Chapter Two
Alternate Resources
The rest of the day was a blur. A long, luxurious, happy, mindless blur. After a few hours, they decided to retire to the main house, but Mamie was ordered to carry the metronome along her, as if being given possession of the implement of her slavery only underscored the idea that she had willingly given up her freedom. It was a funny feeling. At least Cassie had let her wear the robe for the transit, though she had to relinquish it as soon as they were inside.
Mamie had never felt so ... female. She would have thought that eventually, she would have gotten a little more comfortable with her nudity, but she never did, and it took her awhile to figure out that Cassie wasn't LETTING her. They worked in the kitchen to prepare a late brunch: omelets and toast and coffee, and the apron she was allowed to put on only seemed to emphasize the fact that she was otherwise nude, making her feel more naked than she would have been without it.
Everything seemed sexual. Cassie was continuously brushing against her, constantly touching to underscore a point in their conversation, occasionally pausing to take her sister in her arms and hug her, sometimes even giving her a kiss. It was all so intimate, so wonderful.
During the meal, their conversation turned to Willow, Reggie's secretary. When Cassie wanted a detailed description, Mamie rose (nude, of course ... always nude today) and ran to fetch a laptop computer. The company website had an "Employees' Page," and it only took seconds to find the "official" staff picture, following a link from the convoluted organizational diagram. Cassie was shocked, though not unduly so. Willow was African American, and Reggie came from a conservative family in a conservative state. But Mamie had been right, overall. The girl was cute, innocent-looking, with wideset, intelligent eyes set in a clear face; and straight, well-styled hair. Plus, she had a knockout figure beneath a muted, soft, pastel sweater. In the picture, she seemed to be blushing.
"Whew!" Cassie commented, studying the pic. "I can see what you mean. This changes things."
"You mean, because she's so beautiful?"
Cassie reached across the small table and stroked Mamie's hand affectionately. "No, sweetie. You shouldn't feel competitive because of that. You're just as alluring as this gal. It changes things because she's a sub."
"What?"
"Listen, sis. Take it from a gal that's a card-carrying member of the Dom society. This little piece of fluff has a submissive streak as big as all outdoors. I can spot one across any crowded bar the instant I walk in a bar." She soured for a moment. "Just like that fiasco on Saturday night. Anyway, this girl didn't make a play for your husband, Reggie pursued HER. Guaranteed. And I thought I had that dude well and properly programmed."
"What? Now, wait cotton-pickin' minute, here! Are you telling me that you ...?"
"Easy, Mamie. Lunch is over. Time for your lesson." Cassie rose and held out her hand.
Despite her sudden reservations, Mamie took the extended hand, followed her sister meekly into the living room and sat on the sofa. Cassie put the metronome on the coffee table in front of her, but Mamie knew that as soon as it was set it into motion, there would be no further opportunity of any kind to question her sister's actions. This was her only chance, while the thought was fresh.
"Have ... Have you been hypnotizing Reggie?" But that was a ridiculous question, given that last comment. "Of course, you have! How long? When did you start controlling our lives?"
They were sitting on the couch together now, facing the silent little machine that held so much potential power; but, instead of leaning forward to start the gizmo, Cassie put her arm around Mamie's naked shoulders and pulled her unresisting body into a soft embrace.
"I never controlled you guys, I just guided you in the right direction. But ... let's face it, kiddo. Our parents weren't exactly the wealthiest folks on the block. Without a little help, what shot did you really have with the richest kid in school? The girls were all over him, so it took a little effort on my part; plus, you two were a year ahead of me. Even so, I sort of made it a point to get acquainted with members of his social group. Being a lesbian was sort of a novelty back in those days; and generally, we seemed to be a lot better accepted than the homosexual guys. Of course, people are people. The more you get to know someone, the more you understand that things like sexual identity aren't really a big thing.
