Valerie Ch. 06

While Francine worked from the table on her laptop, Valerie searched the local home listings for houses the two could look into renting or buying. Several good prospects were there, most for rental only. Valerie wanted to buy because only then could they modify the house for hosting scenes. While Francine had suggested a two bedroom, Valerie was thinking three. If Francine wanted to bring a sub over for play, she might want to have a guest bedroom for him/her.

There was one that she kept going back to. It was a four bedroom ranch with a full basement that was finished but not differentiated. The total lack of walls in the basement would make for a very large play room. There were two downsides. The price seemed beyond their capacity, $554,000. And it was listed as a fixer-upper. Valerie knew that she had no skills at home repair or building. If it was in bad enough shape, that could increase the effective cost of the house by 50%.

The only other suitable house for purchase was a smaller two bedroom colonial, again with a basement. This one listed for $326,000 and the online photo spread showed a nice house in good condition. The upstairs was only an unfinished attic, but had potential. At least in this case, the finishing of the attic would not be an immediate need.

Adding these two possible purchases to six promising rentals, she had a list that they could go through together. Francine finished her work by 1:00 and they went over the choices. Francine agreed that the four bedroom would be wonderful, but was probably a money pit. They made some calls and were able to plan two days of open houses and viewings. Francine did add one other choice. She knew of an apartment complex that had three bedroom apartments. It would provide a temporary place if they could find no other. By unspoken agreement, the two women had reached the decision to move in together somewhere.

There was one thing that Valerie wanted to discuss before they went too far. "Francine, I think I'm falling in love with Sally. I think the feeling is mutual."

"Val, I don't know what to say. I thought you were straight, that the thought of sex with another woman bothered you."

"I thought so, too. But I know what I feel for her. We made love Saturday night and I wasn't scared or revolted. It's still there with other women, though that could change. It's not just the sex either. I find that I want to make her happy, and not just as a submissive. I feel for her just like I felt for Mike, before he died."

"Wow. This is serious, isn't it?"

"Yes. If she feels the same way about me, I want to ask her to move in with me. Will that make you…?"

"Jealous?"

"Yes. Will my falling in love with another bi woman instead of you make you jealous?"

Francine thought a minute. She already knew what her answer was, but also knew that how she expressed it was important. Valerie was asking if it was possible for their friendship to survive the possibility of Valerie herself being the middle of a possible love triangle.

"Valerie, you're my best friend. The idea that we could be romantically and sexually involved wasn't even a blip on the horizon two weeks ago. If Charles hadn't given you to me for one night, it still wouldn't be. What I want more than anything for you is that you're happy and fulfilled. Seeing you become a submissive is a big step in that direction. If you and Sally are that much in love, how could I possibly not want that for you? Jealously? I don't think so. If you two decided to take a trip to Massachusetts and get married, I would be honored to be your bride's maid, or best woman, or, whatever."

"Oh, Francine, you don't know how much that means to me. Thank you for being my best friend."

The two spent the rest of the day being terribly irresponsible and getting nothing accomplished. Valerie checked her email that night and saw that Steven had sent her a message. "Valerie, Master has instructed me to tell you that you're to spend the night sleeping with your hands tied together to the headboard of your bed. Make sure someone is there with you. Under no circumstances are you to render yourself helpless when you are alone. Tomorrow, you're to wear your nipple clamps while out side your apartment on at least two occasions for ten minutes each time. Check your email tomorrow night for instructions for the weekend."

Francine helped her get bound for the night and put a new batch of oil on her body to help her sleep through the night. The bedroom door was kept open that night, just in case. Valerie found the experience humbling. Arousal returned after a 24 hour absence and Valerie was helpless to respond to it. She tossed fitfully, her dreams involving Charles entering into her room and teasing her to the brink of orgasm over and over. She moaned in her sleep, begging her Master to use her, to take her and rape her helpless form. She awoke in the wee hours and lay there, smelling of sex and sweat, her sheets all askance and her marks hurting again.

