Chapter 16 New Year, New Beginnings

Tommy

"Everything was okay after we left?" Casey asks once we are seated at the table. We're having a late lunch at a restaurant called Mana Food Bar, one I've never been to before. It has a relaxed hipster feel and glancing at the menu and all the vegetarian and vegan options I can tell why he likes it. Casey is very particular about what he eats, he's not vegetarian, but he still enjoys a lot of the types of foods served at vegetarian restaurants. Casey treats his body like the proverbial temple. Not that I can blame him, I think as I look over at his amazing physique. He is a god, I totally worship him.

"Why are you blushing?" he asks with a smirk, once again catching me staring.

"Ah...nothing. Yeah, everything was fine. We all just crashed." I laugh thinking about Payton. "Well, Payton drank like a gallon of water first, made toast and took some Tylenol before he'd go to sleep. He wanted to avoid a hangover as much as possible."

Casey lets out a quiet chuckle. "How well did that go? He was...well, not what I'd ever expect from him. He's usually pretty quiet."

"It's the quiet ones that surprise you," I comment.

"That's very true!"

"He actually felt pretty fine this morning. He was up, made us all pancakes and was out the door by 10. I didn't wake up until right before he left. He was frantically looking for the car keys Lane hid. Well, he was fine physically, but nervous and excited at the same time. He met Master Remington to show him around Chicago today, that's why I lent him my car."

"Hmm..." Casey looks thoughtful for a minute, like he's contemplating saying something before he looks down at the menu.

"Hmm?"

His head pops up. "I don't know much about Remington, except that he's only here for a short time. I assume Payton is aware of that."

"He is..."

"Again, I don't know Payton that well either, but he seems...correct me if I'm wrong, but a bit on the sensitive side. The type of submissive who needs a more caring and attentive Dom. I just hope he doesn't get hurt."

I sigh. He's not saying anything I haven't been thinking about either. I shrug my shoulders, "you're not wrong there, but...I think Payton is at odds between that side of himself and bit of a wild streak that wants to go a little nuts and try lots of new experiences now that he's away from home. His parents tried to mold him into this person he's not, they stifled him, so now he's...spreading his wings I guess. He's stubborn too, if I tried to tell him what he should and shouldn't do it would just backfire."

A waitress walks up before Casey can reply. She glances at me and then gives Casey a big smile. "Hey Casey. How was your Christmas hun?"

'Hun?' I frown as an irrational part of myself feels a pang of jealousy. I hate it. Jealousy is petty, but I just can't help it.

"It was pretty amazing actually," Casey replies and looks at me with a beaming smile that instantly lifts my heart back up. I can't help but smile in return and then quickly look down at my menu before I blush. "How was yours Stacy?"

"Eh, it was okay. You know, did the family thing and all that. What can I get you?"

"Tommy, what would you like?"

"Um...I'm not really sure...what's good?"

"Everything is great so you can't go wrong." I feel Casey's patient gaze as my eyes dart over the menu, but I'm not sure what to order. "Would you like me to order some of my favorites and we can share?"

"Yes Sir, I mean please. Yes, please!" I blurt out with relief. "Heh, that would be great." Casey lets out a deep chuckle as he glances back down at his menu.

"Okay Stace, start us off with an order of Sesame Noodles, Hummus, and the Caponata. Then after that we'll have an order of Curry and the Spanikopita. We're going to share so if you could bring us two plates that would be fantastic...oh and two Daisy Cutter Pale Ales..." he quickly looks at me, "that okay with you? If you're still recovering from last night they make great southern ice tea."

"I'm fully recovered, thank you," I deadpan, "but I think I'll take an ice tea anyway." He gives me a teasing grin before turning back to our waitress.

"One Ice Tea and One Daisy Cutter, Stacy."

"Sure thing Case, I'll be right back with your drinks."

"Thanks," we both murmur before she rushes off.

Casey is still grinning at me and I can't help but feel like he'll be teasing me about last night for a long while. When the Doms showed up, the party ended pretty quickly. Chris' friends were the first to take off leaving us subs at the mercy of the overly concerned and slightly pissed off group of men. Poor Payton was more than a little tipsy and of course they walked in the door at the worst possible moment. I snicker to myself thinking about him yelling at the top of his lungs about offering himself as the virgin sacrifice to Master Remy. It all kind of worked out, because today they were off traipsing around Chicago together. Like Casey, I just hope he doesn't end up getting hurt.

