Stoned (The Stone Series) (14 page)

I sit in my seat and try to act as normal and as comfortable as possible but it isn’t easy. The rest of the people at my table slowly start to make their way over and I am sandwiched between an older woman who is there with her husband and a man in his late-twenties who seems to be alone. We strike up a conversation and I feel more at ease for a while. He tells me that his name is Mark and that he only came tonight to try to forge some business connections in the jungle they call New York. He may bid on an item or two just for show. He asks what brings me to the auction and I tell him about school and Alex and how he talked me into the whole thing. I notice a smirk cross his face when I tell him I am starting work at S&S next week.

I begin to feel uncomfortable within a half hour. Mark has taken to placing his hand at the back of my chair and I continue to try to scoot farther away from him. He keeps “accidently” rubbing a finger on my bare skin and its making me feel in need of a scolding hot shower.  He then reaches his whole arm around my chair to hold it in place, keep me close to him. It’s not a feeling I welcome especially when he asks if I’m seeing anyone. “Uh, yeah. Kind of I guess” I reply looking away from him but he doesn’t take the hint.

“Well, he must be out of his mind to let you out alone tonight looking as wonderful as you do but I expect that you look this good all the time. Probably even in the morning after a wild night of hot sex, maybe even better?” he oozes and it turns my stomach.

Something about this man reminds me of Ryan and I am on high alert. The way he carries himself and acts is too predatory and not in a good way. Damian can come off as predatory too but never in a way that has made me uncomfortable, with Damian it’s quite the opposite. His manner comforts me, makes me feel safe. I don’t like the feeling Mark is creating and I want to run. What I really want are Damian’s strong safe arms to run into. I decide I have to be an adult and get myself under control, to man up and take one for the team, for Alex, so I keep my mouth shut instead of telling this guy to get his clammy hands off of me, not wanting to make a scene. I take a deep breath and do what I did years ago, pretend it’s not happening and wait for it to be over.

After our meal the auction begins and luckily I’m the fifth item, after I’m on stage I don’t plan on returning to this table where Mark is.

It’s funny to think of myself as an item, really it’s my services they’ll be bidding on. I grow nervous, I’m afraid that no one will bid on me or that I won’t raise a large enough sum of money. I want to make Alex proud and help him with this cause that is close to his heart. He’s beaming from ear to ear on the stage. This is a charity auction for the support of women with mental health issues and their children and families. Alex’s mother had a mental illness and ultimately took her own life while he was in college. I think he’s always blamed himself and this is one of his ways of taking away some of that guilt.

The first item is a weekend stay at an exclusive resort in Aspen and the prize goes to a gentleman with silver hair and a custom made suit. I had no idea things would be this expensive, now I’m really worried about what someone will be willingly to pay for my decorating services. The second item goes for a little less but still an impressive amount, it’s for the use of a small yacht to cruise around the city. The third item is a beautiful painting of a naked woman by a new and upcoming local artist. It’s a self portrait and very provocative. She is pictured in what I can only describe as bondage not that unlike Cinnamon Sticks outfit. Her hands are tied with rope behind her back and she is looking seductively over her shoulder at the person looking at the painting from outside the picture. Mark shifts in his seat and leans in to whisper in my ear, “Hot, does that sort of thing turn you on?” I don’t answer him and as I’m thinking about slapping him a waiter appears and clumsily tips my drink into his lap. Mark starts yelling at the poor guy who clearly doesn’t speak English as he wipes off the tented front of his pants making me more ill. I don’t know if he’s turned on by the painting or if I have something to do with his excitement but either way ideas are growing in his mind about me and I know that I need to get away from him as soon as possible.

The fourth item is a weekend stay at someone’s home on an island. I miss some of the details with the commotion caused by Mark but I hear the final bid, it’s a very large sum of money. I then hear them announce my services and I stand. Reluctantly I walk to the stage with my head down. I feel all eyes on me and I am growing more and more uncomfortable. Mark has an evil look in his eye when I turn to look back at my table, a look like Ryan used to have and right at that moment I know what he’s about to do. He’s going to bid on my services and there is nothing I can do about it, if he wins I know he won’t be interested in my decorating skills and I will spend my time fighting off his advances instead of decorating.

I step on the stage and stand next to the announcer. I can’t keep my hands from shaking and I start to bite my bottom lip. Alex comes over to my side and puts his arms around me and I feel better. He’s familiar and safe, not Damian safe but I’m comfortable in his presence. He whispers, “Thank you. You look amazing tonight” into my ear and kisses me gently on the cheek like a true friend offering his complete support, like a brother, a good one. It makes me think that Alex would have made a great big brother. If he was my brother I know I would have had a much different life.

“Here’s Ms. Sydney Cooper just hired by S&S Design and top in her class. She’s young and new to the field of design; she brings many fresh and modern ideas. She has the unique ability to transform a room filled with clutter and chaos into a harmonious clean and sleek living space. If you win Ms. Cooper’s services you will be awarded a consultation and a one room design makeover. All items purchased for the makeover will be paid for by the winner. So do I hear a bid of $5,000.00?”

“$5,000.00” says a young woman sitting in the back of the room. Thank God it wasn’t Mark. Maybe I’m wrong and he’s not going to bid on me.

“$6,000.00” says Mark as I knew and was afraid he would.

They go back and forth bidding against each other like they are in some crazy battle until it reaches $15,000.00 from Mark. At that the woman bows out and it looks as if Mark is going to win.

