“Tell me, what makes a good sub?” asked the stranger.
“Wow!” responded Lisa, “That’s one hell of an open question… Sir. It goes hand in hand with what makes a good Dominant.”
The stranger leant forward, he wasn’t the only one whose interest had been piqued by Lisa’s response. As I cocked my head, I noticed Mike had turned more to the mirror.
“That’s interesting, would you like to expand, please?” he asked her.
Lisa smiled as she spoke, "Certainly, Sir. It’s going to be different for everyone, but for me, it all starts with trust, both ways. The sort of trust that will lead to a partnership that in some ways could be stronger than the strongest marriage. Like two parts of a jigsaw slotting together.
“For the sub, it is trusting someone with their deepest, darkest desires, trusting them to take them and weave them into an experience, into their lives. Also, trusting them not to abuse that, perhaps to push them, but knowing when is far enough. Knowing that their Dom will protect them and stop when asked, but with that knowledge, allow themselves to be led. To trust their Dom to know what is best for them and though they may not see the bigger picture, to know they are being taken to a better place.
“For the Dominant, it is trusting his or her sub to be honest when they tell them what they want and what they don’t, what they absolutely will not try. In return, the Dominant must be honest about what he or she will and will not do. They must reciprocate the trust given by showing it is not misplaced. I think part of being a good Dominant is one who makes their sub or subs the centre of their world, everything in the lifestyle is done for the sub. This isn’t just for the sub’s satisfaction, but to nurture them and lead them to grow and become not just the best sub possible, but the best person too.
“Part of being Dominant must be someone who gets satisfaction seeing someone else fulfilled, in whatever way. It depends where your lifestyle is, it will probably be sexual and emotional satisfaction and could well include career, education, self-development, even spiritual satisfaction.” Lisa held up two fingers, to stop any interruption, “Imagine what a sub that was satisfied in every way would be willing to do to please her Master.”
I saw her finish with a smile and a quick lift of her eyebrows. The stranger looked deep in thought as he nodded his head.
“So, as a Master I must satisfy my sub’s every whim before getting my satisfaction?”
“No, not her whim, her needs, they are very different. If your satisfaction, I guess sexual, is that high on the list for you, then part of finding the other part of your jigsaw would be finding a sub that is most satisfied giving her Dom orgasms.”
“Interesting, so I guess it’s not what makes a good sub, or Dom, it’s what makes a good partnership?”
“Absolutely. There’s a shared responsibility to own mistakes. I’m not talking about accidentality on purpose biting a little hard or getting P’s instructions wrong.” Lisa had such a grin on her face when she said this, it was clear from where I was standing. “But,” she continued, “also being honest when the other does something you don’t like or goes too far. Then again, that’s where safewords come in.”
The stranger started to laugh, “You believe in safewords?”
Lisa’s mouth fell open. I turned and looked at Mike, who reassured me.
“What do you mean by that… Sir.”
“Well a good Dom, knows his sub’s limits so there is no need for safe words. If any sub wanted one with me, the moment they used it that would be the end of our relationship.”
“Oh, my god! I thought we had got crossed wires to start. If you ask me, anyone threatening the end of a relationship because they used a safeword is nothing but a bully and a thug. It leaves the sub fearing to use it and not in any safe place whatsoever. If nothing else a sub must feel safe with their Dom!” Lisa was getting quite agitated.
“I think that’s enough,” I said to Mike making for the door.
Lisa looked at me as I entered, I opened my arms to her as I walked across the room. She jumped out of her seat and came over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist as I pulled her into my protective embrace.
The stranger got up and walked over to us with his sub following close behind. He offered me his hand, which I took.
“Thank you,” he said. “You have a wonderful, wise woman there. Thank you, Lisa, sorry if I upset you, it wasn’t the intent. Mike and your husband will explain.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Lisa tried to bury her head in my chest until I patted her bum and she said, “Thank you, Sir.”
“Good girl,” I whispered and felt her shiver.
When we sat down again, Mike started with “Sorry Lisa, he is a very good Master and his wife loves him dearly. But he is very good at teasing out reactions because he is so adamant about Dominants not being bullies, not being arrogant; he uses all the things he hates. Often we use him to interview so-called dominant applicants, for exactly this reason. Some baulk, a bit like you did, others, that tend to be the more unsuccessful applicants, come across as agreeing with him.
“This set-up today was to allow you, Lisa, to speak freely and possibly explain things in a way that you might not feel comfortable being quite so direct with Peter.
“It hopefully, has given Peter some more ideas about what you think about things and most importantly, now that you know, you will be more relaxed and find it easier to be truly honest and open about your needs.”
Mike opened his eyes wide to emphasise his point and I looked at Lisa, who was nodding.
