In the Middle (18 page)

Rob nodded and sat back in his chair. “Tell me about you and Louise, Daniel. A lot has happened I suspect. Is it a 24-7 relationship? Are you living together?”

“Not exactly 24-7. I think she described it best—she’s in charge in the bedroom, and she decides when we’re in the bedroom. And yes, we’re living together.”

“And you want to keep it that way?”

“Yes.”

“But you think a night with me would quell her itch. The problem is this, and I think you’ll understand this too: I’m in love with her. A night, one night, would be fun in some ways, but also painful, possibly for both her and me. I guess I’d like to think so. Certainly for me. So here I was, trying to forget, and you walk in here and rub salt in the wound.”

Daniel smiled. “I don’t mind it being painful for you.”

Rob laughed. “That’s frank enough. Awesome. You know, in another world, in other circumstances, I think you’d make a good drinking buddy.”

Daniel shrugged. “I’m not saying for one night. Whatever she needs.”

“But you expect me to settle for half of her. I don’t think I work that way.”

“No, actually, I don’t expect you to settle for half of her.” Daniel’s eyes narrowed, watching Rob carefully for his reactions. “You say you love her? I expect you to love all of her, as I do, the parts that fit for you and the parts that don’t. That’s what love is, submissive, Dominant, I don’t care. Not wanting half or just one side. The whole Louise. Submissive
and
Domme.”

Rob’s jaw moved, but he kept meeting Daniel’s gaze. For a moment, the two men stared at each other. Then Rob smiled. “Maybe we wouldn’t make good drinking buddies. You’d argue me into picking up the tab, and it’d work too. You’re right. If you love someone, you take the whole person. I’m used to setting up the rules for my relationships, and I doubt that will change, but—hell, and I’m not submitting to her, either. There’s only one way to make that all work, isn’t there?”

“Yeah, pretty much. But just in case we’re the slightest bit unclear over this, I am not submitting to you by proxy.”

Rob laughed. “Yeah, I can’t see that happening. But it probably would be good if we stopped thinking about throwing a punch every time we see each other too.”

“Not just me, huh?” Daniel grinned.

“Yeah. Not just you.”

Daniel didn’t want to like the man. But he did.
We might be different in some ways, but we aren’t different in every way
. He could imagine Louise’s reaction if they ended up in a real knock-down, drag-out fight. She’d probably cut them both off. “Maybe we
should
talk about this over a beer, then. If you can be spared. I passed an Irish place on the way here. It looked more like a restaurant than a pub, but I’m sure they serve beer.”

Rob nodded. “I
think
the place can survive Sid being in charge for half an hour. And yeah, if you mean O’Leary’s, they have a fine selection of beers on tap.”

Chapter Nine

“So where are we going?” Louise asked. Daniel had been acting awfully mysterious about the evening. They were probably going someplace nice, since he’d sprung for her hair and nails to be done at the salon. She’d gotten a massage too, and while it was nice enough, she had a better masseur at home.

“That’s a secret, Mistress.” Daniel’s eyes twinkled. “It’s someplace I’ve been told you like, however.”

She bit her lip. That made it more of a mystery. Told by whom? It was most unlike Daniel, who was usually happy to have her set the agenda. In fact, she had a plan ready that involved going to a movie followed by some kink at home. If Daniel had figured out something to do instead, she suspected she’d like it. She hadn’t minded being pampered at the salon one bit. “It’s unlike you, Daniel, to keep secrets from me. Are you sure you wouldn’t like to give your mistress a hint?” She tried to sound threatening, but threatening a six-feet-three man, even when she was wearing heels that made up some of the height difference, was something that worked only when he felt like being threatened.

“I’m sure. Besides, you’ll figure it out all too soon. Unless you’d like to put a blindfold on. I believe the one you sometimes put on me is in your bag.” He turned onto the George Washington Parkway and headed north.

