(Shan's POV - Thur. 17 July 2014)

Damn! Another great idea of mine to go out running in the middle of a too-warm July afternoon! I really have to be insane! Besides, it's not as if I liked running, right? I plainly hate it!

However, seeing Liam's well-defined muscles and abs the other day has motivated me to work out a little more. There's not much I can truly envy him. I have always had a rather slim body - though I can put up some fat if I don't pay attention - and for the past few years, I have often had rather physical jobs, which have kept me in a pretty good shape. Yet, I admit a nice little six pack would look even better. Besides, if I don't exercise the slightest bit, the little abs I have will quickly disappear and I don't want a small flabby belly that neither guys nor girls like, but that's what you get when you mostly feed on junk food and from fast-food restaurants!

Anyway, I guess it would have been cleverer to go running in the early morning when the heat doesn't break you down, but this also means waking up early enough... Blah! This is just too much asking for me!

After less than twenty minutes, I decide to slowly run back home. Now that I take a better look at my surroundings, there are not many people outside, even less running. I think I am actually the only idiot working out in this heat! As soon as I step into the apartment, I rush to the bathroom to strip of my sweat-drenched clothes and jump into the shower to let my body relax under the lukewarm water.

It's already Thursday and I still haven't heard back from Liam about our weekend, and this is worrying me a bit. To keep myself busy, I have spent the last three days visiting pubs and bars, unsuccessfully looking for a job. Although I earned quite a lot of money during my last work assignment to provide for my part of the rent, food and expenses to go out, I really need to find a new job because I know money will run thin in no time.

I am fully aware I messed up in high school, slacking too much and not graduating. Even if it's not much of a diploma, it would still have been better than nothing at all and would have opened more doors to other certifications. I would have been able to get better jobs than all the shit I have been doing for small pay checks in the last three years. Sometimes, I wish my parents had had a better grip on me and forced me to work more at school, but it wasn't entirely their fault, I really ruined their patience back then.

As I turn off the water tap, I hear a ping coming from my phone, indicating I received a text. I wrap a towel around my waist and head for the kitchen. My old mobile device shows two missed calls and a text from Liam. I didn't want to press him to give me an answer, so I only sent him a reminder text yesterday evening to ask if he had any news about spending next weekend together and I am glad to finally hear back from him.

3:38 pm - Liam: Hey chipmunk! Give me a call when you get a chance to!

3:40 pm - Shannon: Are you available right now?

His answer comes only a few seconds later so I call him immediately.

"Hey Bunny, how are you?" I ask when he picks up the phone.

"Great, you?" he replies in a whispered voice.

"Not too bad, just out of the shower. Going out for a run this afternoon was not the best idea I ever had," I explain with a chuckle.

"Are you kidding me?" he whisper-yells into the phone. "Did you really go out running with this heat?"

"I didn't stay out long, it was way too hot," I argue, trying to reassure him, yet laughing it out. Liam playing his big brother is always funny.

"You bet it was! Come on Shan, you can't go running when it is nearly 100 degrees outside, be serious!" he scolds me.

"Yes mom, I promise I won't do it again," I joke as I hear a door opening in the background and a muffled voice talking to him. "Am I disturbing you? Do you want me to call back later?" I ask when the same noise of a door shutting echoes again.

"No, no, that's fine. I wanted to catch up with you on next weekend. I am not available on Saturday evening, but, before you scream at me, I can do tomorrow evening, does that work for you?"

"Yeah perfect! Are we going to the Black Moon?" I ask cheerfully. I guess one evening with my friend is better than nothing and hopefully, we can still spend part of the Saturday together.

"Definitely..." he replies in a weird tone. Is it me or did it sound a little bitter?

"We can go to another place if you..." I offer, since he doesn't seem to be over-enthusiastic about this option.

"No, that's fine, the Black Moon it is!" he cheers up. Well, this sounds much better! "I'll come home straight after work so we have time to get ready and maybe go out for a quick dinner somewhere?"

"Up to you! Or we can order pizzas, get ready and go?" I suggest.

"Sounds good. I'll bring the pizzas. Listen, I gotta go now, so I'll see you tomorrow evening, okay?"

