Learning to be a Sub: Lesson #1

Author's Disclaimer: All characters depicted are over 18, etc. etc. Enjoy!

Author's Note: This story is based on real events, but not mine.

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Ashleigh started climbing the steps to the second level of the Starbucks and paused. What was she doing here? The beating of her heart and the stiffness of her nipples testified to how nervous and excited she was. This was not a date, she kept telling herself, even though she had fussed over what to wear. She had eventually decided on a conservatively sexy look. On top, was a tight, white, button-down that showed off her slim figure and a hint of cleavage. The lower half included a short-ish black skirt that accentuated her legs along with a pair of sheer thigh-high stockings and high heels. But this was not a date! They were just going to talk.

Ashleigh was still trying to figure out who she was sexually. She thought that she might be on the submissive side, maybe a lot, but she wasn't sure. Many of her fantasies, these days, involved being bound in some way and increasingly included a woman. Ashleigh had always been attracted to women as well as men, but, at nineteen, she had never really had an opportunity to pursue it further than some flirting and making out.

She had gone onto the fetish website, originally, just to see what was normal. More specifically, was she normal? Ashleigh expected a small community of like-minded people whom she could talk to and, possibly, find someone with whom she could explore. What she discovered was a huge community of diverse backgrounds and kinks. It was almost overwhelming. Quickly it became clear that there was no such thing as 'normal'. Every single person seemed to be unique in what they liked and disliked. The fact that they all seemed willing to talk about it and weren't ashamed gave her courage.

While most of the people on the site seemed nice, one woman, in particular, seemed to be knowledgeable and friendly in a way that made Ashleigh comfortable with asking her naive questions.

She DMed the woman, Liz, trying to be as polite as possible. The woman had been very nice and willing to talk openly. Ashleigh would ask only one or two questions per message not wanting to be too greedy with Liz's time. At the same time, the two had gotten to know one another. Liz was thirty-one and they both lived in the London area.

After a few messages of one-off questions, Liz suggested that, since they were both in the same area, they have coffee and Ashleigh could ask all the questions she wanted. That sounded reasonable, Ashleigh thought, very efficient, not a date.

She took a deep breath and continued up the stairs.

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Liz had seen the pretty young woman cross the street in front of the coffee shop from her vantage on the second floor. The blonde hair and bare legs showing from underneath her coat were clues that this was the woman Liz was here to meet. She smiled to herself that the girl had chosen to wear a skirt like that in the dead of winter.

A few seconds later, the woman's head appeared coming up the stairs looking around. She was cute with her sharp hazel eyes and long blonde hair. Liz made eye contact and saw the girl smile sheepishly and approach.

The older woman noticed Ashleigh checking her out as she came closer. Liz had shoulder-length brown hair sprinkled with a heavy bit of natural blonde highlights. She was wearing a tight tan turtleneck and a knee-length brown skirt with a slit in the front. That slit was currently allowing a significant amount of leg to show including the top band of her hose.

"Liz?" she asked.

"Ashleigh?" came the response as Liz stood.

Relief poured into the younger woman's face and she stepped closer arms spreading. Oh, this was going to be a hugging introduction. It was more than just a customary hug too, this was almost a long-lost friend hug. The older woman was unphased but noted it as a statement about the other's personality. The girl seemed so happy to have found someone she could confide in.

The hug broke up and the two sat down across from each other. There was a long silence as the two just looked at each other for a few moments before Liz spoke up.

"Oh, right," she started. "I got you a coffee."

Liz handed over a cup.

"Mocha, double espresso, right?" the older woman asked.

"Wow," Ashleigh responded, surprised. "You remembered."

"It was only two days ago that you mentioned it," Liz pointed out as she leaned back taking a relaxed posture.

"Thank you," the girl said lifting the cup to her lips and taking a tentative sip.

The girl was clearly nervous and was holding onto the cup like it was going to protect her...from Liz? At the same time, her eyes kept looking at the older woman's body while acting like she was engrossed in the drink.

"Relax, dear," Liz said. "I'm not a predator."

Ashleigh laughed nervously and put down her cup. The older woman saw something in her eyes for just a moment. Was that disappointment?

"I...I'm sorry. I just didn't know what to expect," she started. "Or...what you expect."

