“I won her in a card game. I told you that last week.”

“You’re not kidding are you, John.”

“Nope.”

“And you’re willing to bet her, now, in this game?” I asked him.

“Yep.”

“OK, I raise a thousand.” A couple gasps came from around the table as I said it. John and I were the only ones left in it.

“And I call with little Sammi, here. I guess that puts me all in.”

“Full House, Aces over Queens to your ... Oh, my that’s a pretty flush, John. Look at all those hearts. Too bad the seven’s not in there. Uht oh. Looks like I own a little Sammi now, doesn’t it?”

He moved on me in anger and she took him down. Face first. Wow. I’ve seen some moves to take people down, but never one like that. Pretty cool.

She looked down at him. “I don’t like being called Sammi. Never have. Sam, I am. I don’t like you, John. Never did, but it doesn’t matter. I’m Master Charles’s property now. Sir? Master Charles? Can I get you anything?

“Yes, please, Sam, and it’s Charlie. Just Charlie, for now. Grab us a beer. I don’t think we’re welcome anymore.” Since John got pissed and tried to go off on me, I gathered my winnings; my money, and my new pet girl, with her three suitcases, and left. Wow, she was cute, too. I thought John was kidding. I thought he MET her at a card game.

She explained. It was all in fun. The college senior getting help paying for school by being a pet slave, until John won her in that card game a couple months ago. His predecessor bet her away and John didn’t live up to the rules. Well, more so, he was just making her life a bit miserable, but she was in a bind and couldn’t just up and leave. She told me thank you, that her luck had changed with mine, IF I was going to play by the original rules, allowing her to be a full-time student while she took care of the house and me.

“How much is this going to cost me?” I asked her.

“About fifty to a hundred a week. I have tuition and all, I just need money for books, bus fare, and living expenses, to include a roof, a bed, and a bathroom.”

“A deal at twice the price.”

“It’s almost over, unless I get accepted into the master’s program.”

“We can only hope.” I chuckled. She giggled. “We’ll be fine. I like your style, Sam. What are you studying, anyway?”

“Enemy. Spelled NMME. Nano and micro mechanical engineering. Yes, it’s a thing now.”

“How neat! We’ll have plenty to talk about over dinner, that’s for sure.”

“How’s that, Charlie?”

“I’m an inventor, and a manufacturer of designer electronics. Spaceborne comm platforms of one type or another, as well as a couple other little things I came up with that don’t leave the ground very often. In any case, I may bend your ear once in a while.”

“Sounds like fun.”

“Can I ask the big question, now, or is it too early in our relationship for that.”

“Ask away, Master Charles.”

“Did you and John ever...”

“Oh, God no! I dressed sexy for him when I made dinner and such, but I never let him do any more than pat me on the butt. He repulsed me, to be honest. He didn’t like that and made my life a bit miserable, but he stayed with and met the basic agreement and I had a roof, bed, and bath. He had me doing everything, though, and wore me down a bit. I hope you understand this is all supposed to be in fun, well, except the part about me actually being a student. I can really help out around the house, though, and make your life a lot easier.”

“Sounds like a winner. The company will be nice, too. Fred isn’t educated, and therefore has little value as a conversationalist once he’s gotten his ears scratched and he’s happy.”

“Oh, for a minute there I thought you had another room mate.”

“No, more of an overseer. Fred is ruler and monarch of all he ponders. And let me tell you, he ponders a lot. He doesn’t do much, but he ponders a bunch. Speaking of pondering, or not, do you have any other relationships I should know about, you know, people out at the house and all.”

“No, sir. Orphaned at twelve, aunt raised me until she passed a few years ago after she got me into college. Had a girlfriend for a while, but she met a guy and decided to straighten her kinks out a bit. No. No one else. You?”

“No. Same story. A long time ago in a land far away.”

“Well, fear not, Master Charles, Slave Samantha is here to do your bidding.” She smiled at me.

“Sam, define sexy, as in ‘dressed sexy for him’.”

“Stockings and garters showing under a very short mini skirt. See through gauze tops with contrasting lingerie, high heels. I love high heels and live in them whenever possible. If I’m mowing the lawn, or exercising, I’ll find something appropriate, but I’m in heels just about any other time. I loved seeing my mother in them and want to emulate her. She was a treasure. So was Daddy. He liked her in them as well, so I just sort of ... I like them.”

