened, and his posture turned rigid. “Is it a gang symbol?”
“No.” Ray let out a soft laugh to dissipate the tension. “Well, I’m not a hundred percent certain since there might be a gang that’s adopted it. I’m not part of one. Um… how familiar are you with BDSM?”
“Kink?” Will raised his eyebrows, darting his gaze briefly away from Ray.
“I’m familiar with it in the sense that I’ve seen depictions, however accurate,” he said.
“I know it was popular in romance books for a while, or still is.” Locking back onto Ray again, he rested his chin in his open palm. “You’re into that scene then?”
Fascination, rather than repulsion. Ray interpreted Will’s body language as such. Encouraging.
“I am.” It felt good to say it out loud. Two weeks of anxiety over presumed judgment faded as Will asked how the tattoo symbol related to the Lifestyle. “The meaning behind the design may vary depending on who’s talking. I’ll explain how I was taught it,” he said.
A sharp clicking noise distracted him, and they turned to see Gabe at the front door. The barista had just turned off his neon OPEN sign and engaged the deadbolt. He called out for them to let him know when they were ready to leave.
Ray nodded his thanks, then pulled on the skin of the underside of his forearm, stretching out the circular artwork. It resembled three oblong teardrops fit together, each with a blank “eye” in the bulbous part. “You know what BDSM stands for, right?” he asked.
“Bondage, domination, submission, and masochism?”
“Yeah,” Ray said. “Some people group domming and subbing in the D part, leaving the S and M to mean sado-masochism. In relation to this tat, bondage is one part, dom/sub the second, and sadism and masochism the third.” He brushed his thumb over the inked part of his skin; the color had yet to fade over the five years it covered this spot.
“Other people will tell you that the three parts of the wheel represent the principles of the Lifestyle.”
“What are they?” Will asked.
“Safe. Sane. Consensual.” Ray paused two beats between each word to emphasize their importance.
All three were equal in his mind, but as he watched Will’s face for cues he wasn’t certain if he should focus on one above the rest for the sake of clarity.
“The thing about BDSM is that there’s no one way to participate in it,” he said.
“I know people who dabble in it maybe once or twice a month, and those who live the life twenty-four-seven with their partners. It doesn’t mean that their homes look like thunderdome with cages and whips and chains and stuff, but they might observe various disciplines and activities that suit them. ”
As he tried to explain it to Will, conflicting images filled Ray’s head. He recalled his own experiences, and how each partner shaped his knowledge and appreciation of them. He could write a book and it would nowhere near match that of another person into kink.
“Where do you fall in that spectrum?” Will then tipped back his cup, finishing his coffee. “Are you a Dom or a sub?”
“I am a trained Dominant, but I started out as a submissive in college, for an older woman,” Ray said.
That sounded more sordid than how the actual relationship played out, and Will’s sly smile hinted at exaggerated thoughts coloring the other man’s mind.
“It wasn’t a sexual relationship, I should add.
She and I chartered an agreement of hard and soft limits, and when it was over we parted as friends.
” An exaggeration, perhaps, since Ray hadn’t spoken with her in a few years.
“So, what happened there? You got tired of being bossed around and moved to the giving side of the paddle?” Will knit his brows together. “I don’t know if I phrased that correctly.”
“I liked being a submissive, but I found the dominant aspects of kink more attractive, if that makes sense,” Ray said.
“I get that people not familiar with it assume the Dom calls all the shots, but the relationships are balanced.” He folded his arms on the table, hiding his tattoo.
“It’s not like I can walk into a BDSM club, grab the first sub I see and start whaling on them.
There are rules, and there is respect. When it’s done correctly, it can be a very satisfying experience for everybody involved.
“Being a submissive, I believe, helped me in that journey,” he added. “I can’t tell you if every Dominant experienced the Lifestyle on the submissive side at one point, but I’d recommend it. It’s good to know every aspect.”
Will fixed on him, his jaw slack and eyes expressing awe.
Ray then finished his latte, licking away the last of the foam dissolving on his upper lip.
He could talk for hours on this subject, but despite Gabe’s hospitality he knew they couldn’t encroach upon the cafe owner’s good nature much longer.
As he thought this, lights dimmed on the far side of the cafe.
Gabe had powered down the kitchen, he guessed.
“Anyway,” Ray said, gathering their empties, “I’m not telling you all this to recruit you.
If you think you’d like to date me and see where it goes, I’m fine with being in a vanilla relationship.
I haven’t been involved in the Lifestyle with a steady in a while now, and I’m okay to miss it.
