Bedrock

by Britney King

  Trying to take her mind off of the situation, Addie got right to work. She typed up a few proposals and then started on the 312 emails sitting in her inbox. Only one of them grabbed her attention and held it.

  From: William B. Hartman

  Date: 6/25/2012

  To: Addison Greyer

  Subject: I Miss You

  Dearest Addison,

  I hope you like the flowers.

  Words can’t describe how much I miss waking up next to you in the morning.

  Your presence gives my life new meaning. And your absence leaves a noticeable void. Tell me, “What is a man to do?”

  I need to see you before it all goes further downhill. ;)

  A car will be waiting outside the lobby at noon. Go outside and get in it. I’ll be waiting.

  See you soon.

  Kisses,

  William

  Addie sighed glancing at the clock. Eleven forty-five. Crap. Didn’t he know that the rest of the world actually had to work for a living?

  Admittedly, she’d dressed up in short little red dress and spent extra time on hair and makeup just in case she might run into William. So why then was she so surprised? Annoyed and anxious, Addie had to admit that she wanted to see William too. She did as she was told, and at twelve o’clock sharp hopped in the car that drove her to William’s place.

  Addie had second thoughts as she rode the elevator up. What was she doing here?

  William opened the door, wearing faded blue jeans and a crisp white button-down shirt. Casual. Especially for him.

  Addie grinned as he moved to the side and ushered her in. “Working today?”

  “Always.” William said as he bent down, kissing her on the cheek.

  Addie glanced around the place, noticing how different it felt from her own home. How quiet and lonely it seemed.

  “So you got me here. Now what?”

  “Oh, so it’s like that now?”

  William used his body to push her up against the wall in the foyer. He kissed her nose and brushed a strand of hair away from her eye. “This dress is uh . . . wow, but I’m afraid it’s going to have to come off,” William said, running his hands slowly down her curves.

  Addie ran her fingers through his hair, curling a strand around her finger, tugging gently. “You think so, do you?”

  William unzipped her dress, and Addie watched it fall to the floor. She knew what she’d come here for. Since there was no turning back now, she slowly pushed William to the floor and straddled him, slowly moving up and down.

  William sighed, whispering in her ear. “I need you, Addison.”

  Finishing in unison, they both sank to the floor. William put his arm beneath her head and turned towards his fingers tracing the outline of her face. “God you’re beautiful.”

  Finally after a while, Addie said, “I don’t know what it was I came here for, but I guess that’ll do.”

  “I’m glad you came.” The corners of his lips tilted slightly.

  “I’m glad I came, too.” Addie smiled.

  “That’s my girl.” William lingered over the words, understanding the double meaning behind Addie’s words.

  “I shall come again.” Addie smirked, pulling her dress up.

  William stared. “That’s my job.”

  Addie shook her head, catching her reflection in the mirror. She couldn’t help but notice that the girl staring back at her looked happy. Carefree.

  “Stay a while. You hungry?”

  “I can’t. I’m sorry. I gotta get back to work.”

  William faked a frowned. “Seriously? You’re just going to use me and run?”

  “For now. Yes.”

  “If you say so, I’ll have lunch sent to your office. It’ll be waiting when you get back.” William said, opening the door.

  Addie kissed him briefly, trying to avoid the range of emotions she was feeling. Trying and failing to keep the situation light. “Thank you, William.”

  William pulled her in and held her face in place while he kissed her the way he wanted. “No. Thank you.” He finally said, releasing her.

  Addie returned to her office to find Sondra waiting for her. Shit.

  Sondra stood as Addie entered. She looked . . . terrible . . . unlike herself.

  Great. I’m getting fired.

  Sondra motioned towards a chair. “Take a seat, Mrs. Greyer.”

  Addie did as she was told.

  Sondra took a deep breath. “I was expecting to see you in my office this morning.”

  “I know and I’m sorry. There is just so much work I needed to catch up on.”

  Sondra eyed Addie up and down in a way that told her she wasn’t fooling anyone. “Yeah. It seems that way.”

