“Leandro gave me this to help remind you of your virtues,” I say to Giovanni the next morning. I lay the implement on our bed, an elastic chastity belt that fits like a jock strap with a clear plastic cage for his cock. Lighter than his gold-plated one, it is without any locking devices. The point of this one is trust. “This should be comfortable enough for you to wear for the remainder of your restriction.”
“He gave this to you, for me?” Gio asks as his fingertip traces the curved plastic.
“It’s for us to keep. You’ll be wearing this under your clothing tonight during our dinner date with Efi, so that your Sir’s virtues are ever present in your mind and to remind you that even when you are out with others, you still belong to me. You are my submissive, Giovanni, every hour of every day, and you are bound to obey my rules.”
“I need these reminders,” he says earnestly.
“Tonight, I want you to have an honest, open conversation with Efi. I’m leaving it up to you how much you share about your past, but I expect you to do everything in your power to resolve this misunderstanding. If you demonstrate your virtues and follow your Sir’s rules, then after dinner, we’ll be going to Leandro’s studio where you may get a reward.”
“A reward?” A spark of interest alights in his eyes. “You’d allow that?”
“I would, with your consent.”
“Green, Sir.”
“And after you’ve gotten your reward, I may decide to use you while Leandro watches. How would you feel about that?”
Giovanni nods. “I enjoy your demonstrations of dominance, and I would like to be claimed in this way.”
I lay my hand atop his head. “I’m glad to hear it, but if you change your mind, you only have to let me know. Now, let’s get you ready for your date.”
Dinner with Efiis at bistro called The Cave, so named because it’s built within an actual limestone under-dwelling. The floor, ceiling, and walls are all rock, the interior dimly lit with a wet, mineral smell. The restaurant is known for their regional wines and delicious oven-baked pizza, both of which I plan to indulge in, meal plan be damned. The three of us are sharing a booth, Efi on one side, Giovanni and myself on the other. After some pleasantries about the weather, Efi and I select a bottle of wine to share, and I order that along with a Coke for Giovanni, since we are both cheating today. I typically order his food and drink, as his Master did before me, but this is another life skill I should probably help him develop so that he may feel comfortable executing it in my absence.
After the server leaves with our order, Efi asks Giovanni if he doesn’t like the taste of wine.
“No, it’s fine,” Gio says, wringing his cloth napkin between both hands, staring at it intently rather than looking at our guest. My fingers scale the ladder of his spine while he gathers the courage to speak. “I’m actually not allowed to drink. I’m an addict. That’s part of why I have so many rules.”
“Rules?” Efi asks, leaning closer and adjusting his glasses.
“Rules for my behavior, ones that I impose on myself and others that my Sir, Silvio, enforces for me.” He squirms a little in his seat, and I wonder if the belt is doing its job in acting as a reminder.
“Is this also part of your lifestyle?” Efi asks studiously, and I appreciate his forthright curiosity.
“Yes, and it’s why I’m not enrolled in school.”
“Because your Sir won’t allow it?” Efi asks, eyes flickering toward me in annoyance.
“No, it’s not that. I was in school before, in America, and I failed out of all my classes. I was doing a lot of drugs.” He shakes his head, probably not wishing to dwell on it. “That was a very dark and violent time for me, and I’ve grown a lot since then, but I’m still a very anxious person, especially when trying new things. Silvio helps me with that.” Giovanni smiles softly at me, and I return it. “He’s the one who brought me to the Socratics’ seminar. I didn’t want to go. You must remember how rude I was to you?”
“I wouldn’t say rude. More like, standoffish.”
A flutter of a smile graces Giovanni’s lips. “Anyway, Sir has been encouraging me to enroll at the university for months, really, since we met, and I used him as an excuse so that I wouldn’t have to explain the real reason, which is that… I’m scared.”
Giovanni continues to stare at his napkin, and I’m proud of him for sharing this truth. Efi offers his hand and Giovanni glances at me, silently asking my permission. I nod subtly and Gio places his hand into Efi’s outstretched one.
“I’m really glad you told me, Giovanni. I understand completely. I’m sorry if you felt pressured into anything. Sometimes I get carried away.”
“I was flattered. And your arguments were very good. I’m sorry that I lied.”
They exchange timid smiles and my heart blooms at what is surely the start of a beautiful friendship.
“That wasn’t asbad as I thought it would be,” Giovanni says as we stroll in the direction of Leandro’s studio.
“Friendships are like any other relationship. You screw up, you admit to your mistakes, and you apologize. Usually, you will be forgiven.”
“I didn’t think it would be that easy. It was never like that with my mother, and even with my grandfather, I never wanted to disappoint him, so I usually hid my misbehavior. He was gone a lot during the week, so it wasn’t hard to do.”
“I don’t want you to hide anything from me,” I remind him. “Whatever it is that troubles you, I promise I can handle it. I want us to work together to solve your problems. That is my role as your Dominant.” We arrive at Leandro’s doorstep, and I say to him, “Are you ready for this?”
