Twenty minutes after Frank had finished a section of his contract, he already found this all a little harder than it actually looked. When Gerard had told him how it would be, he had honestly assumed that the easiest part would be walking on Gerard's right, and always a step behind. It really seemed so easy in theory, but when he actually had to do it, Frank found himself struggling.

After he had been calmed, Gerard had excused himself for a few minutes, more than likely telling Derek or Lindsey that they would be out. Frank had been standing, unable to sit back down because he felt so unnerved in his own skin. It had been easy leaving the office once he had calmed down enough because it was only a short distance from where they had been to the car outside, but once they out of the car and heading to where they were going to be eating, that was when Frank found himself feeling like he hadn't walked before. He was stumbling over his own two feet and he hated how he hadn't picked this up as quickly as he thought he would. Frank found himself concentrating on walking more than he usually would while he kept his eyes down. He tried to focus on his steps and pay more attention to his own footing. Gerard walked so much more confidently than he did and Frank found it a little unnerving, especially when he didn't want to annoy Gerard. He could do this; it was just a matter of adjusting. that's all. He realized he was practically lined up with Gerard, mentally cursing before he slowed down again to stay behind him.

"Are you okay, boy?" Gerard queried curiously. Frank heard the question, his head snapped up and he saw Gerard looking over his shoulder at him.

"M'good, sir." Frank nodded as he looked back down, paying close attention to his feet, listening to the sound of Gerard walking on the pavement, trying to match up with his steps. Frank didn't want Gerard to notice that he was struggling. He wanted to believe that he wasn't getting worked up over this, but internally he was. Inside his head, Frank found himself worrying about this more than he thought. Frank found himself tripping a little when they turned a corner, blushing at how ridiculous he probably looked. Nobody was looking at him, Gerard included, thank God, but he swore that so many eyes were on him.

"Perhaps you are completely overthinking this whole 'walking one step behind me' part of the relationship," Gerard commented without looking back. Frank's cheeks went warm, realizing that Gerard was onto him. Frank opened his mouth to respond but thought against it because he hadn't actually been given permission to talk. At least Frank had a good understanding of that part of the contract.

"You don't have to literally walk one step behind me, sweet boy." Gerard continued as he finally looked back at Frank, his gaze softer than Frank had expected. He thought that Gerard would have been annoyed at him, "It's just a general idea. As long as you are close behind then you really don't need to worry too much about how many steps are between yourself and I."

"Oh," Frank breathed out, feeling himself relax almost instantly, "Thank you, sir."

"You're most certainly welcome," Gerard responded, "I don't want you over-complicating something as simple as this. I know you can do this, rather well as a matter of fact... You just need to not think about this so literally. Now, another point, it is polite and courteous for the sub to hold doors open for their Master." Frank saw where they were once Gerard had spoken and he stepped ahead toward the door, holding it open.

"Thank you, boy," Gerard spoke as he took a step into the restaurant. Frank followed behind him, a little more relaxed this time, before Gerard spoke again, "You will get the hang of this, I'm sure of it."

"Of course, sir."

"Now, once we are seated, it is also customary for you to pull my chair out for me and wait for me to be seated before you take your own seat." Gerard put his hands in his pockets and looked sideways at Frank, "At what side?"

"The right," Frank answered confidently, "Always the right, sir."

"Good boy." Gerard smiled, his praise affecting Frank more than he thought it would, a giddy circle of butterflies tugged at his intestines like wildvines. Now that this was actually happening, Gerard's words meant a considerable amount more than they had when he first got the job. When a waiter guided them over to a table, Frank took it upon himself to follow his preset instructions by going rushing ahead to pull out the left chair, holding onto the back of the seat while Gerard sat. He pushed it in, making sure that Gerard was comfortable and happy before he sat in the chair to the right, holding his hands in his lap.

Frank watched as Gerard took a menu from the waiter. Naturally, he thought about taking one when the waiter held one out for him, but he remembered and shook his head politely. Gerard opened his black-leather menu, asking for a few minutes to decide as he scanned over the choices he had in front of him, "You're doing well, boy,".

"Thank you, sir," Frank nodded his head, "I'm trying."

"It's not so much about 'trying'," Gerard commented, "I completely understand that this is an adjustment for you, but you are doing well." Frank smiled at that, feeling the need to thank Gerard again, but he held back when their waiter returned, asking what they wanted to drink.