  Addie glanced around her office; looking for a way out of the hole she’d just dug herself into. “What can I do for you, Sondra?”

  Sondra picked up a stack of papers from Addie’s desk and fanned herself. “Have you made a decision on my offer? Do you have an answer for me?”

  “I . . . Uh . . . Yes. I’ve given it a lot of thought and I so appreciate you thinking of me, but—”

  “I’m pregnant, Addison, exactly eight weeks along and, if you can’t tell, sicker than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  Addie tried to keep her face neutral. “Wow. Congratulations.”

  “Let me finish. I’ve been doing this for a very long time, and I have built an extensive and exclusive list of clientele. Clearly, I cannot continue to see my clients throughout this pregnancy. The real kicker is that I never expected to be able to have children, Addison. Never. They said it was impossible after everything that happened. And to tell you the truth, I’ve never really cared to be a mother. But now that it’s happened, well, I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I figure, what the hell, I might as well embrace it.”

  “Having a child is a big deal. And . . . yeah, you’re probably right. Your profession and babies don’t exactly mix very well.” Addie’s smirk quickly disappeared. “What about the father? Will he be involved?”

  “No. He won’t. But we’ll be fine.”

  “I see.”

  “Addison, I’m just going to cut to the chase. Dungeon Seven is my life, and I cannot just step out of it without losing my clients. They’re used to a certain level of service. I’ve given this a lot of thought. Yes, there are other Dommes out there that I could farm them out to, but I just don’t feel comfortable doing it. I want someone whom I know and trust and who is specifically trained by me. With the proper amount of training, I know that you’d be perfect. So what is it? Is it the money? Because—”

  “Ok. I’ll do it.” Her mind wandered to her own children, and, somehow, the words suddenly slipped out. She stared out at the skyline mulling them over in her mind once more. Addie sighed. She wasn’t sure, why but it just felt right. It was time to stand on her own two feet. She glanced back at Sondra who looked relieved. “But I expect a signing bonus.”

  Sondra stood and walked towards the door, smiling. “You got it. I’ll have my assistant get everything in place and get your household fully staffed. Your training begins tomorrow at five a.m. sharp.”

  Addie grimaced. “Five a.m.?”

  “Yeah. We need to whip your ass into shape. Literally. This line of work is incredibly physical.”

  Addie smiled, hoping she hadn’t just made the biggest mistake of her life.

  Addie woke to her phone ringing at four a.m. It was her new chef asking to be let in. Jesus, what had her life become.

  Over breakfast, she was informed that she was only to eat what the chef, an older man named Alexander, who as it turned out was Russian, prepared. Addie was instructed that he must approve all food. She was on a strict diet and only allowed to consume a limited number of calories in order to stay within the regimen Alexander prepared.

  But if Addie thought Alexander was a ball buster, she couldn’t have been less prepared for the trainer who showed up promptly at four forty-five a.m. Andre was brutal. No hold
s barred. He wore Addie out in the first five minutes yet insisted she complete the entire hour-long training session. It was pure hell. Addison hated the man in the first ten minutes. What had she gotten herself into?

  Addie showered and was surprised to find the boys happily chatting with Alexander when she came back downstairs and Nanny Kelsey already there.

  “Hey, Mrs. Greyer, I LOVE my new schedule. I can’t tell you how much this will help towards my student loans, not to mention I just really love your kids.”

  Addie smiled, kissing each of the boys. “Thanks, Kelsey. I know a trio of boys who feel the same way about you.”

  Addie sat watching them eat as Kelsey packed lunches. Maybe this was a good thing after all. It would give her back to them. Instead of trying to do everything herself, as a single mom, now she had a team in place.

  After she saw the boys off to school, Addie was picked up by a car service and driven downtown to the warehouse district where Dungeon Seven was located. Seven as it was called was in an unassuming building that could’ve easily passed as an inconspicuous medical office. The entrance was freshly decorated and bright, complete with a cheerful receptionist.

