(Pictured above is Master Remy)

Chapter 10 He's HIS Master

Payton

"Come on Payton, let's go out...to the club." I open one eye and give Tommy a blank look. "If you were just going to stay in the dorm for the whole break you should have gone to your parents. I thought the point of staying in Chicago was to have some fun over the holidays. The club's open for members only tonight. You're an official member now, it'll be great."

"The Red Door on Christmas...isn't that a little sacrilegious T?" I ask.

"Right, and y'all are such the good Christian. Pay, you haven't stepped into a Church since..."

Tommy stops short, a sad look coming over his face. He knows exactly the last time I stepped into a Church. It was his parent's funeral. I couldn't bear the defeated frown that came over his face so I hop up off my bed and pull him into a tight hug. He's a few inches taller than me, but he bends down and I feel his head rest on my shoulder. Tommy is quiet and I know if I let him stay on those thoughts for too long, he'll get pulled into a melancholy mood that could last for several days.

"You're right T. Christmas night at the Red Door is perfect. Ashton will probably be there and since Chris went away for the holidays Ash will probably want some company. Tai's probably around we can see if he wants to come...and..."

Tommy straightens up. "And Lane will probably be there," he finishes and my mood drops.

Yeah, the main reason I didn't want to go in the first place. The reason I was ready to hole myself up in our dorm room for....'til the end of the semester maybe? He recently found out that Master Matthias had still been training subs, me among them, even after they were together and he was more than a little upset about it, especially at me since we're friends. He's angry that I never told him. I honestly didn't keep it from him, I assumed he knew, but most importantly, there was nothing sexual about the training, so there was nothing to tell. I had to be naked some of the time, but there was tons of nudity at the club. Master Matthias never did anything sexual with his trainees though and that's what each of us had to confirm with him when he found out.

"He's not still mad at you Pay. You didn't do anything wrong, he was just caught up in the moment, he freaked when he thought Master Matthias was cheating on him and you know how he gets. He's just very emotional, but at the end of the day he knows you're his friend and that you'd never hurt him. Y'all are going to just have to sit down and talk it out." Typical Tommy answer, in his light southern drawl making me feel like I was on an episode of Dr. Phil. 'Talk it out,' the actual opposite thing I wanted to do.

When Tommy and his parents moved up from Georgia, next door to us just before 5th grade, I had never heard a Southern accent before and although he has lost a lot of it, he still uses expressions like y'all, which to this day makes me chuckle. Tommy is probably the most caring person I know and for some reason, his accent just makes his words that much more comforting.

"I'm not good at that, I don't do confrontation very well, you know that," I sigh and sit back down heavily on my bed. My typical reaction is avoidance instead. Classes had already ended for the break so I hadn't seen Lane face to face since the phone call where Master Matthias asked me to tell Lane exactly what happened during our training sessions.

Of course I told the truth. Nothing. Nothing except the training. Master Matthias is strict, he expects perfection from his subs and accepts no less. Perfection was never my strong point, so my training seemed to take a lot longer than Tommy. Master Matthias spoke to me about it and I was honest. I was nervous, scared even. I told him why too, something that happened that I'd never told anyone, not even Tommy, my best friend.

Master Matthias understood and let me stay on as a sub in training for longer than normal because he knew I needed the time to get comfortable with the situation and to build my confidence. That was mainly what happened in our one-on-one training sessions. Master Matthias was teaching me how to trust. Trust myself, trust him, trust others. He was teaching me that giving that trust to another person, as difficult as it could be for some people, was courageous and if you could do that, you became stronger and could do whatever you wanted.

I always left my sessions feeling on top of the world, like I could do anything. When he told me he was proud of me, I was proud of myself too. Something that I never was before. I really liked that feeling and I liked when he said that, or even as I left his office after my work exchange and he'd say, "Good job today Payton," I'd practically skip down the block to grab the bus back to campus and people would look at me like I was insane, my bright red hair and huge Cheshire grin. I probably did look pretty whacked, but I didn't care.

Regardless, Master Matthias never touched me sexually. He would correct my posture, his hands might brush against my wrists when he placed them in cuffs, but I was only his trainee, never his submissive and never his 'toy'. From what I heard from other subs, the day he met Lane he never again played with another submissive, or anyone at the club, or anyone anywhere. It was only Lane for him. It would only ever be Lane. He was all business with members, and I admired that about him. It made me like him better, but not in the way everyone thinks I liked him.

