Scarlet

"I forgive you Violet." Dominick also kissed her.

"Three is for making Domna Maria waste her time because of your continued disobedience. Your refusal to obey your training." More caresses. More moisture. Karen's own flaming desire was getting hotter. The smell of sex, Violet's as well as her own, began to fill the air with its heavy musky scent. Karen's nipples pulsed with an ache. Her breathing quickened as she watched.

SLAP! A third spank, this time on the other cheek, had Violet's entire bottom flaming. Another shriek muffled by the gag. Violet clenched her fingers around the table edge and hung on. Violet was crying fully now, drool leaking from her mouth around the ball gag. Barely understandable Violet apologized.

"I'm sorry Domna. Please forgive me."

When Domna Wolfe stepped forward out of the shadows Karen was surprised. She hadn't noticed her presence before she moved forward toward Violet. Despite the drool leaking down Violet's chin, Domna Maria kissed her gently on the mouth. "I forgive you my good girl."

"Four is for forcing Miss Karen to watch you being punished. To make her witness your disobedience. To make her see your pain."

SLAP! The final spank on her smarting bottom made Violet utter another muffled scream. She gripped the table so tightly that it tilted and threatened to topple as she coped with the pain.

"I forgive you Tiny Dancer." As Karen bent to kiss Violet on the lips as all the others had, she looked deep into Violet's eyes. Suddenly, Violet pushed her mouth against Karen's. Pressure mounted and Karen felt an object pressing against her lips. Automatically she opened her mouth and a round object was pushed inside her lips and past her teeth.

What?

Startled she began to stand up. Violet grabbed Karen with her tied hands, pulling her close. Shuddering, she began to orgasm as she looked into Karen's eyes. Karen could see how embarrassed Violet was that Karen saw her sexual release.

As she orgasmed, Violet kept kissing Karen in random places all over her face. Repeating: "I'm sorry. Don't hate me. Please. I'm sorry. I can't help it."

Karen removed the ball gag from her mouth. "Shhh, Violet. It's ok," she said between kisses. "It's ok. Honest, I understand now. Really. You know I could never hate you. Never. You are too precious to me. I love you."

Once Violet's orgasm faded Dominick picked her up. Holding her on his lap he sat in one of the chairs nearby. Violet's quick breathing slowing as her lust and passion eased. Her eyes closed. Sated, she dozed in her Owner's arms.

When everything had quieted, Karen held up the ball. From the surprised expressions on everyone's faces Karen realized that Violet giving her the ball was unheard of.

"I can take that," Domna Maria said holding out her hand.

Karen was suddenly reluctant to let her have it. Closing her hand around the ball, letting the metal end links trail on either side of her fist, she refused. The words springing from somewhere deep in her mind.

"It is a gift. A precious gift. Given to me in trust. Given in passion and love. I will keep it safe until Violet asks for it back. Until then it is mine. To keep. To treasure. To cherish. It is mine."

At that they all turned to look at Violet. Resting, eyes closed with her still tied wrists around Dominick's neck, she did not acknowledge them at all.

Eventually Violet stirred as they stood together quietly talking of nothing in particular. Dominick stood, cradling Violet in his arms.

"Time to go my little love." He said looking down at her face then up at them. "Thank you Domna Maria."

"My pleasure Dominick. You may have the use of a guest room if you need one."

"Thank you, but, no. With your indulgence I'm going to take her home. We'll go out the private entrance."

At Wolfe's nod, Dominick began to walk toward the entrance to one of the underground passageways. When Dominick reached the entrance into the passageway still carrying Violet, Violet opened her eyes to look back at them. Wiggling her tiny bound hands, she waved her goodbyes.

"Bye Chasandra. Bye Karen." She called in clear but quiet tones A tiny quiet giggle followed by a barely audible "Bye Mama Wolfe" floated after her as she disappeared around the entrance to the tunnel.

A sharp SMACK! followed immediately by a squeal brought a smile to each of their faces.

The moment broke at a small sigh from Wolfe.

"Once again, we seem to owe you an apology. I can only hope that this does not become a habit." Turning toward the entrance to the passageway she paused for a moment. "Knowing Violet, it just might turn out that way. Still, irrepressible as she is, she is good for us. She reminds us that life is so much more than sex and pain and the burden of commitment. There is joy as well."

Shaking herself, she turned back to Karen. "Is there anything more I can do for you?"

Karen thought a moment. She removed the red card from the small clutch she'd been given to replace her drenched hand bag and held it out.

