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Chapter One

Chaps Kink Club was a special place. Gary Perkins had worked there for two years and had never loved a job more.

Bartending may not have been his dream job when he was a kid, but he’d always wanted a community, and Chaps was that.

Five entire floors of kink, from the main floor where folks met to the VIP floor on top, with the floors with private rooms and stages sandwiched between them.

It was never silent and never completely barren of their people.

Most of the men in the place were regulars but some made their way to Chaps from hundreds of miles away from Chaps’ home in Denver. All night, every night, there were smiles and handshakes given to him, conversations that he enjoyed and good friends to hang with until the early hours of morning.

Yes, Gary loved his job. Most of the time. There were those rare men that made him tense at best and infuriated at worst. On his way to the bar at that moment was one of the latter.

Wiping down the surface of the corner of the squared bar, Gary saw a young man coming his way, and he flinched at the thought of being nice.

The guy was a little prick, snotty, overly confident to the point of conceit and always on the prowl for a rich daddy that would make all his spoiled dreams come true. And not one wanted anything to do with him.

As Jovian Masseretti slid onto the stool at the end of the corner in front of him, Gary noticed the frown. That wasn’t unusual in a club, in any club, not even the usually upbeat Chaps. Sure, there were a lot of smiles, but frowns were always plentiful, too.

Not that he felt badly for the guy. Sure, he was a little beauty, tiny, cute as hell, smart and funny at times, but he was also arrogant. He had it in his head that rich daddies should line up to take care of him.

“What’s the face for, Jovian?”

“I’m tired of it,” he started, spitting out the words, eyes watering like he had actual emotions. “All this,” he said as he waved his hands over himself, “and not one daddy wants to take me on. It makes no sense. What is wrong with them?”

Gary bit his tongue hard to keep from telling him it wasn’t them , it was him . “The usual, Jovian?”

“Sure, though I wished you served alcohol. I could use some right now.”

Seeing his in, Gary suggested, “There is a gay bar down the street that does. Maybe—”

Completely ignoring him, Jovian interrupted, “I practically served myself on a platter to a hot daddy upstairs, and he walked off with this little twink that is as plain as a brown Walmart loafer and just as boring in bed. I should know, I’ve done a couple threesomes with him in the private rooms upstairs. ”

“Let me guess, they always went home with him and not you when you guys played.”

“How’d you know that?”

Before he could answer, he was glad to see the two drag queens coming to sit at the very end of the bar, only a couple of stools away from Jovian. He turned from Jovian, so grateful to his two friends, he could have kissed them both.

Clitorice Starling and Final Vaginal were two goth, latex queens that often performed at the club.

They were currently dressed in leather corsets, Clit in red, Final in blue, black silk stockings, hair in high, tight, and long ponytails that went to their padded asses.

They were gorgeous, and always tipped him well, using the tips they’d just had thrown that them liberally.

“What can I get you ladies?”

Clit was an African American queen with high cheekbones and full, red lips. Her nails, shoes and leather collar all matched her corset, and she always spoke first. “Cranberry, babe, for both of us. Gotta keep those kidneys clean.”

“Right away.”

Final saw Jovian and his frown. Final talked little when she wasn’t on stage, but something about the young man caught her eye. “What are you down about, sweetheart?”

Gary again bit his tongue, wishing to warn his friends, but they were big girls.

“I don’t understand why the hot daddies always grab guys that are nowhere as good as me.”

Clit rolled her eyes and chuckled. Final, however, seemed more sympathetic. “Tell me that’s not your pickup line.”

Jovian rolled his eyes and spat, “I’m not stupid.”

“Seem kinda stupid to me,” Clit said, and Final playfully swatted her.

“Listen, I’m worth it, and I can’t help it if they can’t see it.”

Gary could no longer bite his tongue. It was bleeding. “Jovian, you come off like they owe you something. For one, that’s not how a submissive acts, and two, you have your sights set on a certain type of man, and you ignore fantastic men that would enjoy playing around with you.”

