Finding You Bk. 02: Paradigm Shift

Trailing behind her was a gorgeous young man who looked to be in his early twenties, he was all smooth plains of chiseled muscle, hairless skin glistening with a sheen that could only have come from body oil. To Tabby, he looked like a sculpture, perfectly proportioned and hard as granite. Her mouth fell open in a silent oh as she gazed in appreciation at the handsome man who was totally, unashamedly, naked except for a shiny steel collar around his neck, attached to the leather leash held in the woman's hand.

He didn't take any notice of Tabby; his attention was riveted on the mysterious woman, patiently awaiting her next command. He stood still and obediently kept his eyes averted, barely moving a muscle despite the fact that a metal cage-like device encased his erect cock. The unforgiving device trapped his straining shaft, keeping it locked into a downward pointing direction. The flesh that bulged through the upper ribs of the device looked purple and swollen from the pressure of its confinement as his cock attempted to defy the cage-like contraption that kept it from rising.

Tabby felt a pang of sympathy for him, thinking that it looked very painful, yet the man barely gave a hint of his discomfort.

The strain he was under, showed slightly in the tight expression he tried to hide on his beautiful face but the only real outward sign giving him away, was a scattering of pearl-like beads of sweat that made his forehead shine when the lights from the dance-floor shone onto his skin.

The woman gave Tabby another inquiring look and not knowing what else to do, she gave her an enthusiastic smile and thumbs up that made the woman laugh merrily and nod in agreement. She cast an admiring glance on the silent man behind her, letting the full power of her stare linger on his swollen shaft, licking her lips hungrily and making the poor man shudder in excitement. She gave him a regal smile, stroked her hand over the ridges of the cage, and then tugged the leash with a quick but gentle pressure to get him moving again. With a wave, the woman glided past Tabby and Petra, her pet walking with an odd shuffling gait to keep from jostling his tortured cock.

The look of utter devotion on his face as he trailed behind her like an obedient animal, ignoring the obvious pain that he was in, amazed Tabby. The effect that the smile the woman had given him, transforming his pinched, distressed expression into one of pure adoration, had captivated Tabby with wonder. She couldn't imagine being so devoted to a person that just a smile from them could negate personal discomforts as if they had never existed.

That thought stopped her and a revelation made her eyes widen in shock.

On the other hand, maybe she could relate.

A flash of memory reminded her that Marcus had done exactly that for her, more than once, on the night that her attack had happened. With nothing more than a touch of his hand or a smile, she had felt the connection between them swell and gain power. She recalled the sense of calm that had filled her, every time he had stroked her cheek, and how the pain had receded, if only briefly, in its wake.

She shivered, remembering Marcus' sexy smile and the legions of butterflies it had unleashed in her chest. At the time, she had wanted nothing more than to do whatever she could to keep that expression returning to his handsome face.

She had wanted to please him on a level that her conscious, rational brain had not understood. Yet it had existed, nonetheless, a need so primal that it had seemed prewritten into her genetic code, for her to want to make this one special human being...happy.

Tabby searched her own feelings and was startled to discover that that need persisted inside her - living quietly like a banked fire just waiting for someone to give it oxygen. Thoughts of the mysterious Marcus fanned over it, making it glow brightly as her attraction to the man flared hotly.

Okay...maybe she could understand what that man had been experiencing...if only just a bit.

She watched the pair move away with a new sense of understanding dawning; the intense bond, which existed between a Dominant and a submissive partner, which Tabby assumed the pair must have been, was a much more powerful one than she had ever suspected. It was obvious from their interaction that the connection went deeper than anything she had ever experienced or comprehended in her life so far.

Petra had been watching the exchange between Tabby and Mistress Daphne with interest. The way Tabby went from bashful and embarrassed to a guarded appreciation heartened her with the possibility that Tabby could accept the lifestyle. That personally witnessing people active in healthy examples of BDSM would help her understand its allure. She decided that it had been a good idea to bring her to Elysium to see that kinky people, and the things that they loved, weren't something to fear.

Tabby suddenly remembered the cards that Saul had given Petra before they had entered the club. She had forgotten them while distracted by the woman and her partner.

