Kit was shocked. Romy was the last person on earth he’d have figured for being interested in this sort of stuff. Obviously, she wasn’t as wholesome as she appeared. And then another thought struck him. This was why she didn’t know who Thingummyjig’s father was! He remembered her telling him she had got pregnant at a party where everyone was wearing masks and she was blindfolded. Obviously little Whatsisface had been conceived at some kind of orgy and his father was just a nameless, faceless, gimp-masked stranger. He was flabbergasted. It was like discovering Snow White was on the game.
And then a thought occurred to him – was this why she wanted to talk about what happened at David’s party? Was she looking for someone she could try these things with? Did she want him to do this stuff … with her? God, poor Romy!
He jumped guiltily, snapping the book shut as he heard Romy coming back towards the kitchen. He started opening cupboard doors randomly.
‘Here we are!’ She faltered in the doorway, her eyes darting to the books and she blushed bright red.
‘I was just looking for some mugs,’ Kit said, hoping she hadn’t seen him looking at her books. She clearly hadn’t intended to leave them lying around, and he didn’t want to embarrass her.
‘Oh, I’ll get those. You sit down,’ she said, waving him to the table.
He sat with his back to her and heard cupboard doors opening and closing.
‘Here we go,’ she said. He turned to see her approaching the table with two mugs and a pot of coffee. He noticed the books had disappeared from the counter.
‘So here’s my idea for the house,’ she said, grabbing a folder from the counter and placing it on the table in front of Kit. He opened the folder while Romy poured them both coffee. He was impressed by how thorough and professional it was as he flicked through the pages. There were floor plans showing various proposed layouts with spreadsheets of the budget for each, as well as a detailed description of each proposal.
‘Wow, this looks great!’ he said as she sat down opposite him. ‘You’ve put a lot of thought into it.’
‘Well, it is what I do for a living. There’s no point in going into something like this half-cocked and just hoping for the best.’ She leaned over and flicked to one of the spreadsheets. ‘This is the absolute minimum we could bring it in at, realistically,’ she said, pointing to the total. ‘And at that, we’d have to do as much as we can ourselves.’
Kit ran his eyes down the column. He had no idea what
project managers normally earned, but the figure Romy had included for her own services seemed low to him. ‘Is this what you usually charge?’ he asked, pointing to the amount allocated for project management fees. ‘I thought it would be more.’
She smiled. ‘I’ve given you a discount. If you make way over the odds, you can give me a bonus if you like.’
‘I will.’
‘So what do you think? Could you manage that?’
‘Yeah, I could just about cover it. But do you think it will work?’
‘If we do a really high-end spec that would work as a country house hotel or something like that, yes. I’ve spoken to some estate agents and they think it has potential.’
She grabbed a thick envelope from the counter and pulled out a sheaf of glossy brochures. ‘These are some similar properties,’ she said, fanning the brochures out on the table in front of Kit. ‘Just to give you an idea of what the end result could look like.’
The houses were amazing, grand and palatial with majestic staircases and sumptuous decor, the majestic gardens boasting well-manicured lawns and mature trees. He couldn’t imagine his aunt’s house ever looking like this. But what really caught Kit’s eye was the price.
‘Seriously?’ he said, pointing to the figure. ‘We could get that much for it?’
‘Well, that’s just the asking price,’ Romy cautioned. ‘It might not sell for that. It might not sell at all.’
‘But it’s possible?’
‘Yes,’ she said with a smile. ‘It’s possible.’
‘Great! So when do we start?’
‘We really need to spend some time down there first to make more detailed plans, and decide exactly what way we want to go.’
‘Okay. When do you want to do that?’
‘The sooner the better.’
‘Well, I have Tank’s stag do next weekend.’
‘Oh yeah. Have you found out what it is yet?’
‘Yes.’ Kit sighed, looking morose. ‘It’s some kind of survival weekend bollocks. We get dropped out in the middle of nowhere, like we’re survivors of a plane crash. Then we have to build our own shelters and do orienteering to find our way home again. Brilliant fun, according to Wedgie.’
