The Knotted Rope

"Okay," he said. "I just wanted to be sure." He kissed me. "Though you should get on her good side," he teased. "She's not very happy with your performance."

"Oh, you're just her favorite and you know it," I told him. I pulled away slightly and began lathering soap in my hands, then rubbing them over his chest and arms and then downward. "And really, who can blame her?" I cast an approving eye down over his naked body. "Besides, she certainly seemed happy with my... performance yesterday." I licked my lips suggestively, and he chuckled.

Derek took the soap from me and began washing my arms, breasts, stomach, breasts again, back, and then returned to my breasts. I smirked as he ran his thumbs over my nipples.

"I think they're clean by now."

"Really. How long have you been washing down there?" He nodded towards where both of my hands were stroking his dick.

"I want to make sure it's clean for Lady Jillian," I said defensively.

"And you think she doesn't care about your tits?"

"Mmm, fair point."

Derek leaned in to kiss my mouth slowly, passionately, his hands squeezing my breasts, slick with soap. I wrapped my arm around his neck as he pressed me against the shower wall. His hands slid down my sides to my hips and raised one of my legs. I clutched his shoulders tighter and broke from the kiss.

"No, wait, I'm going to fall," I protested.

He kissed me again. "You're not going to fall. Trust me." And he entered me with a long sigh. I kissed his neck and held tight to him. The water pounded down on us as he held me close, thrusting slowly. I groaned as the frustration from the previous night came back. All too soon, he stopped, leaning into me and breathing heavily.

"She wouldn't really know, would she?" he whispered.

"She really would," I replied.

"Well, she didn't say not to finish, specifically."

"You know what she meant," I told him with a smile.

"Well... but how would she know, really?"

"I would tell her."

"You would tell her?" Derek feigned a wounded expression. "You would betray me to her?"

I shrugged. "Well, I need to get back on her good side, right?"

He sighed regretfully and stepped away.

I playfully slapped his rear as he turned to finish rinsing off.

When we left the bathroom, Lady Jillian had laid clothes out for us. While she swept into the bathroom with her bag, we got changed. Only some of the clothes were from our bags while a few items were new. Derek got one of his t-shirts and a sweatshirt but a new pair of somewhat close fitting jeans, while I got to wear my own jeans and jacket but a new black corset.

By the time Lady Jillian emerged from the bathroom in a shiny white corset and tight blue jeans, her wet hair braided tightly to one side, we had dressed, made the beds, packed our bags, and were kneeling on the floor waiting.

She stood in front of us for a moment, considering, then took Derek's hands, raising him to his feet.

"You look very handsome, boy," she told him, giving him a lingering kiss. Then she turned to me, pulling me up as well. "And you, girl, very sexy." She squeezed my breast. "Take it off."

I managed to suppress a sigh as I shucked the jacket and started loosening the laces of the corset. It had not been overly easy to get into. Once I stood bare chested in front of her, she leaned down to gently kiss my nipples. Then she pulled out a roll of wide, black electrical tape and, ripping off the pieces with her teeth, placed two strips in an x squarely over each nipple.

"There," she said, patting the last piece in place. "Now put it all back on again."

I had taken it off just for that? Why? I knew better than to voice my questions, though. With Derek's help to lace me back up, I dressed again.

Meanwhile, Lady Jillian had finished packing and turned to us.

"Get out your ID. You'll need it," she told us.

Our ID? As I retrieved it from my bag, I wondered where on earth she was taking us. A bar? But it was the middle of the afternoon.

"Zip up, button up," she said, gesturing to our jackets. "Let's go."

We waited in the car while she checked out, Derek trying to pull up the neck of his sweatshirt so that no one could see his collar in the daylight, until Lady Jillian returned and gave him a stern look.

We drove around for a bit until she stopped on a narrow street lined with brick buildings and small shopfronts. After parking, she led us down the street to an unassuming black door. There was no sign, but the door was painted with a simple celtic knot in grey. The shop windows to either side were filled floor to ceiling with boards painted in neutral colored abstract swirls so that it was impossible to see inside. Lady Jillian opened the door and preceded us inside.

We entered a small room with another plain door opposite. To one side, a young woman dressed in simple black with the same celtic knot embroidered small on her shirt sat with a tablet computer behind a low counter with a coat rack and several cubbyholes on the wall behind her.

