Acquiring the Taste Ch. 01

Veronica hadn't quite known what to do with herself upon hearing Miriam's answering machine message. She had mumbled a vague greeting and suggested she might call back later, and after hanging up, she rather mechanically prepared for bed, wondering why her Mistress hadn't picked up the phone. Now she sat on the edge of her bed in an oversized nightshirt, rotating her right ankle and flexing her right knee, sore from another day spent working on her feet. The ringing of the phone at her bedside made her jump, and she picked it up eagerly. "Hello?"

Miriam sank into her pillows and answered in a sultry voice. "Hello, veronica."

Veronica all but melted at the sound of her Mistress's voice. Miriam pronounced her name like no one else; she could almost hear the lower-case letters. The words of her nervous reply spilled out of her mouth like water from an overturned glass. "Madame Mim? Hello, um, I'm sorry, I thought, um, well you didn't answer when I called, and I thought I had done something to upset you, and you didn't want to talk to me, and –"

Miriam had to put a stop to this. "First of all, I am not under any obligation to answer the phone when you call. It is definitely not your place to question my momentary indisposition. Second of all, your language is deplorable, and if you were speaking in that manner in my presence, you'd be feeling the consequences right now. Have you already forgotten the proper way to greet your Mistress, veronica?"

"Begging Your pardon, Madame," Veronica replied. "veronica greets You, Madame Mim."

"Much better, girl. Now, are you available tomorrow evening to come to My home and serve Me personally? I have a date tomorrow night, and I want you to prepare your Mistress for a wonderful night out."

Veronica had mixed feelings about this. The first feeling was an unexpected pang of jealousy that Miriam was spending her time with someone else. The next was a creeping sense of dread that she might have to spend the evening with Miriam and her date, doing who knows what. "Will this girl be attending You on Your date, Madame?" she queried falteringly.

"No, girl. He's a stranger to this lifestyle and knows nothing about you. I wouldn't count on him to understand what it is that we do. He's barely able to swim in the mainstream."

Veronica paused, confused at this remark. "Begging Your pardon, Madame, but he doesn't sound very promising."

If you only knew, Miriam thought, chuckling at Veronica's comment. "Perhaps so. But he's proven himself capable of surprising Me before," she said, the card game and conversation still fresh on her mind.

"What would You have this girl do for You, Madame?" Veronica asked.

"I want you here at 5:30 tomorrow. You will prepare Me a light meal. You will help select My attire, laundering it if necessary. And you will assist Me in my preparations. If you do well and finish before 8:00, I may have time to give you a proper reward."

"What preparations are you making for the evening, Madame?"

Miriam examined her fingers, then ran them over her thighs. "I want to bathe. My nails need to be done, and I need to shave."

Veronica realized now that she would be seeing her Mistress unclothed for the first time, and she bit her lower lip in anticipation. She started to puzzle a moment, thinking about shaving Miriam's legs and armpits, wondering whether Miriam would want her mound of Venus shaven as well, and hoping she would be able to keep her hand steady. "Shaving? Forgive this girl for prying, but – does Madame intend to be intimate with her date tomorrow?"

Miriam smiled. "I will be very disappointed if nothing happens."

Veronica was eager to please, and wanted to show it. "Madame, may this girl suggest a facial, and an exfoliating salt and sugar scrub?"

Miriam raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like a very good suggestion, if you think you have the time to do that."

Veronica smiled. "This girl is glad to have pleased you, Madame."

"You haven't pleased Me yet, girl. I'll wait until you've performed your duties tomorrow evening to make that judgment."

Veronica sobered herself. "Of course, Madame."

"I believe that concludes our business, except for some questions for you. Have you started your journal, girl?"

Veronica didn't want to say no, even though that was the truth. She made up an honest-seeming fib. "It's not very good, Madame."

"Bring it with you tomorrow, and I'll judge that for Myself."

"Yes, Madame." Veronica knew immediately it was going to be a long night. She was going to have to write five nights' worth of journal entries before bed. She wouldn't have time at work tomorrow.

"Now, about the necklace I gave you. Is it comfortable? Do you wear it constantly, as I instructed you?"

"This girl never removes it, Madame." That much was true.

"Have you received any comments or compliments?"

"Some have been curious, Madame. This girl has had to tell them it was from a friend, but – some suspect more than just a friend, Madame." Veronica was all but certain that it was the subject of gossip, judging by the hushed conversation among the other stylists and estheticians that suddenly stopped when she returned to the salon after her lunch break.

"I doubt any of them suspect the truth," Miriam said with a smile.

"Probably not, Madame," Veronica replied. Her main concern was making up elaborate but convincing lies in order to satisfy too-curious acquaintances.

"Today I purchased a luggage padlock, veronica."

Veronica felt a sudden chill, and swallowed a lump in her throat. "Yes, Madame," she said simply.

"I'm going to put it on the clasp of your necklace tomorrow, girl. It should fit perfectly. And your lovely hair will hide it well."

Veronica grew more nervous, and discovered, somewhat to her dismay, that the thought of the necklace becoming a more permanent fixture was causing a moist ball of heat to form in her groin. She clasped her thighs together, trying to wish it away. "Yes, Madame," she said, notes of vulnerability quavering in her voice.

