Ann: The Married Years Ch. 55

"Where are you going?"

"To get your cum out of my eyes. That shit burns," she griped while forcing a smile.

She went into the hall bathroom, not wanting to turn the light on at the vanity around the corner, knowing it would disturb him. She looked at her pretty face, stained by his seed plastered all over her. The taste was thick on her tongue, the aroma permeating her senses.

"I'm surprised he didn't get it in my ear. He got it everywhere else," she chuckled softly as she studied her reflection. It was difficult; her eyes stinging, becoming bloodshot from the irritation. The gooey white substance clung to her lashes like a wicked mascara.

Getting a washcloth from under the sink, she soaked it in warm water, then went about removing the semen. Part of her wanted to just rub it into her skin like a moisturizer, but she had to deal with her vision or she knew she'd pay for it later. Her eyes were going to be sore and red as it was. It wasn't the first time that had happened, although it was the worst she could ever recall.

Exiting the bathroom, she froze in the hallway. She'd started to turn left to go toward her bedroom, but her head looked to the right, toward the great room. Sighing deeply, she went in that direction.

"Where did you go?" Neil asked as she crawled in next to him, searching for his warmth. He took her in his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"The garage. I turned on the heaters in the dungeon. I assume the thermostat labeled with a 'D' is for those, right? The one marked 'G' has to be for the garage."

"That's right."

"Well I set it to ninety. I'd rather sweat than be cold."

"So you're finally accepting that you need this?"

"I'm still not sure. I'll let you know in the morning. I haven't changed my mind about shaving off my pubic hair. I want to sleep on it."

"I understand."

"I'm not sure I do anymore. Like I've been saying, I just feel lost."

"That's because you need someone to lead you where you need to go."

"Nice tease. I walked right into that, didn't I."

"I'd never drag you into it."

"Right. That doesn't happen until I actually commit to doing it."

"See... you do remember how it works."

"It's because I know how it works that has me hesitating. I love my mound."

"I know. That's why you have to trust me. I love you, Ann."

"I love you too, baby," she yawned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Neil was up and about at nine. He'd fixed a big breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes, along with coffee and orange juice. Carrying a bed tray into the bedroom, he smiled as he saw the shape of his wife curled up, her head under the covers; her cute snore sounding like a purring kitten.

Her left foot was sticking out, so he set the tray on her dresser and began tickling the sole. She finally kicked, and then sat up, disoriented. He got a look at her incredible breasts and sighed.

"You are so beautiful when you wake up."

"Yeah, right," she yawned as she rubbed her sore eyes with her hands.

"We need to get going. I brought you breakfast," he said, picking up the bed tray and setting it over her.

"You made me breakfast?"

"I made us breakfast. I already ate. I let you sleep in a while longer. The coffee is strong. I know you'll need it since we didn't get a lot of sleep. I'll take a quick shower and then you can get in."

"Where are we going?"

"Out," he said as he picked up the remote, turning on the television and the VCR. Starting the tape, the image of Tina being fucked by Darren and Betsy popped up. "Watch that while you eat. No touching yourself, and absolutely no cumming without permission."

"Neil, I'm not sure I can be Annabelle. I haven't changed my mind about shaving."

"I haven't changed my mind either. Eat. You're going to need your energy today," he winked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann was in the passenger seat of her van. She was surprised Neil chose to take it instead of his car. Then again, she knew he was up to something because he took all the seats out of the back. Plus, she was holding the box from her shelf that contained the things that represented Annabelle.

She was trying not to be nervous, but it was difficult with the box on her lap. She knew she'd disappointed him by coming out of the bathroom with the decorative pubic hair still prominently displayed above her pussy. She'd confessed that while she was drawn to the idea of being Annabelle, going so far as to admit that she needed to embrace the persona, she couldn't bear the thought of shaving off the very thing that she identified with as Anna. Of course, removing it was what would make her Annabelle, and that distinction was profound.

"I'm sorry," she said for at least the tenth time since they left the house.

"It's fine, Anna. I understand. Please, stop apologizing."

"I just feel bad."

"I know. That's because you know who you are right now, but you're fighting it."