"So ... Reggie and I became friends. I was always on my best behavior, of course, because I had an ulterior motive; but not even you ever knew about that. I talked about hypnosis a lot when he and I were together, especially if we were alone, but I never pushed it. And, eventually, he just got curious and asked me to try it out on him. Most people do, sooner or later. Of course, I made sure that he'd find it very relaxing ... very pleasurable. We did it almost every day for a while.
"After about a month, he stopped dating. He was seeing three or four girls at a time before that. If you ask him why, he'll tell you it was because he suddenly couldn't seem to stop thinking about YOU. Oddly enough, that was about the same time you found yourself unable to think about any other guy but HIM. Kind of funny, huh?"
"Oh my gosh," Mamie moaned, though she didn't find it possible to move away from her sister's embrace. "You set him up! You set ME up!"
Cassie raised and extended her arms, palms upward, indicating their surroundings. "I set you up for THIS. And trust me, if any girl in school merited it, you did. You're just about the sweetest girl in the whole world, kiddo. And, before you say anything else, know this: he DID love you. He really did. And ... he still does; I'll bet my life on it."
Mamie tried to take it all in, present and past, and put it into some sort of crazy perspective. She was sitting here, naked and passive, leaning against her sister, waiting for her to resume Mamie's brainwashing sessions, which she realized now she was looking forward to with almost manic longing. And, they were sitting in her house, hers and Reggie's; Reggie, the love of her life. But ... was he really? Was it actually love? Her mind recalled with vivid clarity their earliest days and weeks and months together; the long walks in the woods, the hand holding, the intimacy that possessed them; the endless conversations about friends and family and world events and their future together. And the longing! Oh, the overwhelming NEED to be with him! The indisputable realization that she wasn't complete unless she was with him!
"Was it real, Cassie? Was any of it real?"
"All of it was real. I made it real. And I'll make it real again for him. I don't know why he slipped. I guess there was some deep-set psychological pull toward infidelity or something." She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He's a problem that needs to be fixed. So ... I'll fix him."
"Please don't," Mamie pleaded softly. "Don't change who he really is. He doesn't deserve to be controlled by somebody else. I'm different. You've obviously been controlling me since we were little girls. It's become part of who I am. But he's ..."
"Hush, now," Cassie interrupted. "I've never really changed either of you. I simply enhanced the best parts of you. You've always belonged to each other, and I'm going to make sure that fact never changes. And anyway, you're both a vital part of MY life now. MY happiness would be endangered if you weren't together. If you haven't already figured it out, that apartment out there is my new home. I can't leave you. The curse won't let me. Not if I want to keep my sanity. I'll always be here to guide you, to make sure that you're always happy, and that you're always able to keep ME happy. So now, I'll have plenty of opportunity to reinforce HIS happiness, as well.
"No further arguments! You are going to surrender to me, and let me guide you. That's the thing you've always wanted. That's the way it's always been. Lean forward and start the metronome for me, please. I know that you are very, very aware of your nakedness, that you feel humiliation and arousal, that you feel meek and feminine, and that you want nothing more than to stop worrying about this, about everything, and give your mind to me. You want to be comfortable again. Comfortably in my power. You want to belong to me. Do it now, little one."
Mamie moaned softly in anticipation as she leaned out of the soft, warm shelter of Cassie's arms, toward the device that was sitting on the table before them. Nude. Vulnerable. Helpless. Unsure. But all of those insecurities were about to disappear. She knew it was true. Cassie would make it true. She started the gadget in motion; and immediately, everything was alright.
When she awoke, things had changed. She didn't know exactly how, but she was certain that was the fact. And, she knew, things would continue to change. They would keep changing until they were the way Cassie wanted them to be. Oh, how she wished she could put on some clothes! But that was not to be. Bare, she was ordered to straighten and clean the family room; but they did it together, and that was nice. When Cassie came very, very close to her, she found that she had no impulse at all to pull away, and she savored her sister's nearness, her touch.