The Velvet Room Pt 03 The Mistake

The Velvet Room: The Mistake

(Part 3)

Ch. 3

Victoria woke to the sound of her alarm. She groaned, her face was mushed into her pillows and she was still wearing her suit from yesterday. Slightly disoriented, she got up and stumbled her way to the shower. The hot water washed away the haze and helped center her, though the memories of last night were still fresh on her mind. Elena's voice. Her hands...

She scrubbed harder.

After drying herself off and changing into her signature blazer, blouse, and skirt combo, she felt almost back to usual self. Victoria looked at herself in the mirror, turning slightly to get a better angle. Powerful. Confident. Just as a CEO should look. She took a deep breath and smiled. She was back in control.

As she pulled into her reserved spot by Luxe Noir headquarters however, her confidence began to waver. Had yesterday been a mistake? How would this affect her relationship with Elena? The nerves started to twist her stomach into knots. Elena had seen her at her lowest. Had taken her places she never thought she would go. Knew secrets about Victoria that no one else should ever know. That Victoria herself perhaps, didn't know. It could put her at an extreme disadvantage. If Elena ever decided to use this information against her...

Victoria shook herself. No. Elena wouldn't jeopardize her career like that. Besides, that was just a fantasy. What happened in the

Velvet Room

stayed in the

Velvet Room.

There was no reason the two worlds should ever collide. She switched off her engine and headed inside the steel glass building.

As Victoria walked down the halls of Luxe Noir HQ, people nodded respectfully and stepped aside to let her pass. She smiled inwardly, her confidence growing. Nothing had changed. She approached her office.

"Ms. Lancaster?" came a voice behind her. Victoria felt a jolt of electricity run through her as she recognized that voice. Slowly she turned to face Elena.

It was a shock. Gone was the beautiful confident woman who had tormented and brought her to the brink just the other night. Elena stood there, looking just as she always did. She wore a modest ivory blouse and a grey pencil skirt. Her round wireframe glasses were perched on her nose. The transformation was quite astounding. It was no wonder Victoria had never paid close attention to her. Elena had put quite an effort into hiding her natural beauty and blending into her surroundings.

Victoria plastered a smile on her face trying to hide her nerves. "Yes, Elena?"

"This is a summary of the quarterly report and your itinerary for today." Elena handed her a folder.

As she did so, her fingers brushed against Victoria's hand, sending a jolt of electricity running through her. If Elena noticed, she gave no indication.

Victoria thanked her and watched her surreptitiously as Elena walked away, moving gracefully through the cubicles. Victoria hurried into the safety of her office and shut the door. She sat at her polished desk and took a long calming breath. It was clear that Elena was quite the professional- able to compartmentalize her work life and her night life as a dominatrix without mixing the two.

Victoria felt her confidence slowly returning to her. This could work. She just needed to reaffirm her dominance over Elena. After all, fantasy was fantasy and work was work. Maybe if she just pointed out some flaws in Elena's work or had her do some menial tasks for her, the line could be made more clear. Something to throw her off or break her perfect composure. She carefully scanned through Elena's summary of the quarterly report. Flawless as always. She grabbed a red pen and circled some words and sentences at random. Then she stepped out of her office. Elena was working at her desk in the smaller office adjacent Victoria's.

"Elena."

Elena looked up from her laptop. "Yes, Ms. Lancaster?"

"Could you come here for a moment?" Victoria held the door open for her.

Elena nodded and got up, walking gracefully towards her in her high heels. They headed into her office, Victoria letting the heavy oak door swing shut behind them.

Elena looked at her expectantly. "Yes, Ms. Lancaster?"

Victoria handed her the summary of the quarterly report with all the red X's and circles. "This report was not up to your usual standard I'm afraid. Please retype it and make it a little less vague."

Elena took the report and quickly scanned it. Without missing a beat, she nodded. "Yes, Ms. Lancaster."

"Oh, and I'm feeling a bit tired from last night. If you'd be a dear and fetch me an Americana, I could do with a pick-me-up." Victoria hid a smirk as she watched Elena's face for any reaction. Elena's face however remained impassive as ever.

Elena simply nodded, unfazed by a request that was clearly below her position. "Will do. Don't forget you have the board meeting at 1 to discuss the international markets."

