Joining the Circle

Chapter 4: Defining Roles

Bob drove and Donna rode in the front passenger seat. Junie rode in back looking curiously out the windows. Donna spoke up, "Town is about twenty minutes away. We will go by the clinic first."

The town was small and picturesque. There seemed to be a large number of antique stores, art galleries and restaurants lining the streets. Donna dryly commented, "This place is turning into a tourist trap."

Bob reached over and patted her knee. "It's all us rich retired folks, hiding out in the woods, that and the demise of the logging industry. Locals have to live off us or the tourists. At least there are enough people to support a good food co-op." He pulled into the parking lot of a modern looking brick and glass building. "We should go in separately. Junie, you go in first, ask for a confidential lab test." He got out his wallet and handed her some money. "Once you are at the lab, tell them what you want, an oral rapid result AIDS test. It's up to you if you want to use your real name or not. They won't ask for ID. Pay cash."

Junie felt her mouth go dry. "Alone?" Her voice quavered.

Donna turned and looked at Junie, a puzzled look on her face. She looked at Junie's face seeing the fear. "I am sorry, Junie. This is a small town. A lot of people know who we are. If we all go in at once for lab tests, people will talk. I guess we should have prepared you for this more. It should take about 45 minutes. Bob and I will go in after you come out."

Junie swallowed, "No, it will be all right. It's just something I have to do." She took a shaky breath. "It is just one of those things that is hard for me." She climbed out of the back seat of the SUV and straightening her shoulders, marched into the clinic.

Donna laughed and leaned over to Bob. "I had forgotten about the shyness. She seemed so comfortable about meeting us. I can see that this will be a big thing for her to do."

"Well let's see if she can go through with it, or if she will come running out in a few minutes. Are you okay waiting here while I walk over to the hardware store?"

"Go ahead. I brought a book to read."

Bob was gone almost the whole 45 minutes and the bag he dropped into the back of the SUV made a metal clank and chink of chain. "Well she didn't run back out, but this is taking longer than I had thought it would. When I called they said 45 minutes tops."

"Do you think we are going to need to rescue her?" Donna sounded exasperated.

Bob laughed, "No, I don't think that will be necessary. See, there she is."

Junie was walking quickly, almost running back to the SUV. Her eyes red, her lashes wet like she had been crying. She scrambled into the back seat and wordlessly handed Donna some papers. Donna looked them over. "Junie, this said what you knew it would say. You currently have no HIV antibodies. You are fine. Why are you so upset?"

Junie looked embarrassed. "Ma'am, I was pretty nervous. I guess they could tell because they decided to have me talk to a counselor to see if I was emotionally stable enough to handle a possible positive result. It was so embarrassing. I had to lie my ass off. I told them that my husband had cheated on me and I just wanted to get a test to make sure I was okay. I told her I was in town visiting some friends and that they would be my support system. I did not tell the counselor lady who I was visiting. I am sorry it took so long."

Bob was struggling to keep his face straight. "You guess you were nervous? What did you do?"

Junie blushed and covered her face with her hands. "I am not sure if it was the hyperventilating or when I threw up."

Bob roared with laughter. Donna looked at him in outrage. "Sweetie pie, you were so brave. We are very proud of you."

Junie held out a handful of money. "Sir, you gave me way too much money."

Bob waved her hand away. "Keep it. You will need some spending money for house stuff."

Donna climbed out of the car, "Bob and I will go get our test. You can wait in the car or go for a walk."

"I think I would just like to wait here, Ma'am."

"If you change your mind, just be back by in 30 minutes. I can't vouch for Bob but I know I won't throw up."

Junie giggled. "Actually, Ma'am, I am surprised I managed to do it. I almost ran out when they said I had to talk to a counselor."

Donna reached out and took Junie's hand. "It is good you chose to stay. I know how difficult that was for you. I am proud of you. We will be back soon."

Junie rolled down the window of the car and breathed in the air. She could smell the bitter scents of tar and car exhaust. She smiled to herself, just one day at the house on the lake and she was accustomed to the sweet, clean air of the country. She wondered idly what Donna would have done if she had run out of the clinic in a panic. It had been that thought that had kept her from completely losing control.

She was half asleep in the warmth of the car when Bob and Donna returned. When Donna turned to hand the papers to her showing their results, Junie smiled and shook her head. "I don't need to see those, Ma'am."

