“Look, something I learned, even before we got together. I need to set and keep my own standards and principles, just for myself,” I continued. “They guide me and keep me on an even keel. When I go along with these girls, and Brook even, I sometimes feel like those standards are being stretched to the limit. I worry about losing my direction.”
Cindy was thoughtful for a moment. Then she turned her focus back to me.
“You know, your charisma attracts women to you and leads a lot of people to want to be your friend. But I think it’s those standards you’re talking about that make those close to you want to
“Face it. A certain type of girl will be attracted to you. I get that you prefer a strong woman, and Brook is a nice fit for you. I’m just saying that if you took the time to figure this out, you’d be able to identify girls who might be a little or a lot submissive. And because you know that, you can help them enjoy spending time with you more. I know that you want to make sure a girl has a good time. I’m trying to help you figure out what makes them tick,” she said triumphantly.
“What do I need to know?” I asked.
“Let me explain why some people are the polar opposite to you and like to be tied up. It’s simple, really. Bondage can give a girl a delicious feeling of helplessness, but it can also take away feelings of guilt. If girls are restrained or dominated, then often, in their minds, they have given up responsibility.
“Think about the girls you know who are either very religious or have strict parents. With you being the Alpha Male that you are, they can justify what they do with you because they weren’t really in control. I don’t say that in a bad way. Your controlling the action and setting the tone gives them the freedom to spend time with you and have mind-blowing sex without feeling bad about it at all. That’s even if they do have a strong religious or moral upbringing.”
“So, I should just grab them, bend them over a table, and have my way with them until they scream?” I asked.
“You poor ‘stupid boy.’ I taught you better than that! If you do that, I suspect you’ll end up in jail.”
“I was just being a smartass,” I assured her.
“I hope so. ‘No’ still means ‘no’ and all that,” Cindy reminded me. Then she added, “Part of what makes you attractive to these girls is they know they can trust you when they are helpless, so to speak.”
We laughed at that, and I took my leave. Cindy had given me a lot to ponder, and I needed to do just that. Getting my head wrapped around all the thoughts and concepts she’d thrown at me was going to take some time.
We’d agreed that she’d work with Caryn to get information and pictures of all the Zander properties. Cindy would get back in touch with me in a week or two with her thoughts. I was looking forward to getting her ideas on the properties. I’d always felt she had good taste, and her work on my new house just confirmed that. No matter what she came up with, I was sure I would like whatever she designed for me.
◊◊◊
At dinner, Lexi told me to call Brook.
“David?”
From her voice, I could tell something was wrong.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I had to call you before you heard it from anyone else,” she said.
My first thought was something had happened to my dad, but I was sure my brother would have called me if that were the case. Whatever it was, I could tell Brook was seriously upset.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“We’re moving.”
Why did that sound like ‘I’m breaking up with you’? She let me take in that statement before continuing.
“Dad resigned his position at State and plans to move to Cincinnati with my mom, so they can work out their issues.”
“But it’s your senior year. I thought your dad was going to stay so you could finish it out here,” I said.
“He was. When they told me about their plan, Dad said he would stay if I wanted,” she said and started to cry.
That was when it hit me. She’d already said they were moving. It had been Brook’s choice to leave. Her parents had put her in a no-win position. She could stay and risk that the separation would cause her parents to end up divorced. If Brook left, they could still divorce, but her father was willing to give up the job he loved to be with her mom and try to work it out.
For her to move was going to be a significant sacrifice on her part. She was leaving her friends and everything she’d planned. The elephant in the room was our relationship. I wasn’t under the illusion that her moving wouldn’t end it. If Brook hadn’t made me aware that come the end of the school year, we would go our separate ways, I would have been devastated. That didn’t mean my heart hadn’t just broken anyway.