Everyone, even Tommy, thought I lusted after Master Matthias. I was accused of following him around the club like a puppy dog. The truth is, I felt safe around him. The first time we met with him, he told us exactly what we would be doing in the training and he made sure we understood that nothing sexual was going to happen, we were there to be trained as submissives to the standards of The Red Door and once we were ready, we would be free to mingle and engage in any arrangements, activities, requests that we consented to. Consent was always stressed and the subs were always told that we have the real power since we are the ones who choose whether or not to give ourselves over to a Dom. Master Matthias always kept his word.

So even though sometimes the training required subs to get naked and even restrained, I knew I was safe because Master Matthias was there. He wouldn't do anything and he wouldn't let any Dom he had assisting him do anything outside of his strict training guidelines.

You could say I am in awe of Master Matthias. He's strong, successful, smart, capable, powerful, reliable, yeah, he's handsome too! Tall, muscular - he's a God! An armchair psychiatrist would probably tell me that I was craving guidance from a strong father figure since my dad was the complete antithesis of what Master Matthias represents to me. They'd probably be right. Hell, Master Matthias told me that himself.

They'd probably say that's why the lifestyle attracts me. It's based on trust. By giving up control, you're actually gaining control if that makes any sense. I want the feeling of being protected, looked after, cared about. Someone else carrying the burden. I want someone I can look up to and be loyal to. I don't know why I crave that so much, but loyalty is something I feel to the bone and being able to express that to someone I admire, someone worthy, makes me feel important and alive. The way the Doms at the club are, they bring out all those feelings in me and I just want to give myself over to them...honestly, I want to be dominated. It comes right down to that. Not humiliated or abused, but overpowered, cared for, directed. And in return I would honor them back by giving my complete loyalty and submission. It's seductive and seduced me the first time I walked through the red door and saw it for myself.

Obviously anyone in my family or even a lot of my friends from home would think I'm nuts, right? I'd talked about it to Tommy and he understood and never made fun of me, which makes me love him even more. He's truly the best friend anyone could have. Ashton also understands, and Tai, Chris too I guess, though he likes it for other reasons.

Lane came into the lifestyle in a different way. He and Master Matthias met and connected very deeply, only then did Lane agree to become his submissive. I was actually excited when Lane started showing up and joined the ranks of the subs because I love Lane, he's so funny and full of life. It was cool to be able to talk to him about it, especially since he went from not knowing anything right into being in a very serious relationship.

Tai was with a Dom, but his contract ended and he didn't renew it. He said it just didn't feel like the right one, but he learned a lot. He now knew what he wanted and what he didn't want. Chris had been a sub longer than any of us, but he seemed to be bouncing around trying to figure out what he wanted, mostly getting himself in trouble with his smart mouth, but I think that's his intention for right now.

Ashton and Tommy had interacted with a few Doms, but then the whole thing happened with Casey. Well, Master Casey at the club and just Casey when he was Tommy's personal trainer. But that was over. After the whole 'incident' as Tommy and I started referring to it, Casey was banned from the club for 30 days and Tommy felt working with him at the gym was too much, so he saw a different trainer.

Then, when Master Casey was allowed back in the club, he had to be punished first. Master Adam had asked Tommy to come watch it with him, but Tommy said no. He didn't want to see it. I stayed with Tommy in another part of the club and Ashton went with another Dom and told me about it later. Then after a few weeks I heard he was reinstated as a Dom, but Tommy had been avoiding him. He didn't want to see him with his subs and I don't blame him, but it's been hard watching Tommy pine over him even if he denies it. I just wonder if he should go talk to Casey...do something, either give him a second chance or get over him.

"Just tell Lane what you told me, he'll understand." Tommy's suggestion brought me back to reality.

I'd explained it all to Tommy; as much as I admired Master Matthias, I knew we weren't a good fit. Master Matthias needed someone like Lane. Someone sure of himself, confident - a strong personality. Master Matthias was bigger than life and he needed a partner that was equally bigger than life and that was Lane Wilder in a nutshell!

