A Familiar Client

This story was written for the following prompt: "Everyone thinks I'm a sweet demure young woman and they probably believe that I'm completely naive and innocent about sex, since that is what I project... Little do they know that I have a side-job as a professional dominatrix. That is... until one of my friends accidentally booked my services..."

Contains: gentle dominant/submissive, bondage, lots of consent.

The first thought that went through my head when Linda opened the door was Oh fuck, I thought this place looked familiar. I'd been here twice before, but the little suburb house looked the same as practically every other building in this neighborhood. I couldn't connect the hazy memories of parties with the address I had gotten until it was too late, too late.

As she stared at me, I could see the spark of recognition grow. I looked pretty different when I was doing this: my makeup more intense, my black hair put up in a tight bun, my clothes composed of a lot more leather than usual and the heels of my boots making me a few inches taller. Still, it was me. She knew my face, and I only had a few seconds before the question in her eyes turned into a shocked answer. I could run, or I could run with it.

Fuck it, I always thought she was cute.

"Aren't you going to invite me in, darling?" I purred at her in my best domme voice, stepping forward before she could answer. She automatically moved aside, letting me pass into the living room and closing the door. Then she froze, staring at me again, and I knew the game was up. At least nobody would notice us talking in here.

"Courtney...?" she whispered, her eyes wide.

"Yes, that's me," I replied, trying to keep a playful air. I could do this. I just couldn't afford to be... well, me. As long as I stayed confident and in charge, this would be fine. If I slipped into my shy, easily-flustered everyday self...

"But, like, Courtney Courtney?" she asked, still staring. "The one I know? Not... her twin sister, or... or doppleganger, or something?"

"Yes," I said, my chest tight.

She was still trying to wrap her head around it. "You're a dominatrix...? Like, fuck me, seriously? You can't say cock without blushing!"

"A-And that disqualifies me, does it?" I said, a familiar heat rising to my cheeks. I was already losing it. Shit.

"Well-" She looked down at herself. "I... I guess not in this case... but... seriously? You? Doing this?"

She met my eyes again, and I could see the judgement in her gaze. Excuses leapt into my mind, pushing at my lips, but I held them back. Barely. I was starting to realize the only reason I could be so self-assured as a domme was because my clients had no idea of what I was typically like. She expected me to be nervous and bashful, and goddammit, that's what I was becoming.

"I can't believe it," she said, shaking her head. "This is... insane. I mean, you're so... so shy, normally. Me and the girls try to censor ourselves around you. I didn't even know you liked women. And it turns out you're... this."

"Please don't think I'm weird," I blurted, then winced. Yup. There it was. My confidence down the drain in less than two minutes. Why did I even come in? Did I really think I could dominate someone who I'd known for years?

After a few moments, she broke into a grin. "There's the Courtney I know." She stepped forward, giving me a brief hug, then pulled away, her hands on my shoulders. "This... this is really weird. But you're not weird. Like, fuck, I'm the one who hired you. I'm not in a position to judge."

I didn't even consider this from her side. It was probably just as bad, knowing that she had revealed her own deviant tastes to her friend. At least I had the excuse of doing it for the money; she was the one paying for it.

"Do you want a glass of wine or something?" she asked, pulling away, and I realized I had been quiet for too long.

"Sure." I didn't normally accept drinks from clients, but this was anything except normal and something to dull my embarrassment sounded perfect. She went into the kitchen as I sat down on the couch, putting the large bag I carried at my feet. After a minute, she came back with two glasses, filled rather closer to the brim than was typical. I didn't object, merely taking long sips as she sat next to me and did the same, both of us hoping to ease the difficult conversation ahead. The glasses ended up almost being emptied before either of us spoke a word.

"So..." she said finally. "This is probably pretty fucked up to ask, but are you still... like, willing?"

I didn't immediately understand; when I did, I almost sprayed wine across the room. "You- You still want to...?"

"I didn't hire a dominatrix on a whim," she said, giving me a wry smile. "I kinda had something in mind. And, well, you came inside after recognizing me, so I figured you might... y'know."

That was true, but I was seriously questioning my own judgement on that. "We're friends... I don't want it to be weird between us."