Victoria slapped her forehead. She had completely forgotten about the meeting.

Elena handed her another folder. "It's alright Ms. Lancaster. I made a list of notes for you to go over before the meeting. It covers most of the important points and contains the relevant information for each of the new locations we are looking at."

Ch. 4

Victoria skimmed over the notes in her office. Luxe Noir was poised to enter the market in Paris and Tokyo and she herself was spearheading the proposal for the new flagship locations. Everything looked in order- charts, marketing angles, quarterly projections. There was a small sticky note on the page detailing the acquisition in Shibuya but she ignored it. Her mind kept drifting back to Elena. How was she able to remain so composed after last night's session? It bugged her to no end. Knowing that Elena had seen her at her most vulnerable. Knowing that she had had Victoria restrained to a table begging to be allowed to come. She shook herself. This meeting would set things straight. This was her moment.

Grabbing her notes, she headed to the conference room.

Most of the executives were already seated when she arrived. They made to stand up as she entered the room but she waved them back down. Elena handed her a tablet before sitting in her usual spot in a corner of the room, a clipboard and pen at the ready. The large 4k display set in the wall showed the Luxe Noir logo- black and gold, sleek and minimal. Victoria tapped the tablet and started her presentation.

"Thank you all for coming," began Victoria. "As most of you know, we have been planning to enter the international markets for some time now. As we close Q2, there are two places in particular that I believe align with Luxe Noir's long-term vision: Paris and Tokyo. Both are cultural hotspots and a mecca for the fashion elite."

She began to click through the slides. Paris first. The market research. Location demographics. Projected returns. Heads nodded and the executives murmured their approval. It was going well.

"This property is perfectly located," she said, her tone bright. "With lease negotiations expected to close within the next few weeks, we project launch by early Q2 of next year."

She was halfway into the next slide when--

"Actually," Elena said quietly from her seat near the wall, "the Shibuya property you mentioned won't be available until Q3, not Q2. The lease terms changed last week--"

Victoria froze. There it was. The sticky note she had ignored. Her nerves, already taut from last night and the presentation, snapped.

"Thank you, Elena," she said coolly. "But I think we can manage without the commentary. I'll trust the board is capable of reviewing the logistics themselves--assuming, of course, the assistants stay in their lane."

As soon as the words had left her lips she regretted them. Why had she been so defensive? Elena had only been trying to help and now she had humiliated her in front of the board. Elena looked back down and fell silent. The board members shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Everyone knew Elena was much more than just an assistant. Her meticulous attention to detail and exemplary work over the years had garnered her much respect.

"I--uh, we'll review the full proposal this afternoon," said Mr. Brandt, one of the VPs, glancing down awkwardly at his notes.

Victoria continued on with the presentation, but the atmosphere had changed. She felt hollow inside. When it had ended, everyone stood and murmured their thanks before filing out of the room. Elena had already left, slipped out the second the meeting adjourned without a second glance.

Elena spent the rest of the day avoiding Victoria. When the workday came to an end Victoria found Elena had dropped off her end of day report in her office but had left without waiting for Victoria to read it. Victoria felt a knot twisting in her stomach. She took out her phone, but her pride would not let her text Elena an apology.

She decided she would make things right at the Velvet Room.

Ch. 5

Victoria waited once again in the same private chamber. Sitting on the chaise, she fidgeted with her robe nervously. Would Elena take out her frustration and humiliation on her? Would she punish her for her remarks during the board meeting? The sound of heels approached the door and Victoria felt her heart lifting. The door opened.

"Elena I-" she began then stopped. It was not Elena.

Instead a tall imposing woman in her early fifties, maybe 5ft11, with platinum blonde hair and piercing blue eyes entered the room. She wore a black latex catsuit and military style boots. She closed the door behind her.

"

Mistress Lenore,"

she corrected Victoria, looking disapprovingly down her nose at her. "Has informed me that she has no desire to see you." Victoria's heart sank.

"I am Mistress Rhea. For now, I will be taking over your sessions," she continued coldly.

"When will-"

"Silence!" barked Mistress Rhea, her steel grey eyes flashing dangerously. "I see I have my work cut out for me."

Victoria fell silent immediately.