"I'd like two iced teas, one lemon and one peach, please," Gerard ordered and Frank watched the waiter while he wrote it down, "We just need a few more minutes before we order food, thank you."

"So," Gerard started when the waiter strode off to help another couple nearby. He looked at Frank briefly before he set his menu down on the table, "Since we're taking a break from the contract, I want to give you this opportunity to ask me anything that you feel you want to know. I understand that what you are doing is a lot to take in, so this is a good time to question anything you don't comprehend or want to know more about."

"Okay," Frank replied, so many questions already popping into his head. This was such a big step he was taking and he didn't want to feel out of his depth before he carried on with the contract, "I do have some questions."

"Then don't hesitate to ask. You are with to someone who actually knows what he's talking about with all of this, after all."

"How does someone even get into this?" Frank shot his first question out quicker than he thought he would. He looked at the woodgrain of the table as his brow furrowed, "I guess you don't just wake up one day and realize that you're into all things kinky. There has to be a point when you find it and figure it out."

"That's a good question," Gerard noted, "It's not the same for everyone. Each individual who decides that this is a lifestyle for them finds it in different ways. Some may discover it through pornography, not meaning to find it but then they realize that it is something they could be into. They search more and then that is when they find out that they want in on what they once accidentally unearthed in the depths of the internet."

"Like one time when I accidentally stumbled on some stuff that probably would have turned Ryan's hair white." Frank chuckled softly to himself.

"But it interested you?"

"Well, yeah," Frank shrugged. He wouldn't have been here otherwise if none of this interested him, "But it wasn't exactly like I could act on it considering I was dating a glorified nun."

"You see-" Gerard started, only stopping when their waiter appeared at the side of their table, holding onto a tray, placing their drinks on the table, asking if they were ready to order, "Yes, we are. I will have the chicken croissant and for the young gentleman on my right, can we please get your chicken and feta salad."

"N-No cucumber." Frank piped up as the waiter walked away, grimacing as he looked at Gerard, "Sorry, I'm, uh, I'm allergic."

"Duly noted." Gerard smiled as he took a sip of his tea. Frank remained silent as he sipped his lemon tea, waiting patiently for the waiter to leave so they could continue talking, "Now, where was I? Ah, yes, from what you have told me about Ryan, he was not one for change."

Frank shook his head, "Definitely not."

"You, boy, I can tell that you were stifled. You had discovered something that you were interested in, but being with who you were with, there was no way you would ever have been able to divulge in your interest." Gerard spoke fluidly, a casual wave of his hand. Frank nodded, looking down at his own lap because talking like this had him thinking about how his past relationship had been so stale. Gerard merely continued after another sip, "This is one of the other ways that people get into this lifestyle, Just like yourself, dear boy, you found someone who was already a part of it all."

Frank blushed at that, trying to hide his emotions when he felt a hand on his thigh under the table. Gerard giving his leg a squeeze before he brought it back up and rested his chin on his entwined hands with such effortless grace, "If someone is interested then they can go out of their way to find other people in the lifestyle. They look to learn and become a part of it. Sometimes finding someone to be submissive to, or learn to become someone's Master. It's all about finding the right people, mind you. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who do practice it incorrectly."

"Good thing I found you, sir," Frank commented, remembering what he had read in the small segment of the contract about the consequences of incorrect and naive practicing.

"Yes, I am one of the few who have complete knowledge and an almost-full understanding on how to do this. Although, one never stops learning in this lifestyle, I can assure you that you are in good hands even if these hands will be used to punish."

Frank swallowed hard and tried his best not to look at Gerard's hands. The ideas that went through his mind made his stomach want to pole vault over his diaphragm, but he remained calm, choosing to drink some more of his iced tea instead.

"Then, there are people who find out about it all through research," Gerard continued, "Articles on the internet, finding out about it in books. There are so many different ways that people get into the lifestyle. I feel we could have a full in-depth conversation about this for quite some time, but I won't bore you with all of that."

"How did you get into it?" Frank asked, his brain furred with vast intrigue at the idea. He knew that Gerard practically screamed 'Master' just from his demeanor alone, but Frank wondered if it had always been that way. Had Gerard always been this refined and dignified with his disposition or was it something that had been carved over so many years like a marble statue?

