Full Circle Ch. 01-02: The Break-Up

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, merchandise, companies, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. All characters in sexual situations are 18 years or older.

Chapters One and Two set up the story. There's no sex in it, but there is decent writing. There will be sex in the next installment!

Chapter One

The Break-Up

Colorful paper lanterns fluttered in the cool breeze over a spacious lanai adjacent to a pristine fifty-acre horse pasture. Earlier that night Elaine Harris, a tall willowy strawberry blonde, hosted over a hundred guests in elegant cocktail attire to celebrate her 50^th birthday, enjoying sumptuous food accompanied by the best bottles of wine from her well-stocked cellar. Background music was provided by a Jimmy Buffet cover band on a stage outfitted in an island motif.

The party was long over and all that remained on that dark moonless night were tables littered with empty champagne and wine bottles. The sounds of Margaritaville were replaced by the occasional whinny of a horse and the background buzz of cicadas. Elaine was alone, perched on one of the dozens of rented folding chairs, her long legs daintily crossed at the ankles in her indecently short hip hugging red cocktail dress, her delicate hands fidgeting with the small yellow paper umbrella in her tropical drink.

She looked fabulous of course. The custom-tailored dress accentuated her natural curves and the Harry Winston diamond choker and matching bracelet made her look like the ultrawealthy and glamorous woman she was. Her four-inch stiletto heels elevated her to just shy of six feet, enhancing her already commanding presence.

Time had been kind to Elaine. Her toned body and flawless complexion took twenty years off her calendar age. Her delicate strawberry blonde hair, inherited from her Irish mother, displayed a natural wave as it flowed down and over her shoulders.

Elaine was the envy of every person who attended the party.

But on this auspicious evening she felt anything but triumphant, instead feeling dejected and forlorn. A black cloud blotted out the bright lights of her party, the result of a horrendous fight between Elaine and her longtime live-in girlfriend right before the party started, casting a pall over the star-studded event and leaving Elaine, for the first time in her life, entirely bewildered.

That afternoon Elaine had sprung the news on her girlfriend Rae that she was listing her New York penthouse apartment for sale. Elaine thought that Rae would willingly accept living full-time on Elaine's country estate. It was a gross miscalculation on Elaine's part. Elaine didn't appreciate that her New York City apartment was the lifeline for twenty-nine-year-old Rae Ann Wilburn. All of Rae's friends lived in the City, and leaving Elaine's penthouse apartment and the action offered by the Big Apple for the solitude of Somerset County was not a prospect that Rae relished. But Elaine was headstrong, and wanted to believe that Rae would willingly accept Elaine's fait accompli instead of reacting the way she did, which was to throw a massive hissy fit.

Elaine always feared the twenty-year difference between them would be a bridge too far and her fears came to fruition that night. This last squabble was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. After the fight, Elaine came to the unfortunate conclusion that there was no repairing something that couldn't be fixed.

Their break-up was a massive blow to Elaine's emotional well-being and ego. They'd been together for three years. Rae had become a part of the fabric of Elaine's life, and soon she'd be gone, making Elaine wonder if it was a void that could be filled. Elaine lifted her drink to her lips and drained it, putting her glass down on the crowded table. Did she make a big mistake by listing the apartment and leaving Rae out of the decision? Rae's reaction suggested the answer to that question was a resounding "yes."

She pondered whether she could take back the horrible things that she'd said, promise to keep the apartment and convince Rae to stay. It was a huge comedown for Elaine, a woman who the Queen of Wall Street, a millionaire many times over, and for years the most popular Domme in New York City. Rae was almost half her age who earned the same amount as one of Elaine's personal assistants. Yet it was Elaine contemplating getting on her knees on the stone patio of her sprawling estate to beg Rae to stay.

Elaine went to the tiki bar and fetched a can of sparkling water out of an ice bucket and popped it open. The effervescence tingled her tongue and caused her to think about her future. She wasn't sure she'd could swallow her pride and beg Rae to stay, and in any event was convinced her plea would fall on deaf ears. She was certain she'd wake up tomorrow in her bed by herself.

