Mistress Cruel Love Ch. 02

Darius approached the squat rack. He put his palms on the bar and prepared to lift it. Jennifer was standing behind him, her lanyard continuing to spin through the air.

"I'm going to watch you carefully. When you get to the proper height, I'll let you know each time. I'm gonna give you a little extra motivation."

Darius felt nervous. He had no idea what she meant, but it was already making him uncomfortable. Jennifer had been rough, grabby and demanding with him all afternoon. At least the session was almost over. Their first session, anyway.

He lifted the barbell off the rack and took a step back. There was seventy five pounds on each side, plus the forty five pounds of the bar itself. Not an incredible amount of weight for a squat, but plenty to offer a good pump to a guy his size.

"SQUAT!" she commanded as the well toned brunette pocketed her lanyard and grabbed the towel that had been hanging around her neck.

Darius dipped down, careful to maintain proper form.

*WHAP*

Just as he reached the lowest point of his squat, he felt Jennifer's towel snap across his ass.

"One!"

Darius heaved the weight upwards; his calves, thighs and core doing all the work.

"SQUAT!"

He dipped down again, the weight not burdensome yet, but a little more difficult than the first time.

*WHAP*

His ass, already bruised from Heather's abuse in recent weeks, smarted in pain.

'Jesus Christ! Am I really being flogged with a towel while lifting?'

"Two!"

He thought about ending the exercise immediately, walking out and filing a complaint with the gym, but that would mean dealing with those women in the lobby again. Besides, he was so close to finishing the workout. He just wanted to get through it and go home. As ridiculous as it was, he would endure Jennifer's "motivation."

"SQUAT!"

*WHAP*

"Three!"

* * * * *

Darius sat on the bench before a row of lockers as he removed his shoes and socks. He was dying for a hot shower, but simultaneously dreading it. He'd never had the "locker room anxiety" that many men experienced, but now that he was wearing a cock cage that had changed completely. Since Heather put him in chastity he made it a point to avoid total nudity in the locker room as much as possible.

"Mmmmm..."

His eyebrows arched upon hearing what could only be described as a light moan of pleasure behind him. He craned his neck to the side, looking in the direction that the out-of-place noise had come from. What he noticed out of the corner of his vision made his eyes bulge and his body twist even further so he could get a better look.

The stranger, whose back was turned, had unmistakably put on a set of pink, satin panties over his otherwise naked body. The guy felt his ass through the silky material and then gave himself a rub across the crotch of his feminine undergarment.

As he stepped into the pant legs of his blue jeans, Darius quickly turned back to his locker and acted as if he'd seen nothing. That didn't stop the acceleration of his pulse or his suddenly buzzing nerves.

'The fuck is going on!?! Is the whole world losing it?'

He waited for the other man to finish dressing, close his locker and walk off before looking side to side and ensuring no one else was nearby. Darius quickly disrobed, grabbed a towel from his locker and wrapped it around his midsection, hiding his caged manhood.

He made his way to the shower room, hoping it was empty. As he rounded the corner and walked into the white, porcelain tiled rows of shower stations, he was immediately disappointed.

"Oh my god, Cynthia gave me such a pounding last night..."

"Hah! So that's why you keep grunting when you sit down. Lucky you!"

There were two older men who looked to be in their fifties or sixties, naked as the day they were born. They were standing in front of two shower stations, casually toweling themselves off and chatting. One was wearing a cock cage. Unlike Darius' metal one, his was plastic with a small metal padlock. The other man was clearly wearing the neck collar of a submissive and had pierced nipples. Neither of them seemed shy about their adornments as Darius walked into the room.

"Hey" the man with the cock cage said with a little wave as Darius approached them.

"Hi there" the other man said with a glance and a nod.

Darius nodded back curtly and hurried past the old men without a word. He walked to the shower station that was far from them as possible, but it was only a few rows down. The shower room for the gym wasn't that big. He caught a few more lines of their chatter as he removed his towel and prepared to wash himself.

"Have you been to Club Ishtar yet?"

"Not yet. Is it nice?"

"It's a wild time if you order one of their special services."

"Margo's planning to take me for my birthday. I can't wait!"

Darius turned the shower knob and hot water began spraying out. He dipped his head under the liquid torrent and the sound of running water drowned out the old pervs in the distance. He was glad for it. Darius didn't want to hear another word.

