Becoming Vargas Girl

Sophie Anne's house sat alone at the top of a small hill on Shore Road, overlooking the Narrows River. The house had once been a convent, Sophie Anne loved to tell people that...and it was a huge monstrosity with rooms and rooms. Her father, a Greek restaurateur (and by restaurateur, I mean money launderer for a crime family) had bought the place from the diocese, and at one time he used the place as a counting house. But Sophie Anne's father, along with many of his, ummmm, business associates, had gotten caught and were now guests at Club Fed. Sophie Anne's mother had gone back to Greece, leaving Sophie Anne to fend for herself. And that house.

But how do I even know Sophie Anne in the first place? From high school, of all places. The daughter of the money launderer and the incest survivor, the two little girls with big secrets, we became fast friends. And remained friends through all the years. I won't say either or us inspired the other's choice to get into BDSM. And we're very different. She's a Mistress with a pet play fetish. Her submissive, Rex, plays as a puppy. I'm a sub with Little tendencies, currently single...well, single for awhile now, since having given Angelo back his collar.

Anyway, after losing a lot of weight, getting sober, and finally starting to work on resolving my issues, I realized I hadn't played in what felt like forever. So when my dear friend from high school invited me to a play party at her house on the hill, I said something I hadn't said in awhile...YES. If she was surprised to hear me say I want to get back into the swing of things, she didn't show it. The unflappable Sophie Anne, ladies and gentlemen. Most people don't have play parties at home, but she ain't most people. You'd think with her father in federal prison she'd be low on funds, but no, she somehow managed to stay richer than Croesus. I didn't question that, I was just lucky to have her for a generous hostess. Of course I asked about the dress code before showing up. I was told to look good, and that if I meant to play (as opposed to just watch) I should be prepared to be nude (and by that she was reminding me to shave what needed shaving).

So I showed up wearing a blue dress...it wasn't from The GAP, but I've been told more than once I look like Monica Lewinsky, so I decided to go with it. Those of us who remember the '90s and have a sense of humor get it. The door opened before I had a chance to ring the bell, and I came face to face with a black gentleman of slim build.

"My name is Vargas, Miss Sergio," he said, in a voice that was deep and cultured, "I'll be your Dungeon Master for this evening."

"Good evening, Vargas," I said, "and it's Cara. The things I'm going to do here, it's best we be informal." At that, he smiled. "Now," I said, "conduct me to my dear friend Sophie Anne, if you please." Vargas took my arm and led me to Sophie Anne, who sat in the middle of the living room on a sofa, receiving her guests. She wore a riding outfit that fitted her like a second skin. Rex was on all fours at her feet.

"Sophie Anne," I greeted her, "god it's been forever."

"Cara Mia," she sprung up to hug me, "but this dress, shouldn't there be a stain on the front?"

"Please, I only just got here, give me time. And you, what's with the riding gear, you trading Rex in for a goddamn horse, Lady Godiva?" At that, Rex let out a growl and Sophie Anne assured us both there was no trade planned.

"OK," she said next, "now we have that settled. Cara, you know Vargas will be your Dungeon Master for tonight."

"Yeah Vargas is the DM," I said, "I get that-"

"No," she said, Vargas is your Dungeon Master. So if anybody-"

"Whoa," I interrupted, "does every party guest get his own Vargas?"

"Look," she pulled me aside, Rex trailing after her, "I just thought after Angelo and a long time away from this, I just thought..."

"It's probably a good idea," I conceded, "so are there any good looking people here?"

"I flew them in special," she laughed. "People," she announced to the guests assembled, "what's say we move out into the terrace for appetizers." Everybody started milling towards the patio. Vargas took my arm and started to lead me.

"I know where the patio is," I said, "been in and out of this house for twenty years." At that, he let go and backed off with a sour expression on his face. On the patio, I could see that not everyone present was into pet play. I mingled with a few people over shrimp cocktail, listening to one couple say they were looking for a third to join them. That not being my thing, and the man looking me up and down, I backed away, only to bump into Vargas. "Damn it, Vargas," I muttered, "get off my ass."

"I was coming to get you," he said, "I thought-"

"If I want you, I will speak your name, all right," I said, trying my best to sound commanding. At that, I saw him turn and head back inside. Probably going to tell Sophie Anne I'd dismissed him improperly. Frustrated and annoyed, I lit a cigarette out there on the patio. Most of the guests started moving back inside, probably to commandeer the various upstairs rooms and play. I stayed outside to smoke. I'd join them when I collected my brains.

"Am I late to the party," a familiar voice behind me said, "I wasn't invited and I didn't ring the bell, but I'm here."

NO FUCKING WAY, I thought, it cannot be. But I turned around and standing there was Angelo.

"What...how..." I was really too surprised to say anything.

