She looked askance at me. "Yes, I know him. We were together for a while, yes. Didn't work out, though." She took another sip of her coffee. "He's ... interesting. You ever see '9 1/2 Weeks'? The one with Kim and Mickey?" I nodded, yes. "Like Mickey, only more so. You'll want to take it slow with him; it would be easy to get in over your head."
She looked intently at me. "There was one before me. She was young, too young. Not ready for that intense relationship. She had a mental breakdown; it was six months before she was released from the hospital."
"You sure you want to go through with this?" I nodded again; she shrugged, then wrote down a phone number. "He's usually there; he works from home most of the time." Another look. "I can set up a meeting, if you like. You know Hennessy's?" I did. "Give me a minute." She took her phone and dialed a number. A couple of minutes later she nodded at me, then put the phone away. "Be there tomorrow night, at eight. She handed me her phone. "That's him, two years ago." I took a look; nice face, strong, clean shaven, conservative hairstyle. I put the number in my purse.
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it." She looked at the check, laid a twenty on the table, then put her phone away and left. I finished my coffee, then paid the bill on my way out.
----------
Hennessy's is a nice place; Irish, like a lot of places, but quiet. Mostly businessmen and working girls (no, not that kind) looking to unwind and maybe make a little discreet arrangement. My kind of place.
He was already there, at a table in the back. He waved; I walked over and sat down as he signaled the waiter. "Susan Lancaster."
"Michael Dannerman. Pleased to meet you."
"Likewise." I turned to the waiter. "Guinness Stout." He raised an eyebrow. "Sam Adams Winter Lager for me." The waiter left with the order. "An unusual choice. Where did you pick up a taste for that?"
"A lovely summer vacation in Ireland, two years ago. Spent half of it in the local pubs. I learned a few of the songs, too."
He chuckled. "I can imagine. You'll have to sing me a couple sometime. Not here, though; this is a classy establishment."
The waiter brought us our drinks. "Cheers." After a sip he leaned back a bit. "I suppose Marty told you about me."
"A little, yes."
"Lies, all of it. I never did any of those things. I swear it."
I looked quizzically at him. "None of them?"
"Well ... okay, maybe some of them. Most of them."
He smiled. "Like Mickey, only more so. An interesting description. I do have some things in common with that character. We're both assertive, forceful; we like to be in charge. But that character is two dimensional; his only interest was in subjugating her. A woman tires quickly of that."
"Unh huh. So why did the two of you break up?"
He looked thoughtfully at me. "Very well. We're both dominant; we want to be in charge. That sort of arrangement never works out well. Fortunately we figured it out early. The parting was amicable; we're still friends."
"And the one before her?"
He stared at me fore a moment. "She told you about that?"
"Yes."
"But she didn't tell you all of it, did she?"
"She told me the girl had a mental breakdown."
He sighed. "True, as far as it went. I was a damned fool, thinking only of myself. Too blind to see the signs. Until the night she came apart."
He took a sip of his beer. "She didn't tell you about that, did she? How the girl tried to kill me?"
"No."
He pulled his hair back; a long scar ran from his forehead back along his head. "Just grazed me. I didn't press charges; she needed help, not jail. I made sure she got help; I paid for everything."
He relaxed a bit. "She also didn't tell you that I spent the next three years in therapy. My selfishness, my shortsightedness, had driven her to madness and nearly destroyed her. It took a long time to move that mountain of guilt."
"And now?"
"She moved to Chicago a couple of years ago. Married, a couple of kids, a home in the suburbs. Doing well."
I raised an eyebrow at that. "Sounds like there's still some guilt there."
He smiled. "Only a small hill now. I can cope with that." He grew serious again. "I have never forgotten the lesson, though. In every relationship your partner's needs come before your own. Always."
He smiled at me again. "Enough of the depressing conversation. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
"Good. There's a good Mexican place a couple of blocks away. Interested?"
"Lead on."
----------
The food was excellent. And the fried ice cream for dessert; if you've never had it I pity you. Over coffee we talked a bit more, then he walked me home.
I hesitated at the door, then invited him in. I'm weak, I know; round heels and all that. The usual set up; soft lights, soft music, drinks, snuggle on the couch; you know. Pretty soon we were in each other's arms. The clothes began to come off.
When we were down to my lingerie and his boxers he asked the question. "So ... have you ever tried bondage?"
Now we come to it. "No. I've heard about it, of course."
"Would you like to try it?"
Hmm. What big teeth you have, Grandma ... "Just what do you have in mind?"
He told me; it didn't sound too bad. "And if I want out?"
"Hum a tune. Any tune. I'll release you immediately. Safety first."
I took a deep breath. "All right, but take it slow, okay?"
"Of course." He swept up our clothes, picked me up in his arms, and carried me into the bedroom.
Once on the bed he removed my bra, then pulled my arms behind me and bound my wrists with his necktie. More fondling. "Open wide." He wadded up one of my stockings and gently stuffed it into my mouth, then secured it with the other. This was a new experience for me; I had never been submissive before. He proceeded to tie my scarf over my eyes; now I was really in the moment, wondering what he would do next.
I heard him shed his boxers, then he lay down next to me and pulled me around so that I was lying on my side facing him. A moment later his lips and tongue were working their way down toward my crotch. His fingers hooked the waistband of my panties and pulled them completely off. I didn't resist; indeed, I helped as much as I could.
I was in his embrace, rubbing my body against his, silently pleading for him to continue, to enter me. I was wet, nipples erect, my skin on fire; I wanted him, wanted him now. His lips brushed my sex; my back arched in response, pressing my vulva against him. He ran his tongue leisurely over my labia, driving me even closer to the edge. Then it touched my clit; I felt as though an electric shock had passed through me.
It was frustrating; I wanted to grab his penis, to guide it into place, but I could not see it or use my hands. I pleaded with him as best I could, but he ignored my muffled cries, taking his own sweet time. Finally he entered; I climaxed within a few seconds. He continued, bringing me to climax after climax. I lost all track of time; four? Five? More? Then one last climax, in which he joined me.
Wow. I had never had such an experience; never. He released me; we cuddled and drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.
Morning; he was gone. A note on the bedside table, thanking me for a wonderful evening. I sighed and began to get ready for work.
----------
I met the girls the next evening; coffee at Starbucks. We get together once a week or so to catch up on the news; we've been doing it for a couple of years now. I told them about him; they naturally pressed me for details. I shrugged and filled them in.
"On the first date? And you let him do that? You don't even know him!"
"Not directly, no, but I did do my homework first. He has no criminal record, and stays out of the news, so he's discreet. I spoke to one of his old flames; she okayed him."
"That's not much to go on."
"Oh, come on; I can hardly afford a private detective to investigate every man I want to date. There is always going to be some risk; that's part of the fun, after all."
"Yes, but to let a man you never met before do that to you; that's a little too risky, don't you think?"
"With some men it would be, yes; but I had the feeling he wouldn't go too far. And I was right."
"Feeling? And you were lucky; even if his intentions were honorable he could have harmed you unintentionally; you were not in a position to stop him, either."
"That's part of it; surrendering myself, letting him do as he wished. Being in his power. That's exciting."
They shook their heads and changed the subject, but their faces said they weren't convinced. No matter; it's my life and my choice, not theirs.
----------
That Friday he called me at work. "I thought you might be hungry. Say Chinese? I know a good one over on Lexington."