The Summer of Francesca

Once Anne was on the floor of her bedroom sleeping soundly a little past midnight when the phone rang. She got up from her rug and answered. It was Paul.

"I need you here in twenty minutes."

"I have a client meeting this morning -"

"The Smiths at ten, yes."

_Who told him that?_ she asked herself.

"You should be able to make it. If not, Louis will take over; they know about you."

She shuddered. "Yes, sir."

"Wear your leash beneath your clothes. And one more thing."

"Sir?"

"Grease up."

"Yes, sir." She was going to have a busy night.

She shook her head free from the cobwebs of sleep and found her tube of lubricant. She applied it, dressed and headed out the door.

She was halfway down the block when she remembered the leash. She dashed back to her apartment, took it from the hall closet and attached it to her collar. In her haste she forgot to put it inside; it dangled in front of her as she ran.

She reached Paul's place five minutes late, and knew what that meant; no dinner tonight. His frown turned to a half-smile when he saw the leash. He let her in, took it in hand and led her to the living room where a dozen or so Hispanic looking men and two women awaited her.

Paul introduced her as an example of the product his syndicate was pleased to supply. It had done little business in the South American market and welcomed the opportunity to expand into it. After a moment to get her breath back and regain her composure she undressed in front of them slowly and provocatively to appease him and make the sale. She draped her clothes on the back of the sofa. When she was done he turned her over to them.

He finally released her before dawn, deprived of a night's rest, weary and frail. She staggered home, cleansed herself where she had been most active, and caught an hour of sleep before heading for the office. But after the conference that morning her boss told her she had never been more sensitive to the needs of a client and she glowed with pride.

A day or two later (Anne couldn't be exactly sure) Paul took her out in public on a date. He brought her to an elegant downtown restaurant filled with well-dressed diners. Anne looked around in wonder at the opulent yet tasteful surroundings; she rarely moved in such exalted circles.

The headwaiter led them to a table for two in the center of the room before handing a menu to Paul. He ordered a glass of wine for himself but not for Anne. The waiter seemed to know him; she caught the words "special diet". He selected an entree and gave directions on its preparation. Anne looked up inquiringly at him, but he said nothing.

After a brief interval the waiter brought Paul's wine, and another placed a pair of bowls on the table in front of Anne. He returned with a pitcher of water and filled one bowl with it. Customers at nearby tables looked at the bowls, smiled, and talked behind their hands.

In time the waiter brought Paul's dinner and an engraved serving cup of feed pellets. Paul put a quantity in his open palm and she ate out of his hand. He poured the remainder in her feed bowl and invited her to dine. Anne wondered why he did not have the bowls set on the floor as usual; then she realized that in the crowded room she would be an impediment kneeling on the floor. Also, raised up like this her condition was more visible to everyone.

Other than that everything seemed quite normal; dipping her tongue into bowls was how she ate and drank now, though doing it in public was an exciting novelty. This was a new phase of her training.

On his orders she had once again fasted since morning, and her appetite was sharp. She clasped her hands behind her out of habit, leaned forward and began. The taste was subtly different from what she got at Paul's; richer and more complex with herbal flavors. She was becoming a gourmet of animal feed. She moistened her tongue by lapping from her water bowl now and then. Though she tried to be discreet, she could not avoid slurping sometimes and drawing attention to herself. The waiter refilled it as necessary.

Paul had allowed her a generous portion, and by the time she finished the last pellet she was contented, happy to be where she was and in his company.

He declined coffee and dessert. He had just paid the bill and was preparing to rise when a young Asian man approached the table. He explained to Paul that he was a recruiter for a gentleman's club in Macao. He pointed to Anne and asked if she was available; Paul shook his head and said most likely some time in May.

He told Anne to stand up for the young man; as she did, she noticed a hush come over the room and all eyes turn toward her. Somewhat self-consciously she made a slow pirouette. At a sign from Paul she opened her blouse for Mr. Lum to examine her breasts and stood straight to display them properly; he handed Paul his card and asked to be notified.

As they left the restaurant Paul hailed a taxi and told the driver to take them to a park at the edge of town, probably the one Edward spoke of. Anne had never been there; it had an unsavory reputation as a place for assignations and criminal activity. He led her down a narrow path into a wooded area and paused at a small clearing.

After a minute, she heard a sound from the edge of the clearing; Paul beckoned and a rough-looking man with a matted black beard came forward. Paul told Anne to crouch on an area of moist grass beside a muddy pool. The man quickly lifted her skirt and entered her from behind; Anne gritted her teeth to avoid crying out while he enjoyed her.

When she was standing again, Paul ordered her to lie down in the pool. She hesitated and the man pushed her in. She began to cry and struggled to rise; he put his foot on her back.

"Hold her there till she stops." The man's foot slid up toward her neck.

"I don't mean that; let her breathe." The foot moved back down and Anne lay quietly in the mud.

Paul let her marinate a while longer, then told her to get up. She had mostly stopped crying; he slapped her and she was quiet. He led her back on the path to the street where the taxi waited.

The driver looked her up and down and said "She's not getting in here like that."

Paul handed the cabbie one of the twenties Anne gave him.

"She can't use the seat; put her on the floor and I'll open all the windows."

He opened a back door and Anne crawled inside. The muddy blouse clung to her hanging breasts. Paul took his place in front beside the driver. He gave the address of Anne's building.

Her rear stung from the man's assault on it, but she was used to that and happy she had satisfied him. She hoped she had not offended Paul with her brief refusal in the park.

When they arrived, Paul opened the door and she backed out on her hands and knees. He walked her up the stairs to the front entrance. She apologized for her misbehavior; he nodded and said that overall she did well.