The suggestion made her think of Rob. Rob would put a blindfold on her, and he wouldn’t ask her if she felt like it. She had no intention of wearing one, but it was interesting how an order could change what was sexy. She felt as safe with Daniel driving as with Rob in charge, so it wasn’t fear of the unknown that stopped her. Still, in her dynamic with Rob, it worked; with Daniel it didn’t. She reflected on that but didn’t resolve it. That was part of what she felt sometimes, when she started wanting what she couldn’t have. It wasn’t just being submissive; it was how it opened the door to a whole number of activities. She could put a blindfold on herself or nipple clamps. She could order Daniel to tie her up. But it wasn’t the actions themselves. It was how they went together with the flow of power between the two people doing them.

She sat back. This was her and Daniel’s time. She was going to enjoy it, and she was going to make sure he enjoyed it too. She watched the green trees glide by. They’d had dinner already, at a lovely little hole-in-the-wall Mexican place where the food was authentic and delicious, and remarkably cheap. Not the sort of place most people would expect Daniel to know about, but he did.
Maybe we’re going dancing. There’s a place that does contra dancing up the river a ways, but I’ve never been, so Daniel could hardly have heard I liked it
. When he turned off the parkway onto a side road, that eliminated that too. In fact, the only place she ever remembered going to in the part of northern Virginia he was heading for was the Velvet Mansion, and Daniel wouldn’t know about that.

Would he?
Daniel had lots of connections.
But not those kind of connections, and besides, he was a novice to BDSM until I brought it up a month or two ago. We can’t be going there.

She doubted there were any businesses down these roads, only the houses of rich people who valued their privacy and had a few million to spend on a house. The nice thing about the house Daniel had bought in Adams-Morgan was that it was so close to shopping and eating and nightlife. They could walk to several nice places for a date if they felt like leaving the car home. And it was more than big enough for her and Daniel, maybe too big, even if houses like the Velvet Mansion dwarfed it.

Of course, if one's goal was hosting huge fetish and bondage events, it wouldn’t do. She didn’t see herself doing that. Although she wouldn’t mind having a small party over sometime where she could show off her slave. She might even invite a couple of her girlfriends, if they seemed comfortable with it. Kathy might be interested. She thought Daniel might enjoy that.

Two turns later, she knew that if they weren’t going to the Velvet Mansion, it would have to be an incredible coincidence. But the only person who knew she had enjoyed herself there was Rob. Her eyes narrowed. “You’ve been talking to Rob?” she asked Daniel.

Daniel didn’t answer.

“Daniel!” she said, warning in her voice.

“We’re not in the bedroom, love, by any reasonable definition.”

She leaned back and scowled.
Fine. If that’s how you’re going to be
. She thought briefly about rubbing his cock, which might skew his definitions, but sex while driving didn’t strike her as safe or sane, and they would both know she was only doing it to make him answer her question. He showed some ID at the gate and continued down the drive to the parking area.

“Have you ever been here before?” she asked him when he came around to get the door for her. She took his offered hand as assistance as she got out of the car. It was nice to be spoiled.

“No, I haven’t,” Daniel admitted.

“Well, just so you know, inside that house it’s
in the bedroom
, the whole darn place. I will be in complete command of you if we go in through those doors.” She remembered what Rob had done to her in full sight of everyone and suppressed a shudder. Good times, but she didn’t want to repeat them with Daniel. Then she grinned. This time she was in charge. And she could do whatever she wanted with him.

“Yes, Mistress, I understand.”

“You know, I would have worn something sexier if you’d let me know what was up.” She was wearing a long brown skirt, an old favorite, and a very modest cashmere sweater. She was going to be out of place.

He nodded and mounted the steps with her holding his elbow. Ever the gentleman, he was. “I believe that suitable attire will be provided, Mistress.” With that, he opened the door for her.

He’d waited, she was sure, until that moment to answer her question. “You know, Daniel, I’ve been here, and you haven’t, and I don’t think anyone there is going to provide me with suitable attire. You, however, I can just strip naked.” She walked in. She hoped he was gaping at her, but she didn’t turn around to look.

There, as expected, was Ethan. It was a warm day, so she didn’t have a coat to check, but that was okay; Daniel could give him his clothes. Hopefully he was ready for what was to come, because so far, everything they had done was in private. Her mind raced with ideas. She grinned. “Hey, Ethan.”

Ethan smiled. “Good evening, Miss Louise. Good to see you again. I have a package for you.” He stood up, walked into the closet behind him, and brought out a box. It was wrapped with black wrapping paper and tied with a red bow.

