(Mark's POV – Sat. 19 July 2014)

"Kneel" I firmly order to Joey and the young man immediately and gracefully drops to his knees.

Joey is one of these anxious Submissives who regularly asks for a refresher on his training although he has been a member of the club for over two years. My friends often tease me about him because I am the Dominant he always goes to on these occasions.

He is a kind guy and a very good Sub, but he just terribly lacks faith in himself and needs to be reassured once in a while. If he mingled with other Subs more often, I'm sure he would gain in self-confidence, but he is stubbornly solitary. Not only is he a member of the Black Diamond, but he also works at the Black Moon, sometimes at the cloakroom desk or as a waiter. As a member of the staff, his attitude and behavior must always be perfect and he is always afraid to disappoint.

We have been working on his postures for over half an hour now and we are slowly but surly getting there. At the end of the day, he mostly needs to relax.

"Strengthen your back, Joey, but not too straight," I order him as I let the tip of the cane smoothly run up his spine, and his bare back arches a little more. "There's too much stiffness here, you need to keep your spine slightly arched, but your muscles should be a little looser... Yes, like this, Boy!" I encourage him, before I walk around the young man to stand in front of him and softly tap his left knee with the cane. "Spread your knees a little bit wider and hold the position."

The palms of his hands are resting on his thighs, his head is lowered and he remains in the position, perfectly still. I slowly back away from him to take a full view. Joey is a pretty cute guy with fiery-red hair, very light blue eyes and rather feminine features. As an un-contracted Submissive, he sometimes accepts to keep company to a Dominant or to perform a scene with one of them, still hoping to eventually find the one who will offer him a contract, which is why he also insists on taking these training sessions once in a while, to reach perfection.

"Good boy, now you can stand up and put your shirt back on," I tell him after ten minutes of silence. "How are your knees?" I ask as he rises to his feet.

When kneeling near a Dominant during a show, the Submissives usually have a little pillow underneath their knees to make them comfortable - if they have been good - but not during training sessions as they will only keep the position for a few minutes at a time.

"Fine, Sir," he says as he buttons down his shirt.

"Good. Are you still performing tonight?" I ask while I put everything back in place in my playroom.

"Yes, Sir, I am performing a scene with Master Jeffrey," he whispers in a small and nervous voice, blushing hard.

Of course I knew this, but I can't help teasing him a little about Jeff. It has become common knowledge that Joey has had a soft spot for the kind Master, but he doesn't know that this is mutual. I actually know - from a recent conversation with Jeff himself - that he might end up offering him a contract in the coming weeks. Jeff is just trying to test their sexual compatibility for a little longer, through either public scenes or in a rented playroom, and then, he will offer him a three-month contract.

"Joey, remember what I told you," I say softly before I walk to him and raise his chin with my index finger, forcing him to look into my eyes. "You are a very good Submissive. You just need to learn to relax and trust yourself. I'm sure you'll do great and that everything will go well with Master Jeffrey."

"Thank you, Sir. I will try my best," he replies, and I'm glad to see his face brighten at the encouragement.

"Alright, I will see you tonight then. Now go get ready, and have a good evening."

"Have a good evening too, Sir, and thank you for your time," he replies with an adorable grin.

"No problem," I conclude, as we leave my private room.

Joey goes toward the Submissives' locker room while I head to Aaron's office. I give a quick knock on the door and open it without waiting for his invitation to come in. Aaron is just coming out of his attached bathroom, buttoning his leather pants. His dark brown hair is still damp and little droplets are leaking down his bare chest.

Like most of the Dominants, he is tall and shows off perfect muscles. As the Master Dom of the Black Diamond, his dominant aura is the strongest here and forces respect from all the members of the club, but being my childhood friend, he doesn't impress me much and I easily ignore his scowl when I walk into his office and go get myself a bottle of water from the fridge.

"Go ahead, make yourself at home," he snorts with heavy sarcasm at the same time as he is lacing his combat boots.

"Good evening to you too," I reply with a huge smile. "I've missed you too this week!" I cheer and eventually give him a hug once he has leaned back up.

"Jerk! How was your trip?" Aaron asks as we both go to plop down on a couch.

"Good. I came back early this morning in the end," I answer and stretch my arms with a yawn.

"How are your parents doing?"

"Mmmh..."

How should I reply to that?

My adorable parents have worked hard all their lives. I am their only child, but I don't think I ever missed having siblings. When you work as much as my parents have, from ten in the morning till nearly midnight six days a week, raising one child is largely enough, I guess.

