Let's Mae a Scene

After a hot shower and a nap, I wake up to the smell of bacon frying. I look at the clock, 9:48 pm. Thank

fuck

it isn't morning.

I don't know why Alex is cooking bacon at night, but my stomach is happy. As I lie on my back and stare up at the ceiling, I think about last night.

I would have gone home with him, right then and there, but he told me to wait.-

I technically did... I waited an appropriate twelve hours to call him. He was flattered by my eagerness to see him again so soon. Which was good because I didn't want to take no for an answer.-

I told him about five different fantasy scenarios. The one that always got me off when I visualized it, was the 'helpless victim/captor'.-

Alex was on board. In fact, he said it was similar to one of his own fantasies where he straps someone down, and then does whatever he wants to them.

I wasn't sure he would actually agree to

play

tonight, but last night was so

intense.

In the best way. Maybe that had to do with the two year gap between meeting and now.-

I won't let that happen again.

I roll out of bed and put on a pair of his boxer shorts. I catch myself in the mirror. My hair is a mess. I comb my fingers through it quickly and shrug. That's the best I can do without product.

I walk out of the bedroom and towards the kitchen. I see him standing over the stove, watching a pan of sizzling meat intently. I clear my throat. "Hungry?"

He turns to look at me. "Did you have a nice nap?"

I smile lazily. "Very much so."

He stares at my crotch, then says with a hint of a smile, "Those are mine."

I look down at the boxers and shrug. "Do you mind?"

His lips twitch. "What do you think?"

I grin and sit down at the little table in the kitchen and watch him. He is wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a dark green t-shirt. My eyes are fixated on his ass. I prop my elbow on the table and rest my chin in the palm of my hand.

"I know you will be off for home soon, but I wanted to feed you first." He turns around carrying a plate of bacon and eggs. There is toast and butter already on the table.

I take the plate from him and pick up a fork. He sits down and I notice he doesn't have a plate, just a mug of tea. I say curiously, "Aren't you going to eat?"

He swallows down the warm liquid, and shakes his head. "I'm not hungry."

I feel self conscious eating when someone else isn't. It makes me feel like a jerk; but my stomach doesn't care about etiquette. I slowly chew a bite of egg and my eyes go wide. I say, "What the

fuck

did you do to these eggs?"

He smirks over his mug and takes another sip before replying, "Nutmeg, among other things."

I furrow my brow. "I would have never thought to add that. It's delicious."

He hums. And watches me eat with a look of fondness. "I'm happy you are enjoying it."

I shovel another bite into my mouth and chew with a groan, then swallow.

After I've finished my eggs and I've eaten all but two pieces of bacon, I hear Alex clear his throat. I stop putting butter on my toast and look up.

"I feel like we should talk about tonight, and the future if you wouldn't mind."

I swallow down a bite of toast and take a sip of water before replying. "Of course."

I wipe my hands on a napkin. I feel like this is where he asks me to start paying... I wish I had my phone. My eyes dart over to the bedroom door. "Can you give me a second? I need to get something..."

Alex furrows his brow. "What is it you need?"

"My phone. Do you have Cash App?" I start to get up but the look on his face stops me. He looks

pissed.

Alex rubs his hand over his face and sighs.

My appetite is gone. I try to figure out why his mood has changed. I say cautiously, "I'm sorry. Did I say the wrong thing?"

He looks up at the ceiling and breathes out, "Not at all."

I don't understand what I did wrong. I shake my head and ask, "Then why are you mad at me?"

He quickly turns to me. "I'm not mad at you, love. I'm mad at myself."

I chew my bottom lip trying to figure out what to do to rectify this. "But,

I'm

not mad at you."

He laughs and I feel a little better. His voice is soft when he says, "I know. We just... went a bit fast. These past two nights have been amazing, but I don't usually do what we did without at least a few more dates."

I look down at the floor. I suddenly feel

way

too under dressed for this conversation. I say stoically, "So, you don't want to see me again?"

He gets up and kneels in front of me. "No. I want to be in a relationship with you. I should have told you that last night, but we were a bit caught up in the moment..."

"Oh, thank

god."

He puts his hands on my thighs and says adamantly, "You will not pay me for what we did. I do not charge for sex. Only floggings, tying people up and general pain play at the club. I do know people who do, and I have no qualms about it, but I won't."

