Ch. 03 - My Lunch and Learn

Only a couple of days after my 'Coming In Party' Denise reached out to me, as she had promised she would, to set up the lunch we had talked about. We floated a couple of dates and we each checked them with our significant others. Jonathan told me to feel free to meet Denise any of the days under consideration.

When Denise and I synched up our schedules, we decided on Wednesday, two days away. I was looking forward to lunch. We chose a place I liked where the food was great. I had a ton of questions for Denise about what had happened on the boat and I was hoping for some more insight and background on Jonathan.

When Wednesday arrived, Jonathan had Gabrielle lay out my outfit for lunch. It was a mini skirt, silk blouse, a lacy bra and towering high heels. No panties were to be found, which was typical. I was surprised a bra was part of the ensemble, as he usually liked me to go braless when I wore clothes. I put in a pair of my gold earrings, to go with my new and very prominent ankle chain, which was also gold. With the outfit on, I looked in the mirror and had to admit I looked hot.

After dressing, I went downstairs and found Jonathan out by the pool on his tablet.

"I'll be heading out to meet Denise soon," I said, as I approached him.

He looked up. "Wow. You look wonderful."

"Why thank you. I like the clothes you picked out. And I especially like the heels. They make me feel ten feet tall and the ankle chain makes me feel extra sexy."

"You certainly are extra sexy. Have a good time at lunch and please tell Denise hello for me."

"Will do on both. What are you going to do with yourself while I'm gone?"

"Shooting. I've got Pam coming back for another session."

I was a little surprised but tried not to show it. "Oh. Well, tell her hello for me."

With that, I was off. As I passed through the kitchen on my way to the garage, I saw Gabrielle. Since Jonathan had a camera trained on the kitchen, we did not speak. I merely waved and smiled at her as I headed out the door.

I got to the restaurant before Denise, so I requested a booth and ordered wine to sip while I waited. She arrived about ten minutes after me and her face lit up when she saw me from the hostess station. She looked beautiful. She was wearing a nice wrap dress and high heels and her hair and make-up were killer.

As she approached, I stood up to greet her. She gave me a big hug and an enthusiastic 'hello.'

"You look wonderful," she said as she took her seat. "That skirt really shows off your fantastic legs. And your new jewelry looks hot."

"Thank you," I replied. I'm sure I was blushing. "The chain seems a little big for what it is, but I'm getting used to it."

"Oh yeah. You do. Eventually, you only notice it if you're trying to put on hose."

The waiter must have seen Denise arrive because he reappeared at that moment and asked what she would like to drink. She asked for the same thing I was having, and he left to get it.

"So, how is your ass?" she quietly asked, resting her elbows on the table and leaning in.

"Ah. It's OK. Pain is nearly gone, but I have some bruising from the paddle. Eddie seemed like he was out to hurt me."

She leaned back. "I'm glad you got us a booth. These high backs give us some privacy. We have a lot to talk about and I wouldn't want to be overheard."

The waiter returned with Denise's wine and left again. She raised her glass and I did the same.

"To a new friendship," she said.

I echoed the sentiment as our glasses clinked.

"I'm betting there is a lot you want to know," she said.

"I know I have lots of questions."

"Fire away. Ask anything."

I was not sure where to start. I wondered about so many things; the terms 'companion' and 'slave,' the men calling each other 'brothers,' women being naked, public spankings. As I searched for where to start, I began with the nudity.

"OK. First thing. Why did we all take our bikinis off? I liked mine."

Denise laughed quietly. "Yeah. That's a basic thing. The guys like us naked. We're almost always naked at group events and parties. In fact, the only times we have clothes on may be the High Teas for the wives and companions."

"High Teas?" I asked, my interest piqued.

"Those are lots of fun. They're gatherings for just us girls. The guys set them aside for us. Nowadays we call them High Teas because the best of these all-girl gatherings ever was a couple years back and was set up like a British High Tea."

Denise explained that Sebastian's companion, Deidra, - whom I had not yet met - had hosted a gathering on the back porch of his mansion. She was serving genuine British tea and biscuits and all the women dressed the part, wearing fancy dresses and big hats. It was great fun, and they all had a good time, feeling very sophisticated as they socialized. The entertainment was a game of croquet on Sebastian's lawn where all the ladies hit the balls through the legs of slaves, rather than wire hoops.