************

I didn’t want Sydney to know I was going to be back from my business trip in time to come to the auction. I wanted to surprise her but when I got here and found her sitting at a table with none other than Mark Deerhouse I almost lost my mind. He is a sexual predator of the worse kind. He has tried numerous times to be allowed into The Society unsuccessfully. The other head masters and I all agree that he should be taken off the streets. He continually expressed fantasies about rape and over powering the women he’s with. He doesn’t understand the BDSM lifestyle anymore than the Pope could.

He has his hand on the back of her chair and I feel my blood boil. What the fuck is she doing here with him? How does she know him? Before I have a chance to move and approach them I notice that they are not together, she must have just been placed next to him at the table. She’s trying to move away from him but then he grips her chair tighter and she looks like a deer in headlights. I watch as he leans closer to her and he dumps something into her drink. I can’t believe this lunatic is trying to slip a woman drugs at an upscale event. I order a waiter to dump the drink in his lap and fight off every urge I am having of ripping his head off and shoving it up his ass. That drink in his lap should take his fucking dick down a notch until I can make my move.

It is killing me to stand here and watch this disturbing display. I can tell she’s growing more and more uncomfortable but it’s nice to see that she has self preservation skills and is managing pretty well on her own even if she didn’t notice the drug he slipped into her drink. She has clearly picked up on his mental instabilities and is doing a decent job fending off his unwanted advances.

I smirk and laugh to myself as I watch the waiter dump her drugged drink in his lap. He stands up to brush it off and I almost charge at him when I can’t help but notice the tell tale tenting of his pants. Sydney seems to catch on as well and I watch as she shivers, not in a good way. The look in her eyes when she saw me in that condition was much different, it gives me hope.

When the bidding starts on Sydney’s services I know what he’s got up his sleeve. I’ll admit it’s not much different from my plan. The difference is that I in no way shape or form plan on harming Sydney or making her do anything she doesn’t want to do. What Mark has continued to not understand about a BDSM relationship is that even though the Dominate has the perception of power it is ultimately the submissive with it. If Sydney agrees to share in my lifestyle with me I will control her during sex, give her structure and security at all times, give her endless pleasure and yes punishment when she deserves it but in the end she will have the power. If she safe words me I will stop, she’ll know her power over me. Mark on the other hand wants his women to be afraid of him and fight him off during sex, he wants to rape women in play and one can only question his intentions with them out of play. He wants to beat them and cause pain not pleasure. People like this douche bag make me sick. Their misinterpretation of my lifestyle is what gives it a bad name, making people believe that Doms only want to hurt and control their subs. It couldn’t be further from the truth. 

“$5,000.00” says a young woman sitting in the back of the room. I turn and glance at her and recognize her as a friend of Mark’s. She’s a woman he brought to a Society party when he was trying to pledge for membership. They don’t look as friendly now. What are they up to? Are they working together to win Sydney’s services with some plan to get her alone? Well, that won’t be happening.

“$6,000.00” says Mark. He’s just wealthy enough to be dangerous to himself. The look he’s sending the women is demonic and I don’t think she’s doing this for him as much as that she’s picked up on his wanting Sydney and she’s trying to beat him to her. Not going to happen either.

They go back and forth bidding against each other upping the ante in $1,000.00 increments until it reaches $15,000.00 from Mark. At that the woman bows out and I make my move. I walk to stand behind him. Just as he thinks he’s going to win I shove him down hard into his seat by the shoulders as I say, “$100,000.00” to the room and “Sit the fuck down you douche bag, she’s mine and if you go near her again you will not walk out of here tonight” for only Mark to hear.

I watch as the most amazing expression spreads across Sydney’s face. It is one of relaxation, surprise, joy, appreciation and maybe even the beginnings of something much deeper. I walk to the stage and extend my hand, “Come, let’s get you out of here. I’ve missed you. I want you all to myself and I did win you fair and square” I say as I lead her out of the room and into the lobby area. She willingly follows me; she actually looks as if she wants to leap into my arms. I pick up on her signals and when we reach the lobby I pull her in close to my body. I tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear before I gently brush my lips across hers.

“You look stunning in this dress as I knew you would and that necklace suits you perfectly. It makes your neck look all the more alluring” I breathe into her ear before I gently kiss her just behind it. I see the flash of cameras and know we’ll be in the papers again tomorrow, this intimate moment captured for all to witness. Its times like this that I hate being wealthy. I want to be able to have an intimate moment with a woman and not have to worry what the caption will read next to the picture when it makes it into the papers.

“What are you doing here, Day? I thought you wouldn’t be home until tomorrow night?”

“I wanted to surprise you. I had planned on coming all along and winning your services. I never thought I would also mean I would be protecting you from a sexual predator. Why were you talking to that jerk off?”

“I wasn’t…I mean I was talking to him but not like that. I got stuck sitting next to him and he started up a conversation. He seemed pleasant at first but then he started giving me the creeps” she complains.

“He tried to drug you, you know? I was watching him trying to touch you and I saw him slip something into your drink. That’s why I made the waiter come over and dump it into his lap. That’s when I knew I was right. When he stood up he was at full attention, the fucker.”

“Yeah, I kind of noticed that and thought it was a little odd.”

“Sydney, sporting a hard on in your company is not odd. I’ve had one for nine days straight” I tease her before telling her to come with me to sign my paperwork for the auction house but she wants to go into the ladies room then meet me back here instead. I reluctantly agree but figure after what just happened Mark isn’t stupid enough to approach her again, he knows what I’m capable of.