“Sorry, P,” she said looking up at me. “It’s just all so new to you, I didn’t want to swamp you with too much.”
I put my arm around her and hugged her to me, “It’s okay, Flower, your intention was good. However,” I twisted in my seat and Lisa mirrored me, I then held her chin with my thumb and forefinger, “you must trust me, just as I must trust you. Whenever we are unsure, we will talk, it’s as simple as that.”
Lisa bent her head and sucked my thumb into her mouth, ran her tongue around it and the pulled back kissing the end.
“I promise, P.”
“And I promise you, Kitty-Cat.” I leant over and kissed her head.
When I turned back to Mike he was smiling.
“That’s a bit of the next area, negotiation. It’s something you both need to sit down and discuss, red lines, amber lines, what both are prepared to do, to try, and absolutely will not. Some people will have full legal contracts, some just a list that they both sign or not. Some don’t write it down, but I would not recommend this.
“One thing to remember is that your relationship, just like before this, will develop and evolve. Don’t be afraid to review this list regularly. I know Peter is nervous about physical punishments, in time he may be more comfortable and he might be willing to try something more than his hand.”
I felt Lisa shudder and I think Mike must have seen a look on my face as he changed the subject.
“Or not, but never forget it is your relationship, not anyone else’s. You may hear suggestions and apparent advice, but what works for them may not for you and vice versa. There is no one size fits all. Okay, I think it’s time to go and have a drink in the bar, mingle a little and have a look around the club.”
He took us back to the reception area, where the same receptionist smiled and wrinkled her nose once again. Then I noticed. Where before she could have worked at any professional reception, not now. The blouse and jacket had gone, replaced with a black leather basque. She saw my second take and laughed, stood up and stepped from behind her desk. I had not seen her bottom half before, but now she was wearing a leather skirt that came to about halfway down her thighs. She also had on a pair of black leather boots, with a good few inches of thin heel. These were laced up to her knee.
“It’s past ten, I change from office to club attire,” she said with a smile and sat down again.
Mike took us through another door off the reception area into a small corridor which had several changing rooms in, all with showers and lockers. Mike explained that some people’s outfits just would not be accepted travelling to and from the club, even walking from the car park. Also, some of the activities can get a little warm and sometimes messy, meaning of course oil wrestling and the like, hence the showers.
Then we walked into the bar area. I was expecting it to be dark with loud music blasting out and half-naked people everywhere. Apart from the clothing and how people were interacting, things like kneeling or having hands bound and being fed, this could have been any club bar. Some areas were better lit, the bar staff could have been behind any bar, there were tables and chairs and booths on one side. On the other side, there was a dance floor and the speakers were set up cleverly to direct the music mostly to the dance floor, in the rest of the bar it was still audible but at a reasonable background level.
Lisa, who had been holding my hand, tugged my arm, pointing out rings on the pillars and hooks under the tables. I had seen hooks like it before, but they were for hanging coats and bags on. The penny dropped when I saw a man knelt by a chair with a lead running from his collar to one of the hooks.
We got our drinks and Mike led us to a table at the side so that we could watch a lot of what was going on. He pointed out the door to the private rooms and explained the equipment available. It was primarily bondage equipment as the club had a policy about fluids and of course, sex on the premises was illegal. They did try to put the focus on bondage and light impact play but were not too worried so long as nothing went too far. Nothing should be spilt and after using a private room people were expected to clean it themselves. Cleaners did go in after, but this was to ensure the job had been done properly rather than to do all the cleaning.
“I know,” said Mike, “and the board are aware that pissing in the wind isn’t a good idea.” Chuckling as he finished.
I’m sure it wasn’t a fluke, rather educated timing by Mike, as shortly after we sat down it seemed that the bar started to get busier. There were people of all different shapes, sizes and colour. The outfits ranged from those that would fit into any club to one person who was covered head to foot in leather and was being led about by his Domme. Later I saw her giving him a drink through a straw.
As with any club, there were couples of all varieties, men and women, women and women and men and men. Both women and men were Dominants and submissives. There were also polyamorous groups, in all combinations; such as a single Dominant with multiple submissives or multiple Dominants plus one or many submissives each. It got a bit mind-boggling watching all the combinations and trying to work out who was with who and in what role.
Then I heard, “Oh, really? Is that true?”
“Yes, Mistress. I’m sorry, I did try.”
“I think you need to come with me, Pet.”
I looked over and there was a raven-haired woman, whose age I couldn’t make out, anywhere between twenty-five and fifty. She was wearing a short dark blue satin gown, with matching gloves and high heeled shoes. Kneeling at her feet was a woman who appeared a little younger wearing a very similar dress, but with no gloves and flat shoes. She was also wearing a matching collar. The Domme was stroking her sub under the chin and their eyes were locked.
