COMPLETED | Take Me Down The Rabbit Hole (BDSM | 18+)

LXXIII

"And you're sure this is a good idea?" his therapist asked, leaning back in his chair.
"You sound like Thea," Aspen moped, pursing his lips. "I— Yes. No. Maybe. I don't know anymore."
Aspen had booked an impromptu-session with his therapist at the next possible moment once Josh — and the trial contract, albeit unsigned — had been gone from Thea's office; and then he had, no matter how weird that may have been in the moment, locked the door to his playroom and taken a nap in the bed.
The bed — that had remained unused for fourteen days while Aspen had repeatedly returned to the room after work and fussed over the interior and the check-list — was, unsurprisingly very comfortable, and Aspen was of the opinion that the nap he had taken in that bed was the best of his life.
But life had caught up to him and he had been rung from his dreams by his therapist who called to say that Aspen was welcome to join him in his office within the next half an hour.
So Aspen had gone.
"And have you spoken to your other employer about this? What was his name again?"
"Leo?" Aspen offered, but couldn't help himself and laughed. "Leo is... also attached to me," he said, scratching his head. "Thea and he are not so different when it comes to some things."
"Not Leo or Thea, then," his therapist nodded, and clicked his pen to make a note in his notebook. "Someone else you could seek out about this? Except me?"
He left a pause for Aspen to respond, but Aspen leaned his head back, rubbed a face over his hand and groaned. "Alan."
"Ah," his therapist said, flipping backward through his notebook before consulting it for a moment. "Has Alan made an effort in checking in with you since you guys broke this whole thing off?"
"No."
"Have you reached out?"
"No."
"Aspen—" his therapist started.
"I know," Aspen whispered. "But Alan has Spencer—"
"Stop making up excuses."  Once again, his therapist flipped through his notebook, but Aspen knew it was just pretend, to have a moment of silence, before he added, "Spencer was in the relationship that was part of this entire arrangement the entire time. And a month ago you said that you feel the two of you are friends, so Spencer should not be what stops you from communicating with your ex-partners."
Aspen's phone dinged.
"I'm sorry," he sighed, reaching for it. "May I—?"
The man on the chair opposite him waved his hand in a go ahead gesture and watched as Aspen pulled his phone from his pants' pocket.
Leo.
He still wasn't saved into Aspen's phone, but he had pressed the disturb anyway button on iMessage:

I just talked to Thea about your meeting with your first potential client. They think you may be overexerting yourself with the opportunity to fulfill this client's wish.
As their brother, I am inclined to agree.
As your employer, I am forced to hear you out on why you think you'd be capable. Thea and I have decided to reserve a veto in case we disagree, but in case we do not, you signing on this man will involve rigorous planning, for which both Thea and I will have to make ourselves available.
I hope you understand that that impacts our availability to our own clients.
I will be back home Sunday and I require your presence at Aphrodite Sunday at 9:30 pm. Better come well-rested.

Well, damn it.
"Who is it?" his therapist asked as soon as Aspen had marked the message as unread and slid his phone back into the pocket.
"My employer, Mr. Silva," he said, somewhat sourly, "to schedule a meeting with me this weekend. In person."
His therapist surely noticed his chagrin, but decided not to comment on it. He closed his notebook with a thud.
"In that case, why don't we continue this conversation next Tuesday? 5:30 pm OK?"

*

Noah was less than chatty when Aspen walked toward their desk on Sunday, and only said, "Leo's office," to him in passing, as if Aspen didn't already know where to go.
Leo and Thea had both settled behind his desk, both wearing their usual business casual, even though it always looked a number more serious on Leo, who now that Aspen's relationship to him had changed, reminded Leo of Boss Baby — that DreamWorks movie character — in the way that some people were born with a golden spoon in their mouth, and Leo looked like he was born to wear suits and born wearing one, too. Aspen had trouble getting that image out of his mind as he sat in. the only unoccupied chair in front of the desk and poured himself a glass of water.
"I'm not in litigation, but this feels like I am going to court pro se."
"You are," Leo said dryly. "Thanks for taking the time."
"It's not like you gave me much of a choice."
"I'm glad you're recognizing that."
Aspen took a sip of water, and glanced at Thea, who sat in their chair, leaned back against the backrest with their arms crossed, and quite the stern expression on their face.
Much of the softness that Aspen had come to know and love them for was gone from them now and it made Aspen want to fall to his knees, clutch the hem of their skirts and beg for their forgiveness while weeping.
They finally cleared their throat. "Well?" they demanded. "Your opening statement?"
Aspen inclined his head, cleared his throat and took another sip of water.
"My opening statement is that I have no intention to invalidate your concerns, which I am well aware of, in case that wasn't clear. However, I would like to once again remind you both that I learned domination through submission and I genuinely do not see why it wouldn't be possible for me to teach someone else through submission." Another sip of water.
No, I am not sure that this is the right thing to do, he had to remind himself.
"We all start somewhere," was what he said out loud. "But since I have no intention of invalidation, I will of course accept your reservation to veto my plans to sign on this client."