Work Hard, Play Harder Ch. 09

Copyright © April 2023 by CiaoSteve

CiaoSteve reserves the right to be identified as the author of this work. This story cannot be published, as a whole or in part, without the express agreement of the author other than the use of brief extracts as part of a story review.

This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.

Author's Notes

This is a ninth part to the series. Although it is self-contained from a story perspective, I would recommend you read the earlier chapters as there will be references which make more sense if you have read the earlier parts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Monday passed without further ado. Sophie never appeared in the office, which both confused and frustrated Claudia. It was so unlike the diligent young woman, that it had to have been related to what had happened that previous Friday night. Then again, if Sophie had been so disgusted by the turn of events, why had she returned the clumsily discarded pair of knickers, and why had she referenced a certain strap-on?

Something just didn't add up, but Claudia was busy already, and she made a mental note to put matters to right just as soon as she could. For now, though, she went back to the job in hand, planning out another week of work, along with the next exciting treat for her usual lover.

Oh yes, Claudia had something special planned for her little blonde sex-kitten. She knew just how much Kirsten enjoyed putting on a show, regardless of whether she had an audience or not, and all for the love of her mistress.

Kirsten had embraced the idea of stripping off to change in a truck park.

Kirsten had thoroughly enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the woods with a vibrator stuffed into her knickers.

Now, Claudia was going to up the ante a little. It would be a test for the young blonde... a demonstration of control, of obedience, of trust... and, of course, of earning your reward... oh, and yes, Kirsten was going to end up desperate, as she tried to control herself, if Claudia was to have her way.

Before long, Claudia knew exactly what she would need, and had a good idea where to get it. The arrangements had been made a while back for Kirsten to visit the cabin, so all Claudia needed to do now, was give Kirsten the expected instructions... what time... where to meet... what to wear. The challenge for her beautiful little sub would be kept a secret, a secret for Kirsten to discover before it became too late to do anything about it. Claudia would make the call from her car, where it was just a little more private. After all, this was going to be a most private weekend, just mistress and sub, and some fun and games.

The remainder of the day passed without event, and without any sight of Sophie.

Claudia stood up. She put on her coat, picked up her bag, and headed towards the lifts. She pressed the down button and waited patiently, watching as the floor number climbed... one, two, three, four. A soft female voice announced the arrival at the seventh floor, and the imminent opening of the doors. In her eagerness to escape for the day, Claudia practically walked straight into the occupant of the lift, who in turn was hurrying back into the office.

"Claudia!" came an exclamation of surprise from the occupant of the lift. "I was hoping to catch you."

"Sophie?" came an equally surprised question from Claudia. "I thought you weren't in the office today, and I was just off... need to get a few things before the shops close."

"No worries," Sophie replied. "I'll ride down with you. Car park?"

Claudia didn't know what to say. She just nodded and stared as Sophie pressed the button for the underground car park. The lift doors closed, and that same female voice announced that they were heading down.

"Training," Sophie added. "I thought I had mentioned it."

"Errm... well..." Claudia responded.

The more Claudia thought about it, the more she did recollect being told something about her protégé's planned absence. She prided herself on knowing everything. How could she have forgotten something so obvious?

"Training?" Claudia asked.

"Yes... training... you did promise I'd get plenty of training," Sophie responded. "Don't you remember?"

"Yes... of course... yes..." Claudia replied. "I just forgot it was today... that's all."

"Then, what brought you back to the office?" Claudia asked, wondering why Sophie hadn't just headed straight home after her course.

"You," came the unexpected reply.

"Me?" Claudia asked.

"Yes... you," Sophie repeated. "I wanted to make sure you'd found what I left for you."

Claudia smiled. Of course, she had found her knickers, and the note which had gone with them. Left in the middle of her desk, they weren't exactly going to be missed, were they?

"Thank you, Sophie. Very kind of you, and I hope they didn't cause you any difficulty," Claudia replied.

This time it was Sophie who smiled.

"Quite the opposite," came a now excited reply. "I reckon you did us a favour. You should have seen him... like an animal, he was... so hard... so long... so tight in my--"

"Third floor... doors opening," came an announcement.

