Pride Comes Before a Fall

*******

My life once again settled into normalcy, well, as normal as my life could get, I suppose. I still did the occasional journey to see clients, just like I had done that fateful weekend. It was only a what I would call a weekend trip: land on Friday, get into the meeting and find out what was needed from the marketing people and the boss before going back to my hotel with their ideas still fresh in my thoughts. Either have another meeting on Saturday if required, or if not, then stay at the hotel and get a bare bones strategy up on my laptop before leaving for the airport on Monday.

I dropped my bag when I entered my apartment. First was the shock that someone else was in my apartment. The fact that she was naked and knelt on the rug facing me sure came a very close second. Her hand came out holding a cell phone, her other hand came up and her finger tapped the top.

Tessa's voice came from what I could only assume, a prerecorded message. "I know what you did and your insistence that I finish my duties at The Auction. This is my slave. She has her instructions and if you force her to leave, I'm to phone Mister Smithers. I'm told he is very persuasive so I suggest you get used to Candy being there for the year I have a slave with me."

The cell was placed on the floor next to Candy. Her finger once again touched the screen and numbers started to run across the screen.

"You have one hour to ask me anything, after that I am instructed that I can talk to you only if I choose to, I will still be your slave. I know from my mistress that you instigated the move in my life back to her and I'm grateful. I am yours for one year, then my mistress takes me back and I choose never to see you again."

The numbers still sped along on the face of the cell phone that was now resting on the floor by her thigh. I'm guessing it would go off when my hour was up. I double checked that I had closed the door and sat on the couch next to a very naked and very beautiful Candy.

"When your mistress asked for my help, I never envisioned this. It's best I release you from your promise and send you back to your mistress."

She shook her head in refusal. "You can't. Mister Smithers left explicit instructions that my mistress had to agree to you keeping me."

Her head then turned towards me. "Mister Smithers made this agreement with Mistress: three's a crowd. Mistress has a slave for this year and although I am hers, she has given me to you as is her right."

No wonder that little shit was laughing all the way down the stairs. He had this planned out all along.

The cell phone, come timer, was one hell of a distraction. The conversation seemed to center on me telling Candy how happily miserable I was all by myself, and Candy telling me that it was now her duty to make me even more miserable, as well as drained, morning, noon and night.

The timer was nearing its conclusion and the impasse hadn't even been close to being broken. Add the fact that Candy just seemed to know what buttons to push around me and that worried me greatly.

Out of frustration and divided attention, since I had just shy of three minutes left on that clock, not to mention the stunning body of the woman knelt on the floor, I set out my rules and felt comfortable that she would not accept them and would go running back to Tessa.

"Look, I don't do the slave thing, never, ever. I also actually enjoy getting the lady in my life naked by myself. I like the exercise. So, this naked slave thing you have between you two isn't going to work for me. None of the ladies I've dated have any panties and I also have a golden rule that you only get to wear a bra every other day. So plan what you're going to wear accordingly. Now since we both know none of that is going to happen around you, I suggest you grab your bags and your collar and I'll call an Uber for you while your packing."

For some reason, she smiled, I thought she was going for smirk, so she caught me by surprise. Even more so when her finger touched the cell phone and the numbers stopped at seven seconds remaining. I was still staring at the number on the screen so didn't see her collar heading for the floor until it got there. She stood, took a step back and turned before walking into the bedroom. Coming out a few seconds later with her right hand full of panties, her foot worked the trashcan and every single item in her hand disappeared into the trash. The lid closing seemed to have that finality about it.

"Deal. My pussy stays naked because it's all been lasered off as a gift for my Mistress, but you get to play with it first. We also need to go shopping for clothes since its on your insistence that I have clothes on."

No.. No...NO. She's supposed to be running for the door by now.

She seemed to relish watching me, I'm sure the confused look was part of my bone structure.

In the end, even I couldn't figure it out. "Okay, I give in. What changed your mind and why am I stuck with you for a year?"

