Chapter Four #2
“Knowing Roman as I do, he probably found some amazing secret sofa shop that you have to sell your soul and ten years’ worth of earnings just to peek inside.” Perry chuckled softly at my answer. “So, a bit rich for my tastes then.”
I stopped chewing and looked at him. “But aren't you some high and mighty earl’s son?”
“I am, which means I'm more comfortable in hand-me-down clothes and helping my parents run open days at the house to help fund the repair of the east wing roof.” Perry answered before stealing a crisp from my plate.
“Now, I want to check if you’re okay with what I have planned for the demonstration tonight.” Perry turned his body towards me. I felt I had his full attention.
“Everything you said about tonight sounds good. Are you wanting me on speech restrictions? I would suggest it would be for the best lest my natural inclination to sass may sneak out.”
Tipping his head towards me, Perry spoke, “You would follow that rule even though I’m not your actual Dominant?”
“You are for the scene we’re undertaking, even if it is only for demonstration. It's still a scene and disregarding what you may or may not think of me, I do respect Dominants. I just don't suffer fools easily, and I’m beginning to understand you are no fool.”
“I think you just gave me a compliment.” Perry clutched his chest in mock shock.
“Don't get used to it. Now let me finish the food you told me I had to eat.” I shoved a handful of crisps into my mouth and chewed loudly
“You really can be a cheeky brat.” Perry shook his head, still smiling at my shenanigans. “It strikes me that you and I know fuck all about each other,” he added bluntly. I found myself nodding in agreement.
“What do you want to know?” I said before I shoved another handful of crisps in my mouth. I really was hungry after all.
“Okay, for starters, how did you get into D/s?” I nodded again. It made sense to ask about my kink history.
“As I said, I found a magazine a fellow student had, and it had these amazing drawings by Tom of Finland.” Perry smiled in recognition.
“There was something about those men that sixteen-year-old me found heavenly, still do, to this day.
Once I got to uni and med school, I didn't have a lot of free time, but I made a friend who had the same newly awoken interests, and we spent what free time we had trying to find places where men like us with more than a slight kinky side might hang out.
This was long before Roman and Marco set up the original Club Crimson, but we'd found some amazing leather clubs.” I smiled remembering those times.
“Oh, those drawings were amazing.” Perry moved a little closer as the club had become a little more crowded and the noise had picked up; not loud enough that we had to shout but enough that he moved closer to hear me speak.
I was a little shocked at how eager he was to hear about my experiences.
I found myself talking about how I fell in love with Master/slave dynamics and yet only had the briefest of tastes with an ex-lecturer of mine.
Our relationship had started when I was no longer a student, but at the time, and I suppose even now, the relationship would be seen as something scandalous even though I was in my early twenties at the time and fully consenting.
“Can I ask why it ended?” Perry stole another crisp off my plate and gave me a look of wide-eyed innocence even as he put the crisp in his mouth.
“He wanted to travel and spend time seeing the world, and I had just started my residency. As much as I had come to adore our relationship, I couldn't give up my dream of becoming a doctor.” They were still amazing times. The rush of working in the hospital, the long hours, and the pressure…but then stepping inside Douglas’s house, and it all slipped away for a few hours. I only existed to serve him.
“You look like you miss it.”
“I do. I miss having a regular chance to sink into my submissive space, but long-term, Douglas and I would never have worked. He was a wonderful, kind man, and I would have ruined things for us eventually. He was a man who lived for calm and organisation, and when I’m not working, I live in organised chaos.
” More than once, Rhys had joked that I needed a daddy to keep me in line.
Rhys didn't realise how close to the mark he was.
“I was married for a time. It was a lavender marriage as they called it.
We were both working at the same hospital, both of us driven as far as our careers went and both trying to avoid our family.
We separated officially a few years ago.
Both of us are sick of living a lie and, since then, I've been trying to get back into the kink lifestyle that I loved so much.”
Perry nodded. “Family expectations are something I've been lucky to avoid. My family is more than happy with my choices, and if they weren’t, they could politely fuck off.” Perry gave me a cheeky grin “You’ve never struck me as a chaos gremlin, Cullen.
” He was smiling broadly, as if this revelation pleased him.
I bit down on my sandwich to hide the smile that threatened to come out. I was loathe to admit I liked how my name sounded when he said it.
“I have my moments. I love the moments of calm and the feeling of quiet that comes over me when I’m submitting, but I do have this tiny devil who rides on my shoulder.
” I ducked my head wondering how it was so easy to speak to Perry when only a few hours earlier I swore the man was my nemesis, or at least an annoyance who detested me.
Perry sat back, relaxing. “So, what you're saying is that you can be a handful for the wrong Dominant.”
I nodded, swallowing the bite of roll I had taken.
“And the right one who enjoys a little bit of backchat and sass.
I'd never act out with a Dom who couldn't handle me, and those I do play with know what I'm like, and I know how far I can push.” I sat up a little straighter and caught Perry's eye.
“I promise to be on my best behaviour tonight for the demonstration.”
I tried not to gape when Perry leaned over and placed his hand on my leg. “I trust you Cullen, and I have watched you enough here to know you will be perfect to help me tonight.”
I really, really needed him to stop being so fucking nice right then. My brain was at a level of confusion that was causing me to picture things that would never —could never— happen.
“So, we've agreed on speech restrictions during the demonstration?” Perry ticked his fingers off as he spoke.
“And I thought we would go through the basic poses, and then I was going to talk about what Master/slave relationships can look like from my perspective as a Dom, then I would give you permission to speak and explain it from your perspective as a submissive. I would like to treat this as a normal scene; safe words apply for both of us.”
I finished eating and pushed my plate aside, turning so I could give Perry my full attention. “I use the traffic lights system. It's the easiest to remember and pretty much universal.” I answered. The earlier trepidation about us doing a scene together was completely replaced with excitement.
“That works for me. Of course, once we’re finished, I’ll still want to go through aftercare and talk with you about your feelings about the scene.”
“Sounds good.” I looked over and saw other members moving towards the large stage set in the main room. Cal and Mouse must be nearly ready to start.
“I want you to treat this like any scene you would be in. We can watch Master Cal and Mouse’s scene, but I would like it if you were to remain kneeling and silent.”
It was like Perry had reached into my brain and found out exactly what I needed. I had to take a moment before I answered, otherwise I might stumble over my own tongue.
Perry, as if sensing my dilemma, smiled. “Alright. I want you to finish your water, then I want you to go to the bathroom. Once you're done, I want you to come right back here and kneel at my side.”
I swallowed before I spoke and glanced up at Perry. His eyes again were focused on me, waiting patiently for my answer. “Yes, Sir.
“Good boy, now go.” The words felt more like a caress than a command, but I instinctively moved towards the bathroom.
It wasn't until I was washing my hands under the tap that I looked at myself, stunned in the mirror. What the hell had just happened? I'd obeyed Perry like an eager puppy, and my skin still felt tingly from the blush that happened as soon as Perry had called me a good boy.
Reacting like this to Perry calling me a good boy was unexpected, but I wanted to be called a good boy again and, annoyingly, I wanted Perry to be the man to do it.
What the hell was wrong with me?