James wasn’t sure how to take Slate Burke. Alec had said he was swishy and while James understood the stereotype, he hadn’t realized some gay men actually acted that way. He was fascinated and in awe of the pastry chef. That anyone was willing to be themselves to the point of not caring what anyone else thought? He hoped a little of the realness rubbed off on him. He still didn’t know who he was.
“Where are you from?” Slate asked.
He’d taken a break and the three of them sat at a table. Dinner was delicious with spicy meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans cooked with a flavor he couldn’t quite nail down but which was amazing. And Slate’s dessert? “This is the best thing I’ve ever had,” James told him as soon as he swallowed the first bite.
Slate beamed at him.
“I grew up in Kentucky but spent the last eleven years in the Northeast going to college.”
“You spent eleven years in college?” Slate asked. “Impressive. I barely made it through my six month pastry chef program. School wasn’t my thing.”
James looked over at Alec. “What about you?” He wanted to get to know the man who had saved Zippo. And not just because he saved his dog. Truth be told, Alec fit the guy James had dreamt of for years. While not as tall as James, Alec had wide shoulders and tattoos everywhere James could see except his face. He wondered just how much of Alec’s body the ink covered. His brown hair was cut military short, but his face was wide and long. By the crinkles beside his eyes and lips, James assumed he smiled and laughed often.
“Went to the College of Southern Idaho and Boise State. Got my degree in business. By then I’d been involved in the scene for four years and made my own toys. Seemed natural to start teaching people what I knew and making fun toys for profit.”
James wondered what “the scene” was, but didn’t ask.
“You’ve been into BDSM since you were eighteen?” Slate said. “Impressive. I hit my first BDSM club on my twenty-first birthday. Never have looked back. Though it has made finding a life partner more difficult.” He glanced at James. “Don’t you think?”
He had no idea how to answer that, so he told the truth. “I have no idea. I don’t know much about BDSM.”
Slate’s bright green eyes—they had to be contacts because surely nobody’s eyes were that neon green—widened. “Honey, why come live in a kinky co-op? Talk about jumping in to the deep end.”
Heat flooded James’s face and as usually happened when he got flustered, he said too much. “I needed out and this job came up. My best friend is the one who sent me the listing. I’ve had to hide being gay all my life. I haven’t even had sex yet. And I know I know nothing about this whole kinky thing but I don’t know where I belong. Will everyone hate it if I’m not kinky? Do I have to be kinky to fit in?” He snapped his jaw shut to stop talking.
Slate reached over and took his hand. Those bright green eyes softened. “You don’t have to be kinky to be here. Just accepting of it. I was teasing. I didn’t realize how new you were. So you’ve never been out and you’re a virgin.” He shook his head and turned to Alec. “It’s like finding the brass ring and realizing he’s cute and cuddly and you just want to protect him.”
“Brass ring?” James wondered if that was a kink term.
“Virgin gay male sub,” Alec supplied. “It’s assumed they don’t exist. As if all gay men popped out of the womb horny and with nine months of experience already under our belts.”
It seemed like a good time to eat some crumble. If he was eating, they wouldn’t expect him to talk. He’d only been on the island for a few hours and he already felt like he’d moved to a place that didn’t speak English. He needed a Kink to English dictionary. James snickered at the thought.
“What?” Slate asked, his elbows on the table and his chin resting on his palms.
“I was just thinking I need a dictionary. It’s like all of you are speaking a different language.”
“Oh darling, we are. You’ll catch on, but if you want I’ll send you some links to some basic vocabulary sites.”
Alec shook his head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You’re talking about sending in a sweet virgin to the den of iniquity. Next thing we’ll know, James will be back on the ferry out of here not realizing that what he’s reading is dry fact and mostly isn’t as scary or disgusting as it sounds.” He winked. “I think it would be better if we teach him. Just the basics. In fact…” He pulled his phone out. “Key in your number. I’ll text you with mine. Slate can do the same. That way you can text us if someone uses a term you don’t know. We can tell you what it is so you don’t have to ask them.”
That sounded like a good idea. Having to show his ignorance was embarrassing, but Alec and Slate already knew and they seemed willing to help.
“So what goes on at the Kinke Faire?” he asked, wanting to assuage his curiosity.
Slate and Alec looked at each other and while Slate grinned, Alec shook his head. “Let’s start with Kink 101. The Faire is more like Kink 550. You’ll be ready for it come June, but we’ll get you through the beginners courses first.”
Monday morning, James made his way down to the office. The front door was unlocked but the building was dark except for a light under Kendrick’s door. Not wanting to interrupt, he walked into his office. A brand new all-in-one computer was set up. An envelope with his name on it sat on the keyboard but he wanted to get ready for the day before he started looking at things.
His roommate had made some remarks the day before about dogs—he was not a fan—so James brought Zippo with him. The bottom drawer of his desk was empty so he put Zippo’s cushy pillow in it and pulled Zippo out of his bag and placed him on top of it. As long as he kept the drawer open, Zippo could see what he was doing and not be alone at home where Bronick might yell at him or something. Not that he wanted to think his roommate would do that, but anyone who was that antagonistic with animals he had a hard time trusting. He seemed like the type who would throw harmless puppies in garbage dumpsters.