She remained quiet, thinking and daydreaming. "If someone had told me four weeks ago that I would be lying in bed, bound at the wrists, desperate for a man to come in and forcibly take me, I'd have called the police. Yet not only have I made myself Master's slave, but I'm falling in love with another woman and desperately hoping that she's falling in love with me. My best friend has used me as a sexual plaything. I've sold myself to two total strangers for sex and pain. I've been publicly whipped until I was incapable of standing another blow. My life is so different now and I wouldn't go back for all the treasures of the world. I wouldn't go back, even if it would bring Mike back. I loved him deeply, and that part of my life will always be part of me, but I'm no longer the woman he married. How different will I be next week? I don't know, but I'm not scared of that woman. I love her and will embrace all that she is when I catch up with her in time."

Her thoughts settled some, she fell back to sleep, a more restful one. Francine was awake when she woke again at 8:00. Valerie raised an eyebrow to discover her friend sitting next to the bed, watching her.

"Do you know how beautiful you are tied like that, Val?"

"I feel beautiful somehow." She made no move to cover up in any way. Her legs parted, revealing her pussy and the beginnings of her hair returning.

"I could watch you like this for hours, but we have to get up and about if we're going to look at houses. You know, you're going to make Sally a very lucky woman. Let me get those ropes."

The two ladies showered and ate breakfast. While Francine was in the shower, Valerie took a moment to call Sally.

"Hi, Mistress, this is Valerie."

"Val, it's good to hear from you. What's up?"

Those making a date butterflies never truly go away. "Uh, I was wondering if you'd like to, uh, go to dinner with me tonight? I know it's short notice, but I'd really enjoy spending some time with you."

At the other end of the line, Sally's heart was racing. "Could it be?" she thought to herself. Trying to calm herself, she answered, "The short notice is no problem. I'd love to have dinner. What time and where?"

"I could pick you up around 6:30?"

"I think that would be great. Do you know where I live?"

"No."

"I'm in the Buena Vista apartments at 6^th and McClellon, apartment 215. I'll be ready at 6:30."

"I'll see you then."

Both women hung up with sweaty palms and racing hearts, each fearful that the other didn't share the feelings both had for each other.

When Francine got out of her shower, Valerie asked her, "Francine, would you mind being by yourself tonight? I kind of asked Sally to have dinner with me."

"I'll be fine. Are you going to tell her how you feel?"

"Yeah. I'm so nervous. What if she doesn't feel the same way? What if she already has a girl or guy? God, I feel like a 16 year old worrying about a first date again."

"Well, you're not 16, but this is a first date. Val, Sally, while she can play incredibly intense, is a very caring person. I suspect she made sure you had my name that night without Charles telling her to. If she's already attached, she'll let you down gently. It'll be all right. Now, let's hit the road. We've got five houses and your appointment to get through."

The house hunting trip was a disappointment. Every place they looked at had something that made it unacceptable. Rent was too high. Bathroom had carpet in it. Neighborhood was too dangerous. One that was advertised as a two bedroom had only one. The second room was more the size of a walk in closet. In spite of the disappointments, the two women enjoyed themselves, spending time together as friends, something their hectic schedules had prevented for far too long. The only good that came from the trip is that there was plenty of time in the car for Val to follow orders and wear clamps on her nipples.

They had spaced their stops far enough apart that they had no problems making the appointment at Dr. Waston's on time. Val was taken into an examination room on time. The fear that always accompanied these visits began. Things eased a little when she saw that the table in the room had no rails or stirrups. The nurse took her basic vitals while she sat at the desk/sink. Handing Val the ubiquitous hospital gown, she instructed Val to undress and put the gown on.

Five minutes later the doctor walked in. She was dressed in an ordinary smock, stethoscope around her neck, chart in one hand and a collar (?) in the other. "Good afternoon," she said while she put the collar about her neck. "I find that there is a difference between being told that your doctor understands the lifestyle and knowing that. Now, according to Sue's notes, you have safe word issues with exam tables and there may be marks visible. But more importantly, how are you feeling right now?" she asked, nodding towards the table.

"I'm nervous. But it's a lot better than when I'm around a table with stirrups."