"Good afternoon, and welcome to the Knotted Rope," she greeted us in a pleasant voice. "May I see your membership card?"

"I have these guest passes," Lady Jillian told her, pulling a sheet of printed paper from her bag.

The woman nodded as she perused the paper.

"Three one-time guest memberships. May I see your identification?"

Lady Jillian took out her ID, and at her nod, we showed ours as well.

"Great!" the hostess said after inspecting the cards and making a few notes on the tablet. "And is this your first time visiting?"

"Yes, for all of us."

"All right, there's just a few things to make you aware of," the she told us with a smile.

"No alcohol is permitted on the premises, nor will we admit anyone who appears to be intoxicated."

No alcohol? Then why did she need our ID?

"No play is permitted in the upstairs cafe area, and all persons or property are to observe decency laws while upstairs. No staff members are available for play at any time."

Play? Oh. My eyes began to widen as I realized just what kind of place this was. This was a BDSM club.

"We offer two public play rooms downstairs free of charge and three smaller private rooms that can be reserved in fifteen minute increments. You can speak with any staff member to make a reservation."

Wait, public play room? As in... with strangers?

"No food or drink is allowed in any of the play rooms, except for water. At no time will we permit blood play, fire play, or scat play, and we urge you to clean and sanitize any equipment used with the provided supplies. Play room rules are posted prominently in each room. You are expected to adhere to the "Safe, Sane, and Consensual" code of conduct, and we reserve the right to remove any person or property from the premises at any time and for any reason."

I exchanged a wide-eyed look with Derek. This was starting to sound intense.

"Lastly, be assured that any personal information we keep on record is strictly confidential, but while we urge our guests to keep in confidence the activities engaged in here, we cannot control what they may disclose and we are in no way responsible for any damages that may occur due to secrets being revealed by other guests. You can obtain an electronic copy of these rules and guidelines from our website. Do you have any questions?"

"No, that's all very clear, thank you," Lady Jillian told her.

"Then if I could just have you and your companions to sign here signifying that you have been informed of our policies and agree to them..." She slid the tablet towards us and handed Lady Jillian the stylus. When she handed it to me, I stared for a moment before signing. What was she planning to do to us in there? I had visions of us strapped naked to a St. Andrews cross on display for a crowd of leering strangers.

"May I check any of your belongings?" the hostess asked when Derek finished signing.

Lady Jillian handed over her coat and nodded to us.

"Your jacket, girl. And you, boy, jacket and shirt."

My breath caught at being spoken to like that in front of the hostess. Our play had always been a private thing, first just the two of us, then when we told Jill - Lady Jillian, I corrected myself in my head. It wouldn't do to be sloppy in my thinking. This was like the nerves I had when we told her about our forays into the kinky side of sex, but... but these people were strangers, not close friends and lovers! They could be anyone! But of course, that was silly. Everyone here was here for the same reasons, and we wouldn't shock them. The hostess certainly didn't seem to think it out of the ordinary. What a job she must have; the people she must see. I removed my coat while Derek pulled off his shirt hesitantly. Lady Jillian noticed his reluctance, and I suppressed a smirk. For once, I wasn't the one earning her disapproval.

My heart pounded as she casually pulled two chain leashes from her bag and clipped them to our collars, then a flogger, which she hung on her belt loop. I glanced nervously at the hostess, but she didn't bat an eye.

When it was clear that we were ready to proceed, she smiled at us.

"Please feel free to ask any staff member for whatever you need. Enjoy your visit at the Knotted Rope!" She pressed a button under the counter and the door in front of us unlocked with a low buzz. Lady Jillian turned the knob and we stepped through.

The upstairs of the Knotted Rope proved to be a modest sized room filled with small groups of tables. Easy chairs and loveseats clustered in the corners, and more could be seen in a smaller second room through the wide entryway. A long counter filled one side of the room topped with glass cases of baked goods, and blackboards on the wall behind it listed various specialty coffees and teas as well as a short list of cold sandwiches. The lighting was soft, though not dim, and light jazz music played quietly. Overall, it had the air of an understated, classy cafe. Well, it would if not for the patrons.

