“Seven.”
Simon leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his wide chest. “You should totally go, Finn. You’ve been mooning over this guy since you started work there.”
“I know, but...”
“But nothing. Give it a shot. It’s not like you can’t back out. At least find out about it. If your boss is really as crazy busy as you say he is, then he can’t want much from you, can he?”
I wasn’t exactly sure that was a bonus. If I was going to be in a relationship, then I wanted to know that I had Tamsin’s attention. I didn’t want to be just the convenient outlet when he had an itch to scratch. But imagining him touching me was enough to make me tremble with desire.
“See? You’re thinking about him right now with that goofy look on your face.”
“Okay. I’ll listen to what this Monsieur guy has to say. If I don’t like it, then I just leave and tell Tamsin that’s not going to work.”
Simon grinned. “There you go. Who knows, man, this might be a great chance to meet new people, see a side of life you’ve never seen before.”
I laughed. “You mean where people don’t eat ramen noodles?”
“Exactly.”
As I went upstairs to shower and put on the best clothes I owned, I kept wondering how things would change. Tamsin had already made time for me as just a regular employee when he really hadn’t needed to. Surely that was a sign that I would get more of his attention as his Consort.
I splurged and took an Uber downtown. The skyscraper that housed the Club wasn’t the tallest of all the buildings anymore, which seemed a sign to me that the Billionaire Club had been around for quite a while. My card was checked against my name before I was allowed onto the key-only access elevator. As it whisked me to the top of the building I was praying I wouldn’t puke or pee on myself. I wasn’t sure I had ever been quite this nervous.
My first sight of Monsieur did nothing to alleviate my fears. He could have stepped out of the pages of some men’s fashion magazine. Sure he was an older guy, but he was well-dressed with not a hair out of place. I swallowed weakly, beginning to think I had made a horrible mistake. But after being introduced, he went out of his way to make me feel at home as if I were the most important thing on his mind at the moment. That was cool.
“Tamsin speaks very highly of you, Finn. Come join me at one of the booths in the lounge. Would you like something to drink?”
I looked around the elegant room with its crystal chandeliers and oversized leather booths. Very few people were around at this hour. I wondered if it was because it was too early for a Friday night, or if there was another area of the Club that was as of now still off limits to me.
“I don’t really drink. Water would be fine.” I had seen firsthand the effects alcohol had on my mother and had no wish to emulate her.
Monsieur smiled. Stopping at the bar, he murmured something to the bartender before leading me to one of the booths. “Please, have a seat.”
The bartender poured water over ice for me, and then splashed a small measure of bourbon into a smaller squat glass for Monsieur. After bringing them to our table, he retreated once more behind the bar. Monsieur handed me my glass and tilted his in a toast.
“To what I hope will be a successful arrangement for you and Tamsin.”
I took a small sip. “Tamsin told me a little bit, but there is still so much I don’t understand.”
“How familiar are you with BDSM?”
I shrugged. “Not very. Just what I’ve seen in spoofs on TV. Guys with leather harnesses, whips, and handcuffs. Maybe some of that 50 Shades thing. I didn’t like that.” There was way too much of it that had reminded me of my mother. It had felt more like abuse.
Monsieur chuckled. “I won’t say that never occurs within our membership. However, at the heart of any dom-sub relationship is communication and consent. Above all, consent.”
I tilted my head. That didn’t seem to fit.
“Ah, I see you are doubtful, and that is fine. One should always question and seek to increase their understanding of the unfamiliar. What is it you would like to know?”
I took a deep breath. “If I commit to a relationship with Tamsin, is he going to beat me or demand I do things I don’t want to?”
“You and Tamsin will do only what you both agree to. As I said, communication is vital. Those lines must always be kept open. While a dom might ask certain things of you, as a sub you have the ultimate control to stop a scene at any point...and I do mean any...if you are uncomfortable. All it takes is using the safe word on which you’ve agreed.”
“So how is this different than any other relationship?”
Monsieur chuckled. “A good dom will challenge you, he will get to know you intimately enough to understand just how far he can push you, not to hurt you but to help you grow and gain confidence...sexually as well as emotionally. You are free within the relationship to try things you might not otherwise trust another person enough to try. For some, that might take the form of spanking, restraints, or role playing. It might be in public helping you to show self-discipline and obedience to his instruction. Again, you retain control in your ability to halt it all with the use of your safe word. You may establish more than one for different situations. That is something you will work out with Tamsin.”
A small shiver ran down my spine at the thought of being confined while Tamsin was free to touch me. Better yet, of earning his praise for doing something exactly as he wished it to be done. It sounded almost too good to be true. My experience with life warned me that if it sounded that way, there had to be a catch somewhere.
“So I could ask that we take this slowly?”
“In general, we ask that Patrons and Consorts agree to three dates without any sex while they work out how compatible they are. If something is a deal breaker for either party, then they are free to end the relationship.”
“It sounds so cold-blooded, so businesslike.”
Monsieur smiled. “There is safety for both parties. We ask that you agree to a nondisclosure agreement. You may never make any details of your relationship public, nor what occurs at any of the events at the Club.”
As he continued to outline the rules that would govern the relationship, and the necessary background and personality checks, my heart beat heavily, but it was with a slow burn of excitement.
“If you are interested in pursuing this, I would like you to join me for lunch on Monday. We can take care of the paperwork and administer the personality profile we use for all our potential Consorts. Is that agreeable to you?”
“Yes.” I sounded a little breathless, and I felt that way. Never in my life had I experienced anything like this. At the heart of my excitement was the knowledge that Tamsin wanted me.
A tour of the Club revealed there were private rooms running off two hallways. Monsieur did not offer to show them to me, simply explaining that they were outfitted to meet the needs of couples wishing to meet at the Club rather than out in public. He shook my hand and gave me a reassuring smile as we finished the tour and said he would see me Monday.
Before I knew it, I was back on the elevator and heading to the ground floor. Halfway down, the text alert on my phone pinged. I took it out. I frowned as I brought it up full screen and saw it was from my mother.