A Marked Deck Ch. 02 - Clubs

Note: All characters are over 18, as stated in Chapter 1.

A Marked Deck: Chapter 2 - The Queen of Clubs

I knew that my friend Rachel had spent the previous night with my Master, Alexander Sharp, magician and mesmerist, for the simple reason that he had told me so. Given that I had played a part in helping to set this up I was desperate to know how it had gone. Would she now share and understand how I felt? Rachel had been out of contact since about midday yesterday, not answering her phone or responding to texts, so the first thing I did as soon as I was up that morning was to text her again.

"Hi Rach. Any news?" I left it ambiguous as to what I was asking about as I wanted to see how she would reply. This time the response was immediate and unusually gushing for her. Rachel was not normally given to outbursts of emotion.

"OMG - Got so much to tell you!!! All fab. Pls, pls come see me today."

This presented a problem. It was a Wednesday and I had to go to work. If my former boss - the mad bitch from hell, Marina Cameron - had still been in post that would have been it; she always enforced every rule about booking leave in advance just in order to make everyone's life that little bit more difficult. Fortunately, she had left the company rather abruptly on Friday and my interim manager was a much nicer guy. I couldn't fail to turn up for work but I reckoned I should be able to get a half day off. Thanks to Marina, I had plenty of leave owing.

So in proved. Permitted to leave at lunchtime, I made my way straight to Rachel's flat eager to hear all the gossip, preferably in as much delightfully lurid detail as possible. I was slightly disappointed by the result. Rachel did tell me everything I wanted to know, but she was more interested in the research she had been undertaking that morning, and she was keen to get my story.

That was Rachel all over - she had an endless need to understand anything than interested her in detail. It lay behind her passion for science and education. I was much more inclined to just go with the flow. If something was as good as being with Alexander Sharp, why was there any need to rationalise it further?

What did please me was the change in my friend. Rachel had been a little gloomy lately, weighed down by her money troubles and - far more than she seemed prepared to admit to herself - her boyfriend walking out on her. Now she looked bright-eyed and happy, greeting me enthusiastically despite, as I discovered, not getting much sleep the night before. She was gushing with praise for "our Master", so I understood the cause of her joy. It was something I shared in full.

Naturally, the first thing I wanted to know was whether Rachel had slept with him. I had had that amazing pleasure twice now and I sincerely wanted by best friend to have experienced what I had. I felt no jealousy, since somehow I knew our Master would never belong to any single woman and the best you could expect was to share him - and who better to share with than Rachel.

She was reluctant to go into details but in the end she admitted that she had, and that it had been not just the best sex of her life but unlike anything she had experienced before. She explained this through some odd analogy about crossing bridges. I kind of got what she meant, but reaching orgasm had never been a problem for me anyway. What had impressed me more was Alexander's seemingly tireless stamina. I gathered from Rachel's hints that she had experienced the same - hence the lack of sleep.

In contrast, she was only too happy to tell me the amazing news about her new job and the weird way it had simply been given to her, along with an enhanced salary. Rachel had no doubt that her new Master was behind it and I was able to tell her something that backed that up.

"You know 'The Bitch' suddenly got herself sacked on Friday," I said, referring to my hated former bullying boss by the name I always used when talking to my friends. "Well, I've asked around at work about what happened in the lead up to her suddenly attacking a senior manager. It seemed she had a visitor that morning, supposedly some sort of salesman. He was with her less than ten minutes but it was after he left she went nuts."

"And you think that was our Master?" Rachel asked.

"I know it was. I persuaded Jodie on reception to show me the CCTV footage of this salesman arriving and it was definitely him. Also she said that he wasn't expected and had no ID but when he asked to see Marina she never even considered saying no. Master certainly seems to have a way with women."

Rachel nodded. "Yes he does, and I've spent the morning trying to find out more. I want to hear exactly what your experience was in a while, but do you want to know about my discoveries first?"

It seemed best to humour my friend. "Go on then, what've you found out?"

