The Empath Cycle: 2013.1 Tamed

"Is that when you discovered you were a lesbian?"

"No, that's when I discovered I could care for someone other than myself. That was the second important lesson."

"The first being that there are consequences to our actions."

"Bingo! Give a cigar to the lady that smell so nice I could eat her."

"Been there, done that. Continue the story, please."

"After that, I paid more attention to what she was teaching me. When school started, she helped me with my homework and my lessons. She taught me to learn for the simple pleasure of learning new things. She also taught me that I could be proud of myself for my accomplishments."

"Lesson number three."

"Lesson number three. She encouraged me to exercise. I couldn't be expected to join a team where the others had been doing sports for years, but I could join a group of students just training. By October, I would go for days without being spanked. There was this huge Halloween Dance and I was allowed to go as a reward for my efforts."

"And you fell off the wagon."

"Big time. I came home at three in the morning when my curfew was eleven. I was stinking drunk and half undressed. She didn't say a word. She held my hair while I vomited everything I had eaten in the previous week, I'm sure. I was miserable and her being so nice made me feel even worse. I distinctly remember repeatedly telling her I deserved to be spanked, that I was a bad person and that I didn't deserve her. She didn't agree with me, but she didn't disagree either. Worse of all, she didn't spank me. I slept on the bathmat. In the morning, she put me in the bath and washed me. Then she put me to bed. Again, despite my pleading, she didn't spank me. When I woke up again, I ate the breakfast she had prepared, then I stripped and went to the living room. I stood beside her chair all day, eyes downcast, and waited. She did her things around me without a word."

"She wanted you to think about what you had done wrong."

"I don't know. She never told me. After a while, I wasn't even thinking about anything much. Sometime later, I smelled food, but I didn't move until she told to come eat. When I was done, I cleared the table and did the dishes. Then I went back to the living room. When she told me to go to bed, I went, but the next morning, I was back beside her chair, leaving my post only when she told me to eat, to go to the bathroom, to shower, to go to bed. By Sunday evening, I was mostly a zombie, but I had learned another lesson: I wanted my teacher. The need had long passed me by. I wanted her lessons so I could become a better person. Someone like her."

"Lesson number four."

"Exactly. Before supper -- I could smell the food -- she stood before me, still without a word. And I did obeisance before her. I confessed my wrongdoing, then I licked one shoe. I asked for her forgiveness and licked her other shoe. I told her that I was unworthy of her, took off one shoe and licked her foot. I begged her to keep me as her student so I could aspire to be better, then did the same thing to her other foot. After that, I stayed bowing before her and waited for her decision. I have no idea how long I stayed there, but finally, she took my shoulders and lifted me. I tell you, I have never been so happy in my life. I humbly asked if I could hug her and she said yes. I had read about it, but that day, I cried tears of happiness."

"Is that what happened in her office?"

"Yes. After years of pushing her away, she took me back and told me that she loved me and was proud of me. And all that is because of you."

"Because of me?"

"Yes. In the months it took for you to notice me, I turned my life around so I would be worthy of you."

"You didn't have to do that. I would have loved you anyway. You're so wonderful."

"Trust me, you wouldn't have. I may have looked fine at work, but I was a drunk and a slut. I didn't even like myself. So, without realizing it, I remembered Auntie Clara's lessons and tried to become someone I could be proud of because you deserved no less."

"Well, you certainly succeeded. Does this mean that Mrs. Parker will teach you again?"

"No, my love. She gave me the best compliment she could have. She told me I was a lady and that my changing my life for you proved it to her. She said she would only remind me when I slipped."

"That's nice. So who's going to teach me to be a lady too?"

"She said it was my job, but that she would be happy to help me."

"Hum."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm wondering when you started coming when she spanked you?"

"Ever the pervert. That will be for another night. It's getting late and we have to get up early to drop by your place for you to change."

"We don't have to. I don't mind doing the walk of shame if it means everyone will know we spent the night together."

"Lesson number one. A lady always looks her best whether it's convenient or not."

"What about your lessons? Don't they count?"

"They were the lessons for a sixteen year old brat. You will have your own and you start way ahead of me."

"'Morning, Jean. Do you have a minute?"

