A Perfect Life

Part 3. Scott

Their honeymoon was a magical time that they would always cherish. Meryn and Jeremy spent two weeks at a private beachfront villa in St. Marten which had been arranged by Scott through one of his business associates. While they certainly had enjoyed the sun, surf and sights together, they had spent the better part of their time with Jeremy's face planted between her thighs, or with Meryn's legs wrapped around his groin. There was even some time with her lips and tongue encircling and enveloping her prick.

But the real world, and their life within it, awaited them on their return home. Their home. Meryn was immersed at work in preparing the second phase of her investment project, after the spectacular success of the first. There was speculation and rumors floating around the company that if the second phase went as well as the first, she would be in line for a Vice Presidency, becoming the youngest ever in the history of the company. She tried her best to put these rumors out of her mind. There was still far too much time, hard work, effort and results to be attained before she could be thinking of anything like that.

For his part, Jeremy was having success in his career as well. He had been appointed Vice Chairman of the English Department in his school district for the coming year, and as the current chairman was planning to retire in another year, he certainly appeared to be the heir apparent for that position.

Their lives were thus kept very busy by their work responsibilities. He continued to be primarily responsible for all the domestic duties, but she helped out as much as she could, with nary a peep of protest any more from him. They settled into a comfortable but hectic routine. Her weekly hour-long total body massages, usually reserved for Friday nights, became more frequent as he sensed her heightened tension from the increasing stresses of her job. They thoroughly enjoyed the time they were able to make and spend with each other, but after several months Meryn realized that their social life had become almost non existent. They were able to go out for an occasional dinner and movie, but they hadn't been able to do very much with friends.

In reality, as a couple, they didn't really have any close friends. Meryn talked to Natasha frequently on the phone, and they got together several times a month for lunch. Now that he felt free to tell her, she knew that Jeremy and Scott also did things together. She thought it strange that she and Natasha, and Jeremy and Scott should be each other's closest friend, but the four of them had nothing to do with each other as couples. Maybe not so strange, she admitted to herself. She had been primarily responsible for that. But things had changed, hadn't they? She and Jeremy were married now, and secure in their, albeit, unusual relationship. She shouldn't feel threatened any more by how Natasha and Scott might interact between themselves in private.

Unfortunately, she had to acknowledge, she still barely knew Scott. He rarely visited their home, and when he did, it was usually when she was at work, as Jeremy always got home before her to begin to prepare dinner and start his chores. One time she had left work early and found him there with Jeremy. He had quickly said "Hello Miss Meryn", eyes cast down, and then hurriedly said that he had to get home to his Mistress, and left. She had come to the conclusion that Scott didn't like her. She broached this to Jeremy one night during her evening foot massage.

"I don't think that's true at all." He told her.

"Then what is it?" She queried. "He never talks to me. He hardly ever looks at me. He didn't even dance with me at our wedding. As your Best Man."

Jeremy was silent for a few moments.

"I think he's afraid of you."

She shuddered. "Because of ... that night?"

He chuckled. "No, no. Not at all. Although I'm sure he doesn't have the fondest memory of it. He certainly would never hold that against you. He knows that that's part of the life he's accepted. And even desires."

Meryn couldn't quite bring herself to believe that, but forged ahead.

"So what is he afraid of then. I saw him at the wedding with other people. He was friendly, engaging. You say he has a great sense of humor. How come I never experience any of that with him?"

Jeremy paused again before answering. Considering. He finally offered.

"In the outside world, Scott is a tremendously successful businessman and entrepreneur, and he can interact with most people on that level. But in what he considers his real life, he's a slave. And you're a Mistress. Not his Mistress, but a Mistress nonetheless. And he doesn't know how to approach you. How you would respond. If you would think him presumptuous, or even worse, for even daring to take up a moment of your time."

"Oh Jeremy, that's just silly."

He stopped his kneading of her feet.

"No." He said quietly. "It's not. Not for us."

She couldn't help but notice the reference to 'us'. Kindred spirits indeed.

"So what can I do then?"

He began massaging her feet again.

"I don't know. Natasha and he are much deeper psychologically into this lifestyle than we are, so he has a lot farther to come than I did."

