A Cup of Tea Bk. 02

"What should I do? I've already called and texted her a dozen times. She's ignored every one." Dax was throwing out a lifeline, hoping to be rescued.

"I have no idea. She seems like the kind of person that plays her cards close to the vest. I haven't a clue what's she's thinking." Mel was right. Keiko was a very private person, and guarded at all times. Though Dax was able to see parts of her emotional soul that no one else had, he lacked the tools to process that information. And for Mel, since she had a little more than an hour of face time with Keiko, in the tightly controlled environment of a busy restaurant, she had very little information to work with.

"Well fuck, I'm going to get another drink. I'll see you tomorrow. Will you be in the car at 8 a.m. as usual?" Dax always looked forward to seeing Mel first thing in the morning, waiting for him in the Bentley when Mason picked him up at his apartment building. As Dax's relationship with Keiko deepened, Mel was more often than not missing from those early morning meetings. Mel was insanely attractive, and seeing her in the close proximity of the back seat of his limo was a guilty pleasure of his. Now that Keiko had given him a swift kick in the ribs, seeing Mel and being with her was his comfort food.

* * *

Dax had a fitful night of sleep. His emotional connection to Keiko was broken. He woke up exhausted and checked his phone. His heart sank. No messages, no missed calls. Nothing. It wasn't a bad dream. It was his new reality.

The world, of course, went on. He showered and shaved. The hot spray of the shower felt good, renewing his flagging spirits and imbuing him with the optimism that perhaps Keiko's unexpected anger would dissipate. Madeline, wearing a crisp white chef's jacket, was waiting to serve him his breakfast. He sat and unfolded his Wall Street Journal, noting that the market had gone up yesterday and that the Fed announced a cut in interest rates. He took his first bite of eggs, noting that they were perfectly cooked. He was surprised that he had a good appetite and quickly finished his breakfast.

After dressing in his usual coat and tie, he took the elevator to the basement, hoping that Mel would be in the backseat to give him his morning briefing. He needed her now, more than ever. Mason was waiting on the passenger side of the sparkling clean black Bentley and opened the rear door. Dax dipped his head down and the pleasing scent of Mel's perfume foreshadowed her welcome presence.

"Good morning Dax," the voluptuous brunette said as she scooted over to make room for her boss. As she moved over, the leather seating surface grabbed hold of her skirt, separating it where it was slit, revealing her inner thigh. She quickly closed the gap, but not before Dax was treated to a view of her entire leg up to her panties.

"Uhh, Mel, so good to see you again for these morning briefings. What have you got today?"

The two discussed business for the first ten minutes of the ride and completed Mel's agenda. Dax couldn't help but resurrect their discussion of the prior evening.

"Nothing from Keiko today," he lamented. He didn't know why he said it, but it certainly called for a response.

"That's understandable. She was pissed yesterday. It's the quiet ones that are passive aggressive." Mel's armchair analysis was spot on. Keiko was still angry, and hadn't yet sorted through her emotions. She didn't want to talk to Dax until she knew what she was going to say. "My guess is that she's jealous of us."

"Keiko ... jealous ... of us? No. Not Keiko. I've told her there wasn't anything going on between the two of us and I thought the lunch confirmed it. There's something else going on." Dax was saying it, trying to convince himself that it was true.

"Whatever ... that's my guess for what it's worth."

* * *

One day became two and two days became a week and a week became a month. Dax stopped trying to reach Keiko and had resigned himself to the break-up. He willed himself every morning to get out of bed and get to the office. The routine of his breakfast, the ride to work, the briefing by Mel started to wear thin on his patience. The smallest transgressions brought out his anger. He was irritable at work, and instead of getting closer to Mel, became more distant. He became forgetful, sometimes missing important calls or business meetings, his lethargy causing his business to suffer. Separate from his longing for Keiko, his latent submissive desires welled to the surface, only to be suppressed with great effort. This cycle of need and denial continued until Dax could no longer sit idly by, knowing there was a whole subculture that fed his need.