Then Elaine's thoughts went to her future without Rae. Would she go back to her old life as a Domme? She licked her dry lips and thought about what she could do the following night. She had to be in the City to meet with her real estate brokers, but she'd have most of the night free after the meetings were over. Elaine decided she'd turn down the dinner invitation that had already been extended by the brokers and go to the Power Exchange, a BDSM themed club in SoHo she still owned and used to frequent before she met Rae.

She'd pretty much forsaken that lifestyle because Rae wasn't interested, and for Elaine being in love was more satisfying than being in lust (though truth be known, lust was a close second). Now that it was clear Rae was no longer going to be a part of her life Elaine felt the gravitational pull of her little fiefdom at the club. The women club members would beseech her to be their Domme so Elaine had her pick of the litter. After a three-year hiatus, Elaine asked herself if she had the same burning desire to be a Domme once again.

Elaine felt goosebumps rise up on her arms as a gust of cool night air scattered empty cups and paper plates onto the patio. She decided to wait patiently for Rae to come by and say goodbye, braving the sudden chill and admiring the graceful solitude of her country sanctuary.

* * *

The estate was Elaine's prize possession, a 160-acre horse farm in Somerset County, home to over a dozen Arabian horses that Elaine stabled on her property. Elaine grew up in a poor section of Camden but had an uncle who lived and worked in New Jersey's horse country as a groom, and her visits to his place of employment got her the first taste of riding horses. It was her dream to own an estate there, and after a $50 million investment and eight years of construction, her dream came to fruition. It was Elaine's magnum opus, a magnificent horse stable and riding arena, a ten-bedroom main house, four-bedroom guest house, and chauffeur's quarters above a six-car garage.

Elaine applied her genius to a subterranean complex under her house that she affectionately called her "red room," which she designed to satisfy her many sexual kinks. The "red room" was actually four interconnected rooms, the largest in the center being the playroom, with cabinets full of toys, large soft pillows and plush carpeting. Adjoining the playroom were a small bedroom for private encounters, a dungeon-like room dedicated to bondage, replete with a St. Andrew's cross, wooden benches and straight back ladder chairs and an oversized tiled bathroom with a jacuzzi, sauna and showers.

Elaine enjoyed using the red room with her subs and invited guests for group sex, domination, and water sports. There was little that was off limits for Elaine's smutty mind (and Elaine had a very smutty mind). Surprisingly, she wasn't often aroused by physical pleasure, so she was rarely touched by others during her scenes and only occasionally touched herself. Her enjoyment was mostly as a voyeur.

Though Elaine had all the riches she could hope for, sharing a deep emotional connection with another woman proved elusive for the first forty-seven years of her life, and it was a void that became more painful as the years went on. She wondered if she was capable of falling in love and enjoying physical intimacy.

Her doubts were allayed when she met Rae. Elaine met Rae when she was on her way to a party hosted by her New York brokers. There was an unexpected rain shower that night, catching Elaine as she crossed the plaza of the office tower where the party was being held. Her hair was wet and her makeup started to run when she boarded the elevator to the top floor restaurant and the private reception. Rae was prepping for an ad photoshoot in another part of the building and took pity on Elaine when they rode up together in the same elevator.

There was an instant attraction, leading Rae to offer to "touch up" Elaine's hair and make-up before going to the party. The shoot, on the floor below the restaurant, had a full crew, including a cosmetician and hair stylist. Elaine met up with Rae after the reception, and they became inseparable from that day forward.

Rae proved to be as strong willed as Elaine, and the relationship became one of equals. Rae had a budding career as a producer and director of ads and commercials and had her own legion of friends in New York City. Rae was respectful of Elaine's lifestyle, but not interested in it, and when Elaine and Rae decided to be exclusive with each other, Elaine let her stable of subs go and mothballed the red room.

The day of reckoning for their relationship was now upon Elaine. Distracted and dejected, Elaine didn't notice Rae's appearance on the lanai until she heard a thump made by an overnight bag hitting the stone pavers. She looked up and Rae was standing there wearing a forced smile.

The short brunette's eyes were reddened from the crying jag she just finished before her final goodbye with Elaine. She was wearing faded jeans and her favorite well-loved denim shirt. Elaine fought the urge to get on her knees, promising her young lover anything to make her stay. She knew such a plea would be fruitless.

