“Let’s go,” I said.
We chatted about Brandon on the way to the cafeteria, and James told me what had caused Brandon to run. At Andrew’s party, Brandon overheard that James had a psychology background and a psychology degree. Apparently, the fuckers at the kink house found psychological games to be amusing.
“I sincerely hope that Garrett and the FBI burn out all of the sources and anyone who was involved with that shit,” I said as we sat at a table outside with our food.
“I would love to get my hands on Sebastian. What he did to my pup is enough to turn my stomach,” he commented. I had no doubt that James wanted to rip the limbs off Sebastian and anyone else who had put their hands on Brandon.
Both of us put our cell phones on the table beside us. It was common for doctors to eat with their cell phone either in their hand or within reach.
“Excuse me for a moment; I need to call Brandon.”
I nodded and began eating while James called to check in on his “pup.” As I heard James asking Brandon what he’d been up to all morning and what he was having for lunch, I couldn’t help but think about how perfect of a name that ‘pup’ was for Brandon. He was so young and needed guidance and love.
“Did you drink some water?” James asked Brandon.
It made me smile. James was such a nurturing, sadistic son of a bitch. I imagined he paddled the shit out of Brandon and then cuddled him. I’d seen him play at Oxygen, and I’d seen him nurture. James could play fiercely, and I had my money on Brandon being the one who could keep up with him. James was so fucking perfect for Brandon.
“Thank you,” James said as he set the phone on the table. “He’s not afraid to be home alone, but his mind runs when he’s alone too long. Andrew and Josh text him throughout the day to help him socialize some, but I need to hear his voice a few times during the day,” James explained.
“It makes perfect sense. I think you’re doing everything you can for him, and probably to him,” I added while smirking at him. James laughed and nodded.
“We are getting there, for sure. Slowly, but surely.”
We sat in silence for a few moments and ate because I knew there was always a chance I could get called inside for an emergency. After I scarfed down most of my sandwich, I began the talk that I’d been dying to have.
“So, Alison and Josh,” I started.
“They’re a lot of fun, aren’t they?” James asked.
I laughed and nodded.
“I have to ask, was Alison mouthy with you?”
“When I first started with her, yes. She had a comment for everything and always had to have the last word. She was constantly acting out for attention in Oxygen, but that mellowed considerably once I pulled her under my protection.”
“That can be dangerous,” I said. I wasn’t surprised by what James was telling me. I suspected as much on my own.
“Thankfully, most of Oxygen’s members are ethical, and to my knowledge, nothing less than appropriate ever happened. But, perhaps in another club … you just don’t know. So I worked with her. Taught her how to respect herself first and foremost, and then how to safely negotiate play that was geared to her needs and wants. She had been so used to saying yes to every play proposal that she had no idea what she really wanted.”
“How masochistic is she?” I was very interested in knowing this because I’d need to know right off the bat if we would even be comparably matched.
“She definitely likes the bites and stings. Alison orgasms when physical pain is applied. She’s a physical masochist. Mental or emotional pain does little for her. Brandon, on the other hand, he is very much as an emotional masochist as he is a physical one.”
I remembered the rail-thin Brandon the night Garrett’s team brought him to the hospital. I never would have guessed that the battered and tortured boy would be a masochist. But it showed that everyone was very different with their needs, and some might not even know their needs until something guided them to it. One thing was for sure, James’ face would light up when he spoke about Brandon. It was great to see him twisted up over Brandon.
“Alison used to brat out to get attention; that seemed to be curbed with me. However,”— James paused to take a sip from his soda bottle—“I’m starting to see that the longer I’m away, she’s leaning toward her old ways. Josh has alluded to her seeking attention and not actively negotiating.”
“Yeah, I was thinking the same. I noticed it as well.”
“I’d been working with her for years, and there wasn’t a change with her behavior when I added Brandon. But, of course, she was still getting the attention from me that she needed. And now that I’ve been pulling myself toward Brandon, the wheels are starting to fall off for her. I didn’t think she would have as much of a problem with the separation as she’s having. I thought that between her and Joshua, she would struggle more than he would, but not this much.”
“She needs constant attention,” I concluded.
“She does.” James sighed and leaned back in his seat.
“I don’t seem to notice much of a difference with Josh.”
“Joshua is very solid and confident. I don’t worry about him making poor choices for play like I do Alison. I’ve noticed Joshua being more protective with Alison, though, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all. Andrew, Alison, and Joshua are all very close.”