The envelope included his login information as well as the list of software and the file folders where the information he needed was kept. He spent his first hour getting to know the computer and the software. It was more simplified than he was used to, but would still do everything he needed. Humming under his breath, he went to open his first spreadsheet when his stomach rumbled. He and Zippo had shared some Cap’n Crunch cereal for breakfast, but he needed some coffee.
“Stay there,” he said. Zippo, whose head came up when he moved his chair back, put his head back down. He wandered around the main offices, looking for a coffee pot. When he didn’t see one, he knocked lightly on Kendrick’s door.
“Come in.”
He pushed the door open slightly and peeked around it. Kendrick was busy at his desk, a pair of glasses on his nose. He glanced up and smiled. “Morning. Did you get settled over the weekend?”
“I did, thanks. Met a couple really nice people too. But um… Is there a communal coffee pot? Or does the cafeteria have one?”
“Mmm.” Kendrick yawned, removed his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. “Actually there isn’t, but that’s a good idea. As crazy as it sounds, I’m usually the only one in here on a daily basis and Becca brings my coffee to me. We have a coffee shop, several this season for the Faire, but I’m glad you brought that up. I’ll add a coffee maker to the list of items to get. Maybe having one will convince my personal assistant to finally move here.”
“Your personal assistant doesn’t live here?” How much personal assisting could they do?
“Nope. He does everything online. I’ve been trying to convince Nick to move, but I think he’s been waiting to be sure this venture is a success before uprooting his life and moving half way across the country.” Kendrick paused and said, “Why don’t you go home and get some? Take a few breaks a day. Believe me. I don’t want you working yourself to the bone. Part of living here is enjoying everything it has to offer. Besides, won’t Zippo need some breaks?”
Zippo. James winced. “I hope it’s okay. I brought him to work with me. He’s no trouble. I put his bed in the bottom drawer of my desk and he just lays there and watches me work. It seems my roommate doesn’t like dogs and I didn’t want to leave him there.”
“Who doesn’t like dogs?” Kendrick said and then shook his head. “To each his own. That’s fine. But why don’t you put his bed out where he’s not stuck in a little box? He’s more likely to meet the crew as they come in and out. If you’re worried about him getting out, we’ve got all sorts of items in storage. I’ll bet you we’ve got a kiddie door that could double as a doggie door.”
James wasn’t sure what to say. “Thank you for being understanding.”
“It’s no trouble. But if you think your roommate situation won’t work out, let me look into what else we can do. I don’t want you in a house you don’t like being in.”
“It’s okay,” James hastened to say, not wanting to be a bother. “I doubt we’ll see much of each other anyway. Besides, Zippo’s already happy with the arrangement. He likes to sit on the bed and look out the window at the leaves.”
“All right,” Kendrick said. “Were you able to access everything on your machine?”
“Yes. And I’ve used the software before so that’s no problem.”
“Great. It ties into my software so I can download spreadsheets as I need them.” The front door opened and James looked over his shoulder. The woman who had been naked on Saturday was thankfully dressed in shorts and a camisole top. She held two large to-go cups of coffee.
“Good morning,” she said with a smile.
“Morning.”
She walked past him and dropped to her knees next to Kendrick. He turned and smiled. His entire face softened as he looked at her. “Morning, love. Get some sleep?”
“Yes, Sir. It was wonderful.”
“Good.” He took one of the coffees and cocked an eyebrow at the second. “More than one?”
Pink flooded her cheeks and she glanced at James before looking back at Kendrick. “You said James would be here this morning. I thought he might like a coffee.”
“Good idea.” Kendrick looked over at James. “Looks like your coffee conundrum is solved for now. Penny University serves some fantastic java. Even though they don’t technically have to open until May, they’ve opened early as there are tons of workmen and they love coffee.”
“Thanks.” James stepped forward and Becca handed him his drink. He didn’t know what to do about all the kneeling. That was different. Not bad, but he didn’t understand it. Tiny taps on the linoleum told him that Zippo had decided to come looking for him. “Zippo,” he said but before he could say anything else, Zippo saw a human on the floor and made a beeline for her.
“Oh,” Becca crooned, “isn’t he cute? What’s his name?”
Looked like another human was under his spell. James wished he could be as personable as his dog. Zippo could win almost anyone over. He wondered if the little dog could help him win Alec over.
Alec leaned against the gate and watched the workmen do whatever it was they did to get everything ready for the buildings that had arrived that week. His was scheduled to be set up before mid-April and he looked forward to seeing exactly what design they chose for his shop. The year before, cloth separated the stalls and he’d had to lock everything up and unlock when a person wanted to purchase something. While he still would have the more expensive items under lock and key, his shop would be permanent which meant it would have a lock on the door.
A permanent shop. A small smile crossed his lips. He never imagined that he would have his own little shop. When he was younger, travelling to conventions had been a blast. But over the years, living out of a suitcase had become burdensome. When he turned thirty, he found himself with a desire to set down roots. Now, at thirty-five, he was thinking about finding a life partner. “Guess it’s true what they say. As you get older, your priorities shift.”