She continued, "You'd have to see Sebastian's lawn to appreciate it. The previous owner installed a soccer field, so his lawn is this big, perfectly level patch of soft grass that looks like a pool table. We all took off our shoes while we played because it felt so good to go barefoot on it."

Puzzled about the mention of slaves, I asked, "Did you say slaves were there too?"

"Yes. Several of the brothers donated slaves for the event. But they were part of the croquet field, they weren't there for tea. That was reserved for companions and wives."

"Part of the croquet field?"

She laughed at my difficulty picturing the situation. "The slaves were set up as the pegs and hoops. It was much more interesting than wood and wire."

"Were they naked?"

Laughing again, she shook her head. "Of course. The slaves are always naked."

"So, you played a game with naked slaves? Didn't that seem weird?"

Just at this moment, the waiter came to see if we wanted to order anything. Denise mentioned that she had not had a chance to look at the menu yet and told him we would need some time.

"Where were we?" she wondered. "Oh, yes. Slaves at our High Tea. You see, slaves are there at most gatherings. When it's couples, they are there. And when it's a girls' High Tea, the guys provide them as needed. It depends on what we are doing. At this one, Deidra decided croquet would be more fun with human obstacles."

"So, you and the other companions and wives, used slaves for yourselves? No guys around?" I asked, still trying to fully comprehend.

"Yes. In this case, the slaves made up the hoops and pegs for the croquet game. Trust me, they had fun. It was one of the easiest gigs they've ever had. Although, the two slaves who were the sticks did get croquet balls hit into their pussies. That might have smarted a bit."

Shaking my head, I said, "I see. I was still wondering why we all got naked on the boat."

Denise explained that at events, wives and companions are usually naked because the men are dominant to one degree or another, and the women are submissive to one degree or another. Having the women nude, reinforces the dynamic.

"Besides, didn't you get a thrill out of it? I know I do," she remarked to me.

"I'm not sure thrill is what I felt. More like embarrassment or disbelief."

"You'll come around. I love it when the guys are admiring me and most of the other girls feel the same way," she stated.

I asked if she assumed I was submissive. She replied that she realized I was very submissive after the Coming In Ceremony. When I wondered how she knew this, she explained that she rimmed my butt hole and I did not resist in any way. Looking back, I had wondered why she did that, but now I knew she was testing me. And it occurred to me, I might not be as submissive as she thought, since I had given some thought to calling her on it at the time.

"And the Coming In Ceremony; what was the deal with all the men punishing me?"

Denise explained that it's an initiation of sorts. All new companions go through it. It is a way for a brother to make the relationship official, spread the word among the other brothers, wives, and companions, and it is a way to test whether the companion is worthy of being a part of the group.

"What was your Coming In Ceremony like?" I asked.

As she was about to answer, the waiter reappeared, interrupting us. We took the opportunity to order some lunch and he was on his way again.

"I didn't have one," Denise said after the waiter departed. "I was already with Paul before the group formed."

She sipped her wine before adding, "If it helps, you caught a bit of a break. There are usually more brothers at most of the ceremonies. I've seen some girls get five whacks from as many as 11 guys."

'Remind me to thank Jonathan for keeping the party small,' I noted to myself.

"You keep calling them brothers and referring to a group. What group is this? What is the name of the group?"

Denise laughed again. "Yeah. I guess the language can be a little confusing. The guys call each other 'brothers' as if they belong to some sort of fraternity. The guys are all friends and associates who all have the same...proclivities, I guess you could say."

I wondered how many there are in total and how they found each other. Denise stopped smiling and leaned forward. "I'm not really sure how many there are altogether. I guess maybe somewhere around 40. Different people attend different events. But you don't know how this all started?"

I told her I was not sure but guessed through the internet.

"Wow. So, you really don't know?" she pressed.

"No," I stated.

She sat back and looked to one side as if she was gathering her thoughts. "I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you this."

I asked her nicely to tell me.