"It's already gonna be weird. I mean, now I know what you do, and... you know that I like what you do." She shrugged, her cheeks pink. "And... you're pretty cute. Or hot, with the leather."

'Hot' was unfortunately accurate. The heat of my embarrassment and the glow of the wine plus my long, heavy jacket was making me feel uncomfortably warm, but taking it off wasn't an option. It was there to cover up an outfit that would be completely inappropriate in public and also completely inappropriate in front of Linda... at least at the moment, if she was really proposing this.

"Um," I managed eventually, finishing the last of my wine and setting the glass next to hers on the coffee table. "We'd be the only ones to know, right?"

"Yeah," she said, suddenly getting excited as she realized I was considering it. "God, yeah, of course! It'd be bad for both of us if anyone knew."

"Okay. This might be a bad idea, but... okay." I took a deep breath, trying to reorient my mind into 'domme mode.' "So... let's talk about it. How much experience do you have with this kind of thing?" I could see her hesitate and added, "Don't say what you think I want to hear. It'll be better if I have a real idea of what you're familiar with."

"Alright," she said, squeezing her eyes shut. "Being totally honest, I pretty much have no experience. Like, I had a girlfriend who put me in handcuffs a couple times and that's it. But, uh, I'm familiar with the idea. From... y'know. Porn and stuff."

"Okay. Thank you for telling the truth."

She looked up at me. "Will... that be a problem?"

"No, not at all. I have plenty of clients who are... experimenting for the first time."

She snorted. "You say that so casually, 'plenty of clients.' I can't even imagine you ordering someone around."

"You won't have to imagine," I said, attempting to sound joking, but she froze up, her gaze sliding away from me. After a moment, I carefully said, "Linda?"

"Sorry," she muttered, looking back to me but not quite meeting my eyes. "You were saying?"

I hesitated, but I couldn't just leave it. If she reacted like that to a mild tease, it might mean something bad later. "Did it make you feel uncomfortable when I said that?"

"No... not uncomfortable." She bit her lip. "It, uh, really turned me on, and I wasn't expecting it to. I mean, this whole thing is still kinda funny and weird to me, and then I realized, 'Shit, this actually could happen, Courtney could end up making me do... whatever.'" She shrugged, embarrassed, and I reached out to take her hand.

"Thank you for telling me that, seriously," I said, relieved. "Keep talking to me about how I'm making you feel. Don't be afraid to ask questions. It's much better for both of us if we're being open."

"Okay," she breathed, meeting my eyes with a smile. "God, I'm just- just so nervous, and excited and kinda drunk and I'm not sure how to react to anything because this is crazy!"

She was all but bouncing up and down, and I couldn't hold back a smile of my own at the sudden show of emotion. "That's pretty normal. So long as you're enjoying yourself, don't worry about it."

"Yeah. Yeah, okay." She took a deep breath, calming down a little. "I guess I do have questions, though."

"Shoot."

"Are you all mean and bossy when you, uh..."

"Dominate," I supplied.

"Yeah," she said, blushing. "When you dominate someone."

"Not always. It depends on the person and what they prefer. Some people like to be stepped on and shouted at, others like to be cuddled and told how good they are."

She nodded, seeming relieved. "Okay. Like, some rougher stuff seems hot, but I don't know if I'd enjoy someone shouting at me. I get enough of that at work." She paused. "So, also... I can stop you, right?"

"You mean with a safeword? Yes."

"Okay..." she said, and hesitated. "Like, no matter what, you'll stop?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay." She let out a heavy breath. "It's just... I like the idea of being... y'know, helpless, but the thought of actually being trapped... ugh. It's really scary."

"Trust is a huge part of this," I said seriously. "For both of us. You trust me with your safety, and I trust you to tell me when there's a problem, whether that's you're not enjoying yourself or something's wrong. I know I'm kind of belaboring the point here, but talk to me." I squeezed her hand, giving her a smile that she returned after a moment. "Now, since you brought up that you like being helpless, what do you enjoy?"

"Um..." she mumbled, looking away. "Well..."

"Take your time. I know it's hard to just come out and say your kinks, but believe me, I've heard a lot. You won't faze me."

"Okay." She closed her eyes. "Fuck, okay. So... being helpless. I guess that means bondage. That's the only thing I've actually tried, but I also like the idea of... being ordered around. Following instructions. Having to call you something." She winced as if she'd said something bad, then cracked an eye to look at the expression I kept carefully neutral.

