Revenge Is Not a Dish. It's a Meal

She had never felt so humiliated, not ever, and she was almost an expert at it by now. But they were all laughing at her. And that wasn't the worst part. It was the way that he was looking at her. He was laughing louder than anyone else.

He stopped laughing, struggling to compose himself. "Are you serious?" he asked her, "You actually think that I'd bring somebody like you to the University ball?"

She didn't answer him, just stared back at him as the waves of humiliation threatened to engulf her. I'm going to throw up, she thought to herself, I'm going to throw up and that will make everyone laugh even more.

He shook his head and gave her a look of pity- which was even worse than the laughter-, and then he walked away from her. She stood there for a long time, frozen to the spot, struggling not to sob. Mandy tapped her on the shoulder and she turned her head slightly.

"What's up?" Mandy asked her, "Did he turn you down? That's a real surprise."

Smirking, Mandy made her way back over to her cronies.

It had been Mandy who had encouraged her to ask him; it had been Mandy who had told her that he liked her but was too shy to say anything. And she - not for the first time- had been stupid enough to fall for the cruel prank. The echoes of the laughter still ringing in her ears, she slowly made her way towards the exit.

.............

It was only much later when she was at home, that the sobs finally came; great heaving ones that cut into her like knives. Her mother looked at her in concern and horror. "What is it? What's the matter?"

"Nothing" she said, still sobbing.

Her mother got up from her chair, came over to the sofa, sat down, and put an arm around her. "Tell me" she gently said.

Her words punctuated with sobs, she told her mother everything that had happened. When she was finished her mother nodded, her face expressionless.

"So what do you want to do?"

"What can I do?"

"You can teach him a lesson."

"No, it was my fault. I was stupid to believe that he'd want to go to the dance with me."

"It took courage for you to ask him. He should have respected that and not treated you the way that he did. He needs to be taught a lesson."

Her mother's eyes were glowing now, and for a moment she almost believed that she could see flames dancing in them.

"But how?" she asked, "There's nothing I can do."

"I may be able to help you with that" her mother told her, "have you still got the year book?"

She nodded.

"Go and get it."

When she came back with the year book, her mother was sitting at the table.

"Bring it over here" her mother told her.

She handed the year book to her mother and watched as the pages were turned.

"Show him to me" her mother said, but there was something different about her voice, and again she thought that she could see flames in her eyes.

She pointed to his image in the photograph. Her mother took a red pen off the table and handed it to her. "Draw a circle around his image and repeat these words: I draw you towards me."

She did as her mother instructed.

"Good. Now cut around the circle with scissors and repeat these words: I cut into you as you cut into me."

Again, she did as she was bidden; her mind almost in a daze. She knew that her mother played with tarot cards sometimes but this was something entirely different. Surely it couldn't possibly work? But the way her voice had changed, and the flames in her eyes.

When she had finished cutting around the image and had removed it completely, her mother told her to put it down on the table. Then she handed her a black pen. "Draw a circle around your own image and cut around it."

The second image removed, she looked at her mother.

"Press your image on top of his and press down as hard as you can."

She did so, repeating her mother's words.

"I am above you

you are beneath me,

before me you shall crawl,

and suffer,

and relish that suffering,

content to be mine."

The flames were gone from her mother's eyes now and the cold darkness in her face.

"What happens now?"

"You wait" her mother told her. "He'll come over to you."

"And?"

Again, she saw the flames.

"You take your revenge, and you revel in it. Otherwise it won't work."

.............

"Hi" he said.

She looked up from her plate and there he was standing in front of her. He looked somewhat embarrassed, but eager too. An almost eager tone threatened to creep into her own voice, but she kept her tone cold when she answered him, remembering what her mother had said to her. "Yes."

He began to fidget and she found herself immensely satisfied with his discomfort.

"The University ball" he said.

"What about it? Have you managed to find somebody to go with you? Somebody more worthy than me?"

He fidgeted even more, his face crimson. "I- I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

"Me! She exclaimed, but she had to fight not to eagerly accept his invitation. It took all of her self-control to keep the icy tone in her voice. "I don't think you really want to bring me. What would your friends think?"

"I'd really like you to come with me" he told her. Was that a tone of pleading in his voice? Surely not. Her heart was beating against her chest. Keep it cold, she told herself, keep it like ice.

"Well, it's nice of you to ask but after yesterday I'm not too sure what to think. You weren't exactly very nice to me. Were you?"

"No I wasn't" he admitted. "I'm really sorry."

"I think you should try very hard to make it up to me. What do you think?"

