Sir clapped his hand on my shoulder and said, "Good. That's what I wanted." He stood and gripped the rope between my wrists tugging me to my feet.
He started to pull me forward. I asked, “Where are we going?"
"You're going overboard, Joel." I ran the words back in my head again to make sure that I heard them correctly. My curiosity suddenly switched to terror.
I planted my feet in the bottom of the boat and tried to pull away. Thoughts raced through my head. Is this it? Is he really psychotic? Is Rita an actor? Is he going to kill me like he did Richard?
Sir reached out and wrapped both arms tight around me. "Do you trust me?"
I yelled out. "I don't wanna drown! Let me go!" I tried to be loud so that the sound of my voice would drift across the water, but we were too far from the other boats for anyone to hear.
He gripped tighter speaking directly into my ear. "You won't drown. I won't let you drown."
"But why throw me overboard? That’s crazy." I tugged hard at the ropes feeling them cut into my wrists as I tried to tear them free. He was stronger than me. He proved that multiple times before. He held me fast while I tried hard to either knock him down or pull free of his grip.
Sir kissed the side of my neck and whispered reassuringly while I struggled. "It's all okay. I won't let you drown, but I am going to push you into the water. You have to trust me. Are you ready for that?"
I yelled out again, "Of course I'm not!" I turned my head to look into his eyes. "I'm not insane! Please, don't!"
Sir's hand clamped on the back of my head while his dark brown eyes stared intensely into mine. My heart thumped fiercely, and I fought to catch my breath. "Now, Joel, relax. I won't let you drown. You belong to me, and I belong to you. I'm asking you again, do you trust me?"
Adrenaline coursed through my body, but I tried to listen to his words. I could barely hear them over the sound of my heart thumping in my throat. My voice took on a whining tone. "I trust you Sir, but please don't do this. I'm scared. I can't swim with my arms tied behind my back."
He continued to speak slowly. “Don't panic. It's saltwater. It's not easy to drown in it. When you hit the waves, kick like you’re treading water. Shortly after you go in, I'll let you go and help you out." A moment of silence passed between us. "Again, I ask, do you trust me? Please trust me, Joel.“
I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to process all that he was saying. My body shuddered against him, but I finally whispered back, "I trust you."
Without any additional comments, he tugged me to the side of the boat. I stepped up to the edge. "Close your eyes. You’ll feel a push. Let yourself go. I won't let you drown." I closed my eyes. He shoved me hard, and I tumbled into the water. My first instinct was to try and swim with my arms, but they were held fast by the rope. Panic began to rise in my throat, but I heard Sir's calm voice in my head. I focused on performing a breaststroke-style kick to propel my head up above water. It worked, and it was much easier than I’d expected. Sir was right.
Opening my eyes, I peered up at him leaning over the edge of the boat watching me. He gave me a warm and encouraging smile. "That's it. Relax. Trust me. You're fine." Minutes later, he jumped in beside me and wrapped an arm around my chest. He treaded water with his free arm. We both kicked to stay afloat. Sir's free arm disappeared below the water. Suddenly my wrists were free. He whispered in my ear, "Knives are always handy tools.”
I smiled at him as I pulled my arms up to the surface and slowly paddled. Sir was right. I could trust him, and he would keep me safe. He would not even need to pull me out of the water. He wrapped both arms around my chest, and I paddled to keep us both afloat. We shared an intimate kiss as the sun disappeared below the horizon.
9
Service
I sat in the boat and shivered with Sir’s arms around me while I slowly returned to a calm state of mind. As the boat cut through the water on its journey back to Rusty Door Key, Sir praised me for my trust in him. He stopped the boat halfway back to the island. Holding me tight and pulling me back against him on the seat in the stern. Sir lay back and pointed at the stars. He said, “When Rita was going through the worst parts of her life as a teenager, we came out here and looked at the stars together. She made a wish on a shooting star. That’s when her luck started to change.”
I’d never felt so much like I was in the place where I was supposed to be. I was not only the assistant to a world-famous author, but I was also his lover. I belonged to him, at least for the summer. He caressed my body with his strong hands while we both looked up at the heavens. Sir said, “Somewhere up there is an unnamed constellation that they’ll someday name for us.”
Sir turned on the motor once more, and we traveled the rest of the way back through the inky black water. When the boat floated up beside the dock, I hopped out, and Sir tossed me the thick, heavy rope to tie the boat in place. Once the boat was secure, we headed straight for bed. I picked up the collar along the way.
Sir made love to me with no bondage at all. It was only our two bodies and a leather collar around my neck. My legs wrapped tight around his torso as he entered me. My breath caught in my throat as waves of pleasure and fullness took over.
When Sir came, he howled like a wild animal, and I joined him. He fell onto my body slicked with sweat, and I kissed the top of his head before he crawled upward in the sheets and devoured me with a kiss.
We both believed we’d been in love one time before, and it didn’t work out. We each had a second chance together. I told myself that I hoped our dreams would all come true. He was almost ten years my senior, but the age difference was of no concern. I wanted him. I wanted to love him, and I wanted to serve him. For me, love and service swiftly blurred into one and the same.