* * * * *

"Hey baby, can we get going?" Darius asked from the hallway before biting into his apple with a crisp crunching sound. "I'm starving."

"In a few minutes!" Heather called from the bedroom. "You gotta change first anyway. Get in here!"

Darius rolled his eyes before following her voice to their room. "What's wrong with these clothes?!?" he asked as he turned the corner. "Baby, I'm so damn hungry I'm eating one of these." He waved the half eaten apple around. "Can we please take off before I pass out?"

Heather was rummaging around in their closet, going through various garments. It seemed like she'd barely paid attention to anything he'd said. Darius leaned against the door frame and took another bite. "Honey, I'm dying here..."

She finally popped out of the closet holding a dress. Oddly, it seemed like Heather was already dressed to go out. Then Darius realized she was holding up one of his dresses. The kind she dressed him in for their kinky play.

"What do you think of this?" she asked with a sly smile. "It would look perfect with the right lipstick..."

"I'm sure it would, babe, but it's not play time."

"I think you should wear this tonight. To dinner."

Darius' limit had been reached.

"No. HELL NO!" he announced as he strode further into the room, slamming the door behind him. "We had a deal. I've played along, but that crosses the line! We do this in the bedroom. Nowhere else! I am NOT going out with our friends wearing a dress. N-O. NO."

Heather's eyes narrowed and she looked annoyed, at first, but as Darius reached the end of his tirade, her expression softened. She looked down at the dress, adjusting it on the clothes hanger.

"I just wanted to show off what a lovely woman you make..."

"NO" he repeated, his stern look conveying the depth of his conviction on this matter.

She looked back up at him with a smirk on her face. "Fine. I suppose you're right... I'm not being fair." Heather turned and hung the dress back up in the closet. Conciliation was written across her face as she walked to Darius, her boot heels clacking on the floor until she was right in front of him. Her green eyes shimmered as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Pookie. I got a little carried away because I'm having so much fun. I don't want to spoil this. I've never been happier with our love life. Please forgive me."

"I forgive you, baby."

Her forlorn expressed faded into a grin and she leaned down slightly. They entered a long, deep kiss as they embraced and her perfume wafted over Darius. Heather probed his mouth aggressively, her tongue spearing into him as they sucked on each other lips. She reached below and gave his ass a firm squeeze.

After a long minute, she broke the kiss. She smiled at him seductively before raising a hand and tapping him on the chest. "At least change into some fresh clothes. Then we can go."

"Alright, baby. That I can do."

Heather slid around him and delivered a firm smack to his butt as she headed for the door.

*WHAP*

"And when we get back, your ass is mine!"

Darius chuckled as he pulled off his shirt and made his way to the closet.

"Yes, dear."

* * * * *

It was a busy Friday night at Dango's Dugout, a favorite haunt of Darius' with great pub food and lots of big screen TVs. He wasn't there to watch sports tonight, but to catch up with his best friend. After a solid meal, he and Markus sat in a quiet corner booth sipping their beers while Heather was off chatting with her girlfriends and playing bar games.

Markus had been Darius' friend since high school and he'd always been what you might call a 'cool cat.' His success with the ladies had been legendary in their youth. He looked like a beat poet in his flat cap and aviator shades.

The shades were off for now, sitting on the table beside his beer, but Markus oozed style from the rest of his ensemble as well. He wore a light burgundy jacket around his white and blue striped button-down shirt. The top few buttons were left undone to show off a little skin and the rest trailed down to his stylish leather belt, light green trousers and shiny brown Oxfords. Darius was dressed more simply in a white and green baseball shirt, cargo pants and sneakers.

The place was jumping, but it wasn't so loud they couldn't hear each other. They'd picked the perfect out-of-the-way table to converse and catch up.

"Man, you ever feel like the whole world is going stark raving mad?"

"All the time my brotha" Markus replied before taking a swig of his brew. "War, poverty, disease, economic stagnation, politicians not doing shit about any of it. Feels like nothin ever gets better."

"I don't mean the big picture stuff. I'm talkin about, like... people."

"People? What you mean?"

"You know, just people getting weird. Going kooky."

"You're gonna have to be more specific. I mean, people go crazy all the time, but not everyone at the same time. I'm not going crazy. Are you going crazy?"

