The Novelist Pt. 07

"So, this is the back yard." Tom said. "You really didn't get to see the house." He just clipped along as he spoke. "And this is the guest house where I do my writing." John followed him inside staring at the bondage furniture on the first floor, but moving too quickly to take it all in. "Come on. Keep up."

John had trouble understanding how his son switched back to normal conversation as if the other events hadn't occurred. He made everything seem so normal and commonplace. They climbed the stairs. Tom walked across his office to a bookshelf on the far wall near his desk. He pulled out a hardcover copy of his last book. He took a seat in his large desk chair and began writing on the inside of the cover. He flipped the book closed and stood back up.

For a moment, John looked at him sitting at the desk and considered the house and his career. In any other circumstance, he thought he'd be proud of him. The only feelings he had left were defeat and the disconcerting fear of what he might do next. Then Tom led his father back down the stairs and back out into the yard. It was all happening very fast.

"Tom?" He said quietly.

"What's up?"

"I... do you think..." He didn't finish the statement.

Tom was already leading him back through the house toward the foyer.

"So I'll call you a cab." Tom said opening the front door. He handed him the book. "I put a twenty in the book for cab fare. That's my third book. I signed this copy for you. It's a gift."

"But... I..." John tried to say something. He wasn't sure if his son expected him to be grateful.

"Look. I'm sure we'll speak again when mom figures out how she wants to divide the assets and files the papers. You'll be fine." He said. "The cab will pick you up at the end of the driveway in a few minutes. Oh... I know it's not necessary, but I hired a forensic financial analyst. I thought you should know in case you thought about transferring money around. I'd sure be angry if that happened." He noticed the lost, speechless look on his father's face. "Don't make this seem so bleak. This is what you wanted. You have your freedom to do anything you like. Go have fun." Then Tom shut the door on him without another word.

Tom leaned back against the closed door and took a deep breath. With everything said and done, he felt guilty. He knew that his father deserved what he got. His behavior had been atrocious. But it was still his father. He had taken everything from him.

******

John sat sullenly on the curb. He had come out here certain that he would get his wife back, and spend a nice week with Angie. He tried to think through the evening and remember where he lost control. But it didn't matter. He'd been robbed of his dignity and humiliated. He looked back up at the house trying to make sense of it all. Mostly John just felt ashamed.

The taxi flashed its headlights as it pulled over by the driveway. The driver rolled down the window. "You call a cab to go to The London?"

John just sniffled, shook his head yes, and climbed into the back seat. He glanced down at the book in his hands. He flipped on the small overhead light on the ceiling.

The cabby looked back to see what he was doing. "Oh! You read that book yet?" He asked noting the cover.

John shook his head no, although he recognized it immediately.

"You should read the other two first. That's the third one. That author is a genius." He suggested, trying to start a conversation with little success.

John flipped open the cover and read the inscription.

'To my father -- Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. Thanks for the women. I'll take good care of them. -- Sir'

He didn't understand the Latin words, but the rest was a taunt. Tom was still picking at him. He watched the city lights as the cab drove back down into Hollywood and headed west toward his hotel. He felt incredibly lonely.

******

Angie sat on the couch staring at Marie. She didn't know what to do at this point. She fidgeted slightly as Marie finally snapped out of her reverie and acknowledged her.

"I assumed you knew." Marie stated.

Angie looked down nervously and a little confused. "What?"

"That he was married." Marie said. "I assumed you knew. I could tell from your reaction earlier that you didn't. I'm sorry for calling you a home wrecker."

Angie felt a little uncomfortable. "You're apologizing?"

"Yes." Marie replied. "I'm apologizing. I tried to imagine what you must be like. It was easiest for me to think you were a horrible person."

"Well," Angie said, "I'm sorry for fucking your husband."

"Men. They're only as faithful as their options." Marie smiled. "I'm sorry either of us fucked him. He turned out to be a pretty bad person... and a pretty bad lay. I never knew any different until recently."

This elicited a laugh from Angie. "He was better after a couple drinks, I guess. At least then you got a good few minutes out him."

Marie began laughing too. "That's true. Sad. But true." She extended her hand. "I'm Marie."

