Exploring

One

Two people who were about to start a new life. Two people who destiny was bringing together.

"You are going to WHAT!?"

"I'm going to a munch to seek a Master," said Paige.

"You mean like in that dirty book everyone is talking about?"

"No not like the stupid book silly! A real Master. Someone who knows what he is doing and can help me explore my... possible interests and feelings. Help me learn what makes me tick... and wet."

"I am jealous of you Leslie you know exactly what makes you interested...and turned on. Those dumb, muscle head, gym asses unfortunately. Though there was that amazing time that one night in Mexico with that Italian guy and us. That got us both going!" she said with a giggle and a smile.

"I've been thinking a lot about what I want to do with this part of my life and I know that this may be perfect for me."

* * * * * *

William Jackson was busy with the paperwork he so despised. As he worked, his mind wandered off on his search for a partner. He was 35 and had one failed marriage behind him. He really didn't like living alone but wanted something stable this time. He had been married ten years ago but the marriage had been a mistake. She was straight and that wasn't what he wanted. After five years of struggling to make a go of it, they had mutually agreed to call it quits.

Thanks to the Internet, he had finally discovered that there were actually women out there who were interested in the same things he was. Bill liked to imagine a world where his female staff were all submissive and beautiful and totally at his mercy. Of course he recognized that this wasn't possible in the real world and he showed them proper respect. But in the world of his imagination, it was quite different.

He looked at the clock. Tonight there was a munch at the steakhouse where the group met and who knows? Perhaps he would meet someone there who was unattached and open to a relationship.

Meanwhile, in the same building, Paige Ryan sat at her desk going through the employee files. It had only been a month since her promotion but she had intended to shake things up in her department starting with weeding out what she considered to be the dead weight employees. She'd already let two people go this week and would be interviewing from other departments to fill the spaces. She really couldn't afford to let anyone else go; however, there was no reason to let anyone think that they weren't expendable. They would work harder if they thought the axe was going to be brought down at any time.

Oh she knew what people were saying about her behind her back, that the only reason she'd gotten the promotion was because she'd had to have slept with someone for it. At twenty five, she was the youngest executive the firm had but she'd earned it, and not on her back. The fact that she was attractive only fueled the gossip. She was on the shorter side, though the heels she wore added inches to her mere five feet, and she always tried to keep her pale blond hair tied back so it would look professional. But, no matter how conservative she tried to keep her appearance, she was young and was fast tracked, so the rumors had started.

As she went through the files, she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate. The day was nearing an end and she was both excited and nervous about the dinner she was going to. She hadn't been in a serious relationship in well over two years and the men she tended to date just didn't understand her, or her needs. She was brought out of her reverie when her assistant buzzed her office to remind her of the department heads meeting she had to attend.

* * * * * *

For Bill, the day was moving more slowly than usual because he was impatient to be leaving which was unusual for him. He checked his calendar and saw that he had a damn department heads meeting. They were a colossal waste of time. Still he had to go so he was resigned to it. His group was doing well and he knew they were pleased with him as a boss which was important to him. He really didn't care that much how hard they worked as long as they got good results. If they could do that without killing themselves, that was fine with him. He knew other managers took a different approach but it didn't seem to get them any better results.

It was time and he went to the meeting. As he walked in and sat down, several people said hello and he chatted while they waited for the Senior Vice President to come in and start. As was his bent, Bill looked over all the others at the meeting, particularly the women, both managers and secretaries, as they drifted in and out. One girl, as always, caught his eye. He couldn't remember her name. Paige something, he thought. Now she was spectacular. She was the youngest of any of the managers and younger than many of the secretaries. She seemed to try hard to project an image because of that. She was extremely shapely and although she was very careful to wear conservative outfits, they couldn't hide her figure. She was a little girl but wore very high heels to offset her lack of height. All that did, in his eyes, was make her sexier.

He wondered what she was like when she wasn't trying to show off. She was very officious in the meetings but she was clearly on the fast track and would probably be very successful until she hit the glass ceiling. The top people all liked her a lot and the rumors were that she was probably sleeping with somebody but Bill didn't believe that for a second. It was a delightful fantasy but that wasn't usually how women got ahead.

The meeting started and he had to pay attention. He glanced at the clock from time to time. When it was over, he would head to what he really wanted to be doing.

* * * * * *

One thing that Paige hadn't been expecting during the meeting was having to justify the layoffs she'd implemented when she got her promotion. She especially didn't care for having to do so in a group full of her colleagues, but she thought she handled the situation as well as could be expected. Maybe it had been a rash choice in an effort to exert her authority but she thought it had been necessary. Half of her staff had been with the company since she was still in college and treated her as such. Now she had their attention, and she fully intended to have their respect as well.

The other department heads were alright, though she hadn't really had time to get to know most of them very well. Most of them looked as bored throughout the meeting as she was and, when it was over, she noticed that almost everyone filed out as quickly as they could. Some more than others, she thought, when she saw how fast William had left the meeting.

