I could see as we approached it that Nicole Dunne's house was large. There seemed to be many additions and renovations to the original design. I didn't know it then but it had all been made possible through inheritance, hard work and also her "counseling" fees. The work had been performed by out of town builders. She had paid them extra for the job to ensure that no questions were asked and some of her special modifications were kept secret. Tom pressed the door bell, recessed into the brass plate.
Mistress Nicole smiled as she closed the door to the games room. She grabbed a startling blue kimono off a hook near the door and wrapped it around herself. She walked up the stairs and closed the door behind her. Walking up the hallway she looked at herself in the mirror.
'Ooops,' she voiced as she saw her hair was tousled after the flogging she had delivered to the new boy. The doorbell rang again. She grabbed a nearby brush off the hallway stand, and quickly brushed her hair.
She opened the hallway door to see a man and a woman standing there. They were wet from the heavy rain, which was really pelting down.
'The Creighton's I presume,' said Mistress Nicole smiling in a disarming way.
'Yes,' replied the male.
Nicole looked out beyond them to see how they had traveled.
A navy blue sedan was parked in front of her neighbour's house.
'Your car?' she asked.
'Yes,' he replied, 'is that a problem?'
'Next time leave it down the street further in that empty lot and walk here. Okay?'
'Sure.'
'Come in and sit down in my office,' said Mistress Nicole, gesturing with her hand to the room nearest the front door.
The couple stepped into the office.
'Take off your coats, you find it is quite warm in here. Leave your keys in the bowl on the desk'
The couple took off their coats and sat in large leather and wood chair opposite the desk. Tom reached forward and dropped the keys into the bowl. On the desk facing Mistress Nicole was a computer monitor that she reached over and switched on. She hit a few keys, smiled briefly and then turned to face them.
'You are Tom Creighton?' asked Mistress Nicole.
'That's right, ...ummm what should...?'
'Tom, as we have spoken about you and your situation over the phone, you may both call me Mistress Nicole from this point on. It is permissible to shorten it to Mistress, but nothing else will suffice. Whenever you are in this house, and your house, if we graduate to house calls and over the phone and via email it is always by that title. Any breaches of this rule will be deemed punishable. It is the first rule. Clear?'
'Yes Mistress Nicole,' said Tom.
'What about you Susan?'
'I'm not sure why I'm here?' I replied looking defiantly at Tom.
'Mistress Nicole got up from behind the desk, walked swiftly around and slapped her on the face.'
'What the fuck did you do that for?' I cried out, now alarmed and outraged. I began to wonder what she had agreed to. Tom had told me they were going to visit a relationship counselor. This was nothing like that. I was angry that Tom had deceived me, and worried about where this was all going. The slap made my eyes water and my cheek was stinging with the strength of the slap.
'What was the question?' asked Mistress Nicole in a firm voice, her eyes glaring at me, one hand placed on my shoulder to stop me from rising. I felt nervous, and fearful all of a sudden. She never once glanced at Tom who was staring, anxious, wanting to say something, but the tone of her voice prevented him. Mistress Nicole looked from me to him.
'Let me help you out a little. What do you call me at all times Susan?' asked Mistress Nicole.
'That hurt,' I spat out. My hand rubbing the red hand prints on my cheek. She surprised me then by tenderly rubbing the back of her hand up my neck to my ear.
Like a cobra the arm swung and a loud slap stung the other cheek of my face. The loudness of the slap in the quiet room made Tom jump a little as well. He wondered if he had overstepped the mark in his relationship. Still it was Friday. The weekend was ahead of them.
'Ooowwwww, but...wait... its Mistress Nicole, just stop hitting me,'I uttered as I wiped the moisture from below her eyes. I looked at Tom for help. He was looking at Mistress Nicole and her glance and a shake of the head told him that he couldn't offer any help.
'Now we have that sorted out Susan may we continue sorting out the details?'
'Yes Mistress Nicole.'
'Good girl. You are a quick learner. You know this is the opening phase, and this will be a frank and honest discussion. It must be in order to proceed. Are we clear on that?'
'Yes Mistress Nicole,' the Creighton's said in unison. I looked at Tom, still fearful but he looked down at his feet.
'I'm pleased to hear you abiding by the first rule. Susan,' said Mistress Nicole, looking at the anxious woman before her, 'Tom has spoken to me about your frigidity in the bedroom.' I started to rise, my face reddening. 'No... No... don't take offence;' continued Mistress Nicole, 'it's a common thing. I have done some investigating and found that you have come from a small devout family. You went through 12 years of strict catholic education before going to a catholic university. It's dirty for you to have sex. You have to look up to the Virgin Mary. How many years have you been taught that sex is bad? Too many! Perhaps, just perhaps Susan is sex meant to be pleasurable? You are in my world now and you may be startled to find that sex when you are helpless. Or a sexual mix of pleasure with pain makes you orgasm so strongly, makes you beg for more. Don't be shocked Susan, your life education starts today. Is sex dirty Susan?'
'Yes Mistress Nicole,' I blurted, 'I only tolerate it because I am married to Tom.'
'Do you love Tom?' asked Mistress Nicole.
'Yes Mistress Nicole. I do. I always have, since we met anyway.'
'Tom do you love Susan?'
'Yes I do Mistress Nicole, but....'
He left the statement unanswered. He didn't want to let Susan hear what he wanted to do, what he had said to Mistress Nicole. He was feeling nervous in his stomach and didn't know if he could go through with it. Mistress Nicole sat and watched them as they looked at each other. She reached over to the computer keyboard and typed a few keys. Then with the mouse, she clicked on a few icons. The couple in front of her could not see what was going on. 'I am just making some preparations,' said Mistress Nicole as an explanation.
'Now Tom, do you want to reiterate what you told me on the phone about your sex-life?'
I looked around suddenly with a mixture of disgust and anger on my face, feeling both embarrassed and disgusted he should do such a thing. 'How dare you talk to strangers about our marriage, and what's worse, our sex-life. I'm think I'm ready to leave.'
'Mistress Nicole, I can't tell her that, I'm embarrassed and ashamed,' said Tom.
'No matter, she'll hear it anyway.'
Reaching over to the mouse, she deftly moved it over the screen and then clicked the button. In seconds there was the sound of a male voice in the room, coming from speakers on the desk and behind the chairs.
Both the Creighton's swung their heads, trying to identify the sounds and then Tom recognized, only seconds before I did. It was his voice and it was his conversations, at least one of them with Mistress Nicole the previous week. He was shocked. His voice was speaking about how his wife wears numerous nightclothes to bed, won't shower with him and doesn't ever swear, and hates him swearing or using vulgar language. On he droned describing his persistent attempts to talk her into other positions than missionary. Then the lack of oral sex, and how she won't let him "go down there because it's dirty" and he spoke about how it seems to be a chore for her and she never really seems to enjoy it. The entire edited package ran for a few minutes.