The last place anyone expected to find a gay asexual accountant was at a BDSM club, but the odd mix of politicians, businessmen, Doms, and subs was always fun to watch. When I took into account that BDSM didn’t always involve sex, it wasn’t a bad way to spend a Friday night.
And since I’d been coming for several years, the awkward what do you mean you don’t want to fuck me conversation was less frequent.
“I can’t tell if you’re bored or just relaxed.” Ben’s expression was too analytical for a BDSM club.
“You’re the one who looks too wound up. Things not going well at the other club?” Normally the only times I’d seen him stressed were when there was an issue with one of the businesses. My other guess would have been Conner overworking himself again, but I’d seen him earlier and he’d looked fine.
“No, everything’s going great. Even the neighbors have settled down now that they’ve seen how much business we’ve brought to the area.” He laughed and seemed to relax as he sank back in the comfortable chair. “Everyone hears BDSM club and thinks sex, but no one realizes how hungry people are after great sex.”
“Sounds like that should have been a line in your initial discussions.” It was no secret that the new club had been an uphill battle for Ben and Conner. But once it had opened things seemed to have smoothed out.
He chuckled, nodding. “Probably. No, we’ve been lucky the other businesses relaxed once they saw we weren’t bringing in the unsavory crowds they were expecting. I had one older lady who owns a bookstore a few blocks away say that her business improved by twenty percent once she started stocking dirty romance novels for my ‘cute boys’ as she called them.”
“What was she buying?” I’d readily admit to being more of a history buff when it came to picking out reading material, but the plethora of new books in the gay romance section was fascinating.
He held up his hands and shook his head. “No idea and I didn’t ask. She was pleased as punch, and that’s all that counts.”
I gave him a little nod and smile. “Very true.”
“So, what are you up to tonight?” Ben quirked one eyebrow at me before glancing around the room. “Anyone catch your attention?”
Ben was so over the moon with his partner that I knew he really didn’t understand my lack of sexual desire, but he’d never let that stop him from trying to fix me up. He’d just shrug and say that if I found the right person, we’d make it work. I thought he was crazy, but occasionally he had thrown interesting partners my way, so I couldn’t complain.
I was now the go-to person if a sub wanted a spanking and cuddle without the sex.
I’d been surprised at first by how many people just wanted to be held without the layers of sexual expectations making things more difficult. Most weeks at least one worn-out boy found his way to my lap just to be held.
“No.” I shook my head and stretched my arms out across the back of the small sofa. “I’m mostly just relaxing. It’s been a crazy week and I’m ready to unwind. You have comfortable furniture and good people-watching, so I’m content for a while. I might go grab dinner soon, but who knows.”
“You had a long drive for dinner and people-watching.” He chuckled. “But yeah, it’s busy enough tonight, who knows what you’ll see.”
I shrugged. “It’s not a bad drive. I find it relaxing.”
“Better you than me. Just the drive between the clubs is hard enough for me.”
“I was surprised to see you tonight. I thought you said that you’d be up in Baltimore for the next couple of weekends.”
“That was the plan.” Ben smiled and glanced around, more than likely looking for his man. “But Conner won the bid in a new project he was pretty sure he wouldn’t get, so we’re having to rearrange our plans again.”
“Sounds like you’re busy.” Was that the reason he seemed tired?
I could see that he started to deny it, but when I raised one eyebrow and gave him my best you’re not fooling me look, he grinned. “Possibly.”
“Maybe Conner and I will have a discussion later.” Conner was usually the one who ran himself ragged, but he was generally good at seeing what Ben needed as well.
Groaning, Ben shook his head. “That’s just mean. You’re not supposed to threaten friends.”
Laughing, I shrugged. “If you leave me no choice.”
Conner could be worse than Ben when it came to hovering and worrying. I knew. I’d been on the receiving end of it numerous times over the years.
“Evil. Just evil.”
Ben was saved as Conner came bouncing up, dragging along a young man in skintight jeans and an equally tight T-shirt.
And I meant young.
Was he even legal?
His clothes said he was looking for attention, but since he was a lot more covered up than most of the subs in the room, I wasn’t sure what he wanted. Or even if he was a sub, for that matter.
Conner cleared up that question right away, though.
Grinning, he barely stopped moving long enough to come to a halt in front of us. “You have to meet my new friend. He’s so cute and smart and curious and Eric’s going to love him.”
Conner turned to the new friend, his smile beaming. “Eric’s the cutest little. His Daddy used to be a police officer, but now they own a restaurant together. Oh, we’ll have to go eat there sometime so you can meet him.”
I glanced over at Ben. “How much has he had to drink?”
Ben said nothing—I could see the answer on his face—but then Conner started staring up at the ceiling suspiciously.
“Oops.” The kid looked at Conner. “You said your Master said you could have a drink.”
Conner giggled. “He did.”
Ben groaned and reached out to grab his boy and pull him down to his lap. “You, naughty boy, were supposed to wait until later.”
Conner tipped over slightly as he released his new friend’s hand and slid into Ben’s lap. “It was an accident.”
As Conner tried to explain to Ben how it had happened, I glanced to the young man who was just grinning and watching him. I’d have expected someone in his position to look a bit lost and awkward, but he seemed content to watch the two men.
