Love & Obsession

Author's note: Many thanks to the fans who favorite and comment on my work. Knowing others are enjoying my work is a huge motivation to continue to share it out. With that in mind, this story is dedicated to the commentor who asked where he could find more stories about women "desperate to please".

Also, on the spectrum of sweet to aggressive, this story is a little more on the aggressive side. This being mind control fantasies, I in no way intend this--or any other of my works--to be a model of a healthy relationship. This is for fantasy purposes only.

Dayna woke up at 3:22 in the morning and knew instantly that she was in love. It was strange, really. Her dream had been about a giant circus tent pitching itself over her college campus--nothing at all to do with Zach. But in a second, the dream was gone and she was wide away in bed, thinking about him. And she was in love.

It was weird, because she had only met him once--and briefly at that. Her brother was having some friends over for a board game night. Her boyfriend at the time was picking her up soon, so Dayna was lingering around the area where the guys were playing, texting friends or browsing the internet on her phone. She thought that her brother might have introduced her, might not have. She was pretty sure that all of her brothers friends were checking her out, so eventually she went and waited on the porch. Her boyfriend had picked her up and she had never thought about the group of guys again.

Until now. She didn't even think she knew Zach's name, but apparently she did. And he was the love of her life.

Dayna rolled over in bed and reached for her phone on the nightstand. She had to remind herself where she was for a moment. It was the start of summer between junior and senior year of college. Dayna was a senior, but had started school a year early. She was twenty while most of her peers were twenty-one or -two. A week ago she had been at school, but now she back in her childhood bedroom. She almost smacked her wrist on the nightstand, thinking it was farther away than it actually was.

Dayna opened up Facebook, typed a quick search, and found her way to Zach's profile. He wasn't her friend, unfortunately, so there was a limit to what Dayna could see. He was older--her brother's age--and out of school for several years. Dayna scrolled, looking first at the relationship status--which was hidden. She let out a little groan of frustration at that. Then she started scrolling through his page, looking for pictures, statuses, or anything that might share just a little detail on his life. Almost all of it was hidden behind a privacy wall.

Dayna opened up his profile picture and felt the gasp escape her throat before she could stop it. There he was, in all his glory. If it had been anyone else but the love of her life, Dayna might not have thought he was so incredibly perfect. His haircut wasn't her normal type and he didn't have a huge sense of style, but it was *Zach*. The perfect man.

Dayna went hunting for more. Instagram, Twitter, and even his LinkedIn. She gobbled up every bit of public information, even if there wasn't much. She memorized his work history, eager for any detail that might teach her a little more about him.

Eventually, she ran out of information. She was staring at the privacy wall again, wanting desperately to peek behind it. But she dared not send him a friend request at 3:45 in the morning--she had spent over a half hour internet stalking the love of her life.

She stared at the screen for a long time, eventually drifting off to a restless sleep.

---

Dayna had plans the next day. She was going to hang with some friends, maybe go shopping, and if she had time she was going to try to find a job for the summer--if she didn't end up with one, that wasn't a big deal, but it would be nice to have some extra cash coming into senior year. Her sorority sisters were planning a ski trip in the winter.

Dayna cancelled all the plans for the day. There was something more important on her agenda: the pursuit of true love.

As early as Dayna thought would be acceptable, she sent a friend request to Zach, hoping it would appear casual. Then, Dayna sat at the kitchen table and waited for her brother, Tim, to get up. He was out of school, in a job for a few years, but hadn't gotten around to moving out. Their parents didn't seem keen on kicking him out either. Luckily, Dayna was up earlier than he was, so she could catch him before he left. Dayna refreshed her phone screen a few times, seeing if Zach had accepted her yet. Nothing. Finally, Tim wandered down the stairs, wiping sleep out of his eyes. Dayna checked the clock. It was 7:00.

"Good morning, bro," Dayna said, hopefully casually.

Tim stopped mid-stride and gave her an odd look. "Uh... good morning," he grunted. Then he moved to the cereal.

"How'd you sleep?" Dayna asked, wondering how exactly she was going to swing the conversation around to what she really wanted to talk about.

"Fine," Tim said simply.

"Any plans for the day?" Dayna asked.

