“I do. I’ve belonged to one for about twenty-five years or so. I mentor young people and help them learn about themselves. I teach them how to negotiate play with others and make sure they know how to care for their partner.”
“Do you help them find people that will match up well with the kind of stuff they’re into?” I excitedly asked.
“I do. Those that I help mentor are what’s called being under protection.”
“Being under protection?”
“Yes. If they’re new and still learning about themselves as well as their surroundings, they are under the protection, or care, of an experienced Top, Dom, or Mistress of the club. Generally, they are not permitted to arrange play with anyone unless their mentor is present.”
I wanted to go. Maybe there were people there like me. I had a burning desire to want to be under James’ protection. He said he mentored and did that sort of thing, so maybe he’d do it for me.
“Do you have people under your care, or protection, now?”
“I do. I have two at the moment and another one recently began negotiating with play partners on his own.”
“His. So you mentor and protect guys too?”
“Of course, Brandon. Andrew is close to thirty and is starting to arrange his own play. I trust him to make wise decisions, but just because he’s no longer under my supervision doesn’t mean that I don’t care about him. When I know that he’s arranged something on his own, if I can’t be present to watch what he’s negotiated, I make sure to follow up with him during the week.”
“And you have two others?”
“Yes, a young woman and another young man.” James laughed and said, “I consider them all young even though they are both much older than you are.”
Everything he said made me think. My mind raced as I thought more about what he had explained about the club and new members being under his protection. That sounded like such a great place to be. We sat outside for a little while longer, and I went inside when James said that he needed to go to the hospital for a few hours.
While James was gone, I was unable to shake our conversation.He was the yin to my yang.Somehow, and maybe for reasons that I hadn’t fully grasped, I found what he said very comforting. I wanted desperately to go to the club and be under his protection. I felt like I could trust him, and though I had felt something similar with Eli, what I felt with James was on a completely different level and depth.
I watched some TV for a little while, but I couldn’t get into it at all. I didn’t know if it was because I had been away from it for so long, but the constant noise was too much for me right now. I tried watching it on mute, but that wasn’t much better, so I ended up shutting it off.
While I was in deep thought about the kink club, the house phone rang, but I didn’t move from my spot on the couch. A few minutes after the ringing phone stopped, I remembered the attorney guy who came to see me in the hospital. I had considered telling James a few times about the inheritance and that I should call regarding it. A huge part of me worried that if he knew about the inheritance, then he wouldn’t let me stay here anymore. Right now, I really needed and wanted him, and I wanted to be under his protection.
Curiosity about the inheritance dragged me over to the phone. I dialed the attorney’s number that I had memorized from his business card. When a lady from the office answered, I temporarily froze. It wasn’t until she repeated her greeting two more times before I snapped out of it.
“Can I talk to Jeffrey Arnold?” I held my right hand against one of the sores on the right side of my face. I thought if I applied a little pressure to it that I might prevent the pulling sensation.
“May I ask who’s calling?” the overly fake woman asked.
“Brandon Cooper. He came to see—”
“Oh! One moment, Mr. Cooper. Mr. Arnold has asked to be interrupted if you called.”
Oh, damn. That was kind of cool. I started to feel a little dizzy, so I sat on the comfortable slate-colored sofa while I waited. Suddenly I felt really hot, and I leaned back against the plush cushions and closed my eyes.
“Brandon, thank you so much for calling me. How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing good,” I replied. Really, considering where I had been for almost three years, I’d say that I was doing pretty fucking amazing.
“That’s great to hear. Are you out of the hospital?”
“I am, yes.”
“Good. So you’re doing okay? Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m fine, really.”
“You are in a safe place with someone you trust?”
I glanced around James’ living room and thought about how he was by my side each night until I fell asleep. He got me clothes and set up that fluffy and soft pet bed beside his bed in his room. James was a doctor, or had been, and had a prominent position at the hospital. He also stayed with me nearly every second at the hospital. I had also learned this afternoon that he was used to caring and watching out for young people at his club. So yeah, I felt like I was in safe hands with James.
