by Sky Corgan
“No, sir.”
I allowed Master Neil to take my suitcase, and I followed him into the building and to the front desk where I was required to fill out paperwork.
The sound of the limousine driving away left a pit of sickness in my stomach. Now I was stuck here, for better or worse, for an entire week, with no way to escape.
When I was done with the paperwork, Master Neil showed me to my room, a surprisingly lavish suite on the second floor of the resort. I sighed in relief at the normalcy of it.
“Class will begin promptly at ten o'clock in the morning. I will expect you to be downstairs and ready to participate. You said you have not yet eaten. Please, let me know what I can have our chefs prepare for you.”
“I'll just take a turkey sandwich on wheat,” I replied, still admiring the décor of the room. To be honest, I was too nervous to look Master Neil in the eyes—too afraid that I might see impure intentions behind a courteous facade.
Despite the seemingly normal ambiance of the place, my mind could not forget where I was. Somewhere in this resort, I knew there was a dungeon, just as there was inside of Jack Kemble's mansion. It amazed me how innocent things could look on the outside while harboring such dark secrets within.
Master Neil left, and I sighed in relief, walking into the bedroom and throwing myself down on the plush queen bed. I felt strangely at peace in the room, despite knowing where I was at. It would be my safe haven from all the craziness I would experience in the coming week—the only place I would be able to hide from everything.
It only took twenty minutes for the sandwich to be delivered. I ate it at the small dining room table while looking over a pamphlet for the resort. The Napa Valley Body Awareness Resort, it said on the front, with a picture of the resort in the daytime. It appeared even more beautiful in the light than it had in the darkness, with soft tones of red clay set against the backdrop of rolling hills and grape vines, just as Jack had said it would be. Inside, the pamphlet discussed finding awareness of oneself through sexual experimentation and power play. The resort promised to broaden my horizons.
I couldn't help but smirk at the professionalism of it all. Perhaps Jack had been right. Maybe I had nothing to fear from my stay here. One thing was for certain, I would find out tomorrow.
After lazily consuming my sandwich, I changed into my pajamas and crawled into bed. Nervous anticipation kept me awake until two in the morning, and I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get a decent night's sleep.
It took everything in me to drag myself out of bed the next morning and get ready. The closer it got to the time I was supposed to go downstairs, the more I wished the school had been in an urban area. At least that way, I could have made a last minute escape. My stomach was all nerves and nausea, twisted too tightly for hunger. I knew I'd probably regret it later, but I decided to skip breakfast and wait until the very last minute to go downstairs to the lobby.
I was surprised to find three other women waiting in the lobby. Two of them were around my age, while the third was slightly older than my mother. They smiled brightly as I sat next to the older woman on the sofa. One of them, a petite blonde, began to speak, but almost as soon as she opened her mouth, Master Neil rounded the corner to greet us.
“Good morning, ladies,” he said with enthusiasm.
“Good morning,” came the small chorus of polite responses.
“Today we'll begin with a tour. After that, I have a questionnaire that I need you all to fill out. Then I have a video for you to watch before we break for lunch. After lunch, we'll go over the rules of the school and an overview of the classes. At that time, you may ask any questions you have. After the overview, we'll have a lecture until the end of the day,” he explained.
It didn't sound bad at all, and I sighed in relief, thankful that today's curriculum didn't appear to be too bizarre.
“Shall we?” Master Neil gestured towards a hallway that I hadn't noticed the night before.
Without further delay, everyone stood to follow him. The first room Master Neil took us to was a small classroom, barely large enough to fit the sixteen desks that were in it. He explained that we would spend our lecture portion of the course in there. The next room he showed us was the dining room, which looked like a typical resort restaurant. Master Neil informed us that the head chef was available at all times to prepare whatever our hearts desired within healthy limitations. “A healthy body produces a healthy mind,” he added before moving on to show us the fitness center and indoor pool that we were allowed to use during our off time. There was also a laundry facility and day spa on the premises.
The next room he showed us was the one I had been anticipating since arriving, the dreaded dungeon. Inside, the set up was far more impressive than what Jack had in his mansion. I was certain that if there was a device created for restraining someone or inflicting pain on them, it could be found in this room. From a spanking bench to a St. Andrew's Cross, the room was jam-packed with furniture. Manacles hung from the ceiling with chains that ran to the walls where wenches could be used to raise or lower a person. It was a bit extravagant, but I would have expected nothing less from a BDSM school.
“This is our dungeon,” Master Neil explained as if it wasn't obvious. “We'll be doing most of our hands-on training in here.”
The familiar knot twisted itself in my stomach. Hands-on training. That meant they would eventually end up getting physical with me. It was a sickening thought.
The final room he showed us was a small windowless room that only had three chairs and a restraining table in it. For some reason, it made me feel claustrophobic, and I instantly disliked the room.
“Some of you will also get hands-on training in here as well,” Master Neil told us before leading us back to the classroom. “Sit wherever you'd like and begin filling out the questionnaire that's been provided,” he indicated the stacks of papers that were placed on every desk, despite there only being four of us. “I'll return in about an hour to collect them from you and start the video.”
