Pushing the Limit -Book 2 - 7. Chapter 7

TC had stayed well into the night before going home around one o’clock. They had talked a lot more and caught up with each other some more. David had been surprised that Miles had convinced him to go to a Kinbaku demonstration. It didn’t surprise him that Miles and Andi went. He remembered the night that TC had demonstrated some binding techniques on himself.

Things felt different now with TC. They were both holding back, not wanting to overstep boundaries. It would probably take a while before they were truly comfortable again. It’s hard to love somebody when you can’t have them.

David spoke with his boss Stephen to see about going back to work. They agreed that the first full week in August would work. David was looking forward to it. Plus he needed to pad his rainy day fund again. Even though he had kept his expenses down, the account had taken a sizable hit. It was now more of a ‘passing shower’ fund, rather than a full rainy day fund. He would just need to budget a little bit more for that particular account and it would eventually climb back up to where he wanted it to be.

Miles and Andi were thrilled that he was back. They made David come for dinner and Miles had told him more about the Kinbaku lessons he and Andi had taken with a local master. Miles had been enthralled with everything about the ancient artform and had been studying different knots and ways of binding Andi. They were both enjoying it and that’s what really mattered. David had made a mental note to ask TC if he had enjoyed the presentation too. He had only mentioned it in passing their first evening together.

David started back to work and everyone was happy to see him back. His team said it wasn’t quite the same without him around. It was nice to feel appreciated. Greg had stepped up as interim team leader and he was more than happy to hand the reins back over to David. He was grateful for the experience, but it had made him realize just how good David was in the management chair.

August brought with it oppressive humidity. David shaved off the beard that he had let grow. Lyssa told him he looked ten years younger without it. He contemplated leaving a goatee, but nixed that idea as soon as he saw how it looked while he was shaving the rest off. One thing for sure, it was a lot less hot and itchy without the added facial hair. It was worth taking the extra time to shave every morning.

TC invited him over to see the new house. He had moved out of his condo the last weekend in July and asked David if he wanted to help him shop for some furniture for the new place. Lyssa had already helped him pick out stuff for the living room, which was being delivered next week, but he still needed a dining room table, stuff for his bedroom as well as the office and guest room. He wasn’t too worried about the guest room or office just yet. Right now he had an air mattress on the floor of the bedroom that he was sleeping on. It was doing a number on his back even though it was a better quality one.

David was impressed with TC’s new place. It suited him well. He laughed when he saw the bonus lanai off of the master bedroom. His daughter had been right, it would be a great space for a playroom. TC laughed when he told him that.

Together they measured the spaces that needed to be filled and took pictures for reference. Lyssa had told TC that she wanted to help pick out stuff for his living room walls and decor for the kitchen. The previous owner had left the furniture out on the lanai and deck that was off the main kitchen area. TC liked it well enough, and it was one less expense if he didn’t replace it.

TC decided to concentrate on finding a bedroom set first. If he happened to see a table for the dining room, fine, if not he’d keep looking. They hit a few of the national furniture chain stores, but neither one of them saw anything that they liked. David finally mentioned the Amish furniture place across town. Sarasota had a large Amish population. Many of them came down in the winter, just like normal snowbirds, but a surprising number were year round residents. They took advantage of the snowbirds and as a result there were several Amish restaurants as well as a couple of furniture stores. The Amish were master craftsmen when it came to furniture making. The pieces were expensive, but they would last a lifetime.

TC already knew that being over six feet tall he needed a king bed and he and David saw it at the same time. A solid cherry headboard and footboard, each was carved out to resemble a fisherman’s net. Upon closer inspection each hand carved knot was unique, some of them weaving the natural grain of the wood into the design of the knot. The wood was darker than what TC had in mind, but the design was incredible. This was it. Even with a price tag of nearly six thousand dollars, TC had to get it. David agreed. It was the most stunning piece of furniture he had ever seen.