Not someone like me; inexperienced, nervous in new situations, shy, afraid of intimacy. I knew that. Master Matthias is too intense for me, I'd be anxious every second that I'd do something wrong. A couple of hours a week with him for guidance, had been perfect. A relationship? I knew I'd just end up disappointing him and I didn't want to do that, not with him. I'd disappointed enough people already, my parents, my older brother. I didn't need to disappoint someone who was like a hero to me.

I just had to convince Lane that I didn't have a 'fixation' with his Master as he thought I did. Maybe if I explained the type of Dom I was looking for. Strong like Master Matthias, but with a soft side too. Maybe someone who hadn't been doing it so long, so might not have such high expectations in a newbie sub. He'd have to be patient with me...and he'd have to be easy going and funny. I craved the strict, dominant personality, it was sexy as hell! But sometimes when we were alone and not doing a scene, I wanted someone who was funny and could make me laugh, or who I could make laugh.

I loved goofing around with Tommy, we'd done some really silly things in High School and when I was comfortable with someone I could open up and be pretty funny too. Don't get any ideas though, Tommy and I had tried that 'best friend to boyfriend' thing and it was a disaster! He's my best friend, closer than me and my brother, but when we tried to fool around once, it was awful! It was so uncomfortable we could barely look each other in the eyes for a week! Finally Tommy sat me down, made us talk it out and we agreed that we would put it behind us and not let it ruin our friendship. He's always been the smart one when it comes to stuff like that, where would I be without him!

"Put on those ripped black pants I got you and find a clean shirt and let's get going. I texted Ash and Tai, they'll meet us there."

"I have no decent clean shirts I can wear to the club, we really need to do laundry soon," I whine. Yes, I'll admit sometimes I'm whiny.

"Here, it's not like we wear them for long anyway," Tommy calls over, throwing me one of his silky designer T-shirts. He's a total clothes horse, but being tall and lean he looks good in anything. I shrug into the tight fitting top that leaves nothing to the imagination, even my nipple size. I'm not as tall as Tommy, but I'm still built like him. Lean, but enough defined muscle to do the shirt justice. Pretty much everyone in our program is pretty fit. A lot of people who go into physical therapy are athletic in some way and very interested in their bodies. No dumb jocks because you have to be smart to get through all the physiology and kinesiology classes, but you have the muscle factories like Lane who want to work with athletes or open a gym while others like me and Tommy who want to work in the health care field. I want to work at a hospital or rehabilitation center and Tommy wants to work as an occupational therapist focusing on children and teens.

Once we're ready, we hop in Tommy's car and take the forty-five minute drive to the club. We sign in and head to our table that's unofficially reserved for the Sub Club. We still get a kick out of our nickname, and it's the best table to see and be seen.

"Hi, can I get half orange juice, half cranberry?" My new favourite concoction. Tommy and I have only been here about half an hour, when I decide to go up to get a drink. Tommy had already been sent a drink from Master Adam. Between Thanksgiving, finals and the craziness that leads up to the holidays we hadn't been to the club that often, so he'd only seen the Dom twice since the 'incident'. My best friend is still trying to figure out his feelings for that certain long haired Dom, so he was trying to keep a low profile with all the Doms until he's ready. I was surprised when he accepted the drink and smiled at the Dom in return. Maybe he was ready to try it again with that guy.

I still feel guilty for not going home for the Holidays. Tommy has a good excuse, his Aunt went away on cruise with her boyfriend. I could have brought Tommy home with me, but he wanted to stay in Chicago. I don't blame him. A Holiday with my dysfunctional family is no picnic. Hell, I didn't even want to deal with them, so I told my parents I had the flu and couldn't deal with travelling.

The guilt was weighing on me, but Tommy convinced me that sometimes you have to do what's best for you and not for everyone else. Right now, I couldn't deal with my family. Thanksgiving was mentally taxing enough, and Christmas or not, I just couldn't do it. Luckily, when my brother Kade found out I wasn't coming, he decided to take my parents to Palm Springs for the Holidays where he co-owned a condo. So in the end, they were probably glad I bailed on them. They were going to have more fun without me.