When Casey walked over to me last night, he looked more concerned than annoyed. I hadn't had as much to drink as Payton, but I was still pretty tipsy. Not out of control or anything and I quickly told Casey that we had planned to stay overnight from the start and besides, Lane had collected everyone's car keys.

He wasn't quite pleased, but I think he knew the party getting out of hand wasn't my fault and besides, he's not in a position to tell me what to do anyway. He's not my Dom, though I took the tactful route and didn't point that out to him. He did stay for a while and he and Master Nathan helped Tai and I clean up.

Master Nathan's been giving Tai a lot of attention lately and wants him to sign another contract, but Tai already told him no. I don't know if he's trying to get on Tai's good side with the attention and staying to help last night, but we all agreed that he's acting a little pathetic and not getting the hint. He was concerned for Tai, and before he left gave him a long French kiss. And from where I stood Tai returned it. When I asked him about it later he just shrugged his shoulders and gave me a cheeky grin so I don't know what's up with Tai, but I'll find out eventually. Tai's not very good at keeping secrets.

Chris took the worst of it getting a lecture first from Master Matthias and then Master Clark who was also among the Doms that crashed the party. Master Clark definitely wants Chris to sign a contract with him, but Chris is all about trying new things and keeping commitments at a minimum. I've also heard he's been spending a lot of time down in the dungeon with those four Doms...the Freaky Foursome as they're called. Payton told me what he'd seen that night he went down there and its definitely not a scene I'd be into. Payton told me he has a secret fantasy to try the group thing at some point, but it's not something I'm interested in at the moment. One Dom is plenty for me, especially if that Dom is...

"Penny for your thoughts Tommy."

"Sorry, Casey. Just thinking about the party last night," I laugh.

"Here are your drinks and your starters will be out in just a couple of minutes," Stacy says as she rushes over with a tray. We both thank her and soon she's gone to help another customer.

"So tell me what you're looking for," Casey starts after taking a sip of his beer.

"You mean, at the club?"

"Mhm."

"I...I'd like to experience the lifestyle, I don't know if it's something I want long term, but I have a strong interest in it and want to feel what it's like for myself."

"How did training go?"

"It was good. It felt good, I liked the way Master Matthias guided us, it was very freeing. When I left each night...it's weird, but I felt lighter than when I went in, you know, like a weight lifted off my shoulders. I don't know...it's hard to describe and I feel weird trying to explain it."

"No, don't feel weird. I understand. When I first entered the lifestyle I trained as a submissive myself."

"Really?!" I can't hide my surprise, I wasn't expecting that.

"Yes," he laughs. "Don't look so shocked. I was 18, my self-esteem was pretty low...it was a hard time in my life and the Dom I ended up with after my training helped me to realize I had value and that I could accomplish whatever I wanted. Many people outside the lifestyle think the submissive is looked down upon and denigrated, but a good Dom, a real Dom, does quite the opposite. I was lucky and I owe a lot to my Master."

"How long were you with him?" I ask.

"I stayed with Master Zachariah for nearly a year. He actually was the one to end it. He pushed me out of the nest you could say. Told me I'd learned what I needed to learn from him and I needed to flap my wings." He chuckles quietly for a few minutes with a look of fond recollection. "I tried it with another Dom, but I realized what Master Zachariah was trying to tell me and I ended the contract and began my training as a Dominant. I also changed my major to Business, caught the gym bug, convinced my personal trainer to teach me everything he knew, added a minor in kinesiology and by the time I finished my MBA I had opened my first gym and was looking for a location to open a second."

"Wow! That's pretty impressive." I gaze at Casey and the sense of awe I'd already been feeling seems to have grown exponentially.

"Now, I'm not Master Zachariah, but I think I'm a pretty good Dom. I feel a connection with you Tommy, something I'd like to explore further. But I need to know what you want. Do you want the Dom/sub relationship, or are you looking for something more."

"More?" I'm not quite sure what he's saying and I don't want to make a wrong assumption, but I find myself very interested in what he might be getting at.

"More, like a boyfriend."