"Do you have a preference on what?" I asked, watching her. "Mistress, ma'am, domina..." I could see her tense, quivering a little in the way that I was starting to recognize as turned-on excitement.

"M-Mistress," she whispered, another tiny shiver running through her body.

"And do you want to be called something other than your name? Toy, kitten, pet... something more explicit?"

"You can choose..." she said softly, breathing faster. She was really excitable. It was enjoyable to watch, but I didn't want her in this state while we were working out important details, since I had a feeling she would just nod along to everything I said. I raised my other hand to rub her shoulder, getting her to open her eyes.

"Alright. Let me know if I pick something you're not comfortable with, though."

"Yeah," she said, bobbing her head.

"Now, what else do you think you'll enjoy?"

"Um..." She hesitated, but didn't close her eyes this time. "I guess... getting hurt. Not anything serious! Just, y'know. Slapping. Pinching. Spanking." The pinkness in her cheeks grew more pronounced. "And... maybe... having to ask before I can... y'know."

"Getting permission to come?" I asked, making sure, and she nodded, her face shading towards red.

"It's always... really hot in videos..." she mumbled.

"I can manage all that,' I said reassuringly. She was somewhat adventurous for a first-timer, but compared to some of my clients she was asking for vanilla. "Do you have any more questions? You can ask them later, too."

I was gratified to see her pause and actually think about it. "Um... what's the safeword?"

"I was just about to say, but good question. I find simple is best, so 'yellow' if you want to take a break and 'red' if you want a hard stop, right then. There's nothing preventing you from using them. Okay?"

"Yellow, red," she repeated. "Okay."

"Anything else?"

She shook her head, and I could see she was trembling a little.

"We can ease into it," I said softly. I scooted closer to her on the couch, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Just tell me what you're feeling. No names or safewords right now, no games. We just... need to get used to each other."

"Okay..." she whispered, leaning into my body slightly.

"What are you feeling?" I prompted when she remained quiet.

"I-I'm scared," she admitted. "And really excited. You- well you're my friend, and you've been a good person for as long as I've known you, but you also have this whole other life and practically another personality. I've never seen you like this and it kinda freaks me out and... and turns me on. I'm not so much into the shy cute thing, even though I like it, and you're... like, sexy, this way, and I can't believe that you and me could actually..." She faltered, realizing how much she had just said.

"It's okay," I murmured. "It is weird. I have two modes. One in public, and one in... these kinds of situations. I never know what to say in normal conversations, but here I can see what needs to be talked about, what I should do, what works and what doesn't. I don't really understand why. I like it, though." I could feel the tension in her body lessening as I spoke. "Linda, can you do something for me?"

"What is it...?"

"Just lay down for me."

"Okay..." she said hesitantly, pulling away from my arm to stretch out on the couch.

"And- put your head in my lap."

After a pause, she complied, then stared up at me with those pretty brown eyes, a question obvious in her gaze.

"We aren't comfortable with being physically intimate yet," I explained, lifting her head to arrange her dark curls over my legs. "We've been friends. Now... well, we're something else, at least for a while. Does this feel strange?"

"Yeah," she admitted, still looking up at me as I started to stroke her hair. "But... it's nice. I think I could get used to it."

"Good." I smiled at her. "That's the point. Don't worry about anything, just enjoy it. Get accustomed to me touching you." I continued petting her head, resting my other hand on her shoulder. Gradually, she loosened up, her eyes becoming half-lidded as she melted into my lap. After a while, I murmured, "Don't fall asleep on me, kitten. There's more to come."

She blinked a few times, breaking into a smile. "Oh. I was zoning out." Her eyebrows came together. "Did you just call me kitten?"

"Mmhmm," I hummed, stroking a thumb over her forehead. "Aren't you forgetting to call me something?"

She stared at me blankly for a moment, then swallowed hard. "M-Mistress..."

"Mm, very good. Don't forget it." I kept running my hand over her hair, but her relaxation was replaced by an increasing nervous excitement that made her hands clench at her sides. Judging both of us were ready, I leaned down, lifting my legs a bit to bring her face in range of my lips. I kissed over her cheeks, her forehead, over the eyes which she had closed once more. I planted one on the tip of her nose, making her smile, then brought our lips together. She tensed slightly before returning it, soft and sweet. I didn't normally kiss my clients, but for her I could make an exception.