"Angie."

"So you were really going to stay out the whole week?" Marie asked. "What do you plan on doing now?"

"I don't know." Angie said contemplatively. "It's my first time on vacation. I've never really been outside New York. Well... Boston once. And Vermont. But never out of the northeast. I was really looking forward to it, but I guess everything is screwed up now."

"I'm sorry about that."

"No. It's okay. I'd rather have found out sooner than later that he was lying to me. At least that's over. Except my stuff is still in the hotel."

Marie felt sorry for the young girl.

"Have you talked to Tom yet? I'm sure he'd let you stay here tonight and maybe a few extra days."

Angie looked over at her taking in her naked body. "Can I ask you a question? I see that you... um... have a collar. Does that mean you slept with him?"

Marie sat up leaning closer to her. "I didn't set out for this to happen. It just sort of happened. I know what most people would think. But I don't care anymore. So, yes I slept with him."

"Oh." Angie replied.

"Well you fucked my husband and my son. I won't judge you, if you don't judge me."

Angie thought she should be bothered by the admission. She thought about other women and saw the surreal nature of everything in his life. Somehow it didn't seem any stranger to her than the rest of the lifestyle. It was all some type of taboo as far as convention goes.

******

Tom found Alexis in the kitchen. She had set out some crudité for the guests on the counter, and placed a few open bottles of wine next to it. Tom walked up to her and leaned over giving her a very passionate, full kiss on the lips letting it linger.

"I love you." He whispered. "We have one more piece of business tonight. Would you go ask Stephen to join us?"

"Yes, Sir." Alexis replied.

She shuffled out of the kitchen toward the pool where the others had gathered.

Tom was pleased to see his mom and Angie talking. They had moved over by the tall windows looking out into the backyard. Marie was describing her first day here, and how startled she had been to learn about the lifestyle. Jane was still kneeling exactly where he had left her.

Tom pulled Angie aside. "I'm really sorry about everything. I'll understand if you can't forgive me. But please stay tonight and make yourself comfortable. We'll figure things out in the morning." He said quietly to her. "I'm sorry to ask, but I need some time alone with Marie."

She didn't say anything. She just smiled nervously, and slipped from the room. Tom wasn't sure what that meant. Alexis entered with Stephen a moment later.

Tom took a seat on the sofa next to Alexis. Stephen sat across from him. He beckoned to Marie and Jane to kneel on the floor at the coffee table. It was clear to Stephen that it was time to finish his business with Tom, although the stocky man was having some second thoughts.

"Shall I start?" Tom asked.

"Be my guest." Stephen replied.

"Okay. So, I'll spare everyone the long version of this story and try and cut to the chase. I came into this lifestyle a few years ago. I was researching my second book. I had a hell of time trying to find people to talk to about it. So, it was around that time, just before I met Alexis, when I met this man sitting next to me...."

Alexis, Marie and Jane all listened with rapt attention to this story. Particularly Alexis, who hadn't heard it before, and she'd heard most stories.

"... So, I was fascinated by the lifestyle. I wanted to learn more about it. I wanted to have it for myself. I asked Stephen to be my mentor. He spent countless hours teaching me about the rules, the world, the etiquette, the training, the punishments, the equipment, and so on. I sat in on his training sessions. I have him to thank for the knowledge and experience that not only allowed me success in my writing but also success in the lifestyle. I couldn't have built all this without him..."

Stephen sat quietly listening to his friend give him praise and thanks. It was heartening to hear Tom speak so highly of him, even if he thought that this man had surpassed his skill. The others just struggled to figure out where this was going.

"... I asked him after my second novel was successful how I could repay him. I wanted to give him something. He told me that he didn't want acknowledgement in my books and he didn't want money. He said that he always thought I'd be a good Dominant. And he said that one day he would pick a submissive and ask for her... not to have... but to borrow for an extended period of time. I agreed and asked him when he'd let me know. He said that one day one of my submissives would pass along a message. She'd say..."

Stephen looked at Marie finishing the statement. "That I want to taste your peach."

Marie looked up in alarm. She didn't really understand what he was saying. She looked to Alexis, the woman that always helped her along the way, but Alexis had tears running down her cheeks.