"I might be."

"Alright man, lay it on me. What's troublin you?"

"Ok, I will, but you gotta promise this conversation never leaves this booth."

"Bro" Markus said, setting his beer down and lifting his hands up. "Who you think you're talkin to right now?"

"I know" Darius acknowledged. "Just wanted to emphasize it."

"This is gonna be some shit, isn't it?"

"Heather and I been trying some freaky things in the bedroom lately..."

"Oh shit!" Markus said with a clap of his hands that was trailed by a laugh. "Here we go!"

"But that's not even it..."

"What kind of freaky things?"

"You know, kinky shit. Like, she's in charge and stuff."

Markus' eyes grew wide and bright. He raised a clenched fist to his mouth, sideways, as if trying to stifle a boisterous laugh.

Darius' eyes sunk and he smirked, his expression clearly reading: 'Cmon, bro.'

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. It's just... never would have guessed you two were into that."

"She's more into it than I am."

"But you're goin along for the ride! That's great, man! You gotta be open to that stuff if you want a relationship to last. Shit gets stale otherwise."

"I know, and I love Heather, that's why I'm doing it. Can I get back to my point now?"

"Yeah, but I want more details later."

"We'll see. Anyway, ever since this started, I'm startin to notice that the world is going upside down."

"Upside down how?"

"Like... it's not a man's world anymore! It feels like a woman's world more every day!"

"Ok, what's wrong with that?"

"Well, I thought we were going for equality and shit! This don't feel like equality! This feels downright matriarchal, to borrow a word my girlfriend loves to use the opposite of."

"Oh, I see. So Heather's become a bit of a feminist, and you're not enjoying the backlash that comes with it."

"It's not just her!"

"Darius, you are familiar with the fundamental laws of the universe, are you not?"

"Ummm, maybe?" he answered sheepishly before taking a long swig of his beer.

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

"What action?"

"Men have been in charge for thousands of years! Oppressing women at every turn!"

"Ok, so does that mean it's their turn to oppress us for thousands of years?"

"No! Don't be ridiculous. I mean, that would certainly be a cosmic balancing, but it's not gonna happen like that. What it means is, there's gonna be a period of adjustment while woman are coming into their power. Some, like your girlfriend, are going to discover they very much enjoy that power, in and out of the bedroom."

"You say 'some', but it feels like every woman I meet lately."

"You just gotta go with the flow, man! Everything..."

Shireen walked into the bar and passed by the table they were sitting at. "Hey Dare!" she said with a wave and a smile before noticing who he was sitting with. Her hand dropped immediately. "Markus" she noted, her face turning stony before she strutted off.

Markus and Shireen had interacted many times before. "Clashed" was probably the better word to describe it. They were both type-A personalities which created an instant friction despite Markus' obvious attempts to get in her good graces.

"Hey, Shireen! Lookin good baby!" Markus called after her. "Damn, Shireen is lookin fine! She seein anyone right now?"

"She's got a new boyfriend every month. I wouldn't go there, man."

"Haha... I bet she does. Well, I do love a challenge."

"You say 'go with the flow' like you're all about this kinky shit. You saying you're into female domination stuff?"

"Me? Nah man, not my thing. I had one girlfriend, Amber, who wanted to go there, but..."

"Then how you gonna tell me to 'go with the flow'?!?"

"Because, Heather is obviously the one for you. Amber wasn't the one."

"Sounds like some bullshit to me. Sounds like you talkin the talk, but not walkin the walk."

"Hey, bullshit is you complaining about having kinky sex. Now that's bullshit!"

"Whatever man, you don't even know."

"You're right. I don't know, and that's why I'm gonna order shots and you're gonna tell me more."

Markus raised his hand, ready to flag down their server.

"Oh, we're gonna drink like the old days, huh?"

"That's right, and you're goin under the table."

"We'll see about that."

* * * * *

"Oh god... the hell did you boys get up to?" Heather queried as she closed in on their table after an hour of darts and pool.

"Just a little contest" Markus answered. He was still relatively sober despite the small collection of empty bottles and shot glasses on the table. Darius was less sober, his head not quite laying on the table, but propped up on his right arm.

"I won" he announced with a silly smile. He raised his wobbly left arm in the air. His fist proudly proclaimed victory before it fell back to his side.