"What do we do with those?" she shouted to Petra, pointing at the black plastic cards in her hand and trying to be heard over the heavy beat of the music blasting from the dance-floor.

"These are our drink cards." She handed one to Tabby. "Don't lose it because you won't get another! You'll need it to buy the two drinks you're permitted tonight." Petra grabbed her hand again and excitedly pulled her in the direction of the huge, U-shaped bar that occupied the centre of the sprawling lounge area.

"C'mon, let's get a drink then we can wait for Diego to come find us," she said as they weaved through the crowd. They passed through a barrier that separated the lounge/bar area from the noisy dancefloor, composed of a six-foot high concrete wall that doubled as a long, continuous water feature.

Led lights in various shades of blue, gave the water a tropical look, and the gentle splashing of the water seemed to absorb some of the volume of the music, giving patrons an oasis to escape the noise and a place to be able to talk comfortably. It was still loud in the lounge, but at least Tabby could hear herself think again.

Scott spotted the pair of women approaching his bar and instantly recognized the bubbly blonde, Petra, walking beside the dark-haired beauty of her friend.

Marcus had told him to keep an eye out for the girls and to let him know when they arrived.

Scott decided to do one better; he grabbed his cellphone, and shot a short video of the two women coming his way, while they were too distracted to notice him recording them. He made sure to get close up images of the mysterious young woman accompanying Petra as he had a feeling that his boss had a personal interest in her.

He let the video run for two minutes, catching their laughing faces and curvaceous bodies swaying unconsciously in time to the music as they approached. He hit stop and grinned down at the screen of his phone. He wondered how fast Marcus would appear once he sent him the tantalizing video. The girls were suddenly at the bar so Scott stowed his phone without sending the video right away. He could do it after he served them.

"What're you in the mood for?" Petra asked as she caught the attention of the good-looking bartender and he strode over to serve them.

"Little Petra! So you've come out to play on our special night, have you?" He grinned at her. "Give me some sugar, darling."

Petra arched up on her tiptoes and dropped a kiss on his stubbled cheek as he leaned his large frame over the bar towards her. "Thank you, sweetness." He winked at Tabby and sighed dramatically with pleasure. "Kisses from pretty ladies do make being stuck behind this bar a little sweeter. Now, what can I get for you ladies?"

"I'll have a G&T please." She turned to Tabby and introduced her to the bartender. "Master Scott, this is my BFF, Tabby. It's her first time here tonight."

The man chuckled knowingly and nodded. "I could have figured that one out for myself. The 'deer-in-the-headlights' expression kind of gives her away."

Tabby felt her face warm. "Is it that obvious?" she muttered self-consciously. "There's just so much to see. It's all a little overwhelming."

Scott let out a deep laugh. "Oh sweetie, you haven't even been over to the dungeon side yet. If you think this part of the club is overwhelming, just you wait until you experience the three-ring circus that is our famous dungeon. On a night like tonight, it will blow your mind!"

He sat Petra's glass on the counter, dropped in several ice cubes and quickly poured the gin overtop, making the ice crackle and snap as the liquid warmed the cubes. He finished by topping up the glass with a spritz of fizzing tonic water and garnished it with a thin slice of lime.

Pushing the glass to Petra, he swapped it for her card and ran it through a reader. "One down, one to go, sweetie," he said, handing her the card back. "And what can I get for you, Tabby?"

Tabby pondered her choices for a moment, but decided against having anything alcoholic. She had a funny feeling that she was going to want to keep a clear head this evening. In addition, she could feel a headache coming on and alcohol would only make it worse. She didn't want anything to cut this evening's adventures short.

"Uhm, can I just get a bottle of water?" she asked hesitantly.

"Smart choice, little one." He pointed to a row of vending machines lined up against the wall to the far right of the bar that Tabby had not noticed. "Help yourself, Tabby. Water is free."

Petra went to slide her money to Master Scott for her drink, but he placed his hand over hers and gently pushed it back. "No charge tonight, Pet. It's been covered for you and your friend."

"Thanks, Master. Do you know if Master Diego or Master Marcus is around?"

