Rewind

by Julia P. Lynde

"Paybacks are a bitch," Victoria said to my right.

  Wendy launched into the tale of my escapade from earlier. It took her at least as long to tell the story as it had to originally enact it.

  "Aren't you going to stop her?" I asked Victoria.

  "Not a chance," she said.

  Everyone listened raptly as Wendy told the entire story, looking back and forth between us. It looked like a tennis match with people watching the bouncing ball. My blush started almost immediately, and when she got to the part about my undies, I buried my face in my hands.

  "And if that wasn't enough," she told them. "This little minx, now buck naked and flashing that hot little ass of hers at me, leaned across my lap to start collecting the clothes she was going to put on. She doesn't know how close she came to the most thorough spanking of her short life."

  Penny and Nancy both looked like they were thinking about spanking me, and I think Dominique was wondering whether she would be allowed to watch or contribute a paddle.

  Then, while everyone was looking at me, Wendy smiled sweetly and winked at me. "Paybacks are a bitch," she mouthed at me.

  * * *

  After the meal, we retired to the living room again, splintering into small conversation groups. Wendy and Victoria cleared the table, and Penny managed to snag my arm and draw me off to a corner alone. Once I was in the corner, she positioned herself between me and the rest of the room, preventing escape while also excluding anyone else from the conversation.

  The attention was actually quite flattering. Penny was attractive and intelligent, and she deftly steered the conversation without monopolizing it. Furthermore, she seemed to actually be interested in getting to know me and was sharing fairly intimate details about herself. I stopped trying to escape and decided to enjoy the conversation.

  We were talking for about twenty minutes when Wendy stopped by. "I'm sorry, Penny, but Victoria and I need Shane for a few minutes. You can have her back shortly." Wendy reached past Penny, grabbed my hand, and pulled me from the corner, leading me back to the kitchen. We passed Jeremy and Lawrence standing just outside the kitchen, and I swear they were set up as guards. Once in the kitchen, Victoria handed me a fresh cup of tea and gestured to a stool.

  "Learn your lesson yet?" Wendy asked me with a grin.

  "What lesson?" I asked innocently.

  "Don't tug the tiger's tail lest she bites."

  I looked at her, pulling myself up to my whole five-foot-three (plus heels). "You'd be disappointed if I let you cow me."

  Victoria laughed while Wendy tried to look severe. I just eyed her, grinning at her.

  Victoria then said, "So? Tell us what you think of everyone?"

  "Everyone?" They nodded.

  "Okay. Jeremy. I love him! He's great. He seems like the brilliant but air headed designer, but he just plays that part."

  "Oh no, he really is a brilliant but air headed designer, it's just that he is able to come back down to earth when it matters."

  "That's Lawrence's doing," added Wendy. She turned to Victoria. "That was so cleverly done of you, Vic, setting them up like that. I never would have put them into the same room, much less a relationship, but they're perfect for each other."

  "I can't really add much about Lawrence," I said. "He seems bright. He and Veronica appear to be friends."

  "Not friends, but a lot of mutual respect. Lawrence is a good accountant and Veronica is a good business woman."

  "Okay," I continued. "Veronica. She's stunning! Truly stunning." They beamed at me. "But I haven't had much chance to talk to her. I don't think she likes me."

  They smiled knowingly at each other and didn't say a thing.

  "Teri seems friendly but vapid." They nodded. "Harmless." They nodded. "She's not my type."

  "We didn't think so," said Victoria. "But she's very sweet and a good friend. She'd give you the clothes off her back, while in public if you needed them, and then apologize for the quality and fit. Please be gentle with her, she's one of ours."

  I nodded as I was starting to understand what that meant.

  "Nancy scared me at first," I said. "She's so..."

  "The word you are looking for, dear, is 'butch'," said Victoria.

  "I thought she'd cart me away, right then and there, never to be heard from again. But I watched her with Dominique. Dominique's a bitch, but Nancy was gentle with her. And Jeremy said Nancy is very sweet underneath." I looked at them and they were waiting expectantly. "She's one of yours, too?"

