“The main thing you need to remember is that everything is consensual. No one does anything without consent. If you see someone, male or female, being whipped, remember they agreed to it beforehand. Everyone has a safe word that stops everything. Nobody does anything to anyone else without consent,” he explained to her.
Looking down at her hands in his, she asked, “Do you like to do those things to people?”
Taking a deep breath, he answered her. “I have in the past. I am a member of the club and have played before.”
“Do…would…do you want to do them with me?” she asked shyly.
“How would you feel about that? Is that something you would like to talk about and explore?” She would be perfect if she was submissive, and he thought she was.
“I don’t know. Would it hurt?”
“No, baby, I would never hurt you. I might punish you for misbehaving, and it might be hard for you to sit for a day or two, but I would never lay a hand on you in anger or intentionally hurt you. As a Dom, my goal is to cherish and protect you and your body. I will do everything in my power to protect you.”
Tasha needed to think about what he had told her and decide what she wanted. She needed some time alone.
“Can you take me home now? I need to change clothes, and Kyle wants me to start with Theresa tonight.”
“Sure, baby, and we need to get your car taken care of.” Tim had had it towed the night before, but nothing more.
“Crap, my car, I almost forgot all about it. I’ll have to find a bus back and forth until I can get it paid for. I wonder how much that will cost?” Just what she needed, mor
e expense. Did the buses even run as late as she needed? Kyle had told her the club was open 6:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m., and she would be working during those hours, but not always. If the club was slow, they closed early, but she would still get paid. Taking the bus at 4:00 a.m. was not something she was crazy about.
Tim had the answer she needed.
“Baby, I’m going to be working tonight, too. How about I pick you up, and then I will get you home tonight. While you are here tonight, we’ll check out your schedule and see what we can work out. I’m sure we can make something work.” He was going to make sure it worked.
Tasha sighed in relief. Hopefully it wouldn’t be out of his way to take her back and forth, and then she wouldn’t have to worry about the bus. If she could just ride with him until she got a check and could get her car fixed, that would be perfect, and spending more time with him wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Reaching up and hugging him, she answered, “Sounds perfect, thank you.” She give him directions to her apartment and sat back to think about everything that had happened and what he had told her.
When they arrived at her apartment, Tim couldn’t believe his eyes. He knew when he heard the address it wasn’t the best, but this place was worse than he had imagined. He couldn’t believe people lived in places like this. Just as he was going to ask if he was in the right place, Tasha opened the door and jumped out.
“Thanks, pick me up in a couple hours?” she asked, leaning into the truck.
Tim quickly opened his door and jumped out. “I’ll walk you in.”
Exactly what she didn’t want, but it looked like she didn’t have a choice. Tim took the bag of clothes from her hand and indicated that she should lead the way.
Tasha walked quickly through the kids playing, calling out to a few of them, then went even faster through the crowded lobby, walking straight for the stairs, not looking left or right.
Tim followed as close as he dared, staring down everyone who looked at her. He couldn’t believe she lived in a place like this. This was not going to last long.
Stepping over the people sitting on the stairs, she quickly climbed two flights to her apartment. Going through the lobby was difficult at the best of times, and having Tim follow her and listen to all the jeering and catcalling was embarrassing. Why couldn’t he have just dropped her off and left it at that? She should have known he would walk her in. What a mess.
Tim followed her up the stairs shaking his head in disbelief. She was moving. There was no way he was going to let her stay there any longer. The halls were dark and crowded, and the scum in the lobby were downright scary. There was no way he was leaving her here.
Tasha unlocked the door to her apartment, and it was like entering another world. The place was spotless. He could tell the furnishings were used, but they were well cared for and clean. He could see she had a limited budget but had done the best she could. It was bright and colorful, and she fit perfectly in it.
Turning, Tasha saw the amazement on Tim’s face. “Just because the building is a mess doesn’t mean I have to live in it.” She was very proud of her little home. It wasn’t much, but it was hers, and she took care of her things. She didn’t mean to be defensive with him but couldn’t help it.
“This is wonderful. You’ve done a lot with the place. It’s clean and bright, just like you.” Tim smiled, gathering her into his arms. He was impressed, and she could tell.
“Thank you. It’s not much, but it’s home,” she said, sitting on the couch and patting the seat next to her.
Tim sat and took her hand. Trying to be as diplomatic as he could, he tentatively said, “I’m really not comfortable with you being alone here. Would you please pack a few things and come and stay with me until we can find something safer for you?” He was rubbing little circles in her palm, trying to be gentle.
“Tim, I’ve lived here for six months, and no one bothers me. I know them all, and we take care of each other. I’m safe here.”