Page 13

It’s a rush

S hortly after our call, Mr. Wallace sends me the names and phone numbers of three former students, along with the password to the forms.

Wondering what Gwen would think about all this, I give her a call. The moment she picks up, I cry, “Last night was crazy!”

“I know!” she agrees, sounding shell-shocked.

“What did you think of that pic I sent?

“What pic?”

Realizing something’s up, I ask her, “Is everything all right?”

Her voice trembles when she answers, “I got a call from the director after rehearsal last night…I’m still processing and can’t even believe it’s real.”

“Oh, no! What happened?”

“The lead actress is in the hospital and…” Her voice trails off. “…I was told I’m taking her place opening night.”

“Gwen, that’s wonderful news!” I cry in relief. “The way you sounded, I thought something bad happened to you.”

“You don’t get it, Soph. There’s no way I can take on that role. There’s not enough time to prepare for it.” I hear a breathy pause that sounds like she’s quietly sobbing. “When I screw this up…it’s going to tank my entire career.”

I’ve never heard Gwen talk this way before. She’s like the rock of Gibraltar—an impregnable fortress of confidence. So I remind her, “Are you kidding? You have been waiting for this moment your whole life! I know you, Gwen. And I’d bet money you’ve already memorized everybody’s lines down to the last syllable.”

She laughs uncomfortably. “True…”

Surprised that she’s doubting herself, I tell her with conviction, “The reason the director chose you is because you’re the only one who can do this role justice. Not only are you capable of taking the lead, but this part was meant for you.”

When she doesn’t respond, I become worried. Then I hear her sniffling softly.

Tears spring to my own eyes. “Don’t cry, Gwen!”

“I just…” She lets out a heartbreaking sob. “I really needed to hear that right now.”

Grateful she’s listening to the truth, I boldly declare, “Your moment to shine has come.”

“I can do this,” Gwen states firmly.

“You were made to do this.”

“Yes! I’m going to kick butt at rehearsal today.”

“You are Gwen Huntington, the next Broadway star.”

“Let’s not overdo it, Soph,” she says with a laugh. “But thanks…”

“Anytime, my frien—”

“Oh, my God!”

“What?” I ask in alarm.

“I just saw your picture. What were you doing back at the Luxe Escape—in the presidential suite, no less?”

I giggle with excitement. “Would you believe I was invited up to play that incredible piano?”

“How the heck did you manage that?”

“My car broke down…it doesn’t matter!” Instead of boring her with the dreary details, I simply tell her, “Through a string of bad luck, I ended up at the hotel and fell asleep in the lobby.”

“That sounds awful.”

“Yeah, it was rough,” I admit. “But because of it, I ended up meeting the same man who escorted me into the hotel on New Year’s Eve. He actually owns the piano and invited me up to play it.”

“Soph, he was the host of the party!” Gwen informs me, then adds teasingly, “Did anything else happen in that piano room?”

I roll my eyes. “It wasn’t a booty call, G.”

“Well, that’s a shame. Because his booty looked mighty fine to me!”

“ Anyway …” I mutter, redirecting our conversation. “He had to fly out last night, but before he left, I offered to teach him piano when he’s in town, and…” I hesitate, uncertain how she will react. “Anton accepted my piano lessons in exchange for a course he thought I might like.”

“Anton…is it?” she asks in a tickled voice. I smirk, choosing to ignore her wishful matchmaking. “Give me the deets about this class.”

I blush when I say, “That’s actually why I’m calling.”

“Well, well…this just got a whole lot more interesting.”

I chuckle nervously. “You know that hunky blond you had the hots for on New Year’s Eve?

“Oh, yeah! I’m still dreaming about that stud.”

“Well, his name is Mr. Wallace and he happens to be the ‘director’ of the school.”

“You have got to be kidding me! I might have to sign up for one of his courses myself.”

“Here’s the interesting thing, G. You remember how you told me how the other guy was a headmaster at a BDSM school?”