  "No, not really," said Wendy. "Nancy isn't anyone's. But she's fiercely loyal, and we wanted you to meet a wide variety of people tonight. Nancy represents a stereotype, and she hates that, but she is what she is."

  I nodded. "I think perhaps Nancy thinks in a very straight forward, direct fashion, and subtlety would be lost with her."

  "Exactly," said Victoria.

  "Okay, then there's Dominique. She's broken."

  I didn't say anything else, just waited for them, but they just let the silence hang.

  "Okay. She's been hurt."

  "We've all been hurt," said Victoria gently.

  "Yeah, but the rest of us get past it," I said. "She hasn't. And there's more going on, but I'm not sure what it is." I thought about it. "She lashes out and expects people to lash back. When they don't, she's surprised. She expects the worst after doing everything she can to invite it. It's like she wants to deserve being hurt."

  "She was a bitch to you," Wendy said. "You were very gracious with her. Roni was commenting on that."

  "Also, there's something going on between Penny and Dominique, but I'm not sure what. Sometimes they look like they hate each other, but then other times I have caught Dominique staring at her. And she was not at all happy that Penny was giving any attention to me. Are they an item?"

  "On again, off again. It's been off again for a while. Tell us about Penny first."

  "Penny is playing a game with me." I thought about it then a light clicked. "She's a domme, isn't she?"

  They nodded.

  I thought about everyone in attendance. "So is Nancy."

  "Not exactly. Nancy is dominant but not a domme."

  "Not counting Jeremy and Thomas, you invited two types. Very dominant and two different types of submissive." They nodded again. "But I think Dominique wouldn't mind getting me helpless, either. And hurting me."

  They didn't say anything as I continued to work it through.

  "She's a warning of what not to become."

  They both smiled.

  "So, Penny. She's a domme, and you invited her because you know that's going to interest me. And for some reason, to dangle me in front of her."

  "I wouldn't say dangle," said Victoria.

  "I would," said Wendy, laughing.

  "If I said I was going home with her, would you let me?"

  "Do you want to go home with her?" Wendy asked.

  I shrugged. "She's pretty and she likes me. Would she hurt me?"

  "Only if you asked her to," Wendy said. "But if you're seriously asking if you should go home with her, then we need a longer conversation about her. We won't let you go with her unless we're sure you know what you're doing."

  "We're introducing you to people," Victoria explained. "And showing you potential. Some good, some bad. Maybe you would have taken a look at Dominique and found her beautiful and alluring. You could be good for her, and we think you're strong enough to handle her. Maybe you would swoon for Penny or clasp onto Nancy's arm and not let go. Or maybe you would have been a typical college girl and have found a world of love with Teri. Or maybe you just meet people and further refine what you want from life."

  Wendy led the way out the door, and I pulled Victoria back. "She's not really mad about the teasing, is she? It's all in fun, right?"

  "Oh dear," she said. "Of course it is. But you understand, she plays to win. She won this round, and I think you're out of your league. If you give her reason to, she will tease you horribly and embarrass you badly. But she'll
never humiliate you and she'll never ever hurt you, as long as you never deserve it."

  * * *

  We returned to the main room. Penny had clearly been hovering around waiting for us, and she immediately latched herself to me, but Jeremy and Lawrence had taken over the corner she'd pulled me to previously, so we were more in the open.

  She stood very close to me, and she smelled lovely. She was a little taller than I am, so I found myself looking up into her eyes as we talked. It was exciting, and I wasn't at all sure what I should do about it.

  After a short while I felt a couple of people approach me from behind. Penny looked past me and frowned.

  "I'm sorry, Penny," Wendy said sweetly. She was dragging Dominique with her. "But earlier Shane promised Veronica they would finish the conversation they'd started before you arrived. You understand."

  And with that, she deftly swapped me out and Dominique in. Dominique actually gave me a triumphant grin before turning to Penny and draping herself over her. Wendy pulled me away before I could protest.

