The Novelist Pt. 05

Alexis could see that Sir had taken his time on her. She looked at Jane with caring eyes.

"You did it." She said quietly. "Welcome home, Jane." She paused as Jane smiled the biggest smile she had ever seen. "How was it?" She asked.

"It... it..." She sniffled and wiped her nose with her forearm. "...was so a-a-ama..." And then she started to cry again. She held her hands up to her face and fluttered her open palms as if to show some visible sign that she couldn't control her emotions.

Marie wanted to go to her, but her sister had gone straight to Alexis. It was the way things went in Sir's house. Alexis was the one that understood. She'd seen them all go through it. The others looked on in amazement at her bruised and battered form.

"Let me help." Alexis said as she reached out a hand and unclamped the weights on her nipples. She rubbed them gently.

"Ohgodohgod! Ungmph." Jane squirmed feeling those strange new sensations coursing through her.

Alexis leaned her forward seeing the plug in her ass. She reached down and slowly began to pull it out. Jane moaned and bucked as it stretched her asshole. The other girls gasped at the sight of her ass now in full view. It was a solid block of black and blue. Finally, Alexis pulled it free. A stream of cum drooled out of her. Marie crawled over and put her arms around her sister. Jane fell into her arms.

She looked up at her sister with sad, vulnerable eyes. "I... I u-understand now." She reached up and felt Marie's collar. "I c-can't go home." She continued. "How can I ever go back?"

Marie saw her confusion, and understood the difficulty her sister faced trying to think of going back to anything normal. "I know. It'll be okay, Jane." She said. "Come with me. Let's get you cleaned up." She looked back at everyone. "You'll have to go without me today. I need to get her settled."

"Okay." Alexis said.

Jane was still fixated on Marie's collar.

"I... I want one too." She whispered.

******

Tom walked contemplatively around the yard. It had taken a lot of time and energy to deal with his aunt's early arrival. He wasn't upset about it. If anything, he was pleased with how well it went. But it prevented him from thinking through some other details for tomorrow. He needed his aunt to write up a few settlement offers. He needed to speak with Stephen. He needed to talk to Frank. And he wondered why he hadn't heard back from Jim about Maryanne's reaction to his manuscript.

He walked back into his office, and wrote out three broad outlines for divorce settlements. He put a hand written note with the outlines into an envelope and wrote his aunt's name on the front. She wouldn't be able to take care of it this afternoon. Tom assumed it would be some time before she settled down into her new reality. She would handle it tonight, he thought.

He was intrigued to see an e-mail from Angie. He didn't honestly expect to hear back from her. He replied with nothing more than his phone number.

Tom walked back to the house bypassing the women altogether. He went to his room, and took a long shower. He figured he'd go visit Stephen first. He pulled out a pair of relaxed fit jeans, sandals and comfortable t-shirt.

******

Marie helped Jane into the tub. The water was only luke warm. Anything hotter would have irritated her bruises. They hadn't spoken much. Jane just followed her sister's lead. Marie soaped up a wash cloth and began rubbing her sister's body soothing her.

"Are you okay, Jane? Was it too bad?" She asked quietly hoping her sister would open up to her.

"I don't know how to describe it." Jane finally answered. She was no longer crying or sniffling. She was just quiet and introspective.

"Do you want to try?" She asked. "You don't have to be afraid of your feelings."

"I don't know." She answered. "It's like nothing makes sense anymore. How does he make me feel so much? I'm afraid and excited. It hurt, but it felt so good. Reading a book can't prepare you for that. And experiencing it means... means you can't go back. How can I go back?"

"I don't know." Marie answered. "I don't have an answer for that."

"Do you think I can stay?"

"It's up to Sir."

"All those women..." Jane said. "They all submit?"

"Yes. He owns them all."

Jane repeated the word quietly. "Owns?" Then she looked back at her sister. "The whole idea goes against everything I've ever believed."

"Alexis says that a submissive is always stronger than her Dominant. It's because she allows him to dominate her." Marie explained. "She said that was the first thing Sir taught her."

Jane thought about that quietly while Marie finished washing her. After she finished soaking, she stood up and Marie toweled her off. Jane took a look at herself for the first time in a mirror. She saw the words on her chest, and the bruises covering her body.

"Shouldn't I be mad?" She asked. "Why do I admire these?"

