“For exactly that reason right there,” I declared. “As a pet handler, I’ve had several different types of pets over the years, and helping them find gear that was fun, functional, and an expression of who they were was always difficult. As someone who has spent their whole life in the fashion industry, I’ve always appreciated when someone identified a need and filled it, so when I retired from modeling and decided to pursue design full time, I realized that was the need that I wanted to fill.”
“Okay, well, I have a question now,” Phoenix asked.
“Shoot.”
“Why choose them?” the big man asked. “You didn’t even know they were into pet play at the time, so what made you decide to ask them out of all the other dancers and performers that were there at the club?”
“Finding out they have experience with pet play is a major boon, I won’t deny it, but what drew me to them was the way they moved together. In the past, I’ve worked with industry models, some who were familiar with the pet play community and even a part of it, and others who were being exposed to it for the first time. They were great, and the photoshoots turned out fantastic, but models and dancers move differently, and even the ones who were familiar with pet play focused more on hitting the perfect pose rather than getting lost in the play aspect of it. When I saw them dance, it was as much for themselves as it was for the audience. They got lost in each other. The room and the people in it might as well have melted away for all they cared. I realized in that moment that was the kind of energy I wanted in thephotoshoots and runway shows. The real enjoyment of being in the moment, in the headspace, where nothing else matters.”
“So, it didn’t have anything to do with the lap dance they gave you?” Phoenix pressed.
“Oh, the dance was hot as hell, let’s not get it twisted, and the fact that they were totally into helping me out when I started leaking was an unexpected bonus to an already fabulous night. But I’d made up my mind to ask them to model for me well before they wound up in my lap. There is no faking the kind of intensity and passion they brought to the performance, unlike some of the others, who were merely performing a routine and even looked somewhat bored while doing it.”
There was a slight twitch at the corner of Phoenix’s lips, like he wanted to smile but didn’t have enough practice to let it happen naturally. Then he inclined his head, and a low, rumbling chuckle escaped his throat.
“True enough,” he replied. “I’ve bounced at the club they work at for long enough to know when someone is just going through the motions to get that coin.”
“I’d like to see the studio space,” Murry declared.
His tone left no room for debate, and the other two clearly knew it, because they nodded and fell silent, eyeing me expectantly.
“Of course, right this way,” I said, sweeping my arm towards the door at the back of the shop that would lead us upstairs.
The lift ride was short, just one flight up, but I’d had it installed during renovations to make bringing things down from the studio space easier. A flight of stairs was fine when your hands were empty, but laden with clothes you risked taking a neck-breaking tumble, and I wasn’t about to go out that way. There were still too many designs uncreated and too many things left in life I still wished to experience, hopefully not alone, but today wasn’t the day to cross that bridge. I had models to land first, and if, in the time we spent together, we decided to move from a working relationship to something more, then I would welcome the shift and the opportunity to lavish affection on them.
I still couldn’t believe they were actually pets. When I’d told Aspen, his response had been to roll his eyes and grumble that ‘of course they were, that I’d been divinely blessed while he was cursed to bruise his fingers scrolling through dating apps.’ Commenting that he blocked more than he swiped right on these days had earned me a scathing look, which I’d laughed about all the way back to my sewing table. He really needed to get his head out of his ass, and Parker did too, so maybe they’d finally figure out that they were perfect for one another.
“Here we are,” I said as we stepped into the warm, well-lit open floor design of my studio.
“Whoa, this place is huge,” Raleigh muttered. “I thought it was just going to be the same size as the shop downstairs.”
“Nope,” I said as I started leading them deeper into the space.
Gleaming wood, high windows, I’d gone all out, including having the plaster walls gutted and replaced with wood polished to a deep, high sheen. Bright lights against dark wood created a warm, natural vibe perfect for creating in.
“I own the entire building, including the storefront next to mine,” I explained. “Someday I hope to expand my shop into that area too, but for now, I rent it out. Up here is all mine, however.”
I led them into a workspace I’d specifically laid out so that each part of the process, from drafting the designs to producing the finished products, had its own dedicated space. I hated clutter almost as much as I hated running back and forth between stations hunting for something that should have been close at hand.
“This is where I work on the concepts for each line,” I explained, showing them the large drawing table, with its dual monitors, drawing tablet, sketchbooks, and drawing pens. “I tend to start on paper and move to digital when I’m ready to create 3D mockups of each design. Digital lets me change color palettes and patterns with far more ease than having to constantly resketch, so I spend a great deal of time working the details out here before I ever put my hands on fabric.”
“This is really cool,” Murry said. “Did you have to go to school to learn how to design clothing, or was it a trial-and-error kind of thing?”
“I have a master’s degree in fashion design,” I explained. “I actually grew up in the modeling industry, from the time I was an infant appearing in baby clothes ads to my final gig modeling menswear. Along the way I fell as much in love with the process of creating clothing as I did with wearing it. Modeling allowed me to afford my educational pursuits while also providing me with an insider’s view of every aspect of the industry from start to finish. Now I get to be a part of it from the other side and see people walking runways in my creations.”
The way they watched me while they listened, with big eyes and rapt attention, was a breath of fresh air. Most of the models I worked with cared nothing for the process; they just wanted to put the gear on, get their pictures taken, and get paid. Nothing wrong with that. But I was chomping at the bit to work withindividuals whose excitement would spark my own and lead to true collaborative efforts.
“So, what happens after you get done in here?” Raleigh asked.
I was glad he was interacting more and not relying on Murry to do all the talking for them. The cautious, guarded look he’d arrived with was beginning to slip, allowing his curiosity to peek through.
“Then I take the final printouts of the designs over here,” I explained, leading them to the textiles wall. “These are the most common fabrics and materials I work with. Sometimes I need something that I don’t already have, which means a trip to the fabric store or putting in an order with my online supplier. One of the things I like to do is put together a collection of swatches so I can feel how they go together on a smaller scale and make any adjustments and changes. I can’t start working on a prototype until I have all the materials I need, so if I have to wait on an order, I go back to the drawing board and start working on the next design until it arrives.”
“I’ve never thought much about what goes into designing gear,” Murry admitted. “That’s a lot of fabric.”
“That it is, but it’s more than worth it to have things on hand when the muse is loud,” I explained. “Sometimes the design part goes so quickly and with such a flood of inspiration that it’s actually jarring not to be able to just jump into the construction process.”
I gestured to the table that held my two sewing machines, mannequins, massive sewing kit, pattern table, and more. “This is where the magic actually happens,” I explained. “I’ll be fitting the pieces on you two as I complete them and making all thenecessary adjustments before we move into the testing phase. It’s also the first opportunity you’ll have to weigh in on how everything feels. Like I mentioned downstairs, I want to know about even the slightest bit of rubbing, discomfort, restrictions, or anything that doesn’t feel right. That way I can make modifications before we get to the play space.