They looked around some more and TC found a dining room table he liked. It was simple in design, the maple finish was sanded smooth, the grain of the wood was the only detail. The edges had been rounded so there were no sharp corners. TC bartered with the salesman and was able to get the size that would accommodate six people for the price of the smaller table for four. Two leaves could be added, increasing the seating to ten. He also managed to talk the guy into giving him a ten percent discount on the bed when he decided to get two nightstands in the same cherry finish. They did not have a standard king set available, the set on display was a California king. The other would take ten to twelve weeks before it would be ready. TC had been quoted the price for the larger bed and after checking the measurements and seeing that everything would fit, he went ahead and paid for everything and set up the delivery for Tuesday.

“Well that was a little more than I was budgeting for, but that set will last forever.” TC commented. “I think I’ll order a mattress online. The new bed is a platform so I don’t need a box spring. The condo had one of those hybrid gel, memory foam mattresses and I really liked it. I might as well stick to something I know I‘ll like”. TC was more or less talking to himself as David chuckled next to him.

“C’mon buddy, I've had it with shopping for the day. The Ale House is down the street, you owe me dinner for shopping with you. I need some Zingers and a couple of beers.” David declared, mentioning his favorite food.

It was a little early for the evening dinner rush so they didn’t have to wait when they got to the restaurant. Not bothering to look at menus they both ordered the Zinger melt and a beer. David stuck with his sweet Thai chili and TC got the honey barbeque.

‘That bed is gorgeous and it suits you. Does it bother you that whatever little Amish guy that carved that probably had the proverbial loaves and fishes in mind when he carved the knots into the netting and you look at it and see how many new ways you can tie somebody up?” David laughed and TC joined in. He was pretty sure those Amish people would have kicked them both out if they could have read their minds.

“So, speaking of ropes and knots, tell me more about the Kinbaku demonstration you went to, Miles wouldn’t shut up about it.” David said.

“It was pretty amazing. Master Akito was exceptionally skilled. Even though it was a demonstration you could see how he had total control over both of his sub models. They were both something as well. The female had the perfect body for binding, just enough padding and really nimble. The guy though, damn David, you should have seen him. He was short and really well built, muscular, yet he was like Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four, all stretchy and flexible. It surprised me that someone with his build was able to contort into all those positions so well. Pretty impressive.” TC declared.

“It sounds impressive. Would you do it again?” David inquired.

“What? Go to another demonstration? Sure, why not?” TC said.

“Actually I was thinking more along the lines of us going together. To a club and maybe finding someone we could play with. Together, like we used to do in college.” David suggested.

“What brought that idea up? Is this something you just thought of?” TC asked.

David blushed and confessed, “No, Dr. Charlotte called to see how I was doing. Grill me was more like it. Anyway, I told her that we were going to focus on rekindling our friendship and put everything else on the back burner. I also told her how things seemed a little awkward sometimes. She suggested that I mention finding a hobby we could do together. I thought she meant working out or playing pool or bowling. Nope, she said we should consider sharing a sub like we did in college. If we were going to renew our friendship we might as well ‘go back to the beginning’, her words exactly.”

TC threw his head back and laughed, causing several other patrons to look over and smile at his enthusiastic laughter. If only they knew what had just been discussed. David couldn’t help but join in.

They reined in their laughter as their food was brought out. Before taking his first bite TC looked at David and said “I’m game if you are. Leave it to a eighty year old sex therapist to suggest that as a way for us to connect. Go figure.”

“Honestly, I'm kinda on the fence about it. I’m not sure how it would work out.” David admitted.

“Why don’t we sit down later and discuss it somewhere we won’t be overheard. That particular topic of conversation is usually not very socially acceptable in general conversation.” TC offered.

David agreed and they shelved the discussion for later when they weren’t in a public place. They changed gears and talked about work and the kids. TC wanted to have an afternoon outing on the boat with David, the kids and Mike and Renee. He had already mentioned it to them and they all said they would love to go, The only problem was the weather. August and September were the hottest, most humid time of the year. Even being out on the open water provided little relief. The state had been lucky and had stayed out of the path of the tropical storms and hurricanes that had formed so far. It was a slow year for tropical activity and everyone was grateful.