"First I searched on 'Alexander Sharp'. I didn't find much. He seems to have appeared out of thin air about five years ago; before that there's no record of him. Since then he has been touring Britain and Ireland doing shows like the ones we've seen in different cities. But I did find something interesting - his full name is Alexander Charles David Julius Sharp. What do make of that?" Rachel made it sound significant.

"Umm ... sounds a bit posh?" I wondered where she was going with this.

"Ha! Just look at this." Rachel clicked on a tab and a webpage opened; it seemed to be something to do with playing cards. She pointed to a particular section. I leaned toward the screen and read: 'The king cards are often said to represent Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, the biblical King David and Charlemagne'.

"So?" I asked.

"Oh god, you're being dense today Ellie. Our Master carries the names of the four kings in a pack of cards. Four conquerors too - and he's certainly conquered us! And there's more. What does Sharp mean?"

"Well it means ... you know ... something that can cut things; the opposite of blunt."

"Yes it does, but it also has other meanings. A card sharp is someone who is an expert at cards. It also implies some subterfuge - a card sharp doesn't play fair. You see, our Master's whole name is wrapped up in playing cards. Doesn't that seem odd?"

"Not really; there's an obvious explanation. It must be a stage name he's adopted for that reason, card tricks being his speciality. I expect he can do a Google search same as you. That also explains why you can't find anything before five years ago - he obviously changed his name at that point."

Rachel was looking somewhat annoyed by my indifference, especially as the explanation I had offered was a rather neat one. "But there's more," she muttered. "The queens in a pack of cards have names too. Explain this if you can."

Back to the web page about cards and there were the names of the queens - Judith (hearts), Pallas (spades), Rachel (diamonds) and Argine (clubs).

"See," my friend said, "I'm the Queen of Diamonds and her name is Rachel and so is mine. What about that!"

"Yeah, but I'm the Queen of Clubs remember, and my name isn't Argine, thank god, so your idea rather falls down."

"Ah ha!" cried Rachel triumphantly. "I wondered about that, so I looked up Argine. Actually, the origin is rather obscure and it might just be an anagram of 'regina' which means queen. But one meaning of the word is 'light', and that's what Ellie means too. So you do have the same name, just in different languages."

"This is all a bit far-fetched Rach. Anyway, why does it matter? The point is that Alexander Sharp is handsome, charming, kind, amazing in bed and he's solved my biggest problem and yours. What's not to love! I don't really care how he does it, because what he does is great. Just go with the flow Rachel!"

My friend didn't look wholly convinced and still wanted to hear my story - so I told her.

*****

My decision to go to see 'master magician and mesmerist' Alexander Sharp perform had been pretty random. It had been on the previous Thursday night, hardly a traditional day to go out, but I was fuming and desperately needed a distraction to take my mind off things. As usual the reason was my boss, Marina Cameron. She had been picking on me all day - nothing major, but a drip, drip of constant criticism and fault finding. So I decided to go out to cheer myself up.

I might have gone to the pub or the cinema or any number of other things, but I remembered seeing a reference to there being a magic show on at a local venue and - unlike most of my friends - I quite like that sort of thing. A quick internet search and an online purchase of two tickets and I was good to go and, as it turned out, change the entire course of my life.

The next step was who to take with me, because a young woman learns not to go anywhere alone unless she wants to be pestered all the time. As I say, most of my friends - male or female - would have had no interest but I knew just the guy who would. So I invited Jack, who absolutely loves any live show.

I should explain that I don't have a boyfriend in the conventional sense. I haven't wanted to get tied down in a relationship that was going to need lots of work and probably only end in a messy split, like I had seen with so many of my friends. I had plenty of male friends and some of these were - as they say - 'friends with benefits'. I slept with them when I wanted to, but with the understanding of no commitment on either side. If you think that makes me a slut, well shame on you. I think it just means I was a sensible, mature adult. Anyway, all that is in the past now because my Master is all I need.

Jack was not one of my occasional lovers for the simple reason that he is gay, but he is great company, lots of fun and also - as I discovered that night - knew a lot about stage magic. As we watched the performance Jack informed me that Alexander Sharp was very good indeed. Jack said he recognised most of the tricks as variations on well-known routines but there were things that puzzled him and where he could offer no explanation for what Sharp was doing.