Realization slowly dawns on me.

"Wow.

I am an idiot."

He pushes my legs further apart and scoots forward on his knees. My breath hitches as his fingers slide under the hem of

his

boxers. He leans in and kisses me. I moan into it and wrap my arms around his neck.

He pulls back too soon and licks his lips. "Now that we have confirmed that we are in a relationship, how do you feel about my profession?"

I quickly say, "I think it's hot, obviously. Why would I think otherwise?"

He hums and says, "You don't mind me flogging other people or tying them up?"

I think about it for a moment and say, "Now that I know you aren't fucking them on the side, I don't mind one bit."

He nods and smiles. "That's good. Because it is a deal breaker for me. I don't do jealousy. It is a mess, and never ends well."

I raise my eyebrows. "Are you speaking from experience? How many clients have you fucked?"

He looks at my mouth and says, "You wouldn't believe me."

I laugh. "Try me."

He looks off to the side with his mouth twisted. "You are the first."

Fuck.

If that isn't an ego boost I don't know what is. "I'm going to be flaunting this for the rest of the week."

He smirks at that. "You'll be talking about me at work, hm?"

"Maybe. Can I take a picture of you to show off?"

He laughs out, "No."

I pout. "Come on... Nothing provocative. You can keep these clothes on. In fact... go get the spatula."

His eyes are twinkling with mirth before he reaches in and starts sucking on my neck. I don't mind the distraction, but if he leaves a mark...

Oh.

I breathe out, "Are you marking me?"

He hums against my neck and licks at the spot he just sucked before answering, "Something to show your coworkers."

I leave Alex's house around 11, but it is difficult. He is adamant I leave even though I lean in for a second... then a third kiss. He playfully pushes me out the door.

We made plans to see each other. He had to work Friday and Saturday, but he was free all day Sunday. I told him we could do brunch and then...

Our first time, he had me on my knees in a public restroom. Our second time had me strapped down and teased, before being fucked harder than I'd ever been fucked in my life. I can't even imagine what our third time will be like.-

Food for thought.

Monday, I got up and dressed. The collar of my shirt just covers the hickey. I am a little disappointed until I remember my father will be in the office all week. I don't need to give him more ammunition.

The next few days go by in a rush; all blended together in a sea of faces and paperwork. When Friday night rolls around, I am checking the draft of a new contract my assistant, Lynn, handed to me just before leaving.-

Normally, I wouldn't be going over it with a fine-tooth comb, but this client is essential and we need this to work by Monday.

I am deeply engrossed in the legalese, when I hear someone clear their throat. I look up to see Benjamin Li standing in my doorway. I didn't know he was coming to LA today. I glance at the clock and see it is a little after 7. Ben says with a friendly smile, "Hello, Nate. Your father said you would be here."

We had seen each other a handful of times since he propositioned me in Sacramento. It was a little strained the first couple of times, but it got easier. I'm always very professional, and he didn't hold a grudge. Still, I get nervous around him.

I stand and smooth my tie down. "Mr. Li! What can I do for you?"

He frowns at me and shakes his head. "Please, call me Ben."

I wince. It is easier for me to remain professional if I can keep the formality. I say, "Right, Ben. Sorry. Did you need to talk about something in particular? I can pull up some files..."

He walks up to my desk and picks up one of the stress balls I have collected over the years. Some are gifts from coworkers, others I picked up during my travels. He chooses the blue one that looks like planet Earth and squeezes it, then asks, "Do these help?"

I laugh. There is a rumor around the office that I use these to throw at people's heads for stress relief instead of their intended purpose. That only happened once, and he deserved it. I answer, "Not really. But I keep trying."

He grins at me before putting it down. "I'm not here on business. I just didn't want to eat alone. Care to join me?"

My heart sinks. Here we go again. How many times do I have to turn him down before he gets the hint?

He looks at me and clarifies, "As a friend. Nothing more."

I'm relieved, but still a little skeptical. "Where would you like to go?"

"How do you feel about dumplings?"

I decide to treat this as a casual, friendly outing with a client. I do this all the time. This shouldn't be any different. We could

just

be friends. I say with a smile, "I love them."

He looks me over before saying, "Good. I have a car waiting for us. How much longer will you be?"

I look down at the contract. Lynn has never let me down before. "It can wait."

Ben smiles wide. "Let's go."

