Bull's Whip

Chapter 2

Chapter 2Thursday, one week later

Jamie liked his new office. He brought a few plants from home to put on a hook in front of the double-hung windows. The room was filled with light. He put up some Roman shades in a dull gold fabric and found a cheap patterned rug in burgundy, sage green, and gold in the storage unit he had with his Grams’ stuff. He had an oak desk and chair with a cushion and rollers. He even had an older burgundy leather wing chair for visitors; that Brian told him was once in Bear’s office. He made a nice little haven for himself amid the bustle of the club.

There was a lot of sorting to do. Reed’s box turned out to be a box of receipts, W-2 forms, and information for tax returns. The payroll taxes weren’t paid and there was an overdue notice in one of the piles.

Reed told him to get either his or Jim’s signature on the checks. So, he spent the next week working hard and trying to make friends with Bull. He’d meet him in the kitchen getting coffee and he’d say, “Good morning, Master Bull.” All he’d get for his trouble was a grunt.

He went to Bull’s office and attempted conversation. “Reed and Bear want me to keep track of expenses; could you give me your expense report for the outside training? I’m going to need it for the monthly report.” Then he waited at Bull’s office door, leaning provocatively against the frame. Looking around he saw that Bull’s office was as austere as Bull himself. Nothing was out of place and it was all minimalist.

“Yeah, here.” Bull shoved the report at him and then closed his door.

He tried being helpful, and knocked on his door. “I’m going to the kitchen to get some coffee and a scone. Sir, would you like me to bring some coffee back for you?” he asked in a bright, cheery tone, smiling broadly at the thought of being able to do something for his man.

“No, if I want coffee I’ll get my own,” Bull said snappishly, then he walked out of his door and down to the kitchen pointedly ignoring Jamie.

He tried flirting. “I’m leaving to spend some time at the bar tonight. I’m looking to do a scene, are you interested, or we could have a drink and get to know each other?” He stood in front of Bull wearing little more than a loin cloth, his armband showing.

“I’m busy tonight. I have a scene set up with Masato,” Bull said. Jamie thought that Bull took great satisfaction in telling him he was busy.

“Maybe next time,” Jamie said, leaving the office.

As he walked down the hall he heard Bull say, “Not if I can help it.”

Damn, he was doing Masato. Masato was a Eurasian who was beautiful to look at. He eyes slanted slightly and his skin was golden. Masato was handsome in the masculine way Jamie knew he was not. Masato was also built. He looked like he could take anything Bull dished out, not like his own small frame which looked delicate but was wiry and very strong.

The next day in frustration, Jamie asked Bull, “Did I ever do or say something to offend you? Every time I speak to you, you barely answer me and you look at me like I’m s**t on your shoe.”

Bull answered in a blunt and forceful manner, “I don’t like twinks.” He got up from behind his desk and loomed menacingly over Jamie.

Jamie answered in disgust, “I’m not a twink. If you took the time to get to know me, you’d know that the way I look has nothing to do with who I am inside.” He dared to step into Bull’s space.

“You look like a good breeze would blow you away. You couldn’t take what I give out, so stop stalking me,” Bull told Jamie. “Now get out of my office and don’t come back unless asked, boy.”

“I’m not your boy. I am employed at this club in an equal capacity to your own job. I may look like a twink but I deserve and demand respect, for the job I do, if nothing else.” Bull stood in front of Jamie, face turning red but not saying a word. “Look, we have to work together. Your shitty attitude is making it very difficult. Get to know me, I’m not a twink.”

“So, you’re saying that if I make nice, you’ll leave me alone except for work-related issues and light conversation.” Bull looked Jamie straight in the eyes, attempting intimidation.

Jamie didn’t back down. He stood there, hands on his hips staring right back at Bull. To Jamie’s surprise, Bull was the first to look away. He said, “All right, I’ll be polite, but in return, you stop stalking me. Agreed?”

“Agreed, I will act like any other co-worker,” Jamie lied through his teeth.

“Okay, I can live with that,” Bull replied. And after a month, that’s where matters stood. Bull would say, “Good morning” and politely hand over the reports and discuss expenses but nothing personal passed between them.

* * * *

Saturday, one month later

Bull was going crazy. Having that twink next door for the last month was hell on his nerves. It wasn’t much better since the kid agreed to leave him alone so long as he was polite. He missed the kid’s banter. But what the kid didn’t realize was that Bull was a hard core sadist. He would never hurt someone beyond recovery, but he pushed limits, hard. Bull had once dated a twink and he wanted no part of another. Jamie stopped stalking him but Bull could tell he was still hopeful.

Bull didn’t do twinks. He had been in the Marines, a Special Operation Command captain, and had a young second lieutenant as a f**k buddy. He was buff but small, with black hair and green eyes, definitely a twink who had no business in the service. When it was rumored that Tommy was f*****g an enlisted man and he got called on it he told command that it was Bull, not the private, and that Bull had tried to seduce him. He was so afraid of being caught that he threw Bull under the bus rather than face the consequences. Bull was discharged because the twink couldn’t keep his mouth shut and take what was coming to him because of his own recklessness. Bull made a vow that he would never trust a twink again. They were given to lies and deceit.

