Chapter 27
Helena grimaced. "The question about a child was a mistake. He was right about the time and place for a question like that. The frame, well, he has us, doesn't he? No point in searching for the switch, it's well hidden, he does nothing by halves."
Cathy asked, "Michelle, did you intend a golden shower?"
"Yes, it was on the list of suggestions."
"He's been clear for months it was a limit. Just a week ago he had a terrible experience on that very frame. It's why there's a cutout now being used. Whose idea was it to press the point right after his last experience?"
Michelle was surprised. "What? I'd have not gone in that direction had I known! It appears he kept me out of trouble." She turned to Helena. "You and Marion certainly didn't."
Upstairs, Rob dressed quickly. A long walk in the fresh air with his dogs would do him good. He was hungry, he hadn't eaten anything yet. In the kitchen he grabbed a chunk of bread and a bottle of water. He took the dogs out the kitchen door. This was a change to the familiar routine for the dogs. They stopped to look back to the house; he walked further and further. He had to change his setting, go to a place where the session this morning, the upcoming engagement party with its obligations, could be trivial and unimportant. What was the fuss about, signing a contract? He should have done it at a notary's office, then he wouldn't have to do what he was expected to do. He thought of horny women pushing their cunts at him for service, laughing at cost of his dignity. Even the ones he didn't service would know how many women were having him that evening.
He heard fast footsteps and loud panting behind him. It was Michelle, Boris running beside her. Nothing about her matched the Mistress who had been tormenting him only minutes before. In trousers, a thick jumper and a coat, she was just an ordinary woman with a dog.
"Helena told me this is direction you usually go. I missed the chance to ask you to wait for me."
Rob wasn't settled enough to filter his response. "I left by myself intentionally. I need to be alone for a time. I'm surprised Helena didn't understand that."
She looked surprised, but quickly recovered. "Excuse me, I do understand. Our session ended awkwardly, I didn't have an opportunity to help you cool down. Shall I do that now?"
"No."
Michelle gave him a nod and turned to take Boris in a different direction.
He looked at her retreating form with some satisfaction, aware his words had been petty revenge for the morning. He knew he'd hurt her feelings. Well, it was the risk she took. Piss off, he thought. He chuckled. Just never piss on me!
Apparently she was a friend of Helena and therefore likely Marion was her friend as well. That didn't automatically make him her friend, quite the contrary. Stalking him out dog-walking didn't speak well for her either. He walked on, wondering if Helena had known Michelle from before their chance meeting in Oxford.
When the dogs saw Boris walking away they wanted to go along but a command from Rob kept them at his heels. He turned in a direction directly away from Michelle.
When he thought it was far enough he started to throw sticks. He wandered, letting the dogs and his random throws choose his direction. After nearly an hour walking, he was feeling more settled.
With his dogs in a tugging match over a stick, Boris appeared, then Michelle. "If you still want me to stay away, I'll go, Rob."
"No, stay. Michelle, I'm sorry, I hadn't settled myself yet." He didn't want to be too rude to her.
"Ron, I'm sorry as well. Helping you return to the real world is my responsibility. I should have given you some after-care. The entire session was awkward, it ended suddenly, I didn't do some of the things I normally do." He didn't respond, he was looking about for sticks to throw. She looked at him oddly; after a pause she asked, "Don't you like me?"
"What sort of a question is that? Like you? We're just acquaintances. You don't know me at all, you can't possibly have a reason to find me special."
"I find you fascinating, I want to get to know you better."
"I'm engaged to Helena; soon I must sign a contract with three more women as not-quite-wives. I have far too many women in my life already. I don't want more, I want fewer. Is it necessary I like you?"
"I hope so. I expect Helena has already mentioned I am to be your training mistress. You and I will seek new paths. The lessons learned will come back to Marion and Helena. At least that's the plan Helena, Marion and I have settled on."
Still another surprise. Why hadn't Helena told him? "She hasn't said a thing. You've been set up again, at further cost to your credibility."
Michelle grimaced.
"You'll take me as your slave or whatever you want to call it?"
