Davey blushed for the umpteenth time today. “He said something earlier today about spanking and I sprouted wood. I tried to figure it out and the only thing I could come up with is parents spank their children because they care about them. I’ve never had anyone care about me.”
“As they may have told you, I’m a psychiatrist. I think you stumbled upon as good a motive as any. Are you willing to try it?” Greg asked.
“I don’t know yet. I’m attracted to Jake but he’s helping me out right now and I don’t want to mix up gratitude with caring.” Davey put his elbows on the table. “I don’t know what to do.”
Brian waved his hand to get Davey’s attention. “Just give him the time he needs to get to know you and that you need to get to know him. Jake is eminently lovable. He is already in deep like with you.”
“Well, I guess I really like him too. No one I know would take someone who tried to pick their pocket, give them a job and let them move in their home. He bought me clothes and three suits.” Davey sighed.
“You didn’t refuse the suits did you?” Danny asked nervously.
“I didn’t feel like I could refuse. He gave me a job. When we got to my apartment, he looked in my closet and told me that my one suit wouldn’t cut it at his firm. It would embarrass them and put off the clients.” Davey scrutinized Danny trying to figure out what was the deal with the suit. “Why?” He asked.
“The only fight Gary and I ever had begun over a suit. He said I needed it to go on television with him, I said I couldn’t take his money. I behaved like such a goof. I was already living in a house he paid for, with furniture he bought and had a car sitting in the driveway that he gave me and I made a fuss over a stupid suit. He was so angry he couldn’t even stay in the house with me. He went home to Princeton and didn’t call me for two days. Those two days were the worst days in my life. Thank God, I had these guys to set me straight.” It seemed that Danny got tears in his eyes just thinking about it.
Davey’s eyes circled the table. He had made seven friends tonight. So far, he felt closest to Brian and Greg. Brian seemed to understand what he’d been through more so than the others. As far as Greg was concerned he thought Greg was as meticulous as he was; Harry called it prissy.
Davey thought keeping things in order was sensible.
That’s why the law fascinates me. It’s logical, changes when necessary and keeps impeccable records.
He laughed at himself—he knew his own failings well.
He even knew some of his strengths.
This is really a first for me. I usually look ten times before I leap and never jump without a net. I neither looked nor arranged for a net this time. I just fell in with his plans saying,
Yes, Sir.
Does that make me a submissive—Maybe a submissive to the right man. Could Jake be the right man for me even if it meant getting spanked on a regular basis?
The party broke up at eleven. About nine-thirty, the subs ordered chicken wings, nachos, spinach and artichoke dip, tortilla chips and salsa, and to Davey’s surprise, he ate a lot of what was there.
Robbie took him aside. “When Danny found me I had been living on the streets for seven years. I know hunger when I see it because I’ve seen it before, on my own face. Don’t be embarrassed about eating your fill. You’ll exercise with Jake and won’t get fat, but what you will never get over is there is so much food just for the taking and so much waste.”
“Jake told me this morning, if food comes too close to its expiration date, Marla, the housekeeper, donates it to a homeless shelter. Jake doesn’t waste leftover food.”
§ § §
Robbie smiled and went over to talk to Jamie.
He poked Jamie and whispered, “I’ve done your job for you.”
“What do you mean?” Jamie looked at him like he had two heads.
“I was complaining about the waste of good food. He stood up for Jake and told me that Jake never wastes food. It goes to the local homeless shelter before its expiration date. He was even a little huffy about it—like how could I even
think
Jake could do such a thing.”
Jamie nodded and cackled.
“Yes, he likes him and he’s ripe for the plucking. Davey may already be in love with Jake,” Robbie said sagely.
“In three days?” Jamie was skeptical.
“Brian and Bear knew within three minutes. You started chasing Bull as soon as you met him and I was in love with Tom Martino before I even got out of the hospital.”
Brian, who was standing behind Jamie, came forward. “I think that when loves comes to those in the BDSM community, it hits fast and hard because they’re not expecting it. Look around the Dom’s dining room. How many of those men love their subs? Sure, they lavish them with gifts and show them off, but they get rid of them like yesterday’s tissue if they see something better, it’s a fact of life. But our men are different. They wanted to care about someone. That’s how the love came so quickly. They were open to the feeling.”