Tim glanced over his shoulder at her, again with a strange look, then returned to pouring his cereal. "No, not really."

"Not hanging with friends or anything?"

"No."

"It's been a while since you've had a board game night," Dayna observed.

Tim carried his bowl to the table where Dayna was sitting, blinked a few times at her, and said, "Did... are you asking me to play a board game? I have work..."

"What? No," Dayna said. "I'm just saying it's been a while."

"I guess," Tim said, his confusion clear.

"I was thinking the other day... I met one of your friends there once. I couldn't remember his last name and it was bothering me. Do you remember... Zach?"

"Zach," Tim said blankly.

"Yeah," Dayna said.

"I don't think there's been a Zach here," Tim said.

Dayna was about to offer Zach's last name to refresh her brother's memory, but that would have revealed her lie.

"I thought there was," Dayna said. "You guys were playing here..." she gestured to the kitchen table "...and I met him. You don't remember?"

Tim took a bite of cereal, closed his eyes for a moment, and then gave the smallest of nods. "Actually... yeah... one of Jeremiah's friends. I think he came once. Just once though. I didn't really..." He furrowed his brow. "I don't remember introducing you, though."

"I'm pretty sure you did," Dayna said quickly. "Anyways... do you remember his last name? It was bothering me."

"No, I don't," Tim said. "I don't think he even told it to me."

"Oh. Do you remember anything else about him?" Dayna said, hoping she sounded casual. Apparently, she failed.

Tim set his spoon down in his cereal. "Why?"

"Just curious," Dayna said innocently.

"Why?" Tim repeated.

"Just curious, damn," Dayna said. "I couldn't remember..."

Tim looked at her closely and the edges of his lips curled up into the smallest smile. "I don't really remember the guy. Jeremiah brought him by. He played a few games. I think he talked about Dungeons and Dragons some. Then he left. Never saw him again."

Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons. The thought ran rapidly through her head. Another detail! Some image flashed in her mind of her and Zach sitting around a table, dressed as wizards and dwarves and whatever fantasy things those guys dressed as. In her mind's eye, she was wearing elf ears, a low-cut, cute corset that might belong to a warrior, and had a hand on Zach's thigh. She had no idea how to play, of course, but she could learn. For Zach, she would.

"Do you have a crush on this guy or something, Day-day?" Tim asked.

"No! Of course not," Dayna said, even as she knew a blush was betraying her.

"Uh huh," Tim said. "Well sorry I couldn't help more. You know... just for curiosity."

"Yeah," Dayna said. "Just for curiosity." It sounded flat, even to her.

---

Zach accepted her friend request around 9AM. That meant that the next three hours were spent on the couch, scrolling through a decade of posts, shares, photos, and likes. She started saving pictures to her phone, just so she could get at them easier later. She resisted the urge to like them all--that would be too much, too fast. When she finally finished, she flopped back on the couch and let out a weak, girlish squeal. Her heart was beating rapidly, full of the intoxication that was Him.

Then, she did a deep dive into Dungeons and Dragons. She found there were books full of just "content" for the game. She found YouTube videos explaining it all. That led her to online playthroughs. It was all a lot at once, but by 2:30 she felt that she had a decent handle on what it was and how it all worked. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like something she could practice, so she hoped that if she ever did play with Zach, she would be good at it.

At around 2:30, Dayna went up to her room. She knew she needed to see Zach. She had to "run into" him. And there was only one place where she could think to do that. So she thought up a lie or two, then got dressed accordingly.

Zach worked in one of the tall office buildings nearby, with a dozen or so local businesses. So Dayna decided that she would pretend to be interviewing for an internship at one of them. Unfortunately, that relegated her outfit from some of her cuter options to more business options. But she could work with that.

She picked out a skirt that passed a "business-like" while still showing plenty of her legs. She thought she had good legs. She found a top and left one more button than normal undone. Her own natural shape helped amplify the effect. A deep well of cleavage presented itself. Dayna stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, wondering if it was too slutty. She wanted him to notice her--and remember her--but she also wanted him to believe that she was there for an internship. In the end, Dayna decided to add a slim business jacket that went well with the outfit. It didn't hide the cleavage, but it added to the believability part. She set a pair of heels aside, ready to put on after a car ride. Then, she moved to the bathroom mirror.