"I was in a relationship when I wasn't much older than yourself," Gerard replied as he glanced over at Frank with a smile. Frank felt relieved at the easy expression on his Master's face because he had hoped that he hadn't overstepped the line by asking something so personal. Gerard swirled his straw slowly around the edge of his glass, "My then-boyfriend learned about the lifestyle and told me about it. He was keen to give it a try and I was more than willing to do it for him because we were in a long-term relationship. He liked the idea of submitting so naturally, and in doing so, I had to learn how to be who I am today."

"And you became interested?"

"Clearly," Gerard chuckled dryly, "My boy, if I wasn't interested in it, do you think we would be talking about this?"

Frank wondered about that, remembering one thing that Gerard had told him earlier in the office that made him pipe up, "Pretty sure we would, especially after you said how you would have swept me up before any of this happened if it were just a relationship."

"Very true," Gerard nodded, impressed by Frank's recollection, "You're a good listener."

"One of my many amazing qualities." Frank smiled proudly at Gerard before sipping on his drink.

"I'm sure you have many qualities that I am yet to discover," Gerard replied swiftly, making Frank's insides twist when he looked at him, "But, now is not the time to be getting into that area. Especially when you haven't finished your contract. Plus, I'm sure you have more questions that you want to ask, am I correct?"

"Yeah..." Frank nodded but remained silent when their waiter appeared. By the time the salad was in front of Frank, he realized just how hungry he was considering it was already somewhere near two in the afternoon. He grabbed his fork and picked up a piece of cheese, biting into it when he saw Gerard looking at him with a piqued eyebrow. He swallowed, "What did I do?".

"When you eat with your Master, you wait for permission to begin. And it's also courteous to thank him as well." Gerard explained briefly, making Frank drop his fork back onto his plate, still laden with lettuce.

He wiped his mouth on his napkin while his cheeks went red, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's okay. You're still learning," Gerard waved the mistake off, "Now, what do you say?"

"Can I begin, sir?" Frank asked straight away.

"Of course. Anything else?"

"Thank you, sir."

"Good boy," Gerard smiled before going to start his own food. He picked up his napkin, and placed it on his lap and began cutting into his food, "I believe you were going to ask me something more?"

"Yeah," Frank remembered, "One thing I wondered... How does this all work when we're, y'know, out in public?" He reached out to pour some salad dressing over his food with a small smile, watching Gerard chew and swallow a bite before answering.

"When we are out together, you will be my assistant," Gerard stated clearly. Frank couldn't help the frown that immediately settled between his eyebrows. Gerard saw the small disparage and he added, "Don't look so confused. The reason I say that is because, well, there isn't really any other way we can be seen out together, boy. What with my status and what I do, it will be impossible for us to be seen out together in any other way. Plus, the age gap is a tumultuous factor. People could easily get suspicious over a twenty-year-old and a man in his thirties spending time together."

"Oh... Okay." Frank understood once Gerard had explained, and it made sense with who he was and the power he had.

"You will still keep up with your rules while with me, however," Gerard continued, pausing on his lunch for a moment, "Walking one step behind, always being on my right, only speaking when you are spoken to. You must always be on your best behavior, understand?"

Frank nodded obediently, swallowing some salad, "Yes, sir."

"Plus, you won't always be able to wear your collar," Gerard carried on, reminding Frank of the way that he had reacted earlier when he had said that he would own him. That same feeling residing inside Frank while he attempted to eat, hiding it all while he chewed slowly on his a piece of tomato. Gerard eyed him devilishly, "You will be given an alternative piece of jewelry to wear when the collar isn't possible, but that doesn't mean you can be disobedient. You will still be who you are to me, and I expect you to behave."

"I will, sir."

"You will need to be professional at all times, but don't forget who you belong to." Gerard finished his statement and continued to eat. Frank sat there, reeling from the words. Don't forget who you belong to. The six words that made his stomach twist like it was knotting up all over again. The idea of being owned by Gerard, who could do whatever he wanted to him- With him- How ever he saw fit. Frank took another bite out of his lettuce before having some of his drink, watching Gerard from the corner of his eye while he processed the fact that he was now Gerard's- His Master's. A shiver ran down Frank's spine when he thought about it all.