  "What did you just do?" I asked her as she began to steer me across the room where Veronica was talking to Victoria.

  "I taught her there's another price to coming late," Wendy said quietly. "And you are now going to give Veronica your undivided attention for at least the next thirty minutes. She's a business woman, and you want to go into business after college. Even if she's too old for you, she'd be a powerful friend to have."

  Victoria and Veronica were watching me as Wendy drew me across the room. At one point, Victoria must have said something unexpected, because Veronica suddenly looked at her in surprise, then turned back to look at me in an appraising fashion.

  They stopped talking as we drew closer. Wendy and Victoria stayed with us for a few moments but shortly withdrew together and it was just Veronica and I for the first time that night.

  * * *

  I need to take a time out at this point in the telling of my story. I found out some time later what the conversation was between Veronica and Victoria, and I want to share it.

  Veronica had asked where I had come from, and Victoria told her I'd shown up in the shop just yesterday.

  "She's amazingly lovely," Veronica said.

  "We thought you might like her," Victoria replied.

  "She's lovely, but you know how I feel about alcoholics."

  "She's not an alcoholic," Victoria said. "Why would you think such a thing?"

  "Well, she's been drinking tea all night. You didn't even offer her wine or even have a wine glass near her place at the table. And when Nancy gave her a glass, she handed it back. At least she's sober now, I guess."

  Victoria started laughing. "On Roni, she's not an alcoholic. She's 19."

  "You bitches," Veronica said seriously. "19? 19! You dangle that in front of me. You knew I'd want her on sight, and she's only 19?"

  "She thinks you're stunning," Victoria said.

  "She's 19. 20 I could do. 20 to 34 is just barely okay. You couldn't have at least lied and told me she was 20?"

  "She thinks you're brilliant," Victoria told her.

  "I am brilliant," Veronica said. "But she's only 19. What does she know?"

  "More than a 19-year-old should know. I swear, sometimes she's 50. Other times, there's this innocent naïveté about her." Victoria paused, wondering how many secrets to share. "Roni, she's a virgin."

  "What? No way."

  "Uh huh. No boys, no girls. Not one. You could be her first. Play your cards right and you'd be her only."

  "You bitch," said Veronica. "Why are you doing this to me?"

  "She's a virgin, Roni, and she thinks you're stunning."

  "She's a virgin at 19, so she has to be a prude. She couldn't handle me."

  Victoria laughed. "You can't be serious. Do you think I'd even try to get a prude dressed like that? And you heard what she did to Wendy. That story was 100 percent true. Shane is no prude. Innocent. Naive. Young. Ignorant. And so ready for someone to teach her."

  "You bitch," Veronica said again, but without any passion behind it. "19. I must seem an old hag to her."

  "Roni," said Victoria quietly as Wendy and I had almost reached them. "I know you have your handcuffs in your purse. Wendy told you she had someone special to introduce to you. You always lead with the handcuffs. It's your litmus test. Roni, you get those cuffs on her wrists, and she's yours forever."

  * * *

  I didn't understand why Veronica told Victoria, "You're a bitch, Vic," as they were leaving. Victoria just laughed as she and Wendy walked away, looking pleased with themselves.

  Veronica looked as nervous as I felt, but I didn't understand why. I asked her what she did for a living.

  "I own an interior design company," she said.

  "Wow," I said, impressed.

  "It's a small company," she explained. "I work my tail off, and having employees is a bitch and a half, but I'm growing something, and we're starting to be successful." She looked around the loft. "This was my first project after leaving the company where I used to work. Victoria, Wendy and I knew of each other, but we weren't really friends. Now? They're the source of half my referrals."

  We talked. She asked about where I went to school and seemed impressed. Then she asked about what I wanted to do.

  "I'll probably go into business," I said. "I'm not really sure what that means."

  "Is that your passion, then? Business?"

  I explained about my dad, and how I was proud that he was able to be successful in business while maintaining his sense of ethics. But then I admitted, "My real passion is writing, but not a journalist. Fiction. But..." I shrugged. I wasn't at all sure I had what it took to be a successful writer.