"Oky doky, see you tomorrow!" I reply and he hangs up.

I have known Liam for nearly six years now, and I can clearly state I know him quite well. There is definitely something off with my friend at the moment. I will have to find out about that tomorrow and it shouldn't be too difficult after a few cocktails.

*  *  *

I am still in my bedroom trying to make a choice between various outfits.

When Liam got home earlier tonight, I was glad to see he was as eager as I was about our evening together; or at least much more than he was yesterday over the phone. It felt like the first two years we shared this apartment, when we were planning about our nights out - which is mostly me rambling about boys we would meet. Except for the meet some guys part tonight, though.

Liam is obviously deeply in love with Joshua and wouldn't cheat on him - although, taking a look at other butts wouldn't kill, would it? Anyway, I swore to myself that even if I meet the man of my life tonight, I won't go for him and leave my best buddy alone at the club. Tonight is our night, and I'm not going to mess up with our friendly fun.

We already had our pizza dinner and a couple of beer cans each which have helped relaxing Liam's tension after what seems to have been a hard week at work. As I am still trying to figure out what I should wear, Liam knocks on my door and walks in.

"You're not ready yet?" he asks.

My eyes dart to Liam, and like in one of these cartoons, my jaw almost drops to the floor. Oh my God! Is this my friend?

"You sexy beast, what the fuck??" I exclaim, taking a full look at him.

The shy and discreet Liam I have always known is now wearing rather skinny and low-waisted leather pants, a black shirt that hugs his chest very tightly, with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and black shiny Dr Martens. His blond hair is a pretty and glossy mess. He just looks sexy as hell! Back in our younger years, Liam always dressed in clothes to make sure he would go unnoticed, so this is quite astounding!

"Have you broken up with Joshua? Are you looking for a new boyfriend!?" I exclaim playfully.

"Nooooo!" he says as his blue eyes darken, and a light blush covers his cheeks. "Josh bought these for me a few weeks ago and I actually like them a lot," he explains embarrassingly. "Do you think it's too much?"

"Wow no!! You look great, Bunny!!! I love it! It's just... if I were your boyfriend, I wouldn't let you go out in such sexy clothes without me!" I laugh.

"Nonsense! Joshua trusts me to not cheat on him... Now hurry up, our taxi will be here in less than ten minutes!" Liam mutters before he walks out of my room, making me chuckle at his embarrassment.

I finally opt for black skinny jeans and a black tight tee-shirt. By the time I am done doing my brown hair and putting on my old Dr Martens boots, our taxi's honk echoes, so we rush outside, putting on our jackets on our way down the stairs.

We could have used the public transportation, but it seems like Liam is getting to like the comfort of nice cars and he booked us a taxi. The ride to the Black Moon takes us about 30 minutes, which allows more talking about my job hunt and about Liam's recent vacation in California.

When we reach the club, I am glad to see we have arrived early enough, so the waiting line is not that long. The club is rather selective. I was rejected the first time I tried to get in - worn-out jeans and old Converse shoes with holes are not appropriate I guess - but I hope it won't happen again. We pass the first security guy easily, and I notice his firm look at Liam. Once we enter the building, we head toward the cloakroom desk and a cute little guy takes our jackets.

"Hi Liam!" he whispers shyly.

I must have missed something here. Why is my friend blushing again? And why the hell would he throw such a dark look at this poor guy who obviously seems to know him? Whatever it is, Liam barely replies to him and immediately drags me to the main room, holding my elbow. The place is huge and already filled with a lot of people, young and older boys and girls, a lot of them more or less openly gay or lesbian, dancing and waving to the rhythm of the music.

The room is dark with multicolored rays of lights coming from all the spotlights. The atmosphere seems to be energetic and very lively. Liam leads me straight to the main bar, but then he tugs me to another one further back, where he gives me a twenty-dollar note and tells me to order cocktails for us. We used to do that a lot in the past since I supposedly look older than he does, but we're legal now! The bartender he indicates me looks quite young himself, and a bit awkward in his moves, but he doesn't bother asking for my ID anyway and prepares our drinks.

