Puppy Love 3:
Reawakening
By Jeff Erno
** SMASHWORDS EDITION **
Published On Smashwords by Fanny Press
PO Box 70515
Seattle, WA 98127
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Cover Design: Sabrina Sun
Cover Illustration: Paul Richmond (PaulRichmondStudio.Com)
Contact: info@fannypress.com
Copyright © 2010 by Jeff Erno
ISBN:
978-1-60381-482-9 (Paper)
ISBN: 978-1-60381-483-6 (Cloth)
ISBN:
978-1-60381-484-3 (ePub)
1
My two favorite places in the whole world are both in the presence of my Master. I love the security and warmth that I feel cradled in his arms, particularly when I’m lying with my head on his shoulder and my arm draped across his chest. I love the sound of his breathing, the feel of his beating heart. I love the smell of him. When he shifts his body, even slightly, I respond, moving with him to accommodate his comfort. His arm always remains around me, though, and I sense that he craves my dependence upon him as much or more than I crave his protection.
My other favorite place is sitting between my Master’s legs. Of course every sub yearns to kneel and serve their Master, but I’m not now referring to service, sexual or otherwise. I do not necessarily even mean kneeling. As my Master sits watching television or using the computer, being beneath him with the strength of his powerful legs around me makes me feel safer than I ever have before. It is at these times that I most feel as if I genuinely am his pup, resting contentedly at my Master’s feet.
It wasn’t until Matt and I began living together that I ever realized I felt this way. I’d never actually imagined that I would willingly choose to physically place myself in submissive positions such as these, yet even when it was just he and I alone together, I’d find myself curled up at his feet. I could have easily elected to sit on the sofa beside him or in any one of the empty seats around us, but I instead chose to rest beneath him, between his legs.
The fact that I nearly lost him made his physical presence all the more significant to me. One might think that my clinginess would become annoying to him or perhaps even disturbing on some level, yet to me he never expressed such sentiments. Actually his responses were quite the opposite. As I rested contentedly there beneath him, he’d reach down affectionately from time to time to gently stroke my hair or to graze his thumb across my cheek. When I lovingly looked up at him, he’d simply smile and sometimes would squeeze his legs together ever-so-slightly to remind me that I was where I belonged.
Sometimes I would sit there and read; other times I’d watch television with him. I would even nap there in that position if I was really relaxed. Of course there were also moments when my Master simply could not resist taking advantage of the convenience of having me so close at hand, and he’d present me with the honor of servicing him.
Those first few weeks that he and I began living together at Alex and Drew’s apartment were both beautiful and disconcerting. Our need to be with each other physically was paramount, and this opportunity to do so never was wasted. On the other hand, we both had concerns about our future. We did not so much fear that our relationship would dissolve or necessarily even suffer, but we worried about how we would find our way independently as a couple. At least I worried about this, I should say.
Of course Matt insisted that he pay rent for both himself and me. He immediately handed Alex a check to cover the first three months. Matt told Alex that since there were four of us he would also pay for half of the rent and utilities. I begged Matt to allow me to hand my own paycheck over to him to help with these expenses, but he very curtly refused my offer. “Keep your money, pup,” he said. “Put it in the bank, and show me your statement every month. I don’t want you wasting your money on a bunch of junk, and I’ll make sure you don’t, but I’m also not gonna have my pup supporting me.”
The first couple of weeks in the apartment were a time for me to focus on my school work and preparation for finals. Although we had already thrown Alex his graduation party, we also were preparing for the actual ceremony. I quickly realized that it was probably a good thing that Matt had sprung the surprise party on both Drew and Alex the way he did, for in observing Drew I knew that, had he been aware of it beforehand, he may have given himself a nervous breakdown.
It was so cute to see how obsessed Drew was in anticipation of his Master’s upcoming day of recognition. He broke out his special credit card, the one he used only for emergencies and really important occasions, and informed me that we were going on a shopping trip.
“Oh my god! I love shopping sprees …” I gushed.
Drew leaned in to whisper in my ear. We were in the hallway and our Masters were only feet away in the living room watching television. “I wanna get Alex a nice suit and a new pair of shoes.” In spite of myself I clapped my hands excitedly. “Shh!” he scolded me and gave me a stern look. My face instantly became stone serious as he tucked the card neatly and secretively into his pants’ pocket.
“What will I tell Matt?” I whispered.
“Just tell him we’re going shopping. We can get him something special, too.”
“Oh my god … yes!” I quickly agreed. “But I gotta use my own money, Drew. If you pay for it, it won’t be from me.”
“He’ll never know, hon,” Drew suggested.
“Yes he will,” I said. “You know I don’t lie to him. I can’t.”
Drew nodded. “Yeah, what am I thinkin? Hey I could loan you the money, though.”
I shook my head. “He’d just pay you for it immediately as soon as he found out. It’s okay, Drew, I have some money saved. Plus Matt has lots of expensive suits already. I just need to get him something special is all. It doesn’t even have to be expensive.”
Suddenly Drew’s eyes grew wide as he looked above my head. I quickly turned to see Matt standing behind me. “What doesn’t have to be expensive?” he asked.
“Um … oh nothing, Sir. Um … Drew was talking to me about Alex’s graduation.”
“Oh that’s right,” he said. “And my pup wants to get Alex a present?”
“Yes, Sir,” I quickly agreed. I wasn’t exactly lying because I did indeed plan to get him a gift.
“Well, yeah you’re right. It doesn’t have to be real expensive, but we don’t want to be cheapskates either. Why don’t you get him something just from you, and I’ll get him something from both of us.”
“Wasn’t the party your gift, Sir?” asked Drew.
Matt shook his head. “Nah, was just a surprise. Was kinda fun, too, other than the … incident.”