As he was getting dressed one day he felt a business card that was in his rear pants pocket. He reached into it and read the face of the card: Elaine Harris -- Engineering Consultant. He remembered wearing that particular suit when Keiko took him to the club in Queens. The card belonged to the woman at the next locker. The attractive strawberry blonde that was looking for a new sub. His cock stirred when he recalled her confident manner and desirable body. Keiko no longer had a hold on him, and his lack of sexual activity (other than masturbating in the shower) was driving him crazy. He steeled himself, then punched in her number on his phone and hit the call button.

"Hello, this is Dax Hanlon. We ... uhhh ... met at the club in Queens." Dax's voice quivered. He routinely handled calls involving the exchange of millions of dollars. Yet the prospect of talking to this woman excited and terrified him.

"Hello Dax. I'm sorry. I've met a number of people at the club. Exactly who are you?" Elaine said truthfully. Her voice was silky smooth, but with a distinct edge that foretold trouble.

Dax's confidence deflated even more. She didn't even remember him. "I'm the one you met in the locker room. You squeezed my bicep?"

The image of a handsome man, muscular and well hung, came into her mind. "Oh yes ... I remember you." Then she remembered the scene with Keiko and him. "Weren't you with Keiko?"

"I was."

"I don't take men from other Dommes. Besides, I'm not sure why I gave you my card." Elaine was toying with Dax. Elaine was always sure of what she was doing. Her voice dripped of wealth and sophistication.

"But ..." Now Dax was caught in her game.

" ... I'm busy ... I shouldn't have given you my card ..." she said with a sigh.

"But I'm not with Keiko anymore."

"Really?" Without knowing it, Dax raised the stakes in their game. Elaine was toying with Dax, as she had no intention of taking him away from Keiko. But if Keiko was out of the picture ... the image of Dax, nude, and on his knees serving her, was too much for Elaine to resist.

"Yes, she ended it about a month ago." It was Dax's first outright acknowledgement that his relationship with Keiko was over. The words sounded foreign to him, and hurt when he said it.

"That's interesting, but I'm not looking for another sub right now." That, of course, was an outright lie, but Elaine wanted to see how bad Dax really wanted this.

Dax was struggling to find the words to convince her to see him. He had rehearsed what he was going to say, but his mind went completely blank. The line was silent for what seemed like eons to Dax. It was probably fifteen seconds.

"Call me back when you're ready," Elaine said abruptly.

"Wait ... wait," he pleaded.

Elaine felt a shiver, making this hunk of a man beg on the phone. "Yes?" the Domme replied impatiently.

"I'd like to be your sub," he blurted out. He finally said it. She was pleased he said it.

"You must be new to this." That much was obvious to Elaine early in the conversation. "You can't be my sub. You have to earn it." Now she would bait the hook. "Do you want to earn it?"

"Yes. Yes I do."

"Next week, Friday. At 9:00 p.m. I'll text you the address the day before."

Dax didn't realize Elaine had terminated the call. "Thank you Mistress Elaine."

"Hello?"

Dax looked at the phone and saw that the call had already ended. This woman was cold, distant, controlling ... and dangerous, he thought. But his body thought otherwise. His cock was the hardest it had been since Keiko had taken him to the club.

* * *

Mel was just finishing a shitty day, just another in a series of shitty days since Keiko's breakup with Dax. For the first time in the ten years that she'd worked for Dax she had actually contemplated finding another job, just putting the finishing touches on her resume. She minimized the screen on her personal laptop that she kept at her workstation when her cell phone chirped, indicating an unknown caller. She was about to push "Decline" on her phone, dismissing it as an unwanted sales solicitation. For some reason she recognized the area code as Honolulu, an unusual area code for a sales call. She answered the call.

"Mel. It's Rocky. Rocky Saito."

He was probably the last person in the world she expected to be on the other end of the line. "Rocky. So good to hear from you. How are you?"

"Good, real good. Hey, I'm having a grand opening of my newest restaurant on the Upper West Side. I'm wondering if you'd be interested in coming to it as my guest."

"Sounds like fun." It actually sounded amazing. It was just what she needed to get away from the insanity of her office, which was at that point adrift while its captain was AWOL.