She had just washed her blonde hair the day before, so it kept some of its volume. She did her makeup three times, unhappy with the results and resetting the first two. Finally, she landed the right makeup that enhanced her blue eyes while still pretending to be for an interview.

Dayna stepped back, looking at herself in the mirror. It was definitely trying harder than she had for any man ever before. It was also sluttier than any job interview she had ever had. But she hoped it was enough to stand out in Zach's mind. She was okay being just a little slutty if that meant the love of her life paid attention to her.

Doing the best to keep the butterflies in her stomach still, she drove to Zach's office building. She wanted to be there at least an hour early, because she didn't know his hours. So she walked into the lobby, did a quick survey, and then chose a spot out of the way, but with a clear view of the elevators. Perfect. Now, she waited.

She did her best to sit still, but her nervousness was building inside her. She scrolled through her phone, going back through the screenshots and notes she had taken about the love of her life. There were song lyrics from five years ago that she needed to listen to. There were links he shared to movie trailers. She needed to watch them--even if he ended up not liking them. There was so much about a person--her person--that she needed to understand. But above all, she needed to establish a line of communication. How had she waited so long before doing that?

The time ticked by and eventually Dayna realized that she wasn't the only one in the lobby who was waiting for something. Across the way was a brunette, sitting on her phone. Like Dayna, she was looking up at the elevator bank frequently. Like Dayna, she was wearing try-hard heels and a deep neckline. A sinking feeling began to form in Dayna's stomach. The similarity was striking--and ominous.

Dayna continued her studying of Zach, finding no evidence of Dungeons and Dragons on his Facebook page. Did that mean that Tim was wrong? Or did that give Dayna a leg up on anyone else who might be wanting to snatch her man away? She glanced up again at the brunette, who also took notice of her. The two women sat in their positions across the lobby, trying not to look like they were staring at each other.

At 4:45, an elevator opened and Dayna saw him. She was barely able to silence the little yelp of excitement that erupted from her throat. She stood and started walking towards the elevators, trying not to stare at Zach. Now that he was in the room, very little else mattered. Zach was strolling casually, looking down at his phone.

Dayna put on her best surprised voice and said, "Z... Zach? Is that you?"

Zach looked up. His eyes landed on her face, immediately dropped down to her neckline, and then bounced back up to her face. Dayna applauded herself on her choice of top.

"Hi," Zach said. He furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry... you're..."

"I'm Danya," Dayna said, putting a hand on her chest to indicate herself, then quickly realizing her mistake and moving it away from her cleavage. "I'm Tim's sister. I met you once when playing board games." It occurred to Dayna that if Tim barely remembered Zach, would Zach remember Tim?

Luckily, it seemed to click. "Oh yeah," Zach said. "That's right. It's nice to see you again."

"You too," Dayna said, glowing in the compliment from the love of her life.

"I thought it was you, Zach," another voice chimed in, almost matching Dayna for the enthusiasm and surprise. The brunette had made her way over. Zach cocked his head to the side as he turned to her, putting the same expression on as when he saw Dayna.

"It's me, Amber," the brunette said. "I was the barista at your Starbucks last week." She put on a deep, conspiratorial smile and then recited, as if in an inside joke, "Grande mocha, no foam."

"Oh, yeah, that's right," Zach nodded. Dayna was shocked. How could he remember a random barista? And why was she here? The bitch was ruining Dayna's second first impression.

"What are you doing here?" Zach asked, then turned towards Danya. "Both of you?"

"I'm interviewing for an internship," Dayna said quickly, "with Hewitt, McDonald, Chambers."

"Me too," Amber chimed in. Then added perkily, "HMC!"

"Oh!" Zach said. "So you girls are sort of each other's competition?"

"I... I guess so," Dayna said, looking at Amber for the first time.

"I guess we are," Amber said. Her lips were smiling, but her eyes were daggers.

"What time is your interviews?" Zach said.

"Five o' clock," Amber said, wanting to get the first word in this time.

"Five fifteen," Dayna said, capitalizing on Amber's blunder. She flashed a single raised eyebrow to Amber, then smiled warmly at Zach. "I guess I'm earlier than I meant to be. Do you want to grab a cup of coffee and keep me company while I wait?" Her smile widened. "I guess I know your order now."

