My Pet Ch. 01-03

My Pet

I've always thought that styling somebody's hair is a very intimate process. You sculpt their body like an artist, trying to help them become a version of themselves that they can be proud of.

When I was young, I would sit and watch my mother giving haircuts to the women in our neighborhood. The way people smiled at their own reflections after she was done, as if they finally saw themselves in the mirror for the first time in ages, it really stuck with me.

I'd been working at the Salon on Cherry Lane for three years. I liked to think I had gotten pretty good at it. I had just finished with Mrs. Harwell's regular perm, when somebody else walked in the door. The owner was out at the time, so I turned to greet them.

Standing at the door was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I knew this, because I saw her for the first time many years ago, and nobody had ever come close since. Her name was Marianne. We met in high school, and despite rarely speaking to her, I had had a crush on her ever since I first saw her. I wasn't alone in that of course.

She was perfect. Tall, shapely, effortlessly graceful. Her eyes were big and bright, and she was always smiling. The kind of smile that was infectious. And time and again she had proven that it was genuine. I had never met someone so unfailingly kind.

I was speechless for a moment. She just grinned at me patiently. I saw a moment of recognition in her eyes.

"Oh, are you... um... Adrian?" She asked.

I nodded a few too many times. She clasped her hands together in front of her and did something that resembled a curtsy.

"It's nice to see you again!" She said.

She pulled me into an embrace. Warmth and softness washed over me, along with a sweet scent from her perfume.

"What can I do for you today... Mary?" I managed to ask. She pulled away and rested her arms on her hips.

"I need to get a trim. Now that I'm back home, I can't go to my regular place anymore. I remembered your mom working in a place around here, so here I am!"

I nodded. "Of course! Right this way!"

I guided her to a chair. Mrs. Harwell shuffled out, and we were alone. I placed the cape over her body. I cast a glance down her shirt as I did so, and then mentally reprimanded myself.

First I leaned her back into the sink and began washing her hair. As I rubbed her scalp and ran a comb through her hair, she had the most blissful expression on her face. She sighed softly, and looked as if she might fall asleep. Once when I rubbed conditioner into her hair, she stretched her whole body and gave a long whimper.

I could feel her crane her neck to rub her scalp harder against my hands. I'd never quite had a customer act like that, but I barely paid it any mind. I was far to focused on the fact that I was touching Marianne's beautiful hair, the fact that I could feel her breath. The intimacy shook me to my core, even though I has gone through this process so many times before.

When we were done, I looked down at her, and she opened her eyes, looking right into mine. She was flushed. She looked so... sensual, that it almost drove me mad. I realized she was waiting on me.

I awkwardly adjusted the chair back up, and seated her in front of the mirror. I dried her hair, as we made occasional eye contact through our reflections. I needed to say something to break this tension.

"So Mary, what brings you back?" I asked

"I finished my degree, and I didn't really know what I wanted to do. So I came back home. I got an apartment nearby for a while and starting looking for a job. Mom and Dad are happy to have me back of course. I visit them a lot more now."

"Is... your mom still working here?" She asked.

I wasn't sure how to respond.

"She... isn't." I said flatly. Marianne seemed to understand. She stared down at the tools under the mirror, and didn't say anything for a long time.

As if he sensed our change in mood, Caesar jumped on the table, and lied down. Marianne reached out to pet him, and he happily thrust his head into her hand. After a moment she spoke again.

"Do you ever feel jealous of them?" She asked.

"Of who?"

"Cats. Their lives are so simple. And they can openly beg for physical affection like this without any shame. You don't really see people petting each other."

In response I gently scratched her scalp. I expected her to laugh, but she closed her eyes and moved her head towards me. So, I kept doing it. We stayed like that for a while.

"Hey... do you want to come check out my new place?" She asked, opening her eyes. She looked right at my face through the mirror.

I was stunned. After a moment I simply nodded. She smiled, and closed her eyes again. I finished trimming her hair, and then she got up and paid the fee.