Meanwhile, I reach for Liam's arm and yell in his ear.

"What was that about at the cloak-desk?"

Ignoring my question, he takes our cocktails and heads toward a free low table surrounded by red leather couches and plops down there. I take a seat next to him, close enough so that he can hear me.

"So? Who was this guy at the entrance? Do you know him?"

"No, not really. I just met him here a few times," he mumbles as he starts sipping greedily from his glass. I smell something off again here.

"A few times? How often have you been here?" I ask.

My curiosity is now piqued. I guess he must have visited this nightclub with his boyfriend but for one, he never told me he did, and then, I can hardly imagine the elegant CEO going to a place like this.

"A few times, I told you" he says with a smile.

No matter how hard I try to make him talk, he just replies evasively; as usual I should say. We stay there for a few minutes, looking at the crowd dancing, while curiosity continues itching me. Now is the time to put my plan into action. I chunk down the rest of my cocktail, pick up both our glasses and go back to the bar to get a refill. On my way back to Liam, I can see him looking in different directions, squinting his eyes, as if he is looking for somebody.

"Are you expecting anyone to join us?" I ask as I hand him another cocktail.

"Thanks. Nope, just looking around if I can see anyone attractive enough to suit your needs," he replies mischievously.

"Don't worry, I can fend for myself. I wouldn't mind seeing that big security guy I saw last time though. Fuck! The guy was so sexy! But forget about it for now, I'll check this out another time! I'm not here to get laid tonight anyway. This is our night to have fun, Bunny!" I exclaim, raising my glass and choking it to his "To our eternal friendship! Let's go move and sway our butts!"

Once our glasses are empty, we move onto the dancefloor and spend the next three hours bobbing up and down and swaying, waiving our arms up in the air, humping each other. One moment Liam is in front of me, grinding his butt against my front and the next, we switch places. We also have another round trip to the bar, or maybe more, and I can tell alcohol is starting to really hit us hard; especially me.

The last time I went to the bar, I noticed the other bartender's glare, which clearly meant I might have had enough already. I mentally flipped him off and went back to Liam on the dancefloor.

The crowd is getting louder and louder and I am feeling a bit tipsy now. By the way Liam is swaying his hips and shaking his butt, I can tell he's not in a much better state. And yet, it feels good to see him let go of his usual seriousness and giggle.

Some guys have joined us for the past half hour and we are forming a group of six young men looking horny and sexy as hell. Liam is beside me and we are giggling like two silly kids, bumping our hips together in rhythm with two other guys in front of us, when I feel two strong hands gripping my hips, pulling me backward until I hit a hard chest in my back.

My head tilts to my left to look at Liam, and I almost choke at the sight of someone who strangely looks like Joshua. The man has one hand firmly gripped on my friend's neck and the other at his hip. I see him whisper something in Liam's ear, making the blonde flip around and immediately lower his gaze. After a few seconds of confusion, he takes my hand and tugs me to follow these guys.

The two men walking in front of us are tall, wearing fitted black leather pants with combat boots. Their bare backs show perfect muscles beneath their toned skin. They lead us toward the left side of the club where a bouncer is standing in front of a red double door that he opens upon our arrival. These lead to a large corridor and I begin to wonder where we are going.

Glancing at Liam, I can't help noticing he seems to have quickly fallen down from his intoxicated spirit, while I feel like nervous giggles could get into me anytime.

"Please just shut up..." he mouths to me.

I arch an eyebrow and scowl at him, but he ignores me, so I just keep on following the men who silently lead us along another corridor, take a right and then a left, until we stop in front of another door.

The first guy eventually turns around and in the brightness of the lights, I definitely recognize Joshua. My jaw drops open at the sexy beast in front of me! His bare chest reveals powerful abs and a muscular chest, but as soon as my eyes reach his dark blue orbs which are severely scowling at me, I can only lower my gaze. The strong male aura I had felt the first time I met him is nothing compared to the dominance emanating from his body right now.