He must have felt me staring because he glanced over at me and stuck out his hand. “I’m Cody.”
“Ford.” Returning his handshake like he was in my office to go over a case, I smiled. “Nice to meet you.”
That distracted the slightly inebriated Conner enough that he turned mid-sentence and smiled. “Ford, you have to meet my new friend Cody. He’s smart and cute. You’re going to love him. He’s curious and not in a rush and he needs a cuddle.”
Trying not to laugh as Conner’s fabulous new friend Cody rolled his eyes, I nodded, doing my best to take the whole thing very seriously. “Well, Conner’s new, smart and cute friend, would you like to have a seat?”
I wouldn’t pretend to have followed Conner’s logic, but I liked meeting new people.
Cody smiled. “Thank you.”
As he sat down next to me on the couch, he shifted and turned that smiling baby face to me. “Conner says you’re an accountant.”
Conner had more than likely also listed off several other things about me, but I was impressed that my job was the first one Cody mentioned. “Yes, I enjoy it.”
He nodded enthusiastically. “One of my first degrees was in accounting. It’s logical, but there’s more fun to it than people think. I took some really interesting forensic accounting classes.”
One of his first degrees?
He looked like a teenager that had gotten lost and stumbled into the wrong part of town.
“There are some really interesting avenues in forensic accounting.” No one ever thought my job was interesting. I was slightly stumped about where to take the conversation.
Luckily, Conner wasn’t.
“Isn’t he cute? I thought at first he looked so young—sorry, Cody, but you do kind of look like a kid who snuck in to see the dirty stuff—and then he started talking and I realized who he was.” Conner was so excited, but then he started to giggle and I was lost.
Ben sighed, and it was all Cody and I could do not to laugh. “Conner. Do you want to make him self-conscious?”
Conner stopped giggling and stared at Ben with wide eyes. “Nooo, he’s my cute new friend.”
“What did he have to drink?” I glanced over at Cody, who shrugged.
“Um, something pink? I’ve never actually had alcohol, so I don’t know. I could probably research it and figure that out, but I don’t have a phone.” He glanced around. “Maybe there’s a computer somewhere. There are all kinds of bartending sites. I researched a few things before I came just to be on the safe side, but nothing that color pink stands out.”
Okaaay.
He looked back at me when he gave up on finding internet access. “Mostly wines and a few beers that looked interesting. According to several sites, those seemed to be a safer starting point than mixed drinks.”
Cody glanced at Conner. “I’m starting to see why.”
I was back to not knowing what to say.
Was there a polite way to ask if he was old enough to drink without sounding like an old fart? I wasn’t ancient yet, but had I crossed that line where everyone under thirty just looked like a kid?
“Yes, alcohol can have a strong effect on people.” I chuckled when Conner grinned and nodded. “But if you pick something carefully for your first time, then you might find it enjoyable.”
Conner started giggling. “First time.”
“I’m going to have to talk to the bartender again.” Ben tightened his grip on Conner who seemed to be slipping off.
“But the pink thing was fabulous.” Conner pouted and batted his eyelashes at Ben.
Cody piped up again. “I’ve never seen anyone pout like that.”
Not surprising, since he might not be old enough to drink.
“It’s a learned skill, I’d imagine.”
He nodded seriously but there was a spark of excitement in his eyes that looked like he was an adventurer starting off on a new world safari. “I wonder if there are any classes in flirting and body language. Do you think that would be something the psychology department might offer?”
Um.
“Possibly. It’s worth looking into.” Wasn’t it? He seemed curious about the idea, so why not?
“I’ll have to bring it up to the department head next week in our meeting.” He looked around again. “Do you have a piece of paper so I can make some notes?”
It was turning out to be the most interesting Friday night I’d had in a long time.
“Let me see what I have.” I’d come straight from work because I’d had a meeting that had run long, so my jacket was draped over the back of the couch. “Um, yes, here we go.”
Handing over the small notepad and pen I’d brought unnecessarily to the meeting, I couldn’t help but smile as he beamed at me. “Thank you.”
The wide smile didn’t help age him any, but he was so excited I had a hard time keeping myself from reaching over and giving him a hug. We all watched as he scribbled notes for a few moments, then paused and started again.
When the frantic writing was done, Cody looked up and smiled again. “Okay, thank you.” Then he looked down at the notebook and his brow creased. “Oh, but can I keep the notebook? Just in case?”
Just in case he figured out another class he wanted to take?
“That’s not a problem.”
It was definitely the oddest Friday I’d had in a long time, and that was saying something.
He beamed at me like I’d given him the world. “Thank you.”
He was very polite…which didn’t age him any either. Maybe he’d look older if he frowned? “You’re welcome.”
Conner chose that moment to start giggling again. “They’re so cute and polite. I love it.”
I might have rolled my eyes, but Cody seemed to find that funny because he started giggling too. Ben finally started clearing his throat which had Conner batting his eyelashes again and curling into him. “I’ll be good. Don’t spank me, Master.”