Jim stood behind Brian. “Brian’s right. Reed didn’t learn to care about me until he realized he wanted my love and needed me to make his life complete. It took a while,” he said, sarcasm apparent.
“He is a sub,” Jamie interjected. “He followed our example like he was born to this life, just saying…”
§ § §
The new house rules stated that no Doms were allowed inside. The Doms had to knock on the door of the sub room. Tom had discussed it with Robbie, Jim and Brian. “We need a place for subs to go and be able to speak to other subs, when they wouldn’t come to me,” Tom had told them. “They need to be able to tell you or Jim or one of the others about abuse or neglect somewhere they won’t be frightened to be overheard. That’s why the sub room is off limits to Doms and always should be.” Tom said he was satisfied with the result of his lobbying Bear and Reed. The sub room was a resounding success. The Doms sent their subs there when they wanted to talk business or to say something the subs shouldn’t hear and the subs had found two cases of neglect and abuse from those who had sought refuge in the room. Robbie and Brian thought that Tom was more than pleased with himself with the innovation he instigated.
Brian and Robbie went to the door. It was Bear. “It’s time to go home, cub.’
“Yes, Papa, I’ll tell the others.” Brian gently closed the door.
§ § §
Bear sat back down at the table while Jake went to get Davey and retrieve their jackets.
Reed looked around at the seated Doms. “What’s the line and how much?”
“The usual hundred…?” Bear asked.
“I take five weeks, he’s stubborn.” Gary put down his money. “I’ve got to go get Danny.” He got up and went to the coatroom.
“Six weeks, here’s mine.” Cisco placed his money next to Gary’s. “I don’t know why I bother, Bear’s going to win it all as usual, the only upside for me is that he’ll donate it to St. Mary’s,” Cisco said with part annoyance and part satisfaction.
“Reed?” Bear asked.
“I’m in, I say it takes them three weeks, Jake’s a cautious man.” Reed smiled.
“They don’t even know each other, I say a month.” Tom took his money out from its clip and slid it next to Reed’s.
“He’s pigheaded, comes from being a lawyer…seven weeks.” Bull threw in five twenties.
“I agree with Reed. Jake’s cautious, I’m giving him two months.” Caden laid his money down. “If I win it goes to the LGBT youth center.”
“All right, Bear, what do you think? I don’t know why I ask, we should just make him hold the money,” Reed said with disgust.
“One week and he’s in Jake’s bed, two weeks he has a collar, ceremony to be planned later. It’s going to take a week for Jake to get him into bed and another week to convince him he’s a sub.” Bear looked at the stunned faces around him. “Hey, when Jake makes up his mind, he moves quickly. In that respect he’s like me and it only took me a day to get Brian to move in with me if you don’t count the night in the hospital. There were extenuating circumstances of course, but once I made up my mind, that was that. I think Jake will move just as quickly once he realizes what he has to lose.”
“What if no one wins?” Tom asked.
“This time the money will go to Caden and Johnny’s LGBT community center and shelter in Hamilton,” Bear pronounced. “Cisco, Jake already gave you yours tonight.” Bear took his money out. “Who’s holding?”
“Max, could you come over here?” Reed gestured to the bartender. The bartender came to the table with a towel and a tray.
“Refills?”
“Not this time. There’s seven hundred here. We made a bet and want you to hold the money. I’ll tell you who won and then you give it to them and don’t say word to anyone about this.”
“Yes, Sir. I can be quiet.”
“I know, boy, that’s why I asked you.” Reed handed him the cash. “Keep it in an envelope in the safe and put my name on it.”
“Claiming your winnings early, Reed?”
“Screw you, Bear.” The men who were left had a hearty laugh.
“There’s my boy,” Brian made his way into the Dom’s dining room. “I’m going home. Come on cub, you’ve got an early morning. You said you wanted to go to the animal shelters.”
CHAPTER SIX
Late Friday Evening
It took five minutes for Tim to get Jake’s Audi. “What did you think of the club?” Jake asked Davey.
“I must admit I was impressed. I expected an upscale biker bar, but it’s a gentleman’s club, something like the restaurant we went to that first night.” Davey was looking around at the area. “So many trees.”