  “You must be Addison.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m Liselle.”

  The girl rose from behind the desk and ushered Addie towards a door to on her right. “Ms. Sheehan asked that you to step into this room and dress in the clothing hanging there on the rack. She’ll greet you momentarily.”

  Addie watched as Liselle closed the door behind her. Touching the outfit hanging before her, she couldn’t help but laugh. Seriously? She ran her fingers over the leather catsuit. It looked like something straight out of Hollywood.

  Addie scowled, struggling to pull the tight leather over her body. Already sore from Andre’s crazy intense workout, the task wasn’t easy. But once it was finally on, it fit like a glove, and was surprisingly comfortable. Addie eyed herself in the full-length mirror, pleased with what she saw. What a long way she had come. What a long way still to go. She slipped the six-inch heels on that had been left for her and checked the mirror again. The woman in the mirror staring back looked fierce. The girl in the mirror made Addie realize that she had transformed. She was suddenly light years away from the woman she had been just a few short months ago. Satisfied, she picked up the client profile and studied it, testing herself to make sure she’d memorized every last detail.

  The gentleman named “Thomas” was a forty-five-year-old surgeon. He had fantasies of being forced to dress female, ridiculed, and spanked. Sondra listed specific names that were to be used during the session, specifically, “Pussy” and “Freak Boy.”

  Addie heard the door open and in walked Sondra wearing a corset, fishnets and leather boots. Addie sat up straighter. How was it possible that the woman always looked so elegant, even more so dressed like this?

  Sondra gave her the once over, finally giving a sly smile. “Not bad.”

  Addie felt her face flush and her stomach flip, suddenly feeling anxious and awkward. Was she really going to go through with this?

  “Thomas will be in, in a moment. Just watch me and don’t speak unless spoken to. That’s all you’re here for right now. Once we’re done with the session, I’ll instruct you on technique and we’ll review. Any questions?”

  Addie shook her head slightly.

  Thomas was not at all what Addie had expected. He was handsome and surprisingly normal-looking. Sondra introduced Addie as Mistress Laelia. Funny, they hadn’t agreed on that name, but Addie decided she kind of liked it. Thomas kissed her hand when she extended it. Out of nowhere came the first blow.

  “I didn’t give you permission to kiss Mistress Laelia. Did I?” Sondra struck Thomas again as he hung his head. “DID I?”

  Sondra bent next to his ear and whispered. “You’re nothing but a dumb little pussy wimp who can’t even follow simple instructions. You think you’re so smart having people refer to you as Doctor. Don’t you? But you’re not. You’re a fraud. And everyone knows it. You stupid little shit.” Thomas remained quiet, his eyes focused on the floor.

  Sondra put her hands around his neck and began squeezing as Addie watched the flesh turn red, the blood pull. “Look at me when I speak to you!”

  Thomas looked up at Sondra, his eyes glazed over. “No girl clothes today, huh? What do think you’re too good? Who do you think you are, huh? Running around thinking you’re better than everyone else.” Sondra backhanded him once again. And this went on and on for nearly an hour until Sondra removed the collar and Thomas stood, smiled, and kissed her on the cheek.

  He beamed, a different man than only minutes before. “See you next week.”

  “Yes. Next week.”

  After the session, Addie was drained. Sondra went over technique with her on proper ways of punishing without leaving marks. They did two more sessions that day, each much like the last, only different men and different names. When they were finished, they changed clothes: Addie into a fitted knee-length skirt and matching blouse; Sondra into a pantsuit. From there, they grabbed lunch and headed to the agency, as though nothing out of the ordinary had just taken place.

  In the elevator, Addie cocked her head to one side and stared at Sondra. “Laelia, huh. I’ve never heard it before. I like it.”

  Sondra smiled wryly. “It means Orchid. I hear they’re your favorite flowers.”

  Addie deadpanned. “So they say.”