They hadn’t escaped the torrential rains that poured down nearly every afternoon. The storms didn’t last too long, they just interrupted outdoor activity and made driving more dangerous. David and TC both wished that people would slow down when the rain started. There was too much traffic as it was and accidents were a regular occurrence. David didn’t understand why some people thought it was OK to drive normally, even when the rain came down so hard one could barely see the front end of their car, let alone what was in front or behind them.

TC took care of the check, his way of thanking David for shopping with him. He had enjoyed going shopping with Lyssa, but she was way too enthusiastic, like a kid in a candy store with an unlimited line of credit. He had to dampen her spirits a few times when she set her sights on something that either wasn’t his taste or was way out of his budget. She meant well and she quickly came to realize what TC’s limits were when it came to home decorating.

David invited TC inside when they got to his house so they could discuss the whole club thing. They stayed inside to watch the sun make its way toward the western horizon. It was too hot to sit on the lanai.

TC let David start the discussion off. He really wanted to hear his thoughts on the whole matter.

“Dr, Charlotte got me thinking when I talked to her. I’m sure it was the sole purpose of her call. She’s determined to continue with therapy, even if it is long distance. If we do this we need to discuss what’s going to happen when we’re together with a sub. I have a few ideas of what I’d like to do and I’m hoping you’ll agree.” David said.

“Tell me how you’d like things to go and we’ll take it from there. The only way we can do this is if we both decided what’s going to happen and how it should play out.” TC stated.

“You’re right. Personally, I’d love to watch you tie up a sub. Your skill with ropes and Kinbaku is amazing and I’ve always gotten a real sense of enjoyment seeing your knots and ties. We’d have to find a sub who is both flexible and enjoys pain. Watching the session with the two Doms made me want to pick up a paddle or flogger again. It’s been so long, I’ve missed it and I realize I never should have let it go. Another mistake I suppose. I’m pretty sure I’d like to have you tie up the sub so I could finally get back to making an ass nice and red. Eventually I think I’d like to help you do some sort of suspension with a sub. Maybe see firsthand some of the things you described from the session that you saw with Miles and Andi.” David admitted.

“I agree with everything you’ve said. I’ve been thinking a lot about expanding on my skills with ropes. I may even consider doing private lessons like Miles and Andi are doing if I can find a sub to work with. What about interaction between you and I? I don’t know if I could keep my hands just on the sub. You need to tell me what you’d be comfortable with.” TC admitted.

“I definitely don’t think we should let anything sexual between us happen. I mean if you want to put your hand on my back or shoulder while I’m spanking the sub I can handle that. I just don’t think I’m ready for anything else. I don’t think we should go there right now. It’s something that we’re both going to have to be aware of. “ David told him.

“I’ll respect your boundaries and you’re right. We don’t need to go back down the road we were just on. It only leads to a dead end with a fatal drop off at the end of the road. It’s going to be trial and error until we figure out what’s going to work for us. I think we can do it as long as we communicate and not hide things like we’ve already done, make sure we keep our focus on the sub and not each other.” TC said honestly.

“OK, so when do you want to do this?” David asked.

“I’ll call the club that we went to for the Kinbaku demonstration and see what we need to do about a membership or if they have something temporary so we can try it out. Then we can go from there.” TC said.

David thanked him for offering to do the legwork and TC asked David if he would help him unpack stuff the following day. He had some of his things in storage delivered and now he needed to find a home for the stuff. David had laughed and accused TC of exploiting cheap labor and then asked him if he should recruit Owen and Lyssa. TC didn’t deny the accusation and agreed that Owen and Lyssa’s help would be great. He told David to tell them that he’d pay them a little cash and feed them pizza. Money and food, the ultimate teenage motivator.

David headed home and promised to be back the next day with the kids to help unpack. Lyssa groaned a little at having to put stuff away, she liked the shopping, but wasn’t a fan of organizing. Owen knew he was just being used for his brawn and he was OK with that. David bribed Lyssa by telling her they might have to shop for some stuff if the things that TC had in storage didn’t work for him in the new house.