"So, how will it all work in the office?" Frank asked, seeing as Gerard had brought up how he would still present himself as his assistant.

"Again, you are my assistant. You will still behave accordingly... But if I say I need to see you then you drop what you're doing. Doesn't matter what you're doing, you listen and you obey."

"How will I know which way you'll want to see me?" Frank queried, finishing off half of his lunch already, "I might think that you want to see me for reasons when in fact you will probably only want to talk to me about some email or something work-related."

"You will know, don't you worry, boy," Gerard reassured with another cryptic glimmer of a smile, "There are ways that I will be able to tell you why I need to see you."

"How so?"

"Hand signals that I teach you. Hand signals that only you and I will know the meaning of which. If I were to do this..." Gerard said as he set his cutlery down and put his index fingers together to form a cross, "Do you think you would be able to tell me what it might mean?"

"No idea."

"It means 'silence'. There are others of which you will learn. So, if I ever need you while we're somewhere where I cannot openly tell you, you will understand what I mean."

"Okay," Frank whispered his head, feeling somewhat overwhelmed by all this information he was being given, but he was so sure of himself.

"I believe that the secrecy of our relationship and the nature of it go hand-in-hand with all of this. You know who I am, what I am, and how my reputation could be affected if anyone were to find out about who you are to me." Gerard carried on, covering one of the things that Frank had already thought about asking.

"So, no one must know about this?"

"Precisely," Gerard nodded, "To me, you are what you are, you signed the contract already so we know that, but to anyone else, you are nothing more than my assistant. It could be highly damaging to my cause if anyone were to find out about the lifestyle I am in. Or the fact that you, who is, in fact, one of my employees, are involved with me in any way."

"Yeah, I don't wanna end up like Monica Lewinsky," Frank muttered softly and Gerard snorted, holding a hand over his mouth.

"Well, of course not. I wouldn't want you as Lewinsky any more than I'd want to be Clinton. Although, to be fair, you did the same thing she supposedly did."

"Wasn't she also twenty-two?" Frank asked as he took a large gulp of his drink.

"She was, but alas, Clinton was already forty-nine." Gerard shrugged, "I don't think a larger age gap denounces from the fact that he still got oral sex under his desk."

"I wasn't using it as an excuse." Frank grinned sheepishly, "Just an observation."

"You observe a lot, don't you?"

"I do." Frank smiled and then looked down, his smile diminishing a fraction, "If people know that this lifestyle exists, then why is it such a bad thing?"

"Because people don't take into consideration the fact that there are people who practice it safely. They assume that we are all the same twisted people who get a kick out of abusing, thinking that there must be something wrong with us if we get pleasure from it all," Gerard talked confidently, even though there was an edge of annoyance to his voice, "Articles have been published claiming that the lifestyle is romanticizing the idea of abuse, drawing on it because of some of the things that it entails. They also claim that it is a shameful and rarely-curable pathology that afflicts those who cannot experience love and intimacy. If anything, I believe that it is extremely intimate, especially if you find someone who is willing to give themselves to you in that way."

"Like I have done?"

"Exactly," Gerard spoke, taking a bite of his croissant before he continued, a thoughtful glance in his eye, "And it's not just that. People jump to the conclusion that there must be something wrong with a person if they feel that this is the life for them. They assume it is dangerous and completely threatening to their traditional views on love."

Hearing that word made Frank shudder on the inside. The idea of 'love' so soon after Ryan, it scared him. But this was different. It was completely different from the boring normality he had been used to with Ryan. Maybe that was why he wasn't running away from Gerard, swearing that he wouldn't get involved. He was more interested in what Gerard had to offer because it was so far from what he had been used to and much more exciting.

"So, this is why it must remain a secret. It's not just to protect me, but also to protect yourself, too. You are stepping into a world where people would happily look down their noses at you because of your sexual preferences- It doesn't help that you're gay and get a bad reputation from that alone from some people. It's why most people hide the fact that they think of BDSM as a normal and healthy expression of sexuality. They keep it behind closed doors, only talking about it inside the community because there, we won't be judged and people won't assume that we are inherently abusive."