Everyone seemed eager to learn, filling up the front row. I took the seat closest to the door, in case I had thoughts of making my grand escape, not that I actually would. Where could I possibly escape to in the middle of nowhere? Liam. I could always call Liam, I told myself as I stared off into space.
“I'm Mary,” the older lady sitting next to me introduced herself, breaking me from my thoughts.
“Oh, hello. I'm Melita.” I smiled at her, though I knew I had probably failed to make it look genuine. It wasn't that I wasn't happy to meet her; it was just my overwhelming nerves hampering my social skills.
“This is exciting, isn't it?” Her large brown eyes had a sparkle in them.
“I suppose.” I looked back down to my questionnaire, grasping the provided pencil in hand to begin filling it out.
The packet was thick, and as I skimmed through it, I realized that it would, in fact, take an hour to complete. I did my best to stifle an annoyed sigh before jotting my name, age, and the date on the top line. After I had filled out the basics, I scanned down to question number one.
The first page appeared to be all medical related questions. It asked about medical conditions, psychological conditions, any medications that I was taking, and if I was a drug user.
The next page got into the grittier stuff, such as my level of sexual experience and experience with BDSM. I answered “none” to both questions. Then it asked about my level of interest in various activities. The list itself went on for seven pages, and I was certain it encompassed every sexual thing any person on the face of the entire planet had ever come up with. Some were abhorrent, like forced bed wetting and being used as someone's toilet. I was supposed to put a number between zero and five next to each act to indicate how willing I was to try it. Most of the stuff seemed absolutely horrible. Things like asphyxiation and needle play, I knew I would never want to do.
The more I sat there and read the list, the more repulsed I felt. I s
wear, the first time someone tries to pee on me, I'm calling Liam to come get me and calling off this whole stupid marriage. In a fit of frustration, I zeroed the entire list, not even bothering to go over each item individually. For the rest of the packet, I wrote none, no, or zero wherever the most negative and unwilling responses would go. I did not want to be here, and I planned to make it known.
Having hurriedly completed the questionnaire before the other girls, I simply sat and watched them in my peripheral vision as they finished theirs. They all seemed very attentive to the questions, going over each one carefully. One of the girls, a modelesque brunette, had a smile on her face through the entire thing, and Mary seemed to be writing a paragraph for each question that required a short written response. It took her all the way up until Master Neil returned to finish, and even then I wasn't sure if she had fully completed it.
Quietly, he collected our papers and then went to the wall-mounted TV in the corner of the room to set up a video before leaving again. I looked across the row of seats, hoping that someone would be interested in conversation, but all eyes were glued to the television as the video began to play.
“Welcome to the Napa Valley Body Awareness Resort,” it began with an image of the resort. “We take pride in providing the most professional and intimate body awareness classes in the entire country. Our top of the line establishment is well equipped to train our students in a variety of things, including: domination, submission, bondage, and kink play. Our professional staff will guide you every step of the way, providing you with a comfortable and safe environment to explore your sexuality.”
About fifteen minutes into the video, Master Neil peaked his head inside the door. “Melita, can I see you for a moment?”
The other girls didn't take their eyes off the screen as I slunk out of the classroom, following Master Neil down the hall to a small office. He gestured to one of the two chairs that faced his desk and then quietly closed the door as I took a seat.
“I wanted to talk to you about the answers on your questionnaire,” he began, sliding into the plush black office chair across from me. “You didn't want to come here, did you?”
“No,” I admitted quickly. “My fiancé signed me up for these classes. I have absolutely zero interest in BDSM, as is indicated on my questionnaire.”
A warm smile crossed his aged face, and I could tell that he found the situation amusing. “It appears that Mister Kemble left out that little tidbit during our conversation earlier this week.”
“I'm not surprised. Mister Kemble tends to leave out a lot.”
Master Neil leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands. “I saw on your questionnaire that you have no experience with BDSM, and I know from my conversation with Mister Kemble that you don't have much experience with anything else either. Is that correct, or is that just something that you told him so that he wouldn't send you here?”
This question caught me off guard, and I felt my face flush in unmerited embarrassment because of it. “That is correct. I am a virgin. I didn't just make it up to get out of this.”
“Listen.” Master Neil leaned back again. “I know that this is all new to you, and I know that you're scared. That's natural, especially for someone in your rare, delicate position. You need to understand, though, that we're not here to hurt you or corrupt you. What we're here to do is help enrich your life.
“Mr. Kemble has given us explicit instructions to start with the very basics. We're not going to just toss you into the middle of the BDSM world and expect you to sink or swim. You have nothing to worry about, I assure you,” his voice sounded genuine, but I still didn't trust it. “I need to know, though, before we begin, that you're willing to actually give this a chance. If you do not give consent, then you shouldn't even be here. I won't force you to stay.”
While leaving sounded incredibly appealing, I had to remember that the happiness of my marriage could potentially be on the line if I did.
