I have no idea when this interview was conducted or why. I assume it was part of a marketing or blog day that we did with our readers, but I can’t recall the details. It’s fun, though, particularly for Bradford fans.
General Disclaimer: There doesn’t seem to be anything spoilery plot-wise in this interviews, except that you will learn a lot about Bradford, the club, and it’s origins and that might be more fun to learn by actually reading Submission.
Interviewer:
How did you decide to buy and run the club (I know you say that Luca and Tobias helped convince you, but still)? I mean, it’s a big job, running a place like that, and you’ve got subs of your own to watch out for, separate from the general oversight you give to all aspects of the club. I just wonder what led to that sort of decision.
Bradford (who likes to hear himself talk and can’t answer anything in one paragraph):
The club had a former owner about whom I can’t say anything unkind. He was an excellent Dom, and the reasons for his inability to continue to run the place were due to his failing health, not a lack of desire. In any event, he was being forced to give it up and it was going to be dissolved and possibly turned into a restaurant if someone couldn’t step in and buy out the property and settle its debts. We had decided among the three of us that we should save the club and restore it to its former glory.
It should come as no surprise to you that Tobias hasn’t the slightest head for business. Let us just say, by way of being kind to an old friend, Tobias relies heavily on his accountants, hm? If it weren’t for Tobias’ lovely business partner, their partnership would likely have sunk deep into debt instead of turning a healthy profit. Luca, on the other hand, certainly has the head for it, but he simply had no time or interest in running anything. He didn’t want any responsibility, he just wanted somewhere to play.
They each had their own careers, however, which meant the one thing those two gentlemen also had was money. I… had been working with the former owner, and I had the time. Like many Doms, I don’t like to compromise and so I didn’t want a business partner anyway. I sunk every dime I had into the club, and on an as-needed basis, I took out legitimate business loans from Tobias and Luca, all of which were paid back in a timely manner, with interest.
So the decision was largely a sentimental and a selfish one, but I am outgoing and love to entertain and that, together with my business degree, made running an establishment of that sort easy for me.
As for the scale of the task, well, when one can live and work in the lifestyle, the two mesh better than you might imagine. My subs were, and still remain, instrumental in running the club. They wait tables, tend bar, provide entertainment for the members, and keep me mentally and physically satisfied as well. It’s true that my time is, essentially, consumed by the club, but the club meshes seamlessly with my personal life as well.
Interviewer:
Phrased delicately to avoid spoiling the tale for anyone: when Tobias asked you a question regarding Noah’s past, and requested specific information, I was very surprised that you relayed that information. Weren’t you afraid of that there would be horrible consequences? What about your knowledge of Tobias made you feel safe about answering that question? If this makes no sense, I’m sorry. It’s very possible I’ve been too cryptic for fear of spoiling a wonderful book for others.
Bradford:
Hm. Yes, I understand precisely what you are asking, and it’s a difficult thing to answer because professionally, it wasn’t one of my more shining moments. *laughs ruefully* I’m not sure that I did feel completely safe about answering that question. But I expressed my concerns to Tobias as clearly as possible and I knew he would give me the respect of considering them at the very least.
It’s possible that what I did wasn’t ethical per se, as a Dom, but was it right? Yes. I believe it was. Tobias is more than a client and a member of my club, he is also a friend – my oldest and dearest friend, in point of fact. Emotionally, as a man, he needed something; he needed to right a wrong, to settle a score. As a Dom, it was a matter of pride for him. Honestly, had I been in precisely his position, I would have wanted to do much the same thing. I may have handled it a bit differently than he did, but I would have wanted things settled as well. Emotionally, I understood what he needed to do and why.
And frankly, had I not done what I did, he might have caused more of a stir trying to get the information through other channels. I honestly think the consequences of that would have been worse in the long run.
Interviewer:
😀 So. Did you ever, in the past mumble years but particularly when he and Tobias were training, ever wonder if you could fall in love with him?
Bradford:
*snort* No. Categorically, unequivocally, no. *snorts again* No. *leans forward* Have you got a cigarette?