"Fuck," Frank cursed under his breath, he had never let the thought of it all cross his mind. Yes, the book Gerard had explained to him had opened up his eyes to the horrors before it had all started, but Frank would never have thought of Gerard in that way. Abusive, no, definitely not. He was Dominant for sure, Frank knew that even before he knew that he was that in a literal sense, but he never would have thought of him to be that kind of person. Frank felt sick about the idea of people thinking that way about them just because they did things differently. He looked down at his almost-empty plate, his lips turned down in the corners, "People actually think like that?"

"Of course they do," Gerard nodded, "People are easy to jump to conclusions over matters that they don't fully understand. They would rather do that than learn about it because learning about something that makes them uncomfortable, it isn't what they want to do because it pops their little bubble. Just assuming that someone is abusive to another person is the easiest thing. I may practice it all properly, but I can assure you that if people knew about it, they would jump to the first negative outcome that they could think of; labeling me sick and perverted."

"Well, I can promise you that I won't breathe a word to anyone about anything, sir," Frank reassured both Gerard and himself. He leaned in as he pushed his empty bowl aside, "Our secret is safe with me."

"Good boy," Gerard praised him again before wiping his mouth on his napkin, folding it up before setting it down on his empty plate, "Is there anything else that you wanted to ask me? I'm more than confident that Derek is running the office smoothly, so we don't have to rush back."

"Yeah, I have a couple more..." Frank paused, his eyes wandered over the restaurant, seeing the other people who were enjoying their lunches, probably completely unaware of the type of conversation that was being had. Frank got nervous all of a sudden, feeling like someone might overhear what they were saying, "I just don't know if it is something that we can discuss here..."

Gerard noticed Frank watching a few tables near them, looking over before he turned back to him, "My boy, if anyone was going to be listening in on our conversation, they probably would have had a problem when I mentioned pornography earlier."

Frank flinched at the word and peered over the tables near him again, waiting for someone to start yelling. But there was nothing; no one batted an eyelid or even turned toward them. They were so wrapped up in their own little bubbles of life that the two of them were pretty much incognito. He sighed, feeling a little more comfortable now, "So, when we are not in... What was the word again? It was part three of the contract, I think..."

"You mean 'scenes'?"

"That's it," Frank said as he began fiddling with his napkin, "When we are not in scene, how does it all work? How would we be with each other? Does it just stop or is there more to this?"

"When not in scene, there is no play to be had, but I carry the lifestyle both in and out of a scene," Gerard explained, taking a sip of his drink, "But you still have to listen to me and you are still who you are to me. The only difference is the rules are slightly different and I will be less officious. Overbearing to you, boy." Gerard reiterated when he saw the look of confusion on his face.

"How would the rules be different?"

"That's something we can discuss more at home," Gerard acknowledged the question, "You needn't worry about that now. We can go over it properly later."

"Okay," Frank nodded, knowing that he had one more question left. This question he wasn't so sure about; Gerard had already mentioned that he got into BDSM with someone in his past, but that was one person. Frank wondered how many there had been before him. God knows why he wanted to ask, "Sir, can I maybe ask a question that might be a bit more personal?"

"Depends on what the question is, boy."

"How-How many were there before me?" Frank questioned nervously, feeling himself shrink in his seat. He didn't see it as an overstep because he just wanted a better understanding of the person to whom he was literally giving himself.

Gerard paused for a moment. Frank held his breath, wondering if he was about to be scolded for his intrusive question, but he breathed a sigh of relief when Gerard did finally speak, "Three."

"Really?" Frank sounded surprised, half expecting there to be a somewhat lengthy list considering the man on his left was strikingly attractive and charismatic in the most authoritative way possible. He blinked, "Only three?"

"Did you assume that there would have been more?" Gerard raised an eyebrow, "Just because I am who I am doesn't mean I have people falling at my feet, willing to submit. It's not something I do lightly, carelessly. I consider a lot before I decide if I want to begin something with a person."

"Like you did with me?" Frank asked curiously, watching Gerard to see if he could read anything from his reaction. A flicker of something behind his eyes or a tell-tale tic.

"You were different, I have to say," Gerard answered, taking Frank by surprise, "I knew at the time you were taken, but it didn't stop me. I didn't have to decide, I just knew. Even if I didn't know if you would actually agree to all of this when you finally left that monotonous-sounding ex of yours."

Frank chuckled at that before getting back on point, "So, there were three before me?"

