Chapter 6: Nicole

The party last Saturday was the boost to morale that we definitely needed. Even Melissa’s punishment didn’t dampen the mood for long. While I disapprove of the way April turned her punishment of Melissa into a public spectacle, the episode earned Melissa a lot of respect from the rest of the staff. It was a ‘rite of passage’ for Melissa that cemented her inclusion among La Chatte Heureuse’s staff community. By comparison, by having Rebecca deliver Melissa’s whipping, April has damaged her reputation as a Mistress. However, I doubt April is overly concerned about that.

Everyone has worked extra hard over the last few days, Melissa probably more so than most. The club reopens tomorrow and we are expecting forty-two members to arrive by either the morning or afternoon shuttle. The three accommodation blocks to be used by visiting members have been unlocked and aired. Rebecca and Melissa have been busy stocking the suites, bathrooms and kitchens with supplies. Today they will focus on reopening the entertainment block, and checking that all the facilities in there are ready for use.

“I expect Melissa to tidy the lawns and flower beds before guests arrive,” says April to me.

“She’s assigned to do the gardening this afternoon,” I reply, annoyed that April constantly micro-manages Melissa’s work schedule.

I’m still none the wiser about the strange relationship between April and Melissa. Neither will say how they come to know each other. Melissa would have been a child when they first met, but for the last decade she’s been living in Switzerland and France. Unfortunately, since Melissa has accepted her role as April’s Chattel Slave, there’s very little I can do to shield her from April’s excesses.

April didn’t deliver on the promise to hire more staff by the time La Chatte Heureuse reopened. Beth has accepted the position of head gardener, but it will be another fortnight before she starts work on the island. A couple of club members are interested in two of the vacant positions, Jessica as staff cook, and Chloe as a staff mistress. I remember Slave Jessica from her visit here last year when the Slave caste won a surprise victory over the Mistress caste during a special event. Jessica is a close friend of Slave Tessa, to whom much of the credit for that victory belongs. Chloe has been a member of La Chatte Heureuse for three years but she has never been to the island. Consequently I don’t know what motivates Chloe to apply for the position, or her suitability for the role.

To add to our first day problems, the fine weather we’ve been enjoying comes to an abrupt end. The only benefit of the pouring rain is that I can reassign Melissa from manicuring the lawns. Nobody is going to bother about the state of the garden in this weather.

“Kirsty reports that all the members for the first bus have arrived in town,” says Helen. “She’s on her way to us now.”

One of the few changes we’ve made our procedures is to have Kirsty report when she is departing town with the next batch of arrivals. There have been instances in that past when the shuttle has been unexpectedly late, or carrying passengers we weren’t expecting. Kirsty always checks members’ identification to her manifest. However, any abnormal situations had previously needed to be dealt with by Kirsty alone. Now she can contact us if necessary.

“Have Slave Melissa meet the boat with raincoats for any of members who need one,” says April to me as she leaves the office.