“No!” Alena slapped her forehead. “She’ll get mad, it’ll be a big drama, and I’ll—” She should have known not to tell anyone. “I didn’t explain it right. It’s fine. I need to get back to work.” Rich people get whatever they want, anyway.
Lorelei changed her tone. This time it was a soft, gentle voice. “Sweetie, let me tell you a story.”
“I don’t see what that—”
“Just listen, okay?”
Alena didn’t know where Lorelei was going, but at least she wasn’t angry. “Okay.”
“Before I met my starrygirl, I had any number of babygirls come to visit. You knew me when one visit after another turned out badly.”
Alena nodded. She’d been surprised and grateful she hadn’t been part of the conflicts. Sometimes, girls had badmouthed Lorelei and started their own splinter groups.
“Well, there was one girl who came to visit me. She wasn’t into the lifestyle, but she wanted to try spanking.” Lorelei paused, and her voice deepened. “She thought my spanking her entitled her to sex. The first night. After I’d told her no.”
Alena held her breath. This? No, Lorelei had never told anyone this. “I’m so sorry.” A part of her relaxed, a tiny bit. If Mistress Lorelei, the beloved mistress with her own fan club, had a bad experience, maybe it wasn’t a mark against her.
“When I told her no, she didn’t believe me. She came after me, tried to force me…”
Alena gasped. “Oh my gosh!”
“I was the mistress and she was the submissive, but she didn’t respect boundaries. It took me a long time to heal afterward. If I hadn’t had my sweet starrygirl, I’m not sure I could have.”
Alena sat down at her desk, rubbing her thumb against the front of her teeth. “I’m sorry it happened, and thank you for sharing with me, but I don’t understand why you’re telling me now.”
A chuckle escaped. “Miss Impatient. The point is, you feel violated. And whether the answer was no or yes, you deserved better than dismissal without explanation. A good mistress should have helped you come back gradually after your first-ever spanking, not shove you out the door.”
Alena picked up a pen and doodled on the back of the envelope she should have used for mailing her electricity payment. “But you always say everyone does things differently. And I don’t want to get involved in drama. If it didn’t work out, whatever. Why drag things out?”
Lorelei’s voice reached out as if it were a hug. “Because you deserve better. Your first time should have been as worthwhile as you are. And if things don’t work out for you soon, I tell you what. Starrygirl and I will invite you down for a weekend.”
Sweet Lorelei, the lovely friend who had cheered her up through the loneliness of the past year. The generosity brought tears to eyes that had finally dried. “Thank you,” Alena whispered, and she stared into the distance long after she and Lorelei hung up.
You deserve better.
Did she? Or was it the bias of a friend who took her side?
Chapter Eight
“Miss Raven.”
Raven glanced up from her desk. Clara held out a white envelope. “Yes?”
“Miss Alena said thank you but no thank you, and I should return this to you.”
Raven took the envelope. Sure enough, each of the bills was inside. Untouched. She frowned. “Did you explain this was hers to keep?” Perhaps she should have given the envelope herself, but it felt awkward. Crass. She wanted to give the girl a consolation gift, not buy her off. After all, she had given Raven the afternoon. And from the preliminary paperwork Alena had brought, she could use financial help in a big way. That is, if the papers were genuine. Who knew whether the girl had presented false papers to elicit sympathy.
Susan made her apologies and exited, leaving Raven to click through the list of emails. Since that morning, sixty-seven new ones had arrived in her inbox.
I am a striking blonde, five-six and a little over one hundred pounds. My Master says you will spank me at His direction, and you will eat my pussy as He watches. He will tell you what to do, and you will follow his instructions.
Gag. Raven marked the message “spam” and blocked the user. She skimmed through the remaining emails, deleting most before reading a single sentence. One, however, caught her eye.
My girlfriend and I played at kink for many years.
Girlfriend? Raven looked closer. She hoped she wasn’t being “invited” to another threesome.