"Good morning, Barbara. I have all the time you need. What can I do for you?"

"I don't know how to say this without looking like a fool."

"Just say it, I'll call you a fool and we'll talk about it. How's that for a plan?"

"I guess. So... Did you notice something different about Nancy this morning?"

"Not really. We didn't talk much. She was here before me as usual. My coffee was on my desk, as usual. I'm sure she has security call her the minute I step foot in the building because it's always hot as she's just put it there. We chatted a bit, as usual too. She seemed a little less flighty, but I thought she was busy with something and wanted to get back to it. Oh, yeah. Here's something different. She has two more buttons done than usual and I think her make-up is a touch more subdued. Why?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say I have Mrs. Parker 2.0 at my assistant's desk. You know how the dear woman is. Always ramrod straight, unfailingly polite, the best you can say about the way she dresses is that it's understated. Her make-up is discrete to the point of being invisible, but if you look closely, you can see how perfect it is. You hardly ever see her smile even when you know she's laughing at you. You know? She's Mrs. Parker. And Carlotta started calling me Ms. Ryan. When I laughed and asked what that was about, she told me it was unseemly for a young lady to call an older woman by her given name. Do you think she could be cracking under the pressure of her job? She's been a rock until now. I don't know what to do. I don't want to replace her. She's by far the best assistant I've ever had."

"Don't do anything for now. Let me look into it. If she messes up before I find an answer, we'll think of something then."

"Please, bring my assistant back to me."

"I'll do my best."

Jean thought about what Barbara had said. The evening before, she had happened to be on the top floor at quitting time and had seen the two girlfriends walk into Mrs. Parker's office.

"Nancy, would you come in here, please."

"Yes, Ms... Boss... Be right there."

"I need you to be frank with me. I won't be angry or anything. I promise. Did something happen yesterday?"

She rushed around her desk to hold her assistant when she started shaking.

"Here sit down. I told you I wouldn't be angry."

"We didn't know there was an office, I swear boss. We didn't think it was a big deal, but we should have thought about the consequences of our actions before. I know that now. I won't happen again. It's not Carlotta's fault. I pushed her to do it."

"Woah there, girl. You're going too fast for me. Take it from the beginning."

"I don't know where to start, I think I'm hyperventilating. Can I take your hand? I think it would help. Please."

Only understanding that her assistant was on edge, she took her hand. Surprisingly, it seemed to calm her instantly. After taking a deep breath, Nancy explained what had happened during their afternoon coffee break. When she got to the part where they met Mrs. Parker, it got a bit confusing, but when she talked about when Carlotta came down and their evening together, it got really confusing really quickly.

"I understand, Nancy. Thank you for telling me."

"We're not in trouble, are we? It's all my fault."

"Neither of you is in trouble. I'm sure it won't happen again now that you know about the office. Right?"

"No, boss. I swear. We'll be nice young ladies."

"That's good to know. Now go back to your desk."

When she was alone, Jean was almost tempted to laugh, but she suspected that there was more to the story. Something even Nancy had not fully understood and she knew only too well how the best intentions could lead to unforeseen results. She worked for about an hour, then got up.

"Nancy, if someone needs me, I'll be back soon."

"Okay... I mean, yes, boss."

When she walked in Lee Ann's office, Mrs. Parker was on the phone with her.

"One moment, Ms. Hutchison. Ms. Laliberté just walked in. Do you need to speak with Ms. Hutchison, Ms. Laliberté?"

"No thank you. I would have a word with you, Mrs. Parker."

"I will be done in a moment. Please make yourself comfortable while you wait."

Jean listened to the old lady talk to Lee Ann. She was unfailingly polite without being servile in any way. She never once used any other name than 'Ms. Hutchison', but Jean knew for a fact that she called her by her given name when they were alone and that they teased each other and kidded around.

"How may I help you, Ms. Laliberté?"

"I'm not exactly sure myself, Mrs. Parker."

She explained what she had been told and what she had deduced.

"As I said, I'm not exactly sure what this all means, but I know from personal experience that sometimes the best intentions can go horribly wrong when you add strong emotions to the mix. Right now, I have a confused assistant and Ms. Ryan is very worried about her own assistant. When I put together the fact that they are deeply in love, possibly more than either realize, with the meeting they had with you, including Carlotta's private meeting, I must ask you what you know about this situation so we can salvage it if it needs to be."

