It was official, Jake was in love. He stood in front of the teashop next to Davey and gave him a hug. Then he opened the car door, belted Davey in and sat on the driver’s side before he backed out of the parking space. They got to Danny’s at five minutes to ten.
§ § §
They arrived at Danny’s and Davey got out of the passenger side door. Davey turned to Jake who remained in the car until Davey was inside. Davey give Jake a small wave and Jake waved back and took the car down the driveway to the street.
The other seven were there waiting for him in the dining room and he was greeted with enthusiasm. Brian immediately asked about Bandit while Davey instinctively gave the tea to Jim even though they were in Danny’s home. They all sat at Danny’s dining room table while Jim made the tea and Danny took out a coffee cake. Davey observed there was a ritual to the tea making.
“When you get collared, Jim gives you a porcelain teapot. You’ve already got a cat from Brian, and brought the tea, all you need is the collar and the teapot,” Jamie said.
Davey couldn’t help himself and asked, “Did Bull really pay thirty thousand dollars for you?”
“For what he put Jamie through, it should have been fifty,” Greg chimed in.
“Yes, Bull was rather difficult to bring to heel.” Jamie pouted when the others giggled.
“All of them were except for Bear,” Jim said as he poured the tea.
“I was more difficult than Bear. I was dealing with some rather intense issues, both financial and personal, and Bear swooped down as if from heaven and made everything okay.” Brian smiled widely. “Both Bear and I knew right away. What about you, Davey, how do you feel about Jake?”
Davey didn’t know how to answer Brian. “We’ve been together less than a week. I think he’s an intense man that feels things deeply. I don’t think he’s happy in his job. He has no friends there except for one lawyer. His only friends are here. I told him he should buy a house in this area instead of staying at the Marriot.”
“Bear and Reed have been telling him that for years,” Jim added.
“Until earlier this year, my Tom and Jake were the only ones left who were single. When Tom and I got together, I could tell Jake had mixed emotions. He was happy for Tom but he seemed more alone than ever when Tom collared me. I was so glad to see you with him on Friday.” Robbie took a bite of cake.
“Jake is a lonely man. He needs to be around his friends, the ones who share his kink—people he doesn’t have to hide from. He also needs someone to love him and that he can love. Jake has a lot to give, he just needs someone to give it to.” Greg popped a piece of coffee cake into his mouth. “This is excellent, did you change the recipe?”
Danny blushed. “I added more butter.”
“Well whatever you did, it works.” Johnny scarfed up another piece. “I’m hopeless in the kitchen,” he added. “So is Brian. The others make fun of us. ‘Cooking is only following directions’ or Greg’s favorite line, ‘if you passed chemistry, you can cook’.
Can you cook, Davey?”
“I learned how to cook basic things in foster homes because the women always needed help to take care of all of the kids. I cooked in the group home because I was the smallest and no one wanted kitchen duty. To me, the kitchen was a refuge away from the bullying. When I left the system to go to college, I started cooking for myself. I didn’t have much money for entertainment, so I entertained myself by taking cookbooks out of the library and making meals from what I read.” Davey took a piece of the coffee cake. “This is good, would you give me the recipe or is it a state secret?” Everyone including Davey laughed.
“It’s time to get serious, people. You know they are all at the club plotting. We’re supposed to be the ones who get this done, not them.” Jim tapped his teaspoon on his cup to get everyone’s attention.
Davey looked around the table. “Get what done?”
“Get you two together and collared, that’s what. You two are perfect for one another. I haven’t seen Jake so happy in all the time I’ve been a member of the club. He’s had one or two boys through the years but they never lasted more than a month or two. There was no chemistry. When you two are together, sparks fly.” Jim nodded his head sagely.
“We slept together last night.”
Jim pounced. “You made love?”
“No, we slept together. He held me in his arms while we slept. I think he’s afraid I’m going to say no. I know he doesn’t want to keep me, when we wrote the contract he said he didn’t love me but I would like us to make love. It will give me something to remember when I leave in three months.” Davey sniffled.
“He didn’t love you
yet.
