This story is about submission as a resource in life.
Bella, a young hotel heiress, breaks free to become a painter, discovering her dark desires at the kinky parties in the dungeons of the city where she expands her sexual horizon.
She finds success in merging BDSM themes into her art.
But then fate catches up, and she must find her personal way to piece the puzzle of her life together.
I want to thank https://www.literotica.com/authors/robertl for his very helpful editing work and suggestions.
The Painting
Bella sprinted up the stairs to her studio, elated that she would complete one of the biggest achievements in her life today. But when she entered, she saw a letter, and she got a fright.
Rarely these days do people write letters by hand. Bella's address was written by a classic fountain pen in elegant, precise style. She recognized the writing without looking at the sender's name; it was her father's. She fumbled with the letter for a moment, looking at it aghast. Like a cold wind from across the river, rattling her windows, it had shaken her. 'I will open it later,' she decided. 'I must calm myself; this may not steal my focus. Not today!' she thought.
For two years they did not speak. One day it had become too much for her at home, and she fled. He had organized another step of her pre-determined career in his mind and made arrangements without even asking. He felt that her desire to become a painter was unworthy of the family and let her feel this by ridiculing her until she exploded that day. She had grabbed her beloved easel and driven towards the city, crossing the river to the side where the docks and trailer parks were. She remembered her relief as she looked down from the bridge, soft autumn light reflecting off the waves, ships bouncing on them, carrying goods.
She had found a place for herself, there between the docks and the railway yard. A loft with large windows, ideal as a studio for her painting work. Initially she had gone out to party a lot, but soon it had bored her. Gradually the crowd she hung out with changed, until she found herself at the fringe. From there she went further, until she found herself among the kinksters, naked, bound, and being whipped in a dark dungeon. There and then she had found her place. It was then that she met Ryan and his wife, Lauren. She had talked to them about her life and her work as an artist. They looked intrigued at each other when she told them her work played on themes of dominance and submission. Ryan was a successful businessman, and Lauren had been a high-ranked strategic consultant before she dedicated herself to her submission. Ryan had introduced her to several doms who played with her.
In August, Ryan had turned up in her café that she operated below her studio to ensure a regular income for her painting work. Sipping a coffee, he had walked around the room inspecting the paintings she had hung there, at least the ones that would be acceptable in a public place. "Can you paint Lauren for me? Are you able to paint the gift and the depth of her submission?" he had asked.
"I can try," Bella had answered.
"If you can, I will pay you well," he had said.
Now in November, it was done. Today they would pick it up and the final price would be settled.
She looked around her studio to check if she had staged it well for the sale. Half-finished paintings were stacked against the walls. A sofa in the corner. The center was left as a big empty space, only occupied by a cushion on the floor, and a lone rose in a pot. Across, an easel with a painting.
She took one last look at Lauren's beauty on the easel, then picked up a linen cloth and flipped it over.
Still, the face and the posture of Lauren were etched into her mind. She had been looking at her for weeks as she worked on the painting. During that time, they had become like sisters when they chatted while Bella painted. Both were happy in their submissive role but so different.
Lauren was totally dedicated to Ryan as her master, while Bella had not submitted to someone specific as yet. "I still explore my kinks. Being a pain-slut is clearly one of them," she had said. "The beating Ryan gave me at that party, was as much a piece of art as this painting. I would gladly take another any time."
"To get one, a mistake here and there might work wonders," Lauren smirked. "But be subtle. He may not notice the intention."
'Why did that come to my mind?' Bella asked herself as she proceeded to prepare for the meeting with Ryan and Lauren. 'Wishful thinking, or maybe an opportunity today?' she thought.
She chose to wear a transparent latex dress. 'Sex sells,' she thought, 'even with a man like Ryan.' With nothing underneath, her pierced nipples and clit were prominent. She took off the collar she was always wearing and left it in her wardrobe. She had decided to appear sexy, but not submissive.
'I wonder what this encounter will entail?' she thought. 'He will see the picture for the first time. I am sure he will scrutinize every detail.' She braced herself. 'And he will haggle, I must be prepared for that.'
But he had put trust in her abilities, and his generous down payment had armed her with confidence.
'And maybe I will try a subtle mistake. Just need to come up with an idea,' she smiled at herself. 'It would be great to be rewarded with a spanking in addition to the money.'