"If I tell you, you've got to promise never to tell Jonathan. It's really his secret to share with you, not mine."

I crossed my heart and swore I would never let him know and assured her she could trust me.

"Jonathan ran his own BDSM website for several years. That is how all the other guys worked their way into the group. It all formed around Jonathan. It's also where he got his money."

I was stunned. The website must have been the internet business Jonathan had shut down a few years ago. Now I wondered what the site was like and how long he ran it. I asked Denise for all the information she knew.

She related that Jonathan had started the website and run it for a few years before Eddie eventually joined him. Apparently, the site had a lot of traffic and subscribers. Jonathan and/or Eddie would do live shows with people paying by the half-hour to watch. Shows would last about two hours each and Jonathan and Eddie would video themselves punishing models in various ways. Denise had seen a few of the shows because when she first met Paul, he was a subscriber. Denise recalled scenes of Jonathan and Eddie whipping models, binding them, using electricity to shock them, fucking them in all their openings, holding them under water, and even suspending them.

"Jonathan did all that? On the internet?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. A couple of the shows I saw were pretty erotic. Some were not. I remember Jonathan's stuff was usually sexy, but Eddie's wasn't. But that's because Eddie's just a sadist."

"At the party, I got the feeling you don't like him."

"Your feeling was exactly right. Early on Paul loaned me to him once, but that won't happen again. The son of a bitch whipped me with an electrical cord and did other things to me."

"Are you serious?" was all I could reply.

"Yeah. He left some scars on my ass. He broke the rules and Paul was livid and complained to Jonathan. It was a major problem. Jonathan, Paul and some others nearly threw Eddie out. But he apologized to Paul and agreed he would not break the rules again."

At this point, my jaw must have been resting on the table. I could not fathom what I was hearing and I'm sure it showed. I asked Denise what she meant by 'loaning her to Eddie,' and about the 'rules.'

She said the brothers have strict rules against doing anything to any slave, companion or wife that would leave permanent marks. Similarly, they may not do anything that would disfigure a slave, companion, or wife or make someone get a tattoo. The rules, while not written down, are enforced and there is an expectation they will be followed.

The word 'tattoo' reminded me of the one Sherry had on her leg. With all the questions swirling in my mind, that is the one I next put to Denise.

"You noticed that, did you?" she asked. "Eddie had Sherry before the group really got going. In fact, she appeared on the website a few times. She and Eddie are real old school when it comes to BDSM. He registered her in the slave registry. That tattoo is her slave number."

"There's a slave registry? Really?"

"Oh yeah. It's out there on the internet. If you go there online and input the number from her tattoo, it pulls her up and lists Eddie as her owner."

I mentioned to Denise that I recalled Janice and Iris each wore a chain around their neck, but not Sherry and wondered about this. Denise explained slaves wear the name of their 'master' on a chain, but Sherry does not because she has the numbered tattoo. She pointed out that Iris was elevated to a companion and that is why Phillip removed her neck chain and gave her the ankle chain.

Eventually, the waiter brought our lunch. Denise was having a chicken dish with potatoes and vegetables. I had a salad with baked chicken added. We started to dig in.

"So, my being Jonathan's companion is more than just a relationship with Jonathan? Do I have that right?" I asked.

"You could say that. You're part of the group now. So, you've got your relationship with Jonathan and several new friends among the girls."

It was nice to think about having new friends as added benefit of my relationship with Jonathan. I reminded Denise that on the boat she had mentioned I had 'rights' and asked her what she meant by that.

She explained there is a pecking order in the group that is determined largely by seniority and relationship with one of the brothers. Wives technically outrank companions who, in turn, outrank slaves. But Denise was quick to add that the wives currently in the group do not lord it over the companions. Then she added that the brothers are over all wives, companions and slaves and that there was a hierarchy among the brothers based on seniority. Then she told me that Jonathan was the most senior, followed by Eddie.

I mentioned to Denies that on the boat I had noticed she and Paula had treated each other as equals, as friends. Denise related that companions and wives are, for all intents and purposes, equal. There may be exceptions, however, because wives are never loaned out and sometimes companions are. If a companion were loaned out to a brother who is married, the wife would then have authority over the companion for a limited time.

