by Golden Angel
"Rick's not that intense," Angel argued, sounding like she was trying to defend him.
"Not on the surface, compared to Mr. Control Freak that you're practically living with," Leigh argued back. "But from what I've heard at the club, once he gets into a scene, he makes up for being more laid back the rest of the time."
"Laid back?" Maria echoed in surprise. That was so not how she would describe him.
Seeing her expression, Angel giggled. "Well, usually. He's been wound a lot tighter ever since he met you. I've noticed that all the Doms get a lot more relaxed once they feel they have a handle on a situation, and right now he definitely does not, so it's no wonder he's more tense than usual. Jared's probably the most relaxed, really."
"He's the one with the evil girlfriend, right?" Leigh asked. She smiled at Maria, to include her in the conversation. "I think he's the only one I haven't met yet."
"Which is too bad, because you two could compare notes," Angel muttered. Leigh elbowed her, making her drink slosh over the side of the martini glass. Catching it with her hand, Angel gave her friend a glare before licking it off of her palm. "Look at all that good booze you almost made me waste!"
Ignoring her, Leigh turned her attention back to Maria. "So, is it the BDSM stuff? Or is it Rick?"
"I think it's mostly the BDSM stuff," Maria said softly, keeping an eye out for nosy staff coming close enough to hear their conversation. "I mean... I'd never even heard of it before this weekend. At least, not the way he does it. I've heard of bondage and stuff like that, but just... I don't know... Crap. I'm not explaining this very well."
"Well enough," Angel said with a shrug. "I read a lot of kinky books before I ever actually tried anything out, and going into a club was stilly scary for me. Especially since I was doing it alone."
"Even though she told me a lot, I definitely hadn't heard about a lot of the things that go on at Stronghold," Leigh said, nodding her head. "I think a lot of it's pretty frightening. Hilary and Liam are more my speed when it comes to the kinky stuff." She sighed, looking a little bit wistful. "I love watching him watch over her."
"So you and your boyfriend don't do the BDSM thing?" Maria asked, curious. It was kind of nice to get a perspective from another outsider who still knew about the club and its members, and who thought it was both a bit scary and a bit desirable. Obviously Angel, Hilary, and Jessica were going to be encouraging about it, but it sounded like Leigh had a different viewpoint that was more in line with Maria's.
"No, I met him way before I knew about this stuff," Leigh said, smiling, although there was still a hint of wistfulness in her voice. "We've been together for years now and I don't think it's something that he'd go for."
"But you wish he would?"
Leigh hesitated, sliding her finger around the top of her glass and knocking the straw ahead of it, like she was thinking about a way to answer that didn't involve either badmouthing her boyfriend or giving Maria a personal information overload. "I wish he was interested in some parts of it. He's really good at doing the big romantic gestures, but when I hang out with Angel and Adam and the others, I see how much the guys do a lot of little things that I wish Michael would do."
"That doesn't really have anything to do with being a Dom, just a good boyfriend," Angel said darkly. Maria was getting a pretty good idea of Angel's feelings about Leigh's boyfriend, which didn't bode well for the relationship. She was definitely getting the vibe that Leigh and Angel were very close, maybe as close as Maria was to her own sisters, and she couldn't imagine either herself or her sisters staying with someone whom the family didn't approve of for very long.
"He is a good boyfriend in some ways," Leigh said, defensively. "There's just some things I wish we could change, but that's true of any relationship." It had all the undertones of an old argument. One that Maria knew Angel couldn't win. Even if Leigh agreed with her friend, she would feel compelled to defend her boyfriend, especially if they'd been together for years. Not that any of Maria's sisters had been with boyfriends for years when the family didn't like them, but they'd all had boyfriends that had lasted close to or a bit over a year that they had stayed with for too long.
Just like she often had with her sisters, Maria decided it was probably prudent to interrupt them. "I just wish there was a way to... I don't know, try out BDSM to see if I even like it? I mean, I'm attracted to Rick and he turns me on, and I'd be willing to see if what he likes turns me on too, but it doesn't seem like that's an option with him. He's very much into having a relationship."