"And you still have a long way to go." She said lightly.

"I know." He acknowledged.

So, apparently, did she. Meryn sat silently for several minutes, thinking and contemplating while Jeremy continued with his care of her feet. Finally...

"Jeremy. I want you to do something for me."

"Your wish is always my command."

In their case this was quite literally true.

"I've been having trouble fully integrating my home computer program with the new system at work, and my IT people there haven't been able to work out the kinks." In reality this wasn't true. They had told her that they could fix it but they would have to come over to work on her home computer, and she hadn't had them do so yet. "Since it's his area of expertise, I'd like you to ask Scott to come over on Saturday to see if he could help me with it."

"I'll ask him." Jeremy said warily.

"And when he's here, I'm going to send you on an errand out of the house. I want to have a talk with Scott. Alone."

Jeremy nodded slowly.

"I think that would be best. And good." Then he added. "You know he's going to have to ask Natasha for permission."

'"I don't think that's going to be a problem." She answered.

And it wasn't. She called Natasha the next day, explaining the computer problem, and requesting Scott's services. After expounding at length about what dolts the IT people were at their company, Natasha assured her that Scott would be there promptly at whatever time she wanted him on

Saturday, and that he would fix her problem if he knew what was good for him.

On Saturday, Scott arrived at the apartment precisely at 11:00 AM as requested. Jeremy met him at the door, and they went together into the computer room so that Scott could begin his work. After about fifteen minutes Meryn called to Jeremy from the living room that she wanted him to go out to the store for her. He promptly left, and Scott, remained behind, working.

Several minutes later Meryn entered the computer room. She observed him silently from behind, his back straight, appearing confident and comfortable, his fingers dancing over the keyboard as he watched the monitor, with windows popping up and out at his direction at a dizzying pace. This was a different person than the one to whom she had been exposed. This was the person she wanted to get to know, and this was the real reason she had him brought here. It was time to get on with it.

"Hello Scott." She began.

He jerked, and rapidly swivelled in his chair to face her, appearing flustered as if he didn't know whether to stand up, kneel down, or stay where he was. She tried to make it easy by indicating he should stay put, as she pulled over a chair and sat down a few feet away from him. He settled for directing his eyes to the floor.

"Good morning Miss Meryn." He answered in a low voice.

"I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate your help with my computer problem."

"It's my honor and duty, Miss Meryn." He replied, eyes still cast down.

"Yes, well, I still greatly appreciate it." She paused. "But I want to be totally honest with you Scott. I didn't really need your help with the computer. I had another reason I wanted you to come over today."

He now raised his eyes slowly to look at her, tentatively.

"I started to suspect that."

"Why so?"

A ghost of a smile creased the corners of his lips.

"I could see that even a 'dolt' of an IT person could have handled this easily. I should be finished in a couple of minutes, so I don't understand why you had to go out of your way to have me do it."

"Okay then. Let me tell you the real reason I wanted to have you over today. I wanted to have a chance to talk to you."

He didn't respond for several moments. Then...

"Why Miss Meryn?"

"Because you're Jeremy's closest friend, and I don't know you at all. And I'd like to. But you seem to try to avoid me at every opportunity." She had to know for sure. "Is it because of that one ... ah ... encounter we had last year?"

"No Miss Meryn. Please believe me. Not at all." He now offered a slightly larger smile. "Although I must admit you wield a mean paddle."

She grimaced, and he lost his smile quickly. He looked at her uncertain, as if he was struggling to make a decision. She sat expectantly. Finally he took a deep breath and continued.

"I learned later on from Jeremy that that is not part of your makeup, and how much you dislike that type of thing." He began slowly. "I think it may have been unfair of my Mistress to have put you in that position. Now I'm far more concerned that you were upset and guilty about it, and I beg you not to be. It IS a part of my makeup." He shrugged. "I may not enjoy certain aspects of it very much. But it is who I am, and what I've accepted."

She nodded. "I can't pretend that I understand that part of you Scott." She admitted. "I still have difficulty understanding many things about Jeremy. But I know from him that there is far, far more to you than that. And I'd like to get to know THAT person a lot better. And maybe even become friends. As my husband has the privilege of being."

