Previously:
- Katie contacts Maestro, an experienced dom for advice, on Cuffed since all the responses to her post want meaningless sex.
- Lilly and Kevin both make attempts at convincing Katie she should go on a second date with Kevin.
- She and Maestro plan to meet for coffee.
Katie sat at work on Monday counting the minutes as they passed by. She had made sure to get her proposal into her boss early enough to take care of any responses before lunch. She also made sure to keep a low profile all morning to prevent anyone from giving her new assignments. Just before noon, Katie carefully and quietly ducked out of the office and headed to the coffee shop she and Maestro had agreed upon.
Arriving a little early, Katie ordered a coffee and sat down at one of the tables near the front door, so Maestro would be sure not to miss her. As she waited for her coffee, she received a text from her mother.
Mom: Will you have time to talk tonight? We want to find a time to come visit you.
Katie's mother and father lived just outside of Los Angeles, California, in her childhood home. If anyone ever asked Katie to explain what her parents were like, she had to make a conscious decision to describe her parents before or after she graduated college. Prior to graduation, her parents could have been up for a best parenting award. They attended every single extracurricular and sporting event she participated in. Katie would spend hours conversing with them while away at college, with never a dull moment between them. They were not only her parents, they were her friends. Katie could not imagine a way she could have had more perfect parents.
After Katie graduated college, she hardly even recognized her parents. It was like a switch was flipped. Every conversation became about her parents gossiping over their old friends Katie hardly knew or didn't even know at all. Katie distinctly remembered her parents never even asking how her movie to Washington or even how her first month on the job was. Even when they came to visit her only after two months of moving to the city, Katie simply told them how everything was going and was surprised when her parents only response was 'that's nice', before launching into a big rant about their friends Joan and Tony. Katie also noticed her parents seemed to analyze everything she did, from the shampoo she used, all the way down to the way she organized her shoes, not to critique her, but to copy her. At first Katie, was not bothered by the practice, but when her parents came to visit for the second time, things got out of control. Both her parents went on and on about how they too now used the same shampoo and method of organizing shoes, among other things they copied. They even went as far as getting clothes from the same stores as Katie. Katie had mentioned she tried yoga once, for stress relief, and instantly her parents were attending yoga classes three times a week in California. Katie was baffled by the transformation of her parents. After that visit she cried all night, feeling like she had lost her parents, one of the most important things in her life. She later brought it up to them, asking them why they changed, but they claimed they were acting like they always had towards her.
Katie had a younger sister Kelly, four years her junior, that lived one street over from their parents with her husband and newborn child. She had also asked Kelly if she noticed her parents mysterious transformation. Kelly's only input on the subject was 'they still act like Mom and Dad to me'.
Any time she spoke to them on the phone, or exchange and email or text, they would always ask if they could visit, mostly so they could see what new practices or habits they could copy. Interacting with her parents had become so foreign and stressful, Katie now tried to avoid it.
Katie: Call me later tonight.
Katie quickly put her phone away.
The minutes seemed to pass by even slower at the coffee shop than they did at the office.
"Coffee for Katie!" Yelled a barista over the bustling crowd that filled the small chic coffee shop.
Katie grabbed her coffee from the barista. She mindlessly sipped her coffee before it had a chance to cool down and burned her tongue. Katie got up and quickly asked the barista for a cup of ice and popped an ice cube into her mouth. When she turned back around to face her table, she could see the man in the picture sitting at her table with her lone coffee. He looked better in person than he did in his picture. His eyes were even more mesmerizing now that he was in front of her. His strong frame made her weak in the knees.
"I figured this was your table?" he said with the smooth and calming voice.
"Yheesshm...", Katie got out as she tried to talk around the ice cube in her mouth.
He chuckled. "A bit warm, was it?"
Katie spat out her ice cube into the cup so she could respond quickly. "Oh, yeah. I took a sip a little too soon."
"That's okay. Happens to me all the time." Maestro gestured for Katie to reclaim her seat. "So Katie, you are interested in learning more about, the lifestyle?"
"Umm, yes." Katie said softly. She was not sure how this conversation was going to happen in a public space where they could easily be overheard.
"Good. I am always glad to help a new comer. Tell me, what have you tried?"
"Well, nothing really. I have always admired it from afar." Katie could feel her cheeks growing red from embarrassment.
"Ah, never really had the chance, did you Katie?"
"No...", Katie paused, realizing she didn't know his real name. "Sorry, but what is your actual name?"
"Just call me Maestro. Real names really don't have any value in the lifestyle."
