by Robin Roseau
"Wimp," I told her.
She laughed. We still got splashed.
I watched for shells, but I didn't see any good ones. Jean told me, "You have to come a lot earlier in the day or they're pretty picked over. Sorry."
"It's okay," I replied. "It's just fun to look."
It was a beautiful day.
* * *
The restaurant looked expensive. It was on a canal near the marina, and it looked very expensive. Katrina caught my expression.
"I am paying for lunch," she said quietly. "Do not argue with me."
"But-"
"I said..."
"I know. I feel guilty."
"Don't."
"Is this why you insisted on doubles?"
"Yes."
"Thank you."
"You are welcome."
"I don't think they'd be impressed if I took them for pizza."
She laughed. "It was going to be pizza, but I told Jean I wanted to come here. They wouldn't force an expensive meal out of anyone."
"I really like your friends, Katrina."
"I thought you might."
The restaurant didn't just look expensive; it was expensive. I tried to order a salad, but Katrina overrode me, asked me three questions, then ordered for me. As soon as the waitress left, she kissed me deeply, and I clung to her.
"You're supposed to warn me," I said when the kiss was over.
"You didn't freak out," she said.
"I didn't, did I?" That felt good.
Over lunch, the three of them took turns grilling me about my life and my job. Every time I tried to turn it around, I got a short response and another question. My struggles to turn the tables were met with laughter.
"Give it up," Fran said eventually. "You can't beat one of us, much less all three of us. Now, tell me about a mint julep."
They relented eventually, the conversation moving on to talk about Fran's hobby. She liked to go geocaching, which they explained to me was to go out hiking in the woods with a GPS and find containers hidden in the woods. I didn't quite get it, but Fran talked as if finding a geocache was just like finding a rare bird. When I offered a puzzled expression, she said, "The geocaches aren't always easy to find. Sometimes they hide them and just give you a hint. You can be practically standing on top of it but not be able to find it."
"It gets her out of the house," Jean said, "and out of my hair. Except when she makes me go."
"I only make you go if there are going to be spiders," Fran said. She turned to me. "Fran deals with the critters. I deal with the money."
Lunch was fabulous, and I was glad I let Katrina order for me. My meal was amazing. We got out to the parking lot after lunch and I stepped into her arms. "Thank you. Kiss me."
"So demanding." In response, she fingered my collar, making sure Fran and Jean saw. And then she kissed me. It was a lovely kiss.
"Where to?" Jean asked when we finally split apart.
"Back to your place," Katrina said. "We're going to the aquarium next."
"Did you want company?" Fran asked. "I love the aquarium."
"Sure," Katrina replied after a glance at me.
* * *
We took separate cars to Monterey, "so you don't have to come back this way," Jean explained. Once we got there, the three of them made sure I had a fabulous time. In the gift shop, Katrina looked like she was about to buy my things I was picking out, but I said quietly, "most of these are gifts," and she let me pay for them.
And then it was time to say goodbye.
I got hugs. "We'll see you again," Fran whispered in my ear. "Katrina will treat you right as long as you let her lead."
"It's just a fling," I replied.
"Whatever you say," Fran said with a chuckle.
"You have heard my accent," I said.
"I also heard you have a job interview tomorrow. I know you'll get it."
"I don't think so, but thank you for the confidence." Then we separated, and it was time to pile into separate cars.
I rotated to Katrina. "Before we go anywhere, I want to say something."
"All right."
"Thank you for buying lunch."
"You are welcome."
"Thank you for buying my things at the Boardwalk."
She smiled. "You are welcome."
"If you look like you're going to buy my things, I'll feel guilty and won't pick out everything I want to get."
She didn't respond to that.
"What is your job title?" I asked her.
She turned to face me. "I'll tell you that if you tell me what company you are visiting tomorrow."
I frowned. "All right. I presume you believe you make more money than I do."
"Yes."
"Probably a lot more."
"Yes."
"I am normally frugal. I would not have wanted to pay the lunch bill, but I could have. I have known Ted was going to sell the company, and I have been saving my money. You do not need to worry about me."
She turned to look at me. "Done?" I nodded. "My turn?" I nodded.
"Mine," she said. She let it sink in. "Am I clear?"
"Yes, Katrina."
"Good."
As we left Monterey, I felt all gooey and warm inside. I set my hand on Katrina's arm and maintained contact the entire way home.
* * *
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, not speaking. Katrina wanted me to go out in public like this?
I didn't have the slightest problem dressing like this for her, but my boobs were spilling out over the top of the corset, the top half of each areola visible, and if you got close enough, you could see my nipples, barely hidden by the material. It would take absolutely nothing for them to finish bursting free, spilling out for everyone to see.
My bottom half wasn't any better. I was wearing my boots, which was fine, but then only the skimpiest pair of undies I had brought. Still, Katrina had complained. "These are the best you have?"
"I wasn't expecting anyone to see them."
She had been even less impressed with my makeup. I had gone with understated and my hair subdued. She had taken one look and said, "Go wash your face. I'll do it."