A naked woman stood in front of me, then slid onto my lap, still facing me. Her arms came around my neck and the palms of those hands caressed my backbone and shoulders.

"When Mistress told me where I would be for the next year, I had wondered if I had made a mistake. I had fought so hard to win her back and she was already giving me away."

Her voice was neutral now and it really was a rather sweet voice now that the undercurrent of snarky was gone from it. "Mistress told me that this year was already planned with The Auction, so nothing could change. She also told me that placing me with you was the safest thing she could do."

Still seeing my confusion, she decided to speak in small words, and slowly. "Slave... belongs... to... Mistress. I know now that you won't try to steal Slave from her. Tessa has given me permission to be me. That means we both have a year to enjoy ourselves and I will leave after that year."

I was curious, so I said. "And if I decline such an offer?"

Her smile lit up the room. I noticed something about her: she also smiles with her eyes, so I knew this was the genuine Candy talking. "Then I have to phone Mistress. She will then call a Mister Jeremy Smithers. who I'm told his looking forward to that conversation."

I knew I still had maneuvering room. Emigration, hiding in a tent under the sixth Street underpass, going Gay even. But since none of the above held any appeal to me. I had no girlfriend on the horizon and this dry spell sure didn't look like finishing any time soon.

She must have felt my shoulders slump, even if it was subconscious.

"I do have a question. Since some of my business requires travel, can I take you with me?"

That smile sure was fun to watch.

"As long as my return is within the year you own me, then yes."

"Can I phone Tessa and thank her for her kind present?"

This time her smile quickly faded; her eyes held a sadness about them. "No. this rule is non-negotiable since it would hurt so many people: From the moment of your acceptance of my Mistress's present. Neither one of us can contact her for the full year you own me."

I knew she was heading for the same funk that I was. Tessa was becoming one of my best friends, and now she was keeping herself in the background for the sake of her own sanity. Invoking rule Twenty-Five put Malcom Browning into a corner and that meant he had to come out fighting. His retaliation was to keep these two girls apart for the year she held her last slave and not let her include her old one. Tessa seemed to have used the limited maneuvering room she had available to her, me.

A year. Three hundred and sixty-five days and I bet both were ticking the days off. Going by what Candy had said to me, Tessa had pulled Candy from her life and placed her with the only person she could trust to give her back at the end of that year. There were a great number of people out there having a good chuckle at my expense. Perhaps between Tessa, Candy and I, we could have the last laugh.

I kissed Candy's forehead and said. "Any chance you can lend me ten dollars?"

Her smile came eventually, but only when she looked very closely into my own eyes.

"Fuck no. I'm the kept woman here. I'm the one that wants to be prancing around naked for the whole year, but no. We have Mister Straight Arrow wanting clothes on his women. God you are so normal I could scream."

I was sure we had found our banter level and parts of me started to look forward to the next year.

"Your more than welcome to scream, but please restrict it to when in the throes of passion, dear."

Her laugh melted my heart. I think we both knew that this camouflaged 'friends with benefits' relationship, might actually work.

*******

So began a year in my life that I would treasure. Candy would still wander around the apartment naked, so much so that after a while, I found that I was doing the same thing as well. When she figured I was having a rough time with a project, she would just sit on my lap, bend over the table beside me, or crawl under my table and her head would surface near my knees. Her hands would pull them apart and her intended target would appear.

Some of my clients did mention the difference in the work they were getting over the year as a result. They wanted to keep for a while longer, since the business coming from it had increased as well and they didn't want to rock the boat. It never meant I had less work to do, far from it. Because of the increased revenue these companies got, they looked further into the future for their own companies. With the fresh influx of profits, it gave them the ability to look further ahead, as well as, plan accordingly.

We both knew that Candy was going back to Tessa at the end of the year. The look of love in her eyes every time we had those conversations told me so. It didn't stop us becoming friends though, not to mention amazing fuck buddies. Tessa lived with her for a year and knew what she was getting at the end of my loan period. Every day I lived with Candy made me realize, that when this was over, I had to get back out there and do something about it.

