Culture Shock

Kendra chuckled. "Yeah. I bet."

"It might go further. I don't know. But honestly, if it doesn't look like what it's supposed to look like, you know, in my head, then I'll be hightailing it out of there so fast it'll make his head spin."

"How?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, how would you get out of there? You don't have a car."

Elaine hadn't given it that much thought. "Look, I know what you are going to say, but if he's a nice guy he'll stick to his word. He told me he'd bring me home anytime I wanted. Apart from that, I'll find out the bus schedule and I'll get you guys to check up on me." Elaine hadn't shared The Code with Kendra the last time, so she explained it to her. "When you phone me, I'll call you Kennie or something if I'm in trouble."

"Okay, that's a good idea. Just remember it'll take half an hour to get there."

"Yeah," said Elaine a little uncertainly. She really was going to be alone with him. "I know."

"Allen Falls is miles from the next town so running away isn't an option. The neighbours might be miles away too, so they won't hear your screams."

"Jeez, Kendra. You really know how to reassure someone."

"Hey, it's your funeral. You can do whatever you want."

Elaine knew it was just a turn of phrase. Gary wasn't a psycho. She knew it. Gary was a good-looking guy who happened to be kinky and was probably too honest for his own good. But he was smart. He engaged Elaine on a level that impressed her, but more importantly intrigued her. He made her question things. Not just about him, but about her too.

Maybe he was smarter than Elaine gave him credit. The thought was unnerving.

I have to find out if he's fooling me.

A queasy feeling wrapped itself around her stomach as she caught the bus. At work she was pleased it was busy. She threw herself into it and before she'd noticed the clock, it was time to head to college.

Afternoon melted into evening and her mood darkened with the weather. A storm was coming and the first raindrops chased Elaine up the apartment stairs. Closing the front door, her roommates greeted her, as did the sweet smell of basil in Chelsea's lamb stew. It made her tummy rumble.

In her room she donned an oversized sweater, saving her nice one for the weekend.

Ugh. The weekend.

Elaine thought if her roommates kept at her, they'd freak her out.

Gary would reassure her, and she couldn't wait to talk to him. He had a calming effect on her that she missed the longer she went without seeing him. Even twenty-four hours seemed too long.

Just thinking about him helped her feel better, even as the wind hit and distant thunder rolled across the floodplain. Elaine closed her sliding window, stilling her billowing drapes. If it was electrical, and went on all night, she wouldn't be able to talk to Gary at all. At least he'd be able to guess why. She was pretty sure he'd be having the same storm.

"Have you guys closed the windows?!" Elaine was standing at her open bedroom door, yelling down the hall.

"Yeah, yeah. No problem!" called out Kendra.

Over the television Elaine heard Chelsea ask, "What did she say?"

Kendra must have been absorbed in something as she muttered, "Storm... windows..."

"Aw, shit. Can you pause it?"

"Sure."

Elaine heard Chelsea's light feet padding in her direction.

She entered the hallway and rolled her eyes. "I told myself not to forget to close the window, and what did I do?"

"You forgot," Elaine said, grinning as Chelsea walked past.

"Good job, Sherlock," Chelsea said, poking out her tongue. "Are you okay?" she asked, pausing at the door.

"Yeah, just..." Elaine hesitated. "Never mind."

"Okay," said Chelsea, wiggling her ass as she disappeared into her room.

Elaine sighed and closed her door. She figured Chelsea hadn't spoken to her friend. She didn't mind. If Elaine didn't have to talk about the weekend, she wasn't going to bring it up.

More thunder sounded. Elaine was pretty sure it was still a long way off and felt she could at least finish a couple of assignments. During the day she'd spent every spare moment in the library, photocopying, taking notes and doing outlines for the papers that were due by the weekend, plus for the one due on Monday. She was glad she'd checked her schedule. She hoped to get the two small ones done tonight. She could also do her online responses if the storm settled. It was possible to get it all done if she worked steadily. It wouldn't be easy, but she was confident.

As nine o'clock approached, Elaine was satisfied. Her belly was full of delicious stew that Chelsea had been kind enough to allow her to enjoy while she worked. She wanted to surprise Gary by completing everything he'd asked of her but she couldn't quite do it. She decided to leave the question, "What does being submissive mean to you, " until the next day. She'd finished her two assignments for school, and her online responses. She'd completed her journal, and she'd even gone to the site Gary had asked her to visit. The one with the list of 'humiliating things'. She'd copied and pasted the list into a Word document and filled it out as he'd asked, just like the D/s checklist.