The blonde's eyes dropped back to look at the cup on the table.

"I only expected that we would talk," Liz assured.

Ashleigh smiled, but Liz could still feel her tension.

"So you're a student, right?" the older woman began. "What are you studying?"

The girl visibly relaxed at being asked a mundane question. They talked about their lives and families for a while until Liz felt like the younger woman had settled down to a point where they could get back to the original purpose of the meeting. At a lul in the conversation, she broached the subject once again.

"So, I believe you had some questions for me?"

"Oh, my, right," Ashleigh said, quickly finishing her coffee.

The poor girl looked around the room gauging the distance between them and anyone who might overhear. Then she picked up her small purse from the seat next to her and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Liz's eyebrows rose.

"You wrote down your questions," Liz observed. Ashleigh looked up sheepishly.

"Well, um, yes," she said, unfolding the paper. "I...didn't want to waste your time trying to remember all my questions or ask something stupid."

Liz chuckled and crossed her legs.

"Of course, hun, go ahead," the brunette encouraged.

"O..okay, uh," the girl began. She seemed distracted. "You're very pretty," she finally said.

"Well, thank you," Liz replied. "Or was that a question?" The older woman gave Ashleigh a smile in an attempt to make her feel a little more at ease.

"Ha, no, sorry, I..." her voice trailed off.

"Don't worry, hun," Liz said. "I won't bite...unless you want me to."

Liz regretted that last bit as soon as she said it. That was not going to ease the girl's tension.

"Oh, huh," Ashleigh laughed nervously and looked back down at the paper in her hands.

She looked back up at Liz, smiled, then back at her paper.

"These...sound really lame now that I'm here," she finally said.

Liz held her hand out to the girl.

"May I?" she asked indicating the paper.

"Sure," Ashleigh said with some relief, handing over the sheet.

Liz took the list of questions and scanned down the page. There weren't that many and they were all focused on the physical.

What is it like to be spanked? Have you whipped someone? What do you use? Do you tie up your partner?

Liz glanced up at Ashleigh who was staring at the page in her hand. A hand came up to bite on a nail but was quickly put back in the girl's lap. Ashleigh's eyes darted up and met the older woman's.

"So, before I answer these," Liz started. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"Uh, yeah, okay," Ashleigh replied.

"What is BDSM to you?" Liz asked sitting up straight.

"Well, I mean, bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism, right?" Ashleigh answered like it was a pop quiz.

"That's what the letters stand for, but what is it to you?" Liz pushed.

"Um, I guess," Ashleigh's head moved left and right to make sure, once again, that no one was in earshot. "I want to be...spanked," she practically whispered that last word. "And tied up and have my body played with and be told what to do and..."

Liz held up a hand to halt the verbal train that she felt was just getting started.

"What?" the girl inquired with a worried expression.

"You're just telling me about what you want to happen," the brunette said, her tone indicating that Ashleigh was missing the point.

Ashleigh got a confused expression. Even though she didn't say it verbally, Liz could see the, "yeah?" on the verge of spilling out. To her credit, the girl stayed quiet.

"How about this," Liz offered. "Tell me about where we are."

"What?" Ashleigh asked, confused. "You mean, like, London, or..."

"No, just tell me about your surroundings," the brunette clarified. "Right here, right now. How does it make you feel?"

"Oh, okay," Ashleigh looked around the room. "It's a coffee house. ... It has a kind of nice rustic look. The chairs are cool."

"How about the coffee?" Liz asked.

"Yeah, it's nice," came the answer.

There was a pause as Liz took in Ashleigh's face and the girl fidgeted.

"I need you to do me a favor," the older woman broke the silence and reached for her purse.

Pulling out a coin, she put it on the table in front of the younger woman.

"You see that magazine shop right across the street," Liz indicated out the window to a shop directly across the way.

"Yes."

"Go buy me a newspaper, please."

"You just want me to go buy a newspaper?" Ashleigh looked back at Liz, her confusion evident again. "Couldn't you just do that on your way out?"

"Yes, but I want you to do it," Liz paused to emphasize her next words. "For me."

"Uh," the girl started then some idea solidified in her mind. "Oh, okay," Ashleigh agreed picking up the coin. "I can do that."

The blonde reached for her coat and scarf but Liz stopped her.