"Oh, okay." Katie didn't quite understand.
"So tell me Katie, are you looking for someone to teach you the ropes? Pun intended." He smiled.
Katie felt more bashful with every answer she gave. She had never spoken so openly before. "Well, yes, that is the goal. I am hoping to find someone to do this with as I have time. I have always wanted to give it a try."
"Busy, are you?"
"Very much, yes. My job keeps me busy all the time. I only have time to admire it all online. That is how I found... the site."
"That's okay Katie. I think I may be able to help you."
"Really?! How?" Katie felt a light wave of excitement as she never had expected this as an outcome of coffee.
"How would you feel if you and I...", Maestro was searching for an appropriate word in public to use. "...worked together? I could teach you about everything and we can ease you into things. I think the most important thing for you is to see if you will really like all of this in practice."
Katie knew she was still blushing. This experienced, attractive dominant was nicer than she could have ever imagined. This seemed like the most perfect opportunity she could have asked for. "Yes, exactly great, I mean, yes, that would be great." Katie stumbled around with her words.
"It's important to try new things Katie. It can be hard to explore with others when you have this kind of interest. It's not always about love or sex. It is about control. It is about pleasing. It is about that deep satisfaction that only few can understand."
"Yes, exactly", Katie said, feeling like and idiot who could not form her own idea, even though she completely agreed. "How long have you been doing this?"
"I have been playing in this space for about nine years. I was introduced to it by a past girlfriend. After finding the community online, I just ran with it."
"Oh wow. So you know exactly what you are doing."
"Yes, I do Katie. I have worked with many women who have been in your position. You would be in good hands."
Katie felt relieved.
"Well, Katie, I don't want to keep you from the rest of your day. It was a pleasure meeting you. I'll be in touch. We can continue this train of thought online for now."
"Yes, me too. I mean, it was nice meeting you too. Bye."
As Maestro left, Katie could not believe how flustered she had become. Despite her loss of composure, she was extremely excited that she had someone she could try exploring with. Katie headed back to the office, only to find a new copy of her proposal that her boss wanted cleaned up before the end of the day. Katie's preoccupation with Maestro, caused her to work twice as slow, causing her to, again, be the last one out of the office close to midnight.
On her way home, she saw Kevin waiting outside the door to her apartment building. As she approached, she could see that he was holding flowers. Katie would have ran in the other direction if he had not already seen her.
"How the hell did you know I would be coming home this late?" Katie was now mad.
"Lilly said you always get home really late from work."
Lilly was really starting to get on her nerves. "Kevin. I thought we talked about this."
Kevin held out the flowers with straight and stiff arms, like a little kid. "These are for you."
Katie felt like she was in high school. "Kevin. I cannot accept those."
"But, I really..."
Katie cut him off. "I have told you that there is no future for us."
Kevin had an extremely determined look on his face.
Katie fished for her keys as she sought to end this once and for all. "This is not one of those romantic situations where you keep trying and I will eventually give in. We don't have anything in common and I am very busy with my career." Her busy schedule was finally paying off for once, even if it was only to get her out of this terrible situation.
Kevin stood up tall and confident. "You can say that all you want Katie. I will show you. It is only a matter of time." He smiled and set the flowers by her feat and left. Katie had no choice put to carry them inside.
Once Katie was in her apartment, her phone rang. "I swear, if this is Lilly or Kevin, they are going to get an earful," Katie said aloud. She glanced at the screen and saw it was her mother. Katie really didn't have time to answer as she had other things on her mind, but she knew if she didn't answer her mother would make a bigger deal about it later.
"Hello Mom!"
"Katie, hi! I know its a bit late on your end of the country but how are you?"
"Oh you know, busy." Katie wanted to end the conversation so she could see if she had any messages from Maestro.
"Do you think we could come and visit one weekend this month? Oh! I also read a great article on these new yoga mats. We have the brand you showed us, but I wanted to know if you have heard of this new one. It is supposed to give you something called micro-support. Your father and I just ordered them last week. We are really..."
Katie stopped her mom, "Mom, I don't do yoga anymore. I tried it once, it wasn't for me."
"Oh, okay..."
"Maybe you can come and visit in Autumn?" There was always glimmer of hope in the back of Katie's mind that her parents might switch back to their pre-college form on one of their visits.
"But Katie, that is so far away. I already made reservations at the sushi place for each weekend this month. I will have to cancel them now."
Katie could not believe her mother. Katie had taken her parents to a local sushi restaurant each time they came to visit. Now her mother was preemptively making reservations. She could not understand why her parents were being so invasive.