"And you aren't?" Angel's attention was fixed back firmly on Maria, as was Leigh's although Leigh still seemed a bit unfocused by her own thoughts.
"If I wasn't so worried about the sex stuff I would be." Maria sighed. "I feel like we've gotten to know each other pretty well, even though we haven't exactly been dating. But we'd been hanging out on a daily basis before this past weekend. The sex stuff just threw me for a loop, but it's important if we’re gonna be more than friends. I just feel like I only have two choices with him - friends or relationship. And it seems like a lot of pressure. Not to mention, what if we try and I hate it or suck at it and then everything's just ruined?" Realizing her voice was getting a little bit loud, Maria coughed and looked back down at the stupid napkin that she was now tearing into teeny tiny pieces. She was making a mess, but she didn't particularly care right now.
"You need an Introductory Scene."
"What?" Maria blinked. "What's that?"
Angel groaned. "Seriously? He didn't tell you about Introductory Scenes? We didn't mention it?"
"I'm not sure," Maria said, blushing a bit. Had he? Had the other women? "If anyone did I don't remember..."
"Oh well, you've had a lot of information thrown at you recently," Angel said sympathetically. "Introductory Scenes are for newbies to the club, submissives and dominants but it mostly seems like it's the submissives that take advantage of it. Kind of a way to find out what you like or don't like, if you're inexperienced or unsure." She grinned. "It sounds like exactly what you should do. I know Rick used to do them, so he knows how to."
Maria made a face at being reminded that Rick had probably had sexual contact with quite a few of the women at Stronghold. Still definitely not something she was a fan of... although she just kept reminding herself that obviously none of those women had stuck. Rick blatantly wanted a relationship, and he'd brought her into the club to do it rather than choosing one of them. She hoped the girls had been right about the other women not being man-stealers, because if Maria caught one of them going for Rick while she was there, the end result was not going to be pretty. It might be hot when Rick got all alpha and controlling, but Maria was not a pushover and she wasn’t just going to sit on the sidelines while someone made a move on her man.
Pushing past her own issues, she had to admit that she liked the idea of doing what sound like a try-out scene. Try it out, see if she liked it.
And also see if Rick liked her within it.
"I think..." she said slowly, aware that Angel and Leigh were both watching her with hopeful anticipation. She smiled. "I think that sounds brilliant."
******
Two Jacks and three eights. A full house. Rick kept his face carefully blank as he threw down another chip, knowing that Adam and Olivia would both be studying him closely. Playing Poker with such highly observant people made for some brutal games.
But it was nice to sit and hang out with friends. Especially since he still hadn't heard from Maria. The distraction was very welcome. He'd been helping out in Adam's office today when Adam had asked him and Justin if they wanted to get together since Angel was going to happy hour with Leigh. Justin had preferred to go home to Chris and Jessica, but Rick had jumped at the chance. They'd ended up getting Olivia to join them as well.
Taking a sip of his beer, Rick looked up to watch as Olivia contemplated her hand.
"Fold," she said finally, putting the cards face down.
Adam studied her,
as if wondering if she'd seen something that he hadn't. They'd been at this for a couple of hours now and Olivia was the closest to going out. None of them had told her that whenever she had a good hand, her right eyebrow would go up. That was half the fun, discovering out each other's tells and then trying to erase their own. Rick had figured out a while ago that he had a tendency to bounce his leg when he was unsure about his hand. Now he threw in a bounce every now and then just to throw the others off.
"Call," Adam said finally, tossing in his chip.
Grinning, Rick laid out his cards and Adam cursed. The other man was only holding two pair.
"Close but not close enough," Rick said, chortling as he scooped up the chips. It was a fairly decent haul, but the real pleasure was in the win. They never bet a lot of money, but the competition was always fierce.
The doorbell rang unexpectedly, just as Rick was finishing up organizing his chips. He looked at his friends. "Did you guys know if anyone else was coming?"
Olivia shook her head at the same time that Adam said, "No."