"It's just across the road, you won't need those," she started. "But take your phone."

Ashleigh hesitated but grabbed her phone and started walking. Liz admired her nice ass and legs as she proceeded toward the stairs, her heels clicking on the wood floor.

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Ashleigh realized that this was some sort of test. Liz had said she wanted Ashleigh to do it for her. There was a strength in the woman's voice that did not broach the concept that she would be denied, regardless of the social niceties she might add. Following that order gave the nineteen-year-old a strange feeling, but she pushed it aside and focused on her task.

And why a newspaper? She was pondering this as she stepped into the chill of the winter air. Ashleigh's arms immediately hugged herself. She had picked this outfit to look sexy never expecting to be out in this weather without her coat.

She looked both ways and quickly jogged as best she could in her high heels to the magazine shop. Inside, she purchased a paper and paused just inside the door still wondering what this was all about.

Deciding to get it over with, Ashleigh stepped out the door. No sooner had she gotten halfway back to the crosswalk when her phone vibrated. She pulled it up to see that it was Liz and answered.

"Hello?" the girl said looking up at the second-story window of the coffee shop. She could just make out the woman's form through the glass holding her phone to her head.

"You're doing great," the woman's voice said. "I want you to wait outside the shop until I call you back."

Then there was the distinct sound of the call ending. Ashleigh stepped back a bit away from the road and stood there rubbing her arms.

What was this all about? It was a test, Ashleigh was sure, Liz wanted to see if she would obey her or testing her pain tolerance maybe? There was something different about the feeling. Following the older woman's command was kind of exciting in a way she hadn't expected.

She looked up at the coffee shop window again. Liz wasn't even looking at her, just sitting there drinking her coffee. Oh, some warm coffee would be nice right now, Ashleigh thought.

An older couple passed by looking at her and stopped.

"Are you okay, dear?" the woman asked. "It's terribly cold to be dressed like that."

"I'm f-fine," Ashleigh replied trying to keep the chatter out of her voice. "I'm just waiting for a friend." She glanced up at the woman in the window momentarily. "Thank you for asking."

She saw the old man glance down at her chest and realized that her nipples were lewdly poking through her shirt. The girl moved her hands up her arms like she was trying to keep warm but also covered her nipples from the man's view.

"Well, alright," the woman replied and the two continued on.

Minutes passed with Ashleigh looking up every thirty seconds or so to see no movement on the part of the older woman. If Liz hadn't been so attractive, would she be doing this? The girl wasn't sure, but she was very attracted to her. Liz was well dressed, had a great figure, a beautiful face, and had a confidence that Ashleigh found extremely hot.

Ashleigh flashed back to that phone command and felt the tingle again. She could wait.

She looked at her phone then back up at the window for the umpteenth time. Nearly fifteen minutes had passed. She looked down and rubbed her arms a little harder just as she felt the phone vibrate. The phone was at her ear in a flash.

"Come on back in, sweety," came the voice.

Ashleigh didn't hesitate and dashed across the road and into the coffee shop. She rushed up the stairs and put the paper in front of Liz sitting back down and rubbing her arms again. A fresh cup of coffee sat in front of her with little tendrils of steam rising up. The girl had never seen something so lovely. She closed both hands around it and hovered her face over it, the aroma warming her as much as the sides of the cup.

Liz folded up the paper and set it aside. Ashleigh's eyes followed the motion but she wasn't that surprised. She knew this couldn't have been about getting a paper. Who even still reads a physical newspaper anymore?

"Now," Liz began. "Tell me about where we are."

"It is so nice in here," Ashleigh answered, no longer measuring her words. "There's a little area right inside the door that blows warm air down. That felt incredible. And I'm so glad these chairs aren't those cold metal ones."

The girl slowed down and brought the coffee to her lips. She sipped and her eyes closed.

"What about the coffee?" Liz prodded.

"So good," Ashleigh moaned. "The temperature is just right not burn but feels like a warm injection down my throat. It's got just a hint of cinnamon too, that's so nice!"

Liz just smiled and leaned forward folding her hands together on the table.

"The temperature in here is the same as when you came in," the brunette explained. "And the coffee hasn't changed."

Ashleigh looked pensive.

"Let me ask again," Liz said. "What is BDSM to you?"

