Work Hard Play Harder Ch 13

Copyright © December 2024 by CiaoSteve

CiaoSteve reserves the right to be identified as the author of this work. This story cannot be published, as a whole or in part, without the express agreement of the author other than the use of brief extracts as part of a story review.

This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.

Author's Notes

This is a thirteenth part to the series. Although it is self-contained from a story perspective, I would recommend you read the earlier chapters as there will be references which make more sense if you have read the earlier parts.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

By the time the phone call came, it was a bit of a relief for Kirsten. It had only been a few days since her last trip to the cabin, but she had done nothing but mull over that conversation with her mistress. She was no clearer on just what she had let herself in for, nor what her mistress expected of her, nor even what Sophie wanted of her. All she had to go on were the words of her mistress, and it was those words which preoccupied the young blonde.

'If you asked if I thought she wanted teaching, I'd say yes.'

'If you asked if I thought you could teach her, I'd also say yes.'

'If you asked if I wanted to see her taught, I'd be equally interested.'

There lay the problem. Kirsten hadn't been forced into doing anything. She had agreed to the idea. At the time, she had even felt excited at the idea. Now though... now, having had the chance to think clearly without the distraction that the excitement of being with Claudia brought, Kirsten was wondering whether she could actually do it.

The young blonde just wasn't a teacher, not unless you wanted to learn how to be successful in real estate. Now there was the irony. It was her success in real estate which had gotten her into this position to start with. Selling that very cabin had brought Kirsten and Claudia together in the first place, and Kirsten hadn't looked back ever since.

The problem, as Kirsten saw it, was that she was still very much the pupil, and by no means the teacher. Kirsten had learnt so much, so quickly, but always it was around her, and what she liked, or more so what her mistress chose for the young blonde to like. Now though, now the shoe was to be on the other foot, and she was meant to teach the same. How could she do it? How could she make sure to give the right lessons, to please her new student, to equally satisfy her mistress.

For a moment or two, Kirsten sat there clenching tightly at her phone, unable to do anything but stare at the caller's name on the screen. Butterflies ran through her stomach. It got her every time. The thrill of being back with her mistress sent shivers of excitement through her petite body. This time though it felt a little different. Amidst the excitement, was just a touch of angst. As she stared at the screen, all Kirsten could think about was whether she had made a mistake.

"Mistress?" Kirsten announced, all the time knowing exactly who was on the end of the phone yet still feeling like she needed to ask. What exactly was she asking, for acknowledgement that it was indeed Claudia on the other end of the phone, or more so enquiring as to whether her mistress had an answer to the one open question, the question Kirsten had given such a sheepish reply to.

'Do you want me to make a plan?'

It was such a simple question, yet it meant so much. The answer to that very question could change everything, for Sophie, for Kirsten, for the very relationship the young blonde had thrived within.

For a moment, Kirsten couldn't make her mind up what she wanted the answer to be. An affirmative was an outcome which came close to filling Kirsten with dread, yet a negative would leave her wondering if indeed it was to be a missed opportunity. She'd been here before, at that housewarming, when Claudia had first asked Kirsten if she wanted to be her guest. It was no different to where Kirsten found herself now. Back then, she'd almost said no, and for sure that would have been one hell of a missed opportunity. Now though, now Kirsten really didn't know what she wanted, but she hung on to her mistress' every word as Claudia started to explain.

"You did?" Kirsten responded.

"She did?" Kirsten continued.

"Oh yes, my darling little Kirsten. You should have seen her... Sophie I mean... I had to remind her we were in the office and people might be listening. I tell you... she was so up for it," Claudia explained.

"But... Mistress?" Kirsten asked, a hesitation in her voice. "I don't know..."

"Have you changed your mind, Kirsten?" Claudia replied with a question of her own, noticing the downturn in her sub's voice. "It's okay if you have. I told you before, I'm not going to let anything come between what we have, and especially not Sophie. So, if it's not what you want, all you need to do is say. I meant it when I said you are mine my dear, and I'm not about to change my mind. What we've got is special, and as for Sophie, she doesn't even know what she wants."