"That's what I suspected. The stirrups are for the doctor's convenience, but the appointment is about you, not me. Do you think you can handle this table?"

"I think so. The fear gets really intense when I feel immobilized though."

"Okay, first, have you had a scene recently?"

"Yes, night before last I received some rather severe punishment.

"Go ahead and take the gown off and let me look."

The doctor looked at the healing welts and fading marks, making notes in her chart. She prodded the joints and tissues under them and paid close attention to Valerie's wrists and ankles. Valerie could tell the difference in expertise between the doctor and Victor.

"I don't see a lot of residual marking evidence. How long have you been playing in the scene?"

"It's been a little over two weeks."

"I can tell from your body that you have an experienced dominant. These whipping marks show a lot of skill. Tell me about the shoulder. It feels like a recent injury."

"I was in a forward hogtie, I think it was called, and I climaxed so hard I wrenched it. Victor said it was a sprain and we didn't put stress on it after that."

"Victor. I see. I know of Charles, though we've never met. Does that mean you're under domination by more than one person?"

"Yes, Master and six of his other subs. I've also been dominated by my friend outside once."

"Okay. I can tell that you have an incredibly high tolerance for pain stimuli. You need to be very careful about safe words. This punishment. How long did it go?"

"I don't know. I asked…I asked to be punished until I used my safe word."

"That's what I thought. I don't want you to go that far more than once a week, at the most. See these two welts here?" she asked pointing to two marks on her legs that were taking longer to heal than the others.

"Yeah. They looked different, but I wasn't sure how."

"These two actually drew blood, just under the surface. They're what we call blood blisters. Left untreated, they can turn into permanent scars. You seem to have done well with them. There's still fluid in them, so I'm going to draw it out with a syringe. This will sting a little," she finished with a little chuckle.

The two blisters went down visibly as the small needle extracted the red fluid. The needle mark was invisible and the marks were now flush with the skin. Helen, Dr. Waston, continued with her running dialogue as she worked.

"Now, one of the most important things to do when you play for extended periods of time is to eat well. Intense stimulation and long periods of high arousal use a lot of energy. It's a mistake to rely on things like energy drinks or sugary foods to replace that lost energy. The energy that we use comes from complex chemical reactions that use a wide variety of nutrients. Don't be surprised to find that you eat a lot during a scene that lasts for any length of time. I've heard that Charles has weekend long sessions with multiple individual scenes."

"Yes, last weekend I submitted for 48 hours. He had a lot of food and I ate a lot. I was kind of worried that I might put on extra pounds."

"Unlikely. You may actually lose weight if you aren't careful. Now, there's one thing I am adamant about." The doctor's face went deadly serious. "Absolutely no drugs of any kind during play. No stimulants, no pain killers, and certainly nothing illegal. A submissive has to be aware of what his or her body is saying at all times during a scene. I lost a patient once because she went to a session while under the effects of oxycodone. An inexperienced Dom damaged her kidneys with a cane and she died of renal failure three days later. The pain killer prevented her from noticing that she had been hurt. If I find that you've used any medicine during a scene, even aspirin, you'll have to find another doctor. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, doctor. Very clear."

"Now, I'm sorry I got so intense. I hate losing patients. On the other hand, after a scene, no problem. I hope that you used some form of topical on those marks after your punishment."

"Yes, Marcia had a massage oil with a local anesthetic and an antibiotic in it. It was so good."

"Is that concoction still out there?" she laughed. "It's very good and the antibiotic, though nothing special, is effective at preventing infections of small cuts. Keep in mind, it is illegal. The topical is only available with a prescription. I approve of its use, just don't get caught. Now, before we move on to the vanilla portion of the exam, do you have any BDSM medical questions?"

The doctor's manner was very relaxing and Valerie felt like she could talk about anything with her. "Helen, is it possible to have too many orgasms?"

"It never fails; every sub I see asks me the same thing. Not unless you have a heart condition, in which case you have more to worry about than orgasms when you play. For healthy adults, your body will stop having them before they become dangerous. Do you have a history of heart disease in your family?"

