Chapter Ten
Rebirth of Hope
Valerie woke to the sensation of being kissed lightly on the lips. Her eyes fluttered open to see Sally's face practically inside her own, lips brushing against hers. She kissed back, opening her mouth to let their tongues greet each other properly.
"How's that for an alarm clock?" Sally asked.
"Mmmm. So much better than my beeper alarm. What time is it?"
"A little after 7:00. You've got two and a half hours until your interview."
"Plenty of time. Shower?"
"Talked me into it."
They took another joint shower, the last, they hoped, where they couldn't take the time for some morning delight under the spray. They had a busy day planned. Valerie had her interview at Delgrasi Publications, they were picking up Francine, the new hot water heater was due in, and Sally was planning to call all the utilities to set them up in their name.
"Valerie, how's your back?"
"It's a little tight. I think the scars might be firming up. I should see Helen next week to make sure that they are healing properly. I'm not sure she had moving in mind when she told me to take things easy."
"Probably not. Add to that, we're getting auctioned off tomorrow after our handfasting."
"Do you have any idea what Master is planning?"
"Not a clue. He's very good at keeping things close to his chest. It'll be special, that's all I can tell you to expect."
They'd been dressing while they talked and Valerie asked, "How's this for an interview?" Valerie had put on one of her business suits, a navy blue pair of slacks, short sleeve tan blouse, and, as a nod to her submissive nature, black three inch heels.
"You look great, very professional. I like the heels. You know, after Saturday, you'll be wearing your collar 24/7. Maybe you should wear a collar to the interview, to let them know who they are actually hiring?"
"I thought of that. I'm just not sure a leather collar is right."
"It's more honest than none at all."
Agreeing, she looked in her drawers for the collar she had worn to Divine's Devils earlier this week. Just as she found it (under some boxes), the doorbell rang. Sally answered it and then called out, "Valerie, it's for you."
She went to the door and there was a man from a courier service. "Ms. Burbon?"
"Yes?"
"Delivery for you. Sign here."
She took the form and signed. There was no return address on it. The package was heavier than she expected for its size. Thanking him, she took it to the bedroom, the only room that was livable right now, and opened it up. Inside was a teak wood box, engraved with a drawing of a naked woman, hands bound above her head and feet spread. The box alone was beautiful. The contents were even more spectacular. The collar, four cuffs, and small key lay in a velvet lining inside the box. The words engraved into the collar were simple, yet elegant, "Valerie, slave of Master Charles," with the 'of' centered in the tag space below 'Valerie, slave' and above 'Master Charles'. The O in of was a small ring that a leash could be attached to. She picked up the collar and saw the exquisite engraving of the bound women, clearly naked, but not in any sense pornographic. Tears came to her eyes as she handled the silver collar.
"Valerie, those are so beautiful. Was Rachael worth it?"
"If I'd known they were so lovely, I would've been willing to walk out of there naked. Would you put them on me? I want to see how they look on me."
"Sure. Hand me the key."
Valerie picked up the key. That simple act felt so wrong that she couldn't pass it on to Sally fast enough. Sally unlocked the collar and slipped it around Valerie's neck, noting how cleverly the hinges had been blended into the bindings between the women figures on the surface. When Sally closed it, the click sounded incredibly loud in Valerie's ears. She let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. The process repeated for each of the cuffs. All of them fit perfectly, snug, yet not too tight.
Valerie went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. The tears that had started were freely flowing. Sally came in behind her, holding her shoulders. "Why the tears?"
"I'm so happy. I was worried about how I would feel. Nothing I've ever worn was so right on me. I love him. I want him to know how much so bad."
"He'll know, he'll know."
"I want to wear them to the interview. Can you keep the key safe? It feels so wrong for me to even touch it, let alone carry it with me."
"I'd be honored. You're right. You should wear this collar to the interview. You are the perfect vision of who you are: the submissive professional. If they won't hire you because of these, they don't deserve you."
"Thanks. I'd better control myself or I will never get my makeup right."