What surprised her most were the similarities between the two. Just as Gary had described, at least a quarter of the things on the list Elaine didn't find humiliating at all. Like wearing a blindfold. Elaine didn't think that was 'humiliating'. Exciting, yes. But not humiliating. She didn't think she'd find it humiliating if Gary chose her clothes for her either. As long as they matched.

Hmmm, she wondered. What if they didn't?

The question about 'Leaving Instructions as to What to Do' made her feel funny. What if the instructions were stupid or she didn't agree with them? The same with 'Leaving the Bathroom Door Open'.

What if it was going to be like, noisy?

She blinked when she arrived at 'Orgasm Control'.

The next entry made her swallow. 'Orgasm Denial'.

I'm not going to be able to do this. Not if he makes me crazy.

It was on those two items that Elaine had spent the most time. Rating them from zero to five was quite bizarre. Zero was supposed to mean, 'I never want to do it', like a hard limit. And five was, 'I want it all the time'. Nowhere was the option of, 'I CAN'T do it'. She settled on four, which was, 'I want it regularly'.

She shook her head. 'Shave Body Hair', and 'Stand in a Corner', were easy fours. 'Suck a Dildo in a Car, so Others can See', was a three. Meaning: 'I usually like it on an irregular basis'. Same with 'Wear No Bra Under a See-Through Top' and 'Write on Body'. Her thoughts were making her hot. She shook her head and tried to concentrate. It was easier if her legs weren't crossed.

It was as though, up to a point, the more extreme the idea, the hotter Elaine became. Even just thinking about it, like, 'Be a Maid' or, 'Eat from Master's Hand'. Then it snapped and it was too much.

God, look at some of this stuff. 'Slap Your Face', 'Wear Diapers', 'Serve as a Toilet'.

By the time she'd finished, Elaine had a lot of zeros.

And she had a lot she wanted to talk to Gary about. Out of the blue she remembered she was supposed to take a look at some examples of 'contracts', so she started at Castlerealm and then Googled. She was reading through her forth one when Gary messaged her.

"Hello, Elaine."

"Hi, Gary." She felt the heat in her cheeks almost immediately. She hoped her courage didn't desert her.

"I hear there's a storm coming. Are you on dial-up or on a cordless laptop?"

"I'm on dial up."

"Let me know if you have to go."

"I will. Thank you, Sir."

What the hell was I thinking?

"Thank you for your homework. I particularly liked your journal today."

"Why?" Elaine asked without thinking. "I mean, if it's okay to ask."

"Sure. It was incisive and thoughtful. I enjoy reading your thoughts." A moment later he typed, "Hey, it's me you're talking to."

"I... I'm sorry. It's been a weird day."

"Why don't you tell me about it?"

"Thank you. I will."

"You're welcome."

"Well, firstly, I've been horny all damn day and I can't do anything about it."

"Not a good sign." He sent a wink.

"No." Elaine giggled and sent a smile.

Just then Kendra poked her head around Elaine's bedroom door and said, "Um, I'm just going out. I'll see you later." She looked like she wanted to ask something but was holding her tongue.

Elaine wasn't in the mood to indulge her. Besides, Gary was waiting. "Okay," she said, barely politely. "See you later." Elaine turned back to the computer as Kendra closed her door. Ugh, she thought. I should chase her and find out what's up. Sighing, she typed, "One moment please, Sir."

"Sure," Gary replied.

Elaine hopped up from her computer chair and headed for the lounge room. Kendra was just leaving and they almost ran into each other.

"Sorry!" said Elaine with surprise.

"Hehe. It's okay. Going somewhere?" Kendra asked rhetorically.

"No, I just thought... Never mind."

"Come on. Spit it out."

"I... I just thought you wanted to ask me something."

"Don't be stupid," Kendra said, clearly for Chelsea's benefit. She took Elaine's arm and led her to the front door. Elaine thought Kendra was really strong. "I just don't want Miss Know-It-All to hear this," she whispered.

"What is it?" Elaine asked, prising Kendra's fingers from her arm.

"Sorry. I don't know. I don't even know why I want to talk to you about this."

"What?" Elaine asked, almost exasperated.

"I think I might be pregnant."

Elaine's jaw dropped. For a moment she could hardly believe her ears. Kendra was pregnant? Surely she took precautions. "How?"

"I don't know. I think the rubber must have broken or something."

"Jesus, Kendra. How long has it been?"