Beginning the next day, Sir started issuing orders and standards for my behavior. At first, I wasn't sure that I would like it. I thought I might be forced into rebellion, but soon the orderly structure of my activity helped me relax even further. I spent less time each day wondering about what I should be doing. I knew what to do based on the guidelines and rules he gave me.
He instructed me that I was to be the first to rise in the morning and the last to go to bed. It was my responsibility to make sure that coffee was started in the kitchen before Sir climbed out of bed. There were exceptions to that rule. Occasionally he pulled me back into bed as I was getting up so that we could cuddle until he was ready to rise.
In the evenings, it was my responsibility to check that all the lights were out and the house was tidy and orderly. Sir also instructed me to verify that the boat was still securely tied to the dock before I joined him in the bedroom. He was often reading when I climbed into bed. Sometimes I merely snuggled up beside him and fell asleep with my head on his chest while he was engrossed in his book.
It was my responsibility to soap up Sir's body and wash his hair before I cleaned myself in the shower. This was not a burden. It gave me the opportunity to explore every inch of his magnificent, muscular body with my hands. I lingered longer than absolutely necessary on many occasions, but I couldn't waste a lot of time since I had to follow the house rules about proper usage of fresh water.
Anywhere that we went on the island, whether it was to the small beach, to the boat, or simply roaming around in the small plant-choked area that Sir referred to as "the wilderness," I walked behind him. I was only to lead if there was something specific that I needed to show him, and he didn't know the exact location.
I wore the leather collar all of the time except for swimming and when taking a shower. I slept in it. During some evenings, Sir requested that I kneel beside his lounger on a cushion with a leash clipped to the collar and the handle wrapped around his wrist. I soon discovered I could be happy doing nothing at Sir's side for hours. It was a comforting, meditative experience spending silent time with him.
The days that passed soon turned into weeks. I’d whipped the office into shape, and it was significantly more functional and
efficient than before I arrived. I could locate almost anything Sir wanted related to his writing within a few minutes. He praised me for my almost encyclopedic knowledge of his books, fans, and the business side of his career. I passed on professional email from publishers, his agent, and those who wished to invite him for speaking engagements, but I handled 95% of his fan email on my own.
We developed a regular evening ritual every third day in which I shared with him the most interesting messages. I read them aloud. For those select emails, I did not respond in writing until I listened to Sir's commentary, and then I incorporated his spoken opinion into the return message. I looked forward to those sessions with pleasure.
One evening, as Sir ordered me to kneel at his feet, I asked him how he learned to give the orders and issue rules. He told me that he did not have experience tying men up. I assumed that meant that he’d never collared anyone either.
Sir said, “I don't have any specific experience with someone wearing a collar for me. You are the first. I’ve observed many men with Masters at the bars in Key West in the past. Some have been clumsy in their actions. Others appeared to be putting on a show to impress or entertain their fellow bar patrons. However, I’ve also marveled at the pairs who interacted with barely any words passing between them. It was almost as if the collared man could read his Master's mind. Their actions unfolded like some sort of two-person ballet. I find that type of relationship fascinating and enticing. I envy them.” He reached down and affectionately pulled my cheek to his thigh.
"Maybe someday I’ll learn enough to respond that way, Sir."
He turned and walked in the direction of the boat dock. I noticed that he didn’t need to say anything to me. I instinctively rose as soon as his back was turned and quietly followed him. Once he stopped, before he had the chance to turn back to me, I was already kneeling again. The actions unfolded smoothly like practiced choreography. I listened in silence as Sir talked about how much the summer with me changed his outlook on his life.
"I returned here to the Keys once my second book began to sell even better than the rest. I was living in Miami then, and fans began recognizing me on the street from photos on the book jackets and a few appearances on television. I felt like my world was getting smaller and the places where I could be by myself with my thoughts were quickly shrinking in number.”
"That sounds difficult."
He shrugged. "I suppose it is the price of fame. Fortunately, one evening when I was on the phone with an old friend, he asked me why I didn't come back to the Keys. Honestly, I’d not considered it. By then, it was more than five years after my parents passed, and the place sat here idle. Friends of my parents visited the island once a month to check for vandalism and damage due to weather. However, nobody stayed overnight here.”
I whispered, "The island was waiting for you to come back, Sir."
He reached down and rubbed my head. "Maybe you are right. The Florida Keys have been home to many celebrities through the years, and most of the time the residents left them alone. These islands are an easy place to disappear and remain relatively unnoticed."
"Was that your experience?"
He chuckled. "Well, for the most part. Of course, just a month after I moved in, the newspaper reporters descended. Someone who noticed me in the grocery store tipped them off, and the reporters hounded me for an interview. I decided to get it out of the way, and I called both the newspaper and a TV station asking if they wanted to interview me. I wanted it over with all at once. The questions were lighthearted in tone, and I added a book signing at a store in Key West. With the burst of celebrity behind me, I retreated to the island and didn't leave at all for nearly two weeks."