"For the same reason I do." Marie said showing the fading bruises on her ass. "Because we earned them. Let's get some cream on those. Trust me it helps."

She led Jane to the bed and had her lie down on her stomach. Then she squeezed out a large dollop from the same bottle Alexis had used on her a few days ago. She rubbed the cool cream into her bruises taking care to be gentle.

"Do you think I can get a collar?" Jane asked

"You need to talk to Alexis about that." She said. "Do you understand what it means?"

Jane thought about that word again. "It means he owns me, right?"

"It means you never go back, Jane."

******

Tom pulled into the parking lot behind Stephen's shop. He parked his car, and stepped out smelling the foul odor of urine coming from the back alley. He hated Hollywood. It was filled with vagrants, drug addicts and hookers. Stephen always said that the rent was cheap, and he preferred having the extra space instead of spending more money in a better part of town.

He opened the backdoor stepping into the shop. Tom loved the smell of leather. He appreciated Stephen's work ethic. The man ran his shop nearly seven days a week. There weren't really any hours per se. It was open as long as he was working, and Stephen's passion was building and creating.

The din of power tools filled room. Led Zepplin could be heard faintly in the background. Tom walked around admiring the new creations on display since his last visit. He watched a young couple at the front of the store. The girl was cute, he thought. Young. The guy she was with said something, and she got down on her knees next to him. Tom always appreciated seeing other people in the lifestyle. It seemed like such a small world. He watched as the man lifted his foot and kicked her over into the floor. Something seemed off, and it bothered Tom. He couldn't hear what the man was saying over the other noises.

As they got closer, he noticed her black eye. They were close enough that he could hear them now.

"Stupid bitch." The guy spat. "I'm gonna find something to teach you a lesson. Then we'll see if you still think you can do what you want."

"I'm sorry..." She started to say.

The guy backhanded her face. "Shut up!" He yelled.

Tom couldn't help himself. He piped up.

"Excuse me." Tom said in a calm, even tone.

The girl looked at him out of terrified eyes.

"Are you alright?" She didn't answer.

"Who the fuck you think you're talking to?" The guy said angrily.

"I was talking to the girl." He looked at her again. "Are you alright? Is he hurting you?"

"That's my bitch, asshole. I didn't give you permission to talk to her." He began walking up on Tom.

"Did you give her the black eye?" He asked.

"What if I did? You better shut your face before you get one too."

Tom tried to control his anger. If there was anything he couldn't stand it was men that used the lifestyle as justification for domestic abuse. He reached down picking up a leather strap in his hand looking it over as if he were contemplating a purchase.

"Only insecure assholes punch women in the face." Tom said without even looking in his direction.

He was calm and his tone was non-confrontational. He was adept at being passive aggressive.

"You're a stupid fuck!" The man said walking up to him.

He pushed Tom back into the display case. Before the man even knew what hit him, Tom whipped the leather strap up across his face. The man stood dazed, and then pulled his arm back to throw a punch. Just as quickly Tom whipped his face again splitting his lip and knocking him to the floor. He put a foot on the man's chest and looked down at him. The man brought his hand to his lip touching it and then seeing the blood on his finger.

"You're going to walk out of this store, and I'm going to talk to the young lady." Tom said with a deadly serious look on his face. He reached in his pocket and grabbed a couple dollars throwing them down. "Go get a cup of coffee while I figure out what's going on. That sound alright with you?"

Tom whipped the strap striking his other cheek.

"Ow. Fuck!" The man shouted.

"It hurts getting hit in the face, doesn't it?" Tom said. "Get out of here."

The man scrambled to his feet and walked out of the shop furious, but outmatched.

Tom waved the young girl forward.

"It's alright. Come here. Let me get a look at you." She walked toward him. "Did he do this to you?"

"Y-you don't understand." She babbled nervously. "He... he's training me... to be a slave."

Tom's heart wept for the girl. He hated the word slave. He felt that implication was that a submissive didn't have a choice. It was antithetical to what he liked about the lifestyle. He looked at her short brunette hair and petite figure. She couldn't have weighed more than a hundred pounds.

"I want you to listen to me. This isn't how you train someone. Being submissive doesn't mean you get punched in the face. Has he hurt you in any other way?"