I glanced into the living room to see that Alex was still engrossed in his television program. “I wonder what I should get him, Sir.”
“I’m sure you’ll come up with something nice.” Matt then reached for his wallet.
“I wanna pay for it myself, Sir!” I said, a little too loudly, because Alex looked over in our direction at the sound of my raised voice. “Please Sir,” I said in a whisper, “with my own money.”
Matt paused, as if thinking about it. “Okay,” he said finally, “since it is your gift, you probably should pay for it yourself. Just be sensible.”
“Oh I will, Sir. I promise.” I glanced over at Drew excitedly. “When are we going?”
“In a little bit, Petey,” he said. “I wanna get the bedroom cleaned up first.”
“I can help if you want,” I offered.
“Sure.”
Matt then leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. “Okay, let me know when you’re leavin, pup. I’ll cover for Drew with Alex.” We then scurried off to clean the bedroom.
Cleaning Drew and Alex’s bedroom consisted of making the bed and picking up a couple articles of clothing for the laundry, but Drew was almost as much of a neat freak as was I. Afterwards Drew lay on the bed face-down and I sat next to him, Indian-style, on the mattress. He was resting his chin in his palms and staring blankly ahead.
“What are you thinkin bout?” I asked.
“Alex … I’m thinkin bout how proud I’m gonna be of him when he steps up there to get his diploma in front of everyone. He’s worked so hard for this.”
“Well I’m glad that he’s still gonna get paid for that software program he made for Matt.”
“Yeah, but I wish Matt was the one managing that gym. What his dad did to him really sucks.”
“I know,” I agreed, “but Matt’s already had a few interviews. I’m sure it won’t be long before he gets a job. Yesterday he interviewed at Bally’s.”
“Really? Why didn’t you tell me? That’s great. When will he know if he gets the job?”
I shrugged. “Not sure, but he said the interview went well.”
“Come lie next to me,” Drew patted the mattress beside him. “and snuggle with me for a little bit.”
“I thought we were goin shoppin,” I whined.
“In a minute. Just lie here, okay?”
I sighed, feigning irritation. “Oh okay, but just for a minute.” I then flopped down beside him and he quickly wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into himself. He dug his fingertips into my side and began mercilessly tickling me as he held me in place against him. “Stop it!” I screamed and then burst into giddy laughter. “Drew!”
As quickly as the torture started, it abruptly ended, and he laughed into my ear. “I love how ticklish you are, Petey,” he said.
“You’re mean!” I accused him, a broad smile still covering my face. “One of these days I’m gonna pay you back, too.”
“I’m just glad your ribs are better,” he said. He was holding me tightly against his torso.
“Me too,” I agreed. “Drew, you always smell so good.”
“You smell like melons,” he said. “Did you use melon-scented shampoo?”
“No, I smell like a melon cuz I’m a fruit.” I laughed.
He laughed and wrapped his leg around me, continuing to squeeze me, but very gently. “Oh Petey,” he said, “you’re so adorable. It’s no wonder Matt calls you his pup.” I was touched by his affection and snuggled back against his body. Then I noticed something that I never had before. Was Drew getting aroused? I could feel him against my back.
“You think we should get goin?” I offered.
This time he was the one who sighed. “Yeah, we probably should.” Slowly he unwrapped his leg from my body and released his grip on me, but before I was completely free of him, I felt his lips on my cheek. “I love you, Petey,” he said.
“I love you too,” I whispered back to him, and then quickly I shot out of his arms and grabbed a pillow from the head of the bed. Instantly I swung around and thwacked him right in the head with it. “That’s for tickling me!” I screamed.
“You shit!” Drew retorted, a bit dazed by my blow. Quickly he jumped up and grabbed a different pillow. I was already screaming again by the time he had it fully in his grip.
“No! Stop it!” I yelled. Then bam! He landed a solid blow right to the side of my head and I toppled over instantly, laughing all the while. “You ass!” I screamed, trying to sound angry but betraying myself with my own laughter.
Drew was then on top of me, pounding me over and over with the pillow, all the while I continued to laugh as I tried covering my head with my small hands. “I give up!” I was yelling, “Stop, please stop!”
And then almost instantly and without warning he was off of me and the pelting ceased. I looked up and saw Drew being hurled across the room. “God damn! He said stop it!” It of course was Matt, coming to my rescue. As I looked up to see him fully, I realized he had his fist clenched and was about to punch Drew.
“Wait!” I cried. “Sir, please wait! It’s okay. We were just playin. Honest, he wasn’t hurtin me!”
Drew had landed on his butt on the floor and was staring up at Matt in stunned silence, his mouth agape. “I’m sorry!” he whimpered.
“Don’t hit him, Sir. Please!” I jumped up and rushed over to Drew. “Sir, we were just having a pillow fight. It was just for fun.”
I saw Matt start to relax, and I breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought you were crying,” he said. I shook my head vigorously.
“No Sir, only laughing … or maybe I was cryin … but it was from laughing so hard.”
Matt then got a very strange expression on his face. I think he felt kind of silly actually. Was it embarrassment?
“Sir, I swear I’d never hurt Petey. Honest!” said Drew.
Matt shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me …” and he turned quickly and walked out of the room. I looked over at Drew with a puzzled expression. He returned the look, and it seemed to me that he was both bewildered and concerned.
“It’s okay, Petey. He’s just so stressed out right now. Plus, after what Ryan did, I think he’s a little over-protective.”
I didn’t know exactly how to respond. “Yeah, I guess so.”
I had been so confident that everything was okay with Matt. I knew that he was indeed under tremendous stress. Not only did he have the remainder of the semester to finish at school, but he also had to seriously focus upon landing a job soon. In spite of these potential stressors, though, I’d truly believed everything was fine between him and me. In fact, in my view, things had never been better.
