The Collaring of Chloe Ch. 16

Chapter 16 -- Exploring at the Mall

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Taking a long sip from her macchiato, Chloe looked out past the railing of the coffee nook and at the milling customers of the bookstore. Most of them were wandering about aimlessly, perusing the shelves of books with little real intent beyond a general desire to shop. There seemed an impressive cross-section of society present, all manner of age, creed, ethnic background, and lifestyle. She mused that her and Master obviously represented their own end of a spectrum, which seemed to sort of make them part of the whole in a beautiful kind of way. Like they were a patch in a quilt of wondrous variety.

Master might have been hard to mark as a member of the BDSM community on his own, dressed in dark grey slacks and dress shirt, deep purple tie, and his oxblood loafers. However, the long chain running from the loop around his wrist that lead to Chloe's neck was the first good clue that he was far more than just some dapper-looking professional. Connected to that leash, Chloe was an even more obvious clue to his, and her own, choice of lifestyle.

Her clothing was not particularly daring, consisting of a gauzy white blouse just thin enough to hint at the dark bustier beneath, a knee-length dark gray skirt of a soft and fluid-seeming fabric, sheer white tights adorned with an elegant black floral pattern, and a pair of cute oxford-style shoes with a high heel. However, the tall posture collar about her neck and the black leather restraint cuffs about her wrists and ankles made it obvious what her life choices were. The collar was brand new, ordered just for her, with her name embossed into the bronze-tinted leather in the back. She'd found she had a distinct fondness for posture collars, happy to have one that was personally hers.

She'd polished the metal rings of the restraints before they'd left, wanting them to gleam and stand out, proud to be adorned in them out in public. She'd received many strange looks since they'd arrived at the mall, but Master had instructed her to smile brightly at anyone who stared and say hello. It amused her how most people quickly looked away, embarrassed at having been caught staring. It had amused her even more when a couple of young men had actually stopped and asked them why she was on a chain and wearing 'shackles'. She'd happily told them that she belonged to Master as his slave, which had made them balk and laugh, but not in mean way. One had looked at Master with such awe and respect that it had made Chloe beam.

It felt strange to be out with just Master, Mittens having stayed home for the day to relax and have some time to herself. Still, it was also incredibly wonderful to have some time with just her and Master, being out together. Since arriving, she'd never once felt any sort of real jealousy or dismay at having to share him with another submissive, but that didn't mean she had not coveted having a day to just the two of them, to get to be his sole focus for the afternoon. He'd made sure to give her just that, too, giving her his complete attention. Even now, she noticed out of the corner of her eye, his gaze was on her, admiring her with love and affection. The recognition of it drew her from her own thoughts to look back to him, fixing him with a look of adoring submission.

"So, Master, are we looking for anything in specific today?" She asked him between sips of her coffee. "Or just having a day out shopping?"

He took a long draw from his own drink, eyes on her and twinkling with that element of mischief that told her that he had plans in mind far more interesting than simple shopping. Finally, he replied. "Actually, my slave, we are out today because I have an assignment for you to undertake."

Chloe blinked in a moment of surprise, not expecting that answer. She felt a shiver of excitement and nervousness, able to tell by the look in Master's eye that this was going to be both fun and frightening. "Okay, Master." She said with an obedient nod. "What would you like of your slave?"

"You're going to flirt with women today." He said in a simple tone.

Chloe sputtered, near choking on a swallow of macchiato. "What?" She managed, then quickly edited herself. "What, Master?"

His grin expanded. "As we walk around today, I want you to look for women you find attractive and I want you to flirt with them. It doesn't have to be anything extreme or significant, but it has to be clear that you are flirting."

Chloe found herself at a loss for words, unsure for a moment why she was being given this assignment. Suddenly, it struck her. Her confession of insecurities about discovering a bisexual aspect to herself that she'd never been aware of. Though he'd otherwise comforted her and helped her come to terms with it, it had shaken her a little to discover something so fundamentally different in herself than she'd believed. It no longer really frightened her, well past worrying that her assumptions about herself as her deep devoted slave would also prove untrue.

