From that point on, Karen felt like she was in a dream. When she stood up her eyes briefly met those of the bartender, a middle-aged blonde whose expression was professionally neutral. Then she looked around the bar, momentarily paranoid that one of her co-workers might have seen what just transpired. But the bar was almost empty, and none of the few faces looked familiar.
It was quiet in the lobby, too, as she made her way to the elevator. For a moment she couldn't remember the room number she'd been given, and felt both disappointment and a touch of relief. But then it popped into her head and she pressed the appropriate button. As she waited for the elevator she took stock of herself. Her heart was racing, but in an excited way, not a panicky one; she felt a peculiar but pleasant tingle between her legs; and a downward glance confirmed that her nipples were clearly visible through her blouse.
Stepping into the elevator, Karen studied herself in the mirror opposite. She looked good, she thought. She had nice hair and a pretty face, and she kept herself in good physical shape. Her outfit — beige blouse and dark blue skirt — showed off her curves without being overly suggestive. And sure, maybe she was just your average Midwestern wife and mother; but her she was on her way to an assignation with two mysterious women. She smiled at herself in the mirror.
At the door of the suite Karen almost lost her nerve. She could turn around now and go back to her room, and her life would carry on just as it was. Once she stepped through that door, things might never be the same. But wasn't that what she wanted? She took a deep breath and rapped her knuckles on the door.
A few seconds later it swung open and Alexis White appeared. Her hair was down but otherwise she looked just as she had before: stern but serene, formidable but feminine. In that moment Karen's last iota of resistance crumbled; she was going ahead with this, whatever it turned out to be.
Without a word Miss White took Karen by the hand and together they walked to the living room of the suite, where Jodie was kneeling on the floor, naked except for her collar. Karen took her whole body in at a glance: the firm, rounded breasts; the stiff pink nipples; the triangle of dark brown pubic curls. Suddenly it all seemed real in a way it hadn't before. Karen's breath became constricted and uncertain, but at the same time she was turned on in a way that felt entirely new; she felt a powerful surge of raw, animal lust that took her by surprise.
Jodie wasn't wearing her glasses, so anything more than a few feet away was a blur. But even as Karen came closer, Jodie purposely didn't look up. She was perfectly content in her submissive pose, happy to be used in whatever way Miss White wanted to use her.