Layla

by Claire Marta

  Accepting mine I sigh at the contents. “As long as you don’t breath fire I think I might be able to handle it.”

  “That sounds like a challenge, nymph. You would do best not to tempt the beast. We’ll experiment some more. I enjoyed having you touch me. It’s not often we get to be touched by another person.

  “Now, we need to discuss your schedule more. You said you take classes? What days? And how many days of the week do you work?”

  “Mondays and Thursdays I have three hours of business classes. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays are four hours of cooking classes. With work, I’m at the club six days a week with Sundays off. I spend Sundays studying for business class, plus recreating what I learned in my cooking classes at home.”

  Thomas takes a bite of food at looks at my plate pointedly. Holding back a sigh I take a small bite of fruit.

  “What time are your classes? And when do you start work?”

  “Business class is from one until four. Cooking classes are from two and finish at six. Work starts at nine on the dot.” Rescuing a strawberry I pop it into my mouth the sweet flavor hitting my tongue.

  “And what time do you usually finish? I will admit, it’s not as bad as I initially thought, but I still don’t believe you take care of yourself as you should.” Thomas finishes his food and takes a drink of tea.

  Skipping the eggs, I butter a piece of toast. “Usually an hour or so after dawn. As the vampire staff have already left for the day, it’s down to me and the rest of the support staff to get things in order before we shut. By the time I get home, it's around five sometimes six. Then I’m up at eleven to get ready for my day.”

  “Eat the eggs, you need the protein. That is an order, nymph. That is where my concern lies. How many hours of sleep do you average per night?”

  Lifting a shoulder I shrug. “Five...sometimes four. If I want to fit everything in then I have to give up something. I’ve been functioning fine so far and I’ve been doing this routine for about a year now.”

  Thomas’s stare turns hard. “Functioning is not acceptable. I would suggest you talk to whoever makes the schedule and have them reduce your hours. I will not have an exhausted sub. It would be almost impossible to safely do a scene because I won’t be able to judge if you’re making good decisions or not.”

  Poking my unappealing eggs with the fork in my hand, I frown. “The classes are only at those times. The evening ones are out of the question because I work. Reducing my working hours means less pay and I just can’t afford that. I’m capable of making up my own mind about things so you don’t have to worry about that.”

  “But I do. You agreed to be my submissive, did you not? That means we will do scenes together. Have you watched any of my scenes? I am not a soft Dom. Even easy, simple scenes will be intense for you, since you are so new.

  “How am I to trust you to communicate with me, to safe word if you need to, if I know you are running on inadequate sleep and not eating healthy like you should.” He points at the eggs. “I will feed you like a child if you don’t do as you’re told.

  “I will be happy to supplement your missed income if need be. As it’s my job to take care of you.”

  My body tenses at the command in his voice. Some thread of rebellion has me flicking him a hostile look. “I don’t really like eggs. All my protein comes from fish which I eat plenty of and I wouldn’t be comfortable with you paying for me.”

  “Watch your tone. That’s the second time you’ve gotten defensive with me, girl. Next time you don’t like something speak up right away. I would have let you get away with it. Now, however, I expect you to clean that plate.

  “That is a discussion we will have if the need arises. I expect you to take care of yourself. If that means reduced hours and pay then I will do my part in taking care of you.” Thomas rests his arms on the table and looks at me expectantly.

  I don’t know how to feel about his revelation. This is not how I imagined having a Dom would go. Yes, I watch the scenes, see the relationships in the club. Having him order me about is a little annoying.

  Gazing at the food on my plate, my lips turn down in disgust. I can’t stand eggs. There’s something about them that just makes me nauseous.

  “I can’t...I’m sorry but there’s no way I’m putting this in my mouth and swallowing it.” I tell him abandoning my fork on the edge of my plate.

  “Very well,” he stands, “come with me.”