"Yes. There is something else I want. I want this. I want a family like this. A place like this. I want the trust and security that a place like this can give me. A place where I am needed, wanted, valued, protected. Where I can grow and be myself. I want Scarlet. I will have my Owner contact you for the paperwork."

Turning toward Chasandra she continued; "Maitre, will you help me with my first ball?"

"Of course." Chasandra held her hand out for the ball.

Domna Wolfe smiled slightly before disappearing into the shadows once again.

* * * * *

"You know," Karen said with a small moue while looking down at her silver clad feet. "I think I could learn to really like candied coffee beans."

Glancing up, she caught the burst of surprise lighting Chasandra's face. Karen smiled openly and leaned into her new friend.

"Yes. Perhaps even love them."

"In moderation of course."

"Well, of course. I am a married woman you know. What would my husband think if I indulged myself to excess?"

"Perhaps he would spank you."

"Perhaps. I will have to ask him."

Fourteen

"Violet! There you are." Karen's voice interrupted Violet's quiet musings as she sat in the tiers contemplating her future.

"I've been to your house, left you voice mail, asked Dominick to give you a message to call me. Nothing! Two whole weeks with not a single word from you."

Karen stomped over to where Violet was sitting with a tiny cup and saucer in front of her. The cup had what looked like coffee in it which had grown cold. Violet kept her head down. She put her hands in her lap as Karen stopped at her table, placing her hands on her hips.

"Don't you want to be my friend anymore? Violet, look at me. Look at me! Do I look like I'm angry with you?"

Violet looked up. Karen stood over her wearing a nice antique gold blouse with a knee length skirt in cream. Some really cute cream and brown pumps completed the ensemble along with a jacket that matched the skirt. There was even a tiny matching handbag. It was business attire and Karen looked very pretty in it. It was nice to see her in something other than her usual wear.

Wait! Violet's mind finally caught up with what she was seeing. Karen in a blouse and skirt? Since when? Karen always wears sweaters and pants. Floppy, baggy sweaters and pants. And, and, she cut her hair!

"Ummm, no?" Violet's response showed how off balance she was at Karen's unusual appearance.

"No is right. I'm not angry. In fact, I'm very happy. Happier than I've been in a very long time. So, thank you Violet. Thank you, thank you, thank you. There, did I say it enough so that you'll believe me?"

Violet, still reeling from the shock at seeing Karen in new clothes, was unable to respond.

"What?" Karen asked as Violet goggled at her.

A wave at Karen's new look was all Violet could do.

"Oh. Tada!" Karen twirled in place. "You like?"

At that Violet shook herself. "Who are you? And, what did you do with Karen?" She asked the old cliche.

Karen draped her jacket over back of the chair opposite Violet before setting her bag on the seat. Dragging another chair over she sat next to Violet. Looking up at the black security bulb and tapping the table top; "Coffee please. With cream."

Turning to Violet, she went on. "I do hope they'll give me that courtesy. I need the caffeine. Anyway, to begin, I fired my old therapist. After thirteen years I was not recovering and was actually regressing. So, I fired her. I've seen Chasandra professionally a couple of times. She's different. Tough love, no pressure. Lots of tactile contact. It works better for me for some reason.

"She suggested that I change everything. New clothes, new attitude, a new lifestyle, new everything. I don't think she meant all at once, but it's really working. I think. Chas agrees. My outlook is different too. I just came from a job interview. No luck, unfortunately." Karen shrugged. "Something will turn up eventually. On the way home, I had to stop to see if you were here."

Karen shook her finger at her friend. "Speaking of which, why haven't you returned my calls?"

"I'm sorry. Please don't hate me." Violet cringed. "I screwed up. I really, really screwed up."

"Violet Amelia Gandiere, you will stop that this instant!" Karen dragged out all three of Violet's names to show how serious she was. "I am not upset. I'm happy! You did nothing wrong."

Leaning closer she put her hand on Violet's arm. "Really. All of that was actually very good for me. A breakthrough moment."

Sitting up straight she slapped the table with her hand to emphasize her point. "So, stop acting like you're some kind of horrible leper. Or, I will get mad at you."

"Karen . . . " Violet began.

"No! Enough! No more! Instead, tell me what happened to you for the last two weeks. Did you get any more punishment? Are you ok? You're here, so you're still a member of the club, right? What happened?"

"No. Nothing additional. Just the two week suspension. Today is my first day that I'm allowed back."

