“How’d it go at Daniel and Julie’s today?” she asked, breaking the silence.
“Good. Sasha was there. And Cole. With a woman.”
“Oh?”
I shrugged. “I didn’t meet her; they were going to the guesthouse.” I tapped her shoulder. “Come sit up here for a minute.”
She rose gracefully and curled up on the couch beside me. I wrapped my arm around her and inhaled deeply, smelling her hair.
“I did want to talk to you about something Daniel brought up.”
She looked up, expectantly.
“There’s a tri-state BDSM chapter starting up and they’re looking for couples to do a few demos.” I didn’t miss her look of excitement at the word “demo.” “It seems like you’re craving exhibitionism, and I thought this might be a good way to meet that need.”
“I have been fantasizing about playing in public a lot lately. I don’t know why.”
“Whatever reason there is, if it’s something you need right now, I want you to have it.”
“I don’t know if it’s a need or just a recurring fantasy.”
I ran my knuckles over her cheekbones. “Do you want to do the demos, regardless of why you’re fantasizing about it?”
“Yes.”
“Then we’ll do it.” I twisted a piece of loose hair around my fingers. “I’ll call the organizers tomorrow and get more information.”
“Do you know what they want us to demo?”
“Daniel said bullwhip was one. That’s why they called him first.”
Her excitement dwindled a bit at the mention of the bullwhip. “You’ve never used one on me.”
“True, but I have one and I know how to use it. I’ll just need some practice before I use it on you.” I tilted my head. “Does that make you not want to do the demo?”
“Oh no. I’m still very interested.”
“Even with the bullwhip?”
She leaned in for a kiss. “I trust you completely.”
That was what sometimes scared me. Not that she trusted me not to hurt her, but that she trusted me to fulfill all her desires and fantasies.
What if I failed?
I’d always enjoyed play parties. The way they vibrated with the sometimes subtle, sometimes blatant undercurrent of the power exchange we were all a part of. And I’d never stop enjoying the diversity of the participants. In one room you could happen across a Dom with two male submissives, and in another find a submissive being led by a leash. And there were those who looked as if they just finished shopping with the girls or had come straight from work.
Tonight, Abby and I were only observing to see if we noticed anything happening that was a concern. There were fewer people present than there had been at previous parties we’d attended with the group. Space wasn’t an issue, though. Daniel’s house was more than sufficient for the people in attendance. He and Julie weren’t doing a demo tonight, but when we arrived, he’d had her pressed against a wall, holding her hands above her head and saying something that had her eyes heavy with desire.
Jeff stood off by himself, watching Dena. The vivacious blonde was in the middle of a group of three women who’d come expressing interest in the lifestyle. She spoke animatedly, but with a smile and a demeanor that left the women looking calm and at ease. Not always an easy thing to do.
“You’re a lucky man,” I said to Jeff.
He smiled. “That I am. She’s something else.”
One of the women pointed to Dena’s collar, causing her to look over her shoulder to where we were. Jeff waved.
“Baby doing well?” I asked. At Abby’s request, I’d called him a few days ago and casually brought up playing during pregnancy.
“Yes,” he replied. “And thank you for the talk the other day. I spoke with Dena and we’re going to try a few things. I’m still nervous, but I feel better. And it made me realize that I was being unfair not only to her, but to our relationship as well.”
We stood quietly for a few minutes. Master Greene hurried past us with a brief “hello” and wave. He was the acting Dungeon Monitor and obviously on his way down to Daniel’s playroom. Several people followed in his wake. I thought again that the responsibility was too much for one person.
I scanned the room, looking for Abby, and found her at the living room’s entryway. We’d arrived together, but decided to split up for the first thirty minutes to observe separately. At her side was Sasha, looking paler than she had appeared days before. Papers were clutched in her hand.
“I hope it wasn’t a mistake letting her come tonight,” I said, inclining my head toward the pair.
“I wish you could have seen her before,” Jeff said. “She was always so full of life and, from what I’ve heard from those who played with her, borderline insolent.”
She certainly didn’t look insolent now. Her eyes were wide and she was nodding at whatever Abby was saying. Abby caught sight of me and, at the tilt of my head, crossed the room in our direction with Sasha following.
I slipped my hand up to the back of Abby’s neck when she made it to my side, fingering her collar. “Sasha, it’s good to see you.”
“Thank you, Master West.” She held out a wrinkled paper. “I filled out my checklist like you asked.”
I took the paper. “Very good. I’ll make sure it’s entered into the system.” Abby and I had talked when I got home from Daniel’s the day before and she’d suggested the idea of loading group member information into an electronic database. She’d mentioned it might be a good way to pair up unattached members based on interest. I wasn’t sure we wanted to do anything electronically, but she brought up listing everyone by a number instead of putting personal information in the computer. I told her I’d think about it. I did like the idea of matching people up.
Looking at Sasha at that moment, I found it hard to believe she’d want to be matched up any time soon. Just as well. Since tonight was her first party in a long time, it was best she took things slowly. Once she had a few meetings and parties under her belt, maybe we’d think about pairing her with a Dom, if that was what she wanted.
Jeff looked at his watch. “Cole’s demo is starting in about five minutes. Dena and I aren’t going to watch, but you and Abby might want to.”