Ben sighed and continued on. He felt eyes on him and did his best to ignore the sensation as he moved through the throng. A woman to his left took a step forward as he approached, drawing his eye. Dressed in a simple white silk top above a tight black leather skirt and a short leather jacket. No spikes, buckles, clamps or other bondage paraphernalia. Ben was relieved to see that. She was wearing a slim silver chain around her neck from which a blue and green loop hung.
“Good evening Mr. Shepherd. My name is Pepin Stiegerwald. I’m the President of our little social club,” she said with a smile as she gestured around. Her German accent was subtle so she may have lived in the states for quite some time.
While it was difficult to estimate accurately he guessed she was in her fifties though her body appeared to be fit and trim. The subtle lines at the corners of her green eyes and smiling lips and her confident bearing indicated she had some experience under her belt. She was comfortable with the lifestyle. Obviously, as she was the president of their club.
She was one of the few women with hair that didn’t hang down her back. Short, with that tousled pixie look, her black locks was another sign of her confidence. That and the bold dark blue of her lipstick and matching manicure.
“Please, call me Ben.”
Her smile was a flash of white as she shook his offered hand. She had a strong grip and she tested his just a little. A Dom to Dom thing perhaps he wondered.
He was about to introduce the twins when he caught himself. He had no idea what the protocols were. He was spared from a faux pas when Pepin took the initiative.
“Your ladies are truly lovely. Twins?”
“Yes. They are exquisite,” he said with a smile as he looked at them with admiration. They glowed with his praise. He glanced behind Pepin but she just flashed him her smile once more.
“I’m currently between partners. The last one… could not maintain his passion for the lifestyle.” She shrugged gently.
Ben wasn’t clear on what that meant but he didn’t feel comfortable asking.
“I don’t believe I’ve seen you or them at the club before,” Pepin stated.
“No, it’s a first for us. To be completely honest, I’ve only recently accepted the role of being a Dom.” He wasn’t sure why he shared that but something about Pepin drew it from him.
“Then let me be among the first to welcome you to a very rewarding and satisfying lifestyle!” she said with a smile. “We have over fifty members in our social club. Just a little more than half have attended tonight. We try to get together at least once a month, optimally twice a month but we are a diverse group and schedules are so hectic these days.”
Ben nodded thinking about how full his own calendar was. He was looking forward to being able to go back to a quieter life but wondered when that might happen.
“I believe Drago is going to do a demonstration shortly. He promised a good show,” Pepin said.
“Demonstration?” Ben asked.
“He said he will be giving a young sub her first public disciplining session,” she nodded.
Ben immediately felt uneasy but Pepin led Ben forward to the end of the bar where an area had been set up for the ‘demonstration’. A bald man with broad powerful shoulders and arms limbered up. He wasn’t too tall but he was wide with muscle and fat. He’d taken his shirt off and his blue and green loops hung from a belt loop. He was a… hairy man. Thick dark curls covered his back.
“Drago, may I introduce Ben Shepherd,” Pepin said as the man turned to face them.
The dark curls continued to his chest it seemed. Ben caught the pungent scent of the man’s sour sweat but tried to keep his distaste from his face. The man gave him a critical evaluating look and the briefest of nods. Ben was grateful he didn’t have to shake the man’s hand.
“You must stand back so you don’t get hit,” Drago cautioned.
“Hit? With what?” Ben asked.
Drago gave him an impatient look and gestured to a small table set up with a number of whips, straps, and riding crops.
Ben’s unease went up. He glanced at Pepin who took his arm and guided him to the side. Lisa and Lori tucked themselves in close behind Ben.
“I see you are unfamiliar with the practice of disciplining a sub.” She glanced at the twins. “They are very well behaved none-the-less.”
“I’ve never used a whip or a riding crop on them. I find the idea… disturbing.” Ben admitted.
Pepin nodded as she was aware it could be difficult to watch for those who didn’t comprehend the underlying rules of conduct.