"No... no... no, Mistress," Kirsten replied. "It's just... well... I don't know what to do... I don't know how to teach... and I don't want to disappoint... her... or you."

For a moment there was silence on both ends of the call.

Kirsten sat there, wondering if she had just said the wrong thing, and whether her hesitance had managed to do just what she had said she wanted to avoid, to disappoint her mistress.

Claudia on the other hand, was busily thinking about how to respond, or more so, how to put her sub's mind to rest. Kirsten could be so sweet at times--it was one of the reasons Claudia found herself drawn to the petite blonde, that, and Kirsten's never-ending sense of adventure, embracing everything which was thrown at her and always coming back for more--yet, this time, there was one thing her little sub was missing. Yes, there were guardrails to be set, and lines not to be crossed, but at the end of the day, it would be down to Kirsten to decide exactly what lessons were going to be taught, and not the other way around.

Suddenly another thought filled Claudia's mind. If Kirsten couldn't see beyond the here and now, maybe there was a way Claudia could show her little sub what it meant to teach. It would do no harm, would it? What's more, it would be another opportunity to be together, just the two of them.

"I see," Claudia finally responded. "In that case, there's only one choice, isn't there?"

"Yes, Mistress... I'm sorry, Mistress... I so wanted to--" Kirsten tried to reply, before being cut off in her prime.

"I'll be at the apartment this weekend, not the cabin. We can talk about it there," Claudia interrupted, taking Kirsten a little by surprise.

"Oh, and there's a great dumpling place just opened, so we'll grab some dinner first. Should we say Saturday at seven? I'll text you the address. Oh, and you don't mind having your dumplings stuffed, do you, Kirsten?"

"Yes, Mistress..." Kirsten immediately replied picking up on the suggestion of grabbing some dinner.

"No, Mistress... of course not, Mistress... thank you, Mistress," Kirsten immediately corrected herself, realising the initial response might have been construed as her being fussy about her food, but never quite sure what her mistress meant by minding having her dumplings stuffed. Was it an innuendo for something else? Oh yeah, Kirsten well and truly didn't mind getting stuffed.

"But... what should I wear for you, Mistress?" Kirsten added as an afterthought, hoping there might be a clue in Claudia's answer which allowed the young blonde to decipher the hidden meaning of that dumpling reference.

"This time, my darling little sub... this time I'll leave it to you to decide what's appropriate," Claudia replied. "Oh, but before I forget, this one's a bit on the smarter side, so I reckon something different to what you wore last time."

"Last time?" Kirsten asked.

"Oh, my little sub... you do have a short memory, don't you? All I'm saying is that the jeans, chain belt and padlock you chose for last time isn't going to work."

"Mistress!" Kirsten almost snapped back, frustrated at the thought that she would have chosen such attire. "Mistress, it was you who--"

"So, Saturday at seven," Claudia interrupted, putting pay to her sub's objection. "We'll eat, we'll drink, we'll have some fun, and we'll come up with a solution for the problem that is Sophie... trust me on that one."

"Yes, Mistress," Kirsten replied, somehow relieved that Claudia felt there was a solution, yet still wondering if the better option would have been an outright 'no' from Sophie in the first place.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For the rest of the week, all Kirsten could think about was her night on the town. She'd Googled the restaurant, and it was just as Claudia had said, a bit on the upmarket side.

Not that she would have chosen them anyway--that was all her mistress' doing--but, for sure, the jeans and accompaniments wouldn't have been suitable. She needed something smarter, something impactful, something which would turn heads, or at least turn a certain middle-aged head. And when you wanted to make an impact, what better than a little black dress. Yes, that would do nicely and Kirsten had a good idea which one she would be choosing.

By late afternoon on the Saturday, everything was laid out in meticulous detail. Hanging from the front of her wardrobe was said little black dress; a halter-neck sleeveless number, with a fitted body and a short, flared skirt. Atop her bed was a small leather handbag, a pair of opaque stay-ups, a strapless bra, the skimpiest of thongs, and her collar, each one a perfect colour-match to the dress. On the floor was a pair of what could only be described as killer heels, again in black, with the sort of shine you could see your own reflection in.