Ben takes me to a little restaurant I've never been before in Chinatown called, "My Little Jiaozi."

He makes me pronounce it. I try, knowing I'll flub it up. "Jow-zee?"

He raises his eyebrows as if impressed and says, "Not bad! That's pretty close. The z is pronounced more like a "zzuh."

I feel relieved that I was close. I try again, "Jow-zuh?"

He nods with a hint of a smile. "Better."

We look down at the menu. Everything is in Mandarin but the pictures help. I squint to see if I can find my favorite dish.

Ben says casually, "Will you let me order for you?"

I sigh with relief. "Please. As long as you get me some pork and scallion ones... with the soup..."

"Xiao long bao?"

I grin sheepishly. "Yes, thank you. That's what I meant to say."

The waitress comes over and Ben speaks to her in Mandarin. He is respectful and warm to her. I enjoy hearing them converse, but apart from, 'Ni hao' and 'Xiexie', I'm lost.

As I look around the room, I notice there is only one other couple seated near the entrance. We are sitting in the back near the door that leads to the kitchen.

It is a casual establishment and I feel a little overdressed. Ben is wearing a dark blue pair of slacks and a matching long-sleeved button-down shirt: casual but smart.

I decide to take my tie off and loose the first two buttons at my collar before rolling it up and putting it in my pocket. If it wrinkles, I have plenty of others.

I place a napkin on my lap and say, "So, how did you find this place?" I look up at him when I don't hear an immediate response.

Ben is staring at my neck. "What happened there?" He touches his neck while looking at me.

I furrow my brow, confused until I remember the hickey.

Fuck.

"Oh, just an accident."

He says sarcastically, "So, someone

accidentally

sucked on your neck?"

I can feel my cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. "Kind of?"

He smiles and says, "I get it. Lucky guy."

"He did it because I was..."

He holds up his hands to stop me and says, "You don't have to explain to me why it happened. I understand how that works. Although it has been a while. Not since college."

Before I can respond, the waitress brings us our drinks and the food is brought out by two other servers.

Our table is covered with bamboo steamer baskets and plates with delicious dumplings of all kinds. There are a couple of bowls with hot chili oil, black vinegar, and sesame oil.

I grab my chopsticks and ask, "Where should I start?"

Ben opens one of the bamboo lids and picks up a dumpling carefully with his chopsticks, dips it in the black vinegar, places it in a spoon and puts it on my plate. "I believe you requested these. Let it cool a minute. Try these first..." He places two pot stickers on my plate.

I pick one of the pot stickers up with my chopsticks and take a bite. I taste shrimp, garlic and the texture is

perfect.-

I have to stop myself from moaning and settle for closing my eyes and leaning back in my chair.

He looks up at me and says a little smugly, "The best you've ever had?"

My mouth is full from another bite, so I just nod enthusiastically. I take a sip of water and say facetiously, "I won't be able to go back to my usual spot. You will have to order them for me and have them delivered to my home from now on."

Ben leans in and says, "Done."

I shake my head, "Don't say that unless you mean it. I want this every Friday night."

He laughs. "I can arrange that."

I say with mock-seriousness, "I'm going to hold you to it."

After a couple of minutes, I pick up the soup dumpling, blow on it and take a small bite. I suck the liquid out before it can escape.-

I notice Ben watching me and it makes me feel self conscious. I quickly put the rest of the dumpling in my mouth and chew.

He clears his throat and asks, "The verdict?"

I tilt my head and say, "Honestly? Five stars. Would recommend."

Ben laughs and says, "Good."

I look down to try and decide what to eat next. Ben points his chopsticks to the plate on his right. I take one of the dumplings and ask, "So, you just arrived from Sacramento?"

Ben takes a few slivers of ginger from the black vinegar bowl and places them on his dumpling before answering. "Last week. I found a house."

"You are staying here now?"

"Yeah, I wanted to focus more on the business here, see if we can make some improvements."

I nod and say, "That's right. You mentioned doing that a few months ago."

"Finally got around to doing it."

I continue to stuff my face as if I hadn't eaten in days despite my stomach tightening. I'll have to add some more miles to my treadmill route. I look up to see Ben watching me with a smirk. I raise my eyebrows with a smile. "What is it?"

Ben wipes his mouth with his napkin and answers, "So, how long have you been seeing Mr. Hickey?"