“I don’t want to be played with. I want to be with a daddy that wants to spoil me rotten.”

The queens both laughed and Clit snarked, “Gold digger. Gotcha.”

“I am not! I simply know my worth.”

Before Clit could comment again, Final broke in, “I’m glad you know your worth, honey, but there is a fine line separating conceit and confidence.”

Gary smiled inwardly, knowing that the ladies would handle it better than he ever could.

“Between prideful and preachy,” Clit said, holding up her hands like she was in church.

Final laughed at her partner and then lost her smile. “What’s your name, honey?”

“Jovian. Jovian Masseretti.”

“Nice name.”

“I changed it,” he said as he lifted his chin haughtily. “It was Kyle. That’s just…boring! How in the world my parents could name a kid that is beyond me. I tell them that all the time. They know better than to call me that now.”

“Well, if naming you Kyle was the worst your parents did to you, that’s a wonderful life, sugar.”

“Final, baby, you don’t know what this boy went through!”

Gary went off to serve a few more customers, but he kept his ear out for the screaming.

Jovian had relayed a million times how spoiled he was by his family.

They didn’t mind his being gay, hadn’t thrown him out or anything.

In fact, his mother had thrown him a little party when he officially came out when he was twelve. Unicorns and glitter.

That was the problem with guys like Jovian. They did not know how cruel the world could be for their own community. They’d been embraced by friends and family all their lives, never fought for their rights. Jovian and others were children when the laws changed for marriage equality.

Then, the inevitable happened. Final was being held back from punching the young man, and he rushed over before the bouncers could see. “Hey! Hey, hey, sister, what’s the deal?”

“This…person!”

Final sat back on her stool while Jovian stared at the two queens, shocked. “What did I do?”

“Jovian, I don’t even have to ask them,” Gary said while his hands were placed on the surface of the bar, and he leaned closer to the man. “I know you said something stupid. Here it is, my last warning to you. Stop this shit or you can find yourself another club to frequent.”

“What? You can’t do that! I’ve done nothing wrong!”

Clit snapped her fingers and Gary looked over his beefy shoulder at her. “Let me, darlin’.”

Gary chuckled deeply. “Yeah, sis, go for it.”

Backing off Jovian, Gary leaned on the backbar, watching the little man puffing up his thin chest. “I didn’t do anything!”

Without losing a breath, Clit laid into him, tapping her red nails on the bar to keep in tune with her words.

It was one of her traits that Gary loved the most. “It’s not what you said, Jovian, as much as your attitude.

You gotta have some respect for people. We’ve been through hell and back, and we fought for the shit you take for granted.

Now you’re sitting here and disrespecting us, telling us to mind our own business when you gave up your bullshit free for all to hear. ”

Gary watched with glee as Jovian fought back, knowing that he was burying himself.

“If I have to hear one more time about what the older gens of queers did for us, I’m going to puke.

I didn’t ask you to do anything for me! Stop expecting some kind of respect when I don’t know you, and I didn’t ask you to do what you did!

You wanted to march and holler and whatever you did.

And now you’re all mad that we don’t kiss your collective asses over it. ”

Final just chuckled darkly, looking over at Clit. “Baby, this is why.”

“Oh, I know. I know.”

Gary knew what they were talking about and had an idea, though he wasn’t sure at all if it would work. His eyes met hers, she nodded to him and then told her partner, “Baby, I’m starving half to death. Take me to dinner or lose me forever.”

“You got it, my love.”

“Wait, wait,” Jovian said. “You two are together?”

Final’s dark green eyes moved over to Jovian, and Gary saw pure malice in them. “Yes. What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing. I just never saw two queens together. You guys take off these costumes before you…? Never mind. I don’t even want to imagine that ,” he said as he rolled his eyes hard and then sipped his drink like he was the king of the world.