As part of his comforting, he'd told her that he would help her explore this new facet of herself, this attraction to other women, and this was obviously the first step. He wanted her to embrace her newfound bisexuality by doing the most basic and fundamental of things one does towards those they find attractive: flirt.

Her look of stunned confusion drew up into an amused grin as she sorted it out, but a deep blush rose up as well. "Master, I...I'm not sure I'm ready to..."

"You are." He said with that infectious certainty that he seemed to always have. "Like I said, it doesn't have to be anything really excessive, just obviously flirtation. You don't have to try and get phone numbers or even get them to flirt back. Just show them you have an interest in them."

Which, she realized, would mean she'd have to open herself to being interested. Though she couldn't deny that she had fallen deeply in love with Mittens, until she'd realized she had a powerful attraction to Butterfly, she'd never really seen other women in an openly lustful point of view before. Even when she'd played alongside other girls, kissing or caressing them during play, admiring beautiful aspects of their bodies, she'd never felt actual attraction to them before. At least, she'd never noticed herself doing so.

Master believed it was because she'd convinced herself that she was straight, if open-minded. Mittens had shown her a side of herself that she'd simply always made herself blind to, opening a psychological and spiritual door that was now wide open. It frightened Chloe a little to think she could have been so unaware of such a part of herself. Especially since it was something she'd never been opposed to, just always believed it wasn't something she was.

"Okay, Master." She said obediently. "Do I flirt only with girls I find myself actually attracted to or just any pretty girls we come across?"

He took a quick swallow before replying. "Only ones you find yourself actually noticing and feeling some sort of physical attraction to. Just make sure you're being honest with yourself that you are feeling an attraction." He smiled and took her hand. "Otherwise, you are free to temper it however you want, flirt a little or a lot. The idea is to express your attraction and explore that attraction. I'll be with you the whole time, always on the other end of your leash." He gently gave the chain a light tug to remind her of it tethered to her collar, and, ultimately, to him.

She considered for a moment the vision of herself, literally chained to a handsome man, hitting on another woman. Though there was a perverse sort of thrill to that picture, she felt a heavy twinge in her stomach; a swell of real nervousness. She couldn't stop wondering if it would it come across as weird or crass for her to be doing it? Master seemed to sense her sudden anxiety, his hand tightening around hers in a reassuring way.

"You're going to be just fine, my beautiful slave. Master is with you." His exotic eyes caught her hazel ones firmly, granting her a surge of courage and strength. "Do you want to finish your coffee first or go ahead and start?"

Despite the injection of bravery Master had given her, she opted to take another couple minutes to finish her coffee, buying some time to mentally prepare herself. It seemed funny to be so anxious about it, as it seemed it would be something natural, but it ran so much deeper for her. She'd always been so certain she was straight that it seemed awkward to think of herself as not being so. Yet, she had no doubts that she was indeed bisexual, not just because Master saw it, but because she could see it now. It seemed odd to be so nervous about simply embracing something that was part of her.

She'd mentioned that her quick take to the polyamorous lifestyle that Master and Mittens had was because she'd already had experience with it, while under the mentorship of Master Heron and Ellie. While her connection with them hadn't been romantic, just her learning from them both, she'd essentially shared Heron with his primary submissive, something she'd never even thought anything about. She'd also been involved in more than a few circumstances where she'd be part of a threesome sexually, never even flinching at the idea.

While it wasn't really the same, those times about sheer lust and play, her life with Master and Mittens founded in love and real connection, it had prepared her for the idea. She'd accepted the idea of entering into a relationship with the both of them instantly and without hesitation. In the same way, she'd engaged in sexual play with other women, such as Ellie, if never much more than mostly heavy petting, kissing, and more than a little grinding. She'd never considered it before, always focusing herself on the men involved, but she could now think back and recognize that she'd enjoyed those parts of the play as much as anything she'd done with the men.