My brother Kade is the family overachiever. He's 8 years older than me and the apple of my parent's eyes. I could never compete with him, so I gave up. I got good grades, but Kade was valedictorian in High School and University. I went to the University of Chicago, he went to Yale. He went into the financial industry and was already making a name for himself and closing in on his first million, I was working towards a physical therapy degree, heading for a steady middle class existence. I'm perfectly okay with that, but my parents and Kade don't seem so good with it. My parents always use Kade as an example of how I should be and Kade himself always tries to be helpful with his advice and suggestions, basically telling me what to do. All it really amounts to is that I'm good enough.

'Okay Payton, get out of your head, you're here to have a good time,' I think to myself. Let all the other crap go.

"Thanks." I pay for my drink and leave a tip on the bar as I take a big sip.

"I didn't know you were a member yet?" A voice says, inches away from my ear. I tense and my sip goes down the wrong tube causing me to choke.

Lane.

"Lane," I say as I finally catch my breath, "you scared me." I pat my chest trying to calm down. I wonder if he's still upset about everything.

"You seem overdressed." Yeah. His tone tells me he's pissed, I guess compared to his red leather booty shorts I am, but I'm sure not going to make a snarky comeback. Most of the subs wear them anyway, I just hadn't gotten the courage to yet, and anyway, it seems like it was the taken subs who wear them. The Doms like to show off their property. To me, the other subs who wear them to attract a Dom look desperate. Well, except Ashton, he doesn't have a desperate bone in his body, he just looks fucking hot in them. I'll just wear pants for now and if I ever get a Dom, I'll see what he wants me to wear.

Lane. Oh yeah. I look back at him and open my mouth wordlessly, then quickly close it.

Fuck. I don't even know what to say to him. I had all these things planned out, but my mind is blank and I'm pretty sure if I open it again, something stupid will come out.

"U-um..."

"Look, I don't really care if you're overdressed or not. I know you give my Master sideways glances full of lust and I'm just letting you know that there is no way in hell it's ever going to happen. I never said anything before and let it go, but I'm saying it now since I found out about your private training sessions. That won't be happening any more either, just so you know. He's mine, not yours. So go find another Dom to drool over because that one there," his voice went even lower and more menacing as he turned to look at Master Matthias, "is taken. Got it?"

Where would I begin to explain it to Lane, would it even help or just make it worse. I don't want to lose Lane as a friend by pissing him off more. I should have told him I was still training with Master Matthias, but I assumed he'd told Lane and if Lane wasn't saying anything he didn't care. I also didn't want to explain why I had to continue training when everyone else was finished, but I guess he'd figured out what a basket case I am anyway. Shy, nervous Payton. I sigh as a heavy weight fills my heart.

"Y-yes." I mumble nervously. I didn't think any of the words flying through my head would make sense anyway. Maybe someday I can explain everything, but now isn't the time.

"Good," Lane says matter of factly, a smile crossing his face. "So, how was your Christmas?" How was my Christmas? He now wants to chat me up? Is he bipolar? I'm not going to go into it, my Christmas sucked goose shit, plain and simple. I never liked the holiday anyway.

"G-good, I guess." I can't do this. I feel like he's still angry and I honestly would rather just go back to the dorm, climb under my covers and hide until I was numb and all these feelings went away, or at least until after New Years. "I h-have to go," I blurt out.

I try to return his smile, but I can feel the sting of tears behind my eyes and I just need to get to the bathroom so I can compose myself before going to find Tommy to tell him I'm leaving.

I quickly turn in the direction of the restrooms, drink still in hand.

"Oomph!" What the hell?! Did I walk into one of the large pillars, no, they're on the far side of the dance floor. My drink goes flying into whatever the hell I just crashed into and I can hear it splashing out of the glass.

When my vision clears I'm staring at a light brown, well-chiseled chest. Firm pecs above tight six-pack abs, tattoos on his chest and arms, hard, dark nipples. Did I mention I have a fixation with male nipples? These were the sexiest ones I've ever seen, like firm dark protruding pebbles accentuating the roundness of his chest muscles. I look down and see a very light trail down to the top of his black leathers. Kill me now! My eyes travel back up, his front glistening which makes it even sexier.

Shit...glistening with my orange/cranberry juice. I feel all the blood leave my face. I want to die, right there on the spot, let the ground open up and please swallow me whole. I steel myself and look up. The man is much taller than me and about twice as thick. Like, he could probably break me like a twig.