Gary swallowed the fear he felt as he saw both queens glaring at Jovian but was terribly relieved when they both walked away after a wink from Clit to him.

“Weird,” Jovian said mostly to himself.

“Yeah, weird, two people that are happy and content within themselves and their partner. How weird!”

“Oh, don’t you start now! I didn’t come here for a lecture.”

“Good. Because you won’t be coming here at all anymore unless you do something for me.”

Jovian wriggled on the stool, his lashes bouncing on his cheeks as they fluttered. “Now we’re talking, Daddy.”

“Don’t even think about it,” Gary said on a barked laugh.

“I wouldn’t stick my dick in your ass if it was the last ass on earth.

” After grabbing the brochure from under the cash register, he slapped it down on the bar in front of Jovian.

“You go here this summer and learn something about our culture, our history and how to act, and then you’ll be able to come here again. ”

“What? You cannot kick me out. You’re not the owner!”

“The owner is sick of you, too. And he is in touch with all the other club and bar owners that you frequent, so if I talk to him about you, he’ll get you banned from all of them.

This is your last chance, Jovian. Get your head out of your ass, or you can look for a Daddy online, and take your chances. ”

“But…but they’re bad, some of them! At least they’re vetted here!”

It was true. Since its inception, Chaps had been a kink club for members only and those members had to pass a rigorous screening before they were granted their passes.

It made for a much safer environment, one in which men could confidently go into a playroom with another member and not worry they were with a psycho that only wanted to damage them.

“Yeah. Which…I’m sorry, Jovian, but vetting you maybe was done a little too fast. We can’t in good conscience let a Dom anywhere near you until you stop with this entitlement shit you have.”

Gary could tell that Jovian’s mind was racing for a way out of his current predicament, but there was nothing. He knew with a nod from Gary the owner would kick Jovian out on his pretty ass. Gary pushed the brochure closer and said, “Just do this. It will help you.”

Jovian picked it up and huffed, “What the hell is it?”

“A camp.”

“Do I look like I’m an eight-year-old?”

Maybe not, Gary thought, but he acted like it.

“It’s a camp for adults. It’s a place that’s supportive, they’ll teach you skills you don’t have and give you opportunities to make some friends.

Most of all, though, they’ll teach you how you got here.

Like it or not, without those that came before us, we wouldn’t have what we have now.

And it could be taken again. Maybe you’ll learn how to preserve it for the next generation or fight for it again. ”

Jovian slapped the brochure on the bar. “Camping? Actually camping? Outdoors? I can’t sleep outdoors!”

“They have cabins, you little prick. Do it or not, it’s up to you, but until you are there for the full six weeks, and until you get the leader of the camp to sign off that you completed the entire experience, you won’t be allowed back here or anywhere else you love going.”

“This is blackmail. I could sue,” he said in a deep, vicious tone.

“Go ahead. That would be a fun day in court.”

Jovian changed tactics. Suddenly, his eyes were swimming in tears, and one fell down his pretty face. As Gary watched it, he held in his laughter until his stomach ached.

“Please, Gary, I’ll behave. I promise, I’ll…I’ll read up on our history. I’ll…I don’t know, pretend to be humble or whatever.”

Gary tapped his fingers on the brochure. “Go here, and then…we’ll talk.”

“Fine,” he said, snatching the brochure from the bar and sliding angrily off the stool, heading toward the door.

His bitching could be heard all the way to the parking lot.

“I’m so glad you all think you know best, just because your parents didn’t hug you enough or something.

I swear to God, these old queens are so preoccupied with the past… ”

He called his sister, Clarice, AKA, Clitorice Starling, one Jovian was gone. “Hey, Gary, honey. Did you drop it on him?”

“The hammer is dropped and Dix will hate me, but he’s getting a new camper this summer.”

“Dix can handle him. In fact, Dix and pretty Jovian may get along just fine…”