The novella by Willa Okati turns around the setting of I Heart That City bar, a place where stories and life mix like the cocktail. I haven't read the previous story by Mechele Armostrong (it was an het romance), but this one is about Zach, bartender and at the same time philosopher of live; but as often happens, Zach is very good at giving advice to other people and instead is not so good to follow them for his own life. Zach is a runaway 'lover', he abruptly dumped his live-in lover in Los Angeles without even gave him a reason and continued to run till he reached New York, where he is now living almost in stasis, waiting for something to happen. And something finally happen, since Josef, after giving Zach all the time he needs to think, is ready to claim again his lover.

The main reason why Zach left was that Josef was into the Master / pet relationship and Zach was not sure to be ready for that. Truth be told, Josef was not at all the domineering Master I ofter read in such relationship, he allowed Zach to have a life outside their home, to take his own decision regarding his work and similar, he only wanted for Zach to consult him and to wear an ownership collar in private. Put things like that I really can't understand why Zach freaked out, if not for the only reason that Zach is a really independent character who doesn't like to be told what he has to do... not really the right behavior to be a sub in a D/s relationship. And so the fact that Josef is not really a Master and Zach is not really a pet could be a good input for their relationship to work out.

I like the story even if it's really short. Both characters are enough developed to give me space to like them: Josef is a silent type, he is not a Master since he talks and behaves as a Master, he is a Master since his lover knows that Josef knows better than him what it's right and what it's wrong for him. Josef doesn't force any decision on Zach, on the contrary, he wants for Zach to arrive to the same conclusion Josef arrived, but with his own pace. Josef is also ready to admit his own mistakes, not in what he did, but in the time he did it: he was in too much of an hurry to 'claim' Zach, he didn't give the man the time to realize that Zach wanted to be possessed. As I said Zach is a really independent man, but in a way he needs someone to drive him; Zach is always questioning his own decisions, he seems to have not a right in-sight in what he wants and needs, and he needs direction: so more than a Master that tells him what he has to do, he needs a Master who helps him to see the right direction and then lets him decide if he wants to take that direction.

There is not a strong BDSM component, both in the dialog than in the sex, so this story could appeal also those readers who usually don't like this type of relationship.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002BY76BO/?tag=elimyrevandra-20