  I follow him with trepidation into the house. Thomas leads me into the sitting room and says, “go stand in the corner. With your hostile tone, omission of your likes and dislikes, and your disobedience, I think twenty minutes will suffice.”

  He makes it sound like I’m a misbehaving school girl. Obeying, I halt in the spot he’s indicated, my eyes on the white wall. Thomas is watching me. The weight of his irritation is heavy between my shoulder blades.

  I shift my weight from foot to foot as time goes on. What kind of punishment is this? Is he trying to bore me to death?

  “Stop moving. I will add another minute for every fidget.”

  Rolling my eyes, I try to stop myself from moving. Time seems to drag. Quelling the urge to stretch my neck from side to side I wish I could see a clock. This has to be more than twenty minutes.

  “Time’s up. Come sit with me.”

  My body sags with relief. Moving away from the corner I find Thomas on the sofa, he looks relaxed and calm. Nothing like the irritated Dom from outside.

  Gingerly I sit next to him.

  “Once a punishment is over, all will be forgiven. We will talk about what transpired, but we will hold no grudges against each other, understood?”

  “Yes, Master.” I wonder if it’s really that simple.

  “Good. Do you know why you were punished?”

  “Because you expressed concern over my lack of sleeping hours and I was rude in response. I also refused to eat my eggs when you asked me to.” I reply softly.

  “Very good. You were also punished for not telling me you disliked eggs at the beginning of the meal. Which lead me to believe you were just being a brat. That will not fly, Layla. You agreed to be honest. I expect that with everything. Understand?”

  My stomach tightens at his word. “Yes, Master, I understand.”

  “Excellent. What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

  “It’s Friday. I have four hours of cooking, I was supposed to work tonight, but I guess I’ll just go home after.” At that thought, I wonder what time it is.

  I have to shop for the ingredients on the menus the teachers provided for this week's sessions. Race back to my apartment, feed my fish, and get my backpack with all my notes.

  “Yes, we both have the night off. I have a scene on the main stage tomorrow night, if you get the chance, I suggest you watch. It might be something that interests you. Carol washed your clothes, you’ll find them in my bedroom. I’ll give you the night to think over what transpired over the last day. I want you to return tomorrow morning, we’ll have breakfast together again. Tomorrow night I want you to sleep here again, so plan accordingly.”

  Another night in his bed. The start of my training as his sub? Excitement and anxiety play a game of tug of war inside me. This is everything I’ve dreamed about yet I can’t stop myself from being afraid of what will come.

  Thomas

  After the morning spent with Layla, I spend the rest of the day getting in the right headspace for my scene tonight. When it comes to the bigger scenes, the ones that will be viewed by almost everyone in the club, I need more than just a handful of hours to prepare. Not just my gear, but mentally and emotionally as well.

  This is a scene that won’t lead to sex since it’s with a man and I don’t fuck men, but it will still be intimate, and charged. Probably the most intimate scene I’ve done since I started working at the club.

  I arrive at the club early, Layla isn’t here yet. I don’t know if I’ll see her tonight. I told her to watch the scene, but I don�
�t know if she’ll be brave enough to.

  I store my bag in the employee room and wander out to the main floor. Eli is behind the bar, getting ready for the long night, talking to a man who sits on one of the stools.

  They both look up when I approach.

  “Thomas, this is Callum, my boyfriend.” Eli smiles at me. His dark hair is falling into his sky blue eyes. Eyes that are sparkling, I can feel the anticipation of our scene buzzing off of him.

  “Pleasure to meet you.” I hold my hand out to the man.

  “Same. I don’t know how much you know about our relationship, but I would like to talk with you before anything happens.”

  “I don’t know much, honestly. And I can respect your caution. I would be the same.”

  Callum nods and I take a seat a stool over from him.

  “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “No, thank you.”

  Eli nods and goes back to prepping, though I’m sure he has one ear on our conversation.

  The club doesn’t open for another two and a half hours, but there are people who are tasked with getting the final preparations ready. None of them come near the bar though, and it’s easy to tune them out.