But it did make sense that after all we’d been through over the course of the past few weeks Matt would be extremely cautious when it came to my safety. He’d seen me get my nose broken, my ribs fractured, and even witnessed the collapsing of one of my lungs. Worst of all, he knew I had been raped. I thought about that time, just outside this building, when Matt had taken me into the alley to do a scene with me and I had freaked. This was not long after Devin and his friend had attacked me, and I had a horrible flashback of the incident as Matt became aggressive with me. So I did understand how it was possible to project fears into a situation where they really didn’t belong. Matt obviously was beginning to do this with me. When he heard me screaming, it triggered a protective response within him, and he reacted instantly.
On the one hand this had the potential for being quite troublesome. Certainly it was neither practical nor necessary for Matt to protect me every second of the day. Were he to continue in this manner, I would never have the freedom to even fully experience life. Yet on the other hand, it was an indication to me of the depth of his love. I knew that in the strictest of terms I was his property. He had laid claim to me and I had submitted to him. He and I both regarded him as being far more than a partner or boyfriend. He was indeed my owner, and an owner of any property realized that it was his responsibility to take care of it. In that sense, my heart swelled at the notion of him rushing to my aid so readily.
As I knelt there on the floor staring into Drew’s cherubic face, I was certain that he understood all of this. My sweet Drew was wise far beyond his years. He had been my mentor and my dearest friend. Other than Matt, Drew was the single human soul on this planet that I loved the most. Although I was younger than he, in some ways it seemed as if we were twins—twin souls. Nobody understood me the way Drew did. Nobody knew exactly the right thing to say to me like Drew. Nobody could calm me and reassure me the way he could, and nobody made me feel so perfectly thrilled to be the Petey-pup that I was as did Drew.
“I’m sorry, Drew,” I said to him in a hushed tone. “He didn’t mean it, I swear.”
“I know,” he smiled, “don’t worry Petey. Like I said, he was just protecting his pup. He was doin exactly what a good Master should do …”
And just as he spoke this last sentence his eyes grew really wide and his whole body stiffened. He stared directly behind me at the bedroom doorway. Quickly I turned to see what had shaken him and there stood both Matt and Alex. Each was armed with huge sofa cushions, and they both were grinning down at us evilly.
“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!” I screamed, and bolted quickly toward the bed, trying frantically to snag one of the pillows that we’d left laying there. Before I made it two steps, Alex intervened and thwacked me mercilessly right in the face with his big soft pillow. I was hurled backwards and landed right on my butt similar to the position in which Matt had thrown Drew moments before.
Drew was already up and had his hands on a big feather pillow. Matt rushed up to him and began pelting him repeatedly with the huge cushion in his hand. Drew was laughing and flailing his arms frantically, trying desperately to retaliate against the big, soft-yet-forceful pummeling that he was receiving.
We all were laughing hysterically as Alex dove down to the ground in a kneeling position beside me and continued his violent, cushy assault. “Stop!” I was screaming. “Matt, please help me!” I was yelling and kicking my feet, trying to roll away from the blows but unable to do so because of the rapidity of their succession. Matt seemed to ignore me, focusing instead upon nailing Drew. Although I couldn’t see my best friend, I sensed that his predicament was similar to mine. I heard him screaming for mercy as well.
When I finally was able to roll away from Alex and slide up into a kneeling position, I think that it was due only to the fact that Alex was nearly beside himself with laughter. He practically choked on the gales that erupted from deep inside him. This allowed me an opportunity, perhaps my one-and-only, and I seized upon it. I grabbed my pillow from the floor beside me and charged him, thwacking him as hard as I possibly could right alongside the head.
He rolled over on his side, hitting the floor, all the while continuing to laugh hysterically. I then jumped up on top of him, straddling him in a manner similar to what Ryan had done to me, and just wailed on him with my big feather pillow. After only three good blows I felt the impact of another fluffy boulder against my back, and I was hurled off of him. It was Matt, and he had come to the rescue of his hysterical friend. Now Matt was on me, pelting me just as he’d done seconds before to Drew, but Drew was now behind Matt, pounding the back of his head with his own giant pillow.
At that point it all turned to pandemonium. We all were flailing our arms frantically, swinging our pillows carelessly and violently into one another. I must have gotten blindsided by every single one of their pillows at some point or another. We all were laughing and screaming and running back-and-forth. Then at some point, Drew’s pillow must have gotten snagged upon something, for I heard it rip. It’s rending sounded almost like a zipper being opened, and then instantly we were in a sea of feathers. The white billowy particles rained down upon us as we all continued to laugh and swing our pillows at one another. I was dancing around, holding my hands in the air, feeling almost as if I’d been transported into a magical world of feathers.
I’m not sure how it stopped. Perhaps it was just that we were all exhausted, but as the adrenaline and high-intensity emotion began to fade a bit, I found myself in the arms of the man I loved. Matt was embracing me, pulling me securely against himself. I looked up at him, his hair covered in feathers, and pressed my soft lips against his own.
Yes, I knew it was gonna be okay. Everything was gonna be just fine. He was protective of me for sure, but not so much so that he was not afraid to still have some fun.
******
Drew and I were still laughing about the pillow fight hours later as we trudged through the mall. We had already completed most of our shopping, and Drew had not been a bit stingy when it came to outfitting his Master in an Italian suit. My mouth dropped when I watched Drew sign his name to the credit card receipt. “Oh my God, Drew,” I whispered. “I’ve never spent that much money on anything in my life!”
He smiled as he turned to face me. “Isn’t it hot?” he whispered back. “I love spending money on my Master.”
