When the phone rang that morning I had one of those rare psychic feelings telling me that the call was important. It was.
"Nick? This is Eric. I need your help. Can you come over today?"
I could and did. When I got to their house Eric was sitting on the front porch with their dog, Flash, the slowest dog I'd ever seen. Sarah wasn't home. I sat in the chair near Eric's and scratched Flash.
"So, what's up?" I asked.
"I want to give you a gift. I'll explain everything to you but I want you to have this gift."
"It's not my birthday. Why do you want to give me a gift?"
"Before I can tell you anything, I need your solemn promise. What I'm going to tell you cannot ever go farther than between us. You have to swear you won't ever tell Sarah or anyone else. Swear?"
"OK. I swear."
"Nick, I'm dying. I've had health problems all my life and now I have one that is killing me. I have given it lots of thought and here is what I've decided. I am divorcing Sarah and moving down to Mexico. I will get the pain killers that I'm going to want down there. I don't want Sarah involved. I know she loves me and she would stand by me and watch as the cancer kills me. I know doing that would just about kill her as well. I won't do that to us."
"Are you sure about this? Sarah will stand by you. She loves you. I love you. You two are family to me. I love you both. You don't want to do this alone. Hell, stay here Sarah and I will hang with you. Isn't that what friends and wives are for?"
"Maybe. When my Dad was dying he told me that the hardest part was watching the brave face on my Mom. Every time she looked at him he knew it was killing her too. I don't want that. So, here's the plan. I've arranged for a lawyer to handle the divorce. Sarah gets you. Everything I own except my car has already been transferred into your name. The house is yours. Sarah can't contest the divorce because I will be gone and you are the only one who will know where I went. You won't know exactly where, just that I went to Mexico."
He handed me an envelope that had been sitting on the porch by his chair.
"Read it when you get home. Sarah will either call you late tonight or early tomorrow morning. By then I will be gone."
He meant it. He was leaving. I knew Eric well enough to know that he had thought it through and that nothing I might say would change the outcome. I hugged and thanked him and left.
I drove home but I don't remember doing it. When I got home I sat on the couch and opened the envelope. There was a letter and a cashier's check for $125,000. I read the letter.
Nick, I know you're still in shock about me leaving. Hang in there. Your life is about to change.
You've known Sarah and me for six years. You've danced with her, slept in our home, been on vacations with us and unless I'm wrong you've even seen us having sex at least once. There are things about our relationship that you haven't known. Now, you need to know these things.
Sarah is more than my wife. She is my slave. She turned her life over to me completely eight years ago. Every item of her clothing was only bought with my approval. Every activity in her life is there because I said Yes to it. She goes to the gym three times a week because that is what I think is best. On my side this is and has been a huge responsibility. I am responsible for her happiness, her physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well being. And, that just ended.
Sarah is coming to you. When she gets home she will find a letter from me. In it I tell her that I have left, and that her new Master and husband is you. I instruct her to tell you everything about our relationship and to accept any and all changes that you may decide upon. You know that I have had a key to your home for five years. I felt honored that you trusted me with a key to your home. Sarah will find that key in the envelope with my letter.
This is the gift I said I was giving you. The $125,000 is to help you with whatever immediate expenses you may have because of this change in your life. In the closet of the spare bedroom of your other home (that was mine) you will find all the papers that give you the house, Sarah's car, the stocks, bonds, bank accounts and my cabin near Big Bear Lake. I expect that you will either sell or rent out your other house. In either case please have Sarah show you where all our toys were kept. It would be a good idea to remove them from the house.
Eric
I read the letter three times before I realized that it was getting dark. I put the letter in my wall safe and started straightening up. Every so often I glanced at the clock. I had no idea when Sarah would show up or call. I did the dishes, vacuumed and even changed the sheets on the bed.
When the clock said it was a few minutes after seven the phone rang.
"Hi, this is Nick."
"Master, this is Sarah."
I heard it in her voice. She had read the letter, had internalized the shift in ownership and really would do whatever I asked. I had to think. What did I want her to do?
"Sarah, I want you to pack some clothes. Enough for a couple of days, and whatever toiletries you will need as well. Then come here. Have you eaten dinner?"
"No, Master."
"Are you hungry?"
"Yes, Master."
"Then you should eat before you come here. Can you do that?"
"Yes, Master."
"Did Eric take Flash?"
"Yes, Master."
"Lock up the house and come here."
"Yes Master."
We hung up. An hour later there was a knock on the door. I opened it and Sarah stood just outside with a suitcase and a garment bag. When I first met Sarah some eight or so years before I was captivated by her petite form. She always kept her hair quite short and always seemed to be showing just a hint of lace covering her breasts. Now she was standing at my doorway already dealing mentally with the fact that as of now I was her husband. She was wearing a short skirt and green silk blouse. The lace of her bra was barely visible. I took the bags from her and took them into my bedroom.
I put them on the bed and faced Sarah. Her face showed signs of crying.
"Sarah, this is as much a surprise to me as it is to you. I know we are both feeling a loss right now. Eric is gone. It is important right now to focus on what we can count on. You can count on that I care for you and will protect and love you as best I can."
"Thank you, Master."
"Sarah, there is something I want to change. I don't want to be called Master unless I tell you to use that term. I want you to call me either Nick or Honey. What I will hear when you use either word is Master. Understand?"
"Yes, Nick." A smile was barely present as she spoke.
We got her things put away and went into the living room. We sat on the couch and talked about what being master and slave had meant when it was Sarah and Eric. Eventually the subject of sex arrived.
"Sarah, did you fuck Eric because he told you to?"