“Yeah…” she answers hesitantly.

“Well, Mr. Wallace happens to teach BDSM here in New York.”

“Get out!”

I snort, still reeling from the conversation. “I had no idea until I spoke to him this morning. Needless to say, it was the last thing I expected.”

“Did you hang up on the poor guy?”

“No…” My voice sounds more high-pitched than I’d like when I say, “Mr. Wallace seems really professional and knowledgeable.”

“Oh, my God! You signed up for the class, didn’t you?”

“No,” I sputter.

“But you want to…” she teases.

“Well, he did mention that I would be a good candidate for the course. Even gave me the references of previous graduates if I had any questions.”

“Do you think it’s safe, Sophie?”

“Everything I’ve found points to the school being legit.”

Sounding far more excited than she should, Gwen exclaims, “Please tell me you plan to call those references.”

“I wouldn’t know what to ask them…” But as I flip the business card between my fingers, I feel a spark of excitement.

“Can I be honest with you, Soph?”

“Of course. That’s why I called you.”

“Neither of us knows a thing about BDSM. Seems foolish to discount an opportunity until you’ve spoken with someone who has taken the course.”

“But what if they turn out to be delusional and weird?”

Playing the devil’s advocate, she replies, “And what if they are just as normal as you and me?”

“You honestly think I should consider this, G?”

“If you have the slightest interest, I think you owe it to yourself.”

“And you wouldn’t think less of me?”

“No,” she says in a serious tone. “I’ll think you’re pretty damn courageous.”

Sighing nervously, I make a deal with her. “I’ll give them a call on one condition.”

She laughs. “What’s that?”

“You promise to stop doubting your talent.”

“Hmm…” she murmurs, “…I guess we’re both facing unexpected challenges.”

Before hanging up, I remind Gwen, “You’re going to kill this role!”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence. And, whatever you decide about this BDSM course, I know it’ll be the right choice. Don’t second-guess yourself.”

I smile. “Okay…I won’t.”

After our talk, I’m itching to check out the forms Mr. Wallace mentioned. But, with a busy workday ahead, I’ll have to wait until I get back home tonight to do a deep dive into them.

Following Gwen’s advice, I punch in the number of the first name I see on the list, Brianna Davis. I’m relieved when she doesn’t answer, and the call goes to voicemail. After the beep, I start off the message sounding professional, “Hi, Brianna. My name is Sophie. Mr. Wallace gave me you as a reference and suggested I call you about the course you took. Umm…so…”

My mind draws a blank and I laugh nervously. Bumbling, I blurt out, “Anyway, I hope you’re having a good day…” I roll my eyes, desperate to end the call before I make a bigger fool of myself. “Call me. Bye!”

Setting the phone down, I put my head in my hands, mumbling, “Why do my phone skills suck so bad?”

Too mortified to call anyone else on the list, I get up from the table and get ready for the day. Grabbing my coat, I head out to my car. I grin when I press the ignition, and the engine starts right up.

Anton truly worked a miracle last night!

After a satisfying day of lessons, I grab Chinese on my way back to the apartment. I refuse to give up my favorite restaurant just because Noah introduced me to it. Sneaking a crispy wanton out of the bag on the drive home, I hold it up and grin. “Here’s to the only good thing about our relationship.”

I set out a lovely table for myself. While lighting the candle, however, I hear a ping on my phone. Glancing down at it, I’m surprised to see a long text.

Sorry I couldn’t answer the phone. I was a bit tied up. Would love to talk to you about my experience at the Training Center. I fly back to LA the day after tomorrow. Any chance we could meet at The Black Drakon @ 7 tomorrow night?

I keep staring at Brianna’s message while eating my dinner. Thinking about my promise to Gwen, I answer her text. Whether I choose to take the course or not, when will I ever have the opportunity to talk candidly with a real submissive?

Before I overthink it, I hit send. Great! See you then.