I take a sip of water before answering calmly, "It's new."

Ben doesn't seem upset by my answer, but I feel a little uncomfortable talking about it. He nods and says, "How new?"

I contemplate lying, but say, "Uh, about a week?"

"And he is already marking his territory?"

I look down at the table and set my chopsticks down. "I thought you didn't want an explanation."

Ben takes a deep breath and nods. "You're right. I'm sorry. I would do the same thing in his shoes."

"Can I ask you something?"

Ben says warily, "Sure."

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "A couple years ago you asked if I would sleep with you... Did my father tell you I would?"

Ben looks a little startled. "No, why would you think that?"

He looks like he is being genuine, but I'm still not sure. "Did you request that I be the one to see you?"

Ben starts to say something, but pauses. He seems to be choosing his words carefully. "I may have. I can't remember."

"So, you thought I would sleep with you one night and that would help get me out of your system?"

He looks a little offended by that. "There is no way I would be able to have just one night with you. If I told you that, I was lying. Maybe I thought that's what you wanted to hear at the time..."

I run my fingers through my hair in frustration. This is backfiring. "Look, this was nice, but I need to get back to work and go over a contract for Monday." I look down at my phone to pull up the Lyft app.

I scoot back my seat, standing up to leave. Ben stands and grabs my bicep. "Hey, don't go. Let me talk to you for a minute."

I look down at Ben's hand on my arm, then up at his face with an annoyed look. He let's go as if burned, holds up his hands in surrender and says, "Please?"

I bite my lip and look up at the ceiling before sitting back down. I may regret this, but I still have to work for him.-

He looks relieved and sits down slowly. "Thank you."

I look at him expectantly. He takes a sip of water and leans back in his chair before speaking. "I'm attracted to you, yes. I can't help that. But, I took your rejection seriously. I'm not trying to get you into bed anymore. That ship has sailed. I really just want to be your friend. If you can believe that..."

He pauses to get a reaction from me, but I just stare at him, willing him to continue. He does- "And I'm happy for you if you have found someone who treats you with the respect you deserve."

My resolve cracks a little at that and I say stiffly, "Thank you."

Ben looks relieved. "Do you think we can be friends now, or do you not hang out with clients?"

I say lightly, "Obviously I do. We have hung out before."

"Business lunches don't count. We talked about work the whole time."

He's got me there. I sigh over-dramatically. "Okay, yes. We can be friends."

Ben looks genuinely happy. "Thank you, Nate. Please tell me if I make you feel uncomfortable again. I'll try to be less... blatant with my attraction."

I feel a twinge of guilt at giving him such a hard time. "Okay. Thank you."

He lifts a bamboo lid and says, "There is one more soup dumpling. Do you want it?"

I say with a hint of humor, "Yes. I think I deserve it."

He laughs and puts his palms up in supplication. "It's all yours."

After I've eaten the last dumpling, I lean back and sigh contentedly. "I ate most of this. Will you let me pay?"

Ben shakes his head. "It's already been taken care of."

I feel like I should offer something. "Will you let me pay next time?"

His face lights up like he wasn't expecting me to say that. "Sure. You can take me to your favorite burger joint."

I decide to tease him a bit. "In and Out it is!"

"That's the best you can do?"

"It's my favorite, you didn't say the most popular. Although it holds up in my opinion."

I look around and notice the place is empty except for us. I feel partially responsible for keeping the restaurant open so long when I look down at my phone and see the time. "It's getting late..."

Ben nods and stands up. I do the same and have to stretch a little. I look over at Ben and he is holding out his hand. He says, "Friends?"

I sigh and take his hand firmly and shake it. "Friends."

We walk out and get in the car. I lean my head back on the seat. Ben breaks the silence. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

Saturdays I usually stay home and watch TV. I look over at him and say nonchalantly, "Nothing."

"Want to go to Brimstone?"

I lift my head and blink. How does he know about... "Brimstone?"

"Heard of it?"

I picture Ben at the club. It kind of fits. He probably likes the power dynamics. I try to picture him on a St. Andrew's cross though and can't. I clear my throat and say casually, "I have been. Once."

Ben seems to pause before saying, "So, you'll go with me?"

I think about all of the ramifications that this could cause. Alex could be flogging someone on stage. Alex could be flogging

Ben

on stage.-

That... might be a little awkward.