New Beginnings: Part 1

The invitation to the movie was innocent enough… as innocent as any announcement posted online to a BDSM brunch might be… An opportunity to meet people from the scene, and a chance to return to that local scene after several years of absence.

The movie? The opening weekend of “The Secretary”. If that post wouldn’t draw out the right kind of folks on an early Saturday afternoon, he didn’t know what would.

He showed up in a nice pair of black leather jeans and a black sweater, perhaps a little stereotypical but classic and elegant, and fetishy enough for those looking for it. He was among the first ones to arrive, and discreetly found a seat outside the theater area from where he could observe the developing scene. Within a few minutes, it was quite apparent, watching the demeanor of some of the people arriving, who the members of the “Computer Group” were.

He went over to introduce himself to a middle age lady that evidently was one of the organizers of this particular outing, and well-recognized by the group. It was his first meeting of ms and her master, and unknowingly, the beginning of a friendship that would make an impact on both sides for many years to come.

He was then introduced to several members to the group, without too many details being exchanged, and he enjoyed the feeling that he was carefully being scoped out.

The movie was a surprising success, and the enjoyment of it was amplified by the indiscreet comments, not to say the heckling, from the leather gallery, which outnumbered the rest of the audience at this early mid-afternoon showing. The feeling after the movie was one of satisfaction, especially since so many mainstream efforts at capturing any real kink so often falls flat, either turning into any excuse for vanilla sex or just demonstrating how little society understands of kink.

The group left the movie together to enjoy an early dinner at a nearby restaurant, and plans were made to meet later on at what was then the most active underground BDSM club in the city. The group segmented into teams of anywhere between two and five, and his particular group made its way over the apartment of one of the younger women as she wanted to change clothes. This mix of old play partners and new acquaintances enjoyed a round of drinks while M put on something a more in the mood for an evening over at LJ’s club.

They drove over to the club in a poorer part of the city, quite the stereotypical warehouse with lots of space, a decent enough exterior, but with clear signs on the inside that this building had seen better days.

A brief check at the entrance to make sure one of the regulars could vouch for his presence at the club, and he made his way up some stairs, past walls with the occasional holes in them. The actual entrance to the main room was on his right, and he kept one of the double doors open to gallantly let in his new-found friends. He met LJ, who had a pretty good reputation, as far as BDSM club owners go. His commitment to the local scene was beyond question.

Entering the actual playspace, the feelings that overtook him were quickly overwhelming. The smell of leather was intoxicating, mixed as it was with the smell of smoke and a not-so-faint hint of sweat from those who had already started the action. A BYOB bar was straight in front of the entrance doors, with a refrigerator on the side. On the left of the bar, beyond the fridge, was a mix of chairs and sofas, around a large coffee table, where several individuals, most of them in leather, all of them in black, were enjoying some drinks and chatting rather informally with play partners, friends, and strangers, about play that had happened, was happening, or was to come. Most were seated, but a few subs were sitting on the floor, next to their tops, for at least that moment.

On the right side of the entrance, there were a few more chairs, placed around circular tables that could have been found outside any sidewalk café, and then, in the space that opened up behind these, a collection of benches, racks, and pulley systems that were strategically positioned to take full advantage of the roughly 3000 square feet area that made up LJ’s dungeon.

The lighting was appropriately subdued, with a mix of candles, red light bulbs, and warm yellowish lights that gave the dungeon an authentic feel for the occasion.

The arrival of the different groups that attended the movie more than doubled the number of people in the club, and the anticipation of what might unfold over the course of the night, even if he had come without expectations, provided him for a few seconds a rush that combined adrenaline and a bit of light-headedness.

He took his place at one of the empty sofas on his left, placing his modest toy bag on the outside edge of the sofa. He always believed in being prepared, and one can never know what opportunity can come up at such events. He watched intently as his companions hooked up with people they knew, and as they broke into social niceties, the unmistakable sounds of people playing on the other side of the room punctuated everyone’s conversation. Many of the people he saw in those first few minutes would remain regulars in his interactions with the scene for the next two years, a few even longer.