So that’s what Daniel meant by clothing would be provided. He’d made arrangements. But how did Daniel even get on the guest list?

“There’s a ladies room just down the hall on the left, ma’am, if you’d like to change there.”

“Daniel, strip and give the young man your clothes. I don’t think slaves get to tell me what to wear,” she said crossly and then quickly added, “Oh, I don’t mean you, Ethan.”

“Well I certainly hope you didn’t mean me,” said a voice behind her.

She whirled. There was Rob, leaning against the wall at the one spot she wouldn’t see after coming through the doors. He wore a white open-necked shirt that belonged on a pirate, black leather pants, black leather boots, and a smirk.

“Rob!” She had to control herself to avoid shouting it.

He smiled. “Lulu. Go and change like a good girl. I think you’ll find the clothes within strike an interesting balance between Dominance and submission.”

She froze.
I’m here as Daniel’s mistress
. She looked at Daniel for permission, which seemed completely contrary to being his domme and yet perfectly right as his lover. He nodded. His consent, combined with the fact that he was taking his clothes off as directed, made her heart race.

“I’ll be right back.”

She ran down the hall. Rob, here, giving her directions again. With Daniel’s obvious approval. She didn’t know how it was all going to work, but maybe Rob did. Or Daniel. Or both.

My men. Good God, every woman in this place is going to want to claw my eyes out.

She expected a simple bathroom, but very little in the Velvet Mansion was simple. The room was huge, consisting of a dressing room with a more conventional bathroom through a second, currently open, door. An older, mostly naked woman was checking herself in the mirror and fixing her lipstick. She wore only a golden thong and gold pasties. Or at least Louise thought they were pasties, but when she got closer, she saw they were of solid and inflexible metal. Held on by a piercing perhaps, or clamps.
I hope I look that good naked when I’m older.

She set the package down on the counter and pulled at the bow.

“Dom left you something to wear?” asked the woman. Louise looked up, surprised.

“Not sure if it’s my dom that left it or my sub,” Louise replied honestly. “But I think they are both in on it.”

The other woman’s eyes went wide. “Oh my, you’re a busy woman. I’m Nancy. I think I saw you here before once.”

Louise blushed. She could imagine what sort of situation the woman had seen her in. “I’m Louise. Or sometimes Lulu.”

“Which would you prefer?”

Daniel never called her Lulu. Still, Nancy’s warmth was contagious, and she’d rather be her equal than be called “ma’am,” that was certain. Where she’d been online, the subs called each other “sister.” She wondered whether people did that in real life. It seemed awkward even online, when some of them were hard to like. She didn’t think she’d have that problem with Nancy, though.

Nancy laughed. “Complicated, huh?”

Louise giggled. “I was thinking that long? Yes, it’s complicated. But either. It’s nice to make a friend here.”

“With that dom of yours, I think you’ll find that a lot of women want to get close. But they’ll have ulterior motives.” Nancy pursed her lips. “I’m bad, aren’t I? A bit cynical, but I can’t help it. You don’t have to worry about me. I’ve got Grant tonight, and I don’t go poaching other women’s men.”

“I don’t know Grant.”

“Ah, he’s nice. A little too tame. I think we both know it won’t be serious. Now Spike… he’s something else. Maybe someday.”

Louise grinned. “Good luck.”

“Thanks, girlfriend. See you around.”

She lifted the box and peeked inside the package. Shiny black leather and a froth of black lace peeked back. She sorted the contents out, putting the garments next to each other on the table. Black patent leather shoes with four-inch high heels. Black stockings with lacy tops. A leather corset that came with suspenders for the stockings and bra cups. She might be able to get that on, but she’d need help tightening it up. For a moment she thought there weren’t any panties, but finally she found a slip of leather that formed a G-string. And there was a flogger, its tails folded back on the handle so that it fit in the box. She gave it a shake. Had the two men worked together on her outfit, or was it Rob’s doing? She’d have to ask. If Rob had gotten her the flogger, it showed some level of acceptance of her relationship with Daniel.

For the first time, the idea of not having to choose between the two men seemed like a real possibility. She didn’t know what the future would hold, but it would certainly be interesting.