"I want to, Neil. At least I think I do. It's just really hard for me this time. I know it's narcissistic of me; the whole point of being Annabelle is to be selfless. But I can't get past it."

"No worries. I've already told you, we're going to get past it together."

"What does that even mean? You just keep saying that. And why won't you tell me where we're going?"

"Because you don't have a choice. We're going there no matter what. But by not telling you I won't have to hear you debate me about it the whole way like you have been about shaving pubic hair."

"I haven't been debating you."

"True. It's more like you've been debating yourself the entire day, but I've had to listen to it."

"So, you're just taking me somewhere. I have no choice."

"You don't have a choice going there. But I promise, you'll have one once we go inside. I would never make you do something you're really uncomfortable with."

"Am I going to be uncomfortable?"

"I don't know. I never would have imagined after all this time that you'd balk at shaving your pubes. But like I said last night, people change. They grow. That's why we need to look for different avenues to keep doing the things we like to do. Or in your case, you need to do it."

"Is that why I'm carrying this box? To remind me that I'm disappointing you?"

"I'm not... stop it, please. I love you."

"I know. But I'm not doing what you want."

"This isn't about what I want. I want you to be happy. You're not right now, and you know why. But... and this is important; It's not my body. It's yours, until you give it to me. Any bondage things we've done in the past are just that. Just because we've done it before does not give me the green light to abuse that privilege whenever I want. That's not how this works. I may know what you need, but that doesn't give me the right to just impose it on you. I would never be comfortable with that and I know you wouldn't either."

"Neil, I belong to you. I know how this works. I want you to control me. Always. To push me. I'm not denying any of that. I just have a hangup about this one little thing now. We can still do the rest, can't we?"

"We could, but we both know we'll be thinking about how you rebelled. At the same time, I also don't think that it's something you should be punished for. People do change, Anna. There might come a time where you don't want to do this at all anymore."

"Well I can't see that happening. I know I'm wigging out about this one thing, but I've already admitted a couple of times this morning that I need this. Hell, I turned on the heaters last night for a reason. To be honest, I'm a little disappointed I'm not in my dungeon right now."

"You're not Annabelle. At least not yet."

"So I'm holding this box because you're holding out hope?"

"You're holding it because I'm looking for a compromise. If we can make that happen, you'll be wanting to open that on your own," he grinned.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ann stood on the hardwood floor, staring at the walls. The room was a bit on the dark side, but part of that seemed to be from the high ceilings. The aroma was something she'd never experienced before. It wasn't bad, but it was distinct. She didn't know if was specific to where they were, or if all similar establishments were like that.

She couldn't take her eyes off the walls, covered from top to bottom with what seemed like thousands of etchings of all types. She couldn't help but admire some of the artwork, and yet she was incredibly nervous as she held her box in front of her.

Neil was calm, his arm around her shoulders as they waited for someone to come to the counter. There wasn't any activity going on that they could see, but they'd heard a female voice from behind a curtain covered doorway call out that they'd be with them in a minute.

"Neil, why are we here?" she finally asked, denying the obvious.

"We're going to brand you," he whispered. The lightbulb went on over her head, and her mouth dropped open. "You can't be shocked by that. I've been saying it since last night."

"Are you serious?"

"It's a compromise. You don't want to shave off your pubic hair. I can totally respect that. I've been trying to convey to you that while you have all of these parts of your sexuality segregated, you have to recognize that you're all of them all the time. You're Ann, and Anna, and Anna Renee. And yes, you're Annabelle. All of them. When I call you babe, in my head, I'm speaking to all of those personas, because they make up all of who you are as a woman. And that woman just happens to be my wife."

"Oh my God... that's... that's one of the most romantic things you've ever said to me, baby."

He smiled, seeing her demeanor soften. "It's romantic because you know in your heart it's true. Which means even when you're not Annabelle, she's with you underneath the surface. Branding you will prove it to everyone, but mostly to you. You've asked for this already, in a way. That's why you've wanted me to push you with poses. It was the whole point of our New Year's resolutions together. You've been silently moving toward being my submissive full time. You just haven't come out and actually said it. But we've been practicing them, haven't we."

