Chapter 2: I Consent to Obey
Lance drove YasmÃn and me to the industrial district on the other side of downtown. I began to feel nervous again, questioning my decision to get in the car with strangers. He pulled into an empty first floor garage of a three-story brick building that looked like it must have been a small factory at some point. It was cavernous and empty. He got out and opened my door, holding out his hand to help me out. He closed the door and then did the same for her.
How gentlemanly
, I thought.
"Come," he said simply. He walked toward a heavy steel door to a stairway. He unlocked it and held it open, placing his hand on the small of our backs as he ushered each of us in. Once we were inside, we stood to the side and waited for him. "Go ahead. I want to watch you two ascend from behind." There were many things that he had said this evening that had confused me, but this time I understood him clearly. I looked at him suspiciously, trying to let him know that I had figured out what he was up to, but he just smiled at me and gestured for us to go up the stairs. YazmÃn went first and I followed. I had to admit that I could appreciate what he was looking at. She had a small, rounded butt under her dress that was mesmerizing to watch as she climbed the stairs. I wondered if I looked as good as she did. Though I was unsure of myself, I found myself adding a little extra wiggle to my steps. I smiled at myself for doing that, realizing that I had caught myself just like I had caught him.
We paused at a door on the second floor. "Continue until you reach the peak," he directed. When we reached the door on the third floor, we stopped. He stepped forward and unlocked it.
Again, he ushered us inside with his hand on our lower backs. This time, however, it felt like his hand was just a little bit lower than it had been the previous time. The space inside was cavernous and completely open. There was furniture grouped as if there were separate rooms, but there were no walls between them. There was a kitchen and dining room on one side, a living room, a library, and a bedroom. The only real room with a wall around it was in the far corner. The door to it was closed. I assumed that it was a bathroom. Despite the industrial architecture and excessively large space, it did have a sense of being lived in, like a disproportionately grandiose home.
After we took in our surroundings, he gestured toward the living room and said, "Sit. Please." I followed YazmÃn to the long sofa and sat next to her. He went to the far wall where the kitchen was and began to make us drinks. I whispered to her, "Are we safe here, with him?"
She turned her head to me, looked me in the eyes, and smiled. "We will be as safe as we need to be. And"—she paused—"as risky as we want to be." She winked. I gulped. I didn't know if I was reassured or excited. Or both, simultaneously.
He returned with our drinks - the same as before: gewurztraminer for her, Moscow Mule for him, and Kahlua and Crème for me.
Was he expecting us? Or did he just have a well-stocked bar?
"To us," he said, just as he had in the bar. He raised his glass, and we followed suit, clinking our glasses together and then taking a sip. He sat down on the sofa across from the two of us and placed his drink on the low glass table that separated the sofas.
"Now, as promised, I will answer your question and tell you what you desire to hear." I had forgotten what he had said in the bar, but I was glad that he was a man of his word because I did want to know more about them and, well, how I fit in.
"What I want is you. Both of you."
I gulped down another swig of my drink. YazmÃn grinned and gently drew in a delicate sip of her wine. "I want your sexy bodies, to be sure. But I want more than that. I also want your submission." My eyes widened. YazmÃn bit her lip. "I want your obedience to my commands. I want you to comply when I tell you what to do." He paused as we—or was it just me?—took in what he was saying. "What do each of you say to that?"
"I look forward to it, sir," she replied in a breathy purr.
"Good girl," he said, and then they both looked at me.
"Um. I don't know what to say. Uh, I don't know. I guess so?" I stammered.
"Tell me your fears."
I looked at YazmÃn. She didn't seem to be nervous at all. In fact, she appeared excited. I looked back at him. He looked calm and his eyes were clear. He nodded at me to answer. "Um, well, thank you for calling me—us—sexy. But I guess I'm scared that if you expect me to do as you say, how do I know that you won't insist that I do something scary or dangerous? I mean, we just met. I don't really know you at all. I don't know if I can trust you."
"I concede that some of what I direct you to do will be scary. And sometimes it may feel dangerous." That wasn't what I expected him to say. It wasn't exactly alleviating my concerns either. I took another sip. "But you will always have the opportunity to give or withdraw your consent. If you ever reach your limit, you will have the option to relinquish your consent. If you do, I will stop, and you may leave. I will tell you what to do, but you will comply only as much as you agree to. I will push you to what you think are your limits, and then I will help you to push past those limits." He paused to sip his drink. "Layla, I also promise that you will enjoy it. And, as you have learned, I keep my word.
That,
you can trust." He paused for a moment. "YazmÃn." She sat up straighter. "Do you agree to submit to my desires?"
She bit her lip and inhaled deeply. "Yes, sir. I willingly give you my consent and my obedience."
"Good girl." She blushed and looked down at her lap.
"Now, Layla." He paused. My heart was beating rapidly in my chest as I anticipated his next words. "Do you want me to take you home now, or do you wish to stay here with us? What do you choose?"
Both of them stared at me and waited. I was scared, I had never been in a situation like this. But if I was honest with myself, I was also very excited.
Oh my god, was I really about to agree to this?
I glanced at YasmÃn. She looked at me with a mixture of hope and eagerness.
"Do you agree to submit to my desires?" he pressed.
"Okay," I whispered.
"Layla." There was a paternal, reprimanding tone in his voice. "That is not a full answer. You must tell me what you desire in a complete sentence and you must speak clearly."
"Yes, I agree." My voice was slightly less quiet than before.
"Layla." There was impatience in his voice. "Do I have your consent and obedience? Tell me."
"Yes, I give you my consent and obedience," I blurted out. Then I added, "Sir."
"Good girl." He smiled, satisfied, and then slowly sipped from his glass. I took another big gulp of my drink. I looked over at YazmÃn. She smiled, put her hand on my thigh and leaned in with her lips close to my ear.
She whispered, "I'm very glad that you chose to join us. I'm certain that you won't regret it." Then she sipped her wine and smiled.
--..—
"Place your glasses on the table." We did so quickly and silently. "Stand." We rose from the sofa in unison and waited for his next instruction. I was so nervous. "Hold hands." I clasped her hand a little too rapidly and tightly. She giggled. I realized that I wanted to feel the sense of assurance that she was with me in this terrifying and exhilarating moment. "YazmÃn, take Layla to the bedroom." Her eyes sparkled.
"Yes, sir." She led me by the hand to the other side of the cavernous space and stopped in front of a padded bench at the foot of the four-poster bed. We stood there, hand-in-hand, facing the bed, and awaited his direction. I knew she could feel how sweaty my hand was and how tightly I was gripping hers. We heard his steps clicking heavily on the floor as he approached us from behind.
"YazmÃn."
"Yes, sir?"
"Bend down and remove Layla's heels."
"Yes, sir." She squatted down at my feet. Slowly and gently, she removed the shoe from my right foot. I placed one hand on her shoulder to steady my balance. Then she removed the other. She stood up.