"It will be. This Sunday at 7 p.m. Can you make it?"

"Give me a second. Let me check my calendar." Mel didn't have to check her calendar. She hadn't had a social commitment on a Sunday in well, a month of Sundays. "Yes. I'm free that day."

"Great. I'll text you the address. See you then."

Mel looked at her phone, wondering if this was really happening. She went into Dax's office for more privacy, since he was of course was still away licking his wounds, and flipped on the light and closed the door. Rocky Saito, one of the most eligible bachelors in the City, calling me, she thought. Fuck. She turned on Dax's computer and entered in his password, accessing Rocky's website for his restaurant group. Sure enough, there was a grand opening scheduled for Sunday. She scanned the photo gallery, and saw a who's who of glamorous woman on Rocky's arm.

Mel paused. In addition to Hank Rossetti, the married asshole, she had had a number of failed romances before and after that unfortunate affair. Would she become just another notch on his bedpost or was there a chance for more? In the end, the depressing atmosphere in her office made the decision for her. She needed an outlet for her frustration, and even a one night stand with a hunk of a man was enough. She started thinking about what she would wear.

* * *

The new restaurant was overflowing. People were standing on the sidewalk outside the door, holding drinks and carrying on spirited conversations as Mel dodged drinks held in people's hands. She ducked her head, avoiding someone's arm, and then straightened to see her host, his mouth almost agape.

Mel was wearing her favorite red cocktail dress, the one with the deepest cut, showing her luscious creamy white breasts to their best advantage, and a slit all the way up the side to highlight her long, lean legs.

"Mel ..." She could see him gulp. That was a good sign, thought Mel.

"Rocky, so good of you to invite me." She extended out her hand. Rocky willingly bent over and kissed it.

"It's crazy here now," he shouted, as they were jostled by people trying to get to a temporary bar behind them, the noisy conversation almost deafening. "Can you find some food and drink? I'll hunt you down later when the crowd thins out. Can you stay?"

Mel nodded. "Of course." She picked up a glass of champagne and started mingling with the large crowd. She recognized a few people, some from their pictures in the society photos and some that were business acquaintances of Dax. She wandered into the private dining room in the back of the restaurant. There were only a few partygoers in that room. A Japanese man and woman were intently discussing the merits of a painting on the wall when a flash of recognition lit through the tall brunette.

"Keiko! It's good to see you."

The woman swiveled her head toward Mel's voice. Dax's former lover didn't match Mel's enthusiasm and gave a lukewarm reply. "And you. Is Dax with you?" She knew Mel would say yes, but was hoping she would say no.

"Dax? Why would he be with me?"

"But I thought ..." Keiko's self-assuredness crumbled. Of course Dax should have been with Mel. With her stepping aside, Mel would have him to herself.

Then the thought crept into Mel's mind. Keiko was jealous ... and it was her fault. There was a large pit in her stomach. Her guilt was betrayed in her answer. "No, no, Dax and I aren't dating. I'm here with Rocky. I'm sorry if you thought otherwise."

Now Keiko's compass was completely off kilter. "Rocky? But ..."

Mel put her hands on the startled woman's shoulders. "Keiko, I feel terrible. I had a feeling that you thought there was something between me and Dax. And to tell you the truth, I always hoped that maybe there could be. But over the past few weeks Dax has become a virtual hermit in his apartment He's rarely at work and his business is rudderless. I told him that I thought you might think we were together, but he dismissed it out of hand."

"You don't know how much I've missed him," relief evident in Keiko's voice.

"I'm sorry ..."

Keiko hugged her perceived adversary. "It was me. Sometimes I see the worst when I should be seeing the best. I did this, not you."

Mel's face lit up. "Look, I have an idea."

* * *

Mel and Keiko drifted apart as Mel went to look for Rocky. She spotted him talking to a group of people, pointing to a wall with a collection of antique knives mounted behind glass. She tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," he said to the group of people and stepped away with Mel.

"I'm ready to talk. Are you?" she asked. She shifted her weight, causing her hips to wiggle. Rocky couldn't help but notice.

