She would never stop wondering what BDSM was all about until she learned more. Though she’d never admitted it to Sasha, she was extremely curious and the reoccurring dream had been at the forefront of her mind all day. She knew the meeting would be safe. And Sasha would know everyone. “Oh, okay. I’ll go. ”
Her friend applauded. “Good for you. Take charge. Come on, I’ll brief you in the car. ”
During the drive to the community center that housed the meeting, Sasha chatted about what to expect. Namely, that everyone would have a bracelet on. As a first-time guest, Julie’s would be white. Sasha, a submissive, wore red. Switches wore green. Doms wore black.
When she entered, she’d be given paperwork to look over and complete if she would like to come back or attend the party the next day. After a brief meet and greet time, a senior member would lead the group in either a teaching session or a roundtable discussion.
“What’s the topic tonight?” she asked Sasha.
Sasha stared intently at the red light they were stopped at. “I’m not exactly sure. ”
“I don’t know if I’m ready to talk sex with a roomful of strangers. ”
“Only roundtables involve group discussion and even then, they won’t make you talk. ”
Julie squirmed in her seat. She wasn’t a prude. Heaven knew, she had only to look back to last weekend to figure that out. She just wasn’t sure she was open-minded enough for the next few hours.
“You going to the play party tomorrow?” she asked Sasha.
“Yeah, Peter and I are doing a demo. ” She turned and gave Julie a wicked smile. “Wanna come?”
“I’ll probably pass. ”
“Invitation’s open. ”
She loved Sasha as much as she loved her sister; she just didn’t know if she wanted to see her participating in whatever it was she was demoing with her latest fling.
They pulled into the parking lot and there were a lot more people present than she’d anticipated. Even though Sasha told her not to worry and that the group held confidentiality in the highest regard, she still feared running into someone she knew. Or running into someone next week that she’d met at the meeting.
A friendly-looking young guy wearing a green bracelet greeted Sa
sha warmly and handed Julie a stack of papers and a white bracelet.
After slipping the plastic band on her wrist, she flipped through the papers.
“Don’t let the checklist freak you out,” Sasha whispered.
Julie glanced at a few items on the list and decided it would be best to read through it later. In private. And with the Internet handy.
The forms she didn’t pay much attention to, since she wouldn’t be going to the party the next day. She’d take them home, too. If she ever decided to come back, she’d fill them out then.
Sasha introduced her to a few people and Julie began to relax. Everyone was open and friendly. There seemed to be an equal number of men and women present, representing a wide age range. Sasha addressed the people wearing black bracelets as either “sir” or “ma’am,” but since Julie was new, they insisted she use their first names.
Julie was standing with Sasha, talking to a group of women wearing red bands, when a familiar voice rang through the room.
“Sorry I’m late. Everyone go ahead and take a seat. We’ll get started right away. ”
She spun around to find Daniel striding through the crowd. On his wrist was a thick black band.
“What the hell, Sasha?” Julie asked when her mind cleared somewhat and she found her voice.
Sasha sighed. “You needed to know. ”
Holy fuck. Daniel was a Dom.
She couldn’t be more shocked. Clearly this was what her dream was trying to tell her, and she hadn’t been listening. She was certain if she thought about it, it would make sense. Maybe. But at the moment she was still dealing with the shock of seeing Daniel. At Sasha’s BDSM group meeting. Where he was a Dom.
“What?” Julie questioned. “So you thought dragging me here was the best way for me to find out?”
“You’re getting more and more involved with him and he obviously isn’t telling you. I know something happened last weekend—it was written all over your face on Monday. Don’t look at me like that. I’m not an idiot. ”
Last weekend. Daniel’s insistence she needed to know more about him. Her lighthearted brush-off of that insistence.
The two of them were starting to draw attention. The group of submissives moved away to find seats. A black-bracelet-wearing man she’d been introduced to moments earlier came up to them.
“Is there a problem here, ladies?” He looked cold and hard. Julie guessed he didn’t smile often.
“No, sir,” Sasha replied. “No problem here. ”
Julie wondered if she could slip out of the room without Daniel seeing her. But their little commotion had grabbed his attention. He caught her gaze and his eyes widened in shock.
“Julie?” Then he looked to the woman at her side and understanding crossed his face. “Sasha,” he said, his voice low and commanding, allowing no possibility of disobedience. “Side room. Now. Dena, run a roundtable discussion. ”
Sasha straightened her shoulders and, looking like a condemned prisoner walking to meet her fate, followed Daniel out a side door. The man who had approached her and Sasha went with her.
A leggy blonde jumped up. “Um, since Master Covington has been detained, let’s have whoever wants to share tell one thing that can improve communication between Dominant and submissive. ”
Not jumping their bones when they tell you there’s something you need to know.
Several heads turned in her direction.
Damn it all, did I say that out loud?
Luckily she hadn’t, and the conversation began to flow around her. She found she couldn’t concentrate on the words. Instead, she unsuccessfully tried to hear what was happening in the side room. There wasn’t any yelling or shouting that she could hear. Then again, Daniel didn’t seem like the yelling sort.
And why had the blonde called him “Master”? Didn’t that speak to a deeper intimacy?