K&T, LLC Ch. 01

Jason was up in the air. Justin would be happy to keep him on, but it was obvious that Jason had outgrown his position. CC was another issue. She had moved in with Sheila, and Sheila would soon be moving in with me. Details. Details.

After dinner, I shook hands with Justin and Peter. I promised not to ever hire them again, which caused a bit of a shock, til I glanced at Sheila. They were more than willing to work through her. After that, Sheila said her good byes and they headed out. It would only be three or four days, but it felt like a lifetime. I suppose, in a way, that it was.

Sheila talked to Jason and CC. I tried not to intrude, but I saw Sheila fish out some keys and hand them to Jason. That meant she would be at the mercy of my staff. Ha. They needed to get used to having a wildcat in residence. Then, I noticed Jason was leaving, but CC was not. It looked like I would sleep alone at least one more time.

Oh well. It was not like I did not have work to do, starting with taking them home.

Sheila:

The decision to keep Christine, for the night, was necessary. It would mean not sleeping with Sean, but I had obligations. One look at Sean told me that he could read the dynamic of the situation as well as I could. He was someone who understood loyalty and obligation, so he accepted my decision without comment. Instead, he opened the door and led us to his car.

That was a bit awkward, since I had an errand to run, which could not be put off. Worse, it was well out of the way home. Still, there was nothing that could be done, so I asked Sean to take us to Petsmart. Christine blushed, but I could also see her relax slightly. She knew what I had said, but she did n to yet allow herself to trust my promise. Actions speak louder than words.

When we arrived at the store, Sean begged off coming in with us. He claimed he had calls to return and messages to check. I could tell that he was trying to give me as much space as possible. He may growl, but Sean is such a teddy bear.

Once inside, Christine made a bee line for the canine department. She never picked up anything, but heir hands ran over the collars with a certain reverence. It was appropriate in a way. In the D/s community, a collar is almost like a wedding ring. We may have been hurried, but neither of us was taking it lightly. Accordingly, I chose a working dog's collar. It was of stout black leather, unadorned, and suitable for a Collie or Retriever. There were fancy collars and girlish collars, but those would not have reflected what Christine was on me.

Once I had the collar, I waved my hand at the leashes. Christine immediately picked up a braided leather leash, well mated to the collar. I nodded approval. Then I took her to the toys section. Pull toys are a great asset in my business. They are simply two rings with a rope between. The rings will easily slide over legs, or arms, providing quick restraint. It is possible to carry several without raising eyebrows. I grabbed all they had, then added up a round bed and a small pillow.

Then we had a tag made. The attendant asked what kind of dog I had. I told him I had a bitch, of a working breed, who needed training, but showed some promise. Christine turned new shades of red. Then the attendant gave her a wink, and Christine turned completely white. His name tag said Richard. I considered a moment, then asked Richard if he would consider another line of work. He gave the question the respect it deserved and said, simply, "Yes." I gave him my card and told him to call on Monday.

When we returned to the car, Sean noticed that something was up. He said nothing, but raised an inquisitive eyebrow. I said, "I am trying to borrow a page from your recruiting manual. We will see how it turns out." Sean showed a touch of surprise, but no more than that. I wish I had that much faith in my judgment.

When we arrived at my apartment, Christine and I got out. The packages were a bit bulky, but not heavy. Once I had helped her arrange everything to carry, I told Christine to go up, make some tea and draw a bath. I had some thing to say to Sean, which would take a while. Then I closed the back door and slid into the front seat of Sean's Mercedes. Deja vu.

There was no use beating around the bush. "I will not be coming home with you tonight. Christine and I have things to settle, about sleeping arrangements, among other things. Also, I am loaning Christine to Jason for much of the week. I want time with you and there is much work to be done if we are going to have a wedding in seven days. But, Christine needs to be settled, first.

"About Petsmart, there was a young man tending the register that picked up on my relationship to Christine. I gave him my card and told him to call Monday. I will let him do a session with Tess and see how things go."

Sean asked, "Tess?"