Anne had largely recovered on the ride home, and she thanked him for a lovely evening. She was feeling carefree now, even romantic. She looked up at him for a second before he left. He was gone before she could think of words to express her feelings. It didn't matter, he was pleased with her, that was enough.

Her blouse was still open; she pulled it out from her skirt. It billowed wetly away from her body as she went up to her apartment.

Once inside, she laid her clothes in the kitchen sink and began to run water into it. A night's soaking would set them right.

As the sink filled she thought about the experiences Paul had just put her through, from the height of sophistication to the bottom of a pond with a vagrant's foot on her back. The evening had been good for her. She must learn to carry out orders at once without thinking. If he wanted her in the mud, in the mud she would go.

She hoped he would ask her out again, maybe on her leash. Imagine entering the restaurant on a leash, that would make heads turn; she should get a nicer one for the occasion. When the clothes were covered with water she went straight to her rug in the bedroom and lay down.

She slept well and arrived early at work the next morning. The rough leash beneath her clothes reminded her of her decision; she would definitely look for a new one.

She knew of a store, Elle-bent, that catered to "women's special needs". She went there at the end of the day; it was in a seedy neighborhood of motorcycle repair shops and dive bars. In the window was a woman bent over while another stood behind her holding a whip. A poster advertised a "tournament" tonight.

Anne pushed open the door of the shop and went in. In a tall display case was a nude figure suspended by her bracelets from a hook. At first Anne thought she was a mannequin like the two outside, but after a second the girl moved. She was young and slender with dark hair about the same length as Anne's, just long enough to hold in one's fist. The fleece between her legs had been removed and her lips were clearly outlined as she stood with her legs apart.

The girl looked up at her and smiled. On the floor at her feet was a sign giving her name, address, and measurements; she lived only a block from Anne, who remembered seeing her now and then in the company of an older woman. The sign gave the woman's name and the words "Not for sale". Anne wondered if the girl was there for punishment, or reward. And if she would find herself hung there some day for viewing. The thought excited her; she was glad she had come here.

Two women stood behind the counter. Maude was the owner: large, her close-cropped hair streaked with gray. Cher was no more than twenty, pale and slightly built with long light-brown hair. Both were heavily tattooed with images of chains extending into areas covered by their clothes.

Anne explained that she wanted a nice-looking leash. "For yourself?"

"Yes, ma'am, to replace this one."

She unbuttoned her blouse for Maude, who pulled it out - Anne gave a little yelp - and inspected it. She chose three from a display; taking up Anne's leash, she led her into a back room with Cher following behind.

The door closed heavily after them and Anne saw it was padded like the walls with soundproofing. The room was a small theater with a low stage at the end where they stood, and chairs facing it.

Cher went to one side and turned on a set of lights that momentarily blinded Anne. At Maude's direction she removed her clothes; Cher carried them away and Maude fastened her hands behind her before placing a gag in her mouth. At the mercy of these strangers, Anne began to fear them.

Cher saw this and pointed it out to Maude, who said "Good, good." She took the one of the leashes and handed it to Cher, who rubbed it against Anne's belly before attaching it to her collar. Cher led her to a full-length mirror where she saw herself naked, bound and gagged with the two women on either side, their arms folded; she liked the scene. But the leash was too short; she shook her head no.

The second one was coarse and too long. She shook her head again and hoped they would not think she was being difficult.

The third one ended just above her knees and was nicely uneven, a little bumpy on one side. Anne nodded her approval, grateful she did not have to request another set.

Maude told Cher to "try her out"; the younger woman shook the leash to demonstrate its suppleness and let it fall. Anne knelt on command and stood again when told.

Maude invited Arturo to come forward; Anne looked up to see an audience of twenty or more men and women watching her. They had entered so quietly that with the light in her eyes Anne did not notice them.

To her dismay, Anne recognized him; he was the young man who sold her first tube of lubricant and taught her how to bend over and apply it. He flashed that wicked grin of his as he took her leash from Cher and told the audience of their encounter at the pharmacy.

They laughed at the story; and again to see Anne turn crimson at the telling, so apparent as she stood nude on the stage.

Arturo put Anne through her paces; walking erect to display her breasts, kneeling, standing up, walking again, and finally kneeling at his feet. He made her promise to visit him next week. She hoped Paul would not mind; should she tell him? If Arturo was quick, she could let him do her right after work. No, she had better ask for permission before going; Paul would be angry if... Arturo rapped her head with his knuckles and broke her reverie. He removed the gag and gave her a cookie before returning to his seat. She would have touched her head to the floor for him but he was gone too quickly.

Cher told her to stand and released her hands. Anne put her clothes on and walked through the audience to the front room. Maude told them she was not part of the contest; that would begin in a little while.

In the front room were four girls, each on a leash held by a woman behind her. Anne realized they were the entries in tonight's event. She wished she could stay and watch, but she had to be at Paul's for her lesson in an hour.

She did not have enough cash to buy her new leash - it was shockingly expensive - so she paid for it with a credit card and gave Maude her name, address and phone number which the woman wrote down. Cher took a tape to Anne and read off her measurements, which Maude noted on her record.

"You belong to Paul, don't you?"

"Yes, ma'am." Maude wrote his name above Anne's and filed the card in a small metal box.

Cher put the leash in a paper bag with a bold design: a pair of handcuffs and two whips formed a circle surrounding a pair of women like the two in the window, and beneath it the name of the store. Anne thanked her and Maude and carried her purchase home, hoping Paul would like it.

He did, but not on her. When she offered it to him that evening he said he would decide what leash she wore, she must learn to stop being so independent. He would save the new leash for another girl.

Or she could try to return it for a refund and see what they did. Anne shuddered and he put it in a drawer before leading her into the living room where two men awaited her.