I’m now single again, and I miss the spankings. Since I’ve just gotten out of a relationship, I’d prefer not to get too involved. One day a week, no strings, sounds perfect. I won’t lie and say that money wouldn’t be nice, but I’m not sure it is a good idea. I support myself, and I don’t think I’d like to be financially dependent on someone else. Still, if you’d like to be a benefactor, I wouldn’t say no to a trip to Hawaii or a cruise to the Bahamas sometime. Other than that, I think it would be better to keep the relationship to play partners only.
Raven smiled. Clear boundaries. Someone with experience.
I live near downtown Ann Arbor, and I could be ready at a moment’s notice. I love leather. My girlfriend used to give me a good spanking with her belt each week, and I miss it. I hope you’ll give me a call.
Raven picked up the phone. Without giving herself time to think, she dialed the number at the bottom of the email. “Hello, Marie. This is Raven. I just received your application.” She nodded through the pleasantries. “My driver can pick you up and escort you to my home at your earliest convenience, if you wish.”
Marie’s voice came across loud and clear, neither too eager nor too aloof. “How long would it take him to get to my home?”
Raven glanced at the clock. It was well after rush hour, and Marie didn’t live too far away. “How about tomorrow at ten AM? Is that too soon?”
“Oh, no. Not at all. I’m an early riser. Thank you for calling me.”
Raven hung up the phone and called for Susan and Clara. Maybe it wasn’t too late to salvage the weekend.
* * *
When Marie arrived the next day, she was a good deal older than Raven had expected. Older than Raven, in fact, with a distinguished silver to her hair despite what couldn’t have been more than fifty years to her name. Instead of Alena’s hesitant, fearful scanning of her surroundings, Marie gave Raven a hearty handshake and a kiss to the cheek.
“I’m so pleased you invited me,” she said, and Raven mustered a smile. Marie’s conservative polo shirt and black knit pants struck the perfect balance between casual and trying too hard. “I didn’t bring all of my paperwork, but I can give you most of the answers you should need. I brought Annie’s belt, too.” She displayed a worn navy blue belt wound into a coil.
Raven took a deep breath. Why did she feel out of her depth, when Marie offered everything Raven wanted? “Would you join me in the sitting room?”
Raven stepped toward her familiar chair, and Marie established herself in the red armchair. While Alena had obediently stood at attention, trembling as she read from the paper, Marie crossed one leg over the other and launched into an easy recital of her preferences.
“Annie and I were together for almost fourteen years, and we had a ritual each week. I brought the belt to her, well not this one as of course we had to replace it a few times, and she positioned me across the back of our armchair. She rubbed my back and shoulders, and she spanked with the belt until I could relax. You mustn’t be afraid of the belt. I’m much tougher than I look, and it takes a good bit for me to drop into sub space.”
Raven laced her fingers together. She mustn’t? She should interview the potential submissive, not the other way around. Her back arched at the easy assumption she would serve as a replacement Annie. Don’t be silly. This is what you wanted, spanking without strings. Someone who doesn’t enter this relationship solely for what she can get from you. “How did Annie help you come out of sub space?”
At her question, Raven’s conscience prickled. How,
indeed, had she helped Alena recover from sub drop? She hadn’t offered warmth, nourishment, or any reassurance. While she scorned any attempts to coddle after a well-deserved punishment, that first spanking was nothing of the kind.
“Oh, nothing.” Marie gave a sunny smile. “Easy in, easy out. The important thing is to not stop until I’m ready. I get frustrated when the spanking isn’t long enough.”
Raven twiddled her thumbs, trying to hide her thoughts. “What were you hoping to get from me?”
Marie stood up and indicated the belt. It lay curled in the palm of her hand, soft and accustomed to another woman’s use. She held it out. “A good spanking, of course. I’ve tried to do it myself, but I can’t get a good swing. Don’t worry. I won’t turn into a lovesick sub or send you a million messages a day asking for attention. In fact, I don’t think I’ll need to spend the night. Just a good spanking and then I’ll be on my way. You can use a belt, can’t you?”
