CHAPTER 3 PINKY PROMISE

The day has been dragging on, and I can't help but feel bored, particularly during Professor Winston's class. For some reason, I noticed him glancing at my legs today; when he caught himself, he just cleared his throat and resumed his lecture. I'm puzzled by it.

"You're free to take your break now," Mr. Winston announced. I glanced at my phone, frowning when I saw there were still ten minutes left until break.

Just as I attempted to leave, Professor Winston called me back.

"Miss Moore, please adjust your skirt and sit properly," he said quietly, and I nodded but chose to disregard him.

I headed to the table where Emily and I usually sat, only to find a guy occupying my seat, which made me frown.

"Nina, this is Luke, the new student," he introduced. I smiled and waved at Luke when he waved back. Looking at Emily, I let out a sigh; she had already caught his interest.

"He's from Australia and will be here until he finishes high school," Emily said, nestling close to him while he stroked her hair.

I smiled again and started eating my usual fruit. When the bell rang, I dashed into class, and the rest of the lessons seemed to pass quickly. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the waiting room for Mr. Gray's office.

"Miss Moore, please come in," Mr. Gray beckoned. I gathered my things and entered, taking a seat swiftly as he licked his lips. "How are you today?" he asked warmly. I replied, "Good," and then he mentioned the questions I had from yesterday. "I sensed you had a few doubts," he noted. I nodded. "Well, you can use this hour to ask me anything," he suggested, making me lick my lips nervously.

I couldn't recall my questions. "Could you give me the paper again?" I inquired, and he swallowed hard.

"I'm afraid I can't return it once it's been submitted," he replied, and I nodded in understanding. "But I'm happy to answer any questions you can remember," he added as I began to think.

"You were going to mention something about my kind of relationship before I interrupted," I whispered, and he nodded.

"Well, there are multiple types of relationships," he explained. "A regular relationship is where a boy falls in love with a girl, they date, and eventually live together. Then, there's a casual relationship based solely on sex, devoid of feelings."

"Just sex," I repeated, and he nodded.

"Then there's long-distance relationships, where couples are miles apart, and masochistic relationships, which involve hurting each other while denying it."

"What kind of harm?" I asked, and he hesitated.

"Any type, really," he said. "Then there’s pseudo-masochistic relationships where partners inflict pain on one another but actually enjoy it. This often involves a sexual component to seek pleasure," he explained, causing me to blush while Professor Gray smiled. "Another example might be incest," he added.

"Ugh," I reacted, and he chuckled gently.

"There are BDSM relationships as well," he continued, and I shook my head.

"What does that mean?" I asked, and he licked his lips.

"It encompasses various erotic practices and fantasies. It stands for Bondage, Discipline, Domination, Submission, Sadism, and Masochism," he replied, making me gulp.

"I'm still confused about it," I admitted, and he laughed lightly.

"For example, there's the DD/LG dynamic," he said, prompting my frown. "In brief, it's a daddy kink," he murmured, and my heart raced. "In this dynamic, a man dominates the relationship and is called 'daddy' by his 'babygirl,' and he indulges her in every way while seeking mutual satisfaction, emotional or sexual, despite any age gap," he explained, his voice dropping to a husky tone as my breathing quickened slightly.

"Could you elaborate on that?" I asked, and he smiled.

"I don’t believe that's appropriate," he whispered, making me swallow again.

"Have you ever engaged in DD/LG?" I queried, and he chuckled.

"Do you have any more questions about the quiz?" he replied, and I gasped.

"Does the age of my partners affect our relationship type?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"Usually, yes. Younger girls in relationships with older men often find those relationships are purely physical, sometimes involving money or BDSM," he mentioned, swallowing nervously.

"Have you ever been with an older person?" I probed, and he laughed.

"Miss, I consider that personal," he said.

"But you asked me the same thing in your paper," I countered, and he swallowed again. "It doesn’t seem fair that you know personal things about me, but I know nothing about you," I pointed out, and he sighed.