He wiped the bar with a clean rag that glowed eerily, catching some of the black light from the dance-floor. "They're tied up right now in a meeting, but left word that you and Tabby are to hang around here until someone comes for you."

Petra pouted then fluttered her eyelashes at him. "They didn't happen to say whether we could go dance while we waited, did they?" she asked coyly.

Scott narrowed his eyes at her, wise to her manipulative tricks. "Diego warned me that you'd try to wheedle your way onto the dance-floor, little minx."

"And?" she drawled sweetly. "Can we?"

"If I said 'no' would that stop you?"

Petra's face lit up with mischief. "Probably not!" she chirped happily.

He laughed and shook his head. "Now I know where all the grey hairs Diego has been sprouting have been coming from. You are a handful and a half, Petra." He waved his hand towards the packed dance-floor. "It's a good thing that he left permission for you to go ahead then. Though I would have loved to watch you endure another one of his punishments," he added with a knowing wink.

It was Petra's turn to go bright scarlet with embarrassment. The memory of the last time she had been at the club flooded back, along with Diego's very public punishment. Tabby just gawked in confusion, not understanding the reference or the reason behind its obvious effect on Petra. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at her friend, who had obviously been holding out on her. They would be having a conversation on the subject as soon as she could pin her friend down and wheedle it out of her.

"I think he promised me a rather pretty little decoration for my bar the next time you act up." Scott reached over and flicked one of the brass rings that were attached to the front edge of the bar, they were mounted at even intervals from one end to the other and reminded Tabby of the kind of thing you'd see outside of stores to tie up dogs.

He made an exaggerated show of wiping the bar's surface and then grinned at Petra, patting the spot with his palm. "There, I've got a spot all cleaned up and ready for your pretty little ass. I have a feeling that you'll be keeping me company soon enough...knowing your tendency to rile your Master, it's only a matter of time." He laughed as Petra grabbed her drink and made a hasty exit, towing a stumbling Tabby behind her.

As soon as they were out of earshot, he retrieved his cell phone from under the bar and, still laughing, sent a short text message with the video he had recorded.

...They're here. Come find them on the dance-floor...

CHAPTER 16

Petra pulled Tabby's hand and ushered her away from the bar and its laughing bartender. Without saying another word, they headed over to the vending machines, got Tabby's bottle of water, then found a vacant table, and sat down.

"He wouldn't do that would he?"

Petra looked back at her with all seriousness. "What? Make me sit naked and tied up on top of the bar? In a freaking heartbeat! He's been threatening me with it for a while, so I don't doubt that he would do it the second I gave him the opportunity."

Tabby shivered, but it was from a strange mix of curiosity, arousal and trepidation. The curiosity and arousal caught her by surprise, the idea of being on public display, sparked something darkly sensual inside her to sit up and take a sudden interest. Not ready to contemplate the fact that she might just have a streak of exhibitionist in her, Tabby distracted herself from her crazy thoughts by idly spinning the white band around her wrist. While twiddling with the glowing rubber bracelet, it occurred to her that Petra hadn't received one as well. "How come you don't need a wristband too?"

Petra smiled proudly and pointed a finger up at the leather collar she wore around her neck. "Because I have this."

Now Tabby's curiosity was piqued. "Your collar?" Tabby posed it as a question to encourage Petra to explain. The analytical part of her personality geared up with the promise of new input. It was time for her to start gathering information on this lifestyle, learning and assessing, if this is what Marcus was going to want from her then she wanted to educate and prepare herself.

"Yup." Petra took a sip from her drink, making a funny face as the bitter spirit slid over her tongue. She sat the glass down, making the ice cubes clink musically against the sides. "I don't need a wristband because my collar tells every Dominant here that I am owned. It is a physical symbol of Diego's protection and keeps me safe from attention from Doms looking for a play-partner. If anyone touches me without Diego's permission, they will have to deal with a very possessive and pissed off Master."

"Is that what Marcus is going to want, Pet? To collar me?" She sounded a little anxious but inside her chest where that spark of interest had begun glowing, the heat had intensified at the idea of being under Marcus's protection. It was an unfamiliar sensation for a person who had always prided herself on her independence and freedom, yet the more she pictured herself wearing Marcus' symbol of ownership around her neck, the more intriguing the idea became.