True to the spoken words, the lift stopped, and the doors opened. A suited gentleman entered.

"Not now, Sophie!" Claudia whispered, imagining having the full story replayed right here in the lift, every sordid detail... and from what Claudia had listened in to from the foot of those stairs, there were plenty of sordid details.

Sophie took the hint, and the two women stood there, silent, all the way to the underground parking. It was only when they were alone once more that Sophie picked up where she had left off, talking as they walked.

"I'm sorry," Sophie responded, realising that she had let her emotions run away with her a little too obviously. "I just wanted you to know how good it was... Friday night... Saturday... and Sunday too."

"And the knickers?" Claudia asked.

"Don't worry... I found them, not Mukesh. He doesn't know about us... well, not yet," Sophie answered.

"And that's how it should be," Claudia replied, the flash of orange lights indicating that they had reached her car. "What we did was--"

"--exciting... thrilling... exhilarating... liberating..." Sophie tried to suggest the endings to what her boss was explaining.

"--wrong!" Claudia clarified, turning to face her protégé. "We were drunk. It shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have taken advantage of--"

"But you didn't," Sophie cut in. "Well... you did... but only because I wanted you to. Don't you see it? I'm happy... Mukesh is happy... and it's all because of you."

"Sophie!" Claudia responded.

Claudia took hold of the young intern's hand in hers, and instantly felt the same attraction that enveloped them that Friday night. Much as she didn't want to, she needed to convince Sophie that what had happened was a one off... drunken frivolities never to be repeated. Somewhere deep inside though, Claudia wasn't convinced that it was what she wanted, but she knew it was for the best.

"It shouldn't have happened," Claudia continued. "And... it can't happen again."

"Is that what you want?" Sophie replied, a touch of disappointment on her voice. "I know it's not what I want."

"It's not about what I want, or you want, or we want. You're married... I have my own lover... and what's more, as a boss, you're meant to be in my trust."

"Oh, but I do trust you, Claudia. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't trust you," Sophie replied.

Sophie leaned forward and placed her lips against Claudia's. It was a fleeting caress but long enough to signal intent.

"Not now," Claudia responded, glancing around to make sure they weren't being watched. "Not here... not now..."

"Then where?" Sophie persisted. "I mean it... I don't want it to be a one off. You took me somewhere I could only dream of... and I want you to take me there again. You promised..."

"Promised?" Claudia asked.

"Okay... well... not exactly promised... but I can't get the thought of that strap-on out of my mind... and I don't even know what one is," Sophie responded.

"And?" Claudia asked.

Sophie smiled... a mischievous cheeky grin spreading across her face.

"Well... we could call it training, couldn't we?" Sophie replied. "You promised me plenty of training on the job."

For a moment, the two women just stood there, staring at one another, each waiting for the other to make the next move. Sophie had that look on her face again, the same one she had worn back at her house, back when her boss had seduced her, tied her up, and threatened to make good use of her ass.

Claudia on the other hand, being the utmost professional, was thinking of nothing other than training. For sure she had offered young Sophie plenty of training. How could she forget? But that was the issue. The training Claudia had promised was meant to be around project planning, or maybe risk management, but most definitely not the sort of training her young protégé was hinting towards. It wasn't that she didn't want to offer that type of training--Claudia had the cabin in the woods perfectly set up to cover all bases. The problem was that Claudia already had a most attentive student, and who was to say that Sophie would enjoy those types of lessons anyway.

Then again, there had been something electric about that Friday evening, that time together, that opportunity which never came to fruition. Oh yes, the lesson never came to an end, but young Sophie most definitely did, and here she was asking for more. For once in her life, Claudia was confused about her next steps. It had never happened before. She was always so confident, knowing what she wanted, and making sure to get it. Don't get it wrong, Claudia knew what she wanted this time too, but what she wanted crossed too many boundaries. The questions tumbled over and over in her mind.

Would Sophie know what she was letting herself in for?

Would the real Claudia spoil their near perfect working relationship?

Could she live with herself if Mukesh found out?

What would Kirsten think about sharing her mistress?

What if she didn't?

"I don't know, Sophie," Claudia responded. "I don't want to upset you, but I really don't think it's a good idea."

