Chapter 11: Melissa

Madame April arrives back on the island on the Saturday morning shuttle. Her return coincides with the first visitor departures and the arrival of the second wave of new arrivals. My night in the dungeon in the next cell to Tessa was a memorable experience. I’m not sure how I would have fared if I didn’t have Tessa to share the experience in the adjacent cell. Being alone in a dungeon cell overnight isn’t as easy as it may seem.

If nothing else, the experience cements my friendship with Tessa. She’s still assigned to help me work in the garden, but she is constantly in demand by mistresses wanting a bondage and punishment junkie. Since Tessa is the only Buttercup here on the island, she is first choice among several mistresses for their dungeon games. That restricts the number of hours that Tessa is available to help me work in the garden and with the other heavy manual tasks I must perform. Fortunately Nicole insists that Tessa be allowed at least five hours each day to help me. Tessa registered as a Field Slave in order to cover the cost of her second week’s stay. Unless she completes 45 hours of manual work for the club in the fortnight that she’s here, then she won’t have earned enough to extinguish the cost of her stay. Amusing the mistresses, even if not by her choice, doesn’t count as work hours.

“Are you still interested in applying for a job here?” I ask as Tessa as we collect the new arrivals’ luggage off the boat.

“I certainly need a job ... and soon,” replies Tessa. “But the only club jobs advertised are for building maintenance, and cooking. I don’t have many skills for either of those roles. I can change a light bulb, and make eggs on toast, but that’s about my limit.”

“I’m think there may be two or three more jobs advertised soon. I’ll keep you informed if you are still interested.”

“Yes, I’m interested. But why are you going to so much trouble for me? We’ve known each other for less than a week.”

“Because you are a role model for other members of the Slave caste. Furthermore, your Buttercup status makes you a rarity that La Chatte Heureuse would be foolish to lose.”

We deposit the luggage near reception and quietly withdraw from the chaos around the reception desk. I drive the trailer to where Tessa and I are gardening, and park the tractor in the shed. I’m only allowed to use the tractor for specific tasks, and hauling weeds and cuttings to the composting area isn’t one of them.

Tessa and I are joined later by two freshly arrived Field Slaves, and I set them to work. I still know relatively little about gardening, but so far I’m managing the work with Tessa’s botanical knowledge to help me.

When we return to the administration building at six-thirty, I’m given a message that Madame April wishes to see me. The message doesn’t seem urgent, so I take the opportunity to clean myself up and change before tracking Madame April down. I wouldn’t need to keep changing my clothes if Madame April would allow me to wear overalls like Tessa and the other Field Slaves.

“You took your time responding to my summons, Slave Melissa,” says Madame April by way of a greeting.

“I came as soon as I received your message and cleaned myself up, Madame,” I reply. “If you recall, you require me to do grubby work in my regular outfit.”

“Hmmph. Don’t make excuses. Anyway, I have considered your suggestion that we reopen the remaining usable buildings over the next month or so. I’ve had some success in finding a new staff cook, and someone to do the routine building maintenance. I’ve also approved an application from a club member to become a staff mistress. Now all we need is another mistress to act as slave overseer, and a housemaid to service the extra buildings.”