I felt like a child but obediently behave. Then she sat me in a chair and wouldn't let me watch as she applied my makeup. When finally she let me look, I saw that she had done an excellent job, but it was goth. Very goth.
I hadn't worn goth in my life.
It wasn't all black and white. Oh, my face was white, with just a hint of blush. The eyes were big and dark with purple shadows. It was very striking and, I admitted, beautiful. My lips glistened, dark red with some of the same purple at the edges. The effect was quite stunning, but not at all me.
"Katrina?" I asked.
"I presume your silence is shock and awe."
I thought about it. "Yes. Exactly. Awe."
"You promised, Bethany," she said. "You will be cheerful."
"I wasn't going to complain," I replied. "But I am not at all sure I can pull this off without a mask. Unless you want me to look like a frightened deer all night."
She tapped her lips, then realized she was smudging them. "Damn it." She fixed her makeup before turning back to me. "If I allow a mask, will you hold your head high and be proud to be with me?"
"I'll be proud anyway, Katrina. Surely you know that."
"But you will not be proud to look like this?" She gestured.
I looked at myself in the mirror. "I can't begin to describe how far from my little box of comfort this is."
She laughed. "Fair enough. I asked a question."
"Yes," I said. "If you allow a mask, I will be tall and proud. And cheerful."
She smiled. "Good. I already picked one out for you. It's over there." She gestured to her dresser. I crossed to it, and there was a mask waiting for me. Like the other I had worn, it only covered half my face, but this one was in purple, a purple that matched the eye shadow she had given me. I smiled and carried it to her, then turned it around
so she could tie it into place for me.
"Thank you, Katrina," I said. "I shouldn't have doubted you."
"You shouldn't doubt," she said, "but it is very important to communicate. I very much wanted you to dress like this, but it was important I know how to help you pull it off. Will you be all right?"
"Honestly? I don't know." I thought about it. "If I ask for help, will you?"
"Of course." She paused. "The subs will not be offered alcohol tonight. I may allow you to drink from my glass, but you will not have one of your own. And you should not presume."
I sighed. "Katrina, I don't have a clue how to behave."
"I will guide you. There is nothing to fear."
"All right, Katrina."
"I will have you on a leash like I did on Friday."
I smiled.
"I may unleash you so that you can fetch for me. The rule about alcohol also covers food."
"We didn't have dinner."
"I know. Will you be all right for a while?"
"Yes."
"Good." She paused, almost tapping her lip, then pulled her hands away from her face. I smiled.
I loved how she looked. She was dressed in another outfit, this one very severe, and her makeup was equally severe. She looked hot, and just looking at her nearly made me swoon. The result of our outfits was to make me look quite a bit younger than she was when there were only a few years between us.
"You look amazing," I told her. "I can't believe I'm here with you."
"You are very sweet. I will call you Belle tonight." I nodded understanding. "If anyone asks, you will introduce yourself as Belle. No last name. If anyone asks if that is your real name, you will say it is."
"Yes, Katrina," I replied.
"If anyone asks, you belong to me."
"Yes, Katrina."
"If anyone tries touching you in a fashion you find disturbing, you will escape immediately and find me. You will tell me."
"Yes, Katrina."
"No exceptions."
"No exceptions," I agreed.
"If anyone does not take 'no' for an answer, make a fuss. It is not done to touch my sub without my permission, and I will not be giving it, but sometimes people forget the rules. If they do, it is not your fault as long as you say 'no' first. You only need to say 'no' once, and if that is enough, you scream my name, if that's what you must do."
"Yes, Katrina. You are making me nervous."
"I am providing you tools I do not believe you will need. Some of the doms tonight are forceful, and they might be willing to intimidate any sub they see and even some of the other doms, but no one messes with me or my sub. Do you understand?"
"I think so, Katrina."
"All right." She studied me. "You look very nice."
"I look-"
"If you say 'cheap', you will not enjoy the spanking."
"-Scared," I finished.
She laughed. "Yes. A little. We're going to have fun. But maybe next time, you'll try harder to win."
I laughed. "We both know I'm not going to win any game that starts with me helpless and leaves you with as much time as you want."
"True. But you will play to win. Always."
"Always," I agreed. "Will I fit in?"
"If not for those amazing boots and coat, you would be considered understated. But the coat demands this look, and you really do carry it well. There will be some subs who look better than you do, but there will be none I want the way I want you."
At that, I pressed myself into her arms and trembled as she held me. "Thank you," I said.
She hugged tighter for a moment, and then we were on the way to the car.
The car ride was difficult. I kept trying to bundle the jacket further around me, sure that everyone was staring at my boobs, sure we would get arrested for indecent exposure. Katrina smirked at me every time she caught me doing it. I think it amused her to know I was doing something that made me so uncomfortable, but that I was doing it because she wanted me to.
I thought about that and decided that if she wanted me to dress like this, then I was going to dress like this. I sat up straighter.
But I still fought to avoid giving the other drivers a peep show.
We arrived at a large house set on a hill, and I stared at it. "Is that as expensive as I think it is?"
"Probably more. Let's just say it's well out of my price range."