"Oh, my. I thought of it as a sort of graduation, as a salute to her moving on to the next phase of her life. She seemed like the perfect young lady... I never expected..."

"Let's start at the beginning. How long have you known Carlotta?"

"I'd say coming on twenty years. She was sixteen at the time. But I'm not sure if I should be talking about her personal life with you. No offense intended."

"None taken, I assure you. Her overreaction in such a short period of time, reminds me of something I heard. Just a couple of questions. First, do you have a degree in Psychology?"

"I earned a Masters, yes."

"Second, this 'young lady' thing, was it used to pull you out of a bad place when you were roughly sixteen too?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. How did you know?"

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, you should have continued to read on this method of treatment after you got your degree. It was discredited when many patients failed later in life when confronted with highly emotional situations. Don't panic, Mrs. Parker. I may be totally off base. Let me ask the person who told me about this story."

"Please. I wouldn't forgive myself if I had caused harm to young Carlotta. She had been doing so well, but she had a wild phase for many years, then, recently, she turned her life around for Miss Nancy. I was so happy for her."

"Hello, I'd like to speak with Dr. Monroe, please. Is she available? Thank you. They're getting her, Mrs. Parker. I'd like you to talk to her and explain... Hi, Julia. How's everything?... Cool. Listen, I may have a crisis here and I need your help. Do you remember telling me about something you called auto-conditioning?... Yes, I know, but conning someone into playing tag until she grabbed your... Hum... Well, you certainly adapted the concept. I need you to talk with someone who applied it verbatim, if I remember what you told me correctly... Yes, she's here. Her name is Mrs. Parker... Thanks. Bye for now. Mrs. Parker, this is Dr. Julia Monroe. She's a specialist in deep emotional trauma. I need you to talk to her as one professional to another. I will leave now. When you are done, call my office and I'll be back to talk. A piece of advice, don't let her talk you into playing tag in a pool."

Jean went back to her office and got to work. Lunchtime came and went but Jean was concentrated on her own project. Around mid-afternoon, she was surprised to see Mrs. Parker at the door to her office. It took her a moment to remember that they had been supposed to talk at some point.

"Please come in, Mrs. Parker. Have a seat. Can I offer you anything?"

"That's kind of you. No thank you. May we have a moment in private, please?"

"Of course. Nancy, hold my calls, please. So, how did your conversation with Dr. Monroe turn out?"

"I'm afraid I used quite a bit of company time for personal reasons. I will have to make up for it."

"I wouldn't worry too much about that. You were working on solving a company personnel problem, after all."

"You're very kind, Ms. Laliberté. I see the reports about you were true."

"What reports?"

"Hum, I suppose some may call it watercooler gossip."

"I see. And you participate in this activity?"

"Of course not, Ms. Laliberté. That would be unprofessional and undignified."

"My thoughts exactly, Mrs. Parker. And, how did it go with Dr. Monroe?"

"When I picked up the phone, she was laughing. She reassured me that the form of treatment she used on you was tailored for you specifically and that she was certain she could help my young friend without the use of immersion therapy. I admit that I was somewhat relieved. I am not too fond of swimming pools."

"I'm glad for you then. Mrs. Parker."

"We talked for a long while. You were partially right in your assumptions, but I too adapted the treatment to fit young Carlotta's special circumstances. Dr. Monroe seems to think that this may simply be a temporary episode brought on by my actions which were misinterpreted. She feels that a simple discussion should be enough to correct any misassumptions young Carlotta may have made following our encounter of yesterday. She suggested that we, my life-partner and myself, invite both young women to supper tonight to talk about what I meant about being a lady as opposed to the young lady she was when we interacted years ago. Dr. Monroe will bring a colleague to assist. I will introduce them as friends."

"I'm sure you will like them, Mrs. Parker. They are very nice women and extremely competent, I assure you. Please keep me informed of any development. If I can help in any way, feel free to call on me. I'm only a phone call away."

"That's very kind of you, I will certainly keep you appraised of the results of the evening."

