When I was cleaning up my room, the door burst open, and Beth stepped in and slammed the door behind her. She looked furious, sending me into immediate panic. I dropped to my knees quickly and pleaded, knowing why she was angry.
A few moments later, I felt a painful knock on the side of my head. As I looked up, I saw Nicola above me.
She whispered, "I guess you do mean what is on that ring then, Slave?"
Barely able to form words through my tears and sobbing, I said, "With all my heart."
Nicola then grabbed my hair and yanked me back onto my knees. Pulling me to face the three students and the waitress.
"You see this pathetic excuse for a man, this miserable wretch, this desperate foot-worshipping cunt?" Nicola snarled.
All eyes were on Nicola. Hanging on her every word. Time stood still.
"Well, I love him more than words could ever express. I am as much his as he is mine, and no fucker will ever come between that, ever!" Nicola said with pure venom and undoubted affection.
She then started to make for the door before pausing in front of the waitress. "If you want to beg for my attention, you may contact me. In the meantime, accept that I will haunt your every waking thought."
She then turned to the students, "And you bitches. Should you want to experience something of the pleasure she experienced today, you may text the number written on this paper. Depending on my fancy at the time, I may or may not grant you some of my attention."
Nicola then threw a piece of paper over her shoulder, motioned for me to follow with her finger, and walked out. As I ran after her, collecting the bags, the three students scrambled and fought to pick up the paper while the waitress sunk into a fit of devastation recently occupied by me.
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I was a wreck for the next hour, physically and emotionally drained by the prior thoughts of losing Nicola forever. Nicola didn't speak to me. She understood I needed time and wanted to give me the space to recover and pull myself together.
We had left the boutique shopping area and were now nearing the park. The sun was shining, and the birds were singing, which started to lift my spirits just a little, though I couldn't put my uncertainties to bed. Nicola was such an incredible force of sexual energy, beauty and dominance. I was unsure whether I could meet her expectations or provide for her in a way that would stop her from running off with someone else. The previous experience had hollowed me out despite all she said at the end.
Nicola took my hand while I still held the shopping bags and led me into the park. We sat on an open grass area together before she gently pulled me to lie on my side facing her. She brought her hand up to my face and gently brushed my cheek.
"I know you think I am a complete bitch for doing that to you, Chris," Nicola said before going on. "The nasty Nicola within me still wanted you to feel like I did on Friday in front of Beth, and I couldn't hold it back."
"I need you to know that when you were with Beth, not only did you break the heart of the woman who loves you, but you also shattered the power illusion that as a slave, you were ultimately mine and mine alone."
"With you, Chris, I have learned more about myself than with any friend, family member, or lover before. I realised there is a side of me full of darkness, which frightens me as I don't yet know how to control it."
"The important point is that the darkness is still me, and whoever loves me has to embrace that if they are to love me completely and for who I am. With you, Chris, I feel safe to set that side of me free, knowing you will endure it because you love me wholly. I don't think anyone else could love me like you do."
I listened intently, pretty overwrought with the depth of feeling and content in Nicola's words. There was so much in them that sounded like Beth, but with her, I have never felt any love. Nicola was right. I was prepared to endure for her and embrace the darkness, but only because of her deep love for me. With the others, I couldn't see a future that would be anything other than my demise. Regarding Nicola, I knew her love would always protect me from her darkness.
"I understand what you are saying, and you are right that I would endure for you probably more than any other. In fact, definitely. But I am so desperately in love with you that your darkness surrounds me like a destructive force ready to break me apart. I am unsure I can be everything you need me to be."
"Looking at how you dominated and overwhelmed those women in the bakery today, I felt I was in the presence of a real Goddess. Someone I was not worthy to be with. When you cast me aside, it magnified my insecurities and perpetuated my belief that I could never be enough for you."
"Well, you are in the presence of a true Goddess." We exchanged smiles.
Nicola continued. "I know there is more to learn and that sometimes I may be incredibly cruel to you, but I need you to know something. The love surrounding the darkness is an unbreakable force, and no matter how difficult things get for us, I will never desert and stop loving you. Your love for me is the glue that bonds these two sides and makes me whole. Without you, I would be forever broken."
"I really needed to hear that," I said, gently kissing her face.
-----
After the park, we started to head home, holding hands. I managed to carry the shopping in the other, though it felt heavy by the time we got back to Nicola's place.
We sat on the sofa and listened to some more Jazz. This time, it was Marc Moulin's Placebo 1973 album. Another impressive piece. Nicola really had great taste in music. She started to espouse the virtues of vinyl over downloads and CDs, which I totally went along with. There was no comparison either acoustically or aesthetically.
Nicola had her feet up on my lap, and I was rubbing her toes as we started to make a plan for the week ahead.
"I think I should just resign on Monday whether I get an offer or not, Nicola. I have really just got to get out of that place. Beth has it in for me now, and there is no telling how she will exact her revenge, but it won't be good. The only problem is that I won't leave without you. I refuse to leave you in that place alone in case they ever find out about us."
"Perhaps we should both resign then, Chris? But how will we pay for our homes until we get new jobs?" Nicola looked concerned.
"If I get one of these jobs I applied for, I can take on both places until you fall on your feet. Or, of course, you could sell up and move in with me?" I suggested.
"Is that an invitation?" Nicola said, bolting upright.
"Of course, I would love you to move in with me."
Nicola jumped onto my lap and gave me one of her huge hugs. "I would love to, Chris, but I might be a bit demanding occasionally." She then winked at me saucily.