The other man opens the door and we enter a wide office that holds a long desk, storage cabinets and a huge leather couch, everything black. The guy is nearly as tall as Joshua, with dark hair and brown eyes, and he also shows off a beautiful six pack. Wow... are there other nice pieces of meat around here? This one looks even scarier than Joshua though, but if he has other similar friends, I would love to be introduced. I giggle at my own stupid thoughts, still feeling tipsy from all the cocktails I drank.

"Sit down!" Joshua orders dryly and I try to stifle my laughter as I flop on the sofa, half missing it and about to crash on the wooden floor. The other guy reaches for me and helps me to sit.

"You promised you wouldn't interfere or have me watched tonight!" Liam accuses, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I did hold my promise, but it seems like I can't really trust you to stay safe. Maybe I should have had someone watch over you!" Joshua growls at him and Liam immediately drops his head. "Randy warned us when another bartender told him you guys were on your fourth cocktail, so I didn't have many other options than to interrupt the pleasant evening I was spending with my friends to keep an eye on you. Considering how things were getting out of hand there, it seems like I was right."

"I'm sorry, Master Aaron..." Liam whispers as he slowly raises his eyes toward the other man.

What!? Did he just call him Master? I must have misheard!

"I was perfectly in control of..." Liam then attacks, scowling at his boyfriend, but the latter interrupts him.

"YOU WERE NOT!! Enough, anyway! We'll discuss this later and you'll just deal with the consequences!"

Joshua raising his voice is much more impressive than Liam's attempt, and I suddenly wish the couch would open up and swallow me whole.

"Do you need help punishing this little cutie down there?" the Aaron-guy asks, nodding his chin at me.

I just can't suppress another giggle. Did he just use the word punishing? It has to be a joke! I know I'm quite small, but I don't look like a five-year-old either! Oh my God, I can't help laughing at the idea.

"That won't be necessary, he's not in the lifestyle, and obviously too drunk to understand anyway," Joshua replies sternly.

Hey!!! I'm not drunk!!! I'm just tipsy! A knock echoes on the door and Aaron reaches for it. The little guy from the cloakroom desk brings both our jackets and immediately leaves.

"Let's go home now."

"We need to order a cab for Shannon or... would you mind dropping him off?" Liam asks in a whisper.

"No, he's going home with us. I'd rather not leave him alone in your apartment, drunk as he is. He'll probably wake up with a terrible hangover tomorrow and I'd much prefer keeping an eye on him," Joshua replies with a sharp tone that somewhat pisses me off - this is not my first booze and I don't need surveillance! - and has me jump to my feet. A bit too quickly, I guess.

"Hey, I'm not dr..." I start saying but I don't get to finish my sentence as my balance betrays me.

Oh God! Why is the room spinning so fast? I suddenly feel like I am standing on a boat in the middle of a raging ocean. My vision blurs and I feel myself crash to the floor with a loud thud. I vaguely hear voices and footsteps around me, but I quickly fall into the depths of a dark void.

Maybe Joshua was right in the end. Maybe I am truly drunk.

*   *   *

The next thing I know, I wake up in an unfamiliar place. Someone has penetrated inside my head and is banging a hammer against the walls of my skull, so I try to keep my eyes shut for a moment. After a few minutes, I slowly open them again. Thank God, the curtains keep the room in a certain darkness. As far as I can see, I am lying on a very large bed in a huge modernly furnished bedroom. A thin comforter covers my almost naked body and it is getting too warm in here.

Memories of last evening begin to flash back into my mind - the great evening with Li, the drinks, the dancing, too many drinks, more dancing, definitely too many drinks and then those two men, one of which was Joshua, Liam's boyfriend... and then, oh God, this is getting confused in my head.

I vaguely recall a weird conversation that I would rather forget for now, but I can't remember arriving at this place, and much less undressing. I slightly turn my head to the left and see a glass of orange juice with two pills on the bedside table. I quickly chug them down, praying for them to do their job as soon as possible, before I lie back against the comfortable pillows and close my eyes, waiting for the headache to fade away.

I briefly wonder where I am, but I guess this is Joshua's house. Liam told me already how big and luxurious it is and I wouldn't mind going for a little exploration, but it will have to wait until my headache fades away.