A "message received" ringtone went off and everyone within earshot checked their phone. It was for Rocky. "Shit!" he exclaimed. "I wish I didn't have to go to this after party commitment." He held up his phone and swiped on his calendar to the following week. "Can we get together for dinner on Tuesday?"

Mel placed her hand on the other side of his head and pulled his ear close to her lips, so close he could feel her hot breath on his neck. His cock stirred in his pants, even in the crowded room, and a bead of sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Well then, who's going to fuck me tonight?" she whispered.

Rocky ignored the throng of diners around him and kissed Mel full on the lips. Her toes tingled. "Hold that thought. I'll be back in a few minutes."

* * *

The situation was mission critical at the office. There were a stack of unanswered phone calls and meeting requests that needed attention. Mel finally coaxed Dax out of his apartment to clear off his desk. She met him at his apartment at 8 a.m., agenda in hand, trying to restore normalcy to his business. Dax did start feeling better at the office, engaging with business associates on the phone and making plans to move along a few deals he was working on. He had a business dinner at seven, so Mel arranged for Mason to pick him up in the underground parking lot at half past six.

"C'mon Dax. You'll be late. Let's get going." Mel picked up the stack of papers Dax needed for the working dinner and put them in his briefcase. "It's good to see you back at work."

"I've got to say, it does feel good to get back in the saddle. Remind me again about the dinner?"

"Pat Gleason ... the warehouse deal in Queens."

"Right, right." The mention of Queens cast a pall over the conversation. Dax's thoughts turned to Keiko. It was the first time he had thought about her that day. He picked up his chin. "Well, best be going." He clutched the handle of his briefcase and shuffled to the elevator, his thoughts going back to the dark place he had yet to escape from.

His mind drifted as the elevator door opened at the garage level, then closed with him still in it. Dax realized he wasn't really all in this world and that his soul would soon be sucked into a black hole of despair.

He pressed the "Door Open" button and stepped out of the elevator, greeted by the stale air of the garage, stinking of exhaust fumes, and the harsh fluorescent light from above. He spotted the Bentley, parked in his reserved space. As usual, the black Bentley was gleaming from a recent wash and wax and Mason was standing there at attention ready to open the rear passenger door. Dax approached and Mason opened the door with a flourish, standing to the side and holding it open. Dax dipped his head down to get enter the cabin, and sensing something was different, looked up.

"Hello Dax," said Keiko in a sultry voice. "Get in."

She was sitting in the middle of the back seat and made no move to make room for him. He got in and sat tight against her. She was wearing the same fur coat that she wore the last time she took Dax out for "playtime." Her hand went into her clutch purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. She deftly pulled one out of the pack and put it in her mouth.

"You don't smoke ..."

She lit the cigarette, took a puff and let the smoke curl out of her mouth.

"There's a lot you don't know about me," she said as a cloud of smoke passed Dax's face.

Dax's phone chimed announcing a new text message. Dax reflexively looked at the screen. It was from Mistress Elaine, giving him the address he was to be at the following evening.

"Give me your phone," she demanded. Keiko took the phone out of Dax's hands before he could object. She looked at the message and saw at the top of the screen that the message had come from Elaine Harris, someone she had thought of as a friend. She flicked the phone in disgust, watching it tumble onto the deep pile of the carpet.

"I've got something better for you to look at."

She opened up her coat, revealing that she was nude, displaying the perfect skin and body that Dax dreamed of every day he was away from her. A gasp escaped his lips as she grabbed his nipple though his white cotton shirt with her forefinger and thumb and twisted it, making him grimace on the outside and smile on the inside. It was the first installment of the punishment she would mete out for her wayward sub contacting Mistress Elaine. She then turned to Mason, who was watching in the rear view mirror, and winked.

"You know where to go," she said, even though she didn't need to.

"Yes ma'am. Yes ma'am I do," Mason said with assurance. His boss was going to his version of heaven.

The Bentley purred to life and pulled out of the garage and into the gridlocked evening traffic, the pedestrians on the sidewalk nearby unaware of the hot sex happening behind the limo's heavily tinted windows.

To be continued ... I promise.