"Christine and I chose a special name for when she is in a scene. She suggested Truly Scrumptious, but it was to long. I shortened it to TS and made Tess. Unless I miss my guess, she has told Jason her special name. I plan to do both of them, together, this week.

"Speaking of things at the studio, you indicated that you had real estate plans in the neighborhood. How extensive and how soon?"

Sean paused, started to speak, then shook his head. "That is too big an issue to discuss right now. I will give you a bone to chew on. I would like to form a partnership. You already own the principal building and the most significant franchise. I can bring cash and a recognizable name. We can talk tomorrow.

"Til then, take care Kitten." Again, with the Kitten.

"Night, Teddy Bear." I would say tit for tat, but I had a feeling this would be a thing between us. OK by me.

I went to my apartment wondering what, exactly, I would find. Christine would be naked, there would be water running in the tub and water heating on the stove. That much was given. The question was how much more would I find. A gag perhaps? Would the bindings and flogger be laid out? In short, would I find Christine or Tess.

As soon as I opened the door, I had my answer. Christine, naked, was kneeling in Second Position, facing the door. However, it was just her. None of the things we had purchased, my usual store of toys and instruments, nor the tag and collar were laid out. Christine had done what I had asked, but no more. I set my purse down by the door, which I left open, so that she was in full view of any passers by.

I said, "Stay there while I check your work." Christine flushed as she recognized I was leaving her on display, but did nothing else. I went to the bathroom and turned off the water. The initiation might take a while, so I did not want the tub running over.

Sean:

There is an old song, Lady Madonna by the Beatles, with the line "Sunday morning creeping like a nun." It is a reference to a man calling on a woman of negotiable virtue. That Sunday I could have used the company, but but it was somehow comforting that no one called. I had been the titular heir to the family name and business for over thirty years, and the actual operator of the business for a decade. Finding women to fill my bed had never been a problem. The problem was finding one I wanted to wake up next to.

Sycophants always try to make you feel as if you are the center of their life. For better, or worse, I could always tell when someone wanted something, especially if it was other than what they they said. Sheila was plainly telling me that she wanted me, but she had other priorities. It was comforting in its honesty. That did not stop it from being lonely.

As I drove home, I played Saint John's Passion, by Johann Sebastian Bach. Everyone thinks of Bach as being the great harmonist, which is certainly true. I think of him as a writer who could make form work for him, rather than the reverse. His fugues have a complexity that is much deeper than the surface. The thought made me smile. As a metaphor for Sheila, a Bach fugue had its points—beautiful, complex, occasionally discordant, always somewhat unexpected.

When I reached the house, I bypassed the liquor cabinet. Back Jack and I had been seeing too much of each other. Instead, I chugged a liter of water and headed for the gym. As I worked the Nautilus, my mind rearranged the room, placing a stretching bar and a small mat. One of the machines would have to go, but there was always the big gym. That brought another thought. One of the storage rooms could be made into a small dance studio.

When I finished the set, I went and showered. That felt like a mistake, since it reminded me of when I had company. This, in turn, reminded me that I still had only men's shower soaps. What the hell. It was something to do. I called for a driver.

Before I went down to the car, I pulled up the house floor plan and printed a hard copy. It would give me something to look at in the car, as we drove to the nearest all night drugstore. If we were going to have people in the house, some of the rooms would need to be opened, and I needed to figure out which. I left a note for Gerald, that we needed some AUTOCAD plans, for Sheila if no one else.

Once we reached Walgreen's, I started in the soap aisle and worked my way out. I chose a fruit, rather than floral, scented bodywash. For shampoo, I chose an herbal scent, rather than fruit. In went extra soap balls, toothpaste and three kinds of tooth brush. Then tampons, douche, KY his and hers, hand lotion, baby oil, sleep mask, dipping chocolate nibs, a scented oil crock pot, candy thermometer, clothespins, rope.