I looked down at the floor, a bit saddened. “Matt won’t even let me get him gifts. He says a Master isn’t really a true Master if he allows himself to be supported by his pup.”
“Well that’s a good point, Petey. I do understand what he’s sayin, but Matt’s probably gonna eventually figure out that if he allows you to give him a gift, he will actually be the one giving to you. I mean you need to express your love for him, and what better way to do that than with an occasional little token of affection?”
“Yeah,” I sighed, “but he says I can show my affection without spending money.”
“Okay, I agree with that. Don’t you?” I nodded. “So maybe there’s a way you can get him a gift that doesn’t cost any money.”
“I already obey him and do anything he says. I cook for him, clean for him, wash his clothes, and even shine his shoes. I’m not sure what else to do. Maybe I could bake him a cake or something …”
“Maybe, or maybe you could do something entirely different for him.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Well, I was thinkin about this, and I just might have an idea.”
“Okay, tell me! What?”
“You know those guys who were passing out flyers down at the mall entrance? Those coupon things?”
“Yeah, those coupons for family portraits?”
“Right. Well I know the guy who owns that store. He took one of my classes a couple semesters ago.”
“So?” I said. “I don’t understand.”
“Well don’t you think it’d be cool to get a family picture of you and Matt?”
“Oh my God! Yes! And maybe we could get Petey our dog in the picture too! But wait, that would cost money. He’d never let me do it.”
“No, you wouldn’t have to spend a penny. I’m sure I could get Blake to let you work for it. You could pass out those flyers for a few hours.”
“Drew, I don’t think I could do that! I’m not good at talking to strangers like that.” I felt an overwhelming sense of dread wash over me.
“Hon, how would it be any different than what you do at work? Don’t you have to talk to strangers there?”
“But that’s different. They come into the store to buy stuff, and I just wait on them. I ring up their sales on the register.”
“And you talk to them when you do it, don’t ya?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t know. Plus if I do get the portrait and have to bring Matt down here for the picture, it won’t be a surprise anymore.”
Drew got a sly grin on his face. “Hey, why don’t you get a picture of just you? That’d be the perfect gift for Matt!”
“He already has a ton of pics of me,” I said.
“Not wearin your collar and holdin Petey, your dog …”
I thought about it for a minute. “Don’t you think that’s a little bit … I don’t know … like kind of snobbish on my part? It just seems conceited to give someone a picture of yourself.”
“Not if that someone is your Master and you’re his pup.”
“Well, maybe … but ya know, I haven’t even got Alex’s gift yet, and that’s what we’re here for. Besides, even if I did decide that I wanted to do it, how would I get Petey pup? He’s over at Matt’s mom’s, and she’s not gonna let me have him. Matt said he’s really attached to her now.”
“I guess you’d just have to go talk to her,” Drew said, raising his eyebrows.
“I’ve never even met her!”
“All I’m sayin is that if you wanna do something really nice for your Master and show him just how much you love him, it’s probably gonna have to be something that involves a payment of some kind. Nothing of value is free, ya know.”
“Drew, you know I’d pay anything to please Matt. Anything!”
“Well, doin something that you’re not comfortable doing, to me that’s a real sacrifice. That’s more valuable than just spending money.”
I thought about what he was saying. Drew was right. It would be real easy for me to just go pick out a gift for Matt and pay for it. I knew that Matt didn’t want that though. He’d already specifically told me not to spend money on him, but if I were to do something really special for him that obviously came from my heart, that would be far more meaningful to him. And if that gift happened to be something that required me to step outside my comfort zone and do something I really didn’t like, well then it would be all the more meaningful.
“Okay, let’s go talk to him!” I said, “and maybe I’ll find a gift for Alex along the way.”
“Cool,” he said, “but I wanna put these things out in the car first. It’s too much to carry around. Plus I need a smoke.”
I sighed as I looked over at my best friend. “Drew, you know those things are gonna kill ya! I hate that you smoke.”
“Shut up, puppy boy!” he said, swatting me playfully on the butt. “Respect your elders!”
I giggled as I picked up one of the bags and headed for the door. “Wait’ll Matt finds out you hit me again! You’re in big trouble.” He picked up the remainder of the items and headed after me.
“Wait’ll he finds out you were checkin out that hot sales clerk who just waited on us!”
“Shut up, Drew!” I whispered, my face turning instantly red as I looked over to the salesclerk who was now eying me curiously. I rushed out the door without looking back.
*******
My heart was racing about ninety miles per minute as Drew drove me over to Matt’s parents’ house. We had already talked to Drew’s friend and former student Blake at the portrait studio, and he was very accommodating. That Blake proved to be far different than I’d have ever imagined him to be. He was by far one of the most hyper guys I’d ever met. He talked so fast that I could barely understand him. He was a super-skinny guy, almost to the point of being anorexic, and he had bright red hair, which he had cut real short and crested in the front. He looked sort of like a cartoon character. He was one of those guys that almost made you laugh just from looking at him, and he seemed to always be smiling, even when he was serious.
We had a deal worked out where I would pass out flyers for the next three Saturdays for three hours each day. He said that he normally paid eight bucks an hour, so when you did the math that would be $72 worth of labor. The portrait package that he was giving me normally sold for $99 but was being offered with the coupon for $75. The way it worked out, it was pretty much an even trade. I offered to pay him the three bucks difference, but he just laughed and tousled my hair affectionately. Drew laughed as well when he did this, and I of course shot my friend a disapproving look.
I had indeed found Alex the perfect graduation gift, which was tucked safely in the trunk amidst the multitude of presents that Drew had bought for his Master. I knew now that there was just one thing that still needed to be done. I had to convince Matt’s mom to let me borrow Petey for a couple of hours for the photo shoot. If she agreed, I would be getting the picture taken on Friday morning. I’d be lucky, though, if she didn’t simply slam the door in my face. I had begged Drew to go with me to talk to her, simply to lend moral support, and being the best friend that he is, of course he agreed.
