As I watched Ryan’s SUV pull away from the front of my house, I pulled up Leonard’s contact info on my phone. I’d never been a power-hungry Top that required people to follow protocol around me. Though things had changed with me hanging up my role as a Top and embracing the Dominant role, my expectations regarding respect were still in place. In the circle of friends that I had, it was basic manners to speak with the Dominant before extending an invite for anything to a submissive. Though Leonard wasn’t in my immediate circle of friends, he wasn’t new to this lifestyle, and he knewbetter.
If Ryan had wanted to go, I would have encouraged it, but I just didn’t think the two of them would gel. By nature, Ryan was a competitive young man, and I didn’t think it’s particularly healthy for him to be around Leonard. Ryan was very much a visual believer. I could tell him that Leonard did nothing for me, but he would see it differently if he were around Leonard during a lunch. Leonard was quick and was manipulative, and he saw low confidence in my boy. The last thing Ryan needed to hear was Leonard telling him how he’s had sessions with me. Lunch with a confident switch who could drop to his knees in a second and begin meeting the needs of his Top would crushRyan.
I pressed his number on my cellphone.
“Hello?”
“Leonard, it’sRussell—”
Before I could get anything else out, he interrupted me with hisfangirling.
“Master Russell! It’s so good of you to call!” I sat down on the arm of my couch while he droned on and on. “Are you in need of some service,Sir?”
“Leonard, am I yourDom?”
“No, Sir. But, I would love for you to be myDom.”
“Seeing as I’m not, you addressing me as ‘Russell’ is more appropriate than ‘MasterRussell.’”
“It’s meant out of respect,” he blabbed, trying to play me for afool.
“I find it interesting that you mention respect, but decide to bypass me and go right to Ryan and invite him tolunch.”
Had Leonard called me and expressed a desire to have lunch with Ryan, I still wouldn’t have wanted Ryan to accept the invite. However, I would have been okay with how it was approached. If Leonard had at least done that, it would have shown that he respected my relationship dynamic withRyan.
The phone line was quiet for a moment; just long enough for him to gather hisreply.
“I apologize, Sir. I wasn’t aware that Ryan was off the market,” helied.
I detested the phrase “off the market.” It objectified Ryan, and he was anything but atoy.
“I thought that you were merely topping him. Forgive me, but I didn’t think that I needed to reach out to a Top in order to invite a bottom tolunch.”
“Let me correct your misinformation. Ryan is not a bottom.” I hoped Leonard got the gist of what I was suggesting. I then asked him the question I probably should have asked him first. “Leonard, you knew that I was mentoring him,yes?”
There was a long pause because Leonard realized he had been caught doing something underhanded. He knew that within our community that mentoring is very significant. When any of our fellow Tops, Doms/Dommes take on an apprentice, it’s held in the highest regard, and treated with respect. They’re accepting the responsibility of providing a fresh mind with the information they are seeking for betterment. At parties and events, we help the mentor with their apprentice by showing through examples of healthy and safe play, rather than thwart their efforts. Mentors are always approached with any concerns or offerings. Any time one of my friends had an idea for Ryan to witness something, they brought it to me first. When Daniel was preparing to negotiate a session with Leonard at one of my parties, Daniel brought it to mefirst.
“I’m sorry, Sir. Yes, I was aware that you were mentoringRyan.”
I felt that made my point perfectly clear and got off the phone just in time to see an incoming text fromRyan.
Ryan: I made it homesafe.
Goodboy.