He decided to talk to Reed and Bear about his concerns. He waited until a Saturday morning when he knew his nemesis had a day off and decided to complain. He went up to Reed’s office and found the door was closed. As he knocked he heard more than two voices. So Brian and Jim were there as well. He almost turned around to leave, but Jim opened the door. Jim wasn’t just Reed’s sub, he also owned part of the club. He ran the kitchens and the house subs, planned the parties and the collaring ceremonies, his services were vital to the operation, yet Jim acted like a twink. Bull had heard that Jim did some time as an Army Ranger but he had a hard time believing that based on what he’d seen of the man.

“Good morning, Bull, what can I do for you?” Reed asked from behind his desk. Jim sat in one of the two chairs in front of the desk and Bear in the other with Brian on his lap.

“I’d like to move my office somewhere else,” Bull said mulishly.

“Has Jamie been bothering you again?” Bear asked, bringing Brian in closer to his chest.

“Not exactly.” Bull couldn’t lie and get the kid in trouble.

“What do you mean by not exactly?” Reed said looking at him strangely. “Has he been following you around, getting in your face?”

“No.” Bull grumbled standing at ease. “He’s there all the time and it bothers me, I can’t concentrate.”

“What do you mean by there?” Jim inquired in a mild tone of voice. That was Jim’s danger Will Robinson, danger voice.

“He’s there in his office all the time and it bugs the s**t out of me. He isn’t doing anything, he’s just there,” Bull said in exasperation.

“Let me see if I have this straight, he’s in his office, doing his work, not going out of his way to harass you and you’re complaining because he’s there,” Jim said with some asperity.

“Well, he walks by my door,” Bull continued.

“Does he walk by your door excessively?” Bear asked as he played with Brian’s hair.

“No, he goes to collect the receipts and tabs or to get coffee.” Bull started to clench and unclench his hands.

“In other words, he’s doing his job,” Jim said with some heat.

“Close your door,” Bear suggested, as Brian rubbed his cheek on the palm of Bear’s hand.

“I tried that, but I hear him.” Bull almost whined.

“Let me sum this up, he does nothing but what he’s paid to do, doesn’t interact with you unless he has to for his assignments, and you’re complaining that he’s there.” Reed looked at him in expectation of a sensible answer as to why he came up to complain.

“He’s too much of a twink and that bothers me,” Bull said, finally satisfied he could give a reasonable answer.

“One-third of the club membership consists of so-called twinks,” Jim said, angry this time. “I suppose you think I’m a twink too.”

“Err…”

“I’ve got news for you, buddy. You may have been in MARSOC and a big deal captain, but I was a Ranger, a grunt who probably saw more action than you did seeing as you guys did only special missions. I didn’t have the leisure to wait for special assignments; I was out there in the thick of it every day. I saw my best friend lose his legs, then his life to an IED. I watched people in my unit get shot at, blown up and bombed, and I had to patch them up. I’ll bet I can still do more pushups than you can.” Reed came from behind the desk and rubbed Jim’s shoulders. Jim was very upset.

“Bull,” Bear said in a calm voice. “I suggest you reconsider your position on this matter. You’re a damn good Dungeon Master, but Jamie is a damn good accountant. Reed’s been able to turn all of the club’s financials over to him after only a month on the job. He graduated summa c*m laude from Rutgers. You might want to revisit your definition of a twink.”

Bull got flustered. “He’s here looking for a sugar daddy.”

“I know that’s not true.” Brian spoke up for the first time. “He has a legacy from his grandmother. He only needs to work part-time and he’s got more than enough money to live very comfortably. He doesn’t need a sugar daddy. What you need, Bull, is a life. Then maybe you’ll stop worrying about Jamie’s.”

Bull looked askance at Brian. That was the first time he’d ever heard a cross word from Bear’s boy. “He’s too good looking, it’s distracting.” Bull kept going despite knowing he’d lost the argument.

“Then don’t look,” Jim said, real anger in his voice.

“Do you want to tender your resignation?” Reed asked coolly.

“Eh…no, not at all.” Bull liked his job.

“Then leave Jamie alone to go about his business and save your complaints for when you have a real one.” Reed said matter-of-factly. “You’ve been stomping around here like a lion with a thorn in his paw. You’re alienating some of the Doms, to say nothing of the subs. I was going to leave you alone to work it out yourself, but now I’m telling you, the kid is here to stay. He isn’t doing anything wrong. Live with it or leave.”

* * * *

Bull stormed out of the office. “Well,” Bear said, “he didn’t quit.”

“There’s more to this than meets the eye.” Brian adjusted himself more comfortably on Bear’s lap. “Personally, I think Jamie bothers Bull because Bull likes him too much and Bull is stubborn. He doesn’t want to admit that he’s attracted to anything but a big strapping football player type.”

“Then why won’t he give Jamie a chance if he likes him?” Bear asked.

“Because Bull would have to admit he was wrong,” Brian answered.

“Bull thinks that if a sub is small, the sub won’t be able to take the pain he wants to give out and he doesn’t trust anyone who looks like a twink,” Bear said, thinking out loud.

“You know that’s not true, Papa. I took more than my fair share of pain at the Shore clubs while I was in college and I’m no football player. As far as trust is concerned, I’ve kept everyone’s secrets,” Brian told him.

“I know, cub. They didn’t call you the Ice Man at the Shore Clubs for nothing. You’re right about the secrets. You kept Greg’s for almost two years.” Jim laughed.

“Bull is right though. Jamie wants him. He’s just biding his time until Bull gets over himself,” Brian observed. “I want to be there, Papa, when Jamie proves him wrong.”