Candy came with me on every trip I made, on her own insistence. Only after being asked if she was my assistant and the glare she gave the woman who asked, did she stop actually attending the meetings. I would catch up with her at the pool. I never needed to look for her, I only needed to look for the cluster of men around a sun lounger to know where she was. We were in the elevator on the way to our room the first time that happened, when she said. "Why haven't they figured out I'm gay now and have no interest in men?"

I smiled, then laughed. She looked at me, still trying to figure out what she had said that made me laugh so much.

"Perhaps because you hide it so well behind all that bikini?"

She looked down, her chest she could see, but the rest would have to be with the aid of a mirror, which she did as soon as we entered the room. She stared, even moved her body from side to side. The mirror capturing every angle.

I swear, she was a blonde in disguise, more so when she said. "I don't get it."

*******

And so a year had past. Tessa was getting her slave back and I was happy for that, but along the way I was going to miss Candy. The sex was amazing of course, but we both knew she was a loan and someone I had to keep safe, so she could be returned to my friend. Today also made me realize what I was missing, a real relationship again. It was as that thought swirled around my head, that I came to the conclusion that I needed to get out more.

I answered the door and Tessa walked in. Candy wanted so much to charge her and go for the hug, but she was Slave now and knelt holding out her collar to Tessa.

"Well Slave?"

"I have obeyed Mistress."

Tessa took the collar, got behind Slave and grabbed a handful of hair, then pulled it back towards her. Slave let out a grunt, but other than that, said and did nothing. When Tessa let go of her hair, Slave kept her head in exactly the same position. She almost wept when her collar locked around her throat. Tessa stood and took a couple of paces back.

"I see you have only the case you came with, that will not do. Go back and pack again. We are going on a cruise for a month so I can make up to you for us being away from each other for so long."

We both heard "yes Mistress" before Slave leapt from the floor and practically ran into the bedroom. For the next thirty minutes she would appear with clothes over her arm for approval and then dash back into the bedroom.

"Thank you Martin, this last year was the most difficult, and it only kept me sane knowing I was giving Candy to the one person I could trust her with."

I smiled and did mention that it was my pleasure. An hour later I was helping put the cases into her car. I even stood and watched it until the security gate closed and blanked out the street beyond.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Martin Henderson. I'm told he lives in this apartment block."

When I turned to look at the voice, I stared. I guess she was used to it since all she did was smile and wait a moment to let me get it out of my system. Something also told me that may take a while. She was what people call, drop dead gorgeous. A redhead and natural if her eyebrows and complexion were anything to go by. The freckles across her nose and scattered over both her cheeks were almost in a sort of arrow formation. Practically forcing you to look into her green eyes.

I stuttered for a moment and the smile held to her lips. I guess she was used to that as well.

"I'm afraid you missed him. He was evicted yesterday." Her eyebrow raised in doubt and so I continued. "It wasn't the revolving door orgies that did it, but the crap music that he played at a volume he expected the whole complex had to listen to."

She still just looked at me, the eyebrow stayed up and the smirk came next. Then she said. "Any drugs involved?"

"Good God no. Well, there were those little blue pills, but they're F.D.A approved. It says so on the packet, so I wouldn't count those."

The smirk grew into a smile again, although I couldn't see why since I had painted such a handsome picture of Martin Henderson.

"This is going to be, so much fun."

I'm sure she caught me looking confused by her remark.

"So, since you know those little pills are F.D.A approved, I can only assume you leant on that revolving door on occasions?"

The challenge to answer her question was clear to see in her eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders and said. "What can I say. The flesh was weak and the blue pills helped keep the girls happy. Plus of course, I'm not getting any younger."

"Mmhhmm." At this point she held out her hand and said. "Susan Corrigan."

Instinctively and not to be too impolite, I held and shook, while also saying, "Garrett Micklethwaite, although people just call me Garrett."

"Is that because they can't pronounce Micklethwaite, let alone spell it?"