"I shouldn't have said that," Elaine started, breaking the ice. Elaine was referring to the "spoiled little rich bitch" epitaph that Elaine hurled at Rae during the heat of their pre-party argument, based upon Elaine's resentment at Rae's perceived sense of entitlement. Elaine was free with her money, and Rae took advantage of it by buying expensive clothes and shoes on Elaine's expense account.

The Eurasian beauty shrugged her shoulders. The edge of her breasts were prominently displayed by the half unbuttoned blue jean shirt she was wearing. Elaine's eyes focused on Rae's face, the make-up washed off after the party, plain but still beautiful, framed by jet black hair. Elaine was always partial to dark haired women, and Rae's hair was shiny, lustrous and thick.

"You meant what you said," Rae mumbled. Her eyes were trained on the ground. She'd never argued with Elaine before, not like the fight they had just before the party.

Elaine felt the weight of her age when her resolve crumbled. She spoke from her broken heart.

"Please Rae . . . forgive me . . . please don't leave," she said in a pleading voice. It was the first time Rae had heard Elaine talk that way. It felt strange to her after living in Elaine's considerable shadow. Elaine was always in control, always. She rarely let her guard down. Elaine was as vulnerable as Rae had ever seen her. But their break-up was a long time in coming, and Rae wasn't going to change her mind.

"I can't do it Elaine. We've been through all of this," she said emphatically.

Elaine put her vulnerability on full display. "I'm begging you Rae. Please don't make me get on my knees."

Elaine hadn't hidden her past as a Dominatrix from Rae, so Rae knew that begging wasn't part of Elaine's DNA. "You can't appreciate the irony of what you're saying," Rae said, shaking her head.

Elaine managed a weak laugh. "You know what I mean."

"I do. I'm sorry, but it just won't work out . . ."

"I'll keep the apartment in the City. Please. I can't imagine my life without you. Please don't go."

"Elaine. I don't want you to keep the apartment. If you're there, I know you're there against your will. You want to be here. With your horses. In the country. Just be honest and admit it."

Elaine stood there dumbstruck. If she said she wanted to be in the City she'd be lying and Rae could tell the moment she uttered those words. If she said she wanted to be in the country Rae would leave. She fought back her tears.

"You know me too well. You know where my heart is. It's with you and with this land."

"You have to choose Elaine."

"Please don't make me do that."

The tears welled in her eyes, and this time Elaine couldn't fight back a flood of emotions. Losing Rae. Becoming fifty and alone. Her legendary self-control finally was breached. It broke Rae's heart to see Elaine shivering and crying. She dropped her overnight bag and hugged her lover.

"I'm sorry Elaine, but I have to live my life. I can't do it here. You know that. Be strong for me. If you love me you know this is the right thing to do."

Elaine wiped the tears off her face. She stopped the trembling of her lower lip. "Maybe it's the right thing, but it's not the best thing. We have so much together."

Rae picked up her bag. "Goodbye Elaine."

Elaine took one last look at Rae's dark eyes and then she was gone.

* * *

Geraldo was a handsome man of Mexican descent, dark hair, wavy and long, a ruddy complexion and a sculpted body for a man of forty. He was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and relocated to New York City with the dream to be a Broadway performer. He had the looks and the talent to succeed, but suffered a knee injury that ended his budding career at the tender age of twenty-five. He was drifting at that time with no job, no permanent residence and limited prospects. He was working as an attendant at the Power Exchange when he met Elaine.

Elaine was in her mid-30's and on a steep ascent in the business world. She was working hard during the day and spending her nights chasing pussy at her club. She was impressed with Geraldo's quiet sense of strength, impeccable manners and unquestioned discretion and offered him the job to be her driver.

Geraldo was her driver for the past fifteen years, and in that time had seen her domination of the business world during the day, and her domination of women at night. Elaine lived off that rush of adrenaline that high stakes business transactions and beautiful, submissive women gave her. And in all that time Geraldo, though witness to much of Elaine's debauchery, never once betrayed her confidence. He was well rewarded, being given a small slice of Elaine's action and pocketing a cool million from Elaine's last deal.