"Yeah, I let you win so you'd spill the beans."

"Whateva man, I'm the champ! THE CHAM-PEEN!" Darius laughed at his non-joke and Heather rolled her eyes.

"He divulged some secrets" Markus informed her with a wink. "But don't worry, they're safe with me."

Heather put her hands on her hips and looked down at her tipsy boyfriend. "Since you've decided to make a fool of yourself, we might as well take advantage of this. It's time to get your tattoo."

"Tattoo?" he asked in a semi-haze.

"Yes, the tattoo we've talked about three times. The one you agreed to. Since you're already in your happy place, we should do it now."

"Haha, alright baby... whateva you say!" Darius looked like he was ready for a nap.

"Will they really ink him like this?" Markus asked, pointing to his stupefied friend.

"They're not picky at the shop around the corner and I know the owner. It won't be a problem. Besides, the night air should clear his head a bit." Heather shouldered her purse and gestured toward her man. "Markus, before you head home, you mind giving us a hand? Just until he's more with it."

"Of course" he replied with a mischievous grin.

"You're the best!" Heather exclaimed with a warm smile.

Markus slid his shades into his jacket pocket and reached for his wallet to pay the bill. As he looked over at his henpecked friend, he was already anticipating the next set of wild stories.

* * * * *

Darius awoke in the painful fog of a hangover. The expected headache was present, but there was more than that. He had localized pain in a couple other places. Namely his midsection and ears. He grunted as he sat up and pulled the blanket off him. He immediately noticed something else troubling.

"What the fuck?!?"

His fingernails were painted deep pink. So were his toenails. His torso burned as he swiveled around and slowly got out of bed. He looked down at his stomach and the skin just below it. It hadn't been a dream. He had gotten a tattoo.

"Jesus..."

'What the hell did I do?'

As he exited the bedroom and walked down the hallway, he could hear the sounds of stomping feet and one of Heather's exercise videos playing loudly. She was doing one of her workout routines in the living room. She didn't notice him until he walked all the way around into her field of vision. The pumping music was only aggravating Darius' headache, but she hit the pause button on her remote within seconds.

"Well hello, sleepyhead! I was starting to think you were going to doze all day. OH MY GOD! Your new tat looks amazing! How you feeling?"

"Like shit."

"I'm not surprised. That's what happens when you get drunk and get body mods."

"Fuck... I need Ibuprofen."

"Go fetch some. Then you can take a look at your new ink and earrings!"

"My wha- goddamn!"

Darius trudged off and Heather smiled wickedly. "Looking good Pookie! It needs to be filled in, but it's a great start!"

Darius slammed the light switch upward as he entered the bathroom. Shock crept over his face as he inspected himself. Shiny, pink earrings were locked in a new set of piercings in his ears. He could see the top of his crotch tattoo which read "Property of." He pulled down his boxers to reveal the bottom half: "Heather." The words were outlined by the rectangular design of a cattle prod. The tattoo made it look like he'd been branded.

All of his pubic hair had been shaved away and on either side of the big tattoo were the outlines of two small flowers. The smaller tattoos were placed in such a way that one might mistake them for two, petal-covered ovaries.

Darius felt numb as he opened the cabinet and reached for the bottle of painkillers. He quickly retrieved two, popped them into his mouth, ran water into his cupped hand and swallowed them down with a cool splash from the tap.

Had he gotten that drunk? Had he agreed to this? They'd talked about a tattoo before and he'd tentatively agreed to one, but she'd never specified the design. Heather said it would be something personal to reinforce their new relationship. He thought maybe that meant a collar design on his bicep or ankle. Nothing this elaborate.

He turned off the light and slogged back to the living room where he found Heather wrapping up her workout.

"You hungry? I'll make you some breakfast" she said between panted breaths. "Scrambled eggs and hash browns! Your favorite!"

He wanted to yell at her. He wanted to get angry. But truthfully, the rancor wasn't there. Somewhere deep down, Darius knew what he'd signed up for. He knew she would push it further. He knew his life wasn't going to be the same after he submitted to her. If he didn't want that, he should've bailed long ago.

Besides, she looked so damn happy as she studied his newly decorated body. Her smile widened and her eyes sparkled. There was no denying it. He was addicted to her happiness and if that meant serving her and becoming an increasingly feminized drag-slut, he would do it.