  “So, as you probably figured out, or guessed at, Eli and I are both switches. Our relationship works for us like any other, but there are days when we need something the other can’t give or isn’t in the right mindset to. Therefore we’re always open to playing with others. So long as the other person is allowed to witness the scene. It’s not a jealousy thing or anything like that. We hashed out those feelings years ago. It’s more of a safety thing for us. Gives us a peace of mind, instead of fretting over what could be going on.”

  “I understand that. I have to ask, do you have any limits? Anything you wouldn’t be comfortable with me doing to him?”

  “No. Eli’s already told me you’re not into men, so I know I don’t have to warn you about penetrative sex or kissing. Those are our only two limits. Everything else is fair game.”

  “Excellent.”

  I turn to Eli, “how do you feel about sounds?”

  His eyes go wide and he smiles. “I love them.”

  “Perfect. We went over your limits the other day, but you didn’t tell me your safe word.”

  “I don’t have one,” he confesses. “I prefer the stoplight system.”

  “Okay. If that’s all then I’ll see you in a bit.” I stand.

  “Thank you, Master Thomas. It’s been a while since I’ve done a scene here. I’m excited for it.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I can’t wait to make you fly.”

  ***

  Dressed in tight jeans and a leather vest, I step onto the stage Eli is already there, dressed in nothing but a tight pair of briefs like I instructed.

  My bag with all of my toys already sits on the stage, ready to be used. “Good evening, Eli.”

  “Good evening, sir.”

  Eli keeps his eyes on the stage, his posture is perfect, but I expected nothing less. I tune out the murmurs of the crowd, the noise from the bar, it’s just Eli and I in our own little bubble.

  “Please rise.” He does so gracefully.Which doesn’t surprise me. I still don’t know what he is, but I can feel the magic under his skin. Magic-born are always elegant.

  “Stip.” That one word rings out through the room.

  Conversations get hushed, bodies shift closer, it’s rare that anyone gets fully naked on the main floor, but for what I have planned it is a necessity.

  Eli removes his briefs, folds them neatly and sets them out of the way. He then gets into the proper position with his feet shoulder-width apart, head bowed, and hands clasped at the small of his back.

  I circle him, tracing a finger along his skin. He shivers at the contact. “Perfect,” I mutter.

  Stopping in front of him I lift his chin with my finger. “What are your safe words?”

  “Green, yellow, and red, sir.”

  “Let’s begin.” I go over to my bag and unzip it. Grabbing what I need I make my way back to Eli. “I’m going to cage you.”

  I grab his cock and fit the steel cage over it and then his balls. “Where are you?”

  “Green, sir.”

  I nod before grabbing the special attachment in one hand and his soft cock in the other. Crouching so I have a good view of what I’m doing I slowly insert the sound into his dick. Sounds are intimidating to most people, sticking something up your dick doesn’t sound like a good time right off the bat. But the pain, the pressure—if done right—can lead to an explosive orgasm.

  Eli hisses but I’m able to insert the sound all of the way without a problem. The steel plug gleams under the stage lights, surrounded by the red flesh of his head.

  I slip the lock into the cage and pocket the key.

  “Where are you?”

  “Green, sir.” There’s a waver to his voice and his body trembles, but his eyes are shining with want.

  I head back to my bag and grab two more items. “I’m going to gag you now. If at any time you need to safe word ring this bell.” I place the small bell in his left hand and he clenches it tightly.

  I bring the ball gag up for him to see and he sucks in a breath. This isn’t any ordinary gag. Dangling from it are nipple clamps.

  I quickly pinch his nipples to hardness and then clamp them before inserting the gag into his mouth.

  By now there is no noise from the partons. The audience is enraptured, waiting to see what I am about to do.

  Most of my onstage scenes have been impact play, they’re anticipating something similar. I can taste their curiosity in the air.

  Going back to my bag I bring it closer to where Eli is standing. It would be foolish and tiresome to keep going back and forth.