It made sense to Alexis now. She knew why he hadn't given the room to Marie. He had known that she would be leaving. Her heart broke. She loved this woman -- Sir's mother.

"I... I don't understand." Marie said in shaky voice. "You're giving me away."

"It's not like that. You'll always be mine, but you'll serve Stephen as your Dominant for the duration of the time we negotiated."

"How long?" She asked sadly.

Tom looked over at his friend. "Of all the women you could have asked for, I'll never understand why you chose her."

"You took Alexis off the table years ago, or I would've chosen her. But when I found out this little peach was your mother. It's just so naughty. Although I'll tell you I'm having second thoughts about my choice. You've got a little auntie pain slut subby now. She looks like a tasty peach too."

"Does that mean you're changing your mind?" Tom asked.

"I might switch if you say it's alright. Otherwise I made my choice and I'll stand by it."

Tom thought about it. "I didn't know we could negotiate new terms."

"Everything is negotiable in life." Stephen replied.

"In that case, give me time to finish their training." Tom said. "We can set a date down the line for the transfer of ownership."

Stephen sat back and took a swig of his beer. "When do I have to make the decision on which one I want?"

"Give me six months. I have a lot of loose ends to figure out. They haven't even moved out yet permanently. They have homes back east and jobs. It's going to take time to get them settled."

Stephen sat back and took in the sight of Marie and Jane kneeling together. "Okay. Deal. We can call it a New Year's gift. But on January first one of you peaches will be mine."

Tom stood up and extended his hand. Stephen stood up and returned the shake. It was done. Then Stephen stepped out to join Frank on the patio.

"Sir, how long do I have to serve him?" Marie asked again.

Tom stood up and looked back at them. It weighed heavily on him.

"One year."

Jane and Marie knelt quietly, dumbfounded. Alexis cried silently on the sofa. Tom stood up slowly and left the room. It was hard enough that Stephen had finally called in his favor. Tom loved all his women. But the two women he chose would be particularly difficult to part with.

******

John Bolden paced his hotel room swigging from a bottle of vodka. Now that he was back in the room, he felt destitute and alone. He stared at Angie's bags realizing that he had lost her. They sat there like a constant reminder of the evening. He sat down on the uncomfortable, modern sofa looking at his son's book on the table in front of him. He opened it again reading the inscription before walking over to the desk on the side of the room to find a pen and paper. He sat down and rewrote the Latin phrase. He still wasn't sure what it meant, and decided that he'd look it up tomorrow. Then he threw the book in the trash.

He kept staring at the suitcase in the corner of the room. He opened it up digging through its contents until he found a pair of Angie's panties. They weren't fancy, just a pair of cotton panties with colorful stripes. Amidst the clothing in her bag was a small plastic vibrator. It bothered him that she had packed the device.

There was a knock on the door.

"Finally." He muttered.

He was starving and hoped that some sustenance would make his stomach feel better. The door pushed inward, and the hotel worker pushed the shaky cart into the room.

"Where would you like the cart, Mr. Bolden?" The young man asked.

"Over there is fine." John responded pointing toward the table next to the couch.

The employee pushed the cart near the table and went about his routine of pouring a glass of water and setting out the silverware. He tried to complete all the simple actions necessary for a decent tip. Then he noticed the pad and paper.

"Harry Potter." He said reading the words that John had written down.

"What?" John replied.

"You're a fan of Harry Potter? Hogwarts?" The young man replied. "That's the motto for Hogwarts."

"What are you talking about?" John replied a little bit confused. "What is?"

"This phrase." He noted. "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus. It's the motto of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the Harry Potter series. You're a fan?"

"No." John replied. "Someone just wrote that to me in a note. I didn't know what it meant."

"Oh, it means don't tickle a sleeping dragon. It's a Latin saying. You know... like saying don't poke the bear in the cage." The young man replied.

"How do you know that?" John asked.

"Bar trivia. That was a question a few months back. They asked for the motto of Hogwarts. No one in my group knew the answer. I guess that's why it stuck with me. I liked the phrase." Then he began to wonder if he was talking too much, or maybe being too nosy. He finished arranging the cart of food. "You're all set, Mr. Bolden. Did you need anything else?"