"When do you get off?" She asked.

Something got into me. I knew there were unlikely to be any more customers today.

"Actually, right about now." I said.

As we left, I turned the sign on the door to Closed. I was sure the boss would understand.

Apartment

Marianne's apartment was two blocks south of the Salon. As I followed behind her, my mind was racing. I was almost amazed she remembered me. To even go out of her way to come to the salon where mom used to work... well no, that was surely because of her skill. My mother was the best, that's all there was to it. I'm sure she was hoping to see her, not me.

More than anything I wondered, Just what was she planning on doing once we got there?

Before long we were standing in front a small apartment complex. It was kind of fancy. There was a big patch of grass with trees and bushes out front, and a little sign that said something like "Paradise Acres." It looked more like a hotel than an apartment complex to me. I became a bit self-conscious about the run down place that I was living in.

She opened to front door with a card key, and I walked into the lobby. There were some vending machines and chairs lining the walls. We took the stairs up to the third floor. Finally we reached her door, and she pulled out the card again.

The inside was spacious. The wall opposite the door was a floor-to-ceiling window with dark brown vertical blinds. The whole place was decorated in a neutral modern style, with accents of bright color. To even be able to attribute a certain decorative style to the room meant I was definitely out of place here.

Marianne showed me around. We walked around the kitchen, the living room, and her bedroom. When she showed me the bathroom, I silently thanked God that I only saw one toothbrush there.

Finally she gestured for me to take a seat on the couch. She offered me a drink and I declined, so she sat right down beside me.

"So, Adrian... How have you been? I feel like its been forever."

"I've been good. I tried college, but it didn't work out. Getting a job at the Salon was great, that was what I wanted to do anyone, but Mom always insisted on education, you know?"

She laughed "Yeah, I feel the same. I'm glad I was able to get my degree, but I'm really eager to start my life for real. I hope I'll find a job soon. The market may not be great here but... I wasn't sure where else to go."

"What's your field anyway?"

"Math. I'd like to find work in Data Science."

I just nodded. We went on like this for a while longer. Catching up on basic life facts. Soon enough she had her head in my lap and I was stroking her hair. After about half an hour of that, she suddenly shot up.

"I want to ask you something. It might be a little weird. So... please promise not to laugh at me, ok?"

She was avoiding my gaze and fidgeting. I had no idea what she could possibly be referring to but...

"Of course. What is it?"

She bounded away toward her room. She was gone for a minute before I wondered if maybe I was meant to follow her. I got up and walked to her door.

She was inside, facing out toward me. She had changed into a more causal outfit, a tank top and shorts. However I didn't really notice that.

Around her neck there was a thick leather collar, and attached to it was a black nylon leash. She held the end of the leash in her hand and thrust it out toward me. Her face was deep red, and she couldn't look at me.

I stood still for a few moments, and then grabbed hold of the leash. When I did, she suddenly looked at me right in the eyes. She looked so embarrassed she might cry.

"Would you... be my Master?"

Master

I sat on the couch, with Marianne lying on her back across my lap. Her face was buried in my belly, and I was scratching her scalp softly. She was still wearing the collar, and the end of the leash was looped around my wrist.

Her sweet scent, and her warm, soft body pressed against mine, it made my skin tingle all over. I could feel her hot breaths pass through my shirt and over my skin. She was trembling, and her leg was twitching slightly. I wasn't sure but, I imagined she must have been in heaven.

I had so many questions, but I couldn't bear to disturb her. I had agreed to her proposal before, but honestly I would probably have agreed to anything she asked me. I had no idea what being her 'master' was supposed to entail.

Why did she ask me of all people? We hadn't seen each other since she left for college, and even then it would be hard to say we had been friends.

How long had she had that collar? She didn't seem to have any pets.

Was this supposed to be a sexual relationship? Did this mean I was her boyfriend now?

The idea seemed almost impossible to me. I had been putting her on a pedestal in my mind for years after all.