  Over the following week, Addie continued training with Sondra until she’d seen all of the six clients who would be in her rotation. There was the surgeon who enjoyed cross dressing, the professor who wanted to be chained and disciplined by a cheerleader for daring to look at her, the attorney who enjoyed being treated like a dog but preferred limited corporal punishment, the corporate CEO with a foot fetish, the writer who dressed like a boy scout and enjoyed being tied up and gagged while ridiculed about his inadequacies as a man, and the concert pianist who asked to be chained and spanked by his teacher for being a bad boy and breaking the rules.

  Each session went much like the last. Over the course of the week, Addie had undergone intensive sessions on knot tying with rope, martial arts, sensory deprivation, the use of hot wax, the art of using corporal punishment without leaving marks not limited to whips, floggers, and canes, and the proper way to perform a choke hold. She learned first aid, CPR, discipline therapy, and fantasy development. The hardest part of it all was the extremely intense workout sessions with Andre. He not only broke her physically but mentally as well. There were days were she could barely walk let alone keep herself mentally prepared and focused on the work to be done. Sondra assured her though that, once the initial training was complete, life as a Mistress, while still demanding and technical and required that one be vigilant at all times, was mostly a matter of acting. She just needed to tune into her client’s needs, play the part, and the rest would fall into place.

  Life at home was great. The boys seemed to be thriving with all of the new people around the house and in a lot of ways were becoming like family. While the house had become lonely and sad after Patrick left, it was now vibrant and bustling. Aside from being mentally and physically exhausted, Addie was happy. She was becoming confident and fit, in control of her life, able to stand on her own two feet. Her newly found confidence spilled over to life at the office as well. Her colleagues took notice and began coming to her for advice, and the new clients were pouring in.

  Addie wasn’t purposely trying to avoid William, but he apparently saw things differently and showed up unexpectedly in her office one morning, scaring her half to death as she walked in to find him sitting at her desk. “Goddammit, what the hell is wrong with you? You can’t just barge in here like this anytime you damn well please.” Addie said as she flung her stuff down on the desk in front of him.

  “Au contraire. I can do as I damn well please. I own this building, remember?”

  Addie crossed her arms and stood over him, closer than sh
e would’ve liked, but she needed to get her point across. “Well, you don’t own me, and I don’t particularly appreciate your lack of boundaries. So get out.”

  William eyed her up and down, grinning. “Have you been working out?”

  Oh hell. Not that grin. “Seriously, William, get out!”

  William looked around the around the office and glanced at his Rolex, his face pained. “Well, if you won’t talk to me now, then tell me, ‘When is a better time for you?’”

  God. That look. “I’ll have my assistant call yours and set something up later in the week.”

  William threw his head back and laughed a little too loud. “Oh, so it’s like that now?”

  Addie rolled her eyes and put much needed space between them before she did something she’d regret. “We’re both busy, William.”

  William stared into Addie’s eyes for a second longer than made her comfortable and then nodded. “I see. Look, Addison, if you want to play hard to get, fine. I’ll play all day long. But something tells me that’s not what this is. I know how to play dirty, and I’m well prepared to do so, if that’s what it takes. I didn’t get where I am today by playing nice. You should keep that in mind.”

  William brushed by her, kissing her gently on the temple on his way out, closing the door a little harder than necessary. He didn’t glance back. Addie sank in to her chair, still warm from where he’d been. She gasped, trying to catch her breath. Both infuriated and thrilled by the effect that man had on her, she smiled just a little. God, she was so fucked.

  True to his word, William Hartman played hardball and showed up on Addie’s schedule the following day. Her assistant pointed out that he’d requested a three-hour block of time, forcing her to cancel and rearrange her entire day. When Addie asked her why she’d done it and informed her never to do it again, the poor girl looked confused as though Addie had lost her mind. “It was William Hartman calling.”

  Addie smiled wryly. “Mr. Hartman doesn’t get three hours of my day. Please call my two o’clock back and tell them we’re still on and then please let Mr. Hartman know that I had to cut our meeting short by an hour.”