The Training of Michael Ch. 07

"I have a lot to do to get ready for tomorrow night's party, and I want everything to be just right for you all." jacob basked in the glow of Her smile and again, thought how fortunate he was to be here, a member of Her House. She was smiling as She left the office to go prepare for Her clients, and jacob was smiling as he watched Her walk away. He would never tire of seeing Her smile, of seeing Her walk, of....

He pulled himself back to reality with difficulty, thinking he could waste all day just daydreaming about Her. He quickly made the phone calls to reschedule tomorrow's clients, offering them a free session to compensate for their inconvenience, as per his Mistress's instruction. This went far in eliminating the clients' frustration at having to wait even longer to see Her. That task completed, he quickly went to the dungeon to ensure all was in readiness for Her first client. He went to the huge storage room next to the dungeon and selected a number of rather peculiar objects that Mistress kept just for this client alone. He grinned as he thought of the fun She would have using these objects, and of another satisfied client. Well, perhaps "frustrated, but satisfied" would better describe how the client would be feeling after his session. Lady Victoria was meticulous about enforcing the "no sex, no release" rule with Her clients, even though almost every single one had begged Her to reconsider. He knew that there were those in the business Who disregarded that rule, and was proud that his Mistress always maintained Her sense of integrity and ethics.

When the dungeon was ready, jacob went to the slaves' quarters to meet with everyone gathered there, waiting for him to let them know when they needed to be in the kitchen to prepare lunch, and to see who, if any of them, were going to assist Mistress in the dungeon today.

michael looked around and missing pet's smiling face, asked jacob about her whereabouts. "pet has a part-time job in town, so she is working today," answered jacob. "She is saving for college and, even though Mistress has offered to pay for it, pet wants to contribute, too, and Mistress allows it."

They all then trooped off to the kitchen where, once again, the implacable Cook was waiting for them. Today, however, Mistress was not eating, as She preferred a period of meditation before meeting with clients. So the slaves had their lunch, with troy again leaving soon afterwards to take food to the shelter. They then all resumed their duties.

*****

michael was polishing the banisters when he heard the doorbell. He caught a glimpse of a policeman being led to the dungeon by jacob, and started worrying about his Mistress. Would She be alright? The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, and soon was seeking jacob's advice. jacob simply smiled and set michael's worries to rest. "That, michael, was Her first client of the day. And," he added seriously, "you did NOT see him here. He is not really a policeman. That is just a part of his fantasy."

So, michael went back to his polishing with an easy heart and a smile on his lips. Ah, yes, fantasies. That was what She provided Her clients. She had explained it to him before. "My clients," She had told him, "are very strong, independent men. They make decisions all day, every day, while running their businesses. Then they go home, where they have to make decisions there, too. What I give them is an hour, or two, where they have no decisions to make. Where they are offered the freedom from being in control." It had made perfect sense to michael, who had once been a client. He remembered the near ecstasy of being allowed no choices at all, upon entering Her dungeon. He chuckled to himself, remembering how often he, himself, had begged Her to consider accepting him as a part of Her House. And how he had almost given up hope, but, here he was. He was finally living his dream.

He was surprised a few hours later to see Her second client arrive. He took in the tall, statuesque beauty, wrapped in furs and jewelry. Long blond hair was perfectly arranged around a face of flawless beauty. Well, almost flawless. The light had briefly allowed him to see a tiny scar on one otherwise perfect cheek. When she turned, he could no longer see it.

Again, jacob provided michael with the explanation, or at least, part of it. "She met with the wrong Master once," he explained. "Mistress rescued her from the hospital and cared for her here until she was ready to face the world again. They are old friends. When Mistress arranged for her to meet with another Friend of Hers, it was love at first sight." michael's mind was almost on overload, imagining his beautiful Mistress in the role of heroine, nurse, and matchmaker. "The lady's Master husband allows her to visit Mistress occasionally, on a professional basis," jacob's remark cutting through michael's reverie. "It seems Mistress has certain...attributes... the lady's husband doesn't have." They both grinned, then laughed, knowing Mistress was certainly going to enjoy this one!

"michael," jacob said in a more serious tone, "I am telling you these things so that when you are on door duty, you will know some of these people and what to expect. Everyone here knows most of Her clients, and all are sworn to secrecy. We never even talk about them to each other, unless it is required for business purposes. If you are ever caught divulging ANY information about Her clients, or gossiping about them, you will be sent packing so fast that you will leave skid marks! She promises discretion to all of Her clients, for obvious reasons."

"I understand, jacob. Thank you for explaining." michael promised never to divulge any information about any of Her clients.

The rest of the day passed peacefully, all the slaves doing their chores happily, secure in the knowledge that their Mistress cared about them, and for them. They were all thinking about the party tomorrow night and were excitedly chatting amongst themselves about what they might expect Her to do. She always managed to surprise them, however, no matter how well they thought they understood Her. As they returned to their quarters after the evening's baths, She had managed to surprise them again, for there She was, talking with jacob.

"Ah, My dears! I imagine you are all wondering what to expect at tomorrow evening's festivities." She smiled at the blatant understatement. "Well, I shan't ruin the surprise for you, but I will tell you this: expect the unexpected." There were a few good-natured grumbles and laughs, but the excitement had just been raised a few notches, as She knew would happen. She gave them each a hug and grinned that wicked grin of Hers as She was leaving. "Sleep well, My dears, if you can!" They all heard Her chuckles as She walked down the hallway.

Sleep? Tonight? Fat chance! They all were still whispering an hour later when jacob bid them to try to sleep. "I, for one," he said, "want to be awake enough to enjoy whatever it is She is planning!" He grinned as he left the room for his own, turning out the lights as he exited. He heard a few more whispers, then all was quiet as each turned their imaginations loose to wreak havoc on their dreams.

To be continued....[Another author's note: Keep an eye out for the next chapter to read about the party! I love reading your comments and, as you can see, I do actually take them to heart! Well, some of them!! *wink* LadyV]