"Do you trust us, or do you not care what they say?"

"Both, Ma'am."

The rest of the visit to town went by quickly. Bob and Donna seemed to know everyone in town, greeting people in a friendly easy manner, introducing Junie as a friend visiting them. Junie found herself shaking endless hands, blushing and smiling, happy that she did not have to talk too much. It was obvious that Bob and Donna were active in the community and well liked.

They stopped by a small warehouse-looking grocery store. It had only nonperishable bulk food and in a cooler in a corner a variety of cheeses. "It's an organic cooperative store. You must have a membership to shop here. A group of us started it when we couldn't find decent organic stuff at the local grocery store. Bob and I are on the board."

Junie added some high gluten flour and yeast to their basket. "For baking bread, Ma... Donna." Junie stumbled and choked off saying Ma'am. Her face was scarlet.

Bob laughed and murmured, "Madonna? I like it. Nice Catholic overtones."

Junie giggled and whispered. "It is also an old Italian form of formal address for women, very much like Ma'am or Mistress."

Donna protested, "Not the rock star?"

Bob put his arm around her. "You are our rock star."

Bob added a few bottles of organic red wine, cheeses, and a big piece of bulk dark chocolate to their basket. Donna looked at the candy. "He won't eat dessert but he can't resist dark chocolate."

"A man is entitled to have a few weaknesses."

The farmer's market was bustling with people and music. A trio was playing lively folk music on stringed instruments. Again Junie found herself being introduced to what felt like dozens of people, trying to make eye contact and smile when she felt like running back to the car. She knew that she would never remember any of their names.

There was a wonderful variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, but also there were lots of booths of prepared food; canned fruits and jams, dried fruits, nuts, homemade candies. There were also artists and craftsmen selling their creations.

Junie's eyes lit up at a display of fresh strawberries. She hesitated, sensing in herself the same reluctance to ask that had displeased her Mistress this morning. She tried out several ways to ask that would not sound manipulative or overtly submissive. She cleared her throat. "The strawberries look delicious. Let's get some of those?" The end of her sentence turned up like a question.

Donna frowned and shrugged. "Sure let's." Junie picked out a couple of pints and paid with some of the leftover money that Bob had given her to pay the clinic.

They ended up buying some wild mushrooms, a dozen eggs, some lemons, a fresh salmon and a half-gallon of fresh milk. It was early in the afternoon when they headed back home.

On the ride home Junie felt tired. It was the familiar fatigue she experienced from the continual nervousness that she experienced in unfamiliar places, around people new to her. As they drove up the narrow drive, she felt the tension draining out of her. She looked out the window and silently greeted the trees, happy to be home again.

Junie changed into her shorts and tank top and was busy cleaning around the house, taking the laundry out to dry on the line, remaking the beds when Bob called her into the office. He was looking at a bondage equipment website. "Come here; I want to get a few more measurements." He had a tape measure. He measured around her thighs, ankles, wrists and waist. Last he measured around her neck. Junie felt herself trembling with nervous excitement, peering over his shoulder at the site, electrified by the images of shackles and collars.

Donna was curled up on the couch with a laptop computer. She looked up and grinned at the expression on Junie's face. "You are tantalizing her, Bob."

Bob ran his fingertips up Junie's leg and up the leg of her soft shorts, tickling the soft skin of her inner thighs. "Are you tantalized, Junie?"

Junie licked her lips and swallowed. "Yes, Sir, very tantalized. My mind is full of images, sexy provocative images."

"Good, that was my intention. Go on now." He propelled her out of the office. Junie stood in the front room for a second, still preoccupied with her thoughts.

The afternoon sun shone directly on the front deck. Donna looked out the window, "Come on, Junie, and let's get some sun. I want you to be a little tanned. Not too dark but I want you a nice light golden brown, like a little wood nymph."

"Yes, Ma'am." Junie followed Donna out onto the deck. She followed Donna's example of stripping off completely nude.

"Lie down and let me put some oil on you." As Donna spread the oil over Junie's skin as she talked to herself. "Not too long this first time. Don't want any sunburn. That wouldn't be a good idea. We have all summer to get you just right. Turn over onto your stomach." After Junie rolled over, Donna commented as she smoothed the oil on. "I can still see some of the marks from your spanking. Your bottom is still a little pink. The bruises from the belt buckle are starting to go away. It's funny how I find the marks that we leave delicious and erotic, and at the same time, I am enraged by these marks from that asshole." She muttered to herself, "Fucker has not sent that apology yet."

