Curtis’s voice was soft, full of awe, and his kiss-swollen lips stirred feelings of possessiveness in Andrew’s chest. “I have to thank you. See you soon, boy.”
One last kiss and Curtis entered the cab. Andrew watched until the taillights disappeared through the gate before he went to his own car.
This date had definitely been a success.
Chapter 11
ANDREW WASbusy cleaning up his kitchen when his phone rang. It was Tim, and Andrew decided he had earned a little break.
“Hey, Tim, how are you doing?”
“Hey, Andrew. Dying of curiosity, man. How did it go yesterday? You don’t sound defeated, so I assume it wasn’t bad?”
Andrew felt his face splitting into a huge grin. “It wasn’t only not bad, it was great. Don’t get me wrong, at the opening there were a lot of your typical stuck-up rich snobs, but that only made me see that Curtis is definitely not one of them. Afterward we had dinner, and then we went to Whisper. It’s even better than we thought it would be.”
“Oooh, I’m getting jealous just listening. Tell me everything about it!”
With a light chuckle, Andrew complied. “Well, for one, their changing room for guests is posher than the entire Club Submission, even though compared to the subs’ changing room it looks like a dump. Everything there is the best of the best, and the atmosphere is very different from any club I’ve ever been to. They even have a spokesman for the subs, can you imagine? And he doesn’t take shit from anybody, believe me. He’s friends with Curtis, and when he realized I was the one who made him sad, he didn’t hesitate to threaten me.”
“You sound awfully happy about that.”
Andrew dried the gleaming steel counter with a towel while he contemplated his answer. “Well, I told you I’m big on safe, sane, and consensual, especially the consensual. Everything that helps making subs feel secure is good in my book, even if it means some unpleasantries for me.”
“Gah, you sound like a model Dom. How boring.” Tim’s tone was teasing. Andrew knew him well enough by now to realize he was the same, even though he tried to hide it behind his gruff demeanor.
“Ha, at least I’m man enough to admit it. Unlike some other Dom I know.”
Tim’s laughter exploded over the phone, causing Andrew to hold it away from his ear. “Touché. So you would recommend Club Whisper?”
“Definitely. If you can afford the fee.”
Tim snorted. “Maybe I should give it a try. Will you let Curtis pay your fee? Since he seems to have his entire social circle there?”
The question was loaded, and Andrew sensed Tim wasn’t only asking about the fee. He sighed. This was where things were still complicated. “Apparently, when I’m with him, I don’t pay a fee at all. Partners are free. And no, I’m not sure if I like it. Granted, Whisper is scarily close to being the perfect club for me, despite it being filled mostly with super rich people, but I still feel that as the Dom, I should be the one paying for it. It’s stupid, I know. Lots of preconceived ideas and toxic ideals of masculinity. But intellectually understanding a concept and acting accordingly in reality are two very different pairs of shoes. I’ve decided to take things slowly. Tonight, I go over to Curtis to discuss a contract. The chemistry between us is undeniable, and I also like his personality. I can easily envision myself in a domestic situation with him, which hasn’t happened with anyone since I outgrew my romantic teenage phase. I just have to wait and see how things work out between us.”
There was a moment’s pause at the other end of the line. “Wow. He must be really special for you to even contemplate this. After that first date, I had the impression you hated everybody with money.”
Andrew sighed. “I don’t. I just never had contact with any people significantly richer than me. At least not with people as loaded as Curtis. Apparently, his yearly income is in the millions, which is intimidating. And a bit frightening. I’m not really sure I fit in, you know?”
“Well, you said you met some of his friends. Were they different?”
Andrew thought about it. “They certainly weren’t what I would call ‘normal,’ but then again, normal is a pretty stupid term anyway. Collin is nice. He takes some getting used to, but he’s a doll. And Leeland, that’s the one who threatened me, he works at Whisper, so I don’t think he’s rich. Martin and Richard, though…. They’re the owners of Whisper. They didn’t come off as particularly snobbish, not in the least, but there’s something about them that screams money. I don’t know, perhaps they’re just very secure in their manliness.”
Andrew furrowed his brows when Tim erupted in laughter. “I’m so glad I could entertain you with the string of unpleasant truths that’s my life at the moment.”
The laughter sounded almost hysterical for a while. When Tim had calmed down enough to speak, the amusement was still evident in his voice. “I’m sorry. I know it must be terrible to fall in lust with a gorgeous, cultivated man—your words, not mine. It’s just, hearing you talk about Richard Miller and knowing your hang-ups is hilarious. He’s a billionaire, Andrew. A very influential billionaire. And since you didn’t realize this while talking to him, I think it’s safe to say your prejudices are exactly that.”
Tim’s words gave Andrew pause. He had known Richard had to be rich since he owned—co-owned—Whisper. Thinking the man had even more money than Curtis didn’t quite fit with the Dom who had been more than patient with Collin and whose eyes lit up in pure love whenever he looked at Dean. The ideas Andrew had about rich people and what he had experienced with the men at Whisper were impossible to reconcile. He also knew what that meant—he had some readjusting and learning to do.
“You’re right. It’s high time I got over my silly ideas and started judging people for who they really are, not what social status they have. Damn, common sense can be a bitch sometimes.”
Tim chuckled through the line. “Damn if I don’t know, man. I wish you luck tonight, and keep me in the loop. I guess you’re not up for trying Club Eros out?”
Andrew hesitated. It was true, now that things were looking promising with Curtis, his determination to find a club had diminished a bit, but it wasn’t wise to put all his eggs in that particular basket, even if he desperately wanted to. Besides, Tim was his friend.
“I am. I can’t let you go alone, can I?”
“Yeah, I need a keeper or there will be nothing but crying subs in my wake.”
