Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 137135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137135 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 686(@200wpm)___ 549(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
But soon, he answers the questions I would’ve asked anyway, as if I voiced them after all.
“You might find it odd to be meeting this way. I’m sorry to disappoint my little serial-killer enthusiast, but I won’t be kidnapping you… tonight, at least.” I can hear the teasing in his tone, but all I can do is nod. “But I’d like you to know this is one of my sanctuaries. It’s a place I can be my true self and completely at ease. You yourself have to be weary of the type of person you might be confronted with when meeting someone new face-to-face for the first time. In the vanilla world, a woman has to be extremely careful when she meets up with a man she doesn’t know in person. As a submissive, you have to be even more cautious that the man claiming to be a Dominant truly is a member of the community. And on top of that, you have to pray he actually knows what he’s doing,” he says, and the more he speaks, the more relaxed I feel.
Just the fact that he’s telling me all this, that he’s aware of why I’m nervous aside from it being specifically him, makes me feel better.
“You’ve told me before how much you enjoy writing from the hero’s point of view, so here’s something for your books you may not have considered. A Dominant has to be just as cautious, if not more, when meeting a new submissive. Speaking specifically of a male Dominant and a female submissive, we too have to worry about our own safety, because a woman can be just as dangerous as a man. And just like a man, they can not only be physically dangerous, but in many other ways too. It’s why I don’t allow anyone to know where I live.” He pauses, already knowing me well enough to give me a moment to process what he’s saying. When I nod again, still looking down, he continues.
“But we Doms also have to worry about the sub herself, her state of mind, any triggers she might have. We can’t just jump in 100 percent and be who we are as a Dominant. That would be irresponsible and not at all what a true Dom should be, how a true Dom should act. It is a Dominant’s job, first and foremost, to keep a submissive safe. Everything else is just a bonus. Which is why I created this safe space, this sanctuary, for me and for my sub.”
I take a quick peek around, even though it’s dark, and I notice little things he could be talking about. Small, different-shaped pillows, a box of tissues, a stack of neatly folded towels, a soft-looking blanket… things that could easily be in one’s vehicle as a just-in-case.
“It’s not lost on me that meeting up and climbing into the back of a truck could feel not only scary but also cheap. It could feel trashy. I’ve even been told it made her feel like a prostitute, just asking her to get into my car. But it soon becomes a haven for a submissive. Not only my truck, but anywhere a sub might serve their Dom. It’s all about association. If a certain spot on the map is where only pleasure is given and received, then it automatically fills a person with positive feelings. It becomes their ‘happy place.’ And even those who admitted feeling negatively about serving me in what I like to think of as a mobile playroom but others might view as a fuckpad on wheels… they started choosing to meet in my vehicle, even when other options became available.”
In the past, a man speaking of former girlfriends and relationships would’ve sparked my jealousy. It’s an unfortunate character flaw I’ve never had any sort of control over. But for some reason, it’s not like that with him. It’s actually reassuring he’s done this what I assume are many times before. It means he’s experienced and more likely knows what he’s doing. He’s speaking and teaching from experience and not just from what he’s read or heard. This is a huge weight off my shoulders.
I was Art’s first submissive, and it was a lot of trial and error that was absolutely exhausting at times. Once we felt we had a handle on it, that’s when we really started diving into the community. I met Vi, who eventually introduced us to Doc and Club Alias, and it was there we got a formal education on Bondage, Discipline, Dominance and Submission, and Sadism and Masochism. It’s such a relief to know this man isn’t an amateur and seems as if he’s had that same formal education of his own.
It makes me wonder if he’s a member of the club.
Surely, he’d somehow know about Club Alias if he’s devout enough to the lifestyle that he has a fancy “mobile playroom” as he called it. While the club feels like an exclusive and secret society on the inside, as if no one knows anything unless you’re a member, there’s no way to keep rumors from spreading. Sure, it has an unmarked door, no sign in glowing neon lights screaming BDSM CLUB right in the middle of our little town square. If anyone shows up, thinking they’re going to check out what they believe is just a nightclub, they’d never be able to see what’s really going on, because it’s on the second level of the building.