I glanced over at Cody to see what he thought of their teasing, and his eyes were wide. When he saw me looking, he smiled again. “This culture is fascinating. I’m so glad I decided to come.”
Culture?
Fascinating?
Were we a science experiment or was he actually interested in BDSM?
“We’re not bugs.” From anyone else the comment might have come across as rude, but when Conner was half-naked, drunk off his ass, and cuddled on his Master’s lap, it didn’t seem rude. Just funny.
Cody giggled. “That’s not what I meant.”
Conner snorted which just made him giggle again as well. “It’s what you said.”
“I just meant, I’m glad I tried this. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I decided that it was a topic that needed real interactions to be able to analyze. Like a science class where you have to take the lab too.” His honest grin and sweet expression had me wanting to shave years off his age again. The mixed signals were driving me nuts.
Okay, there had to be a way to figure out more information about the…young man…guy…sub?
Shit.
“So, what do you do for a living?”
Lame.
He turned that smile back to me. “I’m a student.”
So very helpful.
I must have looked lost because Ben chuckled. “No, he means he’s basically a professional student. He’s got like six degrees and just takes classes.”
Huh?
Cody shrugged like it was perfectly reasonable. “The college lets me take as many classes as I want because I’ve promised to teach at some point. I’m just not sure what I want to teach, so I’ve taken a lot. They want me to get older first, so it works out for both of us.”
Still not enough information to know how to take the conversation. I wasn’t going to talk about BDSM if he was a kid, no matter how smart he was. “That sounds like a good deal. It seems like you must have started college young.”
Like five?
Ben laughed. “He’s not underage.”
Cody’s eyes widened a bit before he shook his head. “Oh no, I’m over legal age. This is a new endeavor for me, but there are no legal ramifications.”
“Did you get a law degree as well?” I thought I was funny or at least he’d roll his eyes, but no.
He shook his head, taking me entirely too seriously. “No, those classes were a bit dry, but I might try going back to them later because they’re looking for professors in that department.”
“Sometimes it’s hard to settle on something.” It’d taken me a little time to decide that I wanted to focus on accounting, but his situation didn’t seem to be the same.
He nodded excitedly. “Learning is so much fun.”
That smile just… “What are you studying now?”
“Psychology. That’s where I started learning about fetishes and the BDSM culture. It’s fascinating.” There was nothing in his expression but honesty and a sincere openness that made me want to hug him.
“I can understand that. I find the lifestyle to be accepting and open-minded for the most part, which is enjoyable.” For numerous reasons.
He nodded earnestly. “I imagine finding people who accept your sexuality can be difficult.”
That was a bit of an understatement sometimes.
“Yes.”
But what did he think about it?
There had to be a reason a drunk Conner had dragged Cody over at top speed, and it hadn’t just been to talk about his numerous college degrees or his looks.
Conner groaned. Loudly. “You two sound like accountants out for a dinner meeting or something. Cody, tell Ford what you’re looking for.”
Cody blinked at him. “I thought small talk was considered appropriate in all settings?”
Don’t smile.
Don’t smile.
Don’t smile.
Conner giggled. “Not this kind of small talk. You want like…naked small talk.”
Ben groaned again. “Don’t tell him that.” Focusing on Cody, he smiled. “You just be you and everything will get figured out.”
Cody seemed skeptical about that. He studied them both and then turned back to me. “What do you think? Should I continue with small talk or is the appropriate way to handle this conversation to turn it to something erotic in nature? I was assuming with your asexuality that taking a different approach to get to know you might be best, but I’m open to suggestions as I haven’t had the chance to research the topic.” He finally showed frustration. “Conner said I couldn’t keep my phone.”
Conner rolled his eyes and somehow the movement started him sliding off Ben’s lap again. As he straightened, he giggled. “You were googling sex positions; besides, people need privacy here.”
“There should always be time for research.”
Don’t smile.
He was serious.
Don’t smile.
“And that right there is how you end up with god knows how many degrees and no real job.” Shaking his head, Conner gave him a what do I do with you look.
Cody didn’t seem fazed by that comment. “They mostly want me there for bragging rights, so we both get something out of it.”
It was the most entertaining night out I’d had in a long time.
When Cody turned back to me and smiled like he was waiting for something, I remembered the question. “Ah, um, I appreciate getting to know you outside of the typical erotic banter, but I’d enjoy getting to know all about you, so please feel free to take the conversation wherever it leads.”
Yeah, we really did sound like we were at a business meeting.
Cody smiled. “Wonderful.”
Ignoring Conner and the way he was starting to squirm on Ben’s lap, I smiled at Cody. “What were you looking for when you came tonight?”
Normally I wouldn’t have been so direct, but with Cody, I had a feeling he wouldn’t mind.
He smiled another of those earnest, excitable grins. “A Daddy. I’m curious about age play.”
“And it’s okay you don’t want to fuck hi—”
Ben’s hand going over Conner’s mouth cut off his statement, but we got the gist of it. Cody wasn’t offended, though; he nodded earnestly. “I’m a virgin, so that’s okay. My thought was that I can’t miss what I’ve never had, therefore the lack of sex in a possible relationship shouldn’t be of consequence. What do you think about that logic?”
Weirdest Friday night ever.