When he pulled his car up in front of the house, for a brief moment I began to doubt the significance of the visit. All of a sudden it seemed like a very stupid idea. “Drew, I changed my mind,” I said. “I can’t do it!”
“What are you talking ‘bout, Petey?” he asked. “Of course you can do it. We’re here now, and there’s no backin out now. C’mon!” He opened his door and stepped out without waiting for my response. Reluctantly I followed, crawling out of the car nervously.
Drew walked over to my side of the car and placed his hand on my shoulder. “What’s the worst that can happen?” he asked.
“She’ll say no and slam the door in my face!” I retorted.
“Exactly, and would that be so bad really? So what if she does? Then we’ll just come up with some other plan. We’ll get you a stuffed dog that looks exactly like Petey Pup to hold in the picture.”
“Yeah!” I agreed. “Let’s just do that anyway.”
Drew looked at me sternly. “C’mon!” he said. “You’ve gotta at least try.”
Fearfully I then made my way up the walkway to the front door. I remembered how nervous I’d been the very first time I’d come here to meet Matt. I was so scared that I almost went away without even speaking to him. I was so thankful now that I hadn’t done so. But it was not Matt who was on the other side of the door this time. It was his parents, and they obviously didn’t think much of me. What would they say when they saw me for the first time? What would they do?
I took a deep breath as I approached the door and rang the bell. I got a sudden urge to make a run for it, but stood my ground as I heard movement on the other side of the door. I glanced over at Drew nervously, as he stood there looking quite serious. I wondered for a second if she would think we were Mormons or some sort of door-to-door salesmen. The door then opened and a rather young-looking middle-aged woman stood before us. I knew instantly from her eyes that she had to be Matt’s mom.
“Yes?” she said sweetly. “Can I help you?”
“Um … Mrs. Porter?” I gulped.
She nodded and smiled sincerely. “Yes, that’s me.”
“Um … I know you don’t know me. I’m a friend of your son’s, of Matt’s. I’m Petey. Petey Drinkell, and this is my friend Drew.”
Her face got instantly serious and it seemed that her posture stiffened ever-so-slightly. She took in a breath and then again smiled, a little less sincerely it seemed. “Well hello,” she said, “It’s nice to finally meet you.” She extended her hand to shake mine, and I quickly obliged her. “Won’t you please come in?” she offered. She then turned and led us into the entryway of her home.
I glanced over to Drew while Mrs. Porter had her back to us. I’m sure my gaze was one of wide-eyed bewilderment, for I hadn’t expected this level of cordiality. We followed our host quietly into the dining room where she politely asked us to have a seat. “Can I get you boys something to drink?” she offered.
“Oh, no thank you, Mrs. Porter, but that’s very kind of you,” I answered. Drew politely refused as well. Just as I pulled out a chair to sit down, I heard a very familiar sound and quickly turned to see my all-but forgotten dear friend Petey Pup, wagging his tail and rushing over to greet me.
“Petey!” I cried, as I instantly lowered myself to his level, scooping him into my arms. He was wagging his tail furiously and licking my face. “Oh yes! Him’s a good boy! Did you miss me, Petey Pup? Did ya miss me? I missed you … yes I did! Awww!”
Mrs. Porter and Drew were both laughing as they watched our exchange of affection. “Wow, he really likes you,” Mrs. Porter said. “I take it you’ve met before.”
I looked up at her and nodded. “Yes, ma’am, Matt got Petey about the same time we met. He named him after me.”
“I kinda wondered about that,” she smiled. “He said he was naming the dog after the one on Li’l Rascals.”
I smiled warmly. “Yeah, that too.”
After greeting my canine friend for a few more seconds I assumed a seat at the table. Drew and I were sitting across from each other and Mrs. Porter was on the end of the table, seated between us. Petey Pup was lying at my feet.
“Well, may I ask what the nature of this visit is? What is it that has afforded me the pleasure of your company?” It sounded so formal the way she stated it, almost like something out of an old movie.
“Mrs. Porter, I’m actually here because of Petey Pup. I know how attached to him you are, and I understand that completely …”
“And you want me to give him to you and Matt?” she asked. Her eyes seemed moist, almost as if she might cry.
Immediately I shook my head. “Oh no, ma’am, not at all. I’d never ask that. I just want to get my picture taken with him. I want to do it for Matt, as a surprise.”
She looked at me quizzically for a moment and then responded. “Well that’s sort of sweet. How is Matt?”
Quickly I looked down at the table in front of me. It was almost accusatory the way that she’d delivered that last question. It was as if she were implying I’d stolen her son from her. She had to ask me, a virtual stranger, about the wellbeing of her only son.
“Matt’s doing great,” I said. “He is looking for a job right now, and he’s almost done with the semester at the college. He had a couple interviews this week.”
“I want to ask you something,” she said, now in a very unpretentious tone. She had suddenly dropped the fake yet pleasant lilt from her voice. “If my son hurt you the way that he was accused of doing, then why are you with him still?”
“Mrs. Porter,” I said, forcing myself to stare her directly in the eye, “Matt has never hurt me and he never will. I’m positive of that. I told the police that from the very beginning. I’m with Matt because … well, because I love him.”
And now tears did fill her eyes. “And he loves you?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yes,” I whispered, “yes he does.”
She pushed her chair back and turned to grab a tissue from a buffet table behind her. “Excuse me,” she said graciously and dabbed her eyes daintily, “I just honestly don’t understand all this. Matt was always so … well, um … always so normal. I had no idea that he might ever be …”
“Gay?” I offered.
