Chapter 21
Chapter 21
Will
We had a phenomenal vacation, and then returned home to discover Animal was back. When he moved down from Nashville after I hired him, he didn’t bother to rent a place since I gave everyone in the band a bedroom. Silver has a townhome in a gated community near the river, but most often stays with me. Animal did an extended VRBO thing when we returned from tour, understanding we all needed some time apart, but I guess he decided he was done with that — which was more than fine. The band has become my family and I love having them around.
I told Davy to unpack while I went for a swim, and Animal joined me in the pool.
Animal’s name is Michael Cole, and sometimes we call him Mike or Mikey, but mostly he’s just Animal.
“Davy’s good for you.”
“So you’ll be okay with him moving in permanently?”
When everyone moved in, I told them they were fully responsible for anything done by someone they brought to the house, so they should be sure the person was trustworthy. I also reserved the right to say they couldn’t bring someone back to the house. I don’t deal well with drama queens. However, I didn’t give them a way to say I couldn’t move someone in. Still, I figured I should check in with them before I moved Davy in for good.
“It’s fast, but yeah. He fits. I mean, I didn’t think he would, at first, but he does.” He shrugged. “His dick front and center wasn’t a big deal for the ditzo I brought home to fuck after the vid shoot. I’d shacked up with her a few days and knew she was cool, but maybe we can give him some shorts or something if I bring someone home who might not understand?”
I nodded. “His rules now are that he’s my slave and not the band’s slave. I can tell him to get ya’ll some food or something to drink, but ya’ll can’t order him to do those things, or anything else. For the house to run smoothly, people have to be courteous and friendly, and that’s expected of him, but no more than it would be if he was my boyfriend. We’re about to redo our contract, and I’ll write in that the one thing ya’ll can request when I’m not around is for him to put shorts on. I’ll need you to text me when you do, so I don’t punish him for it when I walk in the door.”
“That’s cool.” He blew out a breath. “She signed the NDA without any argument, though she balked at having to put her phone in a lockbox. She did, but she wasn’t happy. It’s easier to get chicks when they know who I am, but simpler when they don’t.”
Animal does a reverse-disguise thing. He wears a hat on stage and anytime he’s seen in relation to the band. He has dozens and dozens of hats. Also, he wears a lot of eyeliner. Butch eyeliner — and don’t ask me to explain the difference between girl eyeliner and macho eyeliner because I can’t, but Mikey looks downright feral with it, while mostly normal and happy without it. When he wants to be in disguise, he just doesn’t wear the hat or the eyeliner, and no one recognizes him. Ever .
“I think it was easier for me to fall for Davy because he had no idea who I was when he met me.”
“Yeah. I can see that. I took Silver out and got her drunk one night — all miniskirt and thigh boots so everyone in the place was looking at her. I guess she woke up feeling more like a guy the next morning, and I went downstairs to find him doing kickboxing stuff with the heavy bag. Not sure what’s up with that. I think she just doesn’t know what to do with herself when we aren’t working, maybe.”
I nodded and took off swimming laps. I was a little worried about Silver, too. Whether male or female, Silver’s usually the most stable person I know. I wasn’t going to gossip about him with Animal, but knowing he’d sensed the same thing I had when I’d offered to bring a call-girl in for Silver was concerning.
I didn’t count laps, I just swam until my arms gave out, and then floated on my back while I caught my breath.
At some point, I heard music, and realized someone had cranked some eighties tunes. After the third Prince song, I figured out we were listening to the Purple Rain album.
And Davy had brought beer for everyone along with some snacks — fried cheese sticks, and some carrots, cauliflower, and cherry tomatoes. The cheese sticks for Animal, the veggies for me. I’m not a total health freak, but I usually prefer to eat healthy snacks and nutritious meals.
I sat, dipped a tomato in the blue cheese dip, popped it in my mouth, and gave Davy a quick kiss on the lips.
“Thanks. This hits the spot.”
It seemed my boy was stepping up and doing extra things on his own. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him providing something both me and Animal would like because I’d been clear from the beginning he’s my slave and not subservient to the entire band, but if a boyfriend brought a snack out, he’d likely bring something for everyone.
Animal ate most of the cheese sticks and then stretched out on a recliner with a beer. I dragged Davy into the pool and swam to the deep end with him, where we tread water and talked. With the music, I didn’t think Animal could hear, but he seemed to be in his own little world, staring at the tree line while drinking his beer, so I figured we were safe in any event.
“We begin new contract negotiations tomorrow, if you still want to,” I told my boy.
“I want to, Master. You didn’t tell me to, but I’ve been making some notes about what I want in this one. A few changes.”
“Want to talk about any of them now?”
He tilted his head. “I understand the reason I must wait for an invitation to sit on furniture, or to ask permission under other circumstances—”
I interrupted him. “Explain what you understand.”
He nodded. “Slavery can get lost in everyday life if there aren’t rules that affect the day-to-day normal stuff. Having to dress and undress in the garage is another reminder, but even being naked can seem normal after a while. Not being allowed on furniture without permission is a constant reminder of who we are to each other, Master.”
“Exactly right. So what do you want to change?”