After a long while, just when my head is becoming a little less painful, there is a soft knock and the door slowly opens to my left, Liam popping his head in.

"Are you awake, Shan?" he calls out in a whisper.

Oh yes I am, Bunny, and you'd better get your ass here because we need to talk seriously!

"Yeah" I whisper, grimacing when I sit up against the headboard of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" Liam asks as he walks in, leaving the door open.

As he reaches the bed, I notice that he slightly limps and when he cautiously sits down at the end of the bed, the expression on his face shows a little discomfort. Hmm... someone must have had sex this morning!

"Okay; it could be worse. Thanks for the painkillers," I reply, winking at him.

"Must have been Joshua's doing..." he says with a smile that soon fades away. "We need to talk." Hell yes we do!

"Yep. You owe me some explanations, I believe."

I actually have quite a few questions for him, and this time, I won't let him go without answers. He nods but doesn't say a word.

"So? What was that all about yesterday? I do remember a few shocking words, like punishment, or Master... What the hell is going on, Lili?"

"Listen..." he hesitates. "I'm not sure I should tell you everything but..."

"Don't you trust me? Haven't I always been your friend?" I exclaim, confused by his reluctance to speak freely and somewhat dejected by all this secrecy. This has lasted for long enough!

"Of course, I trust you, Shan, but... I'm just scared you're going to judge me and I don't want to disappoint you..." Liam says with some sadness in his voice. I lean a bit toward him and reach for his wrist.

"Li, I would never judge you, you know that! You've never judged me for my stupid behavior. You have always supported me no matter what I did. Why would I judge you?" I reason.

For crying out loud, if one of us had to be disappointed in the other, he would have to be the one! I have fucked up much more often than he ever did! He hesitates for a few more seconds before he looks at me with determination and inhales a deep breath.

"Have you ever heard about BDSM?" he eventually asks, and everything suddenly clicks in my mind.

OH.MY.GOD!! These four letters totally make sense! Why didn't I think about it any sooner? I should have picked up on that as soon as I saw how Joshua and his friend were dressed last night at the club!

"Yes I have..." I reply warily, squinting at Liam. "Holy shit, don't tell me you're..." I exclaim, already imagining Liam tied up in chains while his boyfriend whips him.

"How much do you know about it?" he interrupts me.

"Well, I have watched some videos on the internet and read a few things. I mean, who has never heard of BDSM nowadays?" I reply, trying to remember what I exactly saw. "I know it involves a lot of leather, whips, bondage, pain and.... oh my God, Lili!! Are you into that??? Oh shit!! Is Joshua a Dominant? Like... Does he tie you up and whip you and fu..."

"Shhh!!!! Shan!!!" Liam whisper-yells at me, quickly glancing back toward the open door. "Hey calm down, this is not what you think, okay? It's not all about what you said, and certainly not only about pain!" he screams.

A tall frame suddenly appears by the entrance behind Liam. Joshua slowly walks in and goes to stand behind Liam's back. I can see my friend lean into the touch of Joshua's hand on his shoulders.

"There is definitely a part about pain," the serious man says in a deep voice. "There is a bit of that, but not only, and I don't even use whips. Besides, it's a whole lifestyle, it's not only about sex."

"But I heard your friend speak about punishment yesterday..." I argue.

"Punishment doesn't mean whips, Shannon. There are many forms of punishments in BDSM," Joshua briefly explains, and the room remains silent for a minute before he continues. "Shannon, this is not something I usually discuss openly. Our lifestyle is often misunderstood and mistaken for something that it is not; not only because of what it represents, but also because people don't know anything about it."

"Then tell me about it!" I defy him, feeling a lot more confident than I should.

"It's not something you can understand when you're not a part of it. It's difficult to comprehend the concept if you haven't seen what it implies," Liam argues in a small voice while his boyfriend's hands gently massage his shoulders.

"Then show me!!" I insist, looking at the tall man, but I only get a sigh of frustration in answer. "Don't tell me Liam knew much about it when you introduced him to this lifestyle," I then mutter with irritation, glaring up at him.

I am really curious about what he calls his lifestyle. After all, I have always been open-minded and up to discover new things, so why not this?