Faint hope that it might be Maria, finally, sprung up in Rick's chest, but he did his best to ignore it, knowing that it was a much better chance that he'd be disappointed. When he looked through the peephole, it was all he could do to contain his emotions. If Adam and Olivia hadn't been there, he probably would have done some kind of stupid looking jump or motion, just to vent some of the excess energy that was suddenly running through his veins.
Instead, he just opened the door, putting a hopeful smile on his face. Even though he was pretty sure that the nervously determined expression on Maria's face came from a tense submissive, about to admit her desires, and not from a woman who was about to turn him down, he didn't want to get his hopes up only to have them flung back in his face. There was a chance she was nervous about telling him no, but the tight feeling in his gut came from some kind of primitive male instinct that made him want to beat his chest in victory. Witnesses notwithstanding.
"Hey," he said, letting his pleasure at seeing her fill his expression.
To his delight, she smiled back, still nervously. Iif she was coming to reject him, she wouldn't be smiling, he was sure of that. His grin widened.
"Hey... Um..."
"Is that Maria?" Olivia called out. Rick turned to glare over his shoulder. From where Olivia was sitting she could clearly see that it was Maria.
"Oh... you have company... maybe I should-"
"No," Rick cut her off, reaching out to grip her upper arm as she started to pull back. Fuck no. She was finally here and he wasn't going to chance her going away and changing her mind. Or even just making him wait longer to know for sure what she was going to say. "It's just Adam and Olivia. Want to come in? We're playing poker."
Maria fidgeted, still obviously a bit nervous, although she waved at Olivia. Adam had turned around in his chair, Rick saw, but from the other side of the doorway Maria couldn't see him. "No, I've got some stuff I have to do. I just came by to um... well..."
"Say yes to going on a date with me?" Rick asked, keeping his tone playfully hopeful. Trying to help her out and hoping that the answer was yes.
"Well, sort of." She gave herself a little shake, as if gathering her courage. "I wanted to ask you if we could do an Introductory Scene. Um... at Stronghold."
Whatever he had been expecting from her, it definitely hadn't been that. His first instinct was to say no, but he clamped his jaw down on that, because he couldn't think of an immediate reason as to why not. Also, because she looked so hopeful, while simultaneously so anxious for even asking.
"Why?" he asked, realizing that his tone had change substantially. Tighter. Definitely not happy. Immediately she reacted, her shoulders coming forward as she clasped her elbows. A protective gesture that made him inwardly curse. He hadn't meant to sound upset, but for some reason he kind of was. It felt almost like a delaying tactic, another way to make him wait while she tried to figure out what she wanted. Even though he recognized that insecurity on his part as being kind of illogical, because she didn't really know what she wanted, he couldn't stop the emotion.
"I'm just... I've never done anything like this before. And I don't know if I'll like it. Or be good at it." The real worry that he saw her in eyes was that of a submissive afraid of disappointing her Dom and it definitely made the hard tension in his lungs soften. "So when Angel suggested-"
"Angel suggested?"
"When did you see Angel?"
Rick's and Adam's questions overlapped in exactly the same slightly suspicious and demanding tones. Meddling female. After all her questions at Stronghold about Maria he should have realized that she wouldn’t leave the situation alone. He ignored Olivia's giggle.
Wide eyed, Maria glanced over Rick's shoulder, where he was sure Adam was now in her line of view.
"She came into Happy Hour tonight with her friend Leigh," Maria replied hesitantly, obviously unsure of whether or not she was getting Angel into trouble.
Behind him, Rick could hear Adam mutter something while Olivia laughed. Probably something about how he ought to beat his sub's ass for interfering. A sentiment which Rick would echo.
The idea of doing an Introductory Scene with Maria was just... scary. He'd done them before, with other subs, but never with one that meant anything to him. It felt like a test. Which made him feel both prickly and a tiny bit fearful. Prickly because he didn't like the idea that she was just playing with him, trying him out, and simultaneously afraid that at the end of it, she would realize she didn't want him or what he had to offer. Even worse, he knew her interest in BDSM had already been piqued, so what if she rejected him but went looking for someone else at Stronghold? Then he'd not only have to live in the same building as her, but he'd be running into her at the club.
