by Alyssa Clark
Not that I did that often.
There was an echo of sound, what sounded like someone slapping their hand against a drum. I didn’t think anything of it, maybe that was naive of me, but I kept following the silhouette of Ms. Winters. She wouldn’t lead me astray, right?
She seemed likable enough. Maybe if I was able to impress her with my writing, I might find myself a new friend. I had so few that the prospect left me a little excited.
I didn’t think when the echoed noise from before rang out again, this time it was more clear. Someone was hitting another person. Is… is this some kind of underground fight club?
There was a door that was open, and the lights cut through the darkness, they were so bright I had to squint. I didn’t see Edward Norton any fucking where. Instead, there was a girl strapped to a table, naked, and that’s where I covered my eyes.
Oh dear God, Ms. Winters didn’t want to be my friend she wants to murder me. I was going to die mortified right here, right now.
I inched back into the hallway, hoping not to be seen and not get a better view of what happened to the woman strapped to a table. I made the mistake of glancing up just as the guy seemed to connect, he was beating her with a weapon that I didn’t have a name for. I watched, frozen, as it came down on the woman’s middle. Leather strips splayed across her stomach and I could see red bloom across it as if the strike hit hard.
The woman only seemed to twitch in pain; her eyes were clenched closed, and her brows were drawn upward, but there wasn’t any apparent distress to it.
This was what Liz was into? And she wanted me to get into it, too?
“Mr. Davis,” Ms. Winters called out over the display. “Can I have a moment of your time?”
“I was just getting started.” The man that had answered the door came into view. He had the tailed whip in hand and looked disgruntled. “I don’t interrupt your shit.”
“Of course you don’t.” The woman in front of me didn’t sound intimidated at all, she was probably crazy. A guy with a whip in hand that looked angry was scary. Instead, she seemed to stand up all the taller in her pretty heels. “It will just take a moment. I have a proposition for you, the least you can do is listen to it. Ms. Sullivan isn’t going anywhere.”
I could see where this was going now, so I shrank back further. Would it be bad if I ran altogether? I probably wouldn’t get the chance to do the series or be a member of the club, but I could live without doing both. I didn’t know that I could face myself with willing being stripped in front of other people.
Best sex or no.
“What is it?” The shirtless Mr. Davis came close, still looking irritated and armed.
“This,” there was a gesture back towards me, but she didn’t seem inclined to look back at me, “is Ms. Atkins. She is submissive but very inapt to the role. I was hoping I could persuade you to take her on. You could show her the ropes as you learn as well and help build her confidence.” As she spoke, the guy looked at me with dark eyes and a frown. I couldn’t tell if he was considering it or not. “Ms. Sullivan is an experienced sub. She knows what she wants and is helping lead you down the path of being a dom. With the help from both of you, I think Ms. Atkins could flourish.”
I didn’t know what she meant by any of it, but I couldn’t find my voice to protest. With the way they went back and forth, it didn’t seem like a good idea to object.
“I’m not interested,” Mr. Davis said then grimaced. “No offense, Ms. Atkins. I’m only doing this for her,” he nodded in the direction of the woman on the table. “Having more than one woman is more work than I’d rather deal with.”
“It doesn’t have to be sexual,” Ms. Winters said after a length, she turned to look at me. “Anything sexual would probably have to be something she was comfortable with. I think starting domestic and moving from there would probably be the best option for her.” I could see her appreciating me, and I had to wonder if the reason why she mentioned sex was that I was unattractive.
Maybe that was it.
“I’m not comfortable with it,” Mr. Davis said again. “Even if sex isn’t involved.” The edge to his words and the seriousness of his expression seemed to make his decision final. He looked like he was antsy just standing in the doorway, “I’m gonna go back to punishing her. If you want to let Ms. Atkins watch…” He pinned me with a look and probably saw just how uncomfortable I was. He rolled a shoulder anyway and turned his back to the two of us. “Go ahead.”
He walked away from us to go back to the woman, Ms. Sullivan I guessed. He didn’t give her any sort of notice, he just went right back to smacking the whip down on her. I couldn’t help but jump each time it made a noise. I didn’t want to watch, but Ms. Winters didn’t seem like she was keen on letting me escape.
“Come on then.” She snapped a finger and walked into what I guessed was the auditorium for her club.
It was hard to judge the size of the room, the bright light from the center cast shadows on the rest of the room. The light itself was focused on what you might consider a stage, it was a raised platform that the table sat on. Beside the table was a shelf that held implements of torture. That was the only way I could think of them.
Ms. Winters skirted the line of light and sat down in what I noticed to be a plush armchair. I was caught up in the urge that I had to run. But, curiosity finally got the better of me.
I think that’s how I ended up letting the first visit to the club go, the need to know what was going to happen next drove me. While I wasn’t really interested in watching another person get hurt, I still found myself following Ms. Winters over to the chairs. I could see there were a series of seating around the room.