Geraldo was a good listener, and there was an understanding between Elaine and her girlfriends that he could share their confidences without sharing that information with Elaine. Rae was one to discuss all her trials and travails with Elaine, so Geraldo got an inside view of the arc of Elaine and Rae's three-year relationship. Some of Elaine and Rae's arguments occurred while Geraldo was driving, and the last three months were uncomfortable for all three of them. Geraldo knew the relationship was going to come to an end, he just didn't know when.

The when happened of course the night of Elaine's 50^th birthday party. Geraldo attended, though he left early and had nothing alcoholic to drink, certain he'd be driving someone somewhere. He went back to his spacious apartment, which was above and spanned the full length of Elaine's six car garage, to watch a British detective series he was bingeing on Netflix. He was halfway through the final episode when his cellphone chirped with the expected phone call.

Though he was expecting it, he was still surprised when Elaine told him that his passenger would be Rae and that the trip would be one-way to Rae's friend's apartment in the City. He sighed when he hung up the phone. It'd be a long and painful trip. He considered Rae to be a good friend, and though he understood Elaine's motivations, he couldn't help but feel sorry for his young friend.

He turned off his television and went to his bedroom to change into his uniform. Even though Rae wouldn't care if he wore casual clothes, he cared, and donned his perfectly pressed pants and jacket. He wanted to look his best for what could be his last contact with Rae.

He trimmed his moustache and then combed his hair one last time. He turned off the lights and closed the door to his apartment, feeling like he was an executioner walking to the gallows. He went down the inside stairwell and flicked on a bank of lights, illuminating the six cars he maintained for Elaine.

Geraldo walked on the epoxied floor to the car at the far end. He was relieved to see that the black Tesla S, Plaid Edition, was still plugged into the charger. During their call, Elaine also told Geraldo that she'd be going to the City as well that night, a bit later, in the Tesla. The original plan was for Geraldo to use the Maybach and drop Elaine off at her apartment before Geraldo continued on to Philadelphia for his nephew's sixteenth birthday. The plan changed when Elaine and Rae broke up, having Elaine drive herself and putting Geraldo at Rae's disposal.

He checked his app. The car had a 300-mile charge - more than enough to get Elaine to the City and back. Elaine also had a charger in the garage of her Manhattan apartment in case she needed it. He moved past the lime green McLaren 720S and the black-on-black Porsche 911 GT3 RS to get to her Mercedes-Maybach S 680, the car she favored for rides to the City. He had that car detailed in anticipation of Elaine's trip, so now Rae would be the beneficiary of the immaculate interior.

He pulled the car out into the driveway and moved the driver's seat back to give himself more room to continue watching his Netflix series on his iPhone. He heard a tapping on his window and turned his head and saw Rae. Her eyes drooped when they met his, and it was clear that she'd been crying. He switched off his phone and stepped out of the car. He hugged her.

"I'm so sorry," he said, holding her close and feeling her chest heave as she sobbed.

"It had to happen," Rae wailed. "Sometimes Elaine can be such a bitch."

Geraldo knew he'd be thrown in the middle, yet being there was still very uncomfortable. He didn't want to take sides.

"Honey, I know you hurt now. Why don't we just talk as friends on the ride back?"

Rae nodded her head. Geraldo could tell that she had to get that out of her system but would be more reflective when she calmed down.

Rae went around to the front passenger door and opened it as Geraldo put Rae's overnight bag in the trunk.

"OK if I sit in the front seat?" she asked.

"Sure."

She plopped her butt down on the soft leather, already missing the look and feel of the Maybach. Geraldo got into the driver's seat and started the car, putting it into drive, and effortlessly wheeling the car down the long tree-lined driveway to a two-lane country road.

Rae used a tissue to wipe the tears off her face.

"I guess I'll have to get used to this. It doesn't seem like this is happening," she said as she looked out the window at the dark woods flashing by.

"I feel for you Rae. I do. Elaine's my boss, but that doesn't mean I can't be your friend too."

"I know it's not what you wanted or expected," she said, then waiting for his reaction.

"It's not what I want Rae, it's what you and Elaine want," he said, trying to keep his focus on the dark country road on a moonless night. The wood was thick with wild animals, so Geraldo slowed the vehicle so as not to outdrive his headlights, and also so he could focus his thoughts on their conversation.