"Loaned out?" I asked in disbelief. "You mentioned that earlier. What does that mean and who does it to who?"

"Technically, any of the brothers can loan out his wife, companion or slave to any other brother. But I have never seen a wife loaned out. I seriously doubt it would ever happen. And it's mostly slaves that get loaned out."

"Is being loaned out what I think it is?" I inquired.

"Oh yes. If you get loaned out, you're at the whim of the person you're loaned to. There are the rules, of course, which I mentioned before; no permanent damage, etcetera."

I reminded Denise that she mentioned being loaned out to Eddie and wondered if the guys loan out companions very often, secretly not wanting to be loaned out myself. She told me it does not happen very often since most of the brothers do not want to share their companions, preferring to share their slaves and keep their companions as exclusive to themselves. That was a relief, but I could not help asking about why Rick would have loaned her to Eddie.

"That was early on. Right after we joined the group. Somehow Eddie convinced Rick to loan me to him and Rick gave in. That was one shitty evening. Like I told you, he beat me with an electrical cord and did other things to me. When I went back to Rick and he saw what Eddie had done to me, he went straight to Jonathan. And Rick contacted a couple of the other brothers who agreed with Rick that Eddie needed to go."

"That must have been awful. And yes, I noticed the scars the other day," I mentioned. "By the way, I could not help noticing you have a perfect tush, scars notwithstanding."

She seemed pleased with my compliment and thanked me for it.

"If I am understanding all this, being Jonathan's companion means I'm with him, but also part of a group with no name and some unwritten rules. And Jonathan might loan me to another of the brothers. If he does, they can do whatever they want to me within the unwritten rules. And any of the brothers can loan out their slaves or companions if they want."

Denise confirmed I had correctly summarized the situation. She must have guessed from my expression that I was skeptical of all this because she told me that I was like all the wives, companions and slaves in that my participation was strictly voluntary and that I could quit or leave at any time. As if to underscore her point, she mentioned that Eddie's slaves come and go frequently, aside from Sherry.

"You need to listen carefully when 'Fun and Games' are announced at any gathering," she continued. "At the beginning, the brothers will specify that their slave or companion is 'available' or 'unavailable' and whether there are 'restrictions' or not."

The look on my face must have conveyed the idea that I needed more explanation. She told me that if a brother says that his companion or slave is 'available,' the other brothers may use her. Likewise, if anyone is 'unavailable,' the others may not use her. If there are 'restrictions' on use, anyone wanting to use the companion or slave must check with the brother for his limitations on use.

"What I saw people doing to Janice and Sherry on the boat. Eddie must have said they were available," I said as a way of checking my understanding of the notion of use.

"That's right. Eddie announced they were both available without restriction," she confirmed.

I asked Denise about Rick and Paula, reminding her about how they had used Sherry.

"Oh yeah. Paula and Rick both like using the slaves. I hear they've been looking for one of their own," she commented.

I then asked about the gatherings she had alluded to, reminding her I had some idea what the High Teas were but no idea about what other gatherings might be like. She told me there are several parties throughout the year, each with a different theme and each involving different activities. She listed the Halloween Party, Field Days, Fight Nights, and Birthday Parties, but said her favorite event was the annual Holiday Party. I asked why those were her favorites.

"Those are just glamorous, profligate fun. They happen between Christmas and New Years and are usually held at Sebastian's mansion because it's large enough to accommodate the big crowd. They are black tie...for the guys anyway... and there is dancing and a nice dinner. They are a lot of fun."

Assuming, I knew the answer, but hoping I might be wrong, I asked, "Are the women naked at those too?"

"Oh, sure we're naked. But we do spruce ourselves up. Everyone gets their hair done and manicures and pedicures, so we all look super classy. And we do wear shoes for dancing, so everyone gets a new pair for the party."

"Naked again, huh?" I asked.

"Yes, but we accessorize. There's lots of jewelry on display and some girls really go the extra mile." Laughing as she continued, she said, "Last year Samantha showed up with a pretty gold chain through her navel piercing and around her waist. When I asked her about it, she turned around and showed me the two ends of the chain were attached to a gold butt plug."