Raven closed her eyes. She was being foolish. This was a grown woman who knew what she wanted and how to get it. She should take the opportunity, forget about impossible dreams, and be glad for spanking without emotional baggage.
And yet!
How empty it felt to be asked to substitute for another woman’s spanking arm! Marie didn’t need anything from her, or at least nothing about Raven that mattered. She could pay a good professional dominant to deliver what she wanted. Raven had thought Alena’s needs were overwhelming, but would this woman curl into her lap and rest her head on Raven’s shoulder? Would she whimper, cry, and plead to be a good girl?
Regretfully, certain she was committing the worst mistake of her career, Raven handed the belt back. Marie took it, looking surprised but not upset. “I’m afraid our needs are too different,” Raven said, feeling foolish. “I’m sorry to bring you out here for nothing. I’d be glad to compensate you for your time—”
“Oh, no.” Marie’s eyes glittered, and she bit off each word. “I have plenty of mistresses who’d like to play with me. I thought I’d give you a chance.”
Speechless, Raven sat back in her chair as Susan escorted the angry woman out the door and toward the front hallway. What was she thinking? Why had she invited Marie, knowing nothing about her? What was wrong with her?
Lorelei has sent you a message request.
Raven gave her computer an irritated tap. She meant to shut down the request, probably from yet another would-be submissive. Instead, she clicked open the window and watched the three dots showing Lorelei typing. Lorelei. She’d heard the name before, of course. But where?
Lorelei: Hello, Raven. I’m a friend of A1star, the girl who visited you yesterday.
Of course! Raven sighed. The less she thought about the problematic girl, the better. She nearly typed a curt dismissal, but she thought better of it. From all accounts, Lorelei had a large and loyal following. It wouldn’t do to say the wrong thing and set off a never-ending drama.
Raven: Hello, Lorelei. Nice to meet you.
Raven hoped this Lorelei would finish quickly so she could lie down. Her head pounded, and she wanted to forget this nightmare of a weekend. Maybe next weekend’s candidates would prove more fruitful.
Lorelei: I make it my policy not to meddle in the affairs of others…
Raven groaned. Of course that meant Lorelei would do so.
Raven: How can I help you?
Lorelei: A1star is unattached. She is not under my mentorship, and I do not discipline her. However, she and I have been friends for a long time and that’s why I recommended she take a look at your advertisement.
Raven’s curiosity got the better of her. Friends? Dommes and subs weren’t friends, at least not usually. And didn’t Lorelei have a sub already?
Raven: Thank you.
Lorelei: Although I normally wouldn’t ask for details about someone else’s relationship, A1star is terribly upset about her visit. May I ask what happened?
Raven let out a sigh. Lorelei could ask, although it was none of her business, but how could Raven answer? She should close the window and get back to her business. She didn’t owe this busybody any explanation. And yet, a small pain niggled the corner of her heart. She didn’t have an easy conscience about Alena, even if admitting that came hard.
Raven: She and I were not compatible. I’m afraid I can’t say anymore, but thank you for your concern. I wish her well.
The screen went blank. Raven waited, curiously disappointed at the lack of reply. Apparently, that was all Lorelei wanted. Raven could log off and forget the whole fiasco.
Lorelei: It is not my place to judge others, but it is my place to speak up when someone I care about gets hurt. I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but Alena is ashamed, upset, and confused. She trusted you and doesn’t understand why you rejected her. At the very least, you owed her an explanation and some aftercare before sending her home.
Raven took her hands off the keyboard. The thoughts coursing through her mind didn’t bear typing. She could launch a rant telling Lorelei to mind her own business, but this was a domme who felt a sub had been mistreated. She, Raven, had to tread carefully.
Even worse, Raven was beginning to get the suspicion Lorelei might be right.
Raven: Has Alena given permission for us to speak together?
Lorelei: She is upset that I want to talk with you and afraid things will turn into a drama. She asked me to leave things alone and said she is fine. But I’ve known her for a while now, and I’ve never seen her like this. She’s devastated. I don’t care what decision you made, but you never should have spanked her and sent her home.