About forty minutes into the first hour of his show, Alexander Sharp, who had been moving around the tables doing card tricks, arrived at ours. He glanced briefly at Jack and winked at him; Jack grinned back. Then he turned his deep brown eyes on me. I looked up at him and those eyes seemed to bore into mine. I had the feeling I was being read like an open book, down to my deepest secrets. One of the curses of my pale skin is that I blush like a tomato at the slightest cause. I did so now. But I was also conscious of being aroused. My nipples were hardening and my clit suddenly wanted me to touch it.

"Hmm, interesting," he murmured, almost to himself. Then he addressed the crowd, "I have a special deck of cards for this young lady. One I use only to find people I can help. You can call me Alexander, but tell me, what's your name?"

"Ellie," I said, blushing again.

"As you can see Ellie, this is a perfectly normal deck of cards," he said showing them to me and Jack and then the audience, "but I can predict which card you will draw from it. It will be the Queen of Clubs". He spread the cards out face down on the table. I took one. As I kind of expected, it was the card he had predicted. He then picked up the cards and once more showed that they were the normal mix of suits and values.

He crouched down and took both my hands into his, looking into my eyes again. "You have problems at work I think - that's what clubs signifies. Am I right?"

"Yes Alexander." I wasn't surprised he knew because all I was thinking about was how perfect he was.

"If you let me hypnotise then I believe I'll be able to help you. Would you be willing to come up on stage and let me do that?"

At that moment I was willing for him to throw me across table and fuck me senseless. Frankly, I was willing to marry him and have his babies. But I didn't say any of that. What I did say was almost as embarrassing.

"I'm happy for you to do anything you want to me," I said. There was a snort of laughter from Jack and a ripple of giggles from the audience. I turned pink again, realising how that had sounded. Alexander just smiled again.

I went to offer him the card back but Alexander said, "No, that's yours to keep," then confirmed I would be taking part in the second half of the show, something I was only too eager to do. Anything to get to know this man better was good with me.

When he had gone, Jack said to me, "Wow, that's one handsome guy. I could go for him myself, except I can tell he wouldn't be interested. You on the other hand ... he really fancied you and from what I know, he's exactly your type. I have to say you didn't do much of a job of hiding your interest. I think the whole club knows. No idea how he did the trick though; it wasn't the usual way."

Jack was right. Alexander had just the sort of Mediterranean looks - south of France perhaps - that I always liked. But there was way more to it than that. Those deep brown eyes had stared into my soul in a way I had never dreamed of before. My body was tingling. I had to do something. The first part of the show hadn't yet finished but I told Jack I needed the loo and made for the ladies.

With the show still on, they wasn't crowded and I took a free cubicle. Inside I lowered my slacks to find that my knickers were damp with arousal. I slid them down, put the toilet lid down, sat on it and spread my knees apart. I shut my eyes and pictured Alexander's face, with those deep brown eyes gazing into mine, and masturbated, rubbing my clit. I had never done anything like this before in a public place, but the need was overwhelming, as shown by the fact that I came almost at once. I stifled my desire to moan in pleasure and on this occasion got away with it - unlike the following week when Rachel caught me out doing the same thing.

After that release I pulled myself together somewhat, at least until Alexander called me up on stage at the end of his hypnotism act. I don't remember very much of what happened clearly. Jack told me I poured out the whole story of my unhappiness at work and my bullying boss, but all I recall is those beautiful eyes probing my mind, body and soul and my absolute certainty I had found my destiny, although at first I couldn't put a name to it. Toward the end he whispered to me that I must accept him as my Master and I would be his willing slave and then I understood. I had never felt so radiantly happy.

After the show my new Master gave me my first orders. The following day - Friday - came Marina's dramatic exit from the company I worked for. On Saturday I went clothes and underwear shopping as I had been ordered and on Saturday night I went to my Master's hotel room and he made me his - by which, to be clear, I mean he fucked me senseless in the best sex I had ever known.