Still, like with Heron and Ellie not being the same thing, coming to terms with being truly bisexual was very different. Not something terrible, just a redefinition of how she saw herself. Inwardly, she reminded herself that becoming part of a poly household had been a redefinition, not to mention selling herself into lifestyle slavery as someone else's property, and both she'd done without a moment of doubt.

Which, if she was honest, made her wonder why this was something she was having such a hard time with.

Ready or not though, she downed the last swallow of her macchiato and nodded her readiness to Master. They both rose and he lead her down out of the coffee nook and into the main store. They began browsing about the shelves, Chloe temporarily losing herself to browsing. She loved books and reading, though her tastes were often very hit or miss on what she liked. She didn't really spend a lot of time getting into a novel or magazine, but when she did take the time to sit down with something, she usually relished the experience. For that reason, she'd always loved browsing bookstores, looking for things that caught her eye and would be worth spending a day getting lost in.

Though Master made no efforts to point anyone out, she quickly noticed that he would steer them near to where other women were in the store. She felt no real pressure, as he seemed just as rapt in scanning book-titles as she was, but recognized his clever attempts to keep her on track with her assignment. She began making a point to note the people around her, all the people, not just the women. Many would steal glances at the two of them, an eyebrow raised at the chain or the tall collar forcing her to keep her neck up and shoulders straight, sometimes whispering to someone with them or giggling at the sight. A few looked at them with deeply disapproving expressions, but none seemed willing to say anything to them about it.

She also found it a little amusing how blasé the bookstore staff seemed to be about it, as though it were something that they already had become used to. Considering that Master mentioned that he and Mittens frequented both the mall and this particular bookstore often, she assumed they probably had. The image of Mittens bouncing around the shelves in her cat costume, tethered to Master while people gawked made her grin. Especially since, in her imagination, Mittens would also be otherwise naked.

Taking open notice of people made her begin to feel more comfortable, despite the obvious deluge of attention they received, she began doing as she'd been earlier instructed, smiling brightly at anyone who really looked directly at her or her restraints. Again, most would look away, seeming abashed at having been caught looking, a few just gave amused smiles back. To Chloe's surprise though, one woman returned the bright smile and actually inched a little closer to speak.

"You look happy to have someone." She said with a chuckle.

"Oh, I am." Chloe assured her, glancing towards Master, who gave a grin, though he kept his attention on the shelf before him. "It's a pleasure to belong to Master."

"Belong?" The woman asked, her eyebrow rising a little.

"Yes, ma'am." Chloe replied bubbly, lifting up a bit of the chain running from her collar to Master for emphasis. "I am his possession and slave."

The woman seemed to regard them both with a sort of new light, as though only just noticing the chain. Her new aspect didn't seeming negative in appearance, but perhaps a bit more aware of just what she was now dealing with. "I see." She said after a moment. "Was it your choice to become that?" She asked, her tone sounding mostly curious, though a thin wary note could be heard somewhere within it.

"Very much, ma'am." Chloe said firmly, though politely. "I am a willing slave and he is a very kind and loving Master." She felt a rush of energy pass through her as she spoke the words. She was still getting used to so openly presenting herself as part of the lifestyle, much less as something as controversial as a slave. She felt no embarrassment to announce it. In fact, it filled her incredible pride to so publicly call herself 'Master's Slave'. Still, she was as used to keeping this lifestyle a secret as she was in thinking of herself as straight.

"As long as you chose it." The woman said with a little nod and reassuring smile. "To each their own, I say." She paused a moment before asking something more. "May I ask what it's like? I'd think it would be strange to see of myself as a 'slave'."

Chloe started to reply, but paused a moment, rethinking her words. "I would have thought the same a few years ago, ma'am. But there is something deeply comforting in belonging to someone so completely. It makes me feel safe and loved to know that I have someone who wants me so much that he lays claim to me as his property."

"I imagine there has to be a lot of trust between you." She asked, looking towards Master who was still pretending not to be listening, but quite obviously was. "I don't think I've ever had that much trust in someone before."