"And then they left you alone?"
He nodded and reached his foot over the edge of the dock dipping his toes into the water. "Until now, at least. I am concerned about the hunt for Rita restarting after all of these years. I'll be honest with you about that." Sir sat down on the edge of the dock and dangled his bare feet into the water. He patted his lap. "Join me down here, Joel."
I stood, stepped closer, and slowly lowered myself to my knees beside his shoulder. "Thank you, Sir."
"No, I mean here." He patted his lap again. "You can look out toward the water, but I want your head right here on my lap."
I lay on my side on the dock and rested my head on his lap sighing deeply with pleasure. I turned so that I was looking out to the water. I watched the little minnows swimming just below the surface of the water and noticed a larger, slow-moving fish closer to the bottom.
The water was crystal clear, and the sun slipping down low toward the horizon meant the intense, sparkling reflections of the midday sun were gone. I could see all the way to the bottom. I pointed to something moving near the surface. It reminded me of microscopic images of amoebas from high school. "Sir, what is that?"
"I'm not sure what you're pointing at. Are you asking about the fish?"
I pointed again. "No, the thing…oh wait, there’s more than one. They’re moving like this." I made an umbrella shape with my hand and began opening and closing it.
He chuckled. "Those are jellyfish."
"Do they sting like the other ones you talked about?"
"If they do, the sting is so weak you’d probably not notice. They are either a tiny species or are babies."
I rolled over on to my back and pulled my knees up to a bent position so that I looked directly into Sir's face. “Did I ever tell you how fascinating it is here in the Keys? There’s so much wildlife. Even those big, nasty bugs that show up in the house are interesting."
“Yuck! You can have those, Joel! You can take every single one of them back north with you.“ His hand rested on my chest as our eyes locked. "I'm happy that you like it down here. I've already gotten so much more out of this than I ever imagined when I placed that ad with your school."
“How many places did you send it to? I've always been curious about that.”
His fingertip traced a circle around my belly button, and I giggled. "I sent it to fifty different schools all over the country. I don't know how many responses I got, but it was a lot. They flowed into my email box like a rushing mountain stream at first."
"Wow. How did you pick me out of all of that?”
"Sincerity. I narrowed the list down to about forty from gut instinct. Then I looked up information online about all of the rest of the candidates. You can usually find out a lot about young people on the Internet. You struck me as sincere and dedicated. I thought we could work well together."
I gazed up at him. "I'm not sure if I should ask this. Were you looking for someone for...well, this?" I reached up and touched my collar.
He shook his head. "Honestly, that didn’t occur to me. First and foremost, I needed help getting my office in shape, and I wanted to share my knowledge about writing and publishing with someone who might benefit from it.”
“So, why did it enter your mind about me?” I rubbed my thumb against the soft leather of the collar.
“The first tiny little thought in that direction happened in the airport. I was planning to experiment with the rope tying. That part is true, but I wasn’t thinking anything about you wearing a collar. That was not on my agenda."
I raised my head for a moment and then lay back down on his lap. "In the airport? What happened there?"
Sir stared off into the distance as the memory of our meeting came back to him. "Hmm. I think there were multiple reasons. You were handsome. I saw that you were attracted to me, and you were immediately deferent. I think that happened naturally. You probably weren’t aware of it. Many times in the past, I was curious about trying this kind of relationship. When I first hugged you, I wondered if you were the one."
I beamed up at him. “I’m glad you decided to try it with me.“
We stayed on the dock watching the jellyfish and the minnows and talking until the the sky grew too dark to see through the water, and the stars came out across the sky. Sir said it w
as time for bed. I dutifully completed my tasks while he retired to the bedroom. After I’d checked everything, I ran my fingers along the headrest of the barber chair remembering the flood of emotions when I received my haircut. I crawled into bed at Sir's side snuggling close and rested my head on his chest. He was already asleep.
"Damnit!" I tensed when I heard the exclamation from the office. Sir was reading emails that I’d saved up for him over the past week. Judging by the sender's addresses and subject lines, they were all about business or otherwise official matters. He yelled again. This time he was louder. “Those idiots!"
I quickly put away the lunch dishes I’d finished washing. Dropping the dish towel on the counter, I hurried to the office. Sir sat in front of his computer glaring at the screen and gnashing his teeth. "What's wrong?" He was so gentle most of the time. Yelling at the computer was something very unusual.
He growled. "It's a summons from the police."
"The police?" I immediately wondered if it was something related to the disappearance.
"I'm wanted for questioning about Rita."
"Oh, wow. Don't the police usually just show up at your door or something instead of sending email?"
He nodded. "Well, yes, that would be how it usually happens, or they call. I'm sure they don't have my cell phone number. One of my friends in Marathon has connections with the local police. Apparently, an official summons isn’t in place yet, but he said he knows that it's on the way. He suggests that I contact them before something blows up, and they show up with handcuffs..”
"Why have they waited so long? It was fifteen years ago."
He reached out and wrapped an arm around my waist. "Do you want the official reason? Or do you want the real reason?"
My Summer Page 9