"Shan..." Liam tries to interfere, making me look down at him.

I could have nearly forgotten about my friend for a second, but as he calls me out, it suddenly reminds me that this little creep seems to have hidden a lot of things from me!

"I can't believe you never told me about that, Li! But now I know, I'd really like to find out more about all this..." I beg him.

"This is not something you can jump into so easily, Shannon," Joshua says firmly. "There are rules; a lot of rules. It doesn't suit just anyone. It requires a lot of self-control and above all respect."

"Josh..." Liam murmurs, as he turns around to face his man, kneeling on the bed. "I think you were right from the start. Shan might... I mean... Why not..." he stutters, leaving me confused, but his expression suddenly brightens. "Don't you think he could be granted a one-evening access to the Black Diamond, like the first time you took me there?" he then suggests with excitement.

Jeez... Who's this guy? Where's my Bunny?

"You were not so sure before, Baby. Do you think he could handle this? Do you think he'll be able to remain quiet and submit for a few hours?" Joshua asks, frowning down at Liam.

"If you let me explain to him the basic rules, I'm sure he can do it!" Liam insists. Now that's my friend!

"You sure?"

"Can you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?" I demand with irritation and both of them finally turn toward me.

"I'm really not sure, Liam..." Joshua comments with a sigh.

"Please, Master..." Liam begs in a barely audible voice, pouting his lips and running his hands on his man's chest, and Joshua suddenly seems to melt in front of my friend! Fuck! This is getting better and better!

"Hey, hold on a second..." I interrupt again though. I need answers and I'm tired of their talking about me as if I was in another room. "What's that Black Diamond thing you're talking about?"

Liam glances pleadingly at Joshua, who eventually nods at him after a few seconds of staring.

"The Black Diamond is a private area of the Black Moon. Private meaning that only selected members have access to it. It's... dedicated to BDSM," he explains.

"Seriously? I haven't seen a mention of that anywhere in the club..." I reply thoughtfully.

"You can't really become a member on your own and the club doesn't really need advertisement," Joshua explains. "Membership is very selective. You need a sponsor to be allowed in, and it takes time and training before you become a member. And it is very selective because what happens there, stays there. You see what I mean?"

Actually... I don't...

"What is it that happens there?" I ask shyly.

Joshua's eyes darken as he continues his explanation: "It is a miniature replica of the Black Moon, with a smaller dancefloor, couches, stages, a bar, and a lot of gay men enjoying some fun. Except they're doing it in a different way and in different outfits..." he suggestively replies with a very husky voice that brings goosebumps on my arms.

"Are you talking about sex?" I breathe out.

"It's not only sex, Shan!" Liam intervenes, blushing furiously. "Not all the people there have sex in public!" he then mutters, which makes Joshua chuckle.

Oh boy! I know you, my friend... And I swear there must be a lot of sex going on in there!

"But then..."

"You need to see for yourself to understand, Shannon," Joshua concludes, folding his arms across his chest and staring down at me. His posture straightens up and his voice hardens: "But let me warn you! You will have to follow the rules as if you were a member. Liam will tell you more about them, but know that I expect you to be on your best behavior and to respect any Dominant you might meet. Of course, you are not going to participate in anything, but remember: respect of the rules and of the Dominants. And I will not tolerate any misdemeanor, understood?"

I stare up at him. Whatever I was going to say remains blocked in my throat. His eyebrows furrow and he begins to scowl at me. Oops, I think he's expecting an answer... Well, I don't know what I am about to jump in, but I'm quite excited and for the fun of it, I smile and say: "Yes, Sir!!"

"Good boy..." he groans with a smirk and then leaves the room in silence, leaving a flabbergasted Liam behind.

To be honest, I am not sure about what I am expecting from this evening. Like everyone, I have heard about BDSM, but seeing it for real... it has to be something else. Whatever, it promises a fun and interesting evening and I am quite eager to find out about that mysterious club.

What bugs my mind though is to discover that my best friend is into that kind of kink. Of all people, Liam is without any doubt the person I would never have imagined into this! And trust me, he is about to go through a long and tough questioning!

Published on 1 May 2016