As I’m setting my phone down, it dawns on me that Brianna must be someone with real clout, if she’s about to get a last-minute reservation at The Black Drakon. For some reason, I just assumed she was a wallflower like me…

After enjoying my feast for one, I settle down on the couch with my laptop and go to the STC website. Using the password, I find I have access to all the forms that applicants must fill out and am shocked to see that there’s a shit ton of them!

The first is a health form that must be signed by a doctor. I take comfort in knowing that all applicants must be on a reliable form of birth control and are required to be tested for STIs prior to joining the course.

I notice that one form consists of personal questions. The list of questions starts out simple enough:

What type of partner are you attracted to, and what specific qualities do you prefer?

I’ve always liked men who make me laugh and aren’t obsessed with the way they look. But they must have kind eyes, a steady job, and live on their own. I once dated a mama’s boy who lived with his parents—it was not a good combination.

Thinking about physical characterizes, I realize I’m not all that picky as long as they have a cute butt, nice hair, and a great smile.

I giggle uncomfortably when I read the next question because it seems so rude.

What type of partner are you not attracted to, and what specific qualities turn you off?

Cheaters, of course! Along with guys who are arrogant, dudes who are way too serious, and anyone who doesn’t love animals. On the physical side, I have to give it some thought because looks aren’t all that important to me. However, there are a few things like mustaches, missing teeth, being too tall, huge muscles, and redheads.

As I continue burning through the questions, I notice they start to get more personal and groan when I come across one that says:

Tell us something about the members of your immediate family.

Since my dad died when I was only four, my mom had to work tons of hours to keep up with the mortgage and put food on the table. That left my two brothers and I pretty much raising ourselves, but I was often the odd one out because I was a girl.

I think that’s one of the reasons Gwen and I became fast friends. She was an only child, so the two of us were all we had.

Opening up another form, I find detailed questions asking about my sexual history.

How old were you when you lost your virginity?

I remember it well! I was seventeen when I gave my virginity to Casey Bevens. He was super sweet and gentle, knowing it was my first time. But our relationship came to an untimely end when his family moved across the country over the summer.

I feel embarrassed when I read the next question.

How many sexual partners have you had?

Compared to Gwen, I’m practically a virgin with only three. But I’ve always been super picky about going all the way with a guy. I don’t mind getting down and dirty with oral, but intercourse is off limits unless I seriously like the guy.

Gwen, on the other hand, pretty much fucks any guy she finds attractive. I wish I could be more like her, but it feels way too intimate to have intercourse with just any man, no matter how hot he is.

Moving on, I frown when I read the question:

Describe the best sexual encounter you’ve ever had.

I deeply resent that my best sex was with Noah. Still, I can’t deny how amazing it was that night we were chilling on the roof of his building. What started as kissing soon became heavy petting. One thing led to another…and before I knew it, the two of us were naked and doing it out in the open. Thank God, we didn’t get caught that night!

But there was something magically wicked about doing it outside under the stars like that. Even though I’ve never climaxed during intercourse, fantasizing about that night with Noah using my favorite vibrator has given me tons of orgasms.

My heart starts to race when I move to the next form and see it’s all about the kinky stuff. It’s intimidating when I see the huge list of BDSM tools and practices.

The instructions say to rate each item with one of five options: Like, Interested, Neutral, Don’t Like, and Don’t Know.

My head spins as I read through them. Initially, I see things I’ve heard about before, like blindfolds, gags, cages, and spanking. But then the list moves into other areas I’d never considered, like puppy play, medical scenes, sensory deprivation, hot wax, electricity, and even edge play.

I swallow hard when I come across things that I have zero interest in trying. I zealously check “Don’t Like” for each one, starting with my biggest trigger—bondage. I also check fire play, scarification, double penetration, and every kind of whip I come across.

Looking back over the long list, I’m pleasantly surprised by the number of things I’ve checked that I’d like to try. I had no idea BDSM involved such a wide variety of activities!

I’m grateful I took Mr. Wallace’s advice. Being able to look over these forms has certainly been enlightening.