The room wasn’t full, but I could see a few other people seated together or by themselves. There was a couple, an older woman seated in the chair and an older man was seated beside her… on the floor. It was unexpected, I don’t know why I expected just a man to be the dominating factor in a relationship. I found myself watching them more than the ‘show’ that was on stage. The woman had her hand in the man’s hair, stroking it as if he were a pet. His eyes were closed, and he looked pleased by the show of affection.
She thought I could flourish in that position?
“Angela…” I jerked a little and turned to see Michael standing at her side. He had managed to walk through the room without drawing attention, I’d been so caught up in the look of another couple that I hadn’t even seen him. But there he was, looking pulled together despite the conversation that had gone on before.
“Mr. Reed,” she offered him a hand and didn’t seem to be keen on standing. “What can I do for you now?”
There was a dynamic, and I couldn’t figure out if her use of last names was out of respect or something else. But I decided I would watch the interaction and see if there was anything I could glean from it. Was there a way to channel another person’s personality? Maybe if I studied her hard enough, I would be able to take on that confidence without needing to be subjected to anything embarrassing.
“I couldn’t help but hear your conversation with Easton,” he looked unperturbed as he spoke like he was in the same position as Ms. Winters. He wasn’t quite pulling it off, but then his eyes connected with mine and I felt like I had to hold my breath. Everything clenched as a slow smile tugged at his lips, “And I would like nothing more than to offer up my service as a dom.”
He wanted me? Even after seeing the complete mess that I was?
“No.” There was a finality to her tone that tugged my attention away from Mr. Reed to Ms. Winters. Her attention seemed to be fully focused on the scene in front of us, she didn’t even give him another glance. “What I want for Ms. Atkins is purely an educational standpoint. I have no desire to mold her into your ideal sub, I don’t want her broken by any means.”
He made a noise, and I glanced back to Mr. Reed. His expression was hard to read, but his narrowed eyes made it obvious he didn’t like her answer. “I am completely capable o
f giving her an educational view of this,” he waved his hand at the stage. “More so than he would. I can take this on without the intention of ‘breaking’ her.”
I didn’t know if I should object at all to any of this or just sit and listen. Ms. Winters had a point, I knew it, but I didn’t know if I liked the idea of her choosing who would help me with this.
“While I’m sure you are an excellent instructor, Mr. Reed…” She paused and gave me a look. I couldn’t decipher it, so I just raised my eyebrows at her. “If anything this would be a temporary arrangement. I asked Mr. Davis because he is in a relationship with Ms. Sullivan and I can trust that he would not spoil anything for Ms. Atkins.”
“I can be trusted,” he all but growled. “I have been supplying you with a membership fee for well over a year, damn near since you opened your doors. I have given you patrons of both subs and doms.” From his expression, it looked like he was just as irritated as his words implied. He folded his arms over his chest and looked down at her as if he were trying to force his will simply by having a height advantage. “There is no reason why you shouldn’t allow me this opportunity.”
“Shouldn’t I get a choice in this?” I finally spoke up for myself, though I don’t know if it was because I wanted Mic--Mr. Reed or if it was because I didn’t want to be a party to any of it. Both of them turned to look at me almost as one. My voice caught in my throat, and I was tempted to take back what I’d said.
There wasn’t anything accusing about their gaze, Ms. Winters looked at me curiously. It was like she hadn’t expected me to object. Her expression was schooled into something I couldn't really read, and that worried me. I figured she led me back here with the intentions of giving me the approval I wanted. I just hoped it didn’t completely hinge on things like this.
Mr. Reed, on the other hand, didn’t look irritated so much as put out. Did he think I was going to object to him ‘teaching’ me? When he noticed me looking an eyebrow rose like he was daring me to say something. Then I saw his tongue peek out from between his lips and swipe across his full bottom lip, his gray eyes seemed to burn into a silver as his study of me started to reflect lust.
I could remember what that tongue did to me. I’d been trying so hard not to think of his first name because I anticipated what it might do to me. Now, looking at him and seeing his lust there was no stopping the sudden throb between my thighs. I clenched them together and coughed, hoping Ms. Winters wouldn’t see through me. I hoped I wasn’t as transparent as Liz chuckled about.
“You do get a say,” Ms. Winters said after a length, I felt like she was physically probing me even when all she was doing was looking. Her hands were neatly in her lap, but her gaze pierced me. “What is it that you want? Understand, this is my condition for your project. You don’t have to accept it, but I don’t have to accept your proposal either.”
I couldn’t help the grimace that I felt tug my features down. I didn’t have a real out. All I had was this chance. I looked up at Mr. Reed, and he looked intrigued. He met my gaze and that lust I saw before still simmered beneath the surface. I couldn’t figure out why he was looking at me like that, but I guess this was my best option.