“Disciplining is a mutually agreed upon activity. A Dom must receive permission from their Sub prior to beginning. If the Sub does not desire the disciplining then it serves no purpose other than inflicting pain. Only the Dom would receive fulfillment from that,” she explained.
“Assuming a Dom took pleasure in inflicting pain,” Ben growled.
Pepin looked at him curiously. “It has been my experience that most do.”
“Pain can be a powerful tool.” He glanced at Lisa who shivered in response. “It’s useful for achieving the goal of heightened pleasure for a sub. Taking pleasure from inflicting it? I’m sorry, I can’t relate to that.” He took a deep breath. “If a sub willingly gives themselves to someone wishing to inflict pain for their own pleasure…” He shook his head. “I don’t understand but I’ll try not to judge.”
Pepin smiled. “Then you are more open minded than most.” This made Ben snort. “A sub sees the pleasure they give their Dom as a gift for their partner. Many subs enjoy, even need the pain. While they receive it they know they are giving pleasure to their partner,” she said.
Ben tried to grasp the concept but for him pain was something to avoid. If Lisa needed pain he could give her some but he received no pleasure from the act himself.
Dragging his mind back from the uncomfortable topic he glanced around. “Who is Drago going to discipline?” he asked.
Pepin looked around as well and frowned. “I’m not sure. He didn’t have a partner with him at our last get together. He’s only been with the club for three months.”
The man in question gestured for someone to approach. A slim man moved forward guiding a small figure before him. The figure in question turned out to be a young woman with light brown, curly frizzy hair which was tied back to expose her face. Or more accurately her blindfold, ball gag, and ear covers.
Ben got the impression that she was very young. She couldn’t be more than 18 and he was worried she might be less than that. He glanced at Pepin in concern.
“I can guess what you are thinking. I too think she looks too young to be here but Club Eon has a very strict policy of no underage patrons. They’re not even allowed in the hotel. They would have had to have shown her ID,” she said.
Ben remembered the ladies being carded at the reception desk and he felt a little better. Still the young woman was so young!
“Tell me, how old were you when you first got involved in the Dom / Sub lifestyle?” he asked.
Pepin gave him an odd look then looked back at the petite brunette being strapped to a large upright ‘X’. “I was twenty-six.”
“Do you believe you were truly capable of making well thought out decisions at that age or were you still fumbling around? How about when you were eighteen?” Ben said grimly as he saw the man who’d led the girl here roughly tear away the t-shirt she’d been wearing. The brunette shrieked through her ball gag and looked around frantically though she could not see or hear.
“How is she supposed to tell him she’s had enough? Is he going to remove the gag? Why is she blinded and deafened?” Ben growled quietly to Pepin as his agitation grew. She saw where Ben was going with this and frowned at Drago. The man walked closer with the riding crop and snapped it against the inner thighs of the girl. She squealed and began to cry.
Ben had enough and moved.
Drago looked at him angrily as he approached. “What are you doing? Get back! The bitch is my sub!”
Ben ignored him and reached for the straps to the girl’s ball gag. He wanted to hear from her that she voluntarily agreed to this.
SNAP!
Ben yanked his hand back and glared at Drago who’d just struck the back of his hand with the riding crop.
“You will leave the bitch alone. She is mine.” Drago said coldly. Ben just scowled at him.
The young woman was still crying so Ben turned back to undo her ball gag once more.
SNAP!
CRASH!
The moment the crop struck Ben’s hand he swung his arm backward and took Drago right off his feet. The man hit the floor hard and struck the table with all his tools. They crashed down on top of the prone man.
Ben undid the ball gag and got the straps of the blindfold and ear covers off. The girl shrieked when she discovered she was in a room full of strangers. She shrieked even louder when the tip of the whip struck her back.
“THE. BITCH. IS. MINE!” Drago bellowed. He was standing once more, breathing hard, holding a long whip loosely in his right hand.
“Do you want him to continue?” Ben asked the woman and she frantically shook her head no. “Sorry, I need you to say it. Loudly.”
“No! I want to go home!” the woman cried.