"I'm glad Mrs. Parker will continue to teach you." Nancy said.

"So am I." Carlotta agreed. "I thought I knew what being a lady meant. I didn't realize there was still more to learn."

"It made sense when she explained that you were the perfect young lady, but needed to learn to be a lady."

"It's my fault, really. When I pushed her away and had my wild days, I missed that part."

"I liked her friends. I can't believe how one of them transformed from a perfectly ordinary woman into... I don't know what. And in a second. Just like that."

"The word you're looking for is 'queen'. She only straightened a bit, set her hands on her lap and, all of a sudden, she ruled the people around her. I looked at Auntie Clara and she was beaming."

"Then she was the same woman laughing with us. I don't buy her explanation that it was all a matter of attitude."

"I do because when Auntie Clara taught it to me, I experimented and I discovered I had power over women. I'm ashamed to say that it went to my head. I used it recklessly. I abused women by seducing them to satisfy my own needs, then dumped them like used..."

"Don't cry. It wasn't the real you. You're a nice person at heart."

"You don't understand. It was the real me. The spoiled brat was back. I was arrogant, abusive, demanding. I didn't pay for a single drink in all those years. Women were lining up to give me everything I wanted, even those I treated so badly. And I lapped it up."

"That woman is gone for good now, honey. Together, we'll make sure she never comes back. If I see a hint of her, I'll take you across my knee and beat her ass until she runs away and leaves my beautiful ladylove in peace."

"Would you mind terribly if I asked you to hold me and I cried a bit?"

"Remember what Julia told you. We are human beings too. Being a lady is fine, but you have to temper it with a healthy dose of humanity."

So they sat in their seats as the metro went down the line. Nancy's arms around her girlfriends' shoulders, she held her tenderly while she sobbed quietly against her chest.

"That's not my hand you're holding, babe." Nancy whispered.

Carlotta lifted her head to nuzzle Nancy's neck.

"I understand why ladies should only hold hands in public." She murmured in Nancy's ear. "I can't be expected to hold you and not want more. This slut wants her woman and can't wait until we make it to your place. I say we get off at the next station and find a bathroom where we can get each other off properly."

"So you want to shag in a public restroom?"

"I'll rip your shirt open to suck your tits and fuck your cunt until you come right here if we don't find a place soon."

"I like your slutty side, baby. I think the woman in the seat across from us likes it too. She's watching your hand in my pants and she's blushing."

"Fuck her. If she likes it so much, I'll take her too. Do you want me to show you how to seduce a perfect stranger in the metro?"

Nancy remembered what Mrs. Parker and Julia had told her in private.

"You will assume the position, right now." She said firmly.

"What?"

"Do you want to be spanked in public too?"

"But... No. No, my lady."

Carlotta got up from her seat and stood beside Nancy. Everyone looked at her strange behavior in the nearly empty wagon. She knew they were wondering what she was doing and blushed. She could also feel the heat rise in her and discreetly rubbed her thighs together as she felt herself getting wet.

They rode the metro to Nancy's station. Carlotta watched with pride as her girlfriend walked out without a word or a look at her. She followed with her overnight bag, walking three feet behind and to her left, eyes lowered so she would only look her feet.

Once inside her apartment, Nancy stood in front of Carlotta, her back to her. At first, she didn't know what was expected of her, then she gasped and hurriedly took Nancy's coat and hung it in the closet.

She shivered as she watched Nancy take a chair from its usual place and set it in the middle of the living room. Without being told to, Carlotta went to stand before it.

"I told you what would happen if I saw that woman." Nancy said firmly from behind Carlotta.

"You did, my lady."

"Am I mistaken in thinking she was the one fondling me so blatantly in the metro for all to see?"

"No, my lady, you are not. She was the one doing those shameful things. I am..."

"Shut up!" Nancy barked. She was standing behind Carlotta so she wouldn't see the tears in her eyes as she followed Julia and Mrs. Parker's instructions. "You will speak when spoken to. You shamed me in public. As much as I enjoyed and welcomed my love's attentions, I have never and will never want that woman to come near me, much less touch me. I shudder to think that she had her fingers on my... pearl. I feel dirty."