I really like you, Will, and I want to be as transparent as possible. ”
“I like you, too. Thanks for telling me all this.” Will packed his workbook into his laptop bag and stood with Ray. “I don’t know if it’s something I’d try, but it’s interesting.”
He followed Ray to the bins and pitched his dirty napkins in the trash. “If I decide to experiment, though,” he added, “I’ll ask you first.”
The idea of introducing Will to kink warmed Ray’s blood.
He’d begin with a simple demonstration, perhaps, by testing Will’s reactions to various touches.
He imagined Will blindfolded and shirtless, sighing with arousal while Ray dragged a feather over his bare skin.
He’d start at Will’s throat before teasing his collarbones, working his way down to his pert, sensitive nipples.
He longed to see Will standing before him, subservient and trusting.
A sharp pinging noise interrupted the fantasy, and Ray recovered in time to respond to Will.
“Ugh, it’s Greg.” Will grunted his displeasure on reading his text.
“We handled the security installation for this twenty-four-hour private fitness center,” he said in explanation.
“Apparently they’re having issues and I’ve been summoned to fix it. ”
“What, now?” Ray looked out at the block and all the street lamps coming to life. “It can’t wait until morning.”
Will shook his head. “It’s an all-hours business, and not a walk-in place. You have to be a member and you get access through keycards. If people can’t get in, they’ll start canceling their memberships. Looks bad on us, too.”
“Sorry about that.” Ray offered to walk him to the parking garage.
So much for moving their date to another venue, but he reined in his disappointment and focused on what time remained with Will tonight.
They left the cafe together, bidding Gabe goodnight as he unlocked the door for them.
It was a short walk to the downtown parking garage, where both men had parked on the lower level reserved for monthly pass holders.
Will unlocked his car from the garage’s entrance. Ray’s car was located several spots away. They paused at the driver’s side door, Will pressing his backside against it. “This was fun, sorry to cut it short.”
“It’s okay, there’ll be another time. I want to kiss you, though,” Ray said, “if that’s okay.”
“Thanks for letting me know, because I want to be kissed.” Will licked his lower lip, then tipped up his chin toward Ray in silent offering.
They began with a gentle press with Ray’s mouth slightly parted, allowing him to swipe his tongue and test Will’s limits.
It wasn’t long before the chaste goodnight peck bloomed into a slow, exploratory kiss that put Ray off balance, crushing Will between his thrumming body and the car door.
Ray tested Will’s silent consent by settling his hands on the other man’s hips.
Will had a slim waist, perfect for Ray’s large hands.
He fanned his fingers along the small of Will’s back and felt signs of submission within the Omega.
Will was melting against him, eager for more.
Ray wanted that, too, and he slowed his breathing in hopes of catching a hint of Will’s scent.
There! Amidst the tang of motor oil and stale urban air, Ray detected faint notes of strawberries and cream and fresh bread.
This wasn’t from a cloying shampoo or body spray, either.
Ray thought himself seasoned enough to discern artificial scents from an Omega’s true essence.
The longer they stood together and kissed, the more Ray became attuned to Will.
He lifted one hand to touch Will’s face, and hoped to trail his fingers down to find his gland.
He ignored the short warning blip caused when Will pressed harder against the car. He figured they’d triggered the car’s fob, but when a steady beeping noise followed Ray found himself brushing against hair as Will turned his face.
“Look.”
In the midst of their increasing frenzy, Will had accidentally mashed the hatchback function. He shook with quiet laughter in Ray’s arms and soon broke the hazy spell cast by their shared passion. At least they’d part on a light note.
“A kiss so good, it opens doors.” Ray brushed his lips along Will’s hairline. The iced strawberry bread scent, more like sweet scones, faded.
“Next time,” Will said, giving up one quick kiss before stepping away, “I’ll let you hold the keys.”
“Deal. Be safe driving to this all-night gym.”
Ray departed for his car, then spent the rest of the night contemplating the offer with the keys. Said as a joke, of course, but he considered the underlying hint of consent. Like Will was interested in letting him take control.
Was it a sign? If yes, it might be time for a refresher.
Though Ray wasn’t interested in playing with anybody besides Will, he figured a live observation at the local club might help him back into the mindset.
He still had friends active in kink; he’d ask around to see if any were willing to oblige him.
He had no plans tomorrow evening, so it was only a matter of taking up Velvet Sands on their offer of a free month with renewal. He’d go for a refresher, and come away with a few things to show Will when they were ready.