They took their time before they decided to have a kid, considering they were both 35 when I was born. At nearly 65 now, they are getting really tired and over the few days I spent with them, I realized that they are getting old. Working the whole day is becoming difficult for them; so much so that I suggested they should open only for dinners. I also tried to talk them into retiring.

I actually had a long conversation with my mother about the retirement subject. I found that my father particularly aged in the last few months I didn't see him, and I am a bit worried. My mom has also been tackling this difficult topic with him, but the man is full of pride and even worse, he is as stubborn as a mule. In one of our father-to-son moments of cooking, I brought up the subject but was nicely and firmly dismissed from the kitchen.

"Mark?" Aaron shakes my shoulder, bringing me back to Chicago. "Anything wrong with your parents?" he asks with concern.

All my friends have always loved my parents. It's not because they're mine, but honestly, it would be hard to feel otherwise towards them. They are so generous, kind and open-minded, I'm just fully aware of how lucky I was to have such parents, and Aaron knows it. As a child, he much preferred spending time at my place than at his.

"No, not really... They just looked a bit more tired than they were last Christmas."

"They're not getting any younger..." Aaron sighs.

I wonder if he sometimes thinks about his own parents, who are even older than mine, or all his sisters. This is not a topic you want to broach with Aaron though, so I keep my questions to myself.

"Nope, that's the problem. I wish they would sell the restaurant and enjoy a well-deserved retirement. They've worked more than enough, I believe, and saved enough money. But dad isn't ready at all to leave this all behind for now."

"It sucks... "

"Yes, it does. Hopefully, mom will make him change his mind. I proposed her to help them buy a house in Florida, close to my aunt's. It could be a good argument for him to give in."

At that moment, the door opens and our friend Josh barges in, dressed in his black leather pants and combat boots, our usual outfit at the Black Diamond. Nothing original in that kind of club, but this is how we like it. Josh seems frustrated and he heavily sits down next to me.

"Hey guys..."

"Hey Mister CEO, how are youuuuu?" I try to cheer.

"Stop calling me that Mark," he grunts. "Aaron, do you have Tylenol? I have a terrible headache."

"Is it what sets you in such a wonderful mood?" I ask while Aaron goes and fetches a tablet of painkillers from a drawer of his desk, which he hands to Josh with a bottle of water.

"Thanks," Joshua mutters before he chugs down a couple of pills, reclines into the couch and closes his eyes. "I'm not in a bad mood. Just had a complicated day..." he then sighs.

"Has Liam been naughty?" I muse.

Aaron stifles a laugh, making me think he obviously knows something I don't know.

"Can I tell him?" Aaron asks eagerly, chuckling below his breath.

"Go ahead... enjoy yourself," Josh replies sternly.

"Okay, I'll make it short. Liam's friend is back in town. You know, that Shannon guy... He and Liam wanted to spend the weekend together, go to a club and last night they were here. Josh had agreed only if they went to the Black Moon so that he could keep an eye on them, and..."

"I wasn't even keeping an eye on them!!!" Joshua interrupts him with irritation. "I was with you and Cam at the Diamond! Fuck!! For once I wasn't stalking him!"

"Yeah, right, still you were somewhat in the same venue..." Aaron huffs back. "Anyway! The boys managed to get a few alcohol drinks - a bit too many actually..."

"How did they do that? I thought your bartenders knew him?" I ask, causing Josh to snort.

"There's a new bartender at the Black Moon, and of course, Liam made sure to choose him instead of others," Aaron grumbles, "but Randy eventually noticed their little game and thought it wise to warn me and rat on Liam, so we decided to go and check on them for a while. And after a few minutes, we realized they were much more than tipsy and some other guys were getting way too close to them."

"Don't tell me you interrupted their fun??" I exclaim, falsely shocked - I would have probably done the same.

Now what truly surprises me is that Josh didn't have at least two security guys watching over Liam! The poor guy is barely allowed to go to the loo on his own! Whatever, I can see the outcome coming and this is promising.

"We did! Josh picked up Liam and I picked up Shannon. We took them to my office to have a little conversation..." Aaron explains.

Oh dear! I can totally picture the scene, but I'm a bit concerned about Liam's reaction because I bet Josh and Aaron were in their outfits, and the little blonde has tried to keep his lifestyle a secret from his friend so far.

"Wait! I thought Liam didn't want his friend to know about his lifestyle?" I ask Joshua.

To be honest, I never really understood how they have managed, but after nearly a year being together, Liam has been able to keep the nature of his relationship with Josh kind of secret to the young Shannon. Not sure what his point is, hiding this from his best friend, but I doubt this is still the case now.