He nodded, his expression like that of an eager puppy. "Yes, I'd like to make it up to you. It was wrong of me to say the things I did. Wrong and cruel."

"Indeed it was" She agreed. A rush of power coursed through her. Power that she had never felt before in her life. And was she imagining it but her voice seemed to her changed, as though something dark had crept into it.

People had started to look over towards her table. She was sitting on her own.

"How can I make it up to you?" he asked, desperation in his voice now.

The words were out of her mouth before she had time to think.

"Lick my boots."

He looked back at her and she wanted to take the words back. How could she have been so stupid? There was no way on earth that he was actually going to lick her boots. What had she been thinking of? But she had wanted to humiliate him.

"I can't do that" he told her.

She had blown it. Her chance had been lost. But something told her to remain icy.

"Well ok then. I thought you wanted to make it up to me. I guess I was wrong."

He stood in front of her for a moment longer, and then, his face still crimson, moved away from the table.

She began to eat again, forcing herself not to look up. Less than ten seconds passed before he was standing in front of her again.

"OK" he said, "I'll do it."

"Do what?" she asked, her heart beating even harder than before.

"I'll lick your boots. If that's what it takes to make it up to you."

He was going to do it, he was actually going to do it. For a moment she almost felt faint with the sheer intoxication of power that was coursing through her body. She was revelling in it.

" I'm afraid that the stakes have been raised slightly" She told him.

He looked back at her.

"Now I want you get down on your knees and beg me to allow you to lick my boots. I want to hear sincerity in your voice."

This time there was no hesitation. He got down on his knees.

"Please may I lick your boots?"

She looked down at him. Her lips curling into a cruel smile. A cruelty that she had never known she possessed. "You are going to have to do a lot better than that if you want me to believe that you are genuine about making it up to me. A lot more sincerity and a hell of a lot more pleading. And louder too so everyone can hear you."

His face became abject. "Please" he begged her, "Please may I lick your boots?"

All eyes were turned towards her table. People were pointing. He must have been humiliated beyond belief. For a moment she thought about letting things ago, but only for an instant. That dark, dark power was welling up inside her.

"You may" she told him, "They could use a good clean."

She extended a booted foot towards him. Watching with that same cruel smile as he began to eagerly lick the boot. She couldn't fully believe that this was really happening. Less than a day ago he had looked at her as though she were something he'd almost stepped in. And now here he was grovelling at her feet, licking her boots like an eager puppy.

"Get them nice and clean for me and I'll consider going to the dance with you".

His licking became even more eager. A thought crept into her mind and the smile became even crueller. The ball was going to be a lot of fun. This was only the beginning.

..........

She heard the car horn beep just as she was putting on her lipstick. She looked at her watch. Exactly on time, she thought to herself. Damn he was obedient. She almost felt bad about what she had planned for him. Almost.

"How do I look?" she asked her mother.

"Beautiful" her mother answered. . He's a very lucky man."

"Man?" she raised an eyebrow slightly.

They both laughed.

"I better not keep him waiting, I suppose." She leaned forward and kissed her mother on the cheek.

"Have a wonderful night" her mother said, "and don't forget this."

She took the object from her mother, looked at it, and felt that swell of power again.

"I shouldn't be too late"

"I'll be up" her mother told her, "you can tell me all about it later. Now go and have fun."

He opened the passenger side for her, standing there as she got into the seat.

"Sorry to keep you waiting"

"That's ok. I don't mind waiting for you."

"It should be a great night" she said.

"It will be. Because I'm with you." He looked into her eyes. There wasn't a hint of insincerity in either his voice or his face. All she could see there was total devotion. He was completely hers. Her slave, her puppet. A very studly one, she admitted, but still a puppet. And yet he wasn't acting like a puppet. He really was in love with her, devoted to her. True, there were certain forces that had instilled that in him. But as far as he was concerned it was love.

When they reached the college and had gotten out of the car- he opening the door her and standing there like a dutiful servant- he moved to take her arm. She was tempted to let him but remembered that she needed to be cruel.

"No" she said.

He looked at her.

She pointed to the ground.

"Down" She said.

Without a moment's hesitation, he knelt at her feet.

"Do you want me to lick your shoes clean before we go in?" he asked her, "I'd be very happy to do that for you."

She thought for a moment and then shook her head. "Maybe later" she told him, "but for now I just want to add a little something to that lovely tux that you're wearing."

She took the objects that her mother had given her out of her coat pocket and crouched down beside him. She put the collar around his neck and then attached the leash to it. "Keep to my heel" she told him. "Be a good puppy for me tonight and maybe you'll get some treats later."

"Woof"

She laughed softly. He was a quick learner. Tonight was going to be a lot of fun.