"Technically, four. The forth submissive didn't have a contract when we started. It was more of a catharsis." Gerard nodded, quickly turning his attention to the waiter when he came over to clear their plates away. Gerard thanked him, telling him that there would be nothing more for them before asking for the check. Only once the waiter was walking away, that was when Gerard continued, "Robert- Bert, he was the one who got me into this lifestyle. Then there was Billie and before you came along, Adam."

That name rang a bell in Frank's head instantly because of what Lindsey had told him when they had lunch together. The guy who went back to Brazil because his working Visa had expired. Frank held back on saying anything to Gerard about how he already knew about him; he didn't want to get Lindsey in trouble. He immediately got a sinking feeling in his stomach, feeling guilty when he remembered what he had said in the office earlier. That had probably cut right through, hurting Gerard more than Frank had intended.

"Sorry I said what I said earlier in the office, sir..." Frank mumbled out, looking down into his lap as he spoke, "It was meant as a figure of speech more than a direct mention of his name. I didn't realize."

"You didn't know," Gerard accepted the apology with a courteous nod of his head, "It's just an unfortunate coincidence that you used that phrase."

"So, with your previous subs," Frank continued to question, not realizing that Gerard had tensed up over his curiosity, "Was it like, a similar set up to what I have now, or is it different for everyone? Does everyone have to go through the same contract or is it done to suit one person more than the other? I mean, I get that rules stay the same and stuff, but I just-"

"Some things are better left unquestioned, especially when you have to remember to whom you are talking, boy," Gerard stopped Frank dead in his tracks, leaning closer to him, his voice low and stern, letting Frank know that he had most definitely overstepped the line. Frank's voice died in his throat, a chill running down his spine when Gerard watched him for a second, only turning away when he went to pay. Frank sat in silence with his thoughts, knowing that he should probably apologize for what he had asked. The silence felt thick to Frank, like he had fucked up gratuitously. Gerard cleared his throat, "Now, I do believe that you still have a lot of that contract to go through, don't you?"

Gerard seemed to have moved on from it almost instantly, and for that Frank was grateful. He knew that he could calm down now, not holding his breath while he waited to be told off for his questioning. His stomach still felt like it was going in rapid circles like a spinning top, the dread and panic tasted like bile. Eventually, he would calm down completely and Frank knew it. He watched Gerard check his phone from the corner of his eye and decided to finish the last dregs of his tea. He pursed his lips nervously before continuing, "Actually... I do have one more question..."

"Go on," Gerard spoke as he typed off an email on his phone, sent it, and turned his attention to Frank, "Quickly before we head back. Don't want Derek thinking I deserted him."

"I know I said 'yes' to, um... Pee," Frank lowered his voice when a woman walked past their table, "But isn't that kinda gross?

"Far from it," Gerard replied, pocketing his phone, "Urine is sterile, drinkable and completely safe. Urophagia is a practice which can be dated back to ancient man. People used to drink it for ceremonial purposes, sexual practices like you know and are keen on, and medicinal purposes."

Frank screwed up his nose, "So, it's healthy for you?"

"I wouldn't say 'healthy'. If you ingest a lot of it then it won't do you any good, but apparently it's good for certain things. Plus, it is a known fact that it tastes better than ejaculation in any case. Personally, I haven't tasted it myself, but I have heard that it is much better depending on their diet."

"Good to know." Frank blushed and looked down, his mind racing with way too many scenarios.

"There are other benefits to it," Gerard leaned in close to Frank, making him pay attention to the low hushed tone that had him internally melt, "If you'd want to be covered in my come, I would only be able to cover a small portion of your beautiful skin. But if I pissed on you, I could mark all of you as mine and I could completely own your skin. Every single inch, dear boy. All mine."

Frank didn't even know how to respond or react to the words that had just been spoken right into his ear. Gerard lingered far too close to Frank, who internally hoped that Gerard hadn't noticed the way that his breathing faltered. Of course, he had. Gerard sat back in his chair with a smug look on his face when Frank's mouth fell open. He felt like he wanted to sob, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked at Gerard, wondering how the hell he had done that to his insides just by telling him what he could do. How could he make something like 'piss' sound so enthralling and addictive?

"Come on, boy," Gerard stated as he stood up, fastening his jacket before he looked down at Frank, "You won't get the contract finished if you keep sitting there with your mouth open like that."