Leaving the rhetorical question hanging, Dean Wilkins swung her athletic frame up off the chair and came to a standing position. After tugging at the hem and bodice of her dress until a semblance of order was restored, she spun smartly toward the door and, in three long, bold, strides, was gone.
The moment the Dean was out of sight, Jodie found herself caught in a dilemma. She wanted more than anything to go to Miss White, pull off her ball gag, talk to her and/or kiss her. But though the Dean had not forbidden this, neither had she explicitly permitted it, and Jodie knew that if she made the wrong choice, she risked endangering the Dean's good will and perhaps being punished all over again.
Not that the punishment had been so terrible β in fact the last hour with the Dean had been one of the most thrilling of her young life. But she was now thoroughly sated and physically exhausted, and felt no need to repeat the experience right away. She also sensed that the smart move in this context was to obey the Dean's every whim, real or imagined. Any other approach risked disturbing the delicate rapprochement they had achieved.
Miss White had been looking into Jodie's eyes all this time, and had more or less followed her line of thought. Had she been able to speak in that moment, she would have told Jodie that her instincts were absolutely correct. Patience and endurance were the orders of the day.
Nonetheless, it was a huge struggle for Jodie to stay still, and she had just about lost it when the Dean returned carrying a freshly popped bottle of champagne and two flutes. She handed one to Jodie, who gripped it rather awkwardly in her bound hands. Seeing this, the Dean deftly freed Jodie before pouring fizzy liquid into her glass.
After filling her own the Dean lifted it into the air. "To respect," she said, clinking her glass lightly against Jodie's. "For others and for one's self."
Jodie took a big drink. The wine was bubbly and crisp and she immediately felt pleasantly lightheaded, almost giddy β at least until she glanced over at the exiled Miss White, and immediately felt guilty about enjoying herself so much. After that she sipped judiciously.
The Dean drained her flute in two big draughts, then quickly refilled it, though not quite as full this time. She stood swirling it in her hand absent-mindedly, running through scenarios in her head. She had pretty well planned how this was going to go β she'd been thinking about it all week β but it was important to leave room for improvisation, so she took some time before making her next move.