"I hope you've been keeping your hands off that pussy, girl."

"Of course, Madame," she whined, hoping that her Mistress wouldn't be able to perceive that she was lying. She hadn't been able to resist touching herself. And the thought of the padlock all but assured that, once she could put down the phone, her hands would be busy with something else.

Miriam suspected the truth, and was curious how Veronica would react to this suggestion. "Good girl. I'm glad you've been able to show some discipline. Perhaps I won't have to put a chastity belt on you after all."

Veronica's whine became a moan. "No Madame, no, I'll be a good girl –"

Miriam pounced gleefully. "You'll be a good girl? Do you mean to tell Me you haven't been a good girl yet?"

"No, Madame, I – I mean yes, I've been good, please Madame –"

"My goodness, so flustered. Listen to all those first-person pronouns. Looks like I'm going to have to buy more padlocks."

"No Madame, please –"

"Locking up that necklace isn't good enough for you, is it girl? I suppose I'm going to have to lock that cunt away for safekeeping."

"Please, Madame, I'm sorry, I – this girl begs Your pardon, Madame, please." The thought lingered in the back of Veronica's mind that all she would really have to do was to take the necklace off, return it to Miriam, and tell her to take a hike. This was all a game. One could always stop playing if it was no longer enjoyable. But she wasn't quite sure that she wasn't enjoying it. And this early in the game, she didn't want to appear to be a poor sport. Once she got the hang of things, this might be very fulfilling. At least she hoped so.

"There there, girl, I'm not heartless. I'll show you some mercy, if you can pass a little test. Get your vibrator, girl."

Veronica practically leaped out of her bed to get it, but didn't really need to. It was in the top drawer of her nightstand. "Thank You for Your mercy, Madame. This girl has her vibrator now, Madame."

"Good girl. Lube it up."

"Yes, Madame." She reached again into the drawer for the lube, and nervously drizzled out a generous amount, some of which actually landed on the vibrator.

"Turn it on, maximum speed. Hold it up to the phone so I can hear it."

"Yes, Madame." The loud buzzing in Miriam's ear moments later confirmed that Veronica had complied.

Miriam's voice now took on a steely tone. "Shove it in deep, right now, and don't you dare cum, girl."

Veronica could only manage a whimpering moan in reply as she pulled up her nightshirt and did as she was told.

"Hold the phone up to that vibrator. Move the vibe in and out of your cunt a few times so I know it's there."

Veronica's "Yes, Madame" was barely audible over the buzzing and the slick, squishing sound of her obedience.

"Now bring the phone back to your ear, girl." Miriam had to repeat this a few times, shouting to get Veronica's attention over the noise.

"Sorry, Madame," Veronica eventually replied with heavy breath.

"Now girl, fuck yourself good and hard with that vibrator, and if you can keep yourself from cumming for the next five minutes, I promise not to put a chastity belt on you tomorrow." Miriam glanced at her alarm clock to take note of the time, and waited for the three in 9:23 to become a four. "Your five minutes starts …. now."

Veronica let out a moan of despair as she struggled to comply. She wished she had a free hand to dig her nails into the mattress, and frustratedly had to use her toes instead. Gradually the pitch of her moans changed until they were more like growls, as she gritted her teeth and shook her head vigorously, trying to ignore the pleasure she was giving herself.

Miriam cooed into Veronica's ear. "Oh, such a good girl. I'm so proud of you, you're trying so hard. Now tell Me, girl, whose cunt is that?"

Veronica struggled to steady her voice and make her reply coherent. "Madame – Yours – this girl's cunt – is Yours, Madame."

"Say it again."

"This girl's cunt is – Yours, Madame."

"Keep on saying it, girl. Repeat it and learn."

"This is – oh – this cunt is Yours, Madame. This …" And so it went, as Veronica wondered just how long five minutes could feel. She realized to her dismay that the more she repeated the words, the harder it was to fight off her climax. Tears escaped from the corners of her eyes as she endured her Mistress's test, trying to make Miriam proud. "… Yours, Madame. This girl's oh god cunt is Yours oh Madame oh, this girl's cunt is –"

"Time," Miriam announced. "Take out that vibrator, girl."

Veronica pulled it out of her so quickly that she threw it on the floor. She curled up into the fetal position, rocking and trembling as she struggled to contain herself and slow her ragged breathing.

Miriam continued. "Good girl. Now, I know you've been struggling to be honest with Me. Be honest now. Did you cum during that five minutes? It sounded like you were very close a few times."

Veronica, duly chastened, didn't want to be caught in another lie. "This girl begs Your pardon, Madame. This girl – this girl came very hard, Madame. Thank You, Madame," she added as a hurried afterthought.

"Good girl. And so sweet of you to thank Madame for the orgasm. See how quickly you're learning, and how easy it is to tell Madame the truth? I'll let you go now, girl. Be here promptly at 5:30. I'll have your new chastity belt. Oh, and bring your vibrator. It's Mine now. I'll decide when you can be trusted with that kind of a toy in your possession again. Good night, girl."

"Thank You, Madame. Good night," Veronica replied in a shaky, exhausted voice as she hung up the phone. Catching up on her journal was long forgotten. She cried herself to sleep.