And even worse he's incredibly handsome, like, male supermodel handsome. His perfect café au lait skin looks edible, he has full lips that I know would be amazing to feel on my own and I lick mine unconsciously as if readying them. Beautiful cheek bones, a perfectly proportioned classic nose, dark brown eyes and short, shaved just to his scalp dark hair. He doesn't look happy though. I imagine, as the sticky juice drips off him, that he probably isn't.

I, Payton Johns am about to die.

His eyes glare down at me and I look around in a panic. Scott, the waiter is holding up napkins, empathy and pity in his eyes. He probably also knows I'm about to die. I grab the napkins from his hands and furiously try to wipe the juice from the sexy man's front. Did I say sexy? Oh my god. He's so sexy. Like, a younger, slightly slimmer version of Master Matthias, except his facial features are much rounder and softer. But the way he's looking at me certainly isn't soft.

He towers over me at maybe 6' 2" or 3". My hands are shaking and I practically faint when I realize I'm dabbing the liquid from the front of his pants. Any other time I would have been enjoying the view, the feel, all of it, but right now I'm cursing every choice that brought me here. I should have gone home for Christmas, I shouldn't have let Tommy talk me into coming tonight...fuck, I should have gone to that community college in my home town and never come to Chicago...

"That's quite enough!" His deep voice booms at me, resonating in my chest like the bass beat at a dance club. Oh my god. I knew I'd never seen him before, and his strong accent goes through me like a cannon. His large hands come up and push away my flailing pale hands from his body like he's swatting a fly.

"I'm s-so sorry Sir, I wasn't watching where I was going," I plead, I'm such a klutz and now look what I've gone and done. I'm such a loser and I know I have to just get away as soon as possible, the bathroom is still way closer that the exit, I can go hide and not come out until closing time when I can slink away without anyone seeing me...or maybe there's a window in the bathroom I can climb out of.

"Yes well maybe you should start paying attention to where you're going then. It is common sense."

His scolding is accentuated by his deep voice and strong accent. I'm pretty sure it's French. I feel myself deflate. He surely must be wondering what kind of a loser Master Matthias lets into his club. He has every right to be angry. So did Lane. I'd made a mess of everything. As usual, I can't do anything right. What did I expect? Things wouldn't change here either, I'm beginning to think there was really no place I would fit in. I look down at my feet in misery, my shoulders sag heavily as I let out an anguished sigh.

"I'm sorry, it's been a crazy night," he starts, his tone a bit softer. He must realize that someone like me can't help themselves. "But I shouldn't take it out on you. Just, be careful and watch where you're going next time okay?"

He's letting me off the hook, probably because he just wants me to get out of his sight so I won't annoy him anymore. "Yes Sir, please excuse me Sir."

I put the empty glass down on the bar and speed walk to the bathroom. It would be safer if I just stayed out of everyone's way until it's time to leave. Who knows what I'll do next, how I'll make even more of a fool of myself. I run into the bathroom that's down the hall near the back of the club. It's the least used and with it not being too crowded I can hide in one of the stalls in relative peace undisturbed.

I run in and close myself into the last stall, putting the cover down on the toilet I sit down bringing my knees up to my chest and drop my head down as the tears began to flow. I'm embarrassed, I feel guilty about Lane...about not going to see my family for the holidays...I just feel like I never make the right decisions and everything always turns into a screw up and it's always my fault. I'm not even cutting it as a sub. The tears stop flowing after a few minutes so I wipe my eyes with some tissue, but I have no intention of leaving.

"Pay?" Tommy calls out softly as I hear the door open. "Pay, Tai said he saw you running in here. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine Tommy, I'm just going to stay here a while."

"Why? Did something happen? Tai said you looked upset. He was going to come in and check on you, but I told him I would."

"Tommy, I'm just...I made a fool of myself in front of the sexiest Dom I've ever seen...Lane hates me...I just...can't do anything right."

"Lane doesn't hate you. He might still be pissed off, but it wasn't your fault and he'll realize that. Right now it's just easier to blame everyone else than Master Matthias, even though he wasn't doing anything but his job either. He'll come around, I promise."

I nod my head even though he can't see me and take a deep breath, blowing my nose so I can breathe better.

"Who was the Dom? Master Matthias?"

"Nooo!"

