This was it, I thought.
The first big test.
We'd been together a few months now, and her slutty submissive side was coming into full bloom, but her past programming was fighting back with a vengeance.
So, when everything went sideways this weekend, she slept with one of my suppliers.
She didn't come right out and say so, of course. First, she wallowed in guilt over "cheating on me" and then began fighting with me to work up a good head of steam for the, from her P.O.V., inevitable breakup. I cut her off at the pass by guessing the big guilty secret halfway into the drive home.
It got a little heated. We pulled off the rural highway at some county park. It was a picturesque setting to be having a relationship crisis. Heh.
It took a while to get it through her head.
I'm poly. I don't CARE if she wants to fuck other people. I do, however, want to be informed.
Even with that clearly on the table, she still wanted to fight.
I was losing my patience when it dawned on me.
The only way she could forgive HERSELF was if she felt she'd paid the price.
So, riding the anger of the fight, I decided the time had come to start what, in my more demented moments, I called "the next phase".
By this point I had a pretty good handle on the way she was wired, even if she hadn't really grokked it yet. For this idea to fly, to actually "absolve" her of her "crime", she needed to feel like what I was demanding was really punishment. OK, I resolved. I can do this.
"You need to be punished." I growled, interrupting her rant.
She looked at me through tear stained eyes, "What?"
"I see clearly now. The only way you'll let this go is if I make you pay for what you did. Am I right?"
A moment of hesitation, followed by an almost inaudible "yes".
"Yes, what?"
"Yes... Master?" she tried.
"Ok, so this is how this is going to be. I'll punish you if that's what you need. Don't expect me to be nice about it either. You fucked up, lassie, and I know you'll keep on pushing unless someone's got a tight hand on your reins."
"OK" she mumbled, "What should I do?"
"Uh..." I stalled, thinking, "If you do what I tell you for three separate days, no questions, no fighting, we will call this cleared. I'll space the days out to let you recover," I leered at her,"and so you can anticipate what new horror's I might be dreaming up."
"Deal."
"Fine then, we'll call this day one, to cement the deal."
"What do you want me to do?" She inquired meekly, snuffling slightly.
"Blow your nose, then get out of the car." She followed my orders, and stood somewhat wretchedly by the side of the road, where less than an hour before she'd been threatening to storm off.
I rummaged in the back seat, going through our bags pulling out a few choice items.
"Step away from the car so you can be seen." I commanded. She did as I asked.