Family Ties

“I’ve never been in your situation, but I know what it feels like to have someone treat you like a convenient sex toy.” I thought about Kendall, and sometimes even Gina. “I never really felt… powerless… but still.”

“Yeah, well… you have no idea.”

“No, I don’t. So… let’s talk about something happier. The gallery owner is interested?”

“Yeah, I think she is, but it wasn’t a power thing with her. I think she’d like to sleep with me—and believe it or not, I’d like to sleep with her—but it wasn’t a condition of the deal. She wants to take me under her wing and introduce me to people.”

“Art lovers or other lesbians?”

“Both. And you’d be surprised how many gay men she knows. They come to her gallery too. She’s the one who bought those pictures of you, by the way. I can always sell more prints from that session, but let me know if you ever want to model again. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said with a laugh. “Although I don’t know how I really feel

about gay guys looking at me like that.”

“If I can do it, so can you,” she said. “I mean, I never minded guys looking at me in the clubs. I didn’t wanna do anything else with them, even when I had to, but I didn’t mind them looking.”

“Makes sense,” I said. “But it probably took you a while to get used to it, right?”

“Not really. I mean, I always liked showing off. Especially after I developed. And that was before I realized what I was. What I am. So I thought I was supposed to like guys looking at me. I even tried to like them, but… they were losers or fucked me over.”

“Pretty common story, unfortunately,” I said. “I’m not ashamed to be a guy, but sometimes other guys give the rest of us a bad reputation.”

“I never met a good guy till you.”

“I can believe it.”

“That’s why it took me so long to admit it. You’re not like other guys.”

“I’m not like most guys,” I said. “There are other guys like me.”

“Yeah, well… I’ve never met ’em.”

“Fair enough. So… back to Max. She wants to take you under her wing?”

“Yeah. It’d help her too, though. For sure. That’s kind of what she does.

She finds young artists and promotes them. She takes her cut of the money, but I think she actually wants to help.”

“That’s pretty noble.”

“Well, she enjoys a lot of… um… fringe benefits,” she said with a laugh.

“I mean, I was ready to sleep with her if I thought it’d help my career. I think I wanna sleep with her even more now I know it isn’t expected.”

“Imagine that,” I said, semi-sarcastic, “free will is an aphrodisiac!”

“It kinda is,” she said with another laugh. “I mean, I almost wanted to sleep with you when I realized you weren’t going to try anything. Almost,”

she stressed.

“Thanks for clearing that up,” I said dryly. “So… Max? She’s the good news. What’s the exciting news?”

“Also Max, but…” She fell silent for a long time, and I wasn’t sure she’d continue. “I guess I can trust you,” she said at last. “You’ve told me about your deep, dark secrets.”

“True. So… what’s yours? One of them, at least. I suspect you have several.”

“You have no idea,” she said heavily.

“I just said I do. Now, what’s the first secret you’re ready to share?”

“It isn’t actually a secret. Just… part of my past. Well, part of who I am.

And I figure since you’re a swinger, you won’t think it’s perverted or degenerate or anything.”

“Probably not,” I agreed.

“So, back in the clubs…,” she began. Then she drew a deep breath.

“Okay, here goes. A lot of clubs have this… side… to them. The stuff that happens in the back rooms.”

“Right,” I said neutrally. I’d never really thought about strip clubs in terms of how many of the women were forced to have sex, but Sara had opened my eyes.

“Most guys are just there for the power. They hold it over us. Over them, the girls. But some guys, especially big CEO-types and powerful men, like to be… um… dominated.”

“Like… Domination and Submission?”

“I should’ve known you’d know about that scene,” she said with a laugh.

“I know of it,” I said, “but not much about it. I mean, I know what D&S

is, mostly thanks to an ex-girlfriend, but I’ve never been to a club or party or anything like that.”

“Well, you learn about that stuff pretty quick in a strip club. I was never a submissive type—”

“That’s Daphne.”

“Right. I was always the dom. But that doesn’t really get me off. Not like some women I’ve met. And I mean, like, dominatrix women, with whips and chains and everything. Jesus, Paul… some of the stories I could tell you.”

“I can imagine. Maybe sometime…”

“Yeah, maybe. But Max… So, she must have recognized something about me.”

I laughed and quickly added, “Sara, anyone who’s spent five minutes with you knows you’re a dom.”

“I’m not that much of a bitch,” she said resentfully.

“I didn’t say ‘bitch.’ I said ‘dom.’ I’m the same way. I’m in charge and I know it. That’s probably why Daphne was attracted to each of us. And to the new guy. You said he’s a finance hotshot? Well, that’s pretty much a dominant personality. You, me, him. You’re part of the club, sister. Gabba gabba hey.”

“I love the Ramones.” She laughed. “Bet you didn’t know that.”