"Sexier than Master Matthias?" he teases, he still doesn't get that I wasn't in love with Master Matthias. And if Tommy thought that, of course Lane and everyone else did. My life sucks.

"Stop it with Master Matthias!" I whine, "yes, he's sexy, but so are most of the Doms here. I don't have a crush on Master Matthias and why won't anyone ever believe me!"

"Okay Payton, I'm just teasing you. I believe you," Tommy says in his soothing southern drawl. "Why don't you come out and we can talk...or just have a drink and relax. Don't stay in there."

"I'm never getting another drink here," I pout like a six year old, "and I'm not coming out until closing time and everyone's left. You can go back to the table, I'll be fine."

"Pay, I'm not leaving you hiding in the bathroom. Tell me what happened. Who is this sexy Dom and what did you do?"

"I don't know who he is, I've never seen him before. He's got a French accent and he's really tall with dark skin and a couple of tattoos. His face is beautiful...and he's built, I mean, like perfectly cut and buff. He was in tight fitting leathers that...well, you know...hugged everything perfectly and he had no shirt on and...his nipples...oh my god!"

I pause to take a breath since I'd been rambling really fast.

"I was talking to Lane, he was mad...he told me to stay away from Master Matthias, that he's his...and then I started to leave...and Tommy, I spilled my OJ and Cranberry all over this Dom's beautiful chest, down his washboard abs and all over his leathers."

"Oh my god Pay!"

"I know."

"What did he do? Is he going to punish you?"

"I don't think so...oh my god, do you think? He'd probably have said something, but he mostly just wanted me to go away. So see, I can't go back out there. If he sees me again he'll probably get pissed off and I'll have to get paddled in front of everyone, that would be so embarrassing...they'd see my butt...then...they'd all see me cry and I'd have to leave the club...I'd never be able to come back..."

"Shhhh, Pay. None of that is true. I'm sure it was an accident. He's probably forgotten all about it. Just come out and we'll go sit down...if after an hour you still want to leave I'll take you back to the dorm myself."

"I'm not coming out Tommy. Not right now."

"Please Pay..."

"No, just go and have a good time, you should go talk to Master Casey. Come get me later after everyone's gone."

I hear Tommy take a deep, frustrated breath. "I'll be right back," he mutters. I lay my head back down on my knees and close my eyes. After a few minutes I hear a voices and a scuffle as the door opens again.

"Payton, you can come out of the closet, but you can't come out of the stall?"

Lane. He's giggling at his clever joke. Okay, I have to admit, it was kind of funny. I grab another tissue and chuckle quietly while I wipe snot off my nose that started dripping from when I was crying.

"That's not funny," I grumble.

"Why are you hiding in the bathroom?"

Duh! What does he think?

"I MADE SUCH A FOOL OF MYSELF IN FRONT OF THAT SEXY DOM!"

"Paypay! No you didn't, just come out of the bathroom," I can hear Tommy plead quietly. What does he know, he wasn't even there!

"Don't be such a pussy Payton, who cares if you spilled your drink on him? It was an accident and those happen all the time. You just have to brush yourself off and keep moving. You act like you puked on the man's cock while giving him head or farted while he fucked you or something!"

Oh my god. Leave it to Lane! Ewww...

"LANE, OH MY GOD WHAT THE FUCK?!" I yell. Why does he always have to be so crude and gross!

"What did I say?" he asks incredulously. "Whatever," he sighs, "I'll be back."

"Wait, where are you going?" I hear Tommy ask him.

"Where's he going?" I ask concerned, with Lane, you never know what he's going to do. Maybe he's going to get me something to eat I think hopefully. I suddenly feel really drained and kinda hungry. Nah, he's not doing that. He's probably going to go get Ash or Tai to help get me out. Lane please don't draw any more attention to me than I've already done!

"Pay?" Tommy starts.

"I'm not coming out Tommy, just go back to the table, I don't want to ruin your night too."

I hear the door open again and low voices, probably one of the guys to come help Tommy. I hear Tommy say okay and the door opens and closes again. And Payton gets handed off to...would it be Tai or Ash? Probably Ash because I pretty much always listen to him. I wipe my face again with a tissue.