He was talking about submissive slave poses she'd discovered in a book she'd given herself for Christmas. There were full color pictures of a beautiful naked woman performing them. It was like erotic slave yoga, the purpose of which was to immediately obey and submit to him when asked. She'd selected ten poses as her own, and asked Neil to teach them to her as a Dom and his sub. In her mind, it was a way to clear her mind. But she was still new to it, and it was a work in progress. He was apparently thinking along those same lines, and taking the next obvious step. If she was seriously determined to commit to that level, it was going to take more than once every six months and the shaving of pubic hair to announce herself as Annabelle. It needed to be a gesture that was more permanent.

His statement hit home. "So instead of shaving off my flame, you want me to get a tattoo?"

Indeed, they were inside a tattoo parlor in Northern Virginia, having gone to one that was recommended to Neil by one of his co-workers. It had a reputation for quality work as well as a helpful, attentive staff.

"I want you to think of it as exactly what it represents. Last night you thought the idea of being branded as a slut was hot. How does the thought of being branded a slut that's my slave forever appeal to you? Because that's who Annabelle is."

"God... I just got wet, baby," she cooed.

"Do we have an agreement?"

"I'm scared. But yes."

"Don't be scared. I'll be doing it with you."

"You will?"

"You'll see."

They waited a few more minutes before the curtain parted. An exotic woman with dark olive skin and long, jet-black hair stepped through. She had numerous beautiful tattoos on her arms and one plainly visible on the cleavage of a bosom that was extremely exposed. Yet it was her brilliant smile that put Ann quickly at ease.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to my nest. I'm Raven."

"Well that explains the name," Neil laughed, standing inside an establishment called The Raven's Nest. "I'm Neil. This is my wife to be named shortly."

"I'm sorry?"

"Neil's teasing me. My name is Anna, but I have a lot of nicknames."

"We're interested in one in particular at the moment."

Raven seemed unfazed. "Sounds interesting... and oddly exciting. How exactly can I help you?"

Neil pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. It was a postcard. Flipping it over, he showed the only thing on the other side. It was the name 'Annabelle', in purple ink, written in perfect penmanship.

"Where did you get that?" Ann wondered.

"You signed it a few years ago. It's an unused invitation."

Ann smiled, recalling how she'd been held captive in the dungeon those fateful ten days; the old family record until Betsy surpassed her with eleven. Neil had come down in the middle of the night, entering the tent he'd set up for her to sleep in. Handing her a bunch of blank cards, he made her sign them. Once she did that, he'd taken them back to the kitchen and written out personal invitations to send to the women that he'd asked to take her place; all a part of teaching her patience as part of her lesson during that memorable appearance of Annabelle.

"You had extra?"

"I didn't know how many I'd need. And I wanted extra in case I messed one up," he shrugged, flashing her a goofy grin. Handing the card to Raven, he said, "This is what I have in mind for her brand."

"Her... brand?"

Ann giggled. "That's how I'm thinking of it. He's branding me with the name I go by when I'm his... possession."

"Oh. You mean his slave. Got it."

"You understood that?" she asked, wrinkling her cute nose.

"Of course. You'd be surprised by the kind of kinks we deal with here."

"Actually, I shouldn't be, now that I think about it. I work at Henrietta's House."

"Holy shit! I love that store!"

They shared a couple of incredible, erotic stories, Ann quickly building up a trust factor. It was another instance of making a connection and turning it into a budding friendship right in front of Neil's eyes. It never ceased to amaze him whenever she'd do that.

Raven looked at the card and asked Ann, "Did you do this?"

"Yes. Why?"

"It's elegant. Do you have a graphic artist background?"

"No. I doodle a lot, but the farthest I went was a few years of art class in high school.

"You're very good. I can tell just from the grace of the lines." Sliding a piece of paper and a pen across the counter, she said, "Draw me a quick flower. Don't put a lot of thought into it. Just a quick thirty second sketch."

Ann shrugged and put ink on paper. Raven studied her movements and looked at the picture develop out of nothing. "Yeah. That's what I thought. You're a natural."

"A natural what?"

"Artist. If you ever decide to leave fashion, come see me. You could be an incredible tattoo artist within six months."