When I reached checkout, the girl at the counter looked at the tampons and douche, and asked, "New girlfriend?" Feeling wicked, I picked up the rope and clothespins and nodded. "Fiancé, in fact." The girl, her name tag said Maria, turned completely red. I threw another log on the fire. "Naughty girls need to be spanked." Her eyes popped wide open and her mouth formed an O. I considered handing her a card, but only for a moment. Sheila already one one submissive and this girl was interested, not avid.

I held up the chocolate and the crock pot. "Think of what we could do with these." It did not take much imagination, and Maria clearly had that much. Her breaths were coming short and heavy. I leaned in. "Maria, you have my permission to come as often as you wish tonight, but only tonight. Think of me pinching your breast while you masturbate. Say, 'Thank you, Mister Sean.'"

Maria turned even redder, though that should have been impossible, but she said, "Thank you, Master Sean. Come again." The minx said it wrong on purpose. She really did want a spanking.

"Thank you, Maria, but I have other commitments. You should explore this side of yourself, both from top and bottom, but be careful. Unlike what most people believe, it is not about the bondage and the pain. It's about trust. Look for someone you trust, first. Then find out if they are interested in playing these role games.

Returning to the car, I realized what a compliment Sheila had made, trusting me that first day.

Sheila:

It was funny, in a twisted sort of way, but I was more nervous about Christine, and the responsibility Tess represented, than I was about my own wedding. Perhaps that would change as the time of the nuptials approached, but I doubted it. I had rarely been more certain, of anything, than I was of wanting Sean to father and raise my children.

That raised a question in my mind. What did Christine want from me? Part of it, certainly, was sexual gratification, but only part. She also wanted family. From what little she had told me, she had been ignored most of her life. The exceptions were not happy ones. Literally, her fondest memory of her mother involved massive abdominal bruising. Once again I was reminded of a puppy.

How to begin? I closed the door. Tess endured the possibility of exposure, because I wished it. For the moment, I wished her to make choices. That meant something close to equality. Rather than have her dress, I disrobed. Once naked, I went to the living room and sat on the carpet near Christine. I was tempted to fold my legs into a lotus, but I wished Christine to mirror me and I was unsure how easy the position would be for her.

Once she was settled, facing me, I took a deep breath, held for a four count and exhaled. Christine mirrored me exactly. I repeated once, twice and a third time. The ritual was for Christine's benefit, but it also served to center me nicely. I began.

"Christine, and I am speaking to Christine, not Tess, we are about to consider the nature of our relationship. In this consideration, you will be required to make answer aloud. Do you understand?"

Christine's eyes widened, but she simply said, "Yes."

"Good. First I make you an offer. You may continue as my assistant. You will be trained in various areas, regarding the studio, and fitness training, regarding the gym. In addition, you would be responsible for cleaning this apartment, which is now your residence. For this, you will paid your hourly rate and receive free rental. This position is available to you for as long as you wish.

"It is possible that I will have a child in the next year. In that event, having an assistant and, later, a nanny, would be helpful to me. I tell you plainly, these are positions of trust. I believe that you are suitable for these tasks, but there will be responsibilities which you have not, yet, encountered. In short, I offer you a position as my right hand, for as long as you wish it. Do you understand this first offer?"

Christine was completely attentive the whole time. I could see that she wanted to know the alternative. Again, she said, "Yes."

I continued, "The other position is not as an assistant. It is as a submissive. For this purpose, we have chosen a collar and a name tag, to signify your subservience. You would work at the studio as I saw fit. You would not be allowed to work at the gym, or to go anywhere unaccompanied. You would wear your collar at all times, unless I personally removed it. This would generally be done only for cleaning. You would own nothing, not even what clothes I chose to provide you.

"You would be forgoing all personal choice. Much of your time would be spent waiting for me to complete other business. This is not a position of trust. At such time as I had a child, someone else would be hired to care for the baby.

"This is not an offer I make lightly. In my capacity as Mistress Cynthia, I have been asked, several times, to take on a person as a full time submissive. In each case I declined, because I judged that the person did not understand what he or she was asking. You are capable of understanding. Do you understand?"

