Chapter 5
Jennier sat in the corner booth of Club Vinyl and tried to calm her beating heart. It was about 7:45pm and she had just taken her seat to meet Jared. Looking around, she spotted Gary and and his current boyfriend Kirk, cuddling in the booth across from her. Their level of public affection far surpassed what she herself was comfortable with, but they looked adorable. Giving them a small smile, she pulled out her cell to occupy her until Jared arrived.
Almost without conscious action, she found herself opening the b**m dating site. She quickly skimmed the new messages that had arrived, none of which caught her interest. A glance at the time in the corner of the screen showed her she still had a few minutes to waste. Unable to stop herself, she went to her received messages and pulled up the initial message from Coop. Rereading it, she could not help but to be drawn to it just as much as she had the first time.
With a guilty glance in Gary’s direction, she began to craft a reply. She told herself that she was not flirting or looking for anything with someone so inappropriate, but it would be rude not to reply. Besides, she told herself, maybe he would have some hints as to how she could begin to integrate herself into the lifestyle. There was nothing wrong with talking to other like-minded people, and talking was just that. It's not like she was in a position to meet him in person anyway.
“Hello Coop,” she wrote. “I must admit that I found your message well written and intriguing. Your profile is clear and I am impressed with the way you are able to illustrate your feelings so eloquently. In my extremely limited experience on this site, too often I have found the majority of the Doms to be pushy and overbearing. There is little understanding of the trust and time needed for this type of relationship. Thank you for reaffirming my faith that there are solid and true Doms still out there to be found and have an amazing evening, Jenny.”
With a small smile she pressed send, pleased at the non-committal response she was able to craft. Before she even realized what she was doing, she hit the button to download the mobile app, telling herself that she just wanted to be able to check for new messages easily. She was not looking for a return message from Coop. She couldn't be, she was sitting in a bar waiting to meet a different man and Coop was entirely unsuitable.
Choosing not to examine her actions too closely, she laid her phone face down on the table after one last glance at the time. Seeing that Jared was due any minute, Jennifer relaxed into her seat. She was taking the first step to reclaiming her life once again, and it felt amazing.
She allowed her mind to wander to business and other subjects before a sound caught her attention. The alert on her phone was going off, causing her to pick it up once again. Seeing that it was a few minutes after eight, she assumed the message was from Jared, letting her know that he was running late. As she looked at the display she was surprised to see it was not from Jared, but that Coop had responded. With a guilty look around, she quickly opened the message.
“Ignorance is not just limited to the Dom’s on this site, although I tend to believe that their ignorance, or arrogance, is far more dangerous to others than that of a sub. It is wonderful to meet you Jenny. What are you up to this evening?”
Jennifer looked around, still seeing no sign of her date for the evening. Punctuality was important to her, and so far he was not making a good impression. Quickly typing, Jennifer answered Coop’s message.
“I am actually sitting in a club, something I honestly hate doing, waiting to meet a Dom from the site. At the moment, he is over ten minutes late, and I am starting to wonder if he is even going to show up. Why do you think ignorant sub’s are dangerous? I understand the Dom’s but your wording on that statement was inconclusive.” Not hesitating to answer, Jennifer did not hide the small smile that came over her. There was something so appealing about him.
His response was nearly instantaneous, and she quickly looked around to make sure she no one was approaching before reading the message.
“Well Baby Girl, an ignorant sub does not know when to say stop. They do not know their limits and sometimes can put themselves in danger in their quest to find a partner. A good example of that would be meeting a Dom from a website after the first time they speak. A public place is a good start, but it is easier than you would realize to follow someone home or move them to a private location.” The subtle scolding in the tone of his message made all of Jennifer's concerns about this meeting come back full force. It also caused her hackles to rise as she thought about his presumptuous comment.
“I will have you know that I am not completely reckless. I brought my best friend and his boyfriend, who is the size of a truck. They are on the other side of the room watching over me. I appreciate the concern, but I am not foolish. Also, it looks like my date is arriving. Have a nice evening.” Her message was curt and bordered on cold, her irritation at his high-handedness showing through.
Putting down her phone, she watched the man that had just walked into the club. It was clearly Jared, he looked just like the picture on his profile. Lifting a hand to gain his attention, she saw the moment that he realized it was her. His head c****d to the side, and he stared at her as he walked over, the expression on his face resembling that of a shark.
“Jennifer, I presume?” He extended his hand in greeting, drawing her to a standing position and moving as if to draw her into an embrace. Jennnifer pulled back subtly, already regretting the decision to meet him, public or not.
“Pleasure to meet you Jared, I am thrilled you could join me.” His smirk in response to her welcome put her teeth on edge. From the table, she heard the telltale ding of receiving a message. Without checking it, she slid the phone off the table and into her purse beside her. When the waitress approached, she ordered another Diet Coke while he ordered a martini. Hearing her order, he instantly corrected it to the waitress. “She will have a glass of the house white.”
“Actually, I stay away from alcohol. I would just like another Diet Coke please.” The words were muttered through gritted teeth.
“She will have ice water.” Ignoring her words, he continued to address the waitress as if Jennifer was not even present. Once the order was placed, he turned his attention back to Jennifer.
“Tell me about yourself.” The question left his mouth like a demand, and he kept the cold look in his eyes but the fake smile in place. Jennifer could not put her finger on exactly what it was, but this man was making her flesh crawl.
“Well, I am a financial advisor here in the city. I enjoy hiking, swimming, and taking classes.” His smirk seemed to grow as she spoke.
“What sort of classes do you take? Hopefully, skill based classes, my sub will not need useless information, but I expect her to understand her place and all facets of it.” His words were said with a joking tinge, but Jennifer could hear the seriousness of his meaning behind the words.
“Actually, I take classes in whatever interests me. What about you? What do you do? What are you interested in?” Jennifer did not know why she was trying, from the first moment she knew that there was no way she would ever continue this.
“Sir.” The single word held steel and suppressed aggression as he stared unblinkingly into her eyes.
“What was that?” Jennifer was certain that she must have missed something in his one word answer.
“When you address me it will be as Sir. Your profile stated that you are a submissive, but so far I do not see it.” Once again, he examined her as if she were under a microscope.
Pushing down her instant irritation, Jennifer responded, “I am a natural submissive. I take my greatest pleasure from serving another and giving him pleasure. That does not mean that I will call any rude pompous jerk that demands it Sir. Respect is earned with time and trust and, to be honest, you are never getting either from me. I am sorry that you wasted your time coming here, but I am more sorry that you wasted mine. One suggestion, next time you leave a date waiting, text her to let her know that you will be late.”
Ranting over, she began to gather her bag, took out a twenty to cover her drink and tip before standing, nearly shaking with rage. The nerve of this man to demand that she address him as Sir. As she slid out of the booth she was taken aback by his sudden movement, grabbing her arm and squeezing it tightly.
She met his eye as she tried to pull her arm away. Before she could demand he let her go, or resort to kicking him in a sensitive location, Gary and Kirk appeared on either side of her would-be date.
Jared did not seem to even notice their arrival as he held fast to her arm. “Where do you think you are going, slut? I did not give you permission to leave.”
“She can leave if she wishes, and I think that you will stay right where you are while she does.” Kirk spoke in his deep voice. His words alone made Jared release her arm.
Standing at nearly six and a half feet, he towered over Jennifer's dainty five-foot two frame. Sliding past him, into the waiting arms of Gary, Jennifer made her way out of the bar. This had been a massive mistake and one that she was not going to repeat any time soon.