The week passed, and the buyer settled into a pattern of using Anna in the mornings and evenings. She felt the effects of the caning but they didn't interfere with her duties, so she gritted her teeth and handled the pain and reminded herself it would not last
On Saturday they enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, listening to the radio and chatting lightly about the news. When the afterglow of his morning orgasms faded to a pleased shimmer over tea, the buyer told her about his plans for that evening.
"There's a work thing on," he explained. "Most people will have dates, and it looks better if I have one. So you'll come with me."
Anna only paused a moment before responding. "Of course, Master. What's the dress code?"
"I have a dress for you hanging in the spare room that'll be appropriate," he replied. His lip curled in a smirk as Anna's eyebrows raised just a fraction. "I know what size you are."
"I never doubted it," Anna replied with a smile.
"It's a black-tie event, so you should look your best. I'm assured you know how to present yourself." He paused as Anna nodded. "You should be pretty but not interesting. You should be a lovely accessory, not the talk of the party. You shouldn't distract from me. Do you understand?"
Anna's face lit up with a flicker of a smile as she realized the buyer was implying, whether he intended to or not, that she was capable of being that interesting. She nodded again in acknowledgement. "I do understand, Master. Seen and not heard."
The buyer nodded. "Good girl."
The words, identical to Mark's words of praise, seemed to pass straight through her. He'd said it before but they hit her hard this time for some reason. Anna felt her cheeks flush and hoped her sudden feelings of longing didn't show on her face. The buyer had turned his attention to his tablet though, and so didn't notice.
Anna was allowed to take her time getting ready. The dress was black and elegant, and the buyer had provided appropriate accessories. She stood in front of the mirror for a long time, eyes tracing over the lines between the dress and her skin, making sure no trace of bruise or wound was showing. Then her focus changed, and she stepped back for a moment.
I almost look like a real girl,
she thought. Even wearing the collar, which she knew Mark had chosen intending her to be able to pass as his partner in public, she might have mistaken herself for a normal woman if she didn't know any better.
Maybe even a pretty one...
She closed her eyes and shook her head and turned away, looking around at the room that was now in disarray, then starting to tidy things up.
The event itself, from what Anna could tell, was a reward for good work well done on a recent project. Dinner was served and there were some talks, but the real point of the evening was social. Anna listened and smiled and spoke when spoken to, or when the conversation seemed to call for it. She listened attentively and was charming to people she was introduced to. She stayed on the buyer's arm, and she followed his lead without looking slavish.
The buyer seemed pleased.
They chatted on the way back from the gala, Anna offering her observations on the people she'd met and the conversations they'd had. He listened and offered a few comments, asking a few questions, but not saying much. She wondered whether he was actually interested in what she had to say, but since he didn't show any indication that he wanted her to stop talking she continued to chatter, increasingly unsure of herself.