“Aren’t parents supposed to sense that sort of thing about their kids? Aren’t they supposed to know them well enough to at least have some clue?”
“I know it’s hard, Mrs. Porter. I’m so sorry …” I looked quickly to Drew, not knowing what else to say.
“Mrs. Porter,” he said, speaking softly and most compassionately. “I know I probably seem like an intruder here, but I’ve known both Petey and Matt for a long time now. May I please say something?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“Gay people are often portrayed a certain way on television shows and in movies, and most people think of us all as being that way. The truth of the matter, though, is that gay people are just as different from one another as are straight people. Some of us are really shy and quiet and soft-spoken like Petey. Others are athletic and masculine and extroverted like Matt. Those clues that you mentioned are really just stereotypes, and a lot of times they’re not true.”
“Well I see what you’re saying,” she said, “but I realize that all gay people are not the same. That really isn’t the issue. It’s that it seems like I should have known somehow. I should have known my own son better than I did.”
“I don’t think Matt really knew himself. It wasn’t until he fell in love with Petey that he realized he might not be straight. I mean he always had girlfriends, didn’t he?”
“Yes, yes he did, so what was it that changed him?”
“Mrs. Porter,” I spoke again, “I don’t know all of the answers about why Matt kept his sexual orientation hidden from you, but I do know that he loves you very much. Not having you in his life has been devastating to him. I think that for many years he didn’t really want to be labeled as ‘gay’ or ‘bisexual’ or anything like that. He just wanted to be his own person. He didn’t really have everything figured out yet, and the last thing he ever wanted to do was to hurt you.”
“Honey,” she said, “I know Matt doesn’t want to hurt us. I don’t want to hurt him either.” She was again crying openly. “It’s his father. He just doesn’t understand. He’s hurting so badly himself, but he only knows how to express his pain with anger. He feels as if Matt has betrayed him in some way.”
“Matt idolizes him,” I said. “Matt loves his dad so much, I swear. He was so proud when his dad gave him the gym to run. Now I’m afraid he feels like he’s failed in some way.” I was tearing up myself, and Mrs. Porter slid me the box of tissues.
“We have to figure out a way to get Matt and his dad together, so they can talk,” offered Drew.
Mrs. Porter shook her head. “You don’t understand the way Paul is,” she said. “He’s a very stubborn man, and when he makes a decision about something, there’s nothing I can say to get him to change his mind.”
“I know exactly what you mean, Mrs. Porter,” I nodded. “Matt’s the same way, and it’s like you said, he’s the decision-maker, but ya know what? I’ve figured out already that sometimes I can make suggestions to him, so long as I do it really subtly. If I plant an idea in his head and get him to think about it, sometimes he will change his mind on his own.” I was remembering the way I had earlier convinced him to allow me to pay for Alex’s gift with my own money.
Drew spoke again. “If you could just get him to think about the fact that Matt is the exact same person he always knew and loved as his son, maybe Mr. Porter would realize that Matt has not suddenly become a bad person just because he’s gay.”
She sighed as she looked first at Drew and then returned her gaze to me. “I know Paul doesn’t want to lose Matt. I know he doesn’t want to disown him. He’d always planned to hand over the business to Matt when the time was right …”
“He might feel sort of embarrassed,” I suggested. “It’s probably not easy for a man like Mr. Porter to admit that his son is gay. Maybe he’s worried about what other people will think of him.”
She was nodding her head ever-so-slightly as I spoke. “That’s exactly it,” she said, “he’s worried about what other people are gonna think.”
“And I bet he’s not usually the type of man who gives a damn what anyone else thinks,” Drew stated.
“He doesn’t, which is why it’s so hard to believe that he would be willing to lose his only son just because of what other people think …”
“Mrs. Porter, with all due respect, you need to remind him of that. Tell him you can’t believe he would allow the opinions of other people to cost him a relationship with Matt.” I leaned forward and placed my hand on top of hers. “Please—”
“Well I think you two should work together,” Drew smiled, his gaze moving back and forth between Mrs. Porter and me. “Petey, you should work on Matt, and Mrs. Porter, you should work on your husband. I mean you both have the same goal, don’t you?”
“Ma’am,” I said, “has your husband forbidden you from contacting Matt?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t forbid me from doing anything, but he knows I’ve always supported him in his decisions, and I don’t know what he’d do if he thought I was defying him.”
“But Matt is your son too,” Drew said. “Maybe you could just talk to Matt … tell him how you feel.”
She was crying openly now, shaking her head. “I’m sorry, but I’m afraid you don’t understand. I can’t go against my husband. I just can’t.”
“Mrs. Porter, we do understand,” I assured her calmly. “We really do. I would never do anything to go against Matt either. Maybe you can’t contact Matt, but you can keep in touch with me, can’t you?”
“Yes,” she forced a smile through her tears.
“Okay, well let’s do that. Let’s try to do this together, not out of defiance, but because we love them. We both know that Matt and his dad really love each other; we just gotta remind them of that.”
She then got up and walked across the room to retrieve her purse. “Let me take down your phone number,” she said.
When we left, we had agreed to return later to pick up Petey Pup. I told her it would be Friday morning, the day I had scheduled the photo shoot. In the meantime we were both going to try to talk to the men in our lives and hopefully put some sense in their heads.
As we were leaving the house, Mrs. Porter grabbed hold of me and hugged me. “You’re just the sweetest boy,” she said. “I can see why Matt likes you so much.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, “that means a lot to me.”
2
When Drew and I got home, we discovered that Matt and Alex were gone, so it was not difficult to sneak Drew’s purchases into the apartment. He planned to give Alex his gifts right away, but he wanted to have them all laid out for his Master so that he walked in and was surprised. We busied ourselves in Drew’s bedroom, neatly arranging the purchases on the bed.