"Honestly, I didn't really give a fuck  about it yesterday! Anyway, he was close to telling him soon," Josh says. "Liam had promised to behave and even if he's legal now, he's not allowed to drink that much."

Ouch, big mistake! I bet someone's butt is painful today!

"And? What happened?"

"Josh went all Dominant on Liam while his intoxicated friend kept giggling, and then Shannon passed out," Aaron resumes with a chuckle, clearly enjoying himself. "Josh took him to his place and they had to give him some explanations this morning."

"Fuck! Why do I always miss the fun moments!!?" I complain, and Aaron bursts out laughing.

"You haven't missed much, don't worry! The fun part is tonight!" he says, wriggling his eyebrows.

Oh my God! Does he mean what I think he means?

"Don't tell me... The famous friend is coming to the Diamond!" I exclaim with exaggerated stupefaction and I immediately get my answer when I see Joshua's scowl and hear Aaron's new burst of laughter.

"Shannon wants to find out more about the lifestyle. Liam told him about the Black Diamond and the guy insisted on coming tonight. Liam begged me to let him and I gave in. So he's here with us tonight," Josh finishes.

"Interesting..." I muse, trying to remember what the young man looks like from the one time I saw him from afar.

When was that again? October last year, I think. The thing is that the night I saw him, it was before Joshua had gotten into Liam's pants, and I was too busy looking at Liam and teasing my friend on his creepiness, but I vaguely remember a small brown-haired twink dancing rather sexily.

"A new submissive joining..."

"Shannon, a Submissive? I don't think so!" Joshua exclaims with a chuckle, but there's sarcasm in his tone above all.

"Why not?"

"This guy is no Submissive, Mark! At least not a natural one! I think he's just being curious about Liam's lifestyle, but I doubt he would consider joining it. I can't say I know him, but from what Liam told me, he seems to be far too unruly to suit a Dominant's rigor. Following rules and submitting to authority are foreign to him, and he's very unstable. Besides, he's a switch and I'm not sure he would really like to remain a bottom all his life," Josh explains.

"You know this is bullshit, Josh," Aaron snorts. "Topping for a Sub is completely possible. A few Doms accept to get topped. And if his Dom doesn't want to bottom, there are other options... like adding another Sub for occasional threesomes. Besides, he might not want to get into a contract right away, and in this case..." our friend trails off, wiggling his eyebrows, "well, you know how the Subs' room can get kinky at times..."

This makes me chuckle. I certainly wouldn't let anyone top me again – once and a half in my life was more than enough! I've never been to the Subs' room since I'm not allowed in there, but from what Aaron told us, non-contracted Subs often mess around. These naughty boys...

"Anyway, as far as his personality is concerned, he could change. Tonight might be a revelation to him," the Master Dom reasons rightly.

And after all, part of a Dominant's role is to tame a Sub's character and to train them into submission.

"Good luck to the Dom who will take care of him, then!" Josh chuckles. "Anyway, he's only here as a guest tonight, and he'd better behave. He's been given some instructions and rules to follow, and I warned him I wouldn't tolerate any misdemeanor."

"Now, that could be fun!" Aaron exclaims. "I wonder how he would react to his first spanking in public!!"

"I'll let you deal with that, Ron! Enjoy!" Joshua says and the three of us burst out laughing.

Starting with a punishment on his first visit at the club would be something for the poor guy.

"When are they joining us?" I ask out of curiosity.

"They're having dinner with Liam's other friends in the Subs' Room. They'll be joining us at the Black Diamond later tonight. I allowed them to skip the first part of the show and enjoy some time on the dancefloor. What about having our dinner here?"

"Sounds good to me," I reply.

"Alright! I'll get some pizzas delivered then!" Aaron says as he stands up and heads toward the desk to pick up his phone.

I wince at the mention of pizza; junk food is so not my thing.

"Don't make that face, Mark!" Josh teases me. "You'll just have to run one more hour tomorrow morning. It's not the end of the world!"

"It's not about working out to eliminate some shitty food, you jerk! You just can't expect a Chef specialized in French cuisine to enjoy eating one of those greasy American pizzas..." I snort.

I don't mind a good Italian pizza, but the ones they deliver and that have more bread and grease than vegetables and meat... Ewww! For crying out loud, they don't even use real mozzarella!

"Yep, but we all know it's not only about that..." Aaron comments with some sort of compassion.