“I want to be able to sit on a stool in the control room, so I can stay out of the way of Mitch and Charlie but still watch ya’ll record.”
It was a reasonable request, but I wasn’t going to negotiate today. I made a mental note to make the change, however.
“Anything else?”
“I have a few more places I’d like to be able to use furniture when you aren’t here. Also, if I have guests when you aren’t around, I’d like to be able to be able to sit with them wherever I want. It’s awkward to have to tell them we can’t sit in a particular room because I don’t have permission to sit on anything in that room.”
I wanted him to feel comfortable having friends over, especially when I was on tour, so I’d certainly consider adding that, but I didn’t give him any feedback.
“There’s more.” It was a statement and not a question, because I could see him itching to get it all out.
“Do you think I could maybe have a big cushion on the floor in a few rooms?” he asked. “Something I can be comfortable on that isn’t furniture?”
The idea appealed to me, and I decided to go ahead and answer this one so he could get started on it. “Yes. Absolutely. Find a few things you like online and then get with…” I sighed. “I used Dana at Matty’s firm, so you should go to her. I know Matty’s your friend, but I’d like to stick with the same person. Dana’s kinky, so you can explain what the cushion is for, and she’ll figure out what works in the rooms you want one.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“What else, Davy.”
“It’s silly, Sir.”
“Tell me anyway.”
“When you’re gone, I’d like to be able to lock myself to the bed, and then unlock myself the next morning.”
I shook my head. “Permanent slaves don’t have to be locked up at night. That stops when we agree on our new contract. Your rule will be that you can go to the bathroom to take a piss while I’m sleeping, but nothing else. No going to the kitchen for a snack, no taking a shower or bath in the middle of the night. You’ll be punished if you are any place except the bed, toilet, or walking in between. When I’m on tour, you can go where you like so long as you get plenty of sleep.”
“Oh. Okay, Master. That makes sense.”
“Is there more?”
“I honestly don’t know how I want to answer the question about whether I want to remain a secret or not. I mean, mostly I do, but then I think of how that will restrict the things I can go with you to do, and then I’m not so sure.”
It was time to talk about his biological family, and I’d had more time to consider how to approach the subject. “Your original family fucked your childhood. Are you going to let them dictate your adult relationships?” I let that sit a few seconds and added, “There’s no right or wrong answer. I’ll do my best to make things work no matter your decision, but I’d like you to know that I’ll also get my legal team involved to deal with your family if they pop up out of nowhere and you don’t want to have to deal with them. My guess is I can offer ten or twenty grand to get them to sign an NDA that’ll mean they have to pay me three times what I paid them if they spill the beans, and that’ll make them go away for good.”
I let him think that through for a handful of seconds and added, “It’s also possible you have siblings or cousins who want a relationship with you, but had no idea where you were or how to contact you.” I softened my voice. “Where did you grow up, Davy?” He’d told me the general area, but never the specifics.
“Clewiston, Florida, Master. Kind of in the middle of the Florida peninsula, so it’s an hour and a half from both the gulf and the Atlantic. Lots of farmland, so it’s full of farmers and rednecks. Not a big population. Small-town America, basically. I worked on cruise ships after I graduated high school. While I was between cruises, I went to Fort Lauderdale and Miami to try to find other gay men. I met Carlos, and he took me home with him. I thought I was his boyfriend the first couple of days, and then he started training me to be his slave. I mean, he made me call him Sir from the very beginning, but I just thought it was cool. I didn’t understand where he was going with it, but I thought I’d fallen in love with him. I’d kissed a boy and traded hand jobs, but…” he sighed. “Everything else was a first.”
I’d heard the part about Carlos, but he’d never talked about the town he grew up in before.
“Okay. So, do you think your original family is still in Clewiston?”
He shrugged. “I was allowed to read my file after I turned eighteen, and the notes say the DA was considering pressing criminal charges for abuse and neglect, but they left, and I guess the DA wasn’t interested in searching for them and dealing with extradition to have them brought back. My dad’s in prison for shooting a cop, but my mom’s sister hasn’t mentioned her online in years, so I don’t know where she is. I’ve thought about asking Ranger what it would take to find her, but I’m not sure I really want to know. It’s possible she isn’t even alive.”
“I can get Drake to look for your mom if you want. Just say the word and it’s done.” I kissed his nose. “And, if you decide you want to let the world know who I’m in love with, I’ll step up and deal with your family if you’d prefer not to, and if there are family members you want to talk to, I’ll act as whatever support you need for that, too.” I kissed his nose again. “It means we probably shouldn’t go public until I come back from the second-half of my tour, so I’ll be here to deal with whatever does or doesn’t happen. We can make a note in tomorrow’s contract that you’ll decide that later, as an addendum to the contract, if you want.”
He nodded. “Thank you, Master. It’s a huge weight off my chest knowing I don’t have to decide in the next couple of days.”
I wished I had family to worry about sometimes, but most of the time I focus on the here and now. The past is where it belongs for me, and it seemed to be for Davy. If his family popped up, we’d deal with it, and as long as they weren’t demanding money, I’d let Davy take the lead on how we dealt with it. If they wanted money, I’d hand the whole thing over to my lawyers.