‘God, what happened to the simple days of just getting wasted?’
‘I know. So anyway, next weekend is out. And the following weekend there’s the wedding.’
‘Well, why don’t we wait until all that’s out of the way and then maybe we could spend a few days there, camp out in the gate lodge and really get a feel for the place. In the meantime, we can get the electricity reconnected and I’ll order a few skips and arrange for the chimney to be swept. That way we can get started right away on clearing the place out and getting the gate lodge into shape. It shouldn’t take much to make that liveable, and then it’ll be ready to move into as soon as work starts.’
‘Wait – move into? You’re planning to live down there? In the cottage?’
‘Oh yeah.’ Romy nodded. ‘You really need to live on-site to keep control of a project like this. It will be easier than driving up and down from Dublin all the time anyway. It will speed things up a lot.’
‘Okay,’ he said uncertainly.
‘You don’t sound too sure.’
‘No, it’s fine. I just hadn’t considered it, that’s all.’
‘It’s not just a matter of managing the project. This budget is really tight and you can’t afford to pay for anything you can possibly do yourself. We’re going to have to get stuck in.’
‘That’s fine,’ Kit said. He hadn’t considered living in the property, but now that he thought about it, he decided a move to the country was just what he needed. He’d be out of harm’s way in the middle of nowhere – no sleazy clubs and strangers’ apartments. He would work hard, breathe clean air and go to bed early. He could see himself now, clear-eyed and ruddy-faced in some sort of healthy rustic wood-chopping scenario. ‘Actually, it’s great,’ he said to Romy. ‘I was just thinking this morning that I needed to get some discipline back in my life.’
‘Discipline?’ Romy seemed surprised by his use of the word – he couldn’t blame her, considering the state he had turned up in this morning. He must look like he didn’t know the meaning of the word. ‘You had more … discipline in your life in New York?’ she asked.
‘Yeah, I did actually, believe it or not. I miss it.’
‘So, we’re on then?’ she asked, grinning excitedly.
‘We’re on,’ he said, holding out his hand. She grasped it and they shook.
‘This is the basic position the submissive usually adopts at the start of a session or whenever her master commands her to kneel,’ May said later as she knelt on Romy’s floor, while Lesley and Romy observed her from the sofa. To Romy’s relief, May had arrived dressed as if she was going to a yoga class, in loose-fitting drawstring trousers and a tight white T-shirt. ‘Sit back on your heels, legs wide apart, hands resting lightly on your legs, palms down,’ she said, as if she was talking them through a yoga posture. ‘The chin is slightly lowered and the eyes are down.’
Lesley took advantage of the fact that May’s eyes were lowered to smirk at Romy. Romy frowned back at her, anxious that May might catch Lesley and think they were making fun of her. Lesley wasn’t taking this seriously at all. Neither was she, of course, but at least she was pretending to. She had only just managed to persuade Lesley that it wouldn’t be appropriate to make popcorn for them to munch while they watched May do her demo.
‘You must only raise your eyes to your master if he tells you to. If he commands you to look at him, you do so at once without hesitation,’ she said, raising her eyes. ‘That goes for all his commands, of course. You obey him immediately and without question. Failure to do so will result in punishment.’
Romy nodded. She wondered if perhaps she should take notes just so she would look like a diligent pupil. She felt she needed to look extra engaged to make up for Lesley.
‘Only speak when you are spoken to directly or have been given permission to speak,’ May continued. ‘And you must always address your dom respectfully as “Sir” or “Master” unless he instructs you otherwise.’
‘Would you be naked in that position?’ Lesley asked, and Romy was surprised to see that she had managed to wipe all trace of humour from her face.
‘Usually the submissive will be required to strip. It’s a reminder of your status, apart from anything else. Or you might just be wearing your knickers, depending on what your master requires. But he’ll give you clear instructions about what he wants.’