Indeed, I must admit that there's another reason behind my obsession for healthy food. Having been a rather chubby kid until adolescence hit me - and having suffered from it - I've always strived to keep my body in good shape for fear of seeing the fat come back. I don't want to be one of those bulky guys either, so I also avoid activities that would develop too many muscles. Light food and a lot of running keep me in check and my body rather lean.

"Is Camden coming tonight by the way?" I ask, willing to change the subject.

"Nope, he was already there three evenings this week and is taking this Saturday off," Aaron says.

Oh well! I guess I'll see him later then.

Two hours and a few slices of fat and spicy pizza later, we head toward the private part of the discotheque. The heat is on as the dancefloor is already crowded with a lot of Subs in their tiny shorts or skinny leather pants, and Doms looking for opportunities. We walk toward our usual spot, which consists of a long semi-circle sofa, a low black wooden table and a few pillows on the floor, in front of the main stage.

Aaron takes his seat in the middle, Josh sits on his right, leaving some space between them and I go to sit on Aaron's left, a little further away from him. The music is not so loud in the lounge part of the room, so we can easily talk to each other without having to yell.

A waiter brings us some cocktails with very soft alcohol and as we sip from our straws, continuing to make small talk. I take a look around at the different scenes playing out, but don't see anything that really captivates me. I haven't had sex in a week and I really need to get laid. I might as well go and chase for a cute little butt that I could invite to my playroom for the night. The advantage on Saturday nights is that the club is full and there's a large choice of Subs eager to please Dominants.

I have recently decided I should stop doing this - using one-night Subs. I would really like to find the perfect one, but who knows? It might take weeks or months before I find the Sub with whom I want to share the rest of my life. I don't believe in perfection, but I would really like to meet someone who will fulfill all my needs.

I can't say I have a particular liking for a certain type of guy, physically speaking. I like them rather slim and small, but it has more to do with their temper. I don't want someone like Joey who is too quiet to my taste. There has to be a bit of spice, as long as due respect and obedience prevail. I'm clearly shooting for the moon here, and there might be a lot of stars dying before I hit it. But one can dream, right?

The first part of the show is about to end on the stage in front of us, and a Dominant is currently groaning like a bear, letting out his release over the Sub's chest. The second part should start in about twenty minutes, but my attention is suddenly caught by two young men headed our way. I recognize one of them as Liam and I guess the other one is the famous Shannon.

Over the last year, I have gotten to know Liam quite well as I sometimes have dinner or spend Sunday afternoons at Joshua's place. He is a cute blond guy, a natural Submissive and exactly what Josh needed, although he tends to rebel a little more often as he gains in self-confidence, from what Josh tells us.

He's still quite shy around us, even when we meet outside of the club where the D/S rules are not so strict. I have sometimes heard about his best friend, Shannon, but never met him in person since Liam has always refused to reveal his secret lifestyle to his friend. However, there he is tonight; and I can't help a twitch of my cock in my pants at the sight of the sexy young man.

This Shannon guy is absolutely gorgeous. He is dressed in tight leather pants and a hugging black t-shirt that stops just over the waistband of his pants. As he walks, it reveals the milky skin of his narrow hips and his lower belly. I can't really see his eyes since his head is lowered, but his light brown hair seems to be extremely soft, the locks artistically sprayed in a natural mess. He is obviously taking his role seriously tonight as he keeps his eyes down, closely following Liam.

The blond Submissive gracefully kneels in front of Joshua who immediately caresses the back of his head and tells him to stand and sit between him and Aaron. As a perfectly trained Sub, Liam obeys without hesitation and quickly greets us before he snuggles close to his Master, placing his feet beneath his behind.

Josh's left hand settles on his right thigh and the other one pats the seat on his right side, inviting Shannon to sit down. The young man softly plops on the sofa and begins to intertwine his fingers. He doesn't seem to be quite sure on the attitude he should adopt and there is a large amount of cuteness in his uncertainty.

"Aaron, you already met with Shannon yesterday," Joshua simply states.

"Hi Shannon, and welcome to the Black Diamond. How are you tonight?"

"I... I am fine, Sir" he stutters. "Thank you for letting me come tonight."

Aaron and I both stifle a chuckle. That hasn't happened yet, young man, give it a few more minutes.

"Mark, this is Shannon, Liam's best friend. Shannon, this is Master Mark, one of my best friends I told you about."

I don't miss Joshua's scowl at me as he notices my inner giggle, but I ignore it as soon as my eyes drift to Shannon's beautiful blue-green orbs. I already know they'll be the death of me.

Published on 1 May 2016