“I asked if her previous relationships were with Dominants. She said some, but not all. She told me because we want to move in together and she’s never done that before, plus she has friends who are like you and her, and she doesn’t want to leave them behind.”
I was still reeling from the revelation about Rebecca, flashing up recollections of our previous meetings, wondering if there had been clues to her traits. “Sounds a fair point. Does she want to be submissive with you in any way?”
“What’s the point? I’m not the kind of Dominant Jason is.” Michael shrugged and took a sip of tea.
“Very few Doms are like Jason!” I laughed, but Michael didn’t join in.
“She said she
doesn’t do kinky stuff, which confused me. I thought that was what it is all about?”
“She probably means she isn’t into bondage or discipline. Does she like you to take control in bed, hear your opinion, follow your lead? That sort of thing?”
Michael scratched his head. He never rushed to answer, always cautious with his words. “I suppose so. You’ve seen what she is like with other people, forthright, opinionated, and strong willed, but when we’re alone, she waits on me. No, I mean, she waits for me. Do you understand?”
“Of course. She wants you to take control. It’s not all about kinky sex, you know. Some people don’t need or desire it. I suspect her experience of domination would be different from mine. You mustn’t compare us. Perhaps she wants you to take the lead, not about her career, but maybe how she communicates with you.”
“What do you mean?” Michael snatched a mouthful of tea. I seemed to have opened him up in a way I’d not thought possible. Typically, with me, he remained introverted and subdued. As if…. I straightened. A thought whizzed through my head. Did the fact he knew I was a submissive alter his attitude towards me? Perhaps, in my absence, he showed other traits I’d not seen. After all, he was a successful orator.
“When you’re in the courtroom and you stand up to address the jury or judge, the whole room is watching you and what you have to say. How does it make you feel?”
“Kind of a buzz. When I first started out as a barrister, it was nerve-racking. I won cases, and my confidence grew. Now I get this amazing kick out of the cross-examining and presenting to the jury. Persuading and....” His lips moved, but the word didn’t sound.
He knew and understood. I could see the debate going on in his mind as he pushed aside the word. He didn’t want to see its presence outside of the courtroom. “Controlling,” I added. “You’ve that voice, Michael. Jason has it, too. It makes people sit up and listen. A presence. I bet you don’t have to queue long at the bar, or if you ask a waiter to hurry your order, it comes quicker than anyone else’s.”
“I suppose. This is really helpful, Gemma. I should apologise. I came here to speak to Jason about all this, and I’ve been rude and thoughtless, ignoring the fact you probably know as much about this…lifestyle as he does.”
The front door creaked. Jason had arrived. I went to greet him in the hallway, leaving Michael mulling over his tea cup. Once Joshua had his daddy moment, Clara offered to bathe the child, enabling Jason to talk with his brother.
“Nothing wrong is there, Michael?” asked Jason, loosening his tie. He’d dealt with Anthony’s business crisis, Louise’s pregnancy, and his pensive expression awaited another disaster.
“Gemma’s been very helpful.” Michael ran through everything he had told me, and Jason remained expressionless throughout, unlike me. I’d been wide-eyed and excited at the thought of another submissive in the family. Michael, uncharacteristically jittery and flushed, waited for his brother’s response.
“Do you want to live with her, Michael? Do you love her and want her companionship? Do you stop in the middle of doing something and think of her?”
I squeezed Jason’s hand under the table, aware his remarks reflected our relationship.
“Yes. I’m crazy about her,” said Michael. “We’ve had such a slow start, being busy with work. I didn’t think we’d make it here—living together.”
Jason smiled. “Move in with her. She is being open and honest with you, and you will find out what it means when you live together. Don’t go mad and try to dominate her. Be yourself, and let her guide you in what makes her happy and you, too. A submissive wants to be controlled and please those about her. Giving up control to another doesn’t mean switching off and letting you walk all over her. Does she know about us?”
“She guessed something after Dad’s retirement do, but I haven’t elaborated on it. I didn’t think it was my place.” Michael had once let the cat out of the bag with regard to Jason’s life as a Dominant. He’d learnt not to repeat the mistake.
“I don’t have an issue with you telling her, as long as she keeps it between the pair of you.” Jason squeezed my hand back. “How about some food, darling.”
I bounced out of my chair, happy to feed the brothers. I’d watched the birth of a new Dominant in the family.
***
Michael invited us to his fantastic apartment for dinner in late July.
Meeting Rebecca again, knowing we had similar taste in men, unsettled me. Just because we were both submissives didn’t make us bosom pals. We’d different needs, and she might frown upon my tastes as excessive or believe Jason went too far with his dominance.
While I helped her in the kitchen, I asked about why she’d guessed. Not surprisingly, my necklace and the blindfold party trick had sealed her suspicions. She also had noted the way Jason held me in his gaze as I set the table, with his critical eye following me around the table. She’d seen my flushed face when he’d whispered in my ear and told me about my penalties.
We joined the men in the living room, and her nervous habits grew more conspicuous. She constantly tucked her dark hair behind her ears and struggled to hide her shaking hand as she poured the wine into our glasses. I expected a chat about legal stuff, leaving me the odd one out, however, Rebecca broke the awkward silence.
“May I ask, is Gemma collared by you, Jason? Is she your slave?”