The other being coming to the club on the regular until I could find someone that would be able to teach me. Probably not hard to do, but I don’t know that I could face myself with having to go through so many people.
I couldn’t face judgment or rejection.
I swallowed hard and looked back at Ms. Winters. “If Mr. R-Reed,” I tripped over my words and took a breath to try to calm the thundering beat of my heart. I tried again, hoping for confidence to take the wheel. “If Mr. Reed is willing to show me the ropes when Mr. Davis wasn’t, I don’t see a reason to turn him down. What other alternative do I have?” That worked, kind of, if you ignored the waiver in my voice.
“There are other options.” For some reason, Ms. Winter looked irritated now. Why? “You don’t have to settle on the first person that shows interest in you. If you’re afraid, I have no problems doing this with you. As I said to Mr. Davis it doesn’t have to be sexual.”
“It’s more fun if it is,” Mr. Reed’s tone was the same as it was when he and I were together last.
I didn’t look at him, I couldn’t. All I could do was focus on trying not to react. But my face was growing hot, and I felt helpless looking at Ms. Winters. I didn’t have a response. I couldn’t think of what to say to that.
I think he took my silence to mean something that it wasn’t. “Maybe she’s not into the idea of being with another woman?”
Her expression darkened as she looked at me, but I didn’t say anything. Why would she be angry with me? I couldn’t breathe, and the prospect that everything was going down the drain because of a remark he made was going to cause my anxiety to run away with me.
Fortunately, Ms. Winters directed her icy glare at the man beside her. It gave me enough time for me to breath up until she spoke again, “Very well, Mr. Reed. I’m going to add a stipulation. If you’re going to agree to this and dabble in this project of Ms. Atkins', then you can do so here. Every encounter you have with her will be housed within my club.”
I choked a little. This meant I couldn’t cancel my membership. How was I going to find a way to maintain it on my salary? Liz said she’d float me another month, but I got the feeling she intended to continue on with her membership regardless as to whether or not I did.
How was I going to make this work?
“That’s fine,” he said as if he wasn’t at all concerned by it. The look he gave her suggested that he might have actually won something. “I have no problem using your equipment. Shall we start now?” When he turned back to me, the looks he had been giving me before went from lustful to more appreciative.
And, apparently, completely overlooked my panic.
“I-I-I,” now I was back to the stammering idiot. How do I get out of this? If I haul ass out of here will Ms. Winters look down on me? I bit my lip and closed my eyes as I tried to get a handle on myself. I couldn’t start now, I needed an excuse. I took a deep breath, then two. “I can’t start now,” it almost sounded normal, sane, when I said it. Too bad I didn’t feel that. “I have some work I need to finish up now.” It was a lie I didn’t mind telling. “But, I guess you can give me your number, and we can figure out a schedule that works for the best for both of us?”
Maybe I could treat this like a horrible group project from school. Maybe if I blacked out the fact that I’d had sex with this man and was probably going to end up having sex with him again, I could find a comfort zone with him when it came to speaking and functioning normally.
He hummed in agreement then stepped around Ms. Winters to me, he held out his hand expectantly, “Your phone.”
I blinked up at him. “Why?” I had it in the front pocket of my messenger bag. But I couldn’t fathom why he would want it.
“So I can give you my number and ensure that you have it,” he said simply. “The last time you and I were together I told you to come back and look for me.” His expression didn’t show anything, aside from the expectation for my phone. “I’m not going to let you get away with that.”
Maybe life would just be better if I’d stayed in editing.
I looked back to Ms. Winters for some kind of help, but she seemed to have turned her focus back on the couple on stage. There was another crack of the whip and a moan that followed. I couldn’t look, so I busied myself by taking longer than necessary to search for my phone. They were going to make me do that, be on stage and be beaten.
Suddenly, I didn’t want to give him my phone.
I clutched it to my chest and looked at Ms. Winters. “I can’t do that,” I managed to say around the lump in my throat.
“Do what?” She didn’t direct her attention to me, her focus was still on the two people in front of us. I could see her face, and I felt afraid that things had gotten so horribly out of hand for me that I had no way of salvaging any of it.
I swallowed hard and closed my eyes. “What they are doing?” It was a question mostly because I assumed that’s what they would force me to do.
That’s what this was about, right? Force? Power?
My question brought Ms. Winters’ attention back to me. Her eyebrows rose to make her look surprised. It made me feel like I was put on the spot again. She stayed in her seat but leaned closer to me. “What you see going on is what they enjoy. That is what they do. It doesn’t have to be what you want or what you enjoy.”
“That’s the beauty of experimentation,” Mr. Reed spoke up getting my attention. “You get to find out just what you enjoy.” I looked up at him and saw him waiting patiently for me to give up my phone. There was a smile on his face that made something in me clench. “This time you know what a safe word is, so there’s no harm in expanding on what we’ve already done.”