She'd made a fairly hasty exit herself. The restaurant was a good ten miles from the office and she knew she wouldn't have time to go home and change first. Though she knew she looked good in what she was wearing, she had wanted to change into something a little less corporate and a little more fun. She would have to settle for losing the suit jacket and taking her hair down to accomplish an appearance that was more approachable.

When she pulled up the restaurant, she sat in her car for a good ten minutes trying to work up the nerve to actually walk in. She touched up her makeup and, with a deep breath, got out of the car and walked in. The group had a private room in the back of the restaurant and when she checked in, they gave her a nametag to wear. She felt fairly ridiculous putting it on, but she wanted to try and fit in and, hopefully, meet some nice people or, if things went really well, one especially nice person.

* * * * * *

Bill was also very glad when the staff meeting finally came to an end. He wasn't impressed much with the girl's explanation of why she thought she had to cut her staff but it wasn't his concern. He felt sorry for her staff, though. A thought went through his head as she made her defense that she would probably be a Domme if she wasn't so damn straight. Some girls didn't know their place. If he was running the world, he would have her report for a spanking for behaving like that instead of defending her staff.

As soon as the staff meeting was adjourned, he headed for his car. He wanted to get to the restaurant early. He didn't have anything to do with setting things up. That was Dave Jenkins' job. He and Dave had been friends a long time and he liked seeing Dave. He also frankly and openly envied Dave for his lovely wife, Karen. She was his consensual slave and they had a fantastic relationship. She, of course, also adored her husband and felt that he had saved her from the world. With him, her inner desires could be openly expressed. She said when she got his collar, she felt totally free for the first time in her life.

When he arrived, he pulled into the lot and walked over to the restaurant. He headed straight into the back where the room was that they reserved. Dave and Karen and a few others were there and he said hello and relaxed. They couldn't wear lifestyle clothing because it was still a public venue but there was some talk of a private party. On impulse, Bill offered them the use of his own home. He had plenty of room. Dave said it sounded good and he would raise it with the others.

As the room gradually filled with the members, Bill kept watch, hoping that perhaps there would be someone of the female persuasion who was new and single. Then he felt like he had been struck dumb as the last person he ever expected in the world to see there walked in. She had taken off the severe suit jacket and let her hair down which further emphasized her magnificent figure and made her look much more relaxed. That was when Bill realized that she would recognize him and his first impulse was to get the hell out of there but he didn't have time. Then he thought that was ridiculous and unnecessary since, if she was there too, they were obviously both into the lifestyle. He was surprised though that he had been right. She must be a Domme. No wonder she acted the way she did.

On impulse he stood up and went over to her. "Good evening, Paige. It is certainly a nice surprise to see you here."

Of everything that Paige had expected from the evening ahead of her, running in to someone she knew from work hadn't even made the list. She was mortified and curious at the same time. She didn't know Bill nearly well enough to have even speculated on what he did in his free time but it certainly wasn't this. If she'd even thought for a moment someone from work would be there, she never would have shown up, and it didn't matter that it was him, just that someone she worked with knew she'd been here left her almost speechless.

"It certainly is a surprise. Hello Bill"

The slightest breeze could have knocked her over from the surprise. Glancing around, she saw more people were starting to come in and sit at various tables. Many of them knew each other already and she figured they'd been coming here for a while now as the research she'd done told her that this group had been meeting here for several years already.

"That old saying about how much do you really want to know about your neighbors and coworkers comes to mind just now," she said to Bill.

She was rambling and Paige knew she only did that when she was nervous. She had to find a way to stop.

"I've never been to one of these before. I think I'm a little out of my depth here. Do you sit anywhere?"

"Please, have a seat with me."

Once they had sat down, Bill continued, "It is certainly a surprise to see you here. May I assume you are a Domme? How long have you been into this lifestyle?"

He waited eagerly to see what she would say. He wondered if she was just lesbian or if she swung both ways. This kind of inquiry would be totally improper under normal circumstances but anyone here would be accepting of it as it was just a way of getting to know what was important about each other.

In a way, having a face that she knew made it slightly easier for Paige. Sitting by herself and just hoping that she'd meet someone who would be friendly was a concern. In a way it made her feel like she did when she was in school and her parents had moved around a lot, always the new face in the crowd. So Bill being there was a bonus even if now she figured that working together was going to be a little awkward.

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise when he asked if she were a Domme. She sipped at the water that was on the table while she thought of how to respond. Did it matter if he thought that?

"That's an interesting assumption. I'm curious. What about me led you to think that?" She hadn't told him if he were correct or not, but decided she was going to be amused by it rather than offended. After all, he only knew her from work where she knew she had a reputation for being rather tough. It was a silly assumption in her book, though, to base something so personal on with no real knowledge at all.

"Well, you are pretty tough and strong at work," he said. "Since you are here..." His voice trailed off as he realized that she was surprised. The only other possibility was... "Perhaps I just made an unsupported assumption. I am a very strong Master myself but at work..." He trailed off again. "Oh my Lord! I just realized what I was saying.

