The Exhibitionist
Page 9
“I’m so proud of you. I know that was intense.”
I still had the gag on, so I couldn’t speak, but I nodded to show him I’d heard.
“I’m going to remove the gag now,” he said.
It fell away and I worked my jaw open and closed several times.
He wiped my mouth with a soft cloth. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, Master.” I couldn’t say much else because I felt I was still on sensory overload.
“I’m going to remove the blindfold.”
I closed my eyes, knowing even the dimly lit playroom would appear bright after I’d been in the darkness for so long. Even when the blindfold was removed, I kept my eyes closed for a minute. Then I slowly eased them open.
The first thing I did was look down at my body. I couldn’t help it. As I suspected, there were no cuts, only faint red lines that appeared to be fading quickly.
“Go ahead and look,” he said. “I don’t blame you at all.”
My mouth felt as if I’d eaten cotton for dinner, but I managed to get out “What was that, Master?”
His only reply was a chuckle. “Top-secret Dom tool.”
I turned in his arms. “I knew you wouldn’t cut me, Master.” And as I said the words out loud, their significance hit me.
He wouldn’t cut me emotionally, either.
Chapter Four
NATHANIEL
I arrived at my New York City office about three hours before my meeting with Charlene. I’d planned to get some work done while I waited, but I found myself unable to concentrate. My mind kept returning to the night before. I felt at a loss because I didn’t know how to break through and alleviate Abby’s suspicions about Charlene.
I gave up on working and walked over to the large picture window in my office. I watched the general flow of people on the street far below and decided I needed some air.
I’d always felt there was something to be said for allowing oneself to get lost in the city, to become one with the crush of people. The city was alive, and to mix in and become part of it was to feel that life seep into your soul and revive the sluggish parts.
For the next forty-five minutes I simply walked. The last time I’d gone for a pleasure walk in New York was in December when Abby and I had gone Christmas shopping. Now I walked by a few of Abby’s favorite shops, wishing she was with me. Before I knew it, I found myself going into a rare-book store that she loved.
Though my parents had been avid book collectors and had built the estate’s massive library, it wasn’t until I shared the space with Abby that I truly learned to appreciate it. We had added a few volumes to the collection over the years, but we were always looking for more.
The shopkeeper, Jeremiah, saw me and waved me over. He was an older gentleman with white hair and walked with a hunch. Perhaps from spending so much time bent over one of his beloved books.
“Mr. West,” he said with a grin when I made it to the worn wooden counter. “I was going to call your wife. I had a book come in earlier this week that I think she would like.”
I didn’t doubt him. Before we had kids, Abby and I would visit the shop on weekends and she would go through boxes of books with Jeremiah. I’d enjoyed simply standing nearby and watching her joy at new discoveries.
“What do you have?” I asked, peering over the counter.
“First-edition Lord Byron—1815 Hebrew Melodies.” He stated it with pride.
I looked over the well-kept volume. “An excellent find.”
He craned his neck to look over my shoulder. “Is Mrs. West with you this afternoon?”
“No, unfortunately, she’s at home. Had some work to catch up on.” I was already reaching for my credit card. “But this is just the thing for me to give her tomorrow since I have to stay in the city overnight.”
Jeremiah’s white head nodded as he rang me up and wrapped the book. I, meanwhile, was thinking back to a cold winter night. A night I’d entered the library to find Abby, who’d only been my sexual submissive at the time, combing through the poetry section. What followed was a game of quotes that ended with her naked in my lap and a moment of passion that forever changed me.
“Mr. West?” Jeremiah held the book up.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the package from him and promising to give Abby his regards.
I made my way back to the office and pulled out my notes for the upcoming meeting with Charlene. The trip to the bookstore had made me melancholy and I thought about driving home after we’d finished. Once there, I could take Abby back into the playroom for a different kind of scene from what I’d done last night.
But she had work she had to do, and even though she probably wouldn’t want to admit it, I was willing to bet she was looking forward to some alone time. With two kids, her job, and our playtime, she didn’t have much time that was hers alone. My fingers hovered above my phone and I thought about calling, but a sharp knock on my office door stopped me.
“Charlene,” I said, opening the door. “Thank you for meeting with me on a Saturday.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said, breezing past me. “I’m just glad we were able to work something out before I left town.”
I tried to imagine her from Abby’s perspective. Charlene was a lovely woman, with blond hair and blue eyes. I was sure other men would find her attractive, but she didn’t even compare to my Abby. I’d hired Charlene to run my late uncle’s nonprofit because my involvement had gotten unmanageable and I counted myself fortunate to have found her. She was a hard worker and had done more in a few months than I could have accomplished in a year.
I motioned to the couch near the large window and we sat down.
For the next few hours we went through the accounts and I signed all the papers she’d brought for me. When we finished, I leaned back in my seat.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked.
“You can do better than that,” she said, putting her documents inside her tote bag. “I’m free for dinner.”
“I better not.” It was certainly tempting, since I was otherwise eating alone and Charlene was a delightful conversationalist. Still, even though I knew nothing would ever happen between the two of us, there were several reasons it wasn’t a good decision to go out to dinner with her. For one, Abby wouldn’t like it and two, people would see us together.