"Not slave. Play partner. Bottom. I'll take you as far as you want to go in your training. You'll like it, all of it, of that I am certain. We'll reach much more together than you ever could reach with Marion or Helena. Don't you understand? Think about this morning, you were really afraid my whip was going to leave marks. But what happened? A little flame of some brief pain, that's all. Yes, I gave you twelve blows with the cane. I imagine you hit the women much more severely. I do give pain, but in a subtle way."
He turned, looking her in the eye. He looked angry. "The total of all the blows with a cane to those four ladies, to anyone at all in my entire life, is exactly zero! Zero! Did you ask Helena?"
"I didn't see a reason to ask."
"So, what they say is take for truth and my words aren't credible. You're making it easy to decline your training.
"Listen, all of them can tell you they saw no marks on any of the others. My prank was too convincing. I've been hit, what, twenty strokes so far, for those canings that didn't happen! I'm sure there will be another three or four more episodes of retribution before Marion is satisfied."
"Let's get back to your training, Rob."
"No, Michelle. It simply isn't your place to discuss this with me. This is another stupid idea Helena cooked up, no doubt goaded by Marion. As usual I have no say in the matter. Helena must answer for this, not you."
"Listen Rob: last week their fear of how you might behave when something bad happens again was really amplified. It will be an accident or a misunderstanding, these little events are never intentional. Still, things can go wrong, especially since they are themselves novices. But you overreact. That's why they asked me to train you."
"Of course, they never take responsibility, those two. Listen, I didn't experience a little event last week. The event itself isn't why I left the house. I have another safeword with Helena, cruel. I made it perfectly clear, in fact Helena can play the video for you, if I say the word 'cruel,' she must stop everything and make it right, in the instant. When they were drowning me in their piss," he said each word with emphasis. "I called out cruel. They didn't stop and make it right, they didn't rescue me. No, they toddled away, laughing. They didn't even fully release me from the damned frame, just one hand. I was flat on my back with their piss filling my nose, in my lungs, trying to get myself loose. I didn't leave because of anger, Michelle. I stayed here that night; they had a chance to come to me and make amends.
"As for my leaving in over-reaction, I left the next morning because my absence is the defined consequence of not responding to me when I say cruel. But I agree this incident wasn't intentional, that's exactly what worries me most: how careless, how negligent they are."
Rob may have intended to smile, Michelle saw a grimace. "Now you know exactly why there's a cutout switch on power to the frame."
"Is that what happened?"
"Did they not tell you the story?"
"Just a summary. After-care is important, something I should expect them to know."
He looked at his wristwatch. "We've been out for a time, I'm getting cold, I expect the dogs are cold as well. Let's go back in."
As they neared the house, Rob glanced at Michelle. She seemed worried. He felt he had to clear the air with her. "Listen, Michelle, you seem disappointed we didn't click. It's not you. Those four ladies, still in the house, with their bloody stupid questions, are far more responsible than either you or I." After a pause, he added, "mostly Marion, the one who wanted you to do the watersports game on the frame with me."
"Thank you, I appreciate you saying it's okay between us. It's - it's something else."
"Anything I can help with?"
"I may ask for your help. It's just Helena surely thinks I owe her a big favor, giving me the opportunity to do a session with you."
She was shocked when Rob laughed. Seeing her hurt expression, he was quick to explain. "Your position may be better than you realize. She was only just lecturing me on what a big favor you were doing for her."
"Really?" Rob could see her relief.
Helena greeted them as they came in the kitchen door, a smile on her face. "Did you have a good chat?" Beckoning, she led them to follow her out into the main hall.
Rob answered as he came in. "We've had an interesting conversation, if we ignore the issues you've created for yourself."
If she heard his words, she didn't react at all. It seemed to Rob more likely she hadn't heard him.
"Michelle is no ordinary woman." Helena put her hand on Michelle's shoulder. "Over the past week, ever since you left us, she and I have talked a lot about how to get through to you, without you walking away. We discussed S&M, our relationship and our future. Michelle and Cathy are impressed with how this latest challenge has worked out. Rob, they're also impressed with how well you took the session."
