“Soon. We’re going to open the doors in a moment. Are you all right?”
“Yes. I just don’t want to be lying here forever.”
“Of course.” I touched his arm. “We’ll get started.”
“Thank you.”
Juno had arrived, resplendent in a peacock blue gown with metallic accents. They twirled to show it off, revealing black heeled boots.
“How do I look?”
“Like a bonafide eccentric artiste,” I assured them. “Can you make sure Charles is comfortable? We’re going to start letting people in soon.”
Juno swished over to Charles and whispered in his ear. Charles’ lips moved and Juno straightened. “He’s ready to go…and so am I.”
We had arranged for classical music to play over the sound system while our guests mingled and sampled the sushi. The entire setting was a contrast between stark and opulent, cold and warm, dark and light—the rough stone walls of the church versus the peaceful music and the silky texture of sashimi, the haphazard displays of artwork and the meticulously arranged limbs of our sushi models, the warmth of the tones in Juno’s paintings versus the cooler accents of the decor and architecture.
Our guests seemed to appreciate the beauty and magic of the ambience. I checked in with Vincent and Charles often and devoured my share of delicious sushi off their artfully arranged bodies. The patrons grew accustomed to the unusual furniture in no time, although some were hesitant at first. The displayed men received many compliments as well as bold inquiries about the state of their genitals. At a regular buffet, we would have covered their bits with fig leaves or something similar, but since this was a kinky art show, we had decided to leave them be, making sure that all the food was placed at a respectable distance. Matteo and I kept a close eye to make sure none of the guests fondled the human tables inappropriately.
Charles and Vincent relaxed into their passive roles without much trouble. Although confident of Vincent’s abilities, I had been curious to see if Charles would be able to manage his self-consciousness well enough to stay still for as long as required. In the end, they proved the perfect decoration for the event.
Once the hour was up and the crowd around them had dissipated, Matteo and I moved the remaining sushi to a traditional table and helped Vincent and Charles.
“So?” I asked, as Vincent sat up and I removed his blindfold.
He blinked in the ambient lighting. “That was…kind of fantastic. I’m floating.”
“Excellent. Stay in that space. I’m taking you to one of the demo stations.”
“Which one?”
“The shibari one. Easy-peasy…but still nice.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “What about Charles?”
I glanced to where Matteo was assisting Charles.
“I can ask him. I was going to let him get dressed, honestly.”
“Let me ask him,” Vincent said. He padded over to where Charles stood gazing about him at the well-dressed people wandering around, trying to come out of his submissive trance. Vincent gave him a gentle hug, which made Charles blush. Then Vincent spoke softly to Charles and Charles nodded, then glanced to me and asked another question. Vincent responded, then took Charles by the hand and led him over.
“How are you doing, Charles?” I asked.
“Fine. Good. I feel good.”
“It wasn’t too much?”
He shook his head. “It was easier than I expected.”
“I’m glad. You looked delicious—both of you—covered in sashimi and sushi. I got lots of pictures.”
“Vincent said you’re taking him to the shibari demo. I’d like to participate, as well, if that’s okay?”
“You want to get tied up like a pretty gift?”
“Sure. Why not?”
I grinned. “All right. Matteo, would you please take Charles and Vincent over to the shibari demo? Drake is expecting Vincent, but let him know that Charles wants to be involved, too. I’m going to find Juno and ask if they’re okay with it and see how the art sales are going.”