"Paige, can we back up a bit? I sincerely apologize for any implications or anything I said that may have offended you. I am here, quite frankly, looking for a sub. OK, what I am actually looking for is a woman who would like to explore being a slave. The idea puts off most girls, even if they are into being submissive. It's pretty extreme.

"What I find absolutely amazing is that slaves consistently say that being enslaved is the most freeing thing that can happen to them.

"I'm sorry, I'm getting carried away, blithering. I guess I am assuming again. But I guess it is safe to assume that you are either dominant or submissive or you wouldn't be here." He laughed. "So, if you don't mind me asking, which is it?"

Somehow, the nervous fumbling of his words relaxed her own nerves just a bit and she was able to ease into to her surroundings. She laughed a bit when he mentioned that she had to be either a dominant or a submissive, as she figured that much, at the very least, went without saying unless she'd taken a most unfortunate wrong turn in the restaurant.

"We work together, so I should mind you asking, but somehow I don't. You know I think if I'd seen you in here before I walked in, I would have turned the other way. I'm afraid your assumption was incorrect"

She took a few more sips of water while she carefully considered her words. The last thing she wanted to do was come across as too unsure of what she wanted, though the truth was, she wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for. Oh, to hell with it, she thought, what did she have to lose by being honest about it? She was new to this; it wasn't something to be embarrassed about, after all. Wasn't that why she'd come? To meet others and to learn?

"I don't think I can have an opinion on why this lifestyle would put some people off; this is all very new to me. Other than things I've read online or books I've ordered, this is the first time I'm delving in to this entire world."

Bill was surprised at her revelation. "We don't get too many newbies here. In that case, let me be the first to welcome you to our little group. We tend to be out on the fringe in terms of our sexual interests so it's nice to be able to relax and be ourselves with other people. I am sorry for the comments earlier. I didn't just jump to conclusions; it looks more like I took a flying leap!" He grinned. "We're not supposed to be too judgmental but dominant women and submissive men creep me out a little. You may not know this but since you said you weren't sure just what you are looking for, be aware that there are a few people in our group who are what we call switches which means they go both ways.

"What we usually do is try to help newbies get acclimated and help them to figure out what they want. You may have little or no idea what a slave is other than the involuntary kind. I don't know what you've read and I really don't want to make any more ridiculous assumptions. So if you could make a wish and get whatever kind of partner you would want, what would he or she be?"

Listening to him go on, she could have told him that she understood the basic terms and ideas. She had approached this the same way she did everything else, with conscious and deliberate research. She'd read almost everything she could find online, both fiction and nonfiction. She'd read over a dozen books on the subject and she'd chatted with a couple of people over the internet who were willing to answer a few basic questions for her.

She had gotten into it through on-line porn when she stumbled across some stuff that featured rough sex and spanking and found herself turned on a lot. She started to look for more and was surprised at how much there was.

Paige was only a little bit surprised to hear his opinion on dominant women and submissive men. She'd seen the way he'd looked at some of the women in the office and had always figured him to be a little bit of a chauvinist but she decided not to judge him solely on that. Everyone, she knew, had a few things about them that were less than desirable, it was what made them human.

She went on saying, "I found out that there are groups like this in just about every other city within an hour's drive time of here. I chose this one because from what I learned about it, it was the most welcoming to new members, and to people who were new in general.

"Don't mistake new for naive. I'm not sure what I'm looking for in terms of what I want out of this group. I know that I want to meet the right man to grow and explore this with. Someone who will be patient and give the right guidance I need, who won't be intimidated by my drive, career-wise, and most of all, just makes me feel alive when I'm with them. I know that's not extremely specific, but it's a start, right?"

She glanced around again and noticed a few more people had filtered in. Some sat in groups, some sat alone and looked as if they were waiting for others. She could easily spot the couples among them as well.

"You said you came here hoping to find someone," she said. "What are you looking for?"

"I am much clearer on what I want than you seem to be," he replied. He thought for a few moments. How should he put this? What he would like to say and what he would say were quite different. If he was going to be, and able to be, completely honest with her he would just say, I am looking for a slave a beautiful as you are, and that would be it. But he didn't think for one second that she would understand because she wouldn't know what a slave was.

Instead he said, "I am looking for a woman driven by a strong inner desire to commit to a relationship with a Master, a man to whom she is able to give herself completely, in body, mind and spirit. She would have no limits on what can be done to her by me; she would consent to obey me in every respect; she would give me complete control of her life with the clear understanding that I may exercise that control in any manner I wish, whether she agreed with me or not; that any and all of the areas where I did exercise control could be changed at any time, unilaterally by me, without need for her further consent and that this control would be enforced by any physical or mental measures I may see fit to use. In summary, she would exist for my pleasure.

"And in return I would have all the responsibilities that ownership carries. Although she would have no limits on what can be done to her by me, my limits would be based on doing nothing that would deliberately or recklessly risk injury to her. I would demand that she obey me in every respect but with the clear understanding that we would both thrive and grow.