Petra squeezed Tabby's hand. "Maybe...eventually...but that's not something he will rush into or try to pressure you for. If he does offer his collar to you, it will be because he knows that it is something that you want and are mentally and physically ready for it, sweetie. A Dom's collar is so way more than a piece of frivolous decoration, there are serious promises and commitments that come with accepting and wearing it."

Tabby sighed, her spirits falling and the knowledge of a secret that she held weighing her down even more. "I have a lot to learn, Pet. It might be too much for a man with his experience."

Petra's face turned hard. "Now stop that right now!" she scolded Tabby. "You are not going to ruin this by overthinking yourself into a panic attack and then running away. I won't let you blow this amazing chance at happiness, Tabs. Just relax and let things flow naturally. Okay? Remember that Marcus is one of the good guys...next to my Diego, of course," she added with pride.

Tabby drank half of her bottle of water and contented herself by scanning the crowds, people watching with avid curiosity. An older man, dressed all in black leather slowly approached their table, eyeing them appraisingly. His gaze quickly shifted from Petra the second his eyes fell on her collar and he refocused his attention onto Tabby. She saw the disappointment in his eyes when he caught sight of her white wristband. With a dismissive shake of his head, he veered off and headed for another group of women milling by a cluster of high tables. As he passed by, Tabby spied the black wristband he sported around his wrist.

"What does a black band mean?" she asked.

"Black is for male Doms," Petra answered, happy to share her knowledge.

Tabby scanned the crowd again, this time looking purposely for different wristbands. She spotted another on the wrist of a plump, intense looking woman, a few tables away. "Okay, what about red ones?"

"Red is for Dommes - female Dominants. What's next?"

Tabby searched for another, craning her neck around a group of people who blocked her view. "Yellow?"

Petra cringed, a look of mild distaste scrunching up her pretty features. "Watersports, or urine play. Kind of gross, but some people are really into golden showers. And before you ask, stay away from anyone wearing a brown band."

Tabby had a feeling what the answer was going to be, but couldn't help herself from asking anyway. "What's that one mean?"

"Scat play...as gross as it gets in my book. All scat play is restricted from the public play areas, thank god, and that fetish is rare - even in a community that goes to some bizarre extremes. Trust me; avoid the brown-banders at all costs." She shuddered and took another sip of her gin, as if to wash the bad taste from her mouth. "Okay, what's next?" she said, enjoying the game.

It took Tabby a couple of minutes, but she finally found another band. "Pink?"

"Oh that's easy. Pink is for an unattached submissive - male or female. Attached submissives have their collars instead of wristbands."

"How about a rainbow coloured one?" Tabby asked as a woman with a buzz cut passed by their table, she was actually wearing two bands - the other being a red one, which Tabby already understood the meaning.

Petra grinned, seeing the multi-coloured band on the woman's bared wrist. "That one means that the wearer is Gay or Lesbian - in her case, she a lesbian Domme."

Tabby spied another different band, prominently displayed on a burly man's hairy arm. "Black with red diamonds?"

"Oooh, those are bad ones," she whispered with a shiver. "Those are for Sadists. Unless you are really into pain, they are another type that you'll want to give a wide berth. The female version of that band is red with black diamonds, by the way. Those guys are definitely not for the beginner or faint of heart."

"Ouch. Good to know!" Tabby muttered and immediately caught sight of another band, wrapped around the wrist of a lithe blonde woman who was talking with two imposing looking men, a few tables away from them. "Okay, what about striped ones with black on top, pink in the middle and black on the bottom? What's that one mean?" Tabby took what she had learned already about the differing colours but wasn't sure about the meaning of that particular combination.

Petra had been secretly hoping that Tabby would see one of those bands. It was her first opportunity to gauge her reaction to the preference it indicated. "That's a good one!" she said with enthusiasm. "That's for polyamory - that particular combination means she's a submissive looking for two male Doms to top her. You'll also see red, pink, red. Only submissives wanting to attract Doms of either sex to them wear those ones. You might also see pink, with black or red in the middle, and pink, meaning a Dom or Domme who is looking for a pair of subs."