She looked away shyly. Her eyes watered up. Tom reached out and rubbed her back to comfort her.

"He told me it's how slaves are supposed to act. He said it was my fault." The tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"Whatever you did, you didn't deserve this." Tom said. "My name is Tom. What's yours?"

"Kimmie."

"Did he hurt you anywhere else, Kimmie? Can you show me?"

She brought her hand up to her rib. Tom reached out and lifted her shirt showing her midriff, and then a little higher. He could see a series of bruises on her sides and ribs. This was different than training someone with a strap or a crop. This wasn't testing someone's limits and pushing them. This was abuse pure and simple.

"Oh, Kimmie. This isn't right." He said sadly.

The din from the power tools had stopped. Stephen came out from the back of the shop drinking from a bottle of water. He still wore his industrial work smock.

"Tom?" He said seeing his friend examining a girl.

Tom turned around and smiled.

"Stephen!" He went over and gave his friend a handshake and a hug. "It's good to see you."

"You too." Stephen said. He flashed him a shit eating grin. "I met your mother the other day."

"I know you did." Tom smiled back.

"Who's this peach?" Stephen asked nodding to the small girl. "She a new girl?"

"No. Some asshole was in here punching her around. I just cracked his lip with that strap and sent him out so I could talk to her." He looked back at the girl standing there. "Kimmie, I want you to meet Stephen. He's owns this place."

"Are you guys... um... Masters or whatever?" She asked.

"Dominants. Yes." Stephen said. "I'm sorry to hear you were getting slapped around. You're safe her."

Tom gave her a sympathetic look.

"Just sit back and relax, okay? I need to talk to Stephen for a few minutes. Then we'll figure everything out."

She didn't sit down. She followed them around the store while they spoke of plans and the lifestyle. She listened intently unused to hearing anyone talk about the life she thought she was learning. The way they talked about it seemed so much sexier. She noted Tom discussing the punishment he had doled out earlier today. It still sounded painful, but not in the same way she had been hit. He talked about restraint and evaluation. He mentioned testing the woman and gauging her reactions. She'd never been given much choice. She liked the idea of choosing. They were discussing some event for the following night. Everything piqued her interest. After a half an hour, Tom was getting ready to part ways. He left Kimmie under Stephen's care.

******

Alexis parked her car at a meter on Hayworth just north of Melrose. The ladies stepped out and began walking down the street toward Agent Provocateur. They were dressed casually, but they exuded sex in their confident strut. It drew the attention of men and women alike.

Fran opened the door, and the girls entered the small upscale lingerie shop. This is where Alexis bought almost all her lingerie. The store itself was small with a few select racks of clothing. Karine heard the bell jingle on the door and stepped out of the back room.

"Ah, Alexis!" She said as she moved forward to greet her friend.

She wore a short mini skirt that was high enough to expose the exquisite top of her thigh high stockings and garter straps. Her form fitting blouse was unbuttoned down below her breasts allowing the matching bra to peak out. "It's so good to see you." She said doing small air kisses off to each side of her face.

"You too, Karine." Alexis replied.

Abby and Ybeth had never been in this store before. They looked at some of the lingerie pieces on a hanging rack.

"Holy shit, Alexis!" Abby choked. "This is $250 for a bra and panty set."

Ybeth grabbed the tag turning it over and confirming the price. It was more than she'd ever spent on underwear.

"This is on me, ladies." Alexis said. "We're doing Sir a favor, and I want to cover the cost so we look good."

"What are we looking for?" Karine asked.

"Garter and stockings, I think." Then she looked at Anne. "Do you think a bustier or corset instead?"

"Corset maybe. That's always sexy." Anne replied.

"No, no." Fran jumped in. "He wouldn't want us covered up too much. Stockings and garter."

"I agree." Alexis added after a moment of thought. Then she looked at Karine. "How much inventory do you keep in the store?"

"Not much." She replied. "Why? How much did you need?"

******

Angie was nervous. She'd stared at his number for a long time. Part of her still felt conflicted about calling him. Despite the fact John was acting a bit immature, she was still seeing him. She felt bad about cheating, but calling this guy meant that it was more than just a one-time thing. It was a dilemma. If she called him it made her a bad person. If she didn't then she'd had a one night stand, if that's what you call it, which is something she always said she would never do.