They finished getting ready for the day and Sally drove Valerie to the Delgrasi corporate headquarters. As planned, she arrived an hour early, giving her a chance to look through all twelve publications. All of them were of the same quality as the
Sappho Digest
she had been shown by Rachael and Giggy. She would have no problem being associated with any of these publications, even the ones that were obviously ones she would never subscribe to, like
The Gay Gentleman
.
She also took hope from the receptionist. Like Valerie, she was professionally dressed, with a very erotic look to her outfit. She also had noticeable nipple piercings and a small silver collar made to look like entwined ropes. Her name badge identified her as Erika. She had noted the collar on Valerie's neck.
"That's a very lovely collar. May I?"
Valerie nodded, lifting her chin to give her a better look at the engraving.
"Master Charles must care for you very much."
"He does, though he didn't give me this. It's going to be my gift to him tomorrow at Mephisto's."
"You're that Valerie! I had no idea. Master, my sister slaves, and I are going to be there. And you're surprising him with these? You must love him very much."
"Yes, I do. May I ask who your Master is?"
"I serve Master Damien. He's very demanding and very special." The look on her face was almost dreamy when she mentioned him.
"I'll let you get back to work. I want to look over some of the publications, get a feel for them. If I get hired, would you want to talk about our experiences? I'm still new at this. I've been submitting for almost a month."
"I would love to. I'm always looking for new ways to show my submission to Master."
The hour she waited passed fast, her professional eye making observations about the magazines. She made notes for some ideas she had for improving advertising in them. The interview committee consisted of three women and two men. They gave her one of the most grueling interviews she had ever experienced. It was clear that they knew their stuff and would not accept anything but the best for the position. She was asked to explain every item in her portfolio, the reasons for various decisions made and why the item was in the portfolio at all. They quizzed her on her knowledge of their magazines, making her glad she had come as early as she had. They even had three different advertisements that she had to come up with ways to improve their presence in a given magazine. The whole process took three hours, leaving her sore, exhausted, and much fulfilled. She just knew that this job would be demanding and fulfilling.
Throughout the interview, no mention was made of her collar and cuffs, until the last questions. One of the women, a redhead with a hint of tattoo showing on her shoulder asked, "Ms. Burbon, do you believe that a slave collar and cuffs are appropriate attire for a professional advertising executive?"
Valerie took a deep breath and gave the answer she had mentally prepared. "Ma'am, for me it is. Who I am is equally made up of my identity as an advertising executive, my identity as my Master's submissive, and my identity as my lover's life partner. I intend to give my Master these as a gift of devotion tomorrow at a ceremony at Mephisto's. After that, only he will be able to remove them. So, if you decide to hire me, you'll get the submissive along with the executive. It seemed only fair that I let you know that before you hire me. I'd rather not be hired and then be fired on my first day on the job."
One of the men responded to her answer. "Are you willing to assume yet another identity, that of a public face for the magazines that you'll be representing?"
"That's why I came early to look through your publications. What I see in them are very professional magazines that I would be honored to represent in any capacity. If my advertising expertise can improve them in any way, so much the better."
"If you'll wait outside for a minute, I think we can let you know about our decision shortly."
Back out in the lobby, she paced, nervous about the process. She thought the interview had gone well, but you never know. She could get no read on them during the interview, partly because they had her racing a mile a minute with their questions. Ten minutes later, she was invited back in.
"Ms. Burbon, of all the applicants, you're advertising qualifications were second to only one other applicant. There were numerous people who had more familiarity with the readers of our magazines and their interests, but most had only limited advertising experience. Of our top five candidates, we selected the one who most demonstrated an ability to be proud of working for Delgrasi Publications. Can you start Monday?"
Five full seconds passed as she took in the meaning of her words. She was hired! "Yes. I can start Monday. When does the business day start here?"
"Normal operations start at 8:00. However, you'll need to come in at 6:00 for two weeks. You're going to get the crash course in the company. Erika knows everything there is to know about the company, probably more than we would be comfortable with if we knew the actual extent. In two weeks, you'll know as much about our operations and the publications as any of the other applicants. You'll need to hire your own secretary. Erika can provide some basic support until you do. It's a pleasure to welcome you aboard."
He shook her hand and she said, "It's a pleasure and an honor to be on board."
"Oh, by the way. You'll be on the cover of the next issue of
