Service - Chapter 3

~2 Months Prior~

Derrick pushed the pedal down firmly, the engine purring happily against the resistance as he shifted, climbing through revolutions. The silver Cabriolet raced forward along the open stretch of country road. Farmland passed and Derrick smiled, the sun warm on his skin, hair blew wild. He loved where he lived, the city had all the conveniences of modern life, but he was jealous James had found this place. It was a short drive just outside the city limits, and Derrick still remembered when he pulled up to the sprawling split-level house for the first time on the day James had moved in.

The house sat atop a ravine that led down to a meandering stream, it was a unique neighbourhood in that it was really only a handful of houses set along a sleepy dead-end road that followed the plateau formed by the riverbanks. A stretch of deciduous forest climbed the steep banks of the ravine and the houses were all set back on the lots, the forest reaching out around each of them. The houses were set far from each other, on huge lots which gave an enormous amount of privacy and were wrapped in a quilt of farmland growing corn and other cash crops.

Derrick slowed the vehicle as he approached the turn-off to get to James’s. He’d not been back since move-in day and was excited to see what he’d done to the space.

He pulled into the laneway, marvelling again at the wrought iron gate that stood at the end of the long patterned brick driveway, which based on the size Derrick would have thought was more of a private road. The laneway was shaded by the imposing old-growth forest and a row of large sporadic sugar maples that had avoided being clear-cut to make room for the house. “House” was James’s term, an estate was probably more the appropriate term. Derrick pulled forward into the courtyard at the end of the laneway, to see James standing waiting for him on the curb of the large circular roundabout in the centre of the courtyard. He gestured towards the open bay of the attached 3-car coach house that jutted off the western end of the house. Derrick drove around and pulled into the waiting bay.

“Good to see you again,” James said, clapping his arm across Derrick’s back in a brief but welcoming embrace “Thanks again for helping me with the move-in”

James led Derrick to the front door across from the coach-house, a large mahogany double door that stood centred between two timber supports for the peaked overhang to keep guests dry should they happen to arrive when the weather was less than ideal. The doors swung inward, revealing a marble-tiled hallway. It was easily three to four times larger than the entranceway of Derrick’s bungalow and its open sightlines into the large living room and floor-to-ceiling glass windows at the back of the house that looked out over the ravine and river made it even more impressive. Derrick remembered it had been breathtaking, but seeing it again furnished and decorated in James's tasteful and masculine style made it absolutely stunning.

“Can I get you a coffee or something to eat?” James asked, taking his coat and hanging it in a walk-in off of the grandiose hallway.

“I’d love a coffee if it’s not too much hassle,” Derrick said. He followed James to the living room and took a seat as James motioned to the two large sectionals and pair of club chairs centred around the stone wall that was centred in the room, leaving wide access to the kitchen behind.

“Not a problem at all, I put on a pot a short while ago,” James said, disappearing behind the fireplace.

James looked around noticing some of the furniture had attachment points, including the coffee and end tables. Most wouldn’t have noticed or would have thought it was just an eclectic piece. A large canvas hung behind the rich brown leather sectionals, teasing at taboo a very narrow focus of a much larger image capturing skin and body hair, leather and metal. It was a very abstract piece suggesting masculinity and power. Derrick admired how to open James was with his sexual preferences, and at the same time was impressed that he’d found a way to fill the room with pieces that both spoke to them, but would be relatively innocuous for those not looking too closely.

“I love what you’ve done with the place, you’ll have to give me the full tour later after we’ve had our coffee,” Derrick said with admiration as James carried in a tray with streaming mugs, cream and sugar.

“Thank you, it’s still a work in progress, I only recently had a large part of my collection of my more…unique pieces shipped back here from the States,” James said, nodding to one of the end tables that was a little more explicit in its purpose of restraint.

“You had a pretty decent collection before you moved down there if I recall, and I can only imagine you picked up more being in LA. Must have been a bitch to move it all again”

“Company paid for it, there and back, no questions asked. Perks of being great at your job, able to walk away at any time and retire, and showing them you’re pretty indispensable. The movers who delivered the shipping container loved it, the one even asked if he could lock their buddy in the stocks and take a photo for their co-workers” James chuckled.

“Were they hot? Coulda kept one as a houseboy. I was actually kinda surprised you were bringing out the coffee,” Derrick jested.

“I’ve been looking, have a few promising candidates, but honestly just been trying to settle in again now that I’m back. Now that I’ve got all the furniture and renovations done, I can start looking in earnest. How about you? Was very nice to meet Anton at the party, you guys are obviously getting pretty serious, especially given what we’ve been chatting about,” he asked.

“I’m pretty sure he’s the one, James. He’s smart, handsome, eager to please and got his head on straight. That’s part of why I’m scared I’m going to mess it all up if I push him too far.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear. But you guys need to talk more about your needs and desires honestly with each other, without that, you loaning him out to me for a weekend is just something of a fun gimmick and a thrill,” James replied.

Derrick took a sip of his coffee nodding. “We’ve been talking a lot more recently, which is how I got the idea. Honestly, the problem is me, James. I am so hung up on how happy he makes me that I pull back on being as domineering as I would with a one-time hook-up off of Recon or Grindr.”