"Oh. So that means you've been forgiven?"

"Yes and no. Domna Wolfe said that she couldn't punish me more than she did. We found out I'm pregnant. She thinks the changing hormones were what caused me to get all screwed up. She says both Chasandra and my doctor say I couldn't help it. So, since I wasn't really at fault because I wasn't in control of my body or my mind, I couldn't be punished for what happened.

"I couldn't be punished for what happened to you, since I didn't do anything wrong. I followed the rules then at least. Chasandra punished me for trying to protect you, when you weren't in any danger except in my messed up mind, so I couldn't be punished again for that either."

"So, you're pregnant? That's fantastic! How long? Do you know anything about the baby yet? You're seeing a doctor?"

"Karen! Out of all of that you only heard that I was pregnant?"

"It was the only thing that was important in all of what you said. So, are you ok and how far along are you?"

Violet sighed. "Four to five weeks. The doctor says I'm doing fine. She wants me to watch my diet and eat more."

As Violet talked, a woman in a red jacket stopped at their table and set a carafe of coffee, a small covered pot of cream, and a cup with a saucer on the table for Karen. Looking up Karen automatically started to say Thank You when she stopped abruptly.

"April! How are you?" Karen stood up to give the girl a brief hug, being careful to not tip her serving tray which still had things on it. "What are you doing wearing that getup?"

"Oh. They were short staffed for wait people, so I'm filling in this shift. I'm not in this section, but I asked to bring your things. I wanted to be sure that Violet's ok, since she's not been allowed to be here."

April set another dish and a full bowl on the table in front of Violet. There were crackers in a package on the side of the plate under the bowl.

"For you."

"What is that?"

"Soup. Potato cheddar. It's good."

"I didn't ask for any soup."

"Really? Hmmm, maybe someone thought you needed it. I think so too. You look like you've lost weight. You don't have any extra weight to spare or lose either." April pointed a spoon at the food, then held it out. "So, be a good girl and eat your soup."

Violet just looked at April.

"Eat!" April shook the spoon at her before leaning in close. She whispered. "Or, I will tell Mama Wolfe that you are being a bad girl again."

Karen burst out laughing. "Mama Wolfe? How did you find out about that?"

"Oh. Everyone knows. Domna Wolfe has told us that it is disrespectful. We may not use that name in her presence, or to any of the other Dominus, or to anyone not of Scarlet. We will be flogged and punished if we do. Severely. There will be no warnings."

"Really?"

"Yes." Holding out the spoon to Violet again, April affected a mock glower. Violet grimaced and took the spoon.

"Good. Now eat your soup. You're eating for two you know."

"What? How do you know that?" Violet was shocked.

"I told you. Everybody knows. Everything."

"Everything?"

"Yup. Apparently there are a buncha blabbermouths around here." April smirked. "Listen, I gotta go. I'm still on the floor down there." April waved at the dining area to illustrate her meaning.

Karen gave her another hug. With a finger waggle in their direction, April left to go back to work.

"That is so sweet."

"What is?"

"That everyone is going to take care of you while you're pregnant. Oh! I just realized. Can you, I mean, is it ok for you to . . . "

"What?"

"Well, can you still play like you need to?"

Violet nodded. "For a while I can. If I'm careful. Extremely careful."

"Why?"

"Because I've been told as I get more advanced in the pregnancy, I can't have any scenes. To protect me and the baby. They," Violet nodded once more to the security camera, "gave me a grace year after the baby is born. So I can bond with him, or her, and physically recover. I get a year to decide if I want to return afterwards."

"Oh. So it's not a punishment then."

"No. Or, at least they don't say so. I'm not so sure it isn't."

"I don't understand."

"They couldn't expel us, because that would be punishing me for getting pregnant. Yet, they can't have me hanging around doing nothing. That would be bad. So, they 'promoted' me."

"Promoted you?"

"Yeah. Mama Wolfe," Violet looked up at the security camera as she articulated her words very clearly. "Mama Wolfe told me she was tired of all of us whiny bitches cluttering up her office interrupting her very important meetings. She said Scarlet needed a liaison between us and top management. I'm it. Her. Whatever."

Karen laughed. Trust Violet to make a big deal out of little things. "So, you're a Domna now?"

"No. I couldn't stay a submissive either. It'd be too dangerous. Some of the Masters wouldn't be understanding, or care. So I got a new title. Temporary. Just for me."

"Oh? What?" Karen was intrigued.

