Chapter 36 Five
Five
After they rested, he climbed off the couch.
“Up,” he said, and she stood, adjusting her dress.
He took a spray bottle of cleaner from a cabinet and sprayed the cushions and wiped them down.
He frowned. “Not great for the leather. I don’t usually have sex on that couch.
” He swatted her ass, making her jump. “But you were too much of a temptation.”
He set the bottle back in the cabinet and tossed the rag in a small metal receptacle.
“Metal bins are for things that aren’t disposable.
Sheets, rags, anything that’s supposed to be laundered.
Trash cans with liners are for trash. We discussed whether to have a cleaning service come in, but no one was comfortable with outsiders having access, so we maintain it.
The two members who are the most compulsive about keeping the place spotless are the members in charge of organized big clean-ups, which involves mopping and scrubbing.
That happens every other week. There’s a rotation.
Everyone participates. Male Doms do things that require heavy lifting.
Female subs do the smaller, detailed cleaning.
“On regular nights, we treat the place like a gym.
Metal equipment gets wiped down with bleach wipes.
If a scene room is used, the sheets get pulled.
The club owns hundreds of toys. If one is used, whoever used it or whoever it was used on, makes sure it gets cleaned.
Most things we own are dishwasher safe. There are four washing machines, four dryers, and four dishwashers.
“A lot of BDSM clubs have strict protocols that don’t allow for the exchange of body fluids during scenes or parties.
They don’t have community toys. We’re more relaxed about that because we have stricter policies on health checks and rules on how people conduct themselves outside the club.
The Doms still usually use condoms because it makes cleanup easier, but there are times when one of us won’t.
Master Rory for example loves bareback, which means his sub has more work turning over scene rooms. But she’s collared, so—” He smiled because she’d raised her hand. “Yes, Emma?”
“What’s collared?”
“When a sub belongs to one Dom. It might just be at the club or it might be out in the real world too. If a sub is collared, another Dom wouldn’t approach her about doing a scene.
If the Dom wanted her for something, he’d approach Master Rory.
That brings us to rules about touching and approaching subs who are not collared.
At most BDSM clubs, no one is allowed to touch another person or his or her toys without permission.
Just because someone is into bondage doesn’t mean she wants to be groped by anyone who walks by.
But again, our rules are more relaxed because that’s the way the whole membership wanted it.
So here, any Dom could touch an un-collared sub or approach her about doing a scene. ”
Emma’s eyes widened. Anyone could do anything to her?
“Wait. Don’t go deer-in-the-headlights on me.
The reason it works here is that we’re a very close knit group.
We get to know each other. For example, Nikki loves to do scenes.
She’s a great actress, and she loves group play.
In a scene, the more ways she’s touched, the more she likes it.
But outside an actual scene she doesn’t like to be touched or grabbed.
So let’s say she’s wearing an outfit made of feathers, as she did once, and I’d like to feel the texture of it.
I know Nikki. I wouldn’t just touch her outfit.
I’m a Dom, so I’m not inclined to ask a sub’s permission to do something.
So I’d say something like, ‘That’s a great outfit.
The feathers look smooth, but stiff. Is it comfortable?
’ And because Nikki’s an experienced sub, if she’s okay with me touching it, she’ll say something like, ‘It’s pretty comfortable.
Touch it if you’d like to, Master Shay.’ If she’s not comfortable being touched right then, she’ll answer my questions about whether it’s comfortable or not and anything else I care to ask, but she won’t offer me a touch.
Unlike Nikki, some subs love to be touched anytime and if one of them wears something intriguing, they’re hurt if Doms don’t notice and explore.
Permission to touch is automatic and not specifically sought. Understand?”
She nodded. “But before people know me, will they touch me and wait to see what I say?”
“No, you’re a new sub in training. There’s one Dom in charge of who touches you and how. That’s the Dom in charge of your training, namely me.”
Her shoulders relaxed. That seemed better. “How will you decide who gets to touch me?”
“It’s a very complicated process involving charts and logarithms.”
She raised her brows and then realized he was joking. They laughed.
“No, it’s instinct and discussion. There will be times when I’ll think it’ll be good for you to try something or to allow people to touch you and look at you.