"I'm not sure I could do that to people," she said honesty.

"That doesn't mean you couldn't work here. I'm always looking for people that can create those," she said, pointing at the tattoo samples adorning the walls.

"Hmm... I could probably do that," she nodded. "But I love my job, Raven. Besides, we have a little one at home, so I only work one day a week, and every other Saturday."

"If all you're doing is designing, you might be able to do it from home," she offered.

Ann was intrigued enough to take her card, but made no decision. It was nice to be considered, but she really didn't know anything about what the position might entail. And she really did love her job. It was perfect for her lifestyle. In the meantime, Raven was studying the postcard. "So you're looking to have this tattooed on her?"

Neil answered and said, "I'm hopeful. But it's ultimately up to her. I'd never make her do it."

"What if I wanted you to?" Ann winked.

"What?"

"That's the whole point of being Annabelle. Being made to do things."

"That's not the whole point. And you're Anna right now."

"No. The whole point is me carrying this box around. You want me to decide if I'm going to do this today or not."

"Again, I'm hopeful. I'm offering a compromise. You absolutely don't have to do this. But understand, if you get branded, you're committing to being Annabelle all the time. There would be no more debates like we've been having today. I'd take you where you need to go when you need it, because I know what's best for you."

She took a deep breath to let that sink in, before nodding. "I do understand that. And I'm fully aware that I don't have to do this. I'm also fully aware that if I open this box, you'll make Annabelle do it," she said, biting her lower lip afterward.

Raven laughed. "My God, you two are adorable."

Ann grinned and winked at her as she opened the box. But that feeling quickly changed when she saw the contests. She pulled out the collar that was inside, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Where did you get this?"

"My mother gave it to me when we were home for Thanksgiving. She said you let her borrow it. I started to question her about it, but she said I should wait for you to explain why she had it. She promised you would when you were ready. Apparently that was last night."

"So you've known for over two months that she wore this and you didn't say anything to me?"

"She wore it over seven months ago and you just got around to telling me last night?"

She sighed. "You did a good job of pretending you didn't know about her doing this kind of thing."

"I didn't pretend at all. I told you it didn't surprise me that she would do it because of what we knew about Paula. The only thing I questioned was whether she had a collar of her own. You confirmed that she didn't. FYI, she does now."

"You're mother wore that?" Raven smirked. "You mean you married someone like your mother."

"So it would seem, in more ways than one."

"More like almost all of them," Ann laughed as she looked in the box, seeing a smaller gift wrapped box inside. Picking it up, she asked, "What's this?"

"It's a present for Annabelle for the next time I see her," he chuckled.

Dropping it back into the box, she shook her head. Her mind made up, she wasted no time as she buckled the collar around her neck. "Goddamn you," she winked. "Goading me into being your full-time slave with presents? That's a cruel trick."

"You could always just be patient."

"You know I suck at that!" she playfully griped, making sure the metal ring was placed perfectly on the front of her neck.

"Too bad. Now that you're Annabelle, you're going to have to wait until we get you branded before you open it anyway."

"I knew that was coming."

"Raven, do you have someplace... private that you can do this?"

"Just behind the curtain. Generally people that get tattoos in intimate places don't have hangups about the artists seeing them. But anyone else getting tattooed will be back there too. I'm afraid that's the best I can offer."

"How many are back there now?"

"Just two. There are usually three of us in the back and someone manning the counter. One of my guys is off today. Super Bowl hangover. Stacy's on break. RJ is in the back working on a friend of his."

"That'll have to do," he grinned.

Raven took them into the back and pointed toward her pristine work station. It was more sterile than an emergency room, which made Ann relax. Neil took that feeling away almost immediately.

"Get undressed."

"Everything?"

"Everything. Don't dawdle either. We don't know how long this will take, and I have plans for you when we get home."

Ann removed the long winter coat she'd been wearing, and then slipped off her heels. She kept her eyes on Neil, knowing the two other men in the room stopped as she peeled down her skin-tight Levi's, before lifting the snug cowl-necked sweater over her head. Having gone without underwear, she was completely naked. Shaking her hair, she stood in front of the onlookers, offering them a sexy smile.