"I'm now just Miss Violet. I have an office too. With a desk for a secretary or assistant."

Karen laughed again at Violet's tone of disgust.

"Oh go ahead and laugh. Hah hah. It's funny to you. What am I going to do with a secretary for God's sake? I don't know any of this stuff. What am I going to do?"

"You'll figure it out. I'm quite sure you'll find a way to turn this around somehow to stick it in their eye. I know you. You will. Eventually. I've never known you to not be able to turn something to your advantage somehow. Just wait. You'll see."

"I don't know. This is pretty horrible."

"It's not horrible. It's just unexpected."

"I guess," Violet said morosely. "What are you doing here?"

"I've been back a couple of times to talk with Domna Wolfe and a few others. I asked to join Scarlet. Mitch is upstairs right now, I think, I hope, to sign the paperwork."

"I know about you asking to join. Mitch talked to Dominick a couple of times. Dominick said Mitch was confused by what you were doing and wondering if he'd done something wrong. Or, if you were cheating on him by joining a sex club."

"He what?"

"Don't worry. Dominick straightened him out. They had lunch a couple of times. Mitch talked to me too. I told him about the benefits and that he'll never have to work as long as he's an Owner."

"Work?"

"Yeah, Scarlet makes millions. Each owner gets a share of the profits after overhead and stuff. Dominick doesn't have to work. He does because he wants to, but he doesn't have to. I think it's nice, but I don't get anything myself. Only Owners. Well, Chasandra gets a share even though she was a submissive before."

"Why?"

"Because she's also an Owner. When she joined, they made an exception for her. She says it's because she will never allow anyone to ever own her again."

"Huh. That's interesting. I'll have to ask her about that next time I see her. Wait. You had lunch with Mitch? When was this?"

"About three or four days after that night. Why?"

"First, because he didn't tell me. And second, because he's been different lately. He keeps touching me. Everywhere. In public."

Violet grinned at her, while waggling her perfect little eyebrows.

"Oh, really?" She drawled dragging out the words. "Like when? C'mon, you know you want to tell me."

Karen wrinkled her nose back at her. This was her friend. Not that morose person who'd been here when she sat down.

"Well, I went home afterwards in the crimson and silver dress. I got home before he did and took it off. Did you know it won't wrinkle? It's amazing. So, anyway, I was wearing just a bathrobe when he got home and still feeling a bit tingly after, you know."

"Yes, I know. I was there, remember? I was still a bit tingly myself. After." Violet smiled with a twinkle in her eye. She got a flashing grin in return.

"Anyway"; Karen went on. "That night the sex was great. I mean, it was better than usual. We had this awards banquet we had to go to that weekend too. So, I wore the dress."

"That dress? The crimson and silver one?"

"Yeah. Chasandra had helped me with your ball. So, I was wearing that too. Oh, I forgot to ask you if that would be ok. It's your ball. Is it? Ok?"

Violet waved that away. "Go on. What happened?"

"Well, we were driving there and I was getting excited from the ball moving around because of the bumps in the road and vibration. I put Mitch's hand on my thigh under my dress. He slid his hand up my leg. I wasn't wearing anything under the dress. He found your ball and started playing with it. I got hotter. He played some more. Eventually I pulled up the dress to let him rub me."

"Oh, this is getting good."

"It was better than good. I was fine with the playing and petting until we turned into the valet parking area. Apparently the speed bumps, and the rubbing, were enough to finish me off. It was still sparkles and fireworks when we pulled up to the portico. I hadn't finished when the valet opened the door."

"Oh no." Violet grinned despite her words of sympathy.

Karen nodded and blushed. "My dress was up around my waist. I wasn't wearing panties, was wetter than a whale and I was still panting and throbbing. The valet just stood there smiling. I swear if there'd been room in the car I'd have let him have me too."

"What did you do? Leave?"

"What could I do? He'd already seen everything. I just spread my legs apart and gave him a good look. I reached up for a hand out. Mitch finally got there from around the other side of the car to help me out. I settled the dress and we went inside."

"That's it? The old you would have hidden in the trunk of the car. Or something."

Karen shook her head. "Not anymore. We did leave early. Mitch had this erection and I was still really ready. He rubbed me to another orgasm on the way home. We barely got the door closed before he was pawing at me trying to get me out of the dress. I showed him the shoulder clip and wiggled out of it. He took me right there on the floor of the living room. It was fantastic. Thank God Scott was staying with friends or he might have heard us. I was loud."