"What are you offering?" I ask boldly.

Casey leans forward, his intense eyes looking directly at me. "I'd like to be your Dominant, Tommy. I'd like nothing more than to explore your body and push your limits until you're writhing underneath me, begging for release. I've had fantasies of controlling you, having you look up at me as you kneel at my feet, fully giving your trust to me."

Casey then leans back in his chair and I watch the intensity of his features begin to soften. "But I can't lie, I feel something for you. Something more than I've felt with a submissive before. I'd like to explore that side of things as well. I'd...like to...take things slow, but also try the boyfriend thing, if you're interested. If you're not, and want to be my submissive only, I would feel honored to take you on that journey. It's up to you Tommy. I've laid my cards out on the table. You hold the power. You get to decide."

I sit frozen, staring at him. My mouth agape, my lips and tongue so dry that I have to swallow several times before I can even try to get any words out.

"Uhhh...." I start and the sound comes out quietly like a slow hiss of a tire. "I...I'd like that...um, I mean, I'd like it all...all of it...submissive and..." but I can't even say the word. It just doesn't seem possible.

"Boyfriend?" he asks softly.

I nod my head, swallowing a few more times to get my voice back.

"Great. It's settled then," he whispers, leaning forward and lifting up my chin with his finger. He places a very soft and gentle kiss on my lips before leaning back.

Stacy was back before I could say another word and set the three dishes of our first course on the table between us and then gave us each an empty plate. "Enjoy guys!"

"Thank you Stacy, I'm sure we will." Casey gave her one of his charming smiles before returning his gaze to me. Once she leaves us alone again he goes ahead and serves a generous portion of each item onto my plate before doing the same to his own.

"I don't think now is the time to discuss things like hard limits and safewords Tommy, I'd rather us enjoy this delicious meal and relax. But we will have that conversation. We'll also discuss my rules while in the club, your needs and...desires...and anything else we both deem important to move forward with our relationship."

"Will there be...a...um, contract?" I ask.

"For our interaction at the club I do think having some rules and boundaries is important, but outside the club, I think, things should be more like a regular relationship. Maybe we'll have some guidelines to work with, but I want us to allow that part of our relationship to grow more...organically. How do you feel about that?"

"I...that's great," I reply with a broad smile. "I like that...I like it a lot."

The big smile he gives me makes me feel like melting right into the chair, but before I know it, he's giving me my first official order.

"Now eat your food Tommy, you're going to need to keep up your strength." He chuckles as he winks at me and I can't help it but burst out laughing.

Payton

"Pay...wake up. Pay!!!" I can feel Tommy sitting on the side of my bed. "It's New Year's Eve! We have to figure out what to wear tonight to the party...and you need to tell me about your day yesterday!!" I open one eye and peer over at my digital clock. It's 8:17 a.m. Seriously? We have to pick out our clothes now?

"Nuh-uh," I grunt. I got up early yesterday, spent all day out with Master Remy and now it's all caught up with me and all I want to do is sleep in. Not to mention the fact that we'd be up late again tonight. I turn my face towards the wall and try to ignore my best friend.

"Come on Pay! You were asleep when I got off the phone with Casey." He lets out a big sigh. "You're killing me here."

I roll over onto my back and look up at him. He looks pained. "It's not my fault you talked to him until almost midnight. I got home at 10:30, how long were you on the phone with him before I got back?"

"Not that long...I don't know, I didn't keep track. I like talking to him. But seriously...tell me about yesterday!"

I let out a tired groan, "if I tell you can I go back to sleep?"

"Yes. Or you can come with me to go meet Tai for breakfast and then go clothes shopping with us for tonight."

"Ugh, Tommy no. I'm just gonna wear something from my closet. It's not like it matters anyway, half of it comes off as soon as we get to the club. But can you bring me back something to eat later. I'll probably sleep until at least noon." My eyelids feel heavy so I let them close, not that I think for a second that Tommy will let me go back to sleep.

"Yes, but first spill!" He protests, shaking me again. I let out a long groan, but when I open my eyes I can't help but smile.

"It was great! First we went to have breakfast and then to Grant Park, which is this huge park, well, you've heard of it. So we walked around Millennium Park, which is within Grant Part...kind of confusing, but anyway, we also went to see Buckingham Fountain. Remy really likes art so we went to the Art Institute..."