Then, if you really can’t stand the idea of doing it, you’ll have to use your safeword.
A lot of times, I’ll talk to you about things and ask you questions ahead of time, so I’ll already know whether something will work for you.
Like the fact that for the first few nights, I won’t let anyone strip you and put you on display because I know that wouldn’t turn you on.
You’ll feel differently about that later when you know everyone and trust them not to hurt you.
That brings us to pain,” he said. He slid his leather pants on and zipped them.
“I need a shower. I was involved in a very athletic scene before you got here. Did I taste like sweat?”
She nodded.
“But you liked that?” he asked with a knowing smile.
She nodded again shyly.
“Come this way,” he said, leading her out to the hall. “So, pain. People have different tolerances. There are a few subs who are really into pain, and there are few Doms who love dishing it out as hard as a sub can take it. Those people often pair off for dungeon scenes.”
She grimaced.
“You don’t have to be involved in anything that feels like it’s too much.
And you don’t have to watch anything that is either.
There’s one sub who never gets so much as a spanking, and she never even walks down Dungeon Row.
That’s what we call the five side-by-side scene rooms that have the largest assortments of whips, paddles, clamps and the like.
The equipment that’s used for inflicting heavy pain is in that area.
We’ll explore some things to see what warms you up and where your limits are. ”
“If I don’t like any pain, I don’t have to have it?”
“Right.”
“But if a sub doesn’t want anything like that, why…?”
“Why join a BDSM club at all? It’s okay to ask, you know.
Anything you want to know. You don’t have to keep stopping yourself.
I’m here to answer your questions. So, you want to know why join the club if you’re not into pain?
It’s because pain for the purposes of pleasure is just one aspect of the lifestyle.
The sub I was speaking of still loves to be dominated.
She loves to be tied up. She loves acting out scenes that don’t cause pain. She’s in the right place.”
“Here’s the lounge,” he said, drawing her inside.
Soft jazz played from recessed speakers, and the overhead lights were set on a dim setting.
There was a small fountain in the corner, several comfortable couches and two long wood tables with cushioned bench seats.
Fireless candles glowed in the center of each table.
The table runners were decorated with tropical flowers.
“It’s sort of jazz lounge meets Tiki bar,” she observed.
“Yeah, it’s a battle of the designers,” he said with a laugh.
“Aesthetics are very important to several of our members, and there’s a friendly competition that goes on every couple of months.
Someone gets a pass to redecorate the lounge for a weekend.
At the end of the year we vote on what we liked best and that becomes the main look.
Right now, it’s in that transition period.
By the weekend, it’ll be tropical I guess. ”
“That’s fun! How does someone get a pass to do that?”
“Are you creative?” he asked with a smile. “We’ll hook you up with one of the designers. I don’t want you dipping into your own pockets to pay for experimental light fixtures.” He winked. “Are you hungry? I’m starving.”
“No, I’m okay. Maybe just a drink?”
“Alcohol or non-alcoholic?”
“What do you have?”
“Most things. You can have wine or a cocktail. For subs, the max is three glasses of wine or two cocktails.”
“Oh, we have a limit in the club?”
“If your mind is fuzzy, your judgment will be clouded. You might let me push you too far and then have regrets or get into an emotional storm you can’t handle because you’re intoxicated.”
“Maybe I’ll just have some juice,” she said. “Is there tomato?”
He nodded and poured them each one.
“Wouldn’t a drunk Dom be more dangerous? How come there are no rules for you?”
“A drunk Dom would definitely be more dangerous, and who said there are no rules for Doms? For us, it’s two and one.
So less than for subs, even though most of us greatly outweigh you guys.
It’s expected that if a Dom feels buzzed, he or she doesn’t enter into a scene that requires focused concentration.
A Dom needs to always be in control and aware of what’s going on in his own body and in his sub’s during a scene.
When we want to drink alcohol, we don’t come to the club. We go to a bar.”
He poured some stew into a bowl and heated it in the microwave. “Coral’s in town. When she and Doug come to the club, she brings venison stew. You should have some.” He took it out of the microwave and tested the temperature.