"No." John said while he thought about that phrase. "That'll be all." He didn't even attempt to reach for his wallet.

John listened to the door shut and then fetched himself another small bottle of liquor from the mini bar. What is that supposed to mean, he wondered. Was it a warning? No, it was a threat. Just like everything else that occurred over the course of the evening, he assumed that this was a promise to bring him further pain. His son was picking at him again. With the help of a little alcohol, John seethed in anger letting his remorse subside for the first time.

******

Tom stood at the counter in the kitchen letting the events wash over him. He poured himself another glass of wine, but he only sipped at it, not wanting to be caught in the fog of inebriation. He stared out the small bay window above the sink. The other girls had moved down toward the pool. It was a warm, pleasant evening. He watched as they set their high heels and stockings off to the side and dipped their bare feet into the water.

It was Tom's intention to discard his father this evening. There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind, though. Originally he expected his father to fly out for just a day. Now that he knew his plan was to stay the week, it felt like he might be back. It bothered him, and he didn't care to invite any further confrontations.

Tom made his way toward the French doors and stepped out onto the patio to find Frank and Stephen discussing various banal topics. He sat down on the edge of the outdoor sofa.

"I appreciate you guys coming over tonight. I know it probably seemed strange to watch someone dealing with a family matter. But I couldn't have gotten him to sign that paper without your help."

Frank could see that his friend was bothered. Tom seemed to be introspective, instead of elated.

"I can always expect an interesting evening here." He replied. "If there's ever a way to help, you know I'll be there. Don't feel bad, Tom. He brought it on himself. Besides, I don't think Marie is heartless. She'll leave him with something."

"Maybe." Tom said quietly.

"Eh, fuck that guy." Stephen added.

He didn't have the ability to sense Tom's conflict like Frank had. Stephen just said what was on his mind without much thought of wording or filtering his statements.

He continued. "I don't have any respect for a man that can sit back while his wife gets fucked. I thought the little pussy would try and fight back."

Tom looked back at him thoughtfully. "So did I. I'm surprised he didn't take a swing at me."

"Anyway..." Stephen added. "I think your little subby sluts took the news of our arrangement well."

"What arrangement?" Frank asked.

"I'm not so sure they did." Tom said. "This week has happened fast. They've had a lot thrown at them without much time to think it over. We'll see how they feel when everything slows down and reality sinks in."

"What arrangement?" Frank asked again. "Come on. Keep me in the loop."

"Nothing." Tom said. "Stephen gets to have one of my submissive girls for a year. It's an old debt. Although I'm thinking about reneging on the deal altogether."

"You can't do that." Stephen said quickly. "We had a deal. I know how much you value your word."

"I value the trust these women place in me. If I thought that this deal would damage that then I'd back out in an instant."

"That's fucked!" He huffed.

Tom stared at him for a long moment. "What's fucked is the fact you chose two women that would be particularly difficult to part with. You chose them to prove something. I owe you. That's true. I can always find a way to repay you. Things have changed since we made that deal. Everything in life is negotiable. Those were your words."

Stephen didn't like the sound of it, but he didn't say anything in response. It was true that he had picked Marie and Jane on purpose. It was his own show of dominance over Tom. Now it occurred to him that he might have gone too far.

"Well, it looks like they're lining up at your door these days." Frank responded nodding toward Kimmie who was staring at them from about fifteen feet away.

Tom waved her forward.

******

Kimmie stared blankly as Tom acknowledged her. She had begged Stephen to tag along and watch them this evening. It had not gone the way she expected it. She was able to put the pieces together slowly. Tom's dad was in town and his parents were getting divorced, and there was some type of agreement signed that didn't seem to be done at the older man's desire. She was fascinated by his emotionless handling of the situation. To her, he seemed to be a calculated, exact individual with an enormous cock and a lot of women.

She walked up the steps toward the three men. They all seemed to be dissecting her with their eyes. It made her nervous, and she felt out of place. The other women hadn't talked to her much. She was the only one that hadn't gotten naked.