There was only one thing missing, and that was a certain young blonde. Kirsten wasn't far away though. She was, in fact, as the torrent of water confirmed, just the other side of the landing, intent not only on looking the part, but feeling the part too. The idea of being with her mistress was exciting enough, but the thought of being wined and dined took it to another level. Armed with nothing more extraordinary than a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, a bar of soap, and a razor, Kirsten took great care to make sure she left that shower feeling a million dollars.

It was already a quarter to six by the time she towelled dry, then covered herself in the most sumptuous of body lotions, gasping a little at the coolness of the liquid against her now warm skin, all the time telling herself it would be worth it. Another twenty minutes or so followed as she stood there, in front of the mirror, taking care first of her short blonde hair, and then a touch of make-up--Kirsten went for something just a little sultry, pairing smoky eye-shadow tones with a deep dusky pink lipstick, the perfect contrast to her naturally pale skin tone--as she waited for the body lotion to seep in.

By the time she returned to the bedroom, still stark naked, it was already a little after six. She would have to get a move on. There was no lift this time as the arrangement had been to meet at the restaurant, and that meant leaving hers at the latest by twenty past six. Not wanting to be late, she had the taxi booked five minutes earlier than was necessary, which left Kirsten with around fifteen minutes to finish off getting ready.

'No sweat,' Kirsten thought to herself as she started to dress.

The knickers were first; the tiniest of thongs covering just what was needed but nothing more. The bra followed; its cups padded as if trying to transform the young blonde's petite breasts into something more memorable.

Then came the stay ups, eased up one leg followed by the other, Kirsten ensuring not to snag the nylon as she went. On another day, fishnets or the like may have been appropriate, but for today it was more about the silhouette of solid black, rather than the flash of flesh beneath.

Finally came the dress itself, Kirsten being incredibly careful not to get anything onto the fabric. There was nothing worse than white stains, whether they be deodorant or body lotion, on a black dress, and for sure Kirsten wanted to look perfect for her mistress.

She slipped on the heels and glanced at herself in the full-length mirror adorning the front of her wardrobe. Kirsten smiled. Oh yeah, this young blonde was surely going to look the part. All that was missing was her collar. Dextrously, Kirsten slipped it around her neck and secured the buckle at the back.

'Girl, you look perfect,' Kirsten thought to herself, as she stared at her reflection.

It was then that another thought crossed her mind. She'd been here before, in this very room, dressed to impress, only to be told to take them off... the knickers, that was. That time, Claudia had insisted on something different being worn, something smooth, something metal, something filling Kirsten's tight little ass.

This time though... this time her mistress had been clear. Kirsten could wear whatever she wanted, as long as it was appropriate. Kirsten smiled again. She grabbed her bag, then headed downstairs.

Appropriate?

This young blonde was more than appropriate.

This young blonde was ready for a night on the town.

This young blonde was up for a weekend with her lover.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As expected, or rather as planned, Kirsten was first to arrive at the restaurant, or more to the point at the shopping mall come tower block where the restaurant was meant to be. There was nothing obvious to suggest she was in the right place, but the address was the one Claudia had given to Kirsten.

She ventured inside, walking slowly through what was an upmarket shopping centre, all the time looking for something to give her a clue. It was almost a relief when Kirsten found a floor guide. For a moment she stood there, reading from bottom to top. Eventually a smile came across the young blonde's face.

"First floor," Kirsten whispered audibly to herself. "First floor."

Five minutes later, and having taken the nearest escalator, that's exactly where Kirsten was, on the first floor, standing right outside the entrance to one of several newly opened restaurants. She glanced at her phone. It was a quarter to seven. Kirsten was early, but she knew better than to keep her mistress waiting.

Kirsten headed inside and was greeted immediately by the most charming young woman dressed entirely in black. Everything was black, the skirt, the blouse, the jacket and even the tie. It was smart in an understated sort of way and, for once, Kirsten was rather appreciative at her mistress' advice on what to wear, the young blonde also having chosen an entirely black ensemble.