He looked baffled, and even a little embarrassed.

"I don't know if that's possible Miss Meryn."

"Why not? Look, everything begins with a first step. Let's start with something simple. I'd like you to stop calling me Miss. Just call me ..."

She paused and considered for a moment, then decided. "... Meryn."

"I don't think my Mistress would approve."

"Now I know you were here last year when Natasha declared that in my house I make the rules. So I say again. Please, just call me Meryn. You know," she went on, " other than my mother, Jeremy is the only person I like calling me that. But I really think I would like you to do so as well."

Scott was looking at her as if he really didn't know what to say.

"And if there are times," she continued, "when you feel ... circumstances make it necessary for you to be more ... formal ... then just call me Miss Meri. What do you say?"

He answered with a tentative smile. "That you make the rules here ... Meryn."

"Good. That's settled. Now how do we get Natasha to buy into all this, so that the four of us can be friends together outside of our private lives?"

Scott lost his smile again in a hurry. "That, I'm afraid ,isn't going to happen."

"Again I ask, why not? I know Natasha well. She's a fun loving person and my dearest friend. Why wouldn't she want the type of relationship with all of us where we could all just be friends. At least some of the time. And maybe she can get to know a little better, herself, the person I'm talking to now."

"Because she's never shown the slightest interest in getting to know that person," he responded rapidly, "or in having anything more than the relationship that we have."

"Wouldn't you like it?"

"That has no importance at all."

"You can't really mean that Scott."

"But I do." He answered firmly. "With my Mistress I had only one choice to make, and once I made it, no more were allowed. It's do what's demanded, and receive only what's given. And I accept that totally, to be able to keep what I have." He stopped for a moment. "Oh, I guess in a physical way I could still choose differently. But mentally there is no longer any other choice for me."

"But wouldn't you like more?"

Scott looked down at the floor, and then back up at her, a wistful expression on his face.

"What you and Jeremy have is so very special," he said softly. "To have something even distantly approaching it requires two people who want it. I don't believe there is any reason to believe that that will ever happen with us."

Meryn suddenly understood so much more. She wondered whether Natasha had any idea. She wanted to say so much more, but didn't know how. Instead ...

"Scott," she began "I would like to ask your permission to talk to Natasha about some of the issues we've discussed today. I promise you that I will hold everything that WE'VE talked about in the strictest confidence."

He smiled, but his eyes held a sadness.

"I can't begin to thank you enough for that consideration, or tell you how much it means to me that you offer it." He bit his lip. "I truly wish I could extend that same courtesy to you."

Now it was Meryn's turn to feel a certain sadness.

"I understand." She assured him, not really sure that she did. "I would still very much like to have your permission though. May I? Please."

His smile widened a little bit, and his eyes seemed a little less sad.

"Yes ... Of course ... Meryn."

Part 4. Natasha

Meryn knew that Natasha was going to be a far more difficult challenge, even though she knew her so much better and considered her a very close friend. There seemed to be two Natashas these days. There was the Natasha she had known for years, whom she still talked to all the time on the phone, and frequently got together with for lunch, laughing and joking, sharing confidences, and generally being very comfortable with. Then there was Natasha, the Domme, who seemed to revel in the power and thrill of totally controlling and manipulating another human being. Owning him in all but the legal sense. This Natasha had introduced her to Jeremy, and had at least begun to show her how to meet the needs that Jeremy had. The fact that Natasha had done this, not out of any consideration or thought for Jeremy, but because she felt that Meryn would also come to relish the lifestyle, was almost beside the point. Meryn and Jeremy had grown into their own unique relationship, and met each others wants and needs in their own way. She would always be grateful to Natasha for being the spark.

But it was this second Natasha that she had been avoiding for well over a year, and whom she feared she was going to have to deal with now. She felt that it had now become even more important to her than just hoping that she and Jeremy could develop a comfortable friendship, outside the context of their private lives, with Natasha and Scott. In the short time she had come to know him better, she could sense that Scott, even if he was unable to consciously acknowledge it, had a desire to be more for Natasha. Whether Natasha, the Domme, had any desire to have more from him was the question that needed to be explored.