So much for not judging or not interfering! Raven had dozens of replies, but in the midst of her professional anger—indignation that someone else would dare call her out—a tiny flame of hope burned in her chest. Had Alena been for real? Had Raven actually meant something to her, after all?
Raven: How long have you known her?
Lorelei: A little over a year.
Raven: And you can vouch for her? She is who she says she is?
Lorelei: As much as we can know about anyone online.
Raven: What was her motive in approaching me? Why did you suggest she apply?
Lorelei: She’s a good girl, Raven. I love her as much as a friend can love another. She’s been drifting for the past year, in and out of relationships and unable to focus. She works hard at her job, has good friends, and is as happy as she can expect—but she should expect so much more. She needs someone to invest in her. To care about her, care about her wellbeing, and give her the structure and discipline she needs.
Raven sat back in her chair, stunned. It was too good to be true. It had to be. And if it wasn’t, she’d thrown away the opportunity by sending the girl home.
Raven: Did you coach her? Tell her how to act and what to say to make a good impression?
Lorelei: Me? Do you think anyone tells her what to do? That girl won’t listen unless instructions are followed by a good beating.
Raven laughed. Then, without warning, she found herself in tears. She’d been an idiot. The girl she’d been looking for had come to her home, laid herself across Raven’s lap, and accepted a spanking magical beyond their dreams. Why had Raven recoiled? Why had she jumped to conclusions and assumed the worst? Why couldn’t she have trusted that perhaps, for once, the universe had given her a gift?
Raven: She needs the money.
Lorelei: Badly. Her books aren’t selling much, and she’s too proud to let friends help her. She works sixteen hours a day, and it’s never enough. If she lived closer, I’d help straighten her out. Or maybe not. I’ve got my own stubborn girl to deal with.
Raven laughed again, certain that Lorelei joined her.
Raven: You think we should give it another chance?
Lorelei: I don’t know. I’m not sure she can trust you enough to try. But you should talk to her.
Raven jumped up, paced around the sitting room, and talked out loud to the walls. “Try? M
e? I sent her away. Why would she come back?” Then the answer came to her. Of course Alena wouldn’t come back. Raven would have to go to her.
Raven: If I did talk to her, do you think she’d listen? If I visited her?
Lorelei: Want me to ask?
Raven: Now?
Lorelei: Just a minute.
Raven: No, wait! Never mind.
But Lorelei’s typing dots had gone blank. Raven sat by the computer, cursing herself. How had she gotten herself back into this situation? How could she ever establish authority as a mistress after this kind of screw-up? Alena would never take her seriously.
Lorelei: If I were you, I’d bring some flowers.
Raven: It’s okay! I won’t go.
Lorelei: She’s home now. You should go before she changes her mind.
Raven wanted to offer a few choice words about the nerve of a domme who gave orders to a fellow domme, but a swelling rose up in her heart.
Alena’s waiting. Alena’s waiting for me.
Forgetting everything else, Raven called out for Susan. “The car, please! Quickly!”
Chapter Nine
Alena had forgone her usual shower in favor of her best ratty pajamas. The plaid faux flannel ended in loose seams around the neckline and cuffs, and the elastic of the waistband showed through several holes. After her conversation with Lorelei, she got up to make herself a cup of coffee. Strong and black, it gave her the strength to survey her home. She pushed aside an eighteenth century wooden desk and centered an antique typewriter on a stack of first edition books. While she was frugal in most senses of the word, she found comfort in following eBar auctions. Half the time, the thrill of winning outweighed the difficulty of cramming more prizes into her tiny apartment.
When the stress of finances and wordsmithing kept her up at night, she soothed herself by stalking eBar listings. The rush of placing the triumphant bid just before closing allowed her to sleep. If she couldn’t do many things well, she could snatch a lovely piece of furniture from other poor, unpracticed sops. She was quite proud of her collection of writing paraphernalia owned by Margaret Booth, an unknown British author who specialized in children’s poetry.
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