Of course he wants to keep you. Why would he take the day off to see you got to class. Jake never takes a day off. Why would you leave in three months, you work for him, don’t you?” Johnny put in his two cents for the first time since they sat down.
“Because I couldn’t stand to be around him and not
be
with him.” A tear dripped down Davey’s cheek.
“You dummy, he signed a three month contract with you. He couldn’t even wait until Friday and run it by Bear. Everyone runs a BDSM contract by Bear or Reed, even a contracts lawyer. He wants you badly.” Jim waggled his finger at Davey. “You’re the holdout this time. We can’t put pressure on the Dom because he’s not the problem, you are.”
“He can’t possibly love me, it’s too soon and I’m no one.”
“As I said before, Bear and I knew the day we met and I had many more problems that could keep us apart then you two do.” Brian said obviously trying to reassure him.
“Do you really think he wants me?” Davey looked around the table for the answer that eluded him.
“Of course he does,” they all chorused.
“What do I do?” Davey asked plaintively.
“That’s what we’re here for, to help you. The Doms will take care of him.” Jim patted his hand,
CHAPTER TEN
Monday Morning at the Club
“I told you we should have met at my house. We’d be eating warm banana bread by now,” Caden complained, drinking his coffee.
Reed gave Caden a cold look. “Marcel is making scones, scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes.”
“I keep telling you, have Greg come over and teach Marcel how to make decent scrambled eggs or better still I’ll have him teach Robbie, then Robbie can teach Marcel and we’ll all eat better breakfasts.” Cisco took a forkful of the much maligned scrambled eggs.
“You should eat one of Davey’s omelets. On Thursday morning, he made me a pepper jack cheese, mushroom and green pepper omelet with home fries from scratch along with bacon and toast.” Jake puffed up with pride.
“Jake, you’re getting annoying. You’ve already praised Davey’s cooking so much we’re all tired of listening. You had an omelet and some veal chops on Thursday. They were good. We know,” Bear said without heat.
“Can all of you morons stop preening and get to business? Some of us have work to do,” Caden snapped.
“You’re just pissed because Johnny doesn’t cook.” Cisco laughed.
“Johnny does many other things very well.” The rest of the table guffawed.
“I love Davey,” Jake said, shamefaced. “You know that twenty he carried in his wallet for cab fare and phone minutes in case anyone called for an interview? The one he kept even though he was hungry and lived on Ramen for months, then nothing until he met me? He spent that today to bring the boys a special tea they said they like. He now has four dollars and four cents to his name.”
“Haven’t you put him on your credit cards yet?” Tom asked, “How could you let the kid be down to his last four bucks.
“He had the credit cards in his pocket. I could see he wanted to do this himself. What do I do?”
“Whatever you have to—”
“I want to get rid of Gilcrest and Sampson, buy them out. Then I want to move the practice down to Princeton. With all of the large corporations headquartered in this part of the state, I’d have plenty of work. Davey figured out that that if I had a mortgage for a house down here, I could actually afford more than I have now and save what I’m paying Marriott.” Jake rubbed his head. “You’re right, Bear. I am getting sappy and I don’t mind a bit. I can see us in front of a fire with Bandit on his lap and a dog at my feet, riding to work without having to hail a cab, getting a driver, a housekeeper, and Davey to warm my bed and my heart.”
“I told you as soon as you spilled about the contract that you were in love with him. Are you sleeping with him?” Bear raised an eyebrow.
“I am so far only holding him at night while he sleeps. He hasn’t had much experience with physical affection and doesn’t trust his feelings.”
“From what Greg has told me that makes sense. The story you told about him opening himself up to that other foster kid and being beaten and kicked out of the house for his trouble makes it difficult for him to try again especially since he’s a submissive.” Cisco finished his eggs. “I, like Caden, don’t have all the time in the world.”
“Okay, I’ll lay it on the line, this time it isn’t the Dom who reluctant, it’s the sub. I know he needs more time but I don’t want him to leave unsure of my affections. I want him to know I love him, that I want to keep him with me, but I have no idea how to make him believe me.” Jake was despondent.
“We’ll talk to our boys—they’ll know something by now. Bull, you’re going to have to go easy on him. Davey doesn’t even think he’s a sub. Pain frightens him,” Bear said.