"Wait, Remy?"

"Well, yeah. He told me to call him that, it's what all his friends and family call him." I roll my eyes at that smirk Tommy is giving me. "He's not going to make me call him Master Remy in public Tommo, d'uh! Besides, he's not my Dom."

"Okay, okay, keep going. I have to leave soon to meet Tai."

"Well, like I said the place is huge, so we spent like half the day there. After lunch we went down to Monroe Harbor and it was wicked cold so we went into the Chicago Yacht Club for something hot to drink and we were talking to this older guy and it turns out he's the Commodore."

"Isn't it too cold for sailing?"

"Yes, Tommy," I snicker, "there weren't any boats in, but you know I still like to go look at the water in the winter when it's all quiet, Remy likes the water too. He's really into speed boats, but he's never been sailing, so I told him if he came back in the summer I'd take him sailing...but another cool thing, the guy I talked to took my name and number and if any race boats need crew for the spring race season he'd call me. He's heard of Zephyr and was pretty impressed that I crew on it."

"Cool, but more about Remy!"

"Okay, in the afternoon we went to the Chicago Riverwalk..."

"You can tell me more about where you went later, but what did you do?"

"That's what I'm telling you..."

"No, like, did he kiss you...did you hold hands...was it romantic..."

"Tommy, he's a Dom...and this wasn't like a date, I was just showing him around Chicago. It was more like a friend thing I guess...except he did always order for me and he didn't let me pay for anything, he even filled up your gas tank before he dropped me off."

"Dropped you off?"

"Well, on the way back he drove, he said I looked tired. He wouldn't let me take him home either because Master Matthias and Lane's house is out in the suburbs and he didn't want me driving back alone since I was tired so he drove me back to campus, called some taxi or car service on the way that met him here and drove him home."

"Oh my god, that's so sweet Pay!"

"Yeah, it was," I laugh, "especially because I almost fell asleep when he was driving me back...well, actually I did fall asleep for a few minutes. It was kind of embarrassing."

"But you didn't get much sleep last night and you were up early. Don't sweat it Pay, it sounds like you two had a good day. Where'd he take you to dinner?"

"Oh my god Tommy! A place called MK and it was amazing! Master Matthias had recommended it to him, well either that or The Backdoor, but I've been to The Backdoor and so has he so we decided to try something we'd both never been to before. It was like a foodie's heaven! They had a special four course meal and we had mussels to start, which I wasn't sure if I'd like, but I tried them and they were really good. Then butternut squash ravioli, which sounds really weird, but it was the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. The main entrée was grilled berkshire porkchops, not sure what the berkshire part meant, but it had like maple glaze with peach chutney and grilled veggies and then for dessert...oh my god..."

"What?" Tommy asks, chuckling as my eyes close remembering the heavenly dessert.

"It was an orgasm on a plate...layers of chocolate cake with mousse in between covered in chocolate ganache, crème fresh drizzled over and fresh raspberries and a little raspberry sauce sprinkled on top. It was like they decided to design my perfect dessert and put it on the menu just for me."

"That does sound like your kind of dessert Payton. I'm glad you had fun..." a buzzing from his phone interrupts him and he looks down. "I really have to go, that's Tai telling me he's leaving his apartment and he's closer to the place we're meeting than me. I really have to run, but we'll talk more later."

Tommy stands up, grabbing his coat from the back of his desk chair.

"Okay," I murmur, rolling back so my face is in the pillow. "I'll tell you about the kiss later."

"PAYTON JOHNS YOU'VE BEEN HOLDING BACK!" he wails and I feel my shoulders shake as I hold in my laughter. "Tai can wait 2 more minutes, spill!" When I pretend to fall back asleep he starts tickling me which is one of the things I hate the most.

"Okay, okay," I gasp trying to keep from laughing, "he kissed me a few times. When I first met up with him he gave me one of those French hugs where they kiss both your cheeks, but that's normal in France so I didn't think anything of it until he stood back and looked at me, and I'm sure I was blushing like a total loser, but then he swooped back in, lifted my chin and gave me the sweetest kiss I've ever had."

"Awwww, Pay!"