"Six weeks on Thursday."

"Shit."

"Yeah. I'm going to see the doctor tomorrow. Can you come with me?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. And don't tell Chelsea. I'll tell her after I know one way or the other."

"Okay. Are you sure you want to go out tonight?"

"I NEED to go out. I'm going crazy every time I sit still."

"Okay," said Elaine, smiling softly. She could almost see Kendra pregnant. Strangely she thought she'd be a good mom.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. It's at ten A.M. Chelsea will be at class."

"All right." Elaine thought she'd only miss one lecture. Maybe two.

"Thanks, Elaine," Kendra said. For a split second Elaine thought Kendra looked really sad. It flashed over her face before being replaced with her usual smart-assed self.

"You're welcome," Elaine replied, taking Kendra's hands in hers and squeezing them lightly. "Go on. Have fun. And make him sweat."

"Oh, don't worry. I'm going to fuck him six ways to Sunday."

"I didn't... Oh, never mind. Get out of here."

Kendra winked and closed the door behind her.

Elaine shook her head and made for the lounge room. Chelsea was watching some cop show. "Do you want a coffee? I was just making one."

"Sure. Thanks. Hey, what were you two talking about?"

Elaine was surprised by the question and wasn't sure how to answer. "It wasn't about you. Kendra just wanted to know if I was free in the morning."

"What for?"

"I'm not sure," Elaine lied.

She swallowed as she left the lounge room and entered the kitchen, intent on making coffees. She was glad Chelsea hadn't followed her. Elaine hated being drilled on things. She was a terrible liar.

Finally the coffee was ready and she waited until the advertisements were over before taking Chelsea's to her. Her plan was a good one and Chelsea barely grunted a thank you as Elaine put her coffee on the low table. Lightning lit the lounge room window. Hastily Elaine beat a path to her room as more thunder sounded. It was still miles away.

Gary's words hit her as she sat.

"This is a bit longer than 'one moment'."

Shit. How long have I been gone?

"I'm sorry, Gary. My roommate just told me some news that I couldn't walk away from."

After a few seconds he replied, "Then that's understandable. Welcome back."

"Thank you. I um, I should have returned before I made coffee though."

"Yes. You probably should have. I'm going to allow it since you brought it up before I needed to point it out."

"Sorry, Sir. I didn't realise I'd taken so long." She really hadn't.

"It's all right. I understand. And I understand that some stuff is 'girl's stuff'. I won't pry."

"It's okay. Kendra just told me she thinks she might be pregnant."

"Okay, and er, some stuff is life-changing stuff."

"Yes. Gosh, I just thought of something."

"I was tested on Friday and I received the results today. I'm clean. And I'll have the doctor's report for you."

How does he always do that?

"Um, do you want me to do a test too?"

"It's probably not necessary."

"I've never been with anyone, Sir. I swear it."

"That's what I mean. Are you on birth control?"

"Yes. I have been for years. It limits the bleeding."

"Okay. I don't want you to think I don't trust you."

"I'll make an appointment tomorrow."

"Good girl."

"I'm whispering," Elaine typed. "I understand too."

"Thank you. So tell me what's been going on. I mean before you spoke with your roommate."

Elaine took a deep breath. "I've been having second thoughts today."

A moment of silence passed.

Gary typed, "I'd say that was normal."

"Nods." Elaine wasn't sure how to proceed. "Ugh. My stupid roommates got me thinking, that's all. I just need some reassurance."

"And yet you are also horny."

"And being reminded of it isn't helping." Elaine squirmed in her chair. "Can we please stick to one topic at a time? This isn't easy." She sent a blushing face.

"Yes. I apologise. How can I reassure you?"

Elaine threw subtlety out the window. "Well, two things."

"Let's do them one at a time."

"Okay. Well, first you can tell me it's okay if Chelsea asks a friend of hers from Allen Falls if she knows you. Or if her parents do."

"Chuckles."

"Whaaat?"

BANG!

With a heavy knock, Chelsea burst through the doorway! She looked like she was about to pop! "Fuck!" she squealed. "I nearly forgot to tell you!"

"What????" pleaded Elaine, holding her thumping chest. She'd nearly had a heart attack. "Tell me what?"

"About that guy!"

From somewhere Elaine found the sense to type, 'Be right back, ' to Gary. Then she minimised the conversation and turned back to Chelsea. "What about him?" she asked.

"Well, I asked Abby from gym class, she's the one from Allen Falls."

