“We’re going to start with a basic tie, just so you can feel what it’s like. Hold out your wrists,” he says. His voice is soothing yet rough, and I find something like peace in his commands. He’s not bossing me around or barking orders at me. He’s giving me guidance, making his instructions easy to follow. Suddenly, I am eager to please. So I hold out my wrists. He steps away to pull a bundle of black rope from the wardrobe. My heart picks up speed at the sight of it. A second later, two strands of the rope are draped over my arms. He winds them around again and again, moving at a pace that is
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