  I pull out the first piece of jute. I spent years, not only studying this art form, but cutting, arranging and maneuvering the pieces of rope so they are malleable and do what I ask of them.

  I begin by looping the rope around Eli’s upper arms. I take my time, making sure each knot is perfect, make sure nothing is pinching or chaffing his delicate skin.

  Shibari is an art. It’s not just mere bondage. The different knots make beautiful patterns, not just in the rope themselves, but if done right, a slight impression in the skin that won’t injure the subject, but make them feel it for a day or so afterward.

  It’s just me and Eli in our little bubble as I tie a series of Cat’s paw knots down his chest. While visibly appealing, they don’t bear any of his weight. I keep those to the back and shoulders.

  Eli lest out a muffled gasp and I tug on a piece of rope and it pulls on his trapped arms. His eyes are glassy and there’s a blissed look on his face. He hasn’t reached subspace yet, but that isn’t the goal for tonight. Occasionally I’ll tug on his head, making the clamps pull on his nipples. Or I’ll flick the head of his cock, pushing the sound in a fraction deeper.

  By the time I’m finished with Eli his upper body is completely bound. The tip of his cock and his nipples are read from my torture, and there’s a buzz running through me from creating another masterpiece. How I missed this feeling. Dom-space is invigorating, it makes my blood buzz and my mind feels both clear and foggy at the same time.

  Gently I guide Eli over to the stairs, keeping a firm hand on him in case he stumbles since he has no use of his arms. Callum is waiting off the side of the stage and embraces his boyfriend. “Let me know if you two need anything.”

  Callum nods. “Thank you. He’s going to be feeling this for days. It won’t take much to push him over the edge.”

  I nod my agreement. Even though the scene seemed mild, it was a lot of stimulation, from the jute caressing his skin, to the pain from the clamps, and sound. “Just leave my gear in the employee room, I’ll collect it at a later date.” I hand the key to the cage over.

  Callum nods and disappears with Eli. Normally I would stay with a sub and either push them into subspace or slowly bring them back down, but Callum kno
ws Eli the best, I trust that he’ll be safe with him.

  I head to the bar for some water, knowing I need to stay hydrated. I’m running on the edges of my high right now, but I know that Top drop is a real thing, and it’s been a while since I experienced it. I need to stay focused just in case I descend into it.

  The bartender slides a bottle of water in my direction. I take it with a grateful smile and take a seat on an empty stool. Letting the last waves of the Dom-space roll over me.

  Layla

  From my discreet spot on the other side of the room I observe Thomas as he sits quietly. I’d watched his scene. Seen the look of rapture on Eli’s expression. The ropes had been tightly woven around his upper body, keeping him trapped, but he hadn’t fought it. Relaxed, he followed Thomas’s directions.

  I’ve always wanted to experience Shibari. Felt a twinge of jealousy when I’d seen subs tied up by their Masters. It had been even hotter this time because it had been Eli. Watching Thomas’s hands moving over my friend's body had sent an innocent, needy thrum through my core.

  I need to ask him about all the kink he’s into. What he plans to do to me when we begin my training. The thought of him using his ropes on me has a shiver of anticipation sending goosebumps over my skin.

  I’m still irritated that he wants to take over my life outside the club. Keeping them separate is something I’ve always imagined doing if I was ever brave enough to become a submissive. It’s one thing obeying in this environment but different when it impacts on my outside life. I can understand Thomas’s concern. Lack of sleep isn’t the best thing for anyone but I’ve been doing it for over a year now. If I want to survive work is essential.

  Money makes the world go round and if I want to stay on land then I need to do it.

  Realizing I’ve been staring a little too long I return to my tasks. I’m still on clean up duty and some of the private rooms need tending to. My punishment for not telling Adam about Enrico. At least I don’t have to worry about the tiger anymore. Being on a ban he won’t be able to step foot in the club until it’s lifted.