"I went to Dave and Michelle's last night," he said, leaning on what appeared to be his infamous rattan cane, "ran into Doreen. She said you were supposed to be there, but you flaked out at the last minute."

"Goddamn Doreen," I said, picturing Doreen Gambino and wanting to punch her.

"She's a wealth of information," he continued, "says you've lost weight and you stopped going to play parties. But I knew you'd turn up here. You and Sophie Anne are practically lesbians." I looked around for Vargas, who was nowhere. I'd pissed him off good. "Dave and Michelle even said you've changed too. But I know better. Oh you may have lost a few pounds," he took a step closer, " but people like you don't change."

"Well it was great seeing you, Angelo," I said, trying to pretend I wasn't terrified, "but I've got to rejoin the party." I put out my cigarette and started for the door back into the house. But I didn't move fast enough. Angelo's hand shot out to grab me around the throat. I tried to scream as his fingers closed in.

"People like you don't change," he repeated, dragging me to the far end of the patio. Utterly terrified and not even pretending not to be anymore, I pissed myself as he dragged me all the way to the end of the patio and shoved me down in Sophie Anne's chaise lounge.

"Vargas!" I screamed the minute he removed his hand from around my neck.

"Vargas," Angelo growled, as no one came out of the house, "what, you replaced me with some Puerto Rican?"

"What is it you want," I said, "I've let you alone since I gave the collar back. Return the favor."

"You've let me alone. You gave the collar back. That's just it. You don't get to do those things...you don't get to say when. I say when."

"VARGAS!!" I screamed again. "Sophie Anne! Rex! Anybody!"

"Let Vargas come," he said, "I bet he doesn't know he's been squatting on my property. If he's a man, he'll apologize and desist immediately." Angelo thought Vargas was my new Dominant. Christ, that meant that even if Vargas did come out Angelo was likely to rip him apart for things he hadn't done. Just great, all I wanted was to get back into the groove of the play parties & I would end up causing Sophie Anne's party, her guests, and her house to come to ruin. I should've stayed home. "Vargas!" Now Angelo was yelling for him.

The patio door flung open, scaring me so much I pissed myself again. Vargas came striding out of the house towards us, while Sophie Anne stood framed in the doorway, a riding crop in her right hand.

"You bellowed, Sir," he said to Angelo.

"And you been fucking my submissive," Angelo said, "she called for you when I came here to take possession of her. And you," he pointed the end of the cane at me, "you fuck black guys now, you dirty whore."

"With all due respect, Sir," Vargas said calmly, "this woman is a guest at Mistress Sophie Anne's party, but I am not."

"What? What are you, a goddamn waiter?" Angelo laughed.

"No. I'm Dungeon Master Vargas. You know what a Dungeon Master does, right?"

"You're fucking the Dungeon Master," he looked at me. I didn't even dignify that with a response.

"Vargas," I said, "I'm sorry I dismissed you earlier," I said, "I thought...never mind what I thought. Clearly I was wrong. Anyway, this man is an interloper, a party crasher."

"No apologies necessary," he said, "now about this party crasher. Did he hurt you?"

"We were just talking," Angelo said.

"He grabbed me 'round the neck, choked the shit out of me. Dragged me clear across the patio. I'm more scared than anything else though," I said, "I have some not so fond memories of that cane he's got."

"I heard more than enough. Your weapon, Sir," Vargas said, grabbing the cane from Angelo. By this point, Sophie Anne had come out herself, with Rex on a leash. Vargas handed Angelo's cane to Sophie Anne. "Mistress," he said, "it's Your home, Your party, the interloper's weapon is Yours to keep."

"Thank you, Vargas," Sophie put down her riding crop and leaned on the cane, "it's really a man's cane, but it suits me for when I wear slacks and go into Manhattan. You've wet yourself," she said to me, "are you OK?"

"Promised you I'd stain this dress," I laughed.

"Let's get you inside," she said, "get you cleaned up and find you something to wear." She started to lead me towards the house, Rex following.

"Mistress," Vargas called after us, "what about the interloper himself?"

"Take him down the basement," she said, "get Gaultier and Charles to help. Tell them the party crasher came here not knowing how to treat a woman and he must be taught tonight." I saw Vargas pin Angelo's hands behind his back and start taking him towards the house. I knew Gaultier and Charles to have been her father's bodyguards before he went "away", and I knew Sophie Anne kept the two of them on. They usually hovered in the shadows, but when she needed them, they were there. The basement, well when the house had been a convent, the nuns had used it as a fall-out shelter...of course that was decades ago. And while there was no need for a fall out shelter anymore, nobody would hear Angelo make any noise while learning his lesson.

"Come on," Sophie Anne said.

"I've ruined the evening," I said, as she took me inside.

"Bullshit, girl," she said, "everybody else is happily flogging, fingering, and nipple-clamping each other in my upstairs rooms. They don't even know what happened."