It wasn't that she hadn't been given advice before, but more that the advice she was usually given tended to land her in a bit of a pickle. This time though, Kirsten felt right at home. Kirsten explained her situation, that she was early and waiting for a friend. She was given an option of waiting at the table or at the bar. It was the latter that Kirsten plumped for.

All the time conscious that she was being closely watched--it wasn't so much of a surprise, given she was the only person at the bar, that she immediately had the attention of a rather soave looking bartender--Kirsten carefully climbed up on top of a tall bar stool, careful not to put on a show by tumbling off the other side. Finally, confident she had her balance, Kirsten crossed her legs, in a bid not to reveal a little too much in her short black dress.

"Good evening, Miss. What can I be getting you?" the bartender asked.

A quick glance at the menu had the young blonde mulling over the range of cocktails. It was an oddly named concoction masquerading as a Din that Kirsten ended up ordering, at the same time promising herself that she would go for the hattrick of a Din, a Tai and a Fung before the night was out. It was a little strange to have cocktails named after the restaurant itself, but it just seemed well... appropriate, as did most things about this place.

"Great choice... coming right up," the bartender replied, before heading off with cocktail shaker in hand.

With a drink on its way, Kirsten settled herself down to wait. She had no doubt that her mistress would be there. She had no doubt either that this dinner was going to be something rather special. The one thing Kirsten always had about Claudia, was trust, and it seemed that Claudia had been right about the place.

It was smart.

It was sophisticated.

It was already getting busy, or at least the tables were filling up, despite the early hour.

It was...

"One Din, for the young lady," the bartender announced. "Give me a shout of you need anything else."

"Thank you," Kirsten replied, momentarily making eye contact with the bartender.

If Kirsten wasn't mistaken, he had smiled at her, before heading off to the back of the bar. He wasn't exactly her type, but somehow the attention was a little flattering. All Kirsten could do was hope to get the same response from her mistress when, finally, Claudia arrived. For now, though, it was time to sit back, sip away at her drink, and do her own little bit of people watching as she waited.

Kirsten spun around on her seat, cocktail in hand, and leaned back against the counter. She found herself staring out along the bar, and down towards the main seating area. Had anyone been sat at that far end of the bar, they might have thought she was staring directly at them. Instead, though, Kirsten was looking just that bit further into the distance, fascinated by something which looked so out of place.

Her gaze had fallen upon a room within a room. A room? Oh no, it was more like a glass bowl, akin to the proverbial fishbowl that you found in many Asian eateries, nestled there, right in the middle of the restaurant. But that was where the analogy ended. There were no fish inside, nor any water. The occupants of said room were very much human. A team of four--they were dressed entirely in white, with caps, facemasks, and jackets which looked somewhere between chef's aprons and laboratory coats--beavered away inside, seemingly oblivious to the fact they were on show for all to see.

It wasn't so much the strange group that caught Kirsten's eye, but more what they were doing. She sat there, sipping away at her cocktail, feeling like she was a voyeur on the most engrossing of performances. Oh no, there was nothing like that, but the more she watched, the more something her mistress had said sort of made sense, something about liking her dumplings stuffed. Suddenly, the innuendo seemed perfectly innocent. One by one, the foursome of artists--whether they were true artists or not was debatable, but the end-product was a miniature work of art--churned out dumpling after dumpling.

"Someone caught your eye?"

Kirsten jumped, almost spilling her cocktail such was the surprise of what was a very familiar voice. She placed her glass down on the bar, spun back around on her stool, and faced her mistress.

"They have now," Kirsten responded, a beaming smile on her face.

"And... she looks fantastic," Kirsten added.

Kirsten found herself staring once more. This time though it was Claudia who had caught her eye, or more so her mistress' choice of outfit. Dressed in a deep-red asymmetrical wrap-around dress, the bodice fitting snuggly up top before flaring out in a full-length skirt, Claudia looked divine.

Wherever Kirsten looked, the imagery in front of her was simply sumptuous. Up top, it was the plunging neckline and the deep valley of cleavage which grabbed her attention. Follow the dress down and she couldn't miss the way the fabric clung to waist and hips, accentuating Claudia's every curve. Lower still, and it was the flash of bare leg between the folds of that full skirt which caught her eye.