When I pulled away, she tried to follow me before dropping her head back to my lap, her eyes showing disappointment as they opened. God, she was adorable. How had I never seen it before? Maybe it was only when she was this close and vulnerable that I could notice what had always been there.

"I forgot to ask before... what's in your bag?" she murmured, then quickly added, "Mistress."

"All kinds of fun toys, but be patient, kitten." I could feel her quiver at the name. "We should still move slowly."

She nodded slightly, and willingly lifted herself to meet my lips as I leaned in again. I tried pushing a little deeper and was surprised by her eagerness in accepting my tongue, letting me taste the flavor of the wine in her mouth. I explored her thoroughly, enjoying myself too much to stop until she was squirming for air. I broke away, leaving her to pant, and put a hand on her chest to find her heart was pounding.

"Want to move a bit further?" I asked gently, to her excited nod. "Then take your top off for me."

She sat up to do so, revealing her smooth, olive skin, and also slipped out of her bra. I hadn't meant for her to do that as well, but I wasn't going to complain about her enthusiasm. She lay back on my lap somewhat shyly all the same, an arm over her ample breasts. I moved a hand to her stomach, trailing it over her newly-bared chest, finding everything about her body to my liking. Though she shivered under the touch, a glance at her eyes showed nothing but eagerness.

Deciding to test the waters a bit, I ordered, "Show me your breasts, kitten." If there had been a hint of hesitation or reluctance, I would have slowed down again, but she moved her arm immediately, biting her lip when my hand came up to caress the soft flesh. I kneaded one for a while, then rubbed over her nipple until it was stiff under my fingers. Remembering what she had said about pain, I tweaked the hard bud, making her gasp and tense against me. When there was no protest, I repeated the treatment on her other breast, finding she squeaked with the second pinch.

"Enjoying yourself, Linda?" I said quietly, leaning in close to her face.

She blinked a few times, then seemed to recognize I was really asking. "Yes- God yes. I'm so turned on. I-I'm fucking dripping. Um, mistress."

"Good," I said, smiling. "If I use your real name, you don't have to call me mistress. It means I'm stepping outside of our roles for a second."

"Oh, okay," she said, nodding her head in my lap. "Um. Can we do more? Like- this is so good that I'm shaking, but- I- I'm gonna go crazy just waiting."

"Sure." I gave her my not-very-nice domme grin. "Though remember you have to ask permission to come."

"Oh," she said faintly. "I'm gonna regret that, aren't I?"

"Only as much as it's fun. You're meant to enjoy this, after all." I kissed her, carefully sliding myself out from under her head. "Play with your breasts for me, kitten. Entertain yourself while I get a few things ready."

I didn't watch her, but I could hear her little gasps as I moved to kneel on the floor, opening up my bag. I wasn't lying when I said it had all kinds of fun toys - it would put most people's personal collections to shame, and this was just what I took out on client visits. I searched through the different things, considering and dismissing them in turn. I shouldn't use rope, as much as I wanted to bind her up in a beautiful harness and leave her completely helpless. It would take too long to put on her, considering how antsy she already was, and it would take too long to take off if she decided she didn't like it. Maybe next time...

Ooh, next time. That was an exciting thought. She was definitely enjoying herself. The thought of Linda being a regular client gave me little thrills. It wasn't just because she was cute, either. The fact that she knew both sides of me and accepted them was... something I didn't have before. I didn't realize how good it would feel to not be alone in that secret.

Lost in my own thoughts, a quiet moan from the couch brought me back to reality. I found that I had mindlessly picked out a set of soft leather ankle and wrist cuffs, plus an egg vibrator with its controls on the end of a long wire. These should be perfect. Good job, auto-pilot domme.

I looked back over to see her frantically kneading her breasts, writhing on the couch with her thighs rubbing together. She had her eyes closed, and I just watched her for a minute, reveling in the needy desperation on display. Needy and obedient. I could tell how badly she wanted to stick a hand down her pants, but I had told her to play with her breasts and she was, though also trying to get as much stimulation as she could from it.