"I know, and the way his eyes were looking at me was so sweet, I almost melted. It was like the whole cold Dom façade just faded away. Then he smiled and it was more like we were friends and we sat down and started planning out where we were going to go for the day. It was really cool Tommy, he's really a fun guy when he's his normal self. Then...we went on one of those hop-on, hop-off double decker bus tours, and when we were waiting in a bus stop he kissed me again, for a few minutes we were the only ones there and he like caged me against the wall and gave me this kiss that almost made me crumble. It was so hot! Ugh Tommy, he made me start to get hard, but then these old ladies came in and they were staring at us and, let's just say my problem went away pretty fast." I start laughing thinking about that until Tommy starts pouting for more.

"As we climbed on the bus he pinched my butt and I squeaked like a girl and the old ladies gave us these disapproving looks and we just started cracking up. They sat as far away from us as possible!"

"Oh my god Pay, it sounds perfect."

"I know, right! And then he kissed me again when he dropped me off, well, we more like made out until his car showed up...and then he asked me if I was going to the party tonight and I said yes..."

"And..."

"And he asked me if I wanted to spend time together...at the party...at the club...with him..."

"And you said?"

"D'uh Tommy! Of course I said yes!"

"But...you're going to be careful, you're not going to let yourself get hurt or anything?"

"No Tomtom, I know he's leaving...he's actually taking his mother to New York City for 2 days before they fly back to France."

"Wait, his mother is here too? Did you meet her?"

"Nooo, well, yes, she's here too, but no, I didn't meet her. She's staying with Master Matthias' mother, her sister...doing sister stuff I guess."

"When does he leave for New York?"

"Day after tomorrow, but he promised to spend tomorrow with Christophe, his other cousin. Did you know Matthias had a younger brother?"

Tommy shakes his head, "is he a Dominant too?"

"Not that I'm aware of, he runs the family business, Remy said that Matthias used to, but didn't like it so much so when Christophe was ready he passed it on to him. Something to do with linguistics and translating and business and consulting on mergers...I wasn't paying too much attention...I was paying more attention to the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about it and he looked really passionate like he's into all that too. Did you know Remy's also a linguist? He speaks 9 languages fluently and can manage fairly well through like 6 others...and he has an MBA, he finished graduate school 2 years ago and works for a company in France, but travels all throughout Europe and Asia!"

"That's really cool Pay, he must be really smart. But I really have to go now or Tai will be super pissed with me. I'll be back in the late afternoon. We need to find out what Ash is up to tonight and then figure out who's driving and all of that...yeah...and by all of that, I mean, other important preparations for the night."

Tommy smirks then runs over and gives me a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek, as I ponder what he means...when I realize, my eyes go big, but he's rushing too much to notice. "I'm glad you had such a good time Pay! Get some more rest boo." He ruffles my already messy hair before running out the door yelling, "Love you!!!"

"Mmmm love you too," I mumble as I relax again down into my soft pillow. I'll think about "other important preparations" later, much later.

Ashton

Fingers softly trace over the skin just above my waistband. The slow movement causes a slight shiver to run through my body as I lay flat on my back. The darkness surrounding me brings peace to mind. I can feel goosebumps rising slowly and they chase the slightly calloused finger rubbing circles over my warmed skin. A sigh escapes me at the relaxing motions. I could fall asleep right here and now. I stifle a yawn that tries to follow my previous sigh and give in to the feeling over my body. Loud and quick knocks make my eyes snap open quickly. My lips press together before I sigh heavily and sit up. Who can that be? I think as I stand from my bed and walk over to the door.

"Hiya Ashton!" Tommy practically shouts as soon as I open the door.

"Hi," I mumble while looking at him and nodding at Payton who stands next to him. He's got a content smile on his face and I doubt I even have to speculate who put it there.

"Well, can we come in?" Tommy asks with a bright smile.

I debate on saying no and slamming the door in their faces for half a second before stepping back and motioning for them to come in. My eyes scan my dorm room quickly and when I see everything is in place I relax slightly. Tommy sits on the edge of my roommate's bed as Payton takes my computer seat. I sit on my bed and lean against the headboard while looking in between the two casually. What could they want? I could guess a few things from what I'm wearing to the New Year's Eve party at The Red Door, to gossiping about Doms or...to question what happened at my lunch with Gideon. I'm highly opposed to speaking or hearing about any of those. I'm pretty sure with Tommy, I don't have much a choice in the matter though.