“Do you think that this is a good fit for me?” I asked shyly, letting my vulnerability shine through.
A warm smile creased Master Neil's lips. “I think that you're a blank slate, and that makes you a perfect candidate to benefit from the classes we offer.”
It sounded very generic, but I decided to take it as a yes.
“I'll tell you what,” he continued. “Go finish watching the video with the rest of the girls. There are about thirty minutes left. After the video, we're going to break for lunch. Let me know what you want to do then. If you still want to leave, I'll arrange for a limo to come pick you up.”
I nodded, my mind feeling a bit more at ease.
Master Neil escorted me back to the classroom and then took his leave.
“What did he want?” Mary leaned over to whisper.
“He wanted to know if I want to leave.”
“Why would you want to leave?”
“Because I didn't sign up for this. My fiance signed me up for it.”
“Oh.” She paused for a moment. “Well, you should stay. It's going to be a whole lot of fun.”
It was obvious we had a different idea of what fun was.
While my eyes stared at the images on the screen for the next thirty minutes, my mind was worlds away, fighting an epic battle of should I stay or should I go. I went over the list of pros and cons in my head, trying to see which way the scale was tipped.
I sighed, knowing that this just wasn't for me.
About five minutes before the end of the video, Master Neil returned to the room to watch the ending with us.
“It's time for lunch,” he said as he turned off the television. “I'll expect you all to meet me back here in an hour.”
“We should eat together,” Mary told me.
“I'll be along shortly.” I smiled at her, again falling flat with my genuine happiness.
She nodded and was out the door with the rest of the women.
“So, have you made your decision?” Master Neil asked after everyone had left.
“Yes.” I took a deep breath before responding. “I've decided to leave.”
CHAPTER TWO
Nothing was going to make me feel comfortable with the idea of taking these classes. If Jack Kemble wanted me to learn about BDSM, he would have to teach me himself.
Instead of going to the dining room, I headed up to my room to pack my things. Negative emotions attacked me from all sides. Anger at Jack for insisting on sending me here. Disappointment in myself for not really giving it a chance. And depression over the general situation.
I didn't want to go back to New York. There was no way that I could handle facing Jack right now, especially when he believed that the happiness of our marriage depended on me taking these classes. So I did the only thing I knew to do, I called Liam.
“I'm in Napa Valley,” I told him between sobs. “Book me a flight out of here. I want to come home.”
“Alright.”
Just hearing his voice was enough to sooth my nerves, and the thought that I would soon be safe in his arms was grounding.
Before my hour lunch was even up, I was piling into a cab without telling anyone where I was going. It was time to disappear for a while, to get away from this BDSM school and my horrible arranged marriage. I needed some normalcy back in my life, if only for a little while.
The flight back to Texas was somehow comforting. I knew that when I got into the SAT terminal, I wouldn't have to look around for a bodyguard holding my name on a sign. Liam would be there waiting for me with the warm, genuine smile I was so used to seeing.
And there he was, looking as stunning as always. His long blonde hair was trimmed neatly, his normally gruff beard shaven down to stubble. I always found it amusing how Liam's facial hair was about two shades darker than the hair on his head. Most people didn't believe he was a natural blonde, but I knew it was true because we had been best friends since we were children.
“Melita,” Liam sounded relieved to see me, scooping me up into his arms and hugg
ing me like he'd never let me go.
“Oh Liam, I missed you so much.”
He held me at arm's length. “Do your parents know that you're here?”
I shook my head. “No one does. I didn't tell Jack or my mom or anyone. I just . . . needed to get away for a while.”
“Well, I'm glad you came to me. You can stay with me until you're ready to return to New York.”
Would I ever be ready, I wondered. And even if I was ready, how would Jack respond to my running off with Liam? The truth was that he had pushed me away by forcing me to go to the BDSM school. He would have to see that.
By the time we got back to Liam's house, I was absolutely exhausted. All I could think about was sleeping off the misery I felt inside. Hopefully, I'd wake up in a better mood and with a fresh mind that could handle sorting out the mess I had made.
As I walked into Liam's living room, I sighed softly, hugging myself while I looked at the quaint country ambiance. Everything about it reminded me of home, from the western landscape paintings to the smell of leather. It was calmly familiar, and for the first time since I left for New York, I felt truly at peace.
“Can I make you something to drink?” Liam offered, always the gentleman.
“No, thank you. I think I'd like to go to bed. I've had enough excitement for one night.”
“Alright. You know your way around. Just make yourself at home. I'm going to stay up for a while longer. I have a case I need to do some research on.”
“I'm sorry, Liam. I didn't mean to drag you away from work just to come get me.” I avoided his gaze, suddenly feeling guilty.
“You didn't drag me away from work. I got off at five o'clock. Your flight didn't get in until eight. Stop bothering yourself with such nonsense. You know you come before everything in my life anyway.” He smiled warmly at me, and I swooned silently at his words. Why couldn't Jack be more like Liam? Oh, Jack was charming and handsome, but he didn't love me—didn't know me well enough to love me. And he hadn't cared enough to get to know me.