Did he really have a choice? It was a reasonable request, especially for a complete newbie.
It wasn't until Adam spoke up behind him that Rick realized how long he'd been making Maria wait for an answer.
"If Rick doesn't want to do it, I'm sure Patrick could suggest someone who would be more than willing."
Rick snarled in response. Fuck. He was already so in over his head. He already considered Maria his girl, even if she wasn't his sub yet.
"That won't be necessary," he said tightly, ignoring Olivia's answering giggle and Adam's chuckle. Maria looked up at him, worriedly, and he softened his expression. "I'll talk to Patrick and set it up. Will next Thursday work for you?"
Hope, fear, desire, all flashed across Maria's face and she nodded. Stepping out into the hall, Rick pulled the door behind him so that it was only open a crack.
Letting go of the doorknob, Rick took Maria's face in his hands, tilting her head back so that he could look directly into her dark eyes. Her pupils dilated as her lips parted automatically for him, and he felt his cock begin to harden in response.
"I want you to do some research online. I'll have Patrick send you the questionnaire that all the newbie subs who are doing the Introductory Scene get. I want you to really think about what you want and need." Something inside his stomach twisted at the thought that her desires might not align closely enough with his. Compromise was possible on a lot of things, but not everything. At least he’d be able to look over the survey and see if there was anywhere they were glaringly incompatible. "Okay?"
"Okay," she whispered, her tongue flicking out along her bottom lip. He could tell that she wanted him to kiss her, but he held himself back.
Just in case.
He was already in too deep, emotionally, but he didn't have to go deeper until he knew he wasn’t the only one.
"Good girl," he said, watching the arousal and desire flare in her eyes at the words. Then he released her. Without the kiss they were both aching for. "Have a good night."
Confused, off-balance - which made him feel more satisfied and centered - Maria nodded her head. "You too."
He watched her head up the stairs before he turned and went back into his apa
rtment. Both of his friends were sitting there, waiting for him, not even looking at the cards and chips on the table.
"Soooo...." Olivia prompted. "Why didn't you want to do an Introductory Scene with Maria?"
"It's not that I don't want to," Rick hedged, sitting down across from them and trying not to feel like he'd just set himself up for an interrogation as Adam and Olivia exchanged glances. Unfortunately his poker face didn't feel like it was still working. "I love the idea of getting her into Stronghold again. I just don't like feeling like I'm being tested."
"Ah," said Adam, thoughtfully. "I think I can understand that. The Introductory Scenes are supposed to be for introducing newbies to the scene, but with Maria it's also going to be specifically giving her a scene catered to your tastes and her reactions are going to be more than just indicative about whether or not she'll be into BDSM, but whether or not you two might work as a couple."
Trust Adam to be able to immediately put Rick's conflicted emotions and subconscious thoughts and worries into coherent statements. Then again, Adam probably kind of understood that feeling a bit too, since he'd been interested in Angel when he'd ended up doing her Introductory Scene. It wasn't quite the same, but close enough that Adam could definitely feel some empathy.
Olivia looked surprisingly thoughtful, as if that was an angle she hadn't considered before, one that held merit. Which meant she probably wasn't going to give him too hard a time anymore, which Rick could be grateful for.
"That's exactly it," he said with relief. "I feel like I'm putting myself out there. All the things I want and need, and she's either going to reject me or accept me... and that really sucks." Especially because, as a Dom, he was a bit of a control freak. Even more so when it came to sex than some of his other friends. He loved it when a woman gave up control to him; but even if Maria submitted to him at Stronghold, it would be like being on probation. Not a happy feeling for anyone, much less someone with his inclinations.
"She's doing the same thing though," Olivia said. "Maybe not as blatantly, because you know what you want and need from the scene and she doesn't yet, but just by showing up here and telling you that she wants to try, she's putting herself out there. For her, it's all one big unknown."