"Let me be the judge of what's good and what's not," Sophie retorted, suddenly taking a more commanding tone.

"Think about it, Sophie," Claudia replied. "You're young... I'm not... you have Mukesh... I have Kirsten... you have your life... I have mine... and maybe... maybe..."

"Maybe what?" Sophie asked.

"Maybe I'm not the person you think I am," Claudia answered.

The conversation drew to a halt as that artificially female voice announced that the lift doors were opening once more, and a single male figure walked out across the car park.

"Goodnight, ladies," he called out as he walked past the couple.

"Night, George," Claudia replied.

They waited until he had climbed into his car and set off on his way back home. If nothing else, the break in conversation gave just a little thinking time, and a chance to let the emotions fade away. In the end, it was Sophie who picked up the conversation.

"Can I tell you something?" Sophie asked. "About Mukesh, and me? About who I am?"

Claudia nodded.

"Well, you know he didn't want me to get this job. We have it all... money... possessions... happiness... well, that's it... Mukesh thought I should be a stay-at-home wife... living off his means... happy to just be his... and... I... I was... but I wanted something more."

A tear came to Sophie's eye as she continued.

"I wanted this... this job... this opportunity... and I haven't regretted any minute of it. It gave me a life. It gave me a meaning of my own. It gave me the chance to decide for myself... what I wanted... what I chose to do. Now I am here, I could never go back. I don't know how I could show you, Claudia, but you've got to believe me."

"I do, Sophie," Claudia replied, taking hold of Sophie's hand once more. "It's just... well... I really don't want to see you get hurt."

"Hurt? What do you mean, hurt? I haven't exactly asked you to spank my pretty little ass, have I?" Sophie replied, taking her boss by surprise.

"I meant you... Mukesh... Kirsten..." Claudia tried to explain.

"And I meant the same," came an unexpected reply. "You showed me a new me... a side I'd never thought of... a side which excited... thrilled... satisfied... and now, like the job, I cannot go back... and Mukesh wouldn't want me to. I need to learn about myself, and I am trusting in you to teach me."

"And... if I did spank that cute little ass of yours?" Claudia replied. "If I tied you up and paddled your sweet tender flesh until it matched that rosy-red shade of lipstick you are wearing?"

It was a risk. Claudia was intentionally being suggestive. She was intentionally taking the conversation to a more dominant level, hoping for once that Sophie would see sense in what she was asking for. The hesitation in Sophie's response suggested the tactic had been fruitful. Imagine the surprise when Sophie finally replied.

"I don't know," Sophie said. "But I'd like to find out... and, either way... I would be thankful for the opportunity to learn."

Claudia didn't know what to do or say. Other than turning around and simply saying no, every attempt she made to dissuade the young woman just seemed to make Sophie even more determined. Claudia knew it was wrong, but now even she wondered quite how far Sophie would go.

For a moment, Claudia closed her eyes, and in that instant, she thought back to that first time with Kirsten... no, not the one when they completed the paperwork on the purchase of the cabin, but more the one at the housewarming party where her blonde lover had been blindfolded, cuffed to a metal frame, made to cum... and given a decision to make.

It all became clear.

Back then, Claudia had put the option on the table, but it had been Kirsten who had made the decision to take it. That's what was needed now. Claudia needed to put a similar option on the table and let Sophie decide whether she wanted it or not. The only question was... how? How was she going to let the young thing know just what she was letting herself in for if she said yes?

Then, the penny dropped... Kirsten. Who better to explain, than her beloved little sub?

"If you are serious, Sophie, then I have--"

"I am... I am..." Sophie interrupted. "Just say when."

"I have a suggestion," Claudia finished.

"I'm listening," Sophie responded, a smile on her face at the thought of what was going to be coming next.

"I'd like you to meet Kirsten," Claudia added. "I'd like you to meet my lover... I'd like Kirsten to meet you... I'd like Kirsten to explain just what I'm like."

"But..." Sophie responded, confused. "I work with you. I know what you're like."

"Oh, my girl... you've got so much to learn," Claudia replied, squeezing firmly on Sophie's hand. "Never judge a book by the cover is what they say. How about Saturday afternoon? We'll grab a few drinks... you can meet Kirsten... and ask anything you want. Now, if you don't mind, I need to get going."