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Liz could see the wheels turning and hoped that Ashleigh would understand the lesson she was trying to impart. The nineteen-year-old's brows furrowed and her lips parted as though she was going to speak but paused. Liz leaned back putting her folded hands in her lap, content to let the girl think.

After a long silence, Ashleigh's face visibly relaxed.

"You're saying that ... that BDSM is like the cold," she answered tentatively.

Liz just smiled encouraging the girl to continue.

"I didn't appreciate the room...or the coffee as much until I was punished in the cold?"

The brunette's shoulders drooped.

"I wasn't punishing you, sweety," Liz corrected.

She took a deep breath, then leaned far forward putting both hands on the table palms up, an offer for Ashleigh to take them.

"Take my hands," came the command.

Ashleigh brought up her hands and then hesitated. She looked up at Liz who was watching her intently. The older woman saw the girl's lips part and her nostrils flare. Yes, there it was. She thought she had seen it earlier when she had told the blonde to get a newspaper, but now it was unmistakable.

"Now," Liz added.

Ashleigh's lips parted a bit more and her hands met Liz's in the middle of the table.

"BDSM is not about punishment."

Liz's hands slid to gently take hold of the blonde's wrists.

"It's not about bondage," the older woman said.

She crossed Ashleigh's wrists and held them together. The girl was starting to look between her wrists and Liz's face.

"It's not about pain."

Liz pulled and Ashleigh had to bend forward over the table as her arms were stretched. The blonde started to look around to see who else might be watching.

"Focus on me, little one," Liz commanded and Ashleigh's young eyes fixed on hers.

Liz could see the struggle going on in the girl's mind, it was playing like a movie across her face. Potential embarrassment mixed with fear and a healthy dose of confusing pleasure.

"What are you feeling, Ashleigh?" Liz asked.

"I...don't...know," came the halting reply.

"You could pull away anytime you want," the brunette pointed out. "But you haven't. Why?"

"I...I don't..." There was a pause.

"Because you don't want to," Liz finished the thought.

The brunette leaned forward to put her lips right to the younger woman's ear.

"Because your body is tingling right now, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Y..yes," Ashleigh's voice dropped to the same whisper.

"That's 'yes, ma'am' or 'yes, Mistress,'" Liz corrected. "Do you understand?"

Ashleigh made a quiet sound barely at the level of Liz's hearing. Was that a moan?

"Yes...m..ma'am," the girl replied, her eyes closing briefly as she got the words out.

"I've barely touched you," Liz started. "But your body is primed to respond."

Still holding the girl's wrists with one hand, Liz reached over Ashleigh's shoulder to put a single fingernail on the center of her back. The nail then scratched slowly up the blonde's spine to her neck. Liz felt the younger woman's body shiver and her head lowered to the table giving the nail the freedom to continue up the back of her neck and over her crown.

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Ashleigh felt the finger running along her back like it was attached to her clit. Every inch sent a pleasant buzzing into the core of her sex. She had never felt all of her body at once, not like this. It was like every nerve was begging to be touched, caressed, struck, made love to.

"It's not about sex," she heard the older woman's voice just a centimeter from her ear and the tapping of her finger on Ashleigh's skull. Even that tapping felt erotic. "This is what BDSM is about, the magnification of your senses that's happening up here."

When Liz let go of her wrists and sat back, Ashleigh was disappointed. She wanted more. The girl didn't move for several seconds, just stayed in that almost bowing position with her wrists crossed. Finally, she lifted her head to look at the older woman.

Liz sat with her legs crossed and her hands folded in her lap just watching, a half smile playing across her lips. Ashleigh started to sit up then stopped herself.

"Can I get up, uh, ma'am?" the blonde asked.

"You could have gotten up at any time, hun," Liz replied. "The real question is, do you want to get up."

Ashleigh swallowed hard. She did not want to move. She wanted this enticing woman to...to...to what? She slowly slid back to a sitting position and suddenly had trouble meeting the brunette's eyes. She was embarrassed at how she had reacted, how her body had reacted. The girl was blushing fiercely and raised a hand to feel the heat on her cheek.

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Liz stayed quiet for a long time waiting and watching. The girl was lost in her own thoughts and Liz knew she needed to process what had just happened. When the moment felt right, she broke the silence.

"What is it you want, Ashleigh?"