By now I realized she was getting interesting. Although she started to get a little nervous, that intrigued me as well.

"Martin, I need to talk to you. Can we go to your apartment please?"

Well, it was fun while it lasted. "Sure thing Ma'am." I waved my arm in the direction of the elevators.

She remained standing, enough for me to stop and turn to face her again.

"It's still Susan, Martin."

Testing a theory, when we entered the elevator, I went to the furthest corner and watched as she turned and pushed the button to my floor. I took the lead when we got to my floor; I had no choice since the key was in my hand. Once I pointed to the couch my attention was on making drinks. My back was to her when asking what she wanted, even though that was limited to water or coffee. It wasn't until making my coffee and grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge that she was still standing, only now against the far wall.

Placing her water on the coffee table, still left her standing so I dumped my ass on the couch and watched her. So far she had all the information on why she was here, so it was a genuine case of waiting her out.

After the longest pause possible, even I got bored and said. "Susan, you have the floor. What can I do for you?"

She started to pace, back and forth, the mumbling to herself came next. Only hearing the odd word didn't help since I had no point of reference. When I looked closely at her, she didn't look worried about being in a room with a strange man. Susan didn't even look tense, she just looked, confused.

Born out of frustration that this wasn't going anywhere, I said. "Susan, stop walking around and stand still. If it will put you at ease, would it help if I got Mrs. Jefferson from next door to sit in on this conversation, since you seemed to be getting more rattled about being here alone with me?"

"NO." She paused and took a breath. "Sorry, no. I'm fine."

"Well you sure don't look it."

What came next stunned even me.

"I need you to get naked."

"WHAT?"

Again she breathed in and then blurted out. "I want you naked. Take it all off, now. In the interest of fairness, I will match you item for item; but I can only continue this conversation when you're naked. You can't lie then."

I put my spilled coffee cup down on the table, ran my coffee soaked hands down my pants leg, then headed for the door to let this nutcase out.

"I'm sorry Martin, that came out wrong."

"Lady, you have no idea."

The open door was held firmly in my hand while I stared at her.

Susan on the other hand had her cell to her ear. "It all came out wrong and he's going to throw me out. I couldn't get over the first hurdle. I need help."

I was too busy watching the nutcase with the cellphone to her head. A hand grasped my wrist and I was once again staring at my friend.

"Please Martin, let go of the door. We can explain. I wasn't actually going anywhere until I knew she was comfortable talking to you."

I was already going for 'What the fuck'. But Candy came directly to me and we kissed, long and hard. That's when I let go of the door and wrapped my arms around Candy, well, until our kiss finished anyway.

She looked at Tessa as she pulled away from me, then said. "Nice to know that even with clothes on, I still have it."

Candy then went to Susan and held out her hand. "Come with me, now."

Holding hands, Candy led Susan into the bedroom while Tessa took advantage of no one holding the door and closed it, before scooping her arm into mine and leading me back to the couch. Tessa knew me too well, Candy's kiss was wearing off and kept close to me while my befuddled mind was heading right back to my starting point of, 'what the fuck'.

Just as my mouth opened to express such an opinion, two naked females left the bedroom. That's when my mouth betrayed me and just hung open as my eyes took in the sight in front of me. Candy will always be drool material, even with a collar on. Then it dawned on me and my eyes, although painfully resisting to the bitter end, left staring at Candy's body long enough to notice Candy's spare collar around Susan's neck. The ball gag in her mouth and the tears streaming down her cheeks almost made me want to get off the couch and hug her. Except this was still the nutcase and this was still hanging in the 'what the fuck' area of downright weird.

The command: "kneel, both of you." Came from Tessa, still sitting beside me.

"I had my doubts that she could carry this out, which is why we hung around Martin, but I had to give it a try. So now I'm going for honesty and a little veiled threat right at the end, just in case."

My mind commanded my head to turn and look at Tessa, it sure took a moment or two. The smile on her lips when I eventually did will always hold a place in my heart. She was my friend, but even that was being tested right at this moment.