With the mention of Ms. Lucy, Claire seemed to cheer up. “Maybe I will do that,” she said. “Ms. Lucy seems to understand me, and I feel like I can trust her.”
Amanda pulled Claire tight into a hug, sending her all the positive vibes of friendship and strength that she could. She had a feeling that, deep down, Claire did want to assert herself. The question was if she was going to be able to before it was too late, or if she would simply give up before their time at the school was over.
“Why don’t you go to bed,” Claire said. “I’m going to clean up, talk to Yvette and then see if I can meet up with Ms. Lucy. It’s late, but I need to talk to someone about this tonight.”
Feeling a bit unsure about leaving her friend in need, Amanda took Claire in. Outside appearances, she looked like an absolute mess with her hair disheveled and mascara smeared down her face. But, internally, she possessed a fortitude that should see her through this hurdle.
Claire read Amanda’s concern. “I’m fine. I swear. Go to bed, and you’ll see me tomorrow.”
The next morning, Claire’s bunk lay empty and unslept in. On the pillow lay a note, “Sorry, couldn’t take it. Home’s the best place for me.” The wording sounded more than awkward. Amanda couldn’t imagine her girlfriend skipping out. Yet, the proof was there in the perfectly made bed and goodbye missive.
Even still, Mandi decided to talk to Yvette, who informed her that Claire had stopped by the night before with her concerns, and although they had not been able to reach Ms. Lucy via telephone, Yvette had suggested that she walk down to the headmistress’ quarters for some one-on-one counseling.
“We try to have an open-door policy,” Yvette explained. “If there was a problem, Ms. Lucy would want to hear it. I’m surprised that Claire decided to leave; however, we never really know how each student is going to act or react.”
A quick call down to the front desk showed that no one had visited the school’s overseer the night before, but also that no one had checked out. Further, no one reported seeing a car pick up anybody. It was as if Claire had decided to leave and then magically disappeared into thin air.
Even more disturbing, Amanda found a change in her daily schedule. For some reason, she was ordered to report to Ralph Tingsly’s S&M seminar. Thinking about Claire’s puffy eyes the night before, Amanda thought it was the last place that she’d want to go.
“I’m sure you all are wondering what you’re doing here,” Ralph said from the front of the room. He looked over the desks, as if personally identifying each of them.
A murmur of “yeses” echoed through the room, and Amanda felt herself nodding her head in the affirmative. She certainly wanted to know why she was there.
As Ralph paused for emphasis, Amanda took a look at her fellow students. There was a mix of students from all the different houses, but one thing lay in common: They were all female. No males, aside from the instructor, inhabited the room.
“Well, for one reason or another,” Ralph’s gaze lingered on Amanda, “everyone in this class has somehow been able to avoid this class, and me. And I like to make sure to get to know all the students personally.”
A tingle – there was that word again – of anticipation traveled down Amanda’s spine. He may want to get to know her better, but Amanda wanted nothing to do with him, or any of his public lessons.
“And somehow,” he continued, “all of you came to my attention.
“Unfortunately, we recently had a student drop out of the program, and I wanted to do a quick introduction to see if there was anyone interested in changing their focus,” Ralph explained.
Right away, Amanda thought about Claire. She’d been gone for less than 24 hours, but the S&M instructor looked less than heartbroken to lose a student. And not in the least bit worried. Instead, he simply wanted to replace her. Move on. It was as if Claire had never been to the school, and Amanda wondered what would happen if she, too, left.
Chapter Eleven
After her public punishment and engagement afterward, Amanda expected to see more of Reed – much more of him. That didn’t end up being the case. Right after that “quality time” together, he lost interest. Just like most men who get what they’ve chased after, she thought: Loved ‘em and left ‘em. They, however, had never gotten the chance to experience that full-on “love” part.
The next few weeks were tough, especially with Claire leaving the school. Amanda felt like she’d lost her closest friend and confidante, and then with Reed’s waning interest, she felt like she was just going through the motions of her classes.
Tonight would be different. Tonight, she planned to party. Let loose. For the most part, over the last few weeks, the dorms had stuck together. Sure, they all ate in the same mess hall, and sometimes the classes were integrated, but when the lights went out… that was it: lockdown. Tonight was dance night. After being with the same-old, same-old people, Amanda was ready for some diversity.
“So what are you wearing tonight?” her tribe mate Monica asked, standing in front of her own closet.
Amanda shrugged her shoulders and continued to peer into her closet, hoping for something she hadn’t seen before to magically appear or for a new combination of pieces to fall into place. The novelty of skimpy clothing had started to wear off. One could only do the short miniskirt and black leather bustier outfit so often.
No such luck. And then she thought about it: Claire’s clothes. Sure they were built differently: While Amanda boasted plenty in the cleavage department, Claire was more stylishly graceful (flat). Still, she remembered a particular red dress that she’d seen the sometimes shy Clarissa eyeing, but that she’d never worn.
Although it had been a few weeks since Claire had disappeared in the night, no one had been around to clean out her locker. Amanda found this a bit odd, but it certainly worked in her favor. Giving Monica a conspiratorial glance, she crossed over to Claire’s locker and opened it up. On the inside door, she’d taped a photo of her and her fiancé.