Several people lounged in chairs, some chatting, others quietly sipping their drinks. While a couple were dressed in what seemed like ordinary clothes, most wore some level of bondage gear, from the young man at a table in jeans, tank top, and spiked leather collar to the girl in a full black and red latex suit curled up with a book in a corner armchair. Some seemed to be there alone, while others were obviously with someone else. A middle-aged man talking animatedly with a younger man sat with his feet propped up on the back of a girl on all fours. In the other room, a man in nothing but black leather pants knelt next to a chair, head bowed, holding up a coffee mug for the woman seated there.

A large man in black with the grey knot on his chest slowly paced the perimeters of the rooms, and another sat next to a black painted door on the far side of the main room. Two young women in the same uniforms stood behind the counter serving a drink to an older woman in spike heeled boots.

Lady Jillian stood at the door for a moment looking around, then strode forward, tugging us by our leashes. I stared about me nervously as she led us to a chair to the side. With a snap and a pointing finger, she brought me to my knees beside the chair. Derek she unclipped from his leash and pressed some bills into his hand.

"Get me a coffee," she told him. "Something vanilla. And her a chai tea, and you will have a hot cider if they have it."

"Yes, Lady," he murmured and turned towards the counter. Lady Jillian watched him go, petting my hair. As I gazed around the room, I noticed several of the other guests looking at us discreetly. Derek returned with our drinks and knelt on the other side of the chair. I lifted my cup to take a sip, only to feel a jerk on my leash.

"You would drink before me?" Lady Jillian admonished.

"No, Lady. I'm sorry, Lady," I replied hurriedly.

"Better." She raised her cup but paused, watching us over the rim with a satisfied grin before drinking.

We sat sipping our drinks and watching the room. A couple left and another entered. The middle-aged man sent his footstool girl for a cookie. The woman with the spike heels disappeared through the door at the back.

I was halfway through my tea when a man strolled up, dark hair cut short, wearing black slacks and a white button up shirt untucked and with the sleeves rolled up to show wide, studded leather cuffs. He took a seat in the next chair and addressed Lady Jillian.

"I've never seen you here before. Are you new?"

"I am," she replied. "I take it you don't get many newcomers here."

"Not often. Most of us are regulars. It's not as if we get people walking in off the street." He chuckled. "You can call me Leo." He held out his hand.

Lady Jillian shifted our leashes to the hand holding her cup and shook his hand.

"Jillian."

"It's good to meet you, Jillian," Leo told her. "It's always nice to see fresh faces." He glanced down at Derek and me. "And I must say, you have beautiful slaves."

I found myself sitting up straighter and sucking in my gut, trying to perfect a pleasant, subservient expression, head down, though I couldn't help peering up at them from the corner of my eye.

Lady Jillian smiled proudly and patted Derek on the head.

"Thank you."

Leo took a long sip from his coffee. "A matching pair, that's great. How long have you had them?"

"A little over a year now." She paused, seeming unsure of what to say. "Do you have any?"

"No, not right now. I parted ways with my last one about a month ago." They lapsed into silence for a moment until he spoke again. "Will you be coming downstairs today?"

"Maybe," Lady Jillian replied. "It's worth a look, at least. I think we might have a little lunch first."

"I recommend the chicken salad," Leo said. "Or if you're vegetarian, the cucumber tomato is good, too."

"Thank you. Maybe I'll try that."

"Well, it was good to meet you, Jillian." He stood. "I hope I'll see you downstairs later. Maybe we'll see what your slaves are really made of, hey?"

He sauntered away and Lady Jillian glanced down at us.

"Beautiful slaves, hmm?" she murmured with a smile, stroking my hair. She sipped her coffee, then unclipped our leashes and handed Derek some more money.

"Go fetch me one of those chicken salad sandwiches. And an oatmeal cookie. You may each get a sandwich, but no cookies."

At the counter, Derek made me order. I hesitated, feeling nervous speaking to the worker, but she behaved like any cashier in any cafe would. When we made it back, Lady Jillian leashed us again, then leaned back to enjoy her lunch.

I watched and wondered while we ate. She was going to take us downstairs. Well, of course she was. She didn't bring us here for sandwiches. But what was she going to do to us? Were we just going to watch other people? Or was she going to beat us while they watched us? I shivered. The thought of being chained and beaten while people watched mortified me and excited me at the same time.