His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, smiling when he saw a text from James. In the last week, that had been the only communication they’d had as Alec had been busy with special orders, but he’d come to look forward to the little tidbits James chose to share with him from time to time.
James: Why does Becca kneel when she’s around Kendrick?
Pleased that James finally asked a question that had to do with the lifestyle, Alec thought through the easiest way to explain.
Alec: In their relationship, it’s part of respect. She shows her submission by kneeling. It’s something she enjoys doing and Kendrick loves it when she does.
James: So she doesn’t have to do it?
Alec: I believe it’s part of their rules, so yes, she does. But remember, she agreed to the rules to begin with.
James’s response took a few minutes.
James: Sorry. Zippo saw a spider and I had to grab him.
James: So what happens if she doesn’t kneel?
Intrigued at the question, Alec wished he could read between the lines to why James wanted to know. Was he just an information sponge that saw this as another piece of data to swallow up? Or was he interested because he liked the thought of kneeling next to someone? That possibility made Alec consider exactly how he would respond.
Alec: Every couple is different. I don’t know what their punishment protocols are. For some it might include loss of privilege, being made to stand in a corner, or possibly a spanking.
No response came and he figured James was trying to swallow that text. He hadn’t asked much the previous Sunday when he came up to Alec’s house for barbecue. But he had listened avidly as Alec and Slate discussed the basics of BDSM and some of its derivations.
Alec glanced at his watch. It was almost ten and he needed to get back home and finish some of the pieces he was working on. Only a couple more months until the Faire was open. As he straightened to head home, he spotted the Penny University sign. Coffee sounded good. And he could drop one off to James and see if he had any more questions.
Whistling softly he made his way across the grounds. If Zippo was at work, perhaps he should buy a cookie as well.
Voices came from Kendrick’s office, but Alec wasn’t there to see Kendrick, so he glanced around until he spotted a child-safety door affixed in a doorway. Figuring it would also pass as a doggie door, he glanced in and spotted a patch of brown hair sticking up from behind a monitor. “Hello,” he said and stepped over the small gate. A little yip responded from behind the desk and James looked up.
“Alec, hi.” His brown eyes lit up.
Alec walked over to the desk and placed a large coffee in front of James. “Wasn’t sure what kind you liked so I got you a basic latte. And I got a cookie for the doglette.” He pulled out the cookie and James smiled. Zippo stuck his head up and Alec leaned over. The dog had a little bed behind the desk and was standing, wagging at him. “And hello there, Zippo.” Zippo gave another little yip, shook himself, and trotted around to say a proper hello.
He squatted down and scratched his new friend. “You look like you’re settling in.”
“My roommate doesn’t like dogs,” James explained, sounding nervous. “Kendrick found the doggie door so he can be loose in my office while I work.”
“Good. He’ll become the Elan Isle mascot.”
“Do we need a mascot?” The grumble from the door made Alec smile. He looked over his shoulder as Craig, resident curmudgeon who had a heart of gold, glowered at him.
“We definitely do. This little guy was abandoned, has only three legs, and was just looking for a place to be himself. Sounds like a mascot to me.”
Craig grunted and looked down at Zippo who hadn’t moved closer but wagged at him. “Feed him up. If we’ve got to have a mascot, he shouldn’t look emaciated.” Without another word, he headed down to Kendrick’s office.
Alec looked up at James who had a worried expression on his face. “He wants me to feed him more? Zippo’s a picky eater. I’ve tried all sorts of food and he only eats what he wants to eat. I promise I’m feeding him.”
“Don’t worry,” Alec said, trying to soften things as it looked like Craig’s words seriously affected the man seated behind the desk. “In Craig’s case, his bark is far worse than his bite. He’s actually a nice guy, but don’t tell him I said so. It will just make him surlier.”
Confusion crossed James’s face and he shrugged. “Okay. You can feed Zippo the cookie if you want.”
Alec grabbed the cookie and broke off a piece. He handed it to Zippo who sniffed it and then turned his head away. James started to laugh, tiny snorts punctuating each breath. “Like I said. He only eats what he wants.”
Chuckling, Alec stood back up. “I am suitably chastened, Zippo. I won’t bring you that again.” The little dog wagged his tail and trotted back to his bed where he walked around in a circle three times and laid down.
“I should leave you to your work, I’m sure, but if you have any more questions, feel free to ask.”
James cast a glance toward the door and then shyly up toward Alec. “Thanks for answering my questions.”
“I don’t mind at all. I’d much rather have you ask me than wonder about it.” Alec headed toward the door and after stepping over the doggie door asked, “What time do you go to lunch?”
“I’ll probably head over there at noon.”
Alec nodded. “I might see you there.” He lifted a hand in a wave, and walked out of the office and toward home. There were definite signs that James was interested in him, but as the man was a virgin and didn’t know much about BDSM, he was going to take things slow. If nothing else, he’d have another friend. But possibly James might turn out as someone he could date. And wouldn’t that be odd.
A smile crossed his face and he whistled the whole way home.