"Not that I know of. My dad was killed in a car wreck, drunk driver, and my mom died of cancer. I don't know much farther back than that."

"I'm sorry about your parents. If you're concerned, we can have your heart function checked out by a cardiologist. I'm not equipped for that here. Who's your regular doctor?"

"I don't have one," Val said sheepishly.

"That will not do. You need to maintain good health to play safe. On your way out, have Sue schedule you a full check up with Dr. Karen Moore. She's an excellent GP, though you will get her sado-masochism lecture. It's harmless and she will still treat you. And there's no chance of her violating confidentiality on you. She once spent 3 days in jail for contempt because she would not report a gunshot she treated. Just be sure to request that no nurse is present during the exam. Now, hop onto the table and spread your legs."

The rest of the exam went smoothly, a textbook gynecological exam. After dressing, she was shown to the mammogram room and had the important breast pictures taken. In the lobby, the appointment with Dr. Moore was made, a month out. Valerie had it made for a Friday morning, giving any weekend marks the maximum time to fade and heal.

Francine was sitting in the waiting area looking at one of those free real estate magazines. "Val, look at this." There was a picture of a house. The description listed it as a three bedroom, two bath, two story house with a finished basement. What caught both their eyes was the price, $256,000.

Val wondered, "What's the catch? How can such a good home go for so little?"

"Val, we have to look. And it's an open house today through Saturday."

"Agreed. It's only 4:30. We still have time to take a look and get to your house before I have to pick up Sally."

"Let's go."

The drive took 30 minutes. In the house, several groups were wandering about commenting on the features. It was a really nice house. The walls were all white, a bit of a distraction, but fixable. The second bathroom was very small, but the master bath made up for it in elegance. The kitchen was okay, but nothing to write home about. Two bedrooms were decent sized, though the third was unsuitable for anyone but a small child.

It was the basement that got their attention. Where Valerie saw a run of the mill entertainment center and laundry room, Francine's more practiced eye had her do a double take. Val was confused as to why Francine was looking at the things she was looking at. The dominant was growing visibly excited as she looked at features no one else noticed. When they were alone in the basement, she looked at Val with excitement.

"Val, this is the place. We have to get it."

"What? It's okay, but what's so special?"

"The basement has been fitted for BDSM play."

"What?!"

"Look, see the bolts the plants are hanging form. Those are heavy duty enough that you could be suspended safely. I'll bet that they're embedded into studs, not hanging from the drywall. The laundry room has far more shelving that it needs, some of it not suitable for cleaning supplies. I mean, how many laundry rooms have three dozen drawers and a full wall of peg board. That would be perfect for storing various toys. Look here, faint impressions of a large bed, a four poster I'll bet. Best of all, did you notice the gap in the ceiling? There's six inches from the upstairs floor to the basement ceiling. That's acoustic tile, sound absorbing. The door is heavy, yet balanced. I'll bet if it was shut, you could scream at the top of your lungs and not be heard by someone just on the other side of the door. The piece de' résistance is the intercom. It can be set for monitoring, allowing independent monitoring of the basement. I'm telling you Val, a dominant built this basement and we have to have it."

As each feature was pointed out, Val became excited herself. The house was the right size and was ready for play. "You're right. Let's make an offer."

As Valerie drove, Francine called the realty office and indicated that they wanted to make an offer on the house. Knowing Val would agree, she offered $300,000 in an attempt to out bid any other offers, indicating a willingness to negotiate if needed. She made no attempt to hide her status as a motivated buyer, the house being more important than the price.

At Francine's house, they picked up more clothes for her and a tube of the depilatory gel that she had talked about earlier. Francine took her own car and Valerie headed off to Sally's. Finally, Valerie couldn't put off thinking about the dominant submissive that had captured her heart. Try as she might, she couldn't explain just why she was so madly in love with the exuberant woman, she just knew she was. Valerie wanted to spend the rest of her life with Sally, and was terrified that the feelings wouldn't be returned. What if it was just a physical thing for Sally? By the time she had arrived outside the apartment building, Val felt like a nervous wreck.