Tears were running down Christine's face. She understood, which gave me a small sense of pride. When we had met, less than a week before, she would have thought very lightly of her own choices and responsibilities. She, at least, had come to value those. I painted a stark picture, but it was, if anything, too rosy. Very few can be content in a situation where no decisions are allowed.

She said, "I understand."

I said, "Choose. You can be my pet or my companion. Choose."

CC:

Sunday began so very well. My time with Jason was pure bliss. I could tell we would be BFF, with a little sex thrown in, and maybe babies eventually. He told me he would like to introduce me to some of the working girls he knew. They could teach me technique, but also to warn me about pitfalls. Other than Mr. Sean and Mistress, no one had taken an interest in me for many years. Both of them were scary. Jason was like a warm haven I could run away to.

Then, Mistress picked me up and we went shopping. If Jason was the friend I never had, Mistress was like a mother I never had. I could tell that Mistress was trying, very hard, to teach me about life. That gave me a different kind of warm feeling, but something was wrong. I could not figure out what it could be, since everything was developing so well, but I became more uneasy as the day wore on.

The party was a nice break. The food was like I had never eaten before, though everyone told me that it rated only fairly good. Alcohol was available, but I stayed away from it. I wanted all my wits when Mistress came for me later. At least the attention was on Mr. Sean and Mistress, rather than me. I did not need anything on top of the cold thing in my belly.

Finally, the time came. Mistress took me to her apartment and had me assume the position. As she had done before, Mistress left the door ajar, so that anyone in the hall could see my nakedness. Before, that had been a bit terrifying. That day it was only distracting. Other things were more important.

Mistress had instructed me to draw a bath and make tea. She completely ignored the tea and turned off the water before it could fill the tub. That was easy to understand. What she had planned for me could take longer than filling the tub. I was not sure if that was good or bad.

Mistress returned to the room, fully undressed. That was wrong. I was the one who would be naked in the house. This put us too close to equal. It became worse. Mistress sat cross legged on the floor and instructed me to do the same. Losing the familiarity of Second Position made me even more uneasy.

When Mistress had laid out my choice, I finally understood why I was so nervous. This was not to be the easy choice I had expected. There were only two options. I could continue as we had been doing, or I could become nothing more than a pet. Just days before, I had wanted nothing more than to Mistress' pet. I would have a place. I would belong. I would be able to serve Mistress and she would take care of my needs. Somehow that situation had lost its appeal. It seemed so barren. Mistress looked steadily into my eyes and told me to choose.

This was important. Everything Mistress had done pointed to that fact. If it were not important, she could be with Mr. Sean, planning the wedding, or doing other things. Mistress had said she wanted children and everyone knew where children came from. Most of my preparation for Jason had been about preventing pregnancy. Mistress wanted what was best for me, even when I did not understand what best was.

That was something to build on. Mistress wanted what was best, even if I could not see it. She had taken me to the mall, to show me that I was desirable. I had also learned that being desirable could be dangerous. I shivered as I thought of the woman from Kohls. She would not be asking me to choose. She would be taking my choices away. I would be nothing but her pet.

Pet. That was the word Mistress had used. Finally, I understood. Mistress wanted me to choose between being with her or being with someone like the woman from Kohls. That was no choice at all. I wanted to be with Mistress, even if she never touched me again.

As my thoughts came back into the room, I realized that I had been thinking for some time. Mistress had said nothing, done nothing, not even moved. This was important, and she wanted me to get it right, no matter how long it took. Mistress was trying to teach me something.

As soon as I understood that, the lesson was obvious. Mistress did not want me as a pet. She thought I was better than that. I smiled to think that someone as important as Mistress would think of me as valuable, but suddenly Mistress was crying. That was all wrong.

Without thinking, I rolled forward on my knees and hugged Mistress. She responded in kind. So we knelt, together, hugging and crying for a long, long time. Apparently, I was not going to get what I thought I wanted, and I had never been more relieved in my life. Even if Mistress never touched me again, I would still have a place beside her. That was enough.