She had decided to call John first. They had a long conversation. He invited her on a vacation. Angie had never taken a vacation. She was born and raised in upstate New York. The most she'd ever traveled was to a neighboring state. She had to admit it sounded nice. She'd always wanted to see California.

Even Angie had to admit that John was trying very hard. He'd started with an apology, which sounded sincere. She noted that he'd only called the once and left a message. It meant a lot to her to hear him take responsibility for his poor actions. After a long conversation, she told him that it was a big step taking a trip together. She needed to think about it.

In fact, she did need to think it over. It was significant to her. No one had ever offered to take her anywhere. She wondered if she wanted to go because he offered it to her, or if she wanted to go just because she wanted to take the vacation. In the end, she kept thinking about Tom. He lived in Los Angeles. She wondered if it was a sign. Maybe she was meant to call him. Maybe this was fate bringing her back to him.

She thought it over, and then thought about it some more. Then she picked up the phone, and dialed his number.

"Hello?" Tom answered recognizing the Saratoga Springs area code on his caller ID.

"Hi, Tom. It's... um... Angie." She said before wondering if he would remember her name. "The therapeutic masseuse... from Friday..."

Tom let out a good natured laugh. "Yeah, I remember." He said. "It was only two days ago. You miss me already?"

Angie couldn't understand why her nerves were acting up, and she couldn't seem to form a sentence. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that it was just talking. Just be yourself, she thought, just be honest.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I'm nervous I guess."

"Don't be."

"Okay." She said calming herself. "Um... yeah... I guess I've been thinking about you."

"I'm glad you called." Tom said. "I really enjoyed our time together."

"I really haven't done anything like that before in my life." She said timidly. "I... can't stop thinking about it... about you... about all those things you told me about."

"Well, I'd love to see you again if I'm back in your neck of the woods."

"What if I came to see you?" She asked.

"Are you planning on coming to LA?" Tom asked surprised.

"Um... okay... please don't judge me..." She said. "You know that guy I told you I've been seeing?"

"Yeah." Tom asked intrigued. "How's that going?"

"Well, he offered to take me on vacation to Los Angeles. Sort of a last minute thing." She said. "I haven't said anything to him yet. I'm really not sure I should go. But... I keep thinking about you... and... I thought maybe I could see you... I mean if I'm out there already."

Tom was dumbfounded. Not by her desire to visit him, but by his father's sneaky maneuver. It upset him that the trip that was meant to provide a civil conversation and some type of resolution for his parents, but his father seemed intent on carrying on with his affair.

"When would you be coming out?" He asked.

"That's the thing." She said. "We'd be leaving late tonight."

"Oh, so soon!" He tried to act surprised.

"Yeah... maybe it was stupid... I'm sorry if..."

"Can I be serious for a minute?" He asked.

"Sure." She said nervously expecting to be let down.

"I told you a little about my life out here. I was being honest about it. I have a lot of women that I work with. I'm not sure you'd like what you saw. We... well we wouldn't be alone. I guess that's what I mean."

Angie had thought about it already before she called him. She remembered the conversation they had in between their fucking. She had to admit that she wanted to know more about it. She wanted to see what he meant. It was part of the intrigue.

"You mean you'll be... what do you call it? Training?" She asked.

"Yes." Tom replied.

"Would you let me watch?" She asked.

Her heart raced at the thought. She wanted to see what it was like. She'd even gone out and bought his other books. She had started his newest one already.

Tom's mind raced. Now this was a complication. It was a serious one at that. He tried to think it through quickly. He needed more time, but she needed an answer.

"There are some things you don't know about." He said. "I'm afraid you'll see something you don't like."

"I'm a big girl." She replied. "I can hold my own without getting scared off. I... I keep thinking about it. What if I never meet someone that can show me this again?"

"What about your boyfriend?" He asked. "Are you taking the trip to see me, or to be with him?"

There was a long silence. "To see you." She said meekly. "Does that sound bad? I feel guilty about it."

"It's kind of fucked up."

"I know." She replied. "It's not that I don't like him... but... oh who am I kidding... it's not going to work long term."

"Then why take the trip? How long is it for?"

"A week." She said. "And I don't know why! I want to see you again, and I can't afford to fly out there. You'll think this is silly, but when he offered, I thought it was a sign. Like I was meant to call you."