Having anticipated that she would want to talk to Natasha soon after her manufactured meeting with Scott, Meryn had arranged to have lunch with her the following Monday. Concerned that sensitive topics might be discussed, and emotions might flare, she had asked for a back corner booth, away from where most of the other customers would be sitting.

"So Meri." Natasha said as she sat down in the booth with a smile that seemed more like a smirk. "I understand that you want to be friends with my slave."

Meryn sighed. She had somewhat expected this. Scott had forewarned her.

"I guess he told you about our little talk."

"Of course he did." She said sternly. "Scott has no rights of privacy or to have secrets from me." Her tone now softened. "But you do, Meri. He was far more circumspect than I liked, which he paid for in Penance that night I can tell you. But after I assured myself that you were just trying to get to know him better, God knows why, out of respect for you I didn't delve any more deeply." She shrugged. "You have a right to your confidences. Even if they ARE with my slave."

"I suppose I should thank you for that." Meryn replied, regretfully aware that her actions had already caused Scott some increased pain.

"No. Not at all Meri." Natasha laughed. "I must admit, however, that I find your idea amusing. I can't imagine how you would find it in any way worthy of your time and effort."

"Why so Tash?" Meryn responded. "You and I are very good friends, and so are Jeremy and Scott. Why is it surprising that I would like to have that friendship shared between all of us, outside of what we do when we're alone with our men?"

"Why would you think that I would want anything like that with my slave. Look Meri, I realize that you're not as heavy into this as I am, and that you allow Jeremy to be something more than your possession. I can accept that, and interact with him as your husband on that level. But I have no interest in having Scott be anything more than he is. One who exists in my world only to cater to my every want and desire. With no thought to his own. Whose sole purpose is to see to my comfort and pleasure. Why would I want anything more?"

"What if he wants more?"

"That has absolutely no relevance." She snorted. "I've told you before that really doesn't matter. He's free to leave any time he wants. That he doesn't tells me everything I need to know. And allows me to amuse myself by constantly trying to push him beyond what he may think are his limits. What more could he possibly have to offer me than that?"

"A lot more than you think," Meryn responded hotly. "From the little I've already gotten to know of him, and what Jeremy has experienced as well. God, Tash." She went on. "This is a man who lives with you, who works himself to the bone for you, and who cares for you very much." This last brought a startled glance from Natasha. "And all you experience of him is a sniveling toady groveling at your feet, when you could have so much more."

"A SLAVE who lives with me. Not a man." She shot back. "And I like him as a sniveling toady. I want him as a sniveling toady. That's all he is, and I'm sure that's all he wants to be." She concluded, but somewhat less convincingly.

Meryn was too upset to say anything more, and they both sat there silently for several minutes, Meryn with her fists gripped tightly, and Natasha with a speculative look on her face. Finally Natasha broke the impasse.

"I guess it does get a little boring at times, having to always be in character, even if the character is someone I want to be. And I really don't get out as much as I deserve. Maybe I should get to know this other Scott you seem to like, a little better. It may give me something new and different to exploit."

Meryn could only roll her eyes.

'Okay Meri. I'll make a deal with you. As you would like, we'll get together as couples, do 'friends' things together, and see what our ... men ... have to offer."

"And the deal?" Meryn asked suspiciously.

"Well, as my slave and I are going to be frolicking together with you and Jeremy in the vanilla world, I think it's only fair that you two join us for some fun and games in my world."

"Oh no Tash. I don't think that's such a good idea at all."

Natasha laughed. "Come on Meri. I'm trusting you when you assure me that my slave is not going to be too corrupted by my loosening the leash a little bit. In return you've got to trust me that nothing bad is going to happen if we have some fun tightening the leash on both of them later. It's not going to be like the last time. That was when you were new to all of this, and I thought I had to teach you some things. Maybe I went a little overboard with you there. But you've found your level now. What you want and are comfortable with, and how you want to live. There's no problem with that. But it'll be good for you to gently stretch your limits in a fun, controlled way. And I think Jeremy will appreciate it too. It won't stretch Scott or me very much, but I think I'll enjoy playing with you two. And I think you'll find it fun as well."