What happened next took Claudia equally by surprise. The response came by way of a kiss rather than by spoken word, a kiss broken off only by the sound again of the arriving lift.

"Thank you, Claudia," Sophie whispered, before pulling away once more.

"Let me make the arrangements, and I'll let you know," Claudia responded, finally opening her car door, and climbing in. "Goodnight, Sophie."

"Goodnight, Claudia... and thank you once more. I won't regret it... I know I won't."

'Regret it?' Claudia thought to herself as she pulled out of the car park. 'You don't even know what it is yet, my girl... but if you're intent on finding out, then I won't be the one to step in your way. You make your bed, you're gonna be the one lying in it.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A couple of hours later, Claudia arrived back at her city pad. In traffic, she had plenty of time to think about the upcoming weekend, to remake her plans, to decide just what treats were on offer for her little sex kitten. What was originally planned wouldn't do. It was going to be too close to home, and just a little messy. Something else was needed, something more appropriate for the apartment, something suitable for drinks with Sophie. The penny dropped... that was it... if Sophie could do it, why couldn't Kirsten? She would need to collect a few bits, but for sure she could take her lover just like she had nearly taken Sophie.

Claudia made the calls. The first had arranged a place for drinks. The second had informed Sophie of the same. Moments later, Claudia was on the phone for a third time.

"You know what they say, Kirsten... the best made plans..." Claudia spoke into one end of a mobile phone conversation.

"Keep changing?" Kirsten replied.

"Yep... that's about the score..." Claudia clarified.

"So... no more cabin?" Kirsten asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Oh no... my darling little Kirsten... that's not what I'm saying at all. There's always time for the cabin... it's just..." Claudia started to answer.

"Just what?" Kirsten asked.

"Just... well, there's something I need you to do for me first... or more to the point, someone I need you to meet... a colleague of mine..." Claudia answered.

"I see," Kirsten responded. "That doesn't sound very exciting."

The last comment was like a red rag to a bull. Not only was her little sub starting to question her mistress, but now she was showing disapproval with what was being asked of her. Not exciting? If Kirsten really wanted exciting, then Claudia would make sure to give her exciting, whatever the cost... but first, there was a little misdemeanour to sort out.

"What was that?" Claudia asked.

Kirsten wasn't thinking, and immediately took the bait.

"I said it didn't sound very exciting," Kirsten replied.

"Is that so? Does my little sub think she gets to decide what's exciting and what's not?" Claudia questioned.

"Well... yes... I was just saying... compared to the cabin... it didn't sound..." Kirsten started to clarify, her voice trailing off as it dawned on her just what she was doing.

For a moment there was silence, before Kirsten continued.

"I'm sorry... of course... I'd be happy to..." Kirsten added.

"Excuse me? Aren't you missing something?" Claudia asked.

"I said... I'd be happy to meet your colleague," Kirsten repeated.

"I see," Claudia replied, her voice taking on a more dominant tone. "Looks like my sub needs reminding of her position. Is that the case? Do I need to remind you, Kirsten? Does Mistress Claudia need to keep her sub in check?"

"I'm sorry... I wasn't thinking..." Kirsten tried to explain.

"And?" Claudia asked.

"Please... please can I ask for forgiveness?" Kirsten replied with a question of her own.

"Still haven't remembered, have you?" Claudia replied. "Maybe I should punish this little faux pas."

"No... no... I'll be a good girl... I... promise..." Kirsten started.

She paused, before continuing.

"I promise... Mistress... I promise to be a good girl," Kirsten added.

"I know you will," Claudia replied, "but don't think your mistress hasn't noticed how close you got to being disobedient. One day, just when you least expect it, I'll make sure to remind you of how to behave."

"Thank you, Mistress," Kirsten responded, as if emphasising the intention to be good.

"That's better. Now, if you're ready to listen, here's the deal. We're going to stay in town this weekend. I'll pick you up from yours around three on Saturday and drive over to my place. We can walk from there, have a few drinks, and then go back to mine for the night. Sunday, I'll drive you over to yours. Is that exciting enough for my little sub?"