31-Meeting Sage

**Alice**

I'm blown away by the love my best friend and submissive have shown me today. The fact that they took the time to put their heads together and have a day planned especially for me, makes my heart flutter. I was so worried Sage and Issy would hate each other, knowing everything that happened in the past. Disciplining Sage for getting drunk and causing problems broke my heart into a million pieces. I know Marcello and Ezra would have taken matters into their own hands if I didn't step in and handle it the way I did. I would much rather the discipline come from me than whatever consequence they would have come up with. Sage told me they're the boss and underboss of the Italian mafia, but I was prepared to protect Sage by any means necessary. Thankfully, the spanking was enough, and I will never do it again.

Yes, Sage is a naturally submissive woman, but there is more to us than just submission. I want her in my bed every night, and I want her looking into my eyes without me having to demand it from her. She's still punishing herself after all these years. It's as if she doesn't believe she's worthy of being loved because of some stupid choices made when she was barely an adult. She's terrified of making the same mistakes with me, so she said she wants to be a full-time submissive if we're going to be together. She thinks she had too much freedom when she was with Ezra, and the feeling of being his equal made it easy for her to make those dangerous moves.

I think she's wrong. I think she was heavily influenced by a man who manipulated people for a living, and she fell into the trap. He used her as a puppet and when things went wrong, he expected her to take the blame. The fact that Marcello and Ezra let her walk away back then tells me there's a chance they could forgive her; which would be great. Either way, she's mine, and I will always make sure Sage is taken care of. This is why I'm stepping down as her domme and becoming her girlfriend. I'll allow some submission because I believe she still needs it to an extent, but from now on, she will be in my bed every night, and she will touch on me without being told to do so. I will no longer control her every move.

**Meeting Sage**

*"Remember when I told you I had a friend who would be perfect for you?" Alex has been nagging the everloving fuck out of me about his friend, Sophia.*

*"Well, of course. How could I forget when you talk about her fifty times a day?" I roll my eyes. I'm not looking for anything serious right now, but Stupid Cupid doesn't know how to take a hint.*

*"I guess I should warn you. I invited her to lunch. She just walked in; try not to fall in love." He's always so dramatic.*

*I turn my head, and see the most beautiful little thing walking toward our table. I feel my heart leap into my throat when her eyes meet mine, and her cheeks begin to blush. It seems like the world is in slow-motion as she gracefully saunters my way. She's wearing a white off-shoulder top with a denim skirt that goes to her mid-thigh. Her hair is like luscious waves of caramel falling over her shoulders and down her back. When she gets up close, I notice she has the most captivating hazel eyes and pouty lips that I'd love to nibble on. The glimpse at her eyes didn't last long because she quickly looks down. A natural submissive reflex that some wouldn't notice, but I do. Alex, you brilliant son of a bitch.*

*"Sophia, this is Alice. Alice, this is Sophia. You two enjoy lunch! I made other plans." Alex gets up from the table, and I glare at him. Sophia pales; I think she's about to panic.*

*"What the hell, Alex! You're just ditching us?" My small outburst made Sophia flinch, so now I feel like a turd. I should have known Alex was going to do this at some point.*

*"Yeah, I'm leaving. My job is finished here. You two can stop avoiding the inevitable. You guys were made for each other, trust me!" I need to know where he bought his audacity so I can return it. Alex walks out the door, leaving Sophia and me standing awkwardly by the table.*

*I pull out a chair and motion for Sophia to sit. I expected her to hesitate, but she doesn't. Such a good girl. I take my place right across from her and watch as she quietly looks through the menu while biting down on that pouty bottom lip, deep in thought. Damn, she is beautiful.*

*"Order anything you want. The bill is on me." I break the painful silence. Sophia's cheeks begin to blush, and she looks up from the menu but still isn't making direct eye contact.*

*"Thank you, but you don't have to spend your money on me." Her voice is small and soft like silk. I could listen to her voice all day just to calm my nerves.*

*"I'm paying, Sophia. This is our first date, after all. What kind of date would I be if I made you pay for yourself?" Her eyes widen when I called this a date.*

*"Alex said this is a date?" She places the menu on the table.*

*"No, I'm saying it's a date." I can see her body relax a little, and she tries to hold back a smile. She must like a woman who takes control.*

*"Okay." Just like that, she accepts this as a date. She's almost too submissive, and I can't help but wonder how many toxic people have taken advantage of her for it. Fake dominant men and women wait around for gentle people like her to take control over their lives so they can feel some kind of power. It makes me fucking sick. Submission should never be given to someone you don't trust. Even my clients at the club trust me with their submission when they need to release the weight they carry on their shoulders, but before they ever agreed to submit to me, we became familiar with one another through casual meetings. When they're not in submission, we talk, laugh, and interact like normal. There are even times when men trust me to care for their wives because they understand their partner requires something they aren't able to give them, so I become familiar with both of them so the husbands know they're in good hands.*