When we weren't fucking we talked and he was especially interested to know about my female friends. Naturally, I told him all I knew - I would never have kept secrets from my Master - and he became interested in my description of Rachel and her money troubles. He gave me fresh instructions to try by all means possible to get Rachel to come to his Monday evening show - which I did. The rest of course, Rachel already knew.

I think Rachel was disappointed by my account. It didn't really add anything to her own experiences and contained no extra clues to how Master had done what he had to us. That was something I couldn't have cared less about. I was just grateful he had chosen me and all that really interested me was that I would see him again tonight.

*****

We needed to stop off at my house so I could change as well as grab something to eat, in order we could get to the club promptly in time for our Master's act. I pointed out to Rachel that given the shortage of time, she needed to get ready to go. She had greeted me on arrival in jeans and sweatshirt and I expected she would change into something smarter for our evening out, but I was unprepared for her look when she reappeared. I had never seen my friend dressed in anything like this.

She was wearing a sort of black leather vest, which was actually not that revealing but still as sexy as hell given the way the slim fit emphasised her curves, and tiny leather mini-skirt to match, which revealed plenty. On her feet and legs were long boots to knee height, with some serious heels. A leather-look jacket finished the ensemble. She wore her necklace with the diamond shaped pendant so it hung down over the vest top. Full make up, with a deep red lipstick, completed the picture.

It is time I admitted something - I have always had a bit of a thing for Rachel, without ever giving the slightest hint to her. I suppose I am the very definition of 'bi-curious'. I've never so much as flirted with a girl, never mind actually kissed one, but I have wondered what it would be like and had private fantasies about going much further than that. And those fantasies often centred round Rach.

I know she much admires my ginger hair and that damn pale skin that sprouts freckles and burns to a crisp at the slightest sight of sun, whereas I would have given anything to have her chestnut locks in that cute pixie cut and her sweet button nose and full lips that drove all the guys wild. Rachel was just so damn cute and I often wondered what it would be like to snog those red lips. But she was also completely straight and I didn't want to do anything that would spoil our friendship, so I said and did nothing.

However, with Rachel standing before me looking like an erotic dream I couldn't help saying something: "Jesus, girl! You look fucking amazing. Every guy in the place will want you. I'd like to kiss you myself!" I said it as if it was a joke and she took it as such, but I meant it.

We went back to mine and while Rachel ordered in a takeaway, I got changed out of my work clothes into something more suitable for the evening ahead. I decided to take my friend's outfit as inspiration. I too had bought some boots recently and they were even longer than Rachel's coming above the knee. PVC thigh boots - I hadn't dared wear them out yet, as I thought they made me look like a hooker, but tonight was the night. A skirt as tiny as Rachel's and a low cut blouse, nicely showing off the necklace my Master had given me as well as, perhaps more relevantly, my cleavage, completed the ensemble.

When I appeared, I was pleased with Rachel's reaction. "Oh my god Ellie," she said, "you look gorgeous. So hot! In fact, you don't think we've overdone it, do you? They will let us in the club, right?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine," I said. Firstly, what club doesn't mind letting hot girls in - it attracts more customers. But beyond that I had a feeling that Alexander Sharp got most things he desired in life and I knew he wanted us there.

*****

And so it proved. We had no difficulty being admitted to the club. We even got the same table as last time. The only difference was that with both of us dressed as we were the amount of male gazing went through the roof. One or two single guys even tried introducing themselves, but we made it clear we were not interested and after a while we were left alone.

Then our Master appeared on stage and Rachel and I forgot everything else, even each other, and just watched him. I found Master endlessly fascinating - the way he looked, the way he moved, what he said - it filled me with peace and contentment but also excitement. I could happily have stayed watching him like that all day - although being with him was even better.

His act unfolded much as before but I thought he seemed a little disappointed as he wandered through the crowd performing those clever card tricks that were his speciality. Apart from a small wave to acknowledge our presence when he had first come on stage, our Master ignored us until he had finished his act. Only then, just before the first half was to conclude, did he arrive at our table. He did a brief explanation to the audience of how Rachel would be part of the hypnotism performance and then signed off to say that there would now be an interval.