  Music had been playing for a while, making it impossible to hear any of the other conversations. Veronica and I had stepped closer and closer to be able to hear each other without having to raise our voices. Then a Pretenders song came on that I loved, and I suddenly asked, "Veronica, do you swing dance?"

  "You can swing dance?" she asked me with an upraised eyebrow.

  "Can you follow?" I asked her, taking her hand. It was the first time we'd touched since we shook hands at the beginning of the evening.

  There were two Pretenders songs, and we danced to both of them. Veronica let me lead, although it was tricky with the height difference. So many moves involve being able to reach above her head. But we made do. However, with the heels I was wearing, I was happy when the next song was a bluesy tune. We had finished the previous song holding each other. When I heard what the next song I was, I asked her, "I wouldn't suppose you tango?"

  "Can you follow?" she asked me.

  In response I simply changed handholds with her, then wrapped my left arm around her neck and pressed my body into hers. She wrapped her arm around me, waited for the right point in the music, and we began.

  I was out of practice. I had no idea how long it had been since I'd last tangoed. I couldn't remember if I'd led or followed. But my body seemed to know the steps. She led gently and didn't ask for anything I couldn't do.

  Then she made an offer. Her right foot came to the inside of my left foot, making contact. The rule in tango is that if the lead initiates foot to foot contact, the follow maintains the contact. The most obvious step at that point is for me to step with my right foot over her right foot. The offer, of course, is in allowing me the choice of what to do as I step over her foot.

  I slid my foot next to hers, then slowly raised it, brushing my instep along her leg and wrapping my toes behind her leg. Then I very slowly stepped over, dragging my foot over the top of her leg as I did so.

  We finished the natural sequence from that point, finding ourselves back in close embrace, but before she could start something else, I initiated a leg wrap. It wasn't the right time, and I could hear an anonymous dance teacher telling me that, but I didn't care. I caressed the back of her leg with the back of mine while I stood balanced on one foot, still leaning into her.

&nb
sp; "You're very naughty," she told me in my ear before beginning the next sequence of steps. "I might get ideas." I just giggled.

  The song ended too soon, and the next song wasn't something I cared to dance to, much less tango. Veronica just held me for a long moment though, and I relaxed into her arms. I was ready to step away, but she continued to hold me.

  "Are you teasing me the way you teased Wendy earlier?" she asked me.

  "No." I told her simply.

  She squeezed tighter for a moment.

  "You like to lead," she said.

  "I don't like a vacuum of leadership," I replied.

  She still didn't let me go. "Did you want me to give you back to Penny?"

  "No."

  "She's glaring at us. I think she realizes she's getting the consolation prize tonight."

  At that I pulled away from her. "Dominique deserves better than that attitude," I told her. I saw her expression and realized she felt she'd just blown it. I wasn't sure how to fix it. "Wendy and Victoria used me to reprimand Penny for being late. They want me to go home with you."

  "How do you feel about that?"

  I wasn't sure which part she was asking about. "I don't like being used," I said. "But I don't have a clue how to get even. I'll think of something."

  She was starting to pull away from me, cutting her losses. Damn it. I reached out and took her hand and just held it, looking up at her. She was smart, she was stunning, and she'd felt so good when we danced. I didn't care that she was almost 30.

  She let me hold her hand, but she didn't step any closer. She was searching my face for something, and I was desperately afraid I was coming up lacking. I looked down, but then used her free hand against my chin to raise my eyes towards hers again.

  "You've never been kissed," she declared.

  "Of course I have," I replied. "Just not by a woman."

  She looked confused. "I'm still figuring things out," I told her. "I don't know what's expected." I paused. "This outfit? Wendy and Victoria gave it to me as a coming out present."

  "A coming out present." She made it a statement.

  I nodded. "Victoria is the first person I've ever told. Wendy is the second. You're the third." I paused. I guess I hadn't told her yet. Not directly. "I'm gay. I like women. Boys bore me." I paused. "I like you. You feel good."