The following day the four of them worked together and put all of the kitchen stuff away and got it organized. Lyssa took care of the main bathroom, hanging the new shower curtains and organizing TCs linen closet. She had washed all of the extra towels and sheets that he had in storage and hadn't needed at the condo. They had smelled a little musty and needed to be washed and freshened up. TC had looked wistful a few times as he unpacked something or another that reminded him of Elliott. The only time David got worried was when he saw him get teary when he came across a large tote that was merely labelled ‘E’. David correctly guessed that it was personal belongings of Elliott’s. He had given TC’s arm a quick squeeze as the man passed him in the hall, bringing the box to his bedroom.

TC and David went through boxes of clothes that TC had brought down from Virginia but never needed. Most of it was cold weather clothes, long pants, jeans, sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets. TC kept a few pairs of jeans and a few sweatshirts as well as two jackets. The rest of it went into Owen’s SUV and each time the SUV filled up, Owen made a trip to the donation center. By the end of the day he had made three trips to haul all of the things that TC no longer wanted or needed.

TC had decided to go with a nautical theme for the decor in the main living areas of his house. The fireplace made out of cross sectioned corals and the driftwood mantle had really made the decision for him. After they ordered pizza for dinner he and Lyssa sat at the computer for a couple of hours browsing through Amazon for ideas. Of course Lyssa convinced him to buy a few things.

David and Owen played video games on the Xbox that Owen insisted on setting up. Owen wiped his Dad off the map with every game they played. David didn’t really care. He loved spending time with his kids and he knew that the opportunities were getting thin. The twins were starting their senior year of high school and Owen had set his sights on the Coast Guard or Naval Academy. If accepted he would be heading to Groton, CT or Annapolis, MD and from there the whole world would be at his disposal. Lyssa would probably stick close to home. She still had issues with her leg and it had cut into her self confidence somewhat. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do yet, so sticking close to home was probably a good idea.

TC thanked them for all of their help and told David he would touch base with him later in the week about what they had discussed. David hugged his friend and herded the kids out to Owen’s car. His son dropped him off and David told both his kids he was proud of them.

David settled back into a normal routine of working. The kids were enjoying their last week of summer vacation before school started the following week. On Wednesday TC called him to let him know that the club he had gone to had an introduction special. They would have to pay a guest fee to enter for the evening, and if they decided to join the club they could pay on a month to month basis, or pay in full for the year at a discounted rate. The membership fee was pretty reasonable and after asking TC a few questions about how they operated he was satisfied with what they offered and agreed to try it out. TC then mentioned that they were having a charity auction this Saturday night, with proceeds going to a local shelter for abused adults trying to get out of unhealthy relationships. There was a separate fee for admittance to the auction. David decided to bite the bullet and agreed to chip in for the guest fee and the auction fee. He spent the rest of the week alternating between being excited and being terrified.

Saturday TC picked him up and David’s jaw dropped. As he got out of his car, David saw that TC had on a pair of black leather pants that fit him like a glove. He had paired it with an almost sheer white sleeveless shirt. It made his tanned complexion seem even darker. A thick black belt and ankle high black boots completed the ensemble. Just enough was left to the imagination. David had worn a pair of jeans and a black tank top. His jeans were a little baggy due to the weight that he had lost. He felt totally underdressed. He hadn’t given any thought to club attire. He knew his own leather pants would be too big on him, but it never crossed his mind to go shopping for a new outfit.

TC came up to him with a look of amusement on his face. He put a finger under David;s chin to prompt him to close his mouth, then he dropped a quick kiss on his smooth cheek.

“Wow! You look hot.” David said as he got his wits about him.

“Yeah, well you don’t. Here, I got these for you. I figured you’d have forgotten about deciding what to wear and I figured you didn’t have time to shop. Why don’t you go put these on so you’ll look like a proper Dom.” TC was snickering as he handed David a shopping bag.