She walked towards the steps, her obedient puppy crawling at her heel.

When they reached the top of the steps and walks towards the entrance, the red haired girl who was taking the tickets gasped.

"What on earth is going on?" she asked, "did he lose a bet?"

"No. I couldn't find a date for tonight so I've had to bring my puppy with me."

The red head looked totally perplexed for a moment and then she smiled. "Well, he's a very cute puppy." She crouched down and patted him on the head.

She felt the surge of power again when she was inside the dance and felt all eyes upon her. How many of the girls here had wanted him, she wondered, and now she had him on a leash. Had any of them ever fantasised about that?

At the bar, she ordered a vodka and coke for herself and then she asked for a dish of water. The barman looked at her, smirked, went away and came back with a dish of water. People were strange creatures. The more popular you were the more they secretly longed to see you brought down.

She led him over to an empty seat and they sat down. She sat back in her seat and sipped at her drink while her lay at her feet lapping at his dish of water. She kept a tight grip on his leash, tugging at it every now and then.

When she had finished her drink she tied his leash to one of the table legs. "Be a good puppy and stay here for a little while" she said, "I want to go and dance for a while."

He looked up at her, whimpering softly. She laughed and patted him on the head. "Don't be sad puppy, I won't be too long."

"Woof."

On the dance floor, she danced with an abandon and freedom that she had never dared to before. Usually she was sitting in a corner on her own hoping that somebody might ask her to dance. But tonight she didn't care. Everyone was looking at her. But nobody was laughing. Those days were over now. Mandy was dancing beside her. "How on earth did you manage to get him like that?" she asked.

"That's a secret" She told Mandy.

Mandy looked puzzled. Not a particularly unusual look for her. She was blessed with stunning looks but her intelligence was a few grades lower. "It looks kind of hot" she said.

"Oh it most certainly is" she smiled at Mandy and then continued to dance.

When she returned to the table he barked eagerly, his face animated like that of a dog who had been waiting for its mistress to return home. She sat down. Her feet were aching. She took her shoes off. Extending a foot towards him, she said, "That's a good boy, lick my feet. They're awfully tired and sore."

"Woof woof."

She sighed as he began to lick her feet, his tongue lapping at her toes, whimpering in delight, his eyes glowing. Before, when she had made him lick her boots his face had been crimson with humiliation but now all she could see now was total devotion. Having a pet had definite advantages over having a boyfriend.

"That looks like fun" A voice said.

She looked up and saw the red head who had been on the door earlier.

"Well it's very relaxing."

"It certainly looks it. Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Please do."

He continued to lick at her feet.

"So have you given him a name yet?"

"Not yet. I'm still trying to think of one."

The red smiled. Then she took off her shoes. "These heels have been killing me all night. Do you think your puppy might be willing to soothe my feet for me?"

"Puppy does exactly what he's told." Again that edge of darkness in her voice. It both frightened her and made her almost swell with power.

She pushed him away with her foot. He looked at her, his eyes longing, desperate. She held the laughter back. She pointed to the ground at the red heads feet.

He looked at her again. She nodded.

On his belly, he began to lick the red heads feet. Not with the same enthusiasm or devotion that he had licked her but still a very obedient and humble puppy.

It was a wonderful night. Such fun leading him around and making him do tricks on the dance floor. She was the centre of attention. But for once not of ridicule. Quite a number of girls were keen to have him lick their shoes or boots or feet. It seemed that she wasn't the only one that he had turned down. He had been the cruellest to her. But still a woman scorned was a woman scorned. They were enjoying their little dishes of revenge but she had the meal.

......

" I see that you've brought your puppy home" her mother said when she opened the door.

"Is that ok?"

"Of course. But it's late now. I have his cage ready. You can put him in it and then we'll sit down and you can tell me all about your night."

He whimpered and licked at her hand through the bars when she closed and bolted the cage door. "Good night puppy, I'll see you in the morning."

Her mother sat beside her at the table.

"Did you have a good night?"

"I had a wonderful night."

She smiled and looked at the year book again.

"What are you thinking about?" Her mother asked, smiling back at her.

"He was a very good puppy tonight. I don't want to be totally cruel to him."

Her mother nodded. "A good Mistress knows how to balance cruelty with kindness"

"And I don't want him to be lonely. Puppies need companionship."

"They do."

She took up the red pen and slowly began to draw a circle around the image on the page; Mandy's image. As time went on, she would be adding a few more to the list. She quite liked the idea of having a puppy farm. That was the thing about revenge. Once you got a taste for it one dish was never enough. You wanted the whole

meal

.