Acquiring the Taste Ch. 02

"Yes Madame?" she said in a voice just as shaky.

Miriam had to make an effort to sound stern. "Wake up, girl. I'm paying you a visit. Be ready for Me."

Veronica felt a lead ball forming in the pit of her stomach. "Madame – You are – already home from Your date?"

Miriam took a breath before answering. "Yes."

It was Veronica's turn to take a breath, and she almost choked on it. "This girl will be waiting, Madame."

Veronica was frantic after she hung up the phone and awaited Miriam's arrival. The pain in her ankle was screaming at her to stop pacing the bedroom floor, but she couldn't. She needed the physical activity to ward off the approaching panic attack. Her pill splitter and her last two tablets of Xanax sat on the nightstand, and she was doing whatever she could to avoid using them. The mental acrobatics she was performing also helped. She had reasoned with herself, saying that she wasn't losing control to an impersonal fate, but surrendering it to a caring Mistress, and it was her cynical laugh at the tortuous course that her stream of consciousness was following that finally calmed her, until she heard Miriam's knock at her front door.

Miriam had touched up her makeup before going to Veronica's apartment, but hadn't changed clothes, and still looked impressive in spite of the emotional rollercoaster she had just ridden. The argument in Jessica's apartment was in its denouement, and a few more angry words were exchanged as Roger emerged from the door and Jessica stood at the threshold. The words slowed to a trickle and lowered in volume as they both saw Veronica's late night visitor. Roger was not quite so sullen anymore at the sight of Miriam, and as he walked to his car, he shot her a lusty grin that disappeared when Miriam answered it with a steely glare. Jessica observed the exchange and had a mind to chastise Roger for being so quick on the rebound, but swallowed her words when Miriam's gaze fell on her. She meekly disappeared back into her apartment as Veronica, dressed only in her nightshirt, opened the door for Miriam.

Miriam stood in the small living room and sat her purse and handbag on the coffee table as Veronica shut and locked the door. Veronica pulled off her nightshirt and began to kneel in the same position she had assumed at Miriam's house earlier, preparing to greet her Mistress, and she watched Miriam pull the chastity belt out of the handbag.

"Rise, girl," Miriam said, not waiting for Veronica's greeting.

The first time the belt went on, Veronica felt dread at having surrendered so much control. This time, she felt disappointment and bewilderment. She had put so much effort into making sure that Miriam looked her best, and whoever her blockhead of a date had been, he had turned up his nose at the results. Miriam was too beautiful to be kicked to the curb with such disdain, but adding to that all of Veronica's painstaking preparations – some women would have shelled out a lot of money for it – Veronica couldn't help feeling slighted as well, having seen her best work go to waste. Veronica had made sure that Miriam went on her date looking every bit the object of worship she styled herself to be. To turn her down was not merely rejection, it was an act of blasphemy.

Veronica's face flushed. She was seething with anger at Miriam's date, whoever he was. She didn't like to see the emotional devastation this man had wrought on the face of her Mistress, who had been so confident and radiant just a few short hours ago. She stood trembling with rage, as Miriam slowly paced in front of her, explaining what to do if she needed to use the toilet, and making sure she had Mistress Yukiko's phone number – she had a spare key, in case Miriam was unavailable.

Miriam had stopped talking, and didn't seem to have anything else to say or do, but didn't seem to have the energy to leave, either. Veronica only spoke when Miriam finally started toward the door. "Madame?"

"Yes, girl?"

"Madame is – too tired for the drive home, and shouldn't stay alone in an empty house tonight." She hoped she wasn't being too presumptuous.

Miriam didn't speak. Outwardly she was staid, but inwardly she was scolding herself for showing weakness to her sub.

Veronica pressed on. "Madame, may this girl offer You her bed tonight?"

The unexpected show of kindness put Miriam on the verge of tears again. Definitely a keeper, she thought, and her voice nearly broke as she said, "Thank you, girl," and went to Veronica's bedroom. Miriam was getting no joy from exacting this punishment.

Veronica watched her Mistress disappear into the bedroom, and she looked down at her lumpy, broken-down sofa. She was about to lie down on it when she heard Miriam's voice at the bedroom door again.

"Come and warm the bed for Me, girl."

Veronica tried not to smile too much at this invitation disguised as a command, as she replied, "Yes, Madame."

She helped her Mistress undress, and then pulled back the covers for her before turning off the lamp and climbing into bed herself. Miriam pulled her close, drawing the warm body of her sub into a spoon. Veronica surreptitiously brought a hand up to her leather-clad groin, running a finger unsatisfactorily over her mesh-encased labia and feeling the warm moisture gathering there again. Falling asleep to the sounds of an argument next door would have been easier.

Miriam wasn't finding it easy to fall asleep either. She thought ahead to what might happen tomorrow night. She spoke softly in Veronica's ear. "Would you like to meet the man responsible for putting you in that belt?"

Anger and anxiety clashed in Veronica's mind. "Yes, Madame," she answered, although she wasn't quite sure that was true.

Miriam smiled. "I've told him to show up at Sir Christopher's playground tomorrow evening. you'll meet him then."

Veronica felt strangely hopeful at that prospect. If her Mistress was meeting the man again tomorrow, perhaps the date hadn't been that bad after all. "Yes, Madame," she replied.

Miriam lifted her head to place a soft kiss on Veronica's ear. "Good night, girl," she said as she closed her eyes.

"Good night, Madame Mim," Veronica answered with her eyes wide open.