"Payton, come out of the stall right now," a strong, deep voice commands...with an accent. Oh Lord please shoot me know. Lane truly hates me if he sent that Dom in after me. My heart starts beating a mile a minute and I'm frozen, completely frozen. I can't move, can't breathe or even speak.

"Boy, if you don't get your ass out here right now..." He starts and I can hear him sigh in annoyance as his voice tones down, "just at least open the door. I'm not going to stand here and talk to a bathroom door."

"Ah..." My voice starts to squeak so I quickly shut my mouth.

"Calm down Remington," a deep voice I recognize says. Master Matthias. Oh my god. I really should have gone home for Christmas. But what a sexy name, Remington. Too bad I've ruined any chance I would have had, not that I would have one anyway.

"Il ne veut pas ouvrir la porte!" Remington, or Master Remington I guess, is speaking to Master Matthias in French, telling him I won't open the door. I'm fluent in French since my Grandmother and her second husband, my step-grampa, live in Quebec and I spent many summers with them growing up. I also took the language all through school because it was an easy A since I'd been speaking it with them, and sometimes with my mother since I was a baby.

Master Matthias replies; "L'effrayer n'aidera pas," telling him that scaring me won't help, and I can't help but smile at his concern.

"Je ne l'effaye pas, je lui ai seulement demandé d'ouvrir la porte à plusieurs reprises.  Le gamin ne veut pas écouter!"

The smile is soon wiped off my face as Master Remington declares that he wasn't scaring me, he had only said to open the door repeatedly. I hear Lane laugh as he adds, 'the little brat won't listen'. Does Lane know French?

"I got two sexy men speaking French and it's getting me horny." Typical Lane. I want to yell for him to keep it in his pants for 2 minutes, but with the two Doms out there , I think better of it.

I know I have to open the door, especially now with Master Matthias there. The crowd in the bathroom wasn't going anywhere. I lean up and flick the latch.

"Ouvre cette porte!" Master Remington's voice is stern as he pounds on the door yelling to just open it. I guess he doesn't realize I just unlatched it until the door swings open.

I'm still sitting, huddled on the toilet as I watch his dark eyes take me in. I quickly lower my own.

"Merci beaucoup Master Remington. Je suis tellement désolé de vous avoir causé tant de soucis." I say meekly, thanking him and apologizing for all the trouble I caused.

"De rien," the large man mumbles in reply, 'it's nothing'. His face looks shocked, I guess he didn't imagine that I spoke French and knew everything he had been saying.

Now, all I could really think to do was get out of there. Get to the dorm room and hide in my bed for the rest of my life.

"I have to go, excuse me," it comes out in barely a whisper as I stand up stiffly, my legs hurting from crouching for so long, I slide past Master Remington who still looks stunned. As I walk past Master Matthias I glance up and mouth an apology before scurrying out the door.

Tommy is waiting outside the room, leaning against the hallway.

"Pay?"

"I'm just going home Tommy, I'll get a cab or something," I say as I continue walking down the hallway.

"Wait Pay, I can drive you..."

"Payton Johns, hold still." Ugh. That voice. I freeze mid-step and the weirdest feeling comes over me. Like my skin is tingling and...well things feel funny below the belt. I don't dare turn around, I don't dare move.

"Tommy right?" He says more quietly to my best friend behind me, "let me talk to him, okay?"

"Yes, Sir."

Traitor.

I feel a large hand on my shoulder, "viens avec moi."

Come with me. I look back to Tommy who's looking anywhere but me. Master Matthias and Lane haven't yet come out of the bathroom, so they can't save me, not that Lane would, but Master Matthias might.

"Allons-y." Let's go.

"Umm..." The man's grip on my shoulder is firm, so when he gives me a little pull I just start walking in the direction he's leading me, which turns out to be Master Matthias' office. He closes the door behind us and gestures for me to sit down on the brown leather couch in a little sitting area at the other side of the room from Master Matthias' desk.

"Don't move." I peek up as Master Remington walks into the attached bathroom. I can hear water running and soon he's walking back out and I quickly look back down at my feet as I sit stiffly. Within seconds he's crouching in front of me and a finger comes to my chin tipping up my face. He begins gently wiping my face with a warm, wet washcloth; face to face I can't help but look at his beautiful dark brown eyes as they watch me intently.

The washcloth feels really good as I close my eyes to let him wipe all the dried up tears away.