“Alex is gonna look so handsome in this suit,” I observed.
“He’s gonna look hot!” Drew corrected me.
I smiled at him. “So Friday is the big day. Alex finally graduates. Aren’t you excited?”
“Oh Petey, I’ve been so anxious for this day. I always thought that it sort of bothered Alex that I had a degree and he didn’t. I mean I know it really doesn’t matter. He’s so smart; he’s so much better than me at so many things …”
“But you worried he’d feel that you were in some way superior to him?”
“Well, I don’t know. If Alex wasn’t the kinda guy who had a lot of self-confidence then he wouldn’t really be a Master, so I don’t think it’s really so much about how he feels. It’s about how I feel.”
“You think you’re superior to him, then?”
“Oh god no! I should spank you for even saying that!” We both laughed. “I just worry that maybe in the back of his mind he will feel he can’t control me completely. He might think that because I know more about certain things than he does that I won’t really regard him as superior … even though I totally do.”
“But Drew …” I turned to him as I fluffed the pillows, arranging them neatly on the bed, “you just admitted that Alex is smarter than you about so many things. Look what a genius he is about computers.”
“And money. I totally suck at handling money. When we first got together we kept our incomes separate, but finally I asked him to just take over all of it. He was a poor college kid at the time, but look at him now. With his Web-design business he makes almost as much as I do sometimes.”
I sat down on the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb the array of gifts spread out beside me. “You always say I’m the one who worries too much, but I think you’re just as bad as me. It’s so obvious that Alex is your Master; anyone can see he’s superior, so why do you let yourself get so worried?”
Drew sighed and sat down beside me. He slid his arm around my shoulder. “Petey, I just think it’s the sub in me. If we didn’t constantly strive to be the best we can be for our Masters, then what kind of subs would we be? My job is to please him, and I just get worked up sometimes, worrying about if I’m good enough.”
“Sounds more like you’re worried that you’re too good. You need to stop that.” I raised my eyebrows as I leaned back slightly in order to look him in the eye. “You already said Alex has a ton of self confidence, so stop thinking he’s gonna feel you’re too good for him. Actually I think—” I didn’t know how to finish my sentence.
“You think that it’s not very submissive of me to think like that.” He finished for me.
“Being good at what you do does not change who you are as a sub! I want to be a writer, Drew. What if I wrote a hundred bestsellers and made a million dollars? Would that suddenly make me superior to Matt? I’ll always be his pup, no matter what, and he wants me to succeed. Alex wants you to succeed, too!”
“Petey, I love you so much.” He squeezed me tight and kissed me softly on the lips. “Since when did you get so smart that you started giving me advice?” There were tears in his eyes.
“Stop it,” I said, “or you’re gonna make me cry too! Let’s go get dinner ready. They should be back from the gym within the hour.” I stood up and gently brushed a lock of Drew’s hair from his forehead. “And I love you too … with all my heart.”
When Matt and Alex walked in, I was putting dinner on the table: lemon chicken, steamed rice, dinner salad, and raspberry cheesecake for dessert. “Smells good,” Matt said as he walked up behind me. He wrapped his arm around my waist and nestled his chin into the crook of my neck.
“That tickles, Sir,” I complained. “I think you need to shave.”
“You think that tickles,” he whispered into my ear, “wait’ll ya feel these whiskers on your other body parts.”
I giggled. “Sir, dinner’s ready. You hungry?” I turned around to face him and he wrapped his arms around my torso.
“I’m hungry for my pup,” he growled.
I looked out to the living room where Drew was sitting. “Do you wanna skip dinner, Sir? I can always warm it up later …”
Matt laughed. “Nah, actually I really am hungry. I’ll still be hungry for my pup later, though.” He gently kissed me on the lips, then pulled away from me slightly.
“Sir, you could never be as hungry for me as I am for you.” He leaned in again, this time kissing more passionately, sliding his tongue rather forcefully past my teeth. I moaned just a little as he pressed against me. I felt myself becoming aroused.
“We better eat,” he said as he suddenly released me.
I smiled at him, allowing my gaze to linger upon his face just a few seconds longer. “Dinner’s ready,” I announced to Alex and Drew, though not looking away from my Master.
As the four of us sat down together, Matt and Alex began loading up their plates while Drew and I patiently waited for them to take all they wanted. When the serving platter finally made its way to me, there was just one piece of chicken left. Gingerly I picked up my knife and fork and began slicing it in half.
“Eat the whole thing,” Matt stated. “It’s just a little piece.”
I made a face at him momentarily but then quickly sobered my expression. “Yes, Sir,” I said, and scooped the remaining piece of meat onto my plate.
“Got some good news today,” Matt said, just before shoveling a forkful of rice into his mouth. “Got a call back from Bally’s.”
“You did, Sir?” I asked excitedly. “Oh Sir! That’s so cool.”
“Well, I’m not sure yet. I mean, they didn’t officially offer me a job, but I gotta go in tomorrow for another interview.”
“That’s a really good sign, Sir,” Drew offered. “Means you’re on their short list.”
“Sir, what’s the job? Trainer?”
“Manager,” he said, shoveling more food into his mouth.
“God, that’ll piss yer dad off if he finds out you got that job,” Alex said.
Matt laughed. “I know.” I glanced over at Drew, exchanging a look of concern with him. “He hates them cause they’re his biggest competitor.”
“Be a lot different working for a big company like that, though, than for your dad,” Alex reminded him.
“True, but it’s chill. I’m totally cool with working for them. They run a good program.”
