Chapter 5: An Embarrassing Discovery

Two days later, on the Thursday, just before she was going to leave work, when Allison was interrupted by a cough and a diffident voice. “I wonder if I could have a word, Miss Terry?” Lionel Fairbrother looked rather uncomfortable as he beckoned Allison towards his office. As one of the senior partners Lionel was rather held in awe by the secretarial staff. He specialised in inheritance and probate work. Allison had worked on a few things for him but nothing recently. She’d always found him pleasant and while some of the office thought he was a bit stand-offish she’d quite liked the way he’d always taken the trouble to explain exactly why he was asking her for whatever it was that she had to do and she’d quite enjoyed his cultured manner and self-deprecating humour. His thin, pale, rather aesthetic, face gave him a studious look that was rather at odds with the sharp-suited style of the partners that handled the business law clients but Allison had enjoyed working with him, so she was quite happy with the idea that she might be doing more.

“In my office, Miss Terry. Please.”

On the other hand, Allison was a little nervous, uncertain as to why Fairbrother would want to speak to her. She hadn’t done any work on any of his cases for quite a while and something about his manner made her feel that he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the conversation that they were about to have.

“It’s about this contract,” Fairbrother began. To Allison’s dismay he dropped a copy of the document she had created for Cerys onto the desk between them.

Allison realised that she must have left it on the photocopier the previous evening. She’d been in a hurry and nervous about being discovered. Then she had heard Lionel talking in the corridor outside and she had scooped up everything and dashed out. Obviously she hadn’t picked up all the copies. She blushed deeply and stammered. “I can explain. It was just...”

“Please, Miss Terry, no explanation is needed. I completely understand what has been going on here.”

Allison held her breath waiting for the list of offences under which she could be summarily dismissed: mis-use of company assets, breaches of the IT usage code, behaviour likely to bring the firm into disrepute. She was pretty certain that she wouldn’t be at her desk the following day.

“You have no need to be embarrassed and I know you have every right to be upset with me for interfering with what is obviously a personal document.” As Fairbrother went on Allison’s feelings turned from fear to bemusement. “It’s just that I have longed to find a woman who could expect what you do of a man. I just wondered ... I mean ... if you don’t think it too impudent ... Well ... is there any possibility that I might be admitted to your – what do you call it? - stable of slaves?”

Thinking back on it later, Allison was surprised that she didn’t just burst out laughing, but she didn’t. Always quick to see an opportunity, Allison realised at once what Fairbrother’s outburst meant. If he could assume so easily that the contract was a real document, written for one of Allison’s own slaves, then it just showed how easily his fetish interests could lead him to a conclusion that fitted in with his desires.

Allison found it curiously exciting, recognising for the first time that perhaps Cerys had been right when she had said that there was maybe a kink in everyone.

She could see that Fairbrother’s words presented herself with some fascinating opportunities. She knew the risk that Fairbrother was taking – there had been plenty of instances of staff cautioned for “inappropriate behaviour” in the past. His fetish was obviously a powerful driving force to take this risk and Allison found that arousing.