I still had the gag on, so I couldn’t speak, but I nodded to show him I’d heard.
“I’m going to remove the gag now,” he said.
It fell away and I worked my jaw open and closed several times.
He wiped my mouth with a soft cloth. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, Master.” I couldn’t say much else because I felt I was still on sensory overload.
“I’m going to remove the blindfold.”
I closed my eyes, knowing even the dimly lit playroom would appear bright after I’d been in the darkness for so long. Even when the blindfold was removed, I kept my eyes closed for a minute. Then I slowly eased them open.
The first thing I did was look down at my body. I couldn’t help it. As I suspected, there were no cuts, only faint red lines that appeared to be fading quickly.
“Go ahead and look,” he said. “I don’t blame you at all.”
My mouth felt as if I’d eaten cotton for dinner, but I managed to get out “What was that, Master?”
His only reply was a chuckle. “Top-secret Dom tool.”
I turned in his arms. “I knew you wouldn’t cut me, Master.” And as I said the words out loud, their significance hit me.
He wouldn’t cut me emotionally, either.
Chapter Four
NATHANIEL
I arrived at my New York City office about three hours before my meeting with Charlene. I’d planned to get some work done while I waited, but I found myself unable to concentrate. My mind kept returning to the night before. I felt at a loss because I didn’t know how to break through and alleviate Abby’s suspicions about Charlene.
I gave up on working and walked over to the large picture window in my office. I watched the general flow of people on the street far below and decided I needed some air.
I’d always felt there was something to be said for allowing oneself to get lost in the city, to become one with the crush of people. The city was alive, and to mix in and become part of it was to feel that life seep into your soul and revive the sluggish parts.
For the next forty-five minutes I simply walked. The last time I’d gone for a pleasure walk in New York was in December when Abby and I had gone Christmas shopping. Now I walked by a few of Abby’s favorite shops, wishing she was with me. Before I knew it, I found myself going into a rare-book store that she loved.
Though my parents had been avid book collectors and had built the estate’s massive library, it wasn’t until I shared the space with Abby that I truly learned to appreciate it. We had added a few volumes to the collection over the years, but we were always looking for more.
The shopkeeper, Jeremiah, saw me and waved me over. He was an older gentleman with white hair and walked with a hunch. Perhaps from spending so much time bent over one of his beloved books.
“Mr. West,” he said with a grin when I made it to the worn wooden counter. “I was going to call your wife. I had a book come in earlier this week that I think she would like.”
I didn’t doubt him. Before we had kids, Abby and I would visit the shop on weekends and she would go through boxes of books with Jeremiah. I’d enjoyed simply standing nearby and watching her joy at new discoveries.
“What do you have?” I asked, peering over the counter.
“First-edition Lord Byron—1815 Hebrew Melodies.” He stated it with pride.
I looked over the well-kept volume. “An excellent find.”
He craned his neck to look over my shoulder. “Is Mrs. West with you this afternoon?”
“No, unfortunately, she’s at home. Had some work to catch up on.” I was already reaching for my credit card. “But this is just the thing for me to give her tomorrow since I have to stay in the city overnight.”
Jeremiah’s white head nodded as he rang me up and wrapped the book. I, meanwhile, was thinking back to a cold winter night. A night I’d entered the library to find Abby, who’d only been my sexual submissive at the time, combing through the poetry section. What followed was a game of quotes that ended with her naked in my lap and a moment of passion that forever changed me.
“Mr. West?” Jeremiah held the book up.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the package from him and promising to give Abby his regards.
I made my way back to the office and pulled out my notes for the upcoming meeting with Charlene. The trip to the bookstore had made me melancholy and I thought about driving home after we’d finished. Once there, I could take Abby back into the playroom for a different kind of scene from what I’d done last night.
But she had work she had to do, and even though she probably wouldn’t want to admit it, I was willing to bet she was looking forward to some alone time. With two kids, her job, and our playtime, she didn’t have much time that was hers alone. My fingers hovered above my phone and I thought about calling, but a sharp knock on my office door stopped me.
“Charlene,” I said, opening the door. “Thank you for meeting with me on a Saturday.”
“Don’t mention it,” she said, breezing past me. “I’m just glad we were able to work something out before I left town.”
I tried to imagine her from Abby’s perspective. Charlene was a lovely woman, with blond hair and blue eyes. I was sure other men would find her attractive, but she didn’t even compare to my Abby. I’d hired Charlene to run my late uncle’s nonprofit because my involvement had gotten unmanageable and I counted myself fortunate to have found her. She was a hard worker and had done more in a few months than I could have accomplished in a year.
I motioned to the couch near the large window and we sat down.
For the next few hours we went through the accounts and I signed all the papers she’d brought for me. When we finished, I leaned back in my seat.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked.
“You can do better than that,” she said, putting her documents inside her tote bag. “I’m free for dinner.”
“I better not.” It was certainly tempting, since I was otherwise eating alone and Charlene was a delightful conversationalist. Still, even though I knew nothing would ever happen between the two of us, there were several reasons it wasn’t a good decision to go out to dinner with her. For one, Abby wouldn’t like it and two, people would see us together.