“I think you told me you took his kink v-card, right?” James asked, leaning forward, picking up his coffee and one of the digestives he had put out on a little plate on the tray sitting on the coffee table.

“Yeah, I think that’s part of my mental block as well. We met at a BDSM demo event during pride week at the University, so I knew he was interested. I’d dressed in partial leathers and could tell he was drawn to the thought of submitting to me but he told me he’d never tried anything like it before me. A part of me still holds back sharing that sadistic side of me,”

Derrick looked over at James, who was smirking over his coffee, drawing in another sip, just nodding. “Go on, free therapy man, don’t hold back.”

“Most of the guys I’ve dated in the past have explored their kinks far more than he has, and while I love that I get to open his eyes to new things, I’m worried about destroying our relationship if I push too far on the extreme kinks, even though he wants to experience them. I almost wish he’d already experienced them with someone else, so I knew I was safe to proceed. That’s weird, isn’t it? Ugh. Why am I so bad at this.” Derrick sighed.

“Whoa. It’s actually not weird at all.” James said laughing. “Lighten up, you’ve got a hot guy who appears to adore you, and who you think wants to submit so deeply to you out of affection to ravage him in ways that will let you satiate the devilish side of you that your grandmother would be appalled by. I’d say you are living every Dom’s dream right now Derrick”

Derrick stared into the bottom of his coffee cup. “I guess you’re right. Then why doesn’t it feel that way?” he asked.

“Ah you see, that’s where experience comes in. I can help there. Early in my career of making even the most devout boys renounce their gods in favour of me and the pain, pleasure, restraint and mind-blowing orgasms I brought them, I too fell for a newbie. I honestly think it’s more common than you think.”

“And how many guys have you scared away?” James asked, a glint in his eye seeming to show genuine curiosity, as well as expectation.

“Honestly, a few. I don’t have an exact count, but at least a good half dozen”. Derrick replied, he looked back over at James, looking for validation, while also wondering what his number was.

“Ha. That’s nothing, man. Good on you.” A feeling of levity grew around them. “And when they asked you to take the cuffs off, how long had you known them for?”

“Um. Hmm. I’ve never really given it any thought. For the bulk of them, it was on the first meet. There was one on the second meet who’d talked up what a pain pig he was, then when I got out the paddle had cried like a baby after I had given him a few good whacks. Definitely in over his head.” laughed Derrick.

James said with a smile. “So, let me give you a tour before we get down to business. I can assure you that it would be my pleasure to help you get over your irrational fear of losing your dream boy, assuming he is down to give this a try. Based on what I saw of him parading around in his collar and quaking in fear of disappointing you in front of me, I think this is going to work out beautifully.”

#

“You’ve done an impressive job customizing this place to suit your style, James. It’s beautiful and understated from the main areas muggles might travel, tastefully erotic and then just in your face sinful if you know which curtains to pull back or are lucky enough to have the key to certain doors” Derrick complimented, landing softly back into the leather couch in the living room.

“I plan to have one of my infamous brunches to break the place in on Labour day Monday. I think most of the old crew is within a reasonable drive, and I saw Farouk at the party. Good memories. It makes me happy to know that the two of you kept in touch and are still good friends,” James commented as he settled in kicking his feet up on the coffee table across from Derrick, arm back behind his head, a casual power pose.

Derrick grinned, fondly reminded of a time when he had been nearly naked on his hands and knees, the table beneath James’s heels while had kicked back in the exact same position.

“I don’t fuck my mentees, Derrick,” James said as he took his feet off the coffee table, reading Derrick like a book. “You’re most definitely switch-leaning Dom, but we’ve been there, done that and have the T-shirt. But Anton, he’s a rarity and I can see how much you two care for each other,”

“It gives me confidence that you think so. I do look back fondly on our time together, and given our past and knowing how well you read people, you saying so means a lot ” Derrick retorted, shaking off feelings that were stirring deep.

“Such a shame, guess we all have the one that got away I guess,” James said, glancing briefly over his glasses before shifting his gaze and staring out into the forest through the panes of glass that framed the side of the room.

Derrick glanced across the coffee table at James, as he stared out into nature. He hated how he could make digs at him like that. As if they had somehow met some ill-fated ending. They’d left each other on more than amicable terms, and his ongoing mentorship was proof of that. Wasn’t it?

“So about Anton. Do you think you can help me out? I know we’ve been texting a bit about it, but I'm asking for real. More than just our banter back and forth.” Derrick asked, hoping to shift the tensions back into control.

“I think that I would be more than amenable Derrick, but I’m going to need a bit of a baseline on what level of debauchery you’ve subjected the poor boy to before I commit,” James said putting his coffee mug back down onto the coasters he’d laid out.

“You say that as if it is possible to bring you a boy that I’ve corrupted more than the Prince of Sin himself” Derrick countered.

“Fair Enough. Are you ready for a game of ‘never have I ever’ Master James edition?” James said as he dug his phone out of his pocket and screencast onto the large TV on over the mantle.