I watched as Leo finished his coffee and passed through the black door. He was going downstairs. Was he just going to watch? Or were we going to find him flogging someone?

I liked Leo. No, not like that, but he seemed friendly. I wondered if he had tried to picture me naked. I wondered if he had tried to picture Derek naked.

When we finished our lunch, Lady Jillian sat quietly for a moment, then tugged on our leashes to make us face her.

"Now, we are going to go downstairs to a public room." She didn't say it like a question, but she paused long enough for us to raise an objection. Neither of us did.

She stood, then snapped her fingers. "Boy, carry my bag."

She led us to the door and with only a small hesitation, stepped through.

A brightly lit but somewhat narrow staircase led down. At the bottom stretched a hallway with three doors on one side and two on the other. Another man in black uniform sat at the end of the hall with a book. He looked up as we approached.

"Two of the private rooms are occupied," he told us, gesturing towards the three doors. "But one is available, and neither of the public rooms are at capacity." He waved a hand to the other side of the hall.

The rooms must have been noise insulated, but I could still hear some muffled sounds.

"Thank you," Lady Jillian nodded to the employee and took us towards the first public room.

It was a somewhat large room. My first thought was that the owners of the Knotted Rope must own the businesses on either side as well, in order to have this much room underneath the cafe.

Tables and chairs of various kinds stood in an orderly fashion along the walls. A young girl, probably not long out of her teen years, lay naked and strapped arms, legs, and head to a table while a bald man in jeans flicked a switch at her. Her pale skin was already striped with red welts. To another side, a woman in an outfit that seemed made of black leather straps and a full black mask knelt with her arms tied behind her and a man also in a mask but nothing else gripped her brown ponytail coming out of a hole at the top of the mask and shoved his dick into her mouth through another hole at the front.

At one end of the room, a St. Andrew's Cross stood on a slightly raised platform. A skinny young man with a dark complexion and close cropped hair was strapped naked to it, and the woman with the spiked heels struck him with a long flogger. A few other people stood watching the others, some touching themselves or calling out suggestions. Leo was not in the room.

Lady Jillian led us to the platform to watch. I knelt between her and a not quite middle aged woman in a bikini top and leather pants. Derek knelt on the other side.

The young man gasped as his Domme landed another blow, and the bikini top woman made a tsk-ing noise.

"He's not very disciplined, is he?" she commented to Lady Jillian. "That's all right. Wendy will teach him how to behave. She's a very good trainer. You're new here, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?" Lady Jillian asked.

"Well, Leo talks. I'm Blade."

"Jillian." Then she added, "This is boy and girl."

Blade let out a barking laugh. "You keep things simple. I like it."

Wendy was whipping her sub with furious strokes now and he stood slightly sagging against the cross, his head back and his mouth open, gasping.

"He calls himself Bass, like in music," Blade told us. "I think he means it as a pun, but he also plays bass guitar. He brings it sometimes, plays upstairs with another guitar guy. He doesn't have a master, officially. He just lets everyone have a turn at him. He's Wendy's favorite flavor of the month right now."

Wendy was whipping rhythmically, stopping every few strokes to admire the angry red lines rising on his skin.

Lady Jillian tugged gently on Derek's leash. "What do you think, boy? Do you want a turn?"

"Whatever you wish, Lady," he replied.

She paused for a moment. "Lady Jillian down here, boy."

"Yes, Lady Jillian," he murmured, and she nodded with satisfaction.

"Does anyone have the cross next?" Lady Jillian asked Blade.

"Hmm?" She looked over. "Oh, no. We usually put a flogger or something on that shelf there to claim it." She gestured to a small shelf on the wall near the cross that held disinfectant wipes. "Or if no one's using it, just go for it, of course. And remember to wipe down the equipment before and after. Kinda like a gym that way."

"Well you certainly would get a workout here," Lady Jillian quipped.

Blade chuckled.

"Stay," Lady Jillian commanded, and she dropped our leashes and stepped over to the cross, laying her flogger down on the shelf.

Wendy paused and nodded to Lady Jillian.

"We're just killing time here. We can be done if you want a turn."

"Oh, I don't want to interrupt. I don't mind waiting."