"But you do," I said, "I'm so sorry. You're my only friend in the world and I disrespected your house with-"

"I'm your only friend in the world because I don't consider what happened tonight any disrespect," she said, leading me through the kitchen. There's a room off the kitchen, everybody thinks it's a servant's room, and Sophie Anne wants them to think that. In actuality it's neither a servant's room nor a pantry. It's the only bedroom suite in the house that is never made available to the party guests who come to cavort there. She pulled a key out of her riding boot, unlocked the door to this room, and said "Rex, you keep guard while Cara and I do girl stuff, OK," and unclipped Rex' leash from his collar, leaving him outside the door to that room.

Inside, it was actually a spartan bedroom and bathroom suite, not what anyone else would expect from the opulent Sophie Anne. I wondered if Rex had even seen the inside of this room. I felt safe in here, not because Rex was guarding the door, not because I knew Angelo was downstairs getting beaten within an inch of his life. I just felt safe. Sophie Anne unzipped my dress for me, helped me out of it. I left it in a heap on the floor. I stood patiently while she filled the claw footed tub, like a child waiting to be bathed. When it was filled, I didn't step so much as I sank into the water, desperate to be cleansed and begin anew. I felt helpless and childlike as Sophie Anne washed my body with a loofah. She even washed my hair.

When I stepped out of the tub and wrapped a fluffy towel around myself, I felt like a new woman. The makeup artist, Anya, had appeared to paint my face. I left my hair down.

"What'll I wear?" I asked.

"Try this," she handed me a loose tea gown, something very Roman-looking. It fitted neatly over my curves. "You won't need shoes," she said. Looking in the mirror, I almost didn't recognize myself. The dress was very pretty, white muslin that flattered my curves and draped nicely. Without shoes, I felt like I wasn't trying to impress anyone. "Now this," Sophie Anne said, as I felt her plop something on my head. In the mirror I saw it was a crown of flowers.

"Why do you crown me?" I asked.

"Why not," she said. "You look beautiful, all ready for a walk in the garden." With that, we left the secret bedroom suite, Sophie Anne locking it behind us. She clipped Rex' leash back on his collar. He'd been good and guarded us well while we were in there. She led me toward the back door of the house, which opened onto a garden. When her mother had lived there, the garden had been an actual garden...tomato plants, rosemary, actual growing things. Now, it was all wild flowers. She shooed me out the door. "Go on, get."

Figuring I'd taken enough of her time (she did have other guests and I'm sure she wanted to play with Rex) I ventured into the garden. The cool earth felt wonderful on my bare feet. In the dark I moved carefully. If I remembered right, there was a bench somewhere, I could sit and relax with my toes in the earth. So what if I didn't play. I showed up, I made an effort, and maybe that was enough for one night. By some miracle, I found the bench in the dark and sat down, careful not to wrinkle the dress.

"So are you all right," a deep, cultured voice on my left asked, "were you hurt at all earlier?" Startled, I turned to see Vargas standing there. "Sorry to sneak up on you," he said, "but I couldn't leave without knowing you're all right."

"Leave?" I said, confused.

"I've been let go from Mistress' employ," he said, "for failure to perform my job. It's customary to leave your place of employment upon being let go."

"You didn't fail to anything," I said, "and sit down." He sat beside me. "I didn't think I needed you, and I was wrong. I'm sorry she fired you. Was this your full time job?"

"Don't have one," he said, "used to be Officer Vargas Williams, NYPD. Six months ago my partner and I were in a shoot out with a drug dealer, a real bad guy. Drug dealer uses a kid as a human shield. I thought I had a clean shot, so I took it...I was wrong."

"Oh," I said, "I'm so sorry. What happened?" He looked at me. "Aside from the obvious, I mean."

"Everybody said it was a good shooting, clean shooting. But, I couldn't wear the gun again after that."

"I get that," I said, "so what, now you work private security?"

"Well I was always into D/s," he said, "wasn't something I could just announce when I wore a badge. I mean, most cops are pretty strait-laced 'bout sex. But I was always into it. So I started going to clubs and exploring. I could handle myself when trouble happened, so I got asked to fill in for Monitor here and there. So I figured why not hire myself out for private parties."

"Well then I'm sorry," I said, "Sophie Anne fired you because of me, getting fired is gonna be bad for your business. And you stayed around to make sure I'm OK." I shook my head in disbelief. "Why?"

"My business," he laughed, "I can always get more business. And why d'you think I stayed around to make sure you're OK? You look stunning, by the way. I mean, I liked the blue thing, but this is...wow."

"Thank you," I said, "I guess I should let Sophie Anne dress me more often. So, Vargas, Dom or sub?"

"Dom," he said, "but not like the thing they dragged down to the basement," he slid a little closer, "I have a heart."

"I like that," I said.

"I like YOU," he said.