David went back into the house and down to his room. TC followed, still chuckling. David emptied the bag and found a pair of really soft and pliable dark red leather pants, similar to what TC had on. He shimmied out of jeans and looking at the size of the leather pants he shucked off his boxer briefs as well. He just hoped he could get the pants on. Surprisingly they had just the right amount of give to them and didn’t squish anything vital. David tucked in his black tank top and looked in the mirror. Damn. He looked pretty good. The extra weight that had created his love handles was gone and even though he wasn’t ripped with an eight pack, or even just six, he could still make out a little bit of definition. In the mirror’s reflection he could see that TC heartily approved. He shoved his feet into his own pair of short black boots and sucked his stomach in as he bent over to buckle them. The pants definitely did not leave much room for bending.

David turned around and dropped his gaze automatically to TC’s crotch. Yup, he definitely approved. It was David’s turn to chuckle. As comfortable as they were the pants hid absolutely nothing. He strode past TC, smacking him in the abs with the back of his hand and said “Let’s go and no perving on my ass.” David led the way down the hall, knowing damn well that TC’s eyes were glued to his ass. He had lost weight around his middle, but he knew better than anybody that he had still held onto the stubborn bubble butt that had plagued him since college.

David let TC out of the door ahead of him and then locked up. He had no place for his keys and wallet so he put them in the glove box for safekeeping. The club had lockers that they could store their stuff in, rather than leaving it in the car parked out in the open.

The ride to Tampa took about an hour. David always loved the view going over the Skyway bridge so TC took that route, even though it was a little longer than going up I-75. A lot of people he knew were scared going over the bridge and David could understand why. It was a long drop down into the water. The original bridge had a large section collapse back in 1980 when a huge cargo ship struck one of the supports. Several cars and a bus had tumbled into the Bay and thirty-five people had died. There were still long sections of the original bridge spanning both directions that were now used as fishing piers.

They kept the conversation light and occasionally sang along to some of the songs TC had on his playlist. It was a relaxing ride and David’s nervousness seemed to fade the closer they got to Ybor City. The parking garage near the club was nearly full. They finally found a space on the top level. TC took David’s hand and gave it a squeeze as they walked toward the elevators that would take them down to ground level. While they were walking David rediscovered that leather pants weren’t very breathable. The short walk had them both starting to sweat. Luckily the club was only a block away from the parking garage and the cool, air conditioned interior was a relief to both men.

They needed to stop at the reception area and show ID and sign some forms. TC and David had both gone online and filled out all of the required forms. Most of them had been signed electronically, but there were still a few signatures that the club required to be on file. They were given a welcome packet with all of the rules and regulations. TC had already had the tour but he willingly went with David and one of the dungeon masters to see the facility again. The auction didn’t start for another hour so they would have plenty of time to look over what was being offered and see if there was anyone who appealed to both of them.

David was impressed with the look and the feel of the club. Everyone was polite and respectful. The rooms were clean and neat, the equipment sanitized after every session. At the end of the tour they were shown to a large lounge where they could see the subs that were being offered during the auction. There were twelve subs available for bidding that evening, all of them naked and kneeling, up on a raised platform, eyes downcast and hands clasped behind them, silently waiting. Information sheets were on a table along one wall. Every sub had been assigned a number and the sheets were clearly labelled. First name, general background info, any specialties they had and limits, both hard and soft, was listed for every sub.

TC and David walked up and down looking over each sub. TC knew right away which one he wanted to bid on, but he kept it to himself, waiting to see who David would zero in on. TC asked David to pick three and bring over the info on them so they could discuss them. David took his time and finally walked over and sat next to TC with three sheets in his hand. Together they discussed the pros and cons of each one. After reading over each of the bios and scanning through the limits that the subs had set, David eliminated one of them and then turned to TC and said “Which one do you like? I’m leaning toward this one,” he lifted one of the sheets up higher than the other.

TC smiled and took the two sheets from David and looked at the information one more time before answering “This one. Sinclair. He’s the one we need.”

David took the piece of paper from him and looked at the limits that the sub had indicated. He was willing to be tied up and he had also listed pain as being acceptable, noting that he included all of the instruments that David preferred. He then looked up to the raised stage where Sinclair knelt, head and eyes down, hands behind his back grasping both elbows. Yes, he was definitely what they needed.

Let the bidding begin.