Mistress Rhea handed her a golden mask. Victoria took it, confused.

"Put it on."

"Come!" Then Mistress Rhea turned smartly on her heels.

Victoria put the mask on and followed her out of the room. They walked through the hallways and entered a different room. They entered another room. This one was much different from the cozy dimly lit room they had left. It was a stark padded space- white walls, minimal furniture, and no distractions. It looked like a place of discipline.

Victoria swallowed nervously.

"Strip!"

Victoria removed her mask, placing it on the floor and slipped out of the silk robe. She quickly pulled her panties off and stood awkwardly with her hands at her sides.

Mistress Rhea stared at her, unblinking. "I see Mistress Lenore has been very lenient with you thus far. Kneel!"

"Today, you will learn humility."

Victoria knelt. Mistress Rhea took her crop and parted Victoria's legs with the tip. "Place your hands on your thighs with the palms facing up."

Victoria looked up at her, awaiting her next command.

The crop came down on her back with a loud snap. "Back straight, eyes down."

Victoria yelped and straightened her posture, looking down at the floor.

"You do not make eye contact with your Dominant or any Dominant unless expressly given permission." Said Mistress Rhea sternly.

"Yes Mistress." replied Victoria, her eyes firmly glued to the floor.

Mistress Rhea circled her slowly, her riding crop tapping against the palm of her gloved hands. Victoria could feel her piercing gaze upon her, studying her posture.

"From now on, this is how you will wait for your Mistress at the beginning of every session," said Mistress Rhea. "This is known as the devotion stance."

"Yes Mistress."

Mistress Rhea came to stop behind her. Victoria shifted uncomfortably, struggling to keep her back straight.

"Mistress Lenore gave you a taste of submission and you spat in her face."

Guilt rose inside of her like a wave crashing against her chest. Her words hit harder than the crop.

"You disrespected her in front of others to claw back some sense of control. You may have surrendered yourself yesterday but you haven't truly accepted what you really are." She circled her again. Victoria followed her military boots with her eyes as they came to a stop right in front of her. The crop came to rest just under her chin, tickling her throat, as if daring her to look up.

Victoria swallowed nervously, determinedly keeping her eyes on the floor.

"Why are you here?" demanded Mistress Rhea.

Victoria hesitated, panic fluttering in her stomach. She didn't know what the right answer was.

The crop came down on her thigh causing her to let out another yelp.

"I- I don't know Mistress."

"You are here to serve." Rhea said coldly. "You are here to learn obedience. Devotion. To break that pride you so stubbornly hold on to."

Victoria's heart pounded. She didn't dare move.

"Say it. Why are you here?"

"To serve, Mistress."

"Good."

Victoria felt Rhea's hand at her back, pushing her head to the floor. She took Victoria's arms and laid them across each other at the wrists on the floor above her head. "This is the humble position. It is one you would do well to remember."

Victoria's cheek pressed against the padded floor, her arms delicately crossed where Rhea had positioned her. She had never felt so small in her life.

She heard Rhea's boots padding away from her across the floor. They stopped at the door.

"You will stay like this until I return." Mistress Rhea said, her voice as still and cold as steel. "If I find you have moved even an inch, you'll regret it."

Then she left, the door closing behind her.

Silence.

Victoria bristled as she knelt there in that undignified position. Her pride was wounded. She was a paying customer at this establishment, and the membership was not cheap. Maybe she had crossed a line with Elena, but that was no reason to humiliate her like this. The minutes ticked by. Victoria's arms began to ache and she was desperate to scratch an itch on her back. But still she knelt. Slowly her pride ebbed. The fire in her heart faded, replaced by an emptiness. A loneliness.

Her thoughts turned to Elena.

Rhea was right. She had spat in the face of her Mistress. After Elena had introduced her to the wonders of submission, she had repaid her care with disrespect.

And now, she wasn't sure if Elena would ever touch her again.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Rhea returned holding a slim wooden paddle in her hand.

"Have you learned humility, submissive?" she asked, her voice devoid of warmth.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Have you learned the error of your ways?"

"Yes, Mistress."

"What mistake have you committed?"

"I disrespected my Mistress. I lashed out to protect my pride instead of submitting to her authority. I failed to accept what I am."

Rhea's eyes narrowed approvingly.