‘What about the master?’ Lesley asked. ‘Would he be naked too?’
‘Again, that’s up to him. He might be fully dressed, or naked to the waist, depending on the scene and his personal preference.’
‘Huh! It’s all about what he wants, isn’t it? And he gets to use all these toys on you, but you don’t get to do anything to him? Seems like he has all the fun.’
‘In many ways, the submissive’s role is much easier than the dominant’s,’ May said. ‘The submissive surrenders herself completely to the dom – she hands over control of her body and her will. Her role is simply to follow orders, to do her best to please her master and place her trust in him completely. All decisions and worries are taken out of her hands. The dom, on the other hand, has a lot of responsibility. He chooses what activities they will engage in. He’s responsible for the welfare of the sub at all times. He must make sure that play is safe. He is responsible for taking care of all the sub’s needs – material, physical and sexual. He can never really relax during a scene because he has to stay in control at all times. He must be ready to stop play at any moment if the sub uses her safe word.’
‘Safe word?’
‘Yes, the sub has a safe word that she uses if an activity goes beyond what she can endure. If the safe word is used, play ceases immediately.’
‘And you don’t get punished for that?’ Lesley asked.
‘Absolutely not. Safe words are taken very seriously in the community, and must always be honoured. It shouldn’t be necessary to safe word, though. A good dom will be attuned to his sub’s responses and won’t push her beyond her limits.’
‘And what about the, er, dom? Does he have any starting position?’
‘Not really. It’s more of an attitude, a bearing. Why don’t you two girls try the submissive position and I’ll show you what I mean,’ May said, getting up from the floor.
Lesley and Romy looked at each other. Lesley shrugged and they both rose from the couch and knelt on the floor, adjusting themselves into the same position as May.
‘Very nice, Romy,’ May said, touching the top of Romy’s head. ‘Legs a little wider apart, Lesley. Good. Excellent, you two.’
Lesley and Romy looked at each other from under their lashes and exchanged a smile.
‘Observe my tone and manner,’ May said, pacing in front of them. Her voice had changed, becoming deep and stern. ‘Look up,’ she said, and they both lifted their heads. ‘My voice is firm and commanding. I have the demeanour of someone who expects to be obeyed. It’s not aggressive, it’s calm, assertive and controlled.’ She did look like someone not to be crossed, Romy thought. May seemed to have grown a couple of inches before her eyes, her shoulders back, her chin firm and unyielding. ‘When I give an order I expect it to be obeyed without question. If it isn’t, I won’t hesitate to administer the appropriate punishment.’ She stopped pacing and came to stand beside Romy. ‘I’m not cruel, but I am consistent and true to my word. Do you understand?’ she asked Romy, adding, ‘You may speak.’
‘Yes, Mistress,’ Romy answered, looking up at her.
‘Very good,’ May smiled. ‘Likewise, if my sub has pleased me, I will let him know. I’ll praise him, tell him he’s a good boy, perhaps pet him a little.’ She reached out and stroked Romy’s hair from the top of her head to her shoulders.
‘So it’s a bit like owning a dog?’ Lesley piped up, and Romy couldn’t suppress a giggle.
May sighed. ‘No, Lesley,’ she said, rolling her eyes in exasperation. ‘It’s nothing like owning a dog.’
‘Well, you give the sub collars and you train them, and they get treats for being obedient. And you give him a pat on the head and tell him he’s a good boy. Sounds like a dog to me.’
‘There’s nothing undignified about being a sub,’ May explained patiently. ‘There is great satisfaction to be had in serving a master. Or mistress.’
‘I’m sure Lassie felt the same,’ Lesley said.
‘If he has particularly pleased me,’ May continued, ignoring Lesley’s wisecracks, ‘I might reward him by engaging in one of his favourite activities.’
‘Like chasing a stick?’ Lesley said, collapsing in giggles.
Romy threw May an apologetic glance, but May didn’t seem unduly perturbed by Lesley’s mockery. They were actually very fond of each other, and May knew Lesley well enough by now to recognise that it was just friendly banter and that Lesley didn’t mean any harm by it.