"So Ashton...what happened with you and Gideon? I want every little detail, don't leave anything out!" He demands, straight to the point, as I look over at my nightstand.

I pick up my book and flip to the last read page with a shrug, "We ate some food, talked and he dropped me off before going back to work. The end."

"Aw come on!" he whines as I run my finger over the edge of the page. "What was he wearing?"

"Clothes," I reply and hear Payton giggle making a small grin pull at my lips as Tommy groans in frustration.

"Work with me here Ashton, I need details. I'll tell you all about my lunch with Casey!" He tries to bargain and I look over at him.

"I don't really care to know about that though. It's your private business Tommy, you shouldn't go telling people about it. Don't you want to have a personal and private relationship where people don't know everything you two do together? Having others knowing all the details of your relationship will ruin it. Honestly, I don't really care about what position he fucked you in," I state and he flinches as Payton stares at me with wide eyes.

"Ashton?" Payton gasps making me frown.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me," I mumble as Tommy looks at me with concerned eyes.

"Is everything okay Ash? I mean, Gideon didn't do anything to bother you and put you in a bad mood right?" he asks worriedly, making me look back down at my book.

"No," I shake my head and go back to reading. "He was the perfect gentleman. He wore his scrubs to lunch."

"Oh wow really? I bet he looked super fucking sexy in his scrubs right?!" Tommy almost explodes in excitement, I knew giving him that detail would make him feel better.

"Mhm," I nod and look over at him from the corner of my eye. "We talked about Bowser mostly."

"From the Mario game?" Payton asks confused making me shake my head with a silent chuckle.

"No Bowser is his dog, a bulldog," I reply making him nod with parted lips before he smiles.

"So, will you be seeing him tonight at The Red Door?" Tommy asks excitedly while they both look at me expectantly.

"No, I'm not going to the party tonight. I have plans with someone," I mumble and sigh when Tommy 'ah ha's me randomly.

"You're going to meet up with Master Gideon outside the club! Damn Ashton, you go get him! Master Gideon is like the perfect match for you!" He gushes as Payton chuckles and nods along to whatever his best friend says.

"How would you know? You've only come in contact with him for a few minutes. You don't even know him," I mutter and rub between my brows as my patience starts running low.

Tommy starts rambling on and on about why Master Gideon seems so perfect for me. How would he know? I wish he would just focus on Casey and leave me and any possible scenes involving me and Gideon out of his mouth. I don't need rumors floating around about us at the club. Damn it, my head is pounding now. I just wanted a few hours alone before I left for the day. They have the worst timing. I look up when I feel eyes on me and see Payton staring at me as Tommy continues rambling on. Just by his expression I can tell he's worried. He may seem like the naive one in this group but Pay has the observation skills of a freaking cop. He notices everything.

"How was your outing with Master Remington?" I ask to throw him off and it works as he blinks rapidly before a bright blush coats his cheeks.

"It was fine. Thanks for the suggestions of where to take him, they were really cool," he says but doesn't comment further. "Tommy, we should head out. Ashton probably has to start getting ready soon," Payton says, cutting Tommy off as he goes to say something else.

"So, where is Gideon taking you Ash?" Tommy asks curiously as I close my book.

"Nowhere," I reply making him groan as we stand from our seats.

"Whatever you say Ash! I'll get the details after. Have fun and use protection!" He laughs as I watch them walk down the hall.

I raise a brow and shake my head with a sigh. Oh Tommy, you sure know how to talk. Just before I duck back into the safety of my dorm room, I see Payton look back. He smiles at me and waves over his shoulder. Forcing a smile onto my lips I lift my hand in a wave before stepping back into my room and locking the door behind me. Leaning back against the door, I drop my head back and close my eyes. My shoulders slump but I quickly regain my posture as I push off the door and walk back over to my bed. I lay back down and close my eyes before running my fingers over the skin just above the waistband of my shorts like I was doing earlier. I can feel my body relaxing slowly before it's completely lax against the bed. Just a few more hours like this, I'll be as good as new and ready for the night ahead of me.