“Wonder why she left this behind?” Amanda said aloud, fingering the photo. Maybe she’d keep it as a memento of her friend.
“Don’t know,” Monica said, “probably forgot that she put it there. And, if she was going home, she wouldn’t take the school’s clothing, right?”
“Makes sense,” Amanda said.
She sorted through the hanging dresses, easily finding the flashy red number. It probably would have looked fantastic on Claire, if she would have allowed herself to wear it. Whoever had picked out the clothes, and for some reason Amanda had a feeling that Ms. Lucy played a big hand in the selection, knew what would have looked good on the budding dominatrix.
It also would look good on her, too, and it would probably garner some attention from Reed. There was no way that he was going to miss her wearing this dress – what there was of it, she thought, as she held it up against her body.
A slow wolf’s whistle rang out, and she looked up to see Clyde admiring her. “Now that’s what I call a money maker,” he said. “You better save a dance for me.”
Sometime after dinner, the mess hall had lost all its “mess” status and had been transformed in a fairy’s wet dream. Rainbow-colored gossamer hung from the ceiling in billowing streams. Sapphire, garnet and canary-yellow softened lights added to the ambiance. Two side walls had been pulled back, leaving one side of the room completely open to the outdoors. The area’s nighttime fog blanketed the outside quad and rolled indoors. The combination made it feel like they were floating through a magical wonderland where any adventure or fantasy could take place.
No wallflowers clung to the walls. Instead, they all swayed with the intoxicating rhythm of the music. Amanda could feel the beat vibrating through her body. Most of the party-goers had chosen to wear dark colors or black. Her dress stood out like a splash of blood in a swirling sea of sharks. She’d come looking for some attention, and she’d received plenty of it. Too much, in fact.
After dancing with one partner after anoth
er, an oasis of bodies pressed up against her, pushing her into the next person, and she’d escaped to the refreshments table. She’d barely gotten there, feeling the soothing coolness of the pineapple punch tempt her taste buds, when a voice spoke from behind her.
“Will you dance with me?”
There was no doubt that since the moment she saw him during orientation, Mandi had had a thing for Reed. Despite any thoughts of avoiding him this evening, and somehow making him pay for his inattention, her body immediately responded to him.
She turned, taking in the sight of his gorgeous body. The blue lights above him gave an iridescent purple hue to his dark hair.
“I thought you’d never ask,” she said, placing her glass back onto the table. She anticipated his touch, feeling him again. And then, she was in his arms.
While the dance floor felt crowded before, now all she knew was Reed. The song shifted to Blue October’s “Hate Me.” He held her close against his strong body, and simply said, “I’ve missed you.”
His warm breath sent shivers down her neck, and she inhaled his scent of fresh wood and apple blossoms.
“So what ever happened to that sexy Italian chic, Claire? Your tribe mate?” he asked.
Mandi stiffened. Is that why he asked me to dance? So he could get to Claire?
“I don’t know. She was gone one morning when I woke up,” she said, pulling back to meet his eyes. “Wouldn’t you know more though, as a trainer?”
“We’re not told everything. Did she mention anything?”
“Like ‘I’m feeling like a trashy ho and I’m outta here’? Nope. She didn’t say nada.”
She felt like throwing out the question, “Why the interest?” but Mandi held her tongue. If there was one thing she’d learned in the last few weeks, it was to acquiesce to the wishes of the instructors. Right now, Reed may be playing nice, but she didn’t want to get on his bad side.
The music shifted to another slow number, but this one possessed more of a rhythm and Mandi felt a shift in the pressure of Reed’s hips. She raised her eyes to look into his, and what she saw there made her lick her lips in anticipation and preparation.
“Have I told you how alluring you look tonight?” Reed said, taking in the ample cleavage, made even more noticeable by the deep v-neck of her dress.
“No, but I’d love to hear it.”
“Good enough to eat,” he countered, “or at to least have a late-night snack.”
An all-natural throb started between her legs. If Mandi thought the fantasy of being with Reed was good, reality proved all that much better.
Grinding his hips into her pelvis, she felt his growing attraction. Beneath the audio stylings, she heard him moan as he leaned over and took a nibble from her neck.
Reed wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. When his sister went missing from Sex U. a little more than a month ago, he decided to go undercover and take the investigation into his own hands. The school officials had given the authorities some lame excuse about how Willow had left a note and supposedly taken some exclusive job overseas, where she needed to remain incognito. Still, after all this time, given how close they were, Willow would never go this long without contacting Reed.
Once he started investigating, it appeared as if a fair amount of “dropouts” of the school actually were not heard from again. Coincidentally, they were all female students. Something was up, and he was there to find out what.
He really didn’t need a romantic liaison to interfere, but despite her rough exterior, Mandi possessed a soft sensibility that captured his interest and he could not ignore his attraction. The school was filled with beautiful, and willing, women. Looking around the dance floor, he could reach out and grab naked rounded asses on either side of him, yet… he’d much prefer the girl already in his arms.