"I would love that," Zach said and Dayna's heart skyrocketed, "but I actually have plans tonight." And her heart sank to the ocean floor. "Rain check?"

"Of course," Dayna said. "How about I give you a call?"

"I'd like to catch up too," Amber cut in quickly. "The cup of coffee can be on me for being one of the nicest customers I've ever had."

"Yeah, of course," Zach nodded. "I'm in a teeny bit of a hurry though." He laughed a little and then looked at both girls. "This is a bit awkward, but do you mind if I just recite my number once?"

Both girls stumbled over each other's words in trying to agree faster than the other. Their phones emerged like pistols in a duel and Zach recited his number to them both.

Dayna raced to send the message first, but also knew that it had to be better than the brunette bitch's. What was she even doing here? In the end, she sent, "This is Dayna. Rolling an insight check on you." She hoped she was doing that right. She added a winky face and a heart and pressed send. She was alarmed to see Amber's hand drop a second before her own. Damn.

"Well I should get going," Zach said. "And you have your interviews." He looked at his watch and added, "Both pretty late, too. I hope they don't give you late hours if you get it, too."

"Where are you off to tonight?" Amber asked.

"I'm on my way to a date," Zach said as he walked a little ways on. She wasn't sure if the sudden intake of air she heard was from Amber of herself. "Just a casual thing with a friend, but... she texted me out of the blue this morning. Should be fun to catch up." He smiled at the two girls and added, "Good luck on your interviews. May the best win!"

Dayna stood in the lobby, feeling the sweat drip down her neck and into her cleavage. "A date," she said softly, turning it over in her mind.

"I know," Amber said, matching her morose tone. "I don't believe it..."

Suddenly, the two girls remembered their opposition to each other. Their momentary commiseration ended and they marched back in different directions. The sound of their heels clicked off the walls of the lobby.

---

Dayna resisted the urge to use the number immediately. He was on a date. As much as Dayna hated the idea, she couldn't afford to come across as pushy or needy. Texting a guy while he's on a date with someone else is definitely pushy. But what about before the date? Dayna thought about texting a "Good luck on your date!" message, but discarded the idea. She didn't want him to have good luck, for one, and also she didn't want to friendzone herself. She wanted to be the girl he talked to others about, not the one he talked to.

Also, who was this bitch texting him out of the blue asking to catch up? Dayna's anger flared. She couldn't be surprised that two other girls seemed to have a thing for him--he was the perfect man--but that didn't make it any easier for her to stomach.

Dayna went back home, turning her mind over every little thing he said. It could have gone so much better if that Amber bitch hadn't been there too. A barista, showing up out of the blue... And using Dayna's lie, too.

'She used the same lie,' Dayna suddenly realized. Obviously the girl had been there to run into Zach, just as Dayna had been. That meant that she was probably stalking him on LinkedIn too, trying to find where he worked. Had Amber woken up the night before, just like Dayna had, and realized her feelings for the man she had met only briefly? Just like Dayna herself? Dayna didn't know how she would have found his last name if she was just a barista...maybe some clue from a coffee visit or some hint on a computer system or receipt...but it made Dayna think back to her assault on her brother that morning for information.

Was Amber also in love with him? Just like Dayna was? Just as suddenly? And just as powerfully?

Dayna dismissed the idea after a moment's consideration. There was no way that Amber could love Zach in the same way that Dayna did. Dayna felt a deep, burning, endless passion in her soul...the likes of which nobody else could replicate. No one could feel this deeply about anyone else. It wasn't possible to match.

It's an obsession. Dayna thought to herself. She turned the idea over in her head. It was harsh, but hard to deny. And she didn't really want to deny it. She was obsessed over this man--this god of a man. And if another bitch thought she could come along and win his heart, she had another thing coming. Because there was nothing Dayna wouldn't do to win.

---

At around 9 that night, Dayna's phone pinged. She launched herself towards it and grabbed at the screen. She heard an actual whimper from her own mouth as she saw that it was Zach.

"I like to put a picture on people's contact. Helps me feel like I'm actually talking to them. Mind sending me one?"