"Feeling a little better?" He asks when he's finished and I open my eyes again.

"I don't know yet," I reply quietly, "are you going to punish me?"

For the first time since I ran into him, his face breaks out into a smile and he lets out a hearty laugh.

"I don't know, do you want me to?" He asks, chuckling.

I shake my head no.

"I'm not your Dom and it was just an accident. You didn't mean to do it," he says evenly. "Like I said earlier, it's been a crazy night, you know, Christmas with family and all."

"I can relate to that. I hate Christmas and this one just keeps getting worse and worse," I sigh.

"Well, let's put a stop to that right now, okay. Put it all behind us and start fresh." He reaches out his hand, "I'm Remington Delacroix, Matthias is my cousin."

Whoa. Master Matthias' cousin. No wonder he just came into his office. No wonder...no wonder he's so hot! I reach my hand over and let him shake it, trying to keep my shake as firm as his.

"Um..Payton Johns....I go to University with Lane. Sir." He hadn't corrected me before, but I figure I'd better start remembering the training after all, it's part of the reason everything got so messed up tonight.

"Studying?"

"Ah...PT...Physical Therapy, like Lane, Sir."

"How long have you been coming to the club Payton?"

"Just a couple of months, I...was training with Master Matthias, I only became an official member recently....Sir. This is the first night I've been here since Master Matthias released me from training status." I sigh tiredly, looking back down, my eyes trained on the way Master Remington's leathers strain over his knees and thighs while he's crouched in front of me. "It's probably my last too, Master Matthias will probably kick me out of the club for being...such a loser."

Master Remington puts the washcloth on the glass topped table behind him and steadies himself by placing each of his hands on my knees. They are warm and the pressure steadies me as much as it probably does him, but still I can feel my heart rate rise and I suddenly have a need for more air.

"No he won't, I know my cousin. Underneath all that hard exterior, he's very understanding. If he doesn't already know it was just an accident, I'll talk to him about It. It was as much my fault as yours, I probably came up behind you too fast on my way to the bar."

"Thank you Sir."

"So, you speak French?"

I nod, "Oui Monsieur.  Mes grands patrents vivent au Québec, je l'ai parlé avec eux depuis mon enfance." (Yes, Sir. My grandparents live in Quebec, I've been speaking it with them since I was little). "Vivez-vous en France?" (Are you from France?).

"Oui, la plupart du temps, mais j'ai vécu dans de nombreux endroits, dont les États Unis." (Yes, mostly, but I've lived many places, including the United States).

"Are you ready to go back into the club?" He asks next.

"I..I should probably just go home Sir."

"Why?"

I just shrug my shoulders. I don't really have an answer.

"Well, since my cousin is busy, why don't you keep me company tonight, so I don't have to sit alone."

My heart starts pounding at his words. What does he mean? Is that like code that he wants me to submit to him...like have sex? How can I tell him I can't just do that with anyone yet? I'm not like a lot of the others subs, I can't just...have sex with anyone, I kind of want to, but I'm not ready yet...at least, I think I want to, I'm not sure yet...

"Payton!"

"Oh..." I look back up to his face. Even crouching he's a head taller than me sitting. His face is stern again as he looks at me, my mind wanders a lot...he's still waiting for an answer.

"I..I'm new to this Sir. What exactly does keep you company mean?" Tommy always told me to just be honest when I was confused or didn't understand something. Communication is important, especially here.

"It means, sit with me, perhaps some light conversation. Tell me about yourself, try not to spill the drink I'll order for you on me, perhaps go upstairs to watch the show, laugh at my jokes..."

"So, it doesn't mean...like..." Master Remington gives me an amused look as I fumble along, "you're not asking...like...we're not going to...have...umm...you know...like...sex or anything?" I mumble the last three words and look away as my cheeks burn.

"Would you like to have sex?" He asks with a booming laugh.

"I...I...No! Well...not right now...I mean...I hardly know you...and...I...I...you wouldn't want to...I mean...have sex with me anyway...I...umm...don't really...I'm not like...the other subs...I...don't really know...umm...what...I'm...a little nervous..."

"Payton, relax. I wasn't asking you to have sex. I merely would like you to sit with me and let us get to know each other. I'd rather not sit alone and...well, frankly, you amuse me."