I thought about testing that last premise. How would she react if I put my hands a bit lower? I wanted to, but... What if I was wrong? I would ruin my chance to spend time with her, maybe even squander my chance at actually becoming her boyfriend.

These thoughts raced through my head for about an hour, while Mary slept peacefully on my lap. Eventually she woke up, and rolled over, looking me in the eyes. She had a soft, sleepy smile. She grabbed me by the wrist and rubbed her cheeks against my hand like a cat. I rubbed her belly with my other hand. I could swear that she was actually purring.

Seeing the way she was looking at me, and the way she reacted when I touched her, I was emboldened. The hand on her belly slid lower. She gasped a bit, and I pulled my hand back, but then...

She slowly spread her legs apart, and she began kissing my fingers, still holding that hand by the wrist. I looked at her face. She looked up at me, her face a bit flushed. She kept looking into my eyes as she slide my index finger into her mouth. I was still nervous, but I had to admit that this situation contained no room for ambiguity.

I slid my hand down underneath her shorts. She kept sucking on my fingers. I could feel her voice reverberating through them. She responded to my touch with muffled squeaks and whimpers.

I took it a bit further, actually sliding a finger inside her. She gripped it tightly, pulsing and throbbing, pulling my deeper. She removed my other finger from her mouth and just held onto my arm. Soon she was bucking her hips and panting.

She looked up into my eyes, showing me an expression I had scarcely dared to imagine. I wanted to see more. I curled my finger and tried my best to take her over the edge. She reached down with her left arm and guided me to the right spot, then she held my arm still and ground her hips against it until...

She once again lay with her head in my lap, facing my belly. She was panting, gasping for air. I just softly rubbed her back. After resting for a while, she pulled herself up and sat upright, facing me, still in my lap.

We just stared at each other for a moment. Then she grabbed my hand and pulled it up to her head. It suddenly clicked in my mind.

"Good girl." I said, petting her head.

She closed her eyes and grinned. Then and embraced me and laid her head on my shoulder. After a while she finally spoke.

"So... is it too weird?" She asked, voice small and wavering.

"It... might take some getting used to. I agreed without really knowing what it really meant... but I don't regret it."

She pulled back and looked me in the face again.

"What it means? I'm sorry I thought you understood."

"Well I get that you want to be treated like a cat... or a dog? I wasn't really sure if it was a sex thing, or if it was platonic, or..." I laughed awkwardly.

She smirked. "You're asking if this is an exclusive relationship?"

I felt myself growing flustered. She had seen right through me.

"Well, I mean I just... wasn't, um, sure and..."

She leaned in and kissed me on the lips.

"You," she said, "are my master. I belong to you. I don't need you to take care of me in quite the same way as an animal, but I still want to act like one when we're alone. I want you to think of me as your pet. 'Play' with me. Discipline me if I displease you. I'll do anything you want me to do. All I want is to be a good girl."

She paused for a moment. "Does that answer your questions?" She asked.

I nodded slowly, mouth agape.

"W-well," I said, "except for one. Why me? We barely know each other."

She laughed.

"I do know you though. I saw you so many times when we were younger. You were a bit shy, but you were kind, and cute. A few weeks before I left for college I visited the salon, and you were there petting Caesar. That was the first time that I felt jealous of him. Later on I found this part of myself, because of that moment.

Actually, I was thinking of looking around online to find someone who was into this sort of thing. I dressed up in my collar a few times and took pictures. I actually met up with one guy and... he ended up being terrible. Nothing like I was imagining. In the end, I came back to the salon, hoping you might be there, and you were.

The way it felt when you were grooming me made me sure of it. I knew you would be a wonderful master. "

I didn't know what to say. We just looked at each other. Finally I nodded.

"I think I understand. But does that mean..."

"Yes, you're my boyfriend." She said with a smirk.

I couldn't stop smiling after that.

The next day, she sent me a picture of herself in her collar, and nothing else. The collar had something new. A red metal tag in the shape of a heart. There was an engraving on it. It said "Adrian."