Punishment

Simone caught his gaze. "I don't get it."

Brian looked contrite. "I am sorry."

"Fuck." Her thundercloud brows. Forest fire eyes.

Simone continued in a controlled and deadly voice, "I do not understand."

"I don't understand either," Brian replied. "I got wrapped up in a lousy program." Simone entered the kitchen. Brian followed her.

"Doing what exactly?" She put her weight on a counter's edge.

Brian took a breath. He rifled through his memory. "I deleted the pointer to the data transfer class couple of lines later." Here a pause for mental breath. "So I could access a size for an memory allocation in a display class. Jerkin' off in effect. By the time I woke up, the garage had closed."

"So your goddam heap was more important than my transportation." Simone pushed off from the counter.

"NO!!!!" Now, it was Brian's turn for the controlled tone. "Look, I made a mistake. I should have put 'Call about Simone's car.' on the scheduler. But... but I was too damm stupid. I fucked up."

"OK." The forest fire raged. "How am I supposed to get to work?"

"I'll drive you."

"You'll be late."

"I'll skip lunch."

Simone poured two cups of coffee. "I'll make you something to eat at your desk."

"Thank you."

"I don't see how you could be so... negligent."

After a pause, Brian spoke. He had a quiet, resigned and hesitant voice. "I'm afraid to ask this. These words are a quote from S&M porn. But I'll ask anyway. I'll ask because I need it: Will you forgive me?"

Simone handed Brian a full and steaming cup. "I suppose."

Simone motioned Brian to take a seat on the couch. To sit across from her. Brian looked at her.

Simone retired to the corner with the cushions. With the cushions and the plant. A forever-dieing plant named Herr Franco.

Simone tucked her knees up. She put her chin upon her knees. And her arms around her knees. She rocked back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth and back.

Once, long ago, Brian had christened this particular position 'a fetal position for acrobats'. But today he said nothing.

Simone turned away from Brian. Her eyes flashed away from him. Her arms and legs were smooth and soft. Her smell filled Brian's mind.

After a few minutes, Simone noticed Brian.

"I forgive you. And I'm not mad any more - well I'll stop pretty soon. But I need you to know that what you did was the reverse of a session." Simone took a coffee sip. Brian simply waited. "During a session, I maybe have you call me your goddess because I fell like your goddess. That's the way I feel."

She smiled a little here. "And it is all your fault. You suffer for me. You sacrifice for me. The man I love - I love and adore - will do anything, anything, ANYTHING for me. I wish I could explain it. I feel like one of those speechless spacewoman. The woman who say, 'Its real pretty up here. ' But it is. It really is. Its the best thing in my life."

Brian said, "Thank you."

"Don't say anything more."

Simone pointed down. "Kneel close to me."

Brian obeyed Simone.

Simone put her hand out. She ruffled Brian's hair.

"But when you said, 'I forgot about your car.' Brian, I felt like dirt."

Simone sipped another sip. "Its not really about the car. I don't give a shit about a couple of tons of archaic... engineering. Pseudo- engineering. Transportation is an issue, but not that big an issue. If I can't get to work, I might even keep breathing."

Brian began to say something. His owner cut him off.

"SHUT IT."

Simone's expression hardened. Her tone was angry. Short. Abrupt.

"You made me feel like dirt. Like a piece of... nothing. Like I do not count. Like you do not care." Simone looked away. Then she noticed motion out of corner of her eye.

"KEEP YOUR HANDS AT YOUR SIDE. Let it run down your face."

Simone uncoiled. She leaned forward over Brian. She grabbed him by the hair. Simone forced Brian to look up at her. She locked her gaze on his gaze.

Then Simone said - a small and broken voice - "You hurt me, Brian."

Then she pushed him over. She pushed Brian on his back. Without much ado, Simone climbed atop her slave. She put her weight on Brian. Put her weight on him.

Then she tucked her hair back - back behind her ears. She had him trapped. There would be no escape. No escape for Brian. Simone licked away his tears.