Its late August and rain is starting to flush through weeks of intense heat in Paris.
He has asked me to meet him at a wine tasting in the 8th Arrondissement and the mix of formality in this humidity is stifling.
An acquaintance from a networking dinner, this man is still a stranger to me and I have yet to take in the detail of his face. I have a few hours now to observe him as he tastes wine with a composure and unhurriedness I had hoped for. I wonder if he is watching me too, but he seems singular in his focus on the guest speaker.
'Take off your jacket.' He asks.
'I cant, I'm not wearing something suitable.' I reply. Immediately I realise the mistake and it flushes across my face.
'Are you pushing back already?'
'sorry.' I'm embarrassed and its not an emotion I am accustomed to with any recency.
'Go to the bathroom and take off your underwear instead.' This time I know better.
I return and slide into the seat next to him. He seems incurious about my new state of undress and I have to check myself from speaking inanely to try and solicit his attention. I find myself quipping about the lady sat across from us who resembles a horse when she chuckles. His lips curl slightly and he takes another sip.
'Its time to go now.'
He pulls out my chair and as I stand with my back to him I realise that I am aware of my body and the shape of me in a way that has never concerned me before. I am unseated in this new dynamic and my ego is fighting it.
He guides me towards the hotel bar and this time we are sat across from one another. There is a kindness to his face that I hadn't taken in until now and I let myself imagine kissing him before he leans across and interrupts my thoughts.
'Here is the room key, 15 minutes should be enough time to wash yourself and get ready. When I enter the room you should be in a state of undress and have your back turned, facing away from the door. Did you eat when I asked you to earlier on?'
'Not really, im sorry.'
'Take these olives and go now please.'
I walk toward the lift, overly focused on every step and when the sliding doors shut I am find myself suddenly intensely overwhelmed by the impending unknown. My heart is pounding and I have no choice but to spend a precious few minutes focusing on my breathing to get through it.
The room is dimly lit and oversized. Laid out on a low table is a carefully curated selection of sex toys from which I feel immediately compelled to look away. The precision of each instrument is intimidating and I feel uncharacteristically naΓ―ve in this environment.
I take a shower and try to absorb myself in the familiarity of feeling, taking care to pat my skin dry I step into my studded knickers. I unfurl the suspender belt to cage my waist and loop the stocking clips under, so they sit snugly against my thighs. I pause to take a look in the mirror as I fasten my bra. I need to steady myself and let out a long breath before strapping my ankles into the unforgiving leather heels.
I choose a place to stand at the end of the bed, tug at my hairband and try to find comfort in the stillness.
The door clicks almost immediately and I find myself willing him to speak, but for the soft whirring of the air conditioning he holds the silence.
My mind is racing through the ways in which I could make efforts to try and seduce him but instead I resolve to stay still and wait for his inspection.
I feel the air shift behind me and my skin is prickling with his proximity now but when his fingers reach me it is to knot my hair and pull a blindfold across my eyes.
He leans closer in to me and holds my shoulders gently.
'I wont gag you this time. During this session I want you to communicate with me. When you address me you will call me by my first name or Sir at all times, is that clear?'
'Yes Sir.'
'Step forward, place your hands flat on this table and spread your legs at a shoulders width apart for me.'
He exhales and I imagine his view.
'I am going to reposition you. Arch your back and spread your legs further apart.' He guides the small of my back down gently until the curve of my ass meets his wrist.
He steps away from me and I brace myself in anticipation as he returns. I feel his hands glide down my thighs and a wave of shame ripples through me as he removes what little I had left to hide behind.
The sound of Velcro crackling peaks my attention, I move to shift my stance inwards slightly but a tug on my ankles informs me that a bar is now holding me open.
A hand on the small of my back again and my back arches obediently.
Thwack! His open hand strikes me hard across my exposed ass. I wasn't ready.
'Tell me what the pain of that felt like on a scale of one to ten?'
'a five Sir.'