I know it has been a long time since my last chapter. But Bas and crew is back, continuing their story.
A reader will not understand what is going on unless they have read the preceding chapters in the series. This world is based in the same world as a few of my other series, Slave Camp and My Mother Owns Me. I have tried to keep consistent but I am only human.
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"What kind of proposal?" I asked, suspiciously. "From the way you are hesitating, it is not business and you don't think I would approve." Lenore reddened.
"I've been approached to join the Krewe of Aphrodite." Lenore answered quietly. "Lou, Sarah and Wanda brought up the subject again today at the office." I knew this was more than a casual offer if the three approached Lenore at work. I wondered what the deal included.
I recognized the name as one of several krewes who held Mardi Gras parades in the area but other than that, the name meant nothing. I did not follow any of the festivities or traditions surrounding Mardi Gras except to buy the occasional king cake. Mardi Gras had been a long established tradition in Louisiana. Most cities in Louisiana, especially those of any size, had multiple krewes which basically were civic clubs. Each usually held an annual ball where members attended wearing masks and dressed up in flashy costumes/gowns, presided over by that year's selected king and queen.
It was originally a Catholic activity ending on Fat Tuesday. Lent followed. Not being Catholic, I barely knew of the religious significance.
The general public mainly heard of krewes when they held their yearly Mardi Gras parades where families gather along the route and the participants throw strings of beads, plastic doubloons, candy and stuffed toys to the crowds of spectators. In some cases even panties and other more questionable items were included as a 'throw'. I remember my Dad laughing about how when he was a kid they even threw condoms to the crowd. Contraceptive implants and the vaccines for almost all known STD's have made condoms almost obsolete apart from anal sex. I wonder if Richard and his friends even know what a condom is.
In most cities, the parades are family friendly affairs but in the past, especially in New Orleans, adult themed parades had female spectators flashing their breasts to the floats and yelling "Throw me something, mister!"
I had never had any inclination to join a Krewe. Years ago, Christine had been invited to join one but opted out when I was not interested. Her being a professor and my becoming well-known with my computer business made us prime candidates for inclusion. I had no idea Lou and the others at the Hacienda were part of a krewe. The subject had never come up in any of our discussions.
"Waddsworth has sponsored a float the past several years. John's ex-wife Leanne was an Aphrodite member before she was enslaved." Lenore explained. "Robichaud Energy has one this year, too. I heard it is pretty ornate. Wind turbines in sparkly mardi gras colors as decoration as you might imagine. The floats are great advertisement and of course it is considered a business expense for tax purposes."
"So you are being invited because you work for Waddsworth and we have a connection to the turbine company." I concluded. "I'm guessing membership has its price. Am I expected to join as well? Or just go along as your consort?"
"Well, it's a little more complicated than that." Lenore explained, hesitantly. "I need to think about it a bit before we discuss it." Her reluctance to explain had me on edge. That was not like her. "I have a lot on my plate right now with work alone, so give me a day or so, okay?" Lenore asked. I shrugged. I knew better than to press her.
Lenore's invitation to join a krewe was not really my business as far as I could tell. I had more pressing matters here at home. Dupree was going to start renovation on my garage to turn the area into extra living space. We had planned for three additional bedrooms and use the existing plumbing to make a large bathroom suitable for more than one or two women to prepare themselves in the morning. Dupree had laughed about the bathroom, saying women on his team designed those facilities. "Give me a sink, mirror and a few inches of space to put my toothbrush and deodorant and I am good to go. I'm finished in a few minutes. Never the case with any woman I've ever met, including my wife and daughters. You'll need space for your girls."
I had agreed. I'd heard more argument among my slave girls about being in each other's way getting ready in the morning than anything else they did. It far exceeded grievances about work assignments. Sonya quelled the latter early on when she offered to let the girls rotate responsibility for the work rosters. "If you bitches don't think I am being fair, fine. I'll put one of you in charge each week. Meal menus, work rosters, all of it. You screw it up and it is YOUR ass. I'll sit on my butt and watch." Not two weeks later, the girls asked Sonya to take charge again.
Of course, Sonya had warned me ahead of time, telling me what she was doing and asking me to be tolerant and not bust HER butt 'if it all went to shit'. (Her words). I laughed and told her once again she had a potty mouth for a preacher's daughter. She shared the bed with Lenore and me that week. "This is great, Boss. Maybe I need to let the girls fend for themselves more." she said. I popped her on the butt and told her the first day I did not have clean underwear was going to be the day her butt suffered. "Oh, that is easy. I'll be your personal maid and hand wash them myself." she announced quickly. "And you won't have cum stains, either. I'll make sure you are clean down there." She ran her tongue around her lips making a show of licking them then shook her butt as if offering. Laughing, she told me she was going to make sure the household was taken care of.
