Catch the Thunder

Supplies and Surprise

As they drove on, Laxus kept one hand pressed against his mouth. In spite of the music, his stomach jolted with the motion of the car, the blurring of the passing scenery, and occasional stops and starts as they reached traffic lights.

"Hold up," he suddenly mumbled. "Stop here, this shopping center."

Freed looked over and saw that Laxus was pale. He figured that maybe the man needed some air and rest, so he gently pulled the car over to a parking lot with a galleria of boutiques and other quaint shops. As soon as the engine turned off, Laxus got out of the car and began to walk away. Worried, Freed scurried out and followed.

"Wait, where are you going?" he cried out.

"I need a moment to rest my stomach, and you need supplies."

"Huh?"

Laxus glanced back, and there was a smile on his gruff face. "You're new to this. You don't have anything, do you?"

Freed froze and gulped hard. "S-S-Supplies?"

Laxus chuckled and kept walking. Freed hurried after him. Finally, near the back of the galleria, he saw a store that was actually open, although it was after 2AM.

"W-Wait! That's ... it's ... it's a..."

"A sex shop," said Laxus. "It's fine. I know one of the workers."

Freed had checked out the "adult" section in the library once in college, but he had never entered a sex shop. Fretfully, he continued on and entered just behind Laxus. Inside the store, the lights were dim, the walls were painted black with red highlights, and there were shelves upon shelves of items.

"I wanna pick up something," Laxus told him. "Browse around. If you want anything in particular, better buy it now. I told you, you provide your own stuff."

"B-But ... I..." Laxus took off before Freed could speak clearly. He was left by the entrance, alone and nervous. "I don't even know what to get," he whispered.

Freed gawked as he shuffled slowly through the aisles. There was a full wall of dildos of every shape and size (and some that were outright terrifying!) Strap-ons, masturbation sleeves, anal beads, butt plugs, two-way dildos, blowup dolls, handcuffs, whips, crops, clamps, anything and everything he had ever seen used in online porno movies was all crammed into this tiny store. Most of the items were clothes: frilly lingerie, sexy schoolgirl and naughty nurse costumes, even hardcore BDSM bondage gear. He looked at one area that seemed innocent, what looked like candy and board games, until he realized they were lolli-cocks, gummy boobies, and sexual favor games. He quickly dropped the penis-shaped dessert and backed away.

He was amazed to see a corner of the store that appeared to be a library, with plush chairs and a reading lamp. This looked the most relaxing and least perverted, so he walked over there. The books, however, consisted of The Kama Sutra, The Joy of Sex, The Perfumed Garden, The Mirror of Coitus, The Tao of Love and Sex, Tantric Sex for Lesbians, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex: But Were Afraid to Ask, and he was not at all surprised to find Fifty Shades of Grey, Delta of Venus, and The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty.

Freed sat in one of the chairs and gazed around, truly in over his head. He might have been frequenting a strip club for months now, but this was still far more than he had ever considered.

Suddenly, something caught his attention. He looked around frantically to see if anyone was around. There was a lady at the cash register playing on her phone, two ladies checking out the dildo display, and one man studiously searching between condom brands. Freed bit his lip, slipped silently off the chair, and weaved through the racks of sexy costumes and foreplay toys. He saw a riding crop hanging on a hook. Freed used to go riding on his family's estate. It was considered an appropriate pastime for the son of a rich businessman. Even back then as a child, Freed sometimes flicked the riding crop against his own leg, feeling a thrill at the light pain.