's Candy

Part 5: Saturday Morning

I opened my eyes and glanced over. Katherine seemed to be just starting to stir, too. I was a little shocked to realize that in my mind, I had said "

Miss

is just waking up." One lesson apparently was taking hold already.

She turned, sleepily, and smiled at me. "Good morning, Candy." She pulled me close and kissed me, then looked over at the clock. "Mmmmm did you sleep all right?" I slept wonderfully."

I stretched a little in her embrace. "Yes, Miss, I slept like a rock, once we finally slept." We both giggled softly, and I could feel myself blushing.

Katherine smiled, enjoying my reaction. She glanced over at the clock. "Felt good to sleep in, but we've got to get moving, Candy. Get me some coffee and then get breakfast going."

I slipped off the bed. "Yes, Miss." I moved towards the kitchen, thinking about what to make for breakfast, and noting that Katherine's "request" had its usual easy tone, but with a slightly more demanding hint to it. Or was that just me, reading my own scrambled feelings into everything?

I turned to her a moment. "Miss? Something in particular you want for breakfast?"

She thought a moment. "Hm . . . something celebratory, I think. Pancakes and sausage." She sat up in bed and flicked the TV on, indicating that the conversation was over. I continued on my way, throwing on a bathrobe and going into to the kitchen to start the coffee.

I started getting the things out to make breakfast while the coffee brewed, inhaling the wonderful aroma as I busied myself. My thoughts wandered. Well, so far "submitting" wasn't so terrible; I'd be making breakfast and coffee anyway, agreement or no agreement.

The coffee finished and I poured her a mug. I picked up the mug and walked back into the bedroom, setting the mug on the nightstand. I was focused on getting back to the kitchen and moving breakfast along. I turned to start heading back to the kitchen when Katherine touched my arm. I stopped and looked at her.

"OK, Candy. Let's pause a moment. You will find that lessons are everywhere. This is another one. Pick up the coffee mug and go back to the doorway."

I had a momentary feeling of impatience, but I picked up the mug and did as she asked. "Yes, Miss."

She watched me. "OK. Now, walk to the bed again and stop by my side. Your steps should be graceful, but efficient. Alert, but not rushing. Try it now."

I wanted to say that she couldn't expect too much "grace" from me at 10AM on Saturday, but I said nothing and did my best. She watched me intently.

She looked at me as I stopped. "Good. Now, carefully lower yourself to your knees, then bring the mug up to my easy reach. And offer me the mug."

I hoped my face wasn't betraying my thoughts. My

knees

? Her eyes caught mine and I could tell she felt my reaction. But she remained unruffled, gently inclining her head, silently reinforcing her previous command.

I concentrated and very carefully knelt down, miraculously without spilling any coffee. Slowly I lifted the mug upwards. There was a moment of silence as she watched me . . . then I remembered that she had said "offer it" to her; perhaps that meant a verbal offer in addition to lifting the mug up. I looked up at her.

"Coffee, Miss," I said, a little haltingly.

She smiled a little more brightly and took the mug, her hands cradling mine a moment. Her eyes were calming. Her touch, electric, as it always seemed to be.

"Thank you, Candy. Good girl." I felt that peculiar surge again when she said those words. "We have other aspects of serving that we can work on, later, if . . . "

I looked up at her, listening, waiting for the "if" . . .

She smiled and sipped her coffee. "Well, there's time to talk about "if-s" later. The last part of the serve is the dismissal. I will indicate to you when you may return to what you were doing. Do so now."

She laughed softly. "I'm hungry!"

I got up and walked out of the room, realizing with a laugh that I was hungry too. I tried to move without rushing, until I cleared her door, then scurried back to the kitchen, my mind flashing for an instant on the thought of how easily I seemed to be slipping into this. I had just served another woman a cup of coffee on my knees, and felt, well, sort of good about it.

I busied myself with breakfast, pouring myself come coffee as I worked. As everything was just about ready, I realized that yelling across the house "Breakfast is ready!" wasn't going to be what Miss wanted. I moved out of the kitchen to go to her room to tell her when I saw her walking into the dining room, robe flowing around her. She smiled and sat down. I noted idly that she was sitting in the spot I had habitually sat in for years.

"Is it ready?"

"Yes, Miss. I'll bring it now."

She nodded. "Mine first. Put everything on a tray and bring it as you did the coffee. This side." She indicated the side of her on which I should kneel.

I moved back into the kitchen and hurriedly dug out a tray, not having been ready for needing one. I quickly but prettily arranged everything on the tray and moved back into the dining room, stopping on Her right and very slowly, gingerly, moving down to my knees. This was a little trickier with a tray. I made it and lifted the tray up higher, feeling instantly how it made my arms strain a little. "Breakfast, Miss," I said softly.

She regarded me, and the tray, a moment, and then took her plate, silverware, syrup, etc. I knelt there, trying to be still and keep the tray high and level, arms quivering slightly.

She seemed almost to not notice I was there, relaxing and enjoying her breakfast in leisurely fashion. My arms were beginning to burn a little now.

Finally she looked down at me. "Very good, Candy. You may go get your breakfast and join me."

I sighed with relief. "Yes, Miss, thank you." I rose gratefully and went back to the kitchen and grabbed my breakfast and quickly joined her. Her eyes found mine across the table.

"To submit, Candy, means not only that you submit in word, and in deed, but submit in all ways. You submit to my pace, to my time. My sense of time and pace becomes yours. What I need, I need immediately, or exactly at some later time I might specify. In short, you work around me, never the other way around."

I listened, enjoying my pancakes, understanding her words but thinking that I probably didn't understand totally at this point.

"Now. Do you have a small pad handy? Get me one, and a pen."

I got up. "Yes, Miss." I went to the desk and rummaged around a bit, finding them, and brought them to her side. I about to kneel when she stopped me, smiling.

"No need, Candy, in this instance."

I sat down again and continued eating. Katherine took the pen and started writing. She wrote down a few things and then stopped, looking up at me again. She pushed her plate away from her a little.

"Saturday is errands and chore day." She laughed. "For

you

, anyway." She tossed the pad down on the table in front of me. I looked down and read.

Candy's To-do list

Wash the cars

Make sure both cars are gassed up

My car – oil change

Pick up my dry-cleaning

Grocery shopping

Mail letters

Do a return at Nordstrom's

Go to T-Mobile and exchange my car charger

I read down the list, then looked up at her again. "I don't care what order you do things in, but make sure my car is washed, gassed up, the oil changed and back here by 1. I'll leave the receipts, cash, letters to be mailed, etc., here."

She got up and started to walk away, then stopped. "Oh, and make sure your cell phone is charged and turned on and with you at all times. I need to be able to get in touch with you instantly at any time."

"Yes, Miss," I said, and finished my breakfast hurriedly. I stared at the list again and sighed softly. So much for my lazy Saturday.