“Mind getting out of here with me?” he asked. Damn responsibilities and all that he had to do. Right now, he could carve a little bit of pleasure out for himself.
“Would love to,” Amanda answered quickly.
He took her hand, and they wove through the crowd. The night was a bit of a free-for-all, and all of the attendees – students and instructors – were allowed to do whatever they pleased. In most cases, that freedom translated into whoever they pleased.
Once outside, the air dipped down a few more degrees and Mandi shivered.
“Cold?” Reed asked, putting his arm around her.
“A little.”
“I’ll warm you up soon,” he promised.
After the crowded dance floor, the quiet of the night was a welcome change. Amanda took in the seriousness of Reed’s profile. He always looked like a man with a lot of his mind.
They turned down a narrow trail marked, “Private. Employees only.” Nestled in a larger alcove, a line of small cabins waited at the end of the walkway. Reed stopped in front of one of the lodges and opened the door.
“Where are we?” she asked, looking at the comfortable and small surroundings. The living room doubled as a mini-kitchen, and another doorway opened into the bedroom. A fireplace with dual hearths connected the two living spaces. The walls were painted a cool blue with silver-gray accents. A dark blue sofa rested against one wall and, through the opening to the bedroom, Amanda could see that the color scheme continued throughout. On the surface, the space was inviting, but it lacked anything personal. There were no photos of family members or magazines strewn across the coffee table. The room told her nothing about Reed. It was as if they were in an upscale hotel room.
“My place,” Reed countered. “A home away from home, on campus. We’re each given a room in the dorms, but we also have these cabins to call our own.”
“Makes sense.” Amanda sometimes wondered what Yvette did in her “spare” time, or if she ever left the campus. Now she knew.
“Would you like something to drink?” Reed asked, leading her to the couch.
“Not necessary,” she countered and redirected Reed toward the bedroom. They were back at his place for a reason, and Amanda wanted to get to that reason.
The red fabric clung to Amanda’s hips as she walked down the short hall to his bedroom. Mesmerized by the swaying of her fabulous ass and dancer’s calves, Reed simply stared and followed the bait.
Once inside, he pushed Amanda back on the bed, straddling her body with his knee between hers. Running his hands up and down her body, he once again reveled in her perfect combination of compact muscles and soft curves. She arched up into him, taking his mouth in hers, and pushing herself against his already hard cock. She tasted fruity like the punch she’d been sipping and, although her body was cold, her tongue was warm. She caught his lower lip between her teeth, sucking on the tender flesh. Slipping a hand between her legs, he could feel how ready she was for him. He’d wanted her so badly, for so long and had been doing his damnedest to ignore his own desires, but this time, their first time, he didn’t think he could take it slow. He needed her now. He needed her fast.
He needed his fucking phone to stop vibrating in his pocket.
“Damn,” he said, pulling back and searching out the cell from his pocket.
“Ignore it,” she said, with a fuck-me-now smile on her face.
“I plan to.” Just as he was about to switch the phone to “off,” he saw part of the text message: “Emergency.”
Double damn. With everything that had been happening, he couldn’t ignore it. He clicked on the phone once again and read the rest of the message. It didn’t say much, except that he was needed at the Commons Area. The text had come from the number at the front office, but it didn’t have a sender. Still, he should check it out.
“I’m sorry,” he started to explain to Amanda, “there’s some sort of emergency that I need to check out. Will you wait for me here?”
Amanda looked a bit pouty, but she nodded her head yes in acquiesce. “There’s no way you’re getting rid of me now.”
Chapter Twelve
Alone, Mandi stripped off her clothes, what
little she’d been wearing, and snuggled beneath the thick plaid down comforter. Hand between her legs, she imagined that Reed had instead stayed with her. She teased her soft folds, not trying to achieve orgasm, just keep herself on the edge of excitement. The bed felt plush beneath her, and the soft mattress molded to her body, inviting further relaxation. She waited for Reed to return from whatever emergency errand had called him away.
The room was quiet, and she wished that she had asked him to turn on some music before he left. Outside, she heard the occasional laugh or subdued voices of passersby. A cricket wreaked havoc in one corner of the room. The more she tried not to hear it, the louder it sounded.
With the light turned down low, she felt herself start to drift off into a light sleep. If Reed didn’t return quickly, it was likely she’d be knocked out for the night and not able to do anything. The sound of the front door opening jostled her awake, and then she heard the soft padding of feet crossing the carpeting.
Was there more than one person here? Had Reed brought home a playmate for their first time together?
Just when she’d mustered enough energy to turn over and look, weight settled on the bed and a blindfold slipped over her eyes, leaving her in further darkness.
Kinky games?
“You’re coming with us,” a male voice said in her ear. Shivers of a bad sort broke out over her arms. At the school, anything goes, but a feeling of uneasiness settled over her.
A robe slipped over her shoulders.
“Where are we going?” she couldn’t help but ask. Maybe she had broken a school rule, going to the private quarters of an instructor.
“Haven’t you learned not to ask questions?” another, familiar, voice replied.
She’d heard that demanding and condescending voice before, but couldn’t place the speaker.
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