"Okay." Elaine's heart was thumping even louder. She could feel it in her ears.

"She remembered meeting him once and thought he was totally hot, but according to her, he hardly even looked at her. She thought he was a bit of a loner. That got me worried so I asked her to ask her Dad. She rang him straight away at the store in Allen Falls then handed me the phone."

"You talked to her Dad? What did he say?"

"Yes! He says Gary Duke's a great guy. Always stops to talk. He put up some new shelves for Abby's Mom one time and they've even had him over to dinner. Apparently his horse ranch thing is doing really well and he's ordered a whole heap of timber to build a third stable. He's settled in the area and is on a committee with Abby's Dad that reports to the local municipality. He said Gary was pretty torn up when he was left at the altar. It was a real surprise. Everyone feels for the guy."

Elaine breathed hard. "So he gets the all clear?"

"Go get him tiger."

Elaine grinned. And she almost burst into tears. "Thanks, Chelsea."

"Don't mention it. I'm going over to Abby's to study. She's a nice girl. And smart too. I'll be back in a couple of hours. And give him my number if things don't work out." She winked and headed out.

Elaine was still shaking when she heard the front door close. Turning back to her computer, she saw that messenger was blinking. Gary had typed something while she was away. She clicked it to the front and read what it was.

He'd typed, "Yeah, I had this strange phone call this afternoon. Apparently some college girl was asking questions about me." He'd sent a wink. Then he'd also typed, "Waiting patiently."

"I'm back," Elaine said. "I'm sorry for the interruptions."

"It's okay. So did I check out?"

"She just rushed in to tell me. That's why I was away."

"And?"

"You did fine."

"Good. First hurdle jumped. What was the other thing holding you back?"

Elaine blinked. "It seems silly now."

"Let me decide, okay?"

"Well... Okay. I was going to ask if I could talk to your ex-girlfriend."

"Hmmmm. I don't think I still have her number. In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't. I heard she got married, but I don't even know her new last name. I was betrayed, Elaine. I've tried not to think about her."

Elaine felt a tear fall down her cheek. "I'm sorry. I knew it was a stupid idea."

"Well, no. It wasn't. I'll make a couple of calls. Maybe I could get her to ring you."

Elaine swallowed. "Do you have a pen? I'll give you my number."

"Okay, let's swap them now. You can write down my address while you're at it."

"Okay. I'll be right back again."

"Nods."

Elaine only took a moment to find a pen and her little address book. "Okay, I'm ready." In moments they were done. Elaine stared at the paper. She wondered if Gary was doing the same. She looked back at the screen. He was typing.

"How are you feeling?"

"Kind of, I don't know. Like I'm on a ride and I can't get off. It's exciting but also scary."

"Tell me if you want to get off the ride."

"I promise I will. But I don't want to. I have to ride it to the end. I have to know."

"Nods softly."

Elaine grabbed a tissue. She was feeling so emotional. "Sir, I have some other questions. I've written them down."

"Okay. Let's work through them."

"I remembered you saying, 'once you cross over into real life, you can't go back'. Someone else said something quite similar too. Could you explain what you meant?"

"I think I was being a bit dramatic. What I was getting at was once you have experienced D/s in real life, vanilla is decidedly plain."

"But I haven't done vanilla."

"Hmmm. You know what? You're right."

"I am?"

"Well, yeah. I mean... God, I don't know what I mean."

"Giggles."

"They only made one of you, didn't they?"

"Smiles up at you."

"Are you on your cushion 'in your mind'?"

"Nods and bites my lip."

"You're allowed. I bought you a beautiful big black one with red embroidery today. I hope you like it."

"I'm sure I will." Elaine touched her cheeks. They felt like they were on fire.

"What other questions did you have?"

"Well, I wanted to ask... Well not ask. Like, know something... Oh, I don't know. I'll just come out and say it."

"That would probably be for the best."

"Sometimes I feel guilty about all this. Like I shouldn't be doing it. Like I'm playing with something I shouldn't be playing with."

"Interesting. What does the guilt feel like?"

"Feel like?"

"Yes. Is it the kind that would be alleviated by being punished? Maybe you just need a spanking."

"Blushes!" Elaine felt her pussy warming up. She wondered if she was a little crazy. God, maybe Gary was right. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know. From what you've told me, you get turned on whenever you think of most mainstream aspects of the lifestyle. To be turned on by extreme things, relatively extreme, tells you that you are a little extreme yourself. This is not the kind of stuff you can share with your mother over tea."