"Any other questions regarding the sheet?"

"What is your age preference, Mr. Gray?" I asked, and he licked his lips.

"Let's move on," he said, and I exhaled. "Look, Nina. As the school psychologist, I assure you that everything shared is confidential, but you must also promise not to disclose our discussions," he murmured, and I nodded. "For both of our benefits," he added, raising his eyebrows. He then pulled out a document and handed me a pen.

I began reading the document.

Essentially, it stated that all I say will remain confidential; if Mr. Gray discloses anything, I could sue him. However, if disclosure is necessary due to legal issues and he knows the truth, he would need to share that, which is his right. I also must promise not to disclose what occurs in our sessions, as outside knowledge could impact my therapy.

I took the pen and signed, and Mr. Gray did the same before placing the document in a folder.

"So, from now on, think of me as your confidant," he murmured, and I stumbled over my words.

"I still feel it's unfair that you know everything about me while I know nothing about you," I said, and he sighed. I leaned back on the desk, whispering, "Let's make this work, Mr. Gray." I extended my pinky toward him. "I promise to tell you everything that happens in my life, good or bad," I stated, locking eyes with him. "If you do the same," I added, looking at my pinky, "then you'll be my confidant, and I will be yours." I shrugged my shoulders.

He leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing my facial features and the gesture of my pinky.

"How can I know I can trust you?"

"This is like Russian roulette, Mr. Gray," I replied, and he tilted his head. "You can't be sure I'll keep your secrets, just like I can't be sure you will keep mine," I stated. We held that pinky position for about ten minutes, my finger beginning to ache.

"Do you have trust issues, Mr. Gray?" I inquired, and he chuckled.

"You're persistent," he observed, and I shrugged. He rested his elbows on the desk and looked me straight in the eyes. "First, what does this pinky gesture mean?" he asked, and I laughed.

"Pinky promise," I said, interlocking our pinkies. "It's a sacred vow that should never be broken; to break a pinky promise is a serious offense," I explained, and he chuckled.

"What happens if you break a pinky promise?" he queried, and I made a shocked expression.

"You simply don't break them," I insisted, and he laughed. "But I guess the consequence might be burning in hell and losing someone's trust," I added.

He interlaced his pinky with mine. "I accept your proposal, Nina," he said, locking eyes with me. I smiled - "We'll be confidants. Nothing we discuss will leave this room. You can't tell anyone, not even your mother," he asserted, holding tight to our pinkies, "and remember the rules: you can only disclose our secrets under..."

"It's for a legal reason, right?" I confirmed, and he nodded. I released his pinky and smiled. "So, have you ever been with someone older, Mr. Gray?" I asked playfully.

"You're starting early, Nina," he replied with a shrug. "Yes, I've had relationships with older women," he admitted, and my eyes widened.

"How much older?" I pressed.

"I don't know, about twenty years?" he guessed hesitantly.

"That's a huge gap," I remarked, and he smiled, looking downward.

"Now it's my turn. Tell me, miss, are you intrigued by daddy kink?" he asked, and I gulped.

"Well... Actually, I'm not sure," I confessed quietly, meeting his gaze. "I just find it interesting," I added with a shrug.

"By 'interesting,' do you mean daddy kink or sex?" he probed, making me stammer.

"Both," I murmured, and he nodded in response.

"Would you be interested in exploring a relationship that isn’t strictly conventional or long-distance?" he inquired, leading me to contemplate.

"Maybe," I whispered, feeling the tension in the air. "What about your age preference, Mr. Gray?"

"I don't really have one," he replied, tilting his head. "Age is just a number. If two people care for each other, any gap—one, two, or even twenty years—shouldn't change the essence of their relationship," he explained. I nodded thoughtfully. "See you tomorrow," I said in conclusion.

"Miss Nina," he replied, and I nodded back.

I gathered my belongings and exited his office.

I couldn't quite grasp what had just transpired, but I hoped it would turn out well.