Junie found herself sinking slowly into the sensations of Donna's hands sliding over her, slippery with oil. "That feels so nice, Ma'am."

"Don't get too sleepy, girl. You have to do me next."

After oiling Donna's skin, Junie lay almost asleep, letting the warmth sink into her skin, turning and repositioning her body as Donna directed her to. It felt wonderful. She had not lain out in the sun since she was a teenager, always too embarrassed by her size to risk being seen. She smiled softly to herself thinking that now it did not seem to matter. In fact, she was feeling very sexy-looking lately.

Junie jerked awake, surprised by a sharp slap to her bottom. She jumped up; aware she had drifted off to sleep. Looking up she saw Donna standing over her. "I am sorry, Ma'am. I fell asleep. Did you say something?"

"It's time to stop. Let's go shower off this oil."

"Yes, Ma'am."

For dinner Bob grilled the salmon fillets outside and Junie made roasted red potatoes with carrots and garlic.

Over dinner Donna questioned Bob if he had been having fun shopping online. Her tone was light, teasing, but her eyes were sharp as her words.

"Some." Bob's voice was neutral.

Junie could tell that something bigger than she was aware of was going on between her Master and Mistress. Donna seemed irritated with Bob and it was showing in the edge of her wit.

Donna leaned over to Junie, her hazel eyes dancing. She spoke in a deliberately loud whisper, "He spent all afternoon on the computer shopping. Expect some panties in the mail." Bob growled ominously. Junie blushed and focused on taking small bites of her dinner. Donna persisted. "Junie wonders if you wear panties too."

Bob's voice was suddenly deep and sharp. "Downstairs, now! You mouthy fucking bitch!" Donna sat frozen for a micro second, her fork halfway to her mouth, and then with a soft whimper dropped it and scurried towards the basement. Junie shrank down in her chair. Bob took another bite and then standing, followed at a leisurely saunter. Just as he was about to go down the stairs, he called over his shoulder. "You too, Junie."

With a squeal of alarm, Junie jumped to her feet and scrambled after him. As she got to the bottom of the stairs, Bob spoke to her, pointing at the corner. "Junie, get on your knees here and watch. I want you to see what happens to mouthy fucking bitches around here." Junie was in the corner in an instant, her eyes huge and frightened, and yet fascinated.

Donna was already nude and kneeling in the center of the room, her hands clasped behind her, her eyes on the floor. Bob walked up to her and lifted her chin with a finger tip. "You find my enjoyment of women's underwear amusing." It was not a question. "You seem to find fun at making light of me. I cannot help but feel like I am being treated disrespectfully."

Bob dropped his hand away from Donna's face. Giving her a thoughtful look, he walked through one of the doorways and came back dragging a heavy scarred wooden trunk. Lifting open the lid he rummaged through it. "Stand up, bitch."

Donna quickly rose to her feet. Bob laughed when he noticed that Junie had jumped to her feet as well. "Junie, get back down on your knees. For tonight 'bitch' is Donna's name." He walked around Donna, a length of white rope in his hands. "Yes, that's your name, Bitch, 'Disrespectful Mouthy Bitch'. You seem to be so entertained by my interest in panties."

Tucking the rope into a pocket, he turned to Junie. "Junie, give me your panties, now." Junie hurriedly stripped off her shorts and panties, handing the lacy underwear to Bob with a trembling outstretched hand. He looked at her, "I am frightening you, Sweet Junie?" He eyed her naked legs and cunt.

"Yes, Sir, a little." He nodded in satisfaction.

He sniffed the silk and lace, "Too bad they are so clean." He spread them wide and smiled an angry snarl, "They will have to do. They certainly are a mouthful, just the thing to shut up a mouthy bitch. Open up, mouthy bitch." Donna obediently opened her mouth and Bob crammed them into her mouth.

Walking around Donna again he took her braid. "I have been meaning to compliment you, Junie, on what a nice job you did braiding your Mistress's hair." Pulling the rope from his pocket he tied it to the braid, doubling back the hair and tying it again. "Yes, a very nice job. I could almost hang her up by this alone."

Returning to the box he threw out several more lengths of rope. He had a ball gag in one hand and a blindfold in the other. As he fastened the gag around Donna's mouth he spoke in a conversational tone to Junie, "Probably unnecessary, but I like the way it looks." He pulled the blindfold around Donna's eyes.