We pulled up in front of the house, and a pair of valets stepped forward to open the car doors, the one on my side helping me to step out. He held me near the side of the car until Katrina collected me from him, snapping the leash to my collar in the process. I stared down at it, then turned to her and smiled.
"Good girl," she whispered to me. "Thank you."
"Am I allowed to hold you?" I asked her.
She frowned. "If you start to panic, then you may touch me for comfort. If you hang on me, it will make you look frightened. I will touch you often. When we sit somewhere, you will sit on the floor at my feet, and you may lean against my legs. I like that a great deal. I will like it if you do it at home, too."
"Yes, Katrina."
Then she gave a tiny tug on the leash, and I followed along behind her as she drew us into the house.
There were a lot of people, but it was not crowded. The house was amazing, although I thought the decorating was a touch sterile. I didn't see any personal touches. Katrina's house was a touch sterile, too, not at all homey like mine in North Carolina. I wondered if that was by design or because she didn't know how to offer a personal touch. It was hard to believe there was anything she couldn't do.
Then I remembered how bad she was at Skee ball and snickered.
"You find something amusing?"
"Just a reminder," I whispered to her. "It would be complicated to explain fairly."
"Later, then."
She drew me further into the house, greeting people but not introducing me. No one seemed to expect it. I looked around a lot but remained cognizant of Katrina's every move. The people covered a wide range of types. There were men and women, straight and gay, old and young. The younger ones all looked to be submissives, as best I could tell. Some of the subs were leashed the way I was; most were not. Some were dressed more conservatively than I was; some were barely dressed at all.
We wandered the party, Katrina not eating or drinking anything or allowing me to take anything, finally finding ourselves in a ballroom at the back of the house.
"Oh my," she said immediately.
"What?"
She didn't answer, but tugged on my chain after looking around for a moment, leading us to a small cluster of people.
"Henry," she said. "Whatever has Lila done now?"
As a group, Henry, Katrina, and the other man and woman that Henry had been talking to lifted their heads, and I saw, suspended from the ceiling, a small, round cage with a miserable-looking woman huddled in it.
"Oh, you know Lila," Henry said. "She's not at all pleased if she isn't the center of attention." Then he lowered his gaze. "And is this the lovely you were with on Friday?"
"The one and the same," Katrina said. "Her name is Belle. She has been a pure delight." She tugged on my chain. "Kiss Henry's feet, Belle."
I gave her a look of betrayal, and I'm sure everyone saw it, but she tugged downwards on the chain, and I dropped to the floor and kissed his feet. I wasn't anywhere near as thorough as I would have been with her feet, and he was wearing boots, anyway.
After a moment, Henry stepped a half step back, but Katrina lifted a leg and set a booted foot on the back of my neck, holding me in place. She applied very little pressure, but the message was clear. I remained where I was.
But Katrina spoke loudly enough for me to hear. "You keep a lovely home, Henry. Thank you so much for having me." And I understood why she'd had me kiss his feet.
"I was not sure we would see you," he replied. "Will you be performing for us later?"
"Oh yes," she said. "Belle is new to our lifestyle,
however, so I will be somewhat muted. Do you believe Lila will be available for me later?"
"Perhaps," Henry said. "She looks awfully sullen right now. She can stay up there all night if she doesn't amend her attitude. And will you be sharing your delightful foot rest?"
"Not tonight," Katrina replied. "I'm sorry, but you know how possessive I am with my new toys."
"Quite all right," Henry said. "If Lila has earned her way out of her perch, then you may use her as you choose, but I do hope you have something delicious in mind."
"I will strive to avoid disappointment," Katrina promised. Then her foot left my neck, and she tugged on my chain, reeling me in and I climbed to my feet, ending with her hand clasping the chain at my throat. "I'm sure we'll talk again later, Henry."
Then she was pulling me away, tugging somewhat cruelly. She drew me to the side of the room, and I was having serious misgivings about coming. She pushed me up against the wall, and I thought she was about to yell at me or hurt me or something, but she leaned in closely and whispered, "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, Katrina," I said. "I know-"
"I promised you wouldn't have to touch anyone else. I had forgotten you must kiss Henry's feet. I am sorry. You'll need to kiss them when we leave as well."
"It's okay, Katrina."
"Good. Thank you." Then she turned around, pulling me in front of her, wrapping her arms around me so she could whisper in my ear. "What do you think?"
"It's overwhelming. What do you suppose she did?" I gestured to the woman in the cage.
"She probably pouted when Henry refused some request of her. He dotes on her, and she has him wrapped around her finger, but if she does it in front of anyone, he gets his back up. She should know better. This happens all the time."
"Is it on purpose?"
"Maybe, but I think she's just that vapid and comfortable. She'll pout for a while, then she'll remember how to be cute, and his heart will melt."
"It's a small cage," I observed.
"There are two of them." She gestured, and I saw another cage hanging at the other side of the room. This one was empty. "They can be made to spin."
"Oh god. Wouldn't someone get sick to the detriment of everyone below her?"
"It has happened. I got the impression from your attempts to get us on the roller coaster than you feel you have a strong stomach. Would you get sick?"