“Yes, a gentleman’s club for gay deviants.” Jake barked out a laugh at his own joke. Tim drove up to the front of the club, opened the passenger door for Davey, then went around and opened the driver’s door for Jake. Jake handed Tim a twenty and got into the Audi. “I gather you’re going with Brian to the shelters tomorrow?” Jake pulled out of the driveway.
“Yes, Sir, I enjoyed their company. They were all very welcoming. They invited me to their Monday meeting at Johnny’s.”
“I’ll drive you to Bear’s so you can go with Brian tomorrow and to Johnny’s on Monday. I’m playing golf while you go with Brian to the shelters tomorrow. When you’re done, call me.” Jake took out a new iPhone.
“Thank you for loaning me a phone, Sir.”
“This isn’t a loaner, you need it for work and so I can keep track of you. You press the button and ask it to call Jake. You’ll be connected to my cell. Number one is always voicemail.”
“Yes, Sir.”
“If we aren’t finished, you’ll wait at Bear and Brian’s.” It started to rain and Jake turned on the wipers.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Let’s go back to the hotel and get some sleep.” Jake concentrated on his driving.
“May I ask you something, Sir?”
“I won’t guarantee an answer, but you can always ask.” Jake turned the car onto Route 29.
“When I was with Mr. Danvers, he often arranged for suites at various Marriotts. They run about five hundred to six hundred dollars a night depending on the season. If you stay, let’s say two nights a weekend, fifty-two weeks a year then that’s over fifty-two thousand dollars.”
“Your point?” Jake asked half amused, half annoyed.
“You could buy a weekend home down here. That amount would get you a half million dollar home in Princeton, or even closer to the club. You could have it built or buy something someone else is selling. You’d get equity in the home and wouldn’t have to worry about reservations, plus you’d get a tax write-off. I could cook and clean the house so you wouldn’t need a housekeeper and you could hire a gardening service for the lawn and flowers. Danny runs a gardening service. I’m sure he’d give you a discount.” Davey ran out of breath.
Jake got over being annoyed really quickly. The boy was trying to look after his interests and was talking about staying. “I’ll tell you what, if you decide to hang around, I’ll look into a house. In the meantime, we stay at the Marriott.”
“I’m sorry for butting in to your business, Sir. I just realized I was pointing out the glaringly obvious.” Davey hung his head.
“You were trying to do me a good turn. You made a suggestion. I’ll consider it if you decide to stay with me. If I’m alone, the Marriott is a better deal.”
They got to the hotel and were greeted by the valet. “Nice to see you, Mr. Cohen, should I get it washed in the morning?”
“Yes, Jimmy, that would be good.” Jake took out his wallet and handed the kid a fifty. “Another one if you get it back to me by seven.” Jimmy opened the door for Davey and then for Jake.
“I’ll have it back, Mr. Cohen, the extra money is welcome but not necessary.”
“Jimmy, a tip is never necessary, but always earned, remember that.”
“Yes, Mr. Cohen.”
Arriving at the hotel, they walked down the hall and Jake inserted the keycard to enter the suite. “There’s a minibar here. Get me a small bottle of Dewar’s. There are glasses behind the bar. Do you want something?” Jake asked Davey.
“No thank you, Sir. I don’t drink.”
“I only drink on Friday nights. I play on Saturday and Sunday, you can’t drink and play.”
“Can I have a Coke, Sir?” Davey eyes went up toward Jake, waiting for an answer.
I want to kiss those lips and drive my shaft into him. Why am I waiting? Because I don’t want to scare him off. Why is that? Because I want him badly, why? How can I possibly care this much so soon? He’s such a good boy, so polite and accommodating, he’ll get stepped on quite a bit with his unassuming personality. He needs someone to protect him. He’s been alone and protecting himself for too long. I’m going to have to give this some thought, I may be close to loving him.
He took the drink Davey made. Davey opened the door and there was only Pepsi in the fridge. He didn’t bother.
“You don’t like Pepsi.” Jake laughed.
“No, Sir, I prefer Coke or really, Coke Zero.” A little frown line appeared between his eyebrows.
“Marriott has an exclusive contract with Pepsi.” Jake looked at his boy—
where did that come from—
fondly
. He didn’t complain, only that little frown line gave him away. As a foster kid he must have learned early to school his expression.