“Sir, I’m so happy for you,” I said. “I mean … if you get it. I’m happy you got a callback …”
He smiled at me and reached over to grab my wrist. “Thanks, pup. God is this chicken good.”
“Petey, I can’t believe what a good cook you are,” Drew chimed in. “How did you learn to make all the stuff that you do?”
“Ancient Chinese secret,” I laughed.
The others laughed. “Speaking of Chinese, you should invite your friend Jason over for dinner some night,” Drew suggested.
“How do you know he’s Chinese?” I asked. “All I know is that he’s Asian.”
“Whatever …” Matt said, “but it’d be cool to have him over, don’t ya think?”
“Yes, Sir,” I responded, “if you want.”
“I do,” he said. “I like him.” I raised my eyebrows just slightly as I stared back at my Master. I was fighting just a tiny pang of insecurity. “Is that jealousy I see?” Matt asked. “You know how I feel about that.”
I squirmed a little in my seat, quickly looking down at my plate. “No Sir,” I said quietly. “I’m sorry.”
There was an awkward silence that then lingered for a few seconds, and then Matt spoke again. “I have only one pup. That’s all I want … you know that, right?”
I looked up at him, feeling my eyes suddenly becoming moist. “Yes, Sir,” I smiled as I looked at him.
“Oh my god!” Alex suddenly blurted out. “Do you two need to get a fucking room?”
Drew started laughing. “They’ve already got one, Sir, but I think in a couple seconds they’re gonna just use this table …”
Matt smiled across the table at his best friend and then suddenly got serious. “Just want my pup to know he’s my only pup. I’ll say that anywhere. Don’t need a private room to speak my mind.”
“Joking …” Alex said.
“I know,” Matt responded. I felt his hand slide under the table and rest upon my knee. I reached down and slipped my own hand next to his and he pulled it into his own.
“How did you have time to make that cheesecake?” Drew asked, suddenly changing the subject.
“I made it yesterday,” I said.
“Oh my god, it looks good,” Drew sighed.
“Well, after dessert Alex and Drew are going out,” Matt said to me. I found it a bit odd that he suddenly was talking about them in third-person, as if they were not even there. “So you need to do cleanup without Drew’s help. Understand?”
I nodded. “Yes, Sir,” I said. I usually cleaned up after dinner anyways. Sometimes Drew was there to help, but it didn’t really matter to me one way or the other.
“Then we need to talk. I need to have a serious conversation with you … about something important.”
Instantly a wave of panic washed over me. Was I about to be punished? Had Matt found out about my visit with his mom? Maybe she had called him and he was pissed. Maybe he knew about my secret plan to get him a special gift. Maybe he was really upset about the pillow fight. Within the matter of seconds I was imagining all kinds of crazy possibilities, none of them making much sense.
“Yes, Sir,” I repeated, “um, is everything all right?”
He looked over at me, chewing another bite of chicken, and nodded. “Sure pup, I just wanna talk to you privately.” Then he winked at me.
I audibly sighed and smiled back at him. “Sure, Sir … of course.” I then glanced over at Drew and saw him shrug his shoulders slightly, as if to say he had no idea.
After I served dessert, Alex told Drew to get his shoes on, and they rather abruptly left. I began clearing the dishes from the table and headed toward the kitchen with a plate in each hand. As I set them down on the countertop near the dishwasher, I turned and nearly ran right into my Master. Matt was standing there, directly behind me, carrying two plates. “Here,” he said, “I’ll help ya.”
I looked up at him, confused. Matt had never once helped me with any domestic chore. Something wasn’t right. “Thanks,” I said, a strain of trepidation in my voice.
Matt laughed. “What’s wrong?” he asked, “You think I’m too much of a snob to help with the dishes?”
I shook my head and smiled at him. “Well, um … no Sir. No, it’s just … well, you have me. Why should you need to do dishes? It’s my job, isn’t it?”
“Your job is to do whatever I tell you,” he corrected me.
“Yes, Sir.” I looked down at his feet.
“Down,” he said, and instantly I dropped to my knees. I suddenly was at eye-level with his crotch, and he was sporting a rather sizeable bulge in his Umbros. I craned my neck to stare up at him, awaiting his orders.
He reached out and gently grabbed my head with both of his hands, all the while maintaining eye contact with me. “Pup,” he whispered, in the most soothingly gentle voice. “Pup, I love you.”
“I love you too, Master,” I whimpered.
“I still want to talk to you,” he reminded me, “but it’ll have to wait. I need you to take care of something for me first …”
I smiled up at him mischievously. “What’s that, Sir?” I grinned.
“Did you get enough dessert?” he asked teasingly.
I shook my head. “No Sir.”
He quickly removed his hands from the sides of my face and pulled down the waistband of his shorts. My gaze locked onto the most delicious dessert I’d ever seen. “Do you want it?” he asked.
“Oh Sir …” I sighed. “Yes, Sir!”
Matt was so aroused that his cock was hard as steel. It jutted out in front of him like a javelin. Slowly he stepped back from me, moving toward the counter. I remained in my fixed position on my knees, continuing to hungrily eye his throbbing prick. Quickly he stepped out of his shorts and tossed them aside, and then he reached beside him and pulled the remaining cheesecake to the edge of the counter. He slid his finger across the top, scooping up a big glob of bright red raspberry topping. I looked up at him with anticipation.
“You need some more dessert, pup?” he asked.
“Yes, Sir! Oh please …”
There still was about two feet of distance between us. He quickly moved his finger over to his cock and smeared the syrupy liquid onto his rigid pole. Slowly he slid it back and forth across the top, and then worked his way down around the sides. He reached over again and scooped up a little more topping, then used it to liberally coat the underside of his shaft. “Come on boy,” he said, “come get your dessert.”