A last check in the mirror as her doorbell rang, and she went to open the door. Ryan stood there holding Lauren by a leash.
Ryan was in his forties, physically not an imposing figure, he wore ironed trousers made of fine wool and a light shirt.
"Welcome Ryan, I am so pleased you are here finally. Now you get to see the completed work." Bella chattered away.
Knowing that as a slave Lauren was untouchable, she asked, "May I get permission to welcome Lauren?" After she had received a small nod from him, she stepped towards Lauren and hugged her. The two women then kissed deeply, Lauren holding Bella tightly, knowing how nervous she had to be. Not too long, though, and with a careful look towards Ryan, Lauren let her go and went down on her knees.
Ryan asked, "Please show me now how you have portrayed my beloved wife?"
"I have tried to torture the secret from her," he said, as he winked at Bella, "but she proved indomitable."
Bella beamed at him, "You gave me the idea yourself as one time you called Lauren a rose that blooms only when tied tightly to a trellis. And I wanted a sunny serene setting. So, I have turned her into a gardener."
Using the moment of his surprise, she flipped back the cotton to show the painting. Ryan stroked his chin in thought and leaned forward.
Indeed, Lauren was shown gardening. A straw hat covered her head, creating a serene pastoral scene. She was kneeling, tending to a rose in a pot. All around, a formal garden with perfectly trimmed flowers in ornamental shapes. In the background, a château like you would find in France along the Loire.
Any casual observer would see just that, a loving wife gardening. Taking a closer look, a few oddities would catch the discerning eye. She wore a modest skirt, but it had several slits all the way up to her hip, showing her thighs. Her knees were well separated, the flowerpot placed strategically in front of her crotch.
The woman's skin, painted in the style of an old master, was perfect except for some peculiar but regular markings, shaped like a coarse rope would make it, in the smoothness of her skin. These appeared above her ankles and wrists and across her cleavage.
Her hands were not busy gardening, but rested palms up on her thighs. A thorn from the rose stuck in one finger, blood dripping and running down her leg. It ran unobserved as her face was raised; the eyes unfocused as if in a trance.
"This is a masterpiece indeed," Ryan said. "What do you think, my dear?"
"Oh, I love it. It is all I am. Tell me, is this my look when I am in subspace?"
"Yes, Bella has really caught your expression perfectly."
Bella used the moment of bliss to get back to business, straight and hard.
"Thank you, Ryan. I invested a lot to get it right," she said. "How do you think visitors to your house will react when they see it? Will people in the lifestyle appreciate the details, while muggles might just be intrigued?"
Ryan had to agree. "Yes, exactly that way, it is what I wanted. It shows all that Lauren is, without it being visible."
Stepping up to the easel, he asked, "What is this mansion in the back? Looks like France? Or your fantasy?"
"It's the house I grew up in, just a short drive southwest of the city."
"So, you must have lived like a princess." Ryan said.
"It may look stately, but I just had a tiny room. It's my father's hotel, called the 'Rosy';"
Bella paused in introspection. "Aaaw, my life there was hard. My father tried to push me into the hotel business. A lot of servitude and strict discipline. But I balked out to get into Art."
Ryan asked, "Has this driven you towards the lifestyle?"
Bella pondered for a second, "Maybe. Discipline and rebellion, the thin line between two worlds. My themes, like in Lauren's portrait."
Ryan examined it closely, "I would love to visit the hotel at some point, maybe stay there and buy some wine from the vineyards. Imagine it's like a weekend in France, without the airfare."
Bella saddened, "I haven't been there for a long time. You might be disappointed. It is not really taken care of these days as my father has upgraded to a larger hotel in the city. It's the 'Atlantic'."
"Oh, the one right on the Willamette?" Ryan asked.
"Yes, that's the one. He now spends all of his time there."
"Where neglect occurs, new opportunities arise. Can the Rosy be made profitable?"
"I do not know. With me gone, my brother is the likely heir. And we hate each other,"
Bella focused on swerving the small-talk toward finishing her deal. She needed the money.
'First step is done. Ryan likes it,' she thought. 'Keep going!'
She shifted her body to stand in front of the painting in Ryan's way. Fully aware that she was practically nude, she looked straight at him.
"So, you do like the painting? Then the quoted price applies."
Ryan looked at her with a posture that could be intimidating. He was back in business mode in no time. "Not so fast, my young paintress. You've taken longer than estimated. There needs to be compensation for that."
