Janet and Charlotte never got along together. They worked at the same company and even lived across the street from each other. They avoided each other because they'd already had a couple of public confrontations and neither one wanted a repeat. All of that made it a very unusual thing for Janet to receive a phone call from her hated rival.
"Why are you calling me?" Janet asked. Charlotte was speaking in a nice-nasty tone of voice that was giving her the creeps.
"I audited some of your accounts and it made for some fascinating reading," Charlotte answered. "I know your secret."
Suddenly Janet felt weak in the knees. She tried to brazen it out. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Sure that's how you want to play this?" Charlotte asked sweetly. "Maybe you like the idea of going to jail."
Janet took a deep breath. "What do you want?"
"I want to walk across the street and talk to my new best friend," Charlotte answered and then hung up.
Soon, too soon to suit Janet, she knocked on the door. Charlotte was wearing the biggest ear-to-ear smile that Janet had ever seen and it scared her to death. "May I come in?" she asked.
Charlotte walked into the house and headed for the living room.
"Look, Charlotte, I know we've had some problems in the past. Maybe I can make it up to you somehow. I want to do whatever it takes to fix things."
"I have some ideas along those lines," Charlotte replied. "It involves you doing what I say when I say it. No hesitation."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Janet asked and not really sure she wanted to know the answer.
Charlotte looked her up and down. Janet was wearing a sweater, jeans, and sandals; her blonde hair was wavy and full.
"I think you know exactly what I mean. I am master, you are slave. It's that or jail, your choice. Are we clear on that?" Charlotte asked, still in that super-sweet tone of voice.
Janet swallowed hard. "I understand."
"Wonderful! Now, first things first. Strip," Charlotte commanded.
"Are you for real?" Janet said in a panicky voice.