I am nervous. The cab draws up outside the house and I pay the fare, my hands shaking as a try to extract the money from my purse.
"Thank you." I say to the driver, as I open the door.
"Have a nice night." he says, brightly. I smile the best I can manage, despite the fierce hammering of my heart.
Before I enter the house, I check my phone. No new messages. I reread the text from earlier.
"GET OVER HERE. NOW."
I feel my reply of "Okay xxxxx." might actually make me seem more casual and more confident than I am. The cocktails may also have had that effect on my confidence, but I haven't had many. It's still early.
I let myself in. I am about to announce my presence, when he see him. My master is standing by the door to the sitting room, leaning against the door frame, his expression serious. I want to smile, but I can barely breathe. I swallow and he stalks towards me.
"Hello." he says, coming to a halt in front of me. He stands very close, but doesn't touch me.
"Hello." I reply, my voice a timid squeak. I know I am in trouble. He takes my hand, and kisses it, slowly, teasingly, and takes me to the sitting room. He does not tell me to sit, and so I remain standing, as he heads to his drinks cabinet.
"Would you like a drink?" he asks, his tone too polite, stiff.
"No, thank you."
"Good idea. You've probably had enough. How much, out of interest?"
"Not much." I say.
He frowns. He really is angry with me. A moment of tense silence passes, before he comes and stands behind me. I hear him inhale, taking in my scent. His hands make their way to the backs of my legs, stroking softly.
"This dress is very short," he whispers in my ear. 'Shows off your lovely legs.'
When he reaches the hem of the dress he pauses.
"It's not far from here...to here." he says, his hands moving from the dress to my bum cheeks, squeezing slightly.