"Okay, Junie, now I am going to tie her arms behind her. Not too tight though, she is going to be tied for quite a while. Don't want to put too much strain on her shoulders. We are looking for pain, not injury." He was tying a rope around Donna's shoulders and then weaving the ropes down the length of her arms, ending with her wrists together. He turned Donna so Junie could see. "Pretty."

He picked up a small, heavy-looking leather pair of thong panties. "Let's continue with the panty theme, why don't we." He put a hand on Donna's shoulder, balancing her. "Bitch, pick up your right foot." For the first time Junie heard Donna make a sound, a soft whimper as she lifted her foot. Bob's eyes met Junie's, his voice was matter of fact, almost joking but his expression was grim, "She is remembering the last time she wore this particular pair of panties. I wonder if this might just be the source of her poorly veiled angst about panties. Other foot, bitch."

Bob hauled the leather thong up hard, jerking it cruelly so the narrow leather triangle cut harshly between Donna's cunt lips. Junie flinched in sympathy. Leaning down Bob attached a spreader bar between Donna's ankles. "Look, Junie. See this metal ring on the back of these panties?

It is not purely decorative." Bob reached up and pulled a roped down from a rafter and attached a heavy metal snap to the ring and pulled it through the pulley raising Donna up on her toes.

Taking the rope attached to her braid he threaded through a second snap higher up on the rope, pulling it tight. "This way when I suspend her she will be held by both her hair and her panties."

His tone was no longer light. "Ready, bitch?" Donna whimpered plaintively and shook her head. "Too bad, maybe you will learn to think before speaking." He pulled on the rope and lifted her off the floor, her body leaning forward at the hips, lifted by the narrow band of leather biting into her cunt, her back held parallel to the floor by the rope holding her hair. A low whine of pain echoed in the room.

"Bring me the chair, Junie." Junie drug the heavy chair over to Bob, and he sat down on it. "I really need to get something more comfortable to sit on down here. Junie, go upstairs and get my dinner. Warm it up and bring it down here for me to eat." He idly shoved Donna with one of his feet making her swing and spin.

"Yes, Sir." Junie's face was wet with tears as she sped up the stairs to obey.

When she came back, he was sitting watching Donna slowly spinning. "Good girl. Sit at my feet." As he ate he would occasionally give Donna a push, the swinging and rocking forcing the leather deeper into Donna's cunt. Junie could see that the flesh was red and swollen around the thong, the puffy flesh bulging out obscenely on either side, almost surrounding the now saturated leather. As she watched, Junie saw a drop of moisture fall to the floor.

Bob watched Junie's eyes as she watched it fall and took in the small puddle of wetness on the floor. Again his tone was light. "Fucking amazing isn't it? She is in a lot of pain and yet she is completely turned on. It wouldn't take much for her to come right now."

Junie took a long shuddering breath and sniffed. Bob stroked her hair. "Why are you so sad, Junie? Do you wish it was you up there?"

"Yes, Sir. I do wish it."

"Because you want it for yourself or because you want to somehow rescue your Mistress?"

For the first time a tiny hiccup of a sob shook her. "Both, I think both, Sir. I hate watching her be hurt and at the same time I crave it for myself. Crave it and fear it."

Bob's hand tightened in her hair. "I ordered a pair of leather panties just like these for you. I hope you like them."

His eyes returned to Donna's slowly swaying form. "I think she is getting bored. Or maybe I am." He stood and moved in between Donna's legs, stopping her swing with a foot on the spreader bar. "What do you think bitch, are you bored?" He bore down on the spreader bar, adding his weight to hers. Donna convulsed, a shriek whistling through her nose.

Bob stepped away and gave her another shove, making her sway and spin once more. Casually he walked over and began to inspect the whips and floggers neatly displayed on the wrack next to the fireplace. Picking up a flogger with dozens of very narrow tails, almost leather laces, he turned and flicked it experimentally a few times and then snapped it at Donna's leg as it spun past.

From where she knelt next to Bob's chair she saw that the tips of the laces barely touched Donna's skin but it made a sharp little crack, and Donna flinched, her leg jerking slightly. Bob commented, "She was a little surprised by that." He snapped it again at her ass cheek and then again at one of her breasts, carefully choosing his targets as she spun slowly.