*"Okay? Are you agreeing this is a date because you want it to be a date? Or is it because I said so?" This entire time, she barely made eye contact with me. I can't let anyone else snag her. She isn't safe in the world without me.*

*"Both?" Wrong answer, baby girl.*

*"Do you submit this easily to everyone? I'm not trying to offend you, but I want you to know how dangerous your submission to the wrong person can be for you. The wrong person will take that and abuse you, Sophia." I'm glad Alex did this. I can't imagine who would have sunk their claws into her if we never met.*

*"Well, I never go on dates because I need to focus on myself. I kind of come with a lot of baggage, and others shouldn't have to worry about my problems." Now I have a million other questions. What kind of baggage is she carrying? Why isn't she capable of having relationships with others and taking care of herself at the same time? Has something tragic happened to her? However, I don't want to overwhelm her with questions that are too personal.*

*"How long has it been since you've dated someone?" That one might not be too personal.*

*"About seven years ago." Seven years is a long time to unload some baggage. As human beings, we consistently need to work on ourselves, but that doesn't mean we have to isolate ourselves to do it. She has needs that probably aren't being fulfilled because she thinks she has to do it all alone.*

*"So, why now? You've been holding off on dating for this long. What makes me special?" This woman has me so intrigued.*

*"I trust Alex with my life. I know he would never put me in harm's way. There's just something about you. I can't quite put my finger on it, but you make me want to explore." The waitress comes and takes our orders. The first thing I notice is her easy eye contact with the waitress. She doesn't shy away once. Do I intimidate her? The waitress walks away, and Sophia looks at her fingernails.*

*"Sophia, look at me." Her eyes meet mine, and she takes a deep breath. The way her chest rises and falls makes me want to press my palm against her heartbeat. I want to feel how fast her pulse is under my touch. "Do I make you uncomfortable? You seem to not make much eye contact with me."*

*"No, you don't make me uncomfortable. In fact, I haven't wanted a dom in a very long time, but I think I'm ready now if you would be willing to give me a chance. Alex said you're good at what you do, and I can be a lot to handle sometimes." She's still looking at me with those beautiful swirls of blue, green, and brown. Alex knows about me being a domme, but he doesn't know about the club or any names of the members.*

*"I wasn't prepared at all for this, but I'm in. You can come to my place tonight, and we'll discuss boundaries, triggers, likes, and dislikes. We need to establish more of a bond before we take things further. If you don't mind me asking, what is your full name? I have a lot of contacts in my phone, so I use full names when I save numbers." This is also me trying to know more about her while collecting her number.*

*"Sophia Sage Lockheart." She tells me her number, and I shoot her a text with my full name after I save her in my contacts. I love her middle name. I think it suits her more than her first.*

*"You have a gorgeous name. Would you mind if I called you by your middle?" She grins and thinks for a moment.*

*"I think I would like that. It kind of feels like a fresh start, you know?" Our food arrives. She got a grilled chicken wrap with a side of sweet potato fries, and I got a giant bacon double cheeseburger on a pretzel bun with a loaded baked potato. I hope she wasn't expecting me to be an attractive eater because I have the appetite of a male construction worker. I take a nice big bite and chew the greasy goodness.*

*"That looks delicious. I'm trying to eat healthier, but I might need to take one of those cheeseburgers to-go." She hasn't even touched her chicken wrap yet because her eyes are fixated on my tongue as I lick the Thousand Island sauce off my lips.*

*"Here, take a bite of mine to see if you'll like it." I hold it out for her to try, so she leans in for a taste. Her perfectly straight teeth sink into the bun, and she manages to not get sauce all over her. She moans in delight with her eyes closed as she chews. I love the sounds she makes and the way her throat works when she swallows. I'm not going back to work today because I have an itch that needs scratching when I leave here.*

*"What do you have planned for the rest of the day?" I might need to move our little meeting to this afternoon instead of tonight.*

*"Nothing. I don't work on Mondays." It looks like today is our lucky day.*

*"I guess there would be no stopping you from coming home with me after we eat lunch then, right? I think waiting until tonight is pointless when we can get more familiar with one another now." She smiles and looks at my cheeseburger again.*

*"Feed me one of those, and you can take me anywhere your heart desires." I give her another bite and admire her more from across the table. A woman is at a booth nearby with a guy, staring at us with disgust. 'I see they don't enjoy food porn.'*

*That was the night I lost more self-control than I like to admit. Her touch sent my body into a frenzy, and we had more orgasms than I can count. There has never been a greater taste on my tongue than Sage.*