‘Yes,’ May said, unable to suppress a smile and slipping out of her dom role, ‘if he gets off on chasing a stick, then I might throw one for him. But I think you’ll find most subs would prefer a blow job.’
‘Hey, I won’t be “finding” anything about what does or doesn’t get them off. Romy’s the one who’s going to be doing that.’
As the practical part of the lesson was clearly over, Lesley and Romy got up off the floor and sat on the sofa again.
‘Ah, yes. And you still don’t know if this chap is a dom or a sub?’ May asked Romy as she came to sit beside her.
‘No. I don’t even know if he’s either.’
‘Or he could be what we call a switch,’ May said. ‘Some people like to play both roles.’
‘I’d say he’s definitely a dom,’ Lesley said. ‘I can’t see Kit letting anyone boss him around like that.’
‘Kit!’ May exclaimed, seemingly delighted. ‘Is that who you’re doing this for?’
‘Well … like I say, I don’t even know if—’
‘I think Lesley’s right,’ May said. ‘I doubt Kit has a submissive bone in his body.’
‘I don’t think I do either,’ Romy said.
‘Well, you might surprise yourself. And you’d be rewarded with the most intense pleasure you’ve ever experienced.’
‘Well, thanks, May,’ Romy said. ‘That was really … an eye-opener.’
‘Any time, dear. Read those books I gave you, but don’t worry too much about taking everything in. If you’re with an experienced dom, he’ll take care of your training and teach you all you need to know. If he knows you’re new to this, a good dom will take it slowly.’
‘And what if she wants to be the mistress?’ Lesley asked. ‘The sub wouldn’t teach her, would he?’
‘That would be a little more complicated,’ May said. ‘There are lots of books on the subject. But the ideal would be to train with another dom. Perhaps you could get involved in the local scene and find an experienced dom who could show you the, er, ropes,’ she said with a little smile at the accidental pun. ‘You might be able to find some meet-ups or even play parties where you could learn from more experienced people. Anyway, I don’t think you need to worry about that,’ she said kindly. ‘I can definitely see Kit being a dom. He has a masterful way about him,’ she said dreamily. ‘There’s something very firm about the set of his mouth …’
‘Great! Well, thanks again, May. You’ve certainly giv
en me a lot to think about.’
‘Happy to help, Romy. And if you have any more questions, don’t hesitate to ask.’
‘Well, that has to be one of the weirdest afternoons I’ve ever spent,’ Romy said when the old lady had gone.
‘I thought it was very entertaining. And cheaper than the movies.’
Then Luke started to cry.
‘Oh, thanks a lot, Luke,’ Romy said as she went to get him, ‘you couldn’t have woken up a bit sooner and interrupted May’s little lesson?’ She lifted him out of his cot, holding him close and soothing him as she carried him back to the living room.
‘Want to stay and get a pizza or something?’ she asked Lesley.
‘Yeah, love to. You should see if they do one with Pedigree Chum.’
‘Shut up,’ Romy said over her shoulder as she went to the kitchen to get Luke a bottle, Lesley following behind.
‘Might as well get used to the taste,’ Lesley said.
Chapter Fourteen
The following Thursday night Romy was pacing the floor with Luke, trying to lull him to sleep. He was fractious and moany, and every time she thought he was dropping off, he startled awake and began crying again.
‘Maybe I shouldn’t go out after all,’ she said to Kit as he appeared in the doorway. ‘I can phone Lesley and cancel.’
‘She’ll be on her way by now. Give him to me,’ Kit said, holding out his arms for Luke. ‘You go and get ready and I’ll put him to bed.’
Romy looked at him uncertainly, but then handed Luke over. ‘Okay.’ She sighed. ‘But we don’t have to go out. We could stay here.’
‘Wait and see what he’s like when Lesley gets here,’ Kit said as he settled Luke against his chest, rubbing his back soothingly.
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