Bull grunted.
“We’re working on that. He already has a list of things he’ll try, things he may want to try and things that he won’t do. The list of what he will do can get as small as he wishes just so long as it doesn’t preclude spanking.” Jake shook his head, then dropped his head into his hands and spoke through his fingers. “I can’t change who I am. If I try, we are guaranteed to fail.”
“I’ll lead him gently,” Bull promised.
“A kinder, gentler, Bull? This I’ve got to see.”
“Fuck you, Caden,” Bull spat.
“There’s only one person that I’d ever allow to even try to do that and he isn’t here.” Caden leered.
“Never mind your pissing contest, what can I do?” Jake roared. “It’s no wonder the subs get things done. You guys never pull your heads out of your asses to see sunlight. I need help. I can’t lose him.”
Reed suddenly got serious. “I remember the last time I heard that. Bear, you were talking about Brian.”
§ § §
Jake pulled up to Danny and Gary’s door at exactly noon. A subdued but strangely content Davey got into the car with him.
“We’ll have lunch. I know a nice restaurant—”
“Can I ask you for something?”
“Yes, of course, what do you need?”
“A McDonald’s filet of fish. I used to buy them once a week. I know they’re terrible for your heart but fish isn’t as bad as a burger, right? I’ve missed them. They’re on the dollar menu this week, I can pay for my own and yours, if you’d like.”
Jake tried very hard to keep from laughing. He was ready to take Davey out to the most expensive restaurant in New Jersey and the kid wanted to go to McDonalds.
When did I become such a snob that a good greasy burger no longer appeals?
“Lead on, there has to be one along this highway.”
§ § §
Monday Evening
When they pulled up to the dance studio in Hamilton where Bull held his class for subs, Davey was surprised to see Jamie with Bull.
“I’m the one who does the demonstration on positions, correct posture, and high protocol behavior. I get paid overtime for this at my salary rate which is higher than a sub’s. Bull and I need to save some money.”
Remembering what Jamie had told him this morning and the fact that Jamie was scurrying to help Bull save, Davey knew Bull didn’t regret a dime, grumpy or not.
Jake grabbed Davey and gave him a hard hug. “I’ll be back for you at eight. You can sleep on the way home…you’ve had a big day.”
§ § §
Monday Night
Bull went around the room correcting positions with the rubber tip of a pointer. Davey supposed that this was how he got around the restriction of
no touching.
They had gone over each of the implements and Davey was fascinated with the suede flogger. It was soft to the touch and felt like it would caress his bottom rather than hurt it. Bull told them he would demonstrate the most common implements on Jamie so that the class could see the effects on a body.
Bull instructed them to wear loose pants from now on. Tomorrow night Davey would make sure he had loose pants with him. Doing the various positions in tight jeans was difficult. He was beginning to envy Brian’s tunic and Jim’s boy shorts.
I’ll bet Greg took this class in cargo shorts and a loose T-shirt.
It was eight and class was just about finished when Davey saw Jake’s headlights through the window of the studio. He made proper obeisance to Bull and asked permission to leave. He went out to the car and was surprised when Jake greeted him with a kiss.
§ § §
“How was your class?” Jake put the car into reverse and backed out of the parking space.
“Class was fun although I don’t think some of the others felt that way. There may be a few dropouts as we go on through the week.”
Jake shifted into drive and pulled out onto the highway. “Why do you think some of the others will quit?” he asked curiously.
“Bull demonstrated the effect that some of the tools had on the body. Let’s just say they weren’t impressed. Bull didn’t tell them that they were allowed to pick and choose what they would or wouldn’t do like you told me. Am I wrong or do house subs have to do everything on the list?”
“No, they don’t or we wouldn’t have any house subs. They can’t be as picky as you can be, but there are quite a few things to which they can give a pass,” Jake said upon reflection.
“Bull should have told them that,” Davey commented. Jake watched him as he counted the mile markers as they went by on Route 1.
“From here we take the turnpike to the Lincoln Tunnel and then ten blocks or so and we’re home. We’ve got to get you driving lessons.” Jake heard Davey mumble under his breath. “What did you say?”