Chloe looked at Master herself, considering the comment. The truth was, she'd been committed to being someone's slave before she'd ever known Master, before she could have ever known whether she could or would trust him. She'd intended to serve as a slave whether she'd trusted the man who possessed her or not. She'd not wanted to know if he could be trusted, as that seemed counter to the point. At the time at least.

However, he'd instantly created a trust in him that had been almost like magic, spiritual even, but for the first time she really considered how incredible of a thing that was. Here she was, assigned to flirt with other women, not because it was something he wanted, but because he was trying to help her explore herself. More, she believed she was ready to explore simply because he said she was. Her trust in him was so strong that she believed him over her own self-doubt.

"Honestly ma'am, I don't think I could have imagined how much I could trust someone else either." She reached out and touched Master's arm. "I'm only just starting to realize how lucky I am to have found him."

The woman looked at them both with deep admiration. "That's beautiful. I don't think I could ever let myself be lead around on a chain, but I envy you having so much of a connection and trust." She reached out herself and touched Chloe's arm very lightly.

Chloe looked back at her, for the first time really looking at the woman. She was perhaps in her late forties, mature-looking and experienced by life, but there was a radiance about her. She was dressed casually, simple blue shirt and dark jeans, a pair of tennis shoes on her feet, but there was a well-groomed look about her, everything fitting well and chosen carefully. Her dark brown hair, hanging loose to her shoulders, was tucked behind ears sporting understated earrings and her face still carried evidence of the adorable looks that she'd no doubt had in her early twenties. She was obviously fit and healthy, and, Chloe realized suddenly, quite beautiful.

"Perhaps it should be you holding the chain then, ma'am." Chloe said with a grin. "Otherwise, I'd think you'd have plenty of men lining up to earn your trust. You are quite lovely, ma'am."

The woman laughed, waving a hand dismissively at the compliment, though Chloe noted she still looked somewhat flattered by it. "Oh, there are a few men, but none of them can be trusted." She laughed and leaned forward to regard Master. "Not meaning to suggest that there aren't some men who can be trusted."

He looked towards her with a coy smile and nod. "Of course, Ma'am. But we still have to work really hard at it."

Chloe giggled a little at Master's comment, but another thought came to her suddenly. Feeling just the lightest shudder of thrill, Chloe looked at the woman with an expression that she hoped made obvious her notice of her attractiveness. "Then perhaps ma'am should consider dating another woman? I know I'd be thrilled to get on your chain, if I wasn't already on Master's." She gave a little wink.

The woman blinked at her, caught slightly off guard, blushing a little, but chuckled and smiled after a moment. "Why thank you. I don't think I've ever considered trying to date another woman, but I'd certainly be tempted to let a girl as young and pretty as you try to show me what I was missing."

"Thank you, ma'am." Chloe replied with a happy smile.

The woman looked again at Master. "You have a very sweet girlfriend, sir."

He turned to regard Chloe, a look of deep affection on his face. "Yes I do. I couldn't ask for better." He leaned over and gave her a little kiss on the cheek.

After that, the woman wandered away, but showed no signs of awkwardness at having been flirted with by Chloe. In fact, Chloe was sure that the woman looked almost uplifted. The sight of it made her feel a surge of confidence and she found that it was like a thin curtain had been raised around her. Suddenly, she was becoming aware of all sorts of attractive women around them in the store. Most were with boyfriends or family, but several struck her as deeply alluring.

It was like a switch had been flipped in her mind. She was finding it hard to focus on looking at books now, suddenly so deeply aware of the people around her. Many she merely found a new kind of appreciation for the beauty of, some though made her feel flutters of attraction. One of which she found herself standing near after a few minutes, a girl around her age wearing form-fitting jeans and a sleeveless shirt, short enough to leave her very well-formed rear-end in perfect view.

"Hi." Chloe said after a moment, unable to think of anything more interesting to say to try and break the ice.

The girl looked over, seeming to notice for the first time the girl on a chain standing next to her. Chloe watched her dark eyes, outlined by dark liner, quickly follow the chain to Master's wrist before looking back at Chloe and grinning wryly. "Hello." She chuckled, turning her gaze back to the bookshelf.