The afternoon after I offered to let Sonya live as a free woman, she whispered she'd been thinking and decided she'd accept to 'live free', if she could move into my room with Lenore and me. She giggled as she kissed me and walked away chuckling. I told Lenore about the conversation.
"Don't even think about it!" Lenore said. "You are mine. I know full well Sonya loves you. She told me as much. She said she loves me too. Did you know she's offered to be a wet nurse for our babies?" I was confused. "She wants to induce lactation. Produce milk and feed our baby like a few of Derek's girls did for his kids." Lenore explained. I was still lost but knew I would talk to Derek for clarification. I knew little about babies beyond they needed to be fed and have their diapers changed. I was no where near the proper frame of mind to father a child.
"Ahhh, you poor idiot!" Derek laughed the next day when I went to visit. "You haven't learned? I told you I get by because of the collective wisdom of my girls. Lenore wants to have your baby and is going to push the issue. She might talk to you first or just decide to go ahead. Maybe not now, but sooner or later. I am guessing a couple of your girls have cottoned onto that."
"I'm not sure I'm ready to be a father!" I protested. "I mean I had a ready made family when I married Christine but Joanne was older. I'm not ready for a baby."
Derek thought that funny. "Who is ever ready? I had one in my twenties and then a whole passel of rugrats in my sixties. And not a one was planned. Well, not by ME anyway."
I asked Derek how involved he was in the inner workings of the Krewe of Aphrodite. He laughed so hard he almost dropped his beer. "I don't have the anatomy to join that group. Neither do you." At my confusion, he explained. "I know you heard about the garden parties my wives used to attend, taking our slaves along as fodder. Free use entertainment." I nodded slowly, catching on.
"Well, the Krewe of Aphrodite is an offshoot of the same organization. It is their public face if you will. Not all the members of the krewe attend the garden parties but many do. You know what a fraternal organization is. Well this is a sororal one." Derek explained. "I'm sure Lenore told you some of what happens at those weekend parties."
Lenore told me a little. Just enough to explain some of the comments I'd overheard. I knew she had attended a few parties, but as a free woman, not as a slave. Sherrie had gone to many as an invited guest who paid admission for the free use of the available slave girls. The slaves were used brutally according to what I'd heard. No damage was done, and the activities stopped short of the point of legal slave abuse, but slave girls were 'well-used' during their attendance. Marianne's recent punishment had been designed to mimic what she might have endured at a party.
I could not understand why Lenore would be invited nor why she might even consider joining such a group. "I don't like the idea, myself." Derek offered. "I've tried to get Lou and Sarah to stay clear of the whole damn thing, but I do have to admit, it has been useful to establish business contacts. Not that we need it at this point. Nor do you or Lenore. Wanda was invited, well, rather encouraged to join officially over a year ago. Lou and Sarah have been members for a while. Wanda was very reluctant to join based on her experience as one of the girls used. She hated going and worked hard to stop my girls attending."
I asked why she joined the organization at all. "Lou and Sarah pressured her as a validation of her position as a business woman." Derek replied. "I'm guessing they all see membership as a boon to their careers and as a status symbol in local society."
I could not see why Lenore needed to enhance her status in society. "Lenore is trying to certify her place." Derek offered. "She has been working hard to be the person in charge. Her living here as an unofficial slave gave her peace of mind and a sense of stability. She had rules to follow and could let herself go. By that I mean, her life was dictated, at least privately. She started to take more control of her life when she moved in with you. But she has been on the edge of whether she wanted to be subservient or dominant in private. Wanda told me Lenore is totally on top when it comes to business. It is in private that she seems to have a problem. When I told you she is trying to certify her place, I mean not only how others perceive her but how she perceives herself."
"So you are suggesting I let her join." I said.
"Nope." Derek answered, shrugging. "I'm saying you have no choice. You can provide your input but the decision is hers. It needs to be if she is to be her own person. Your job is just to support her." I nodded and accepted the man's advice.
When I returned home I found another group offloading materials. Clarice's crew was also there to set up my new wind turbines. "We'll do our best to minimize any damage to your lawn Mr. Landry, but some is inevitable," explained the foreman. Clarice had explained that to me already, but I was happy this man was also on board and would be careful.
My suspicions I was getting the VIP treatment were confirmed when Clarice arrived accompanied by the woman, Emma, who had come last time. Both women once again explained the process as we sat in my kitchen. I had a beer in my hand while the two women sipped coffee when the college girls came home.