"Good. Now stand and ask to be corrected. Your training begins now..."

Ch. 6

Wednesday and Thursday passed like a blur. Rhea had taken over Victoria's training. Her approach differed heavily from Elena's. Where Elena had practiced warmth, Rhea had clinical coldness. Precision. Discipline. Obedience. Every session felt empty, like it scraped her clean. Every time, she waited on her knees for her Mistress Lenore to appear but every time she was met only with Rhea's icy presence.

Throughout it all, Victoria obeyed. She knelt. She asked permission to stand, to speak, to

breathe.

And all the while, an ache in her heart deepened.

She missed Elena.

At the office, Elena no longer looked at her the same way. She still did her job--flawlessly--but there was a wall now. A quiet distance. Not even disapproval. Just... professionalism.

And that was somehow worse.

By Friday afternoon, Victoria couldn't bear it anymore. She mustered up the courage to confront Elena.

She was seated at her desk when Elena entered to hand her her itinerary for the day. Victoria quickly stood up at her entrance and walked over to stand in front of her.

"Elena. Please talk to me," said Victoria, taking Elena's hand in her own. "I'm sorry for how I acted. I know I shouldn't have embarrassed you like-"

"Be quiet," said Elena coldly, shaking her hand out of Victoria's grasp.

Victoria took a step back like she had been slapped. Never had Elena spoken to her that way before. Despite her unassuming attire and her wire rim glasses, Elena suddenly seemed to command a presence around her, filling the room with a chill.

Elena turned strode over to the door locking it, the deadbolt sliding into place with an audible click. Then she closed the blinds in Victoria's office hiding them from view. Victoria simply stared, still trying to process Elena's sudden change in demeanor.

Elena walked gracefully in her heels to stand directly in front of Victoria. Though Elena was only a diminutive five foot two, a good three inches shorter than Victoria, her simple presence made Victoria tremble. Even Mistress Rhea had not been able to command such an imposing aura.

"Strip!" Ordered Elena.

Victoria gulped. "Elena... we're at work. I don't-"

Elena's icy gaze made the words die in her throat. "I was perfectly ready to keep what happened in the Velvet Room separate from Luxe Noir. You made this personal when you brought it into work. Now, let me make something very clear to you Victoria. From now on, you will submit to me whenever and wherever I demand it. If you find that to be unsatisfactory, you can spend the rest of your time at the Velvet Room with Mistress Rhea."

Victoria paled at her words. Though the thought of submitting to her personal assistant, in her own office, in the company she had built, did not appeal to her, the alternative of losing Elena was unbearable.

Slowly, she took off her blazer and began to undo the buttons to her silk blouse, untucking it from her skirt. She carefully folded each garment and placed them on her desk. When she was completely naked, she stood in front of Elena, still trembling, her hands at her sides. Victoria desperately wished to cover herself with her hands, but she knew that would only please Elena more.

Elena gripped her chin and whispered in Victoria's ear. "You're lucky I didn't bring my riding crop today, or you would have red welts crisscrossing that beautiful backside of yours."

Victoria shivered at her words. Elena's hand brushed against her shoulder and trailed down her back. The cold air from the personal AC unit was making Victoria's nipples hard and stiff and she felt goosebumps forming all over her skin.

"Get on your desk."

Victoria looked at her hesitantly. A loud smack to her bottom quickly brought her to her senses. She yelped, then quickly clambered onto her desk, a cup filled with pens tipped over sprawling them across her desk. She waited there on her hands and knees, quivering, grateful for the soundproof walls in her office.

Elena walked around the desk slowly, inspecting her body, not unlike a lioness circling a gazelle. "Put your head against the desk and stick your ass in the air."

Blushing furiously Victoria complied, feeling the heat rushing to her cheeks from the humiliation. She pressed her face against the cold mahogany surface. She pointed her butt in the air, feeling a slight breeze on her privates as Elena walked past Victoria's bottom to circle back to her face.

She bent down until they were face to face at eye level. Victoria looked at her fearfully- the side of her face still pressed against her desk.

"While I may not have brought my crop today, I did bring something a little more portable," said Elena sweetly. She took something from her bag and placed it on the desk next to Victoria's face. "Do you know what this is, Victoria?"