Once we got to the house, I showed her around. She asked the big question on her mind. I knew it would come up as soon as she said, ‘bus fare’. I lived in the country. Not too far off the beaten path, but far enough to keep her off the buses.

“Master Charles,” I looked at her with a glare, then a smile. She giggled. “OK! Charlie, I usually ride the bus. We’re kind of out in the boonies. I love it. It’s gorgeous, but little girls with little legs like mine probably don’t walk five miles to a bus stop in the morning before school.”

“You drive a stick?” She shrugged. “It’s Friday night. Saturday, we find out, then we put wheels under your backside and off you go. You do have a license, right?”

“Yes, I just haven’t had the money for another car.”

“We’ll fix that tomorrow. You’ve had driver education and all that, I hope. I don’t want my insurance company to cause me a seizure with the price of insurance.”

“Yes, all that, and never a ticket or an accident. Clean record and real, live, bought and paid for, driver’s ed. Shouldn’t be an arm and a leg, but I hate to be a burden, at all. It would be better on a bus route.”

“We’ll see about that.”

I took her to the guest room, with her bags, and dropped them off. It had its own bathroom, so she’d have most of what she needed here.

“Roof, bed, and bath, you said. Well, you have all three right here. Mini fridge is under the desk. Kitchen’s down the hall. You saw that, though, so why don’t we call it a night and we’ll talk in the morning over coffee.”

She nodded, reached up and kissed my cheek. “Thanks for being nice about this whole thing. It can really blow up in a girl’s face if ... Never mind. Thanks. I feel a lot better being around you than that John character. Something about him just ... I don’t know. He just seems weird sometimes, though.”

“We’ll talk in the morning, but if you go to a poker game with me it will be as a date, not as a chip. Just letting you know, I don’t bet people. I bet on people, like I’m betting on you, but you won’t be put on the line like those last two losers did to you. OK?”

She smiled and nodded. “Thanks, again, Charlie. What time to you get up on the weekends?”

“Probably earlier than you, but we’ll see. No special time, hon.” I left her to her devices and went to bed.

Then woke up to the smell of coffee. Okayyyy. When I got out to the kitchen, I met a pretty little auburn-haired girl with short hair and long legs. She was a little busty, having gorgeous round breasts, which were at that time unencumbered by a bra. The little chemise she was wearing covered her butt, and nothing else. I could see the lace edged boy shorts when she reached into the fridge for some eggs and bacon. Her nipples were showing from the other direction. The chemise had to be silk. Gorgeous.

“You OK with eggs and bacon?”

“Definitely. You got the coffee maker figured out?” I poured myself a cup and took it to the table.

“It’s a Bunn. Pour water in, coffee comes out. Even a girl can do it.” She giggled. “I don’t know about the strength, I kinda just made a WAG, a wild assed guess, on that, but hopefully you’ll show me the measurements someday.”

“Exactly what you did was fine. You probably used two even scoops.” She nodded, then I saw her rummaging. Pan, cookie sheet, and just let her go. “Mmmmmm,” I sounded out. She looked at me as if to question what I was doing sitting there just making weird noises. “I’m admiring my winnings. As little slave girls go, I do say, you are a pretty one, and you evidently know your way around a kitchen. I might also add that I can understand why John was acting creepily around you, if that’s how you felt about it. You are a very attractive girl, Samantha. Any man who wasn’t, or isn’t, at least somewhat aroused by your appearance definitely has a medical issue, probably death.” I chuckled and got a smile from her.

“Thank you, but it’s my way of paying my way, so to speak, but just the same as you wouldn’t force a magazine into anything, I wouldn’t want to be forced into anything for providing a visual. I know it’s not the same and might even be dangerous around a less stable individual, but I’ve tried to make the right choices, and I can always go wait tables if I have to. I just would rather not.”

“I would rather you didn’t either. I like the view. I also think you’re smart. I can’t wait for those discussions. You find everything you need last night?”

“Like the inside of my eyelids? Yes. It’s a nice house. Oh, and you have two guest rooms. Would you rather I take the small one down the hall in back?”

“Not yet. Let’s see how it works out, first. That one shares a bathroom with the workout room, and is a guest bathroom as well, so it’d be less private for you. I don’t have any scheduled guests, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Just let it go for now.”

“OK, but if that changes, I’d be more than happy to move. I’ve lived without a bidet for ... Well, forever, so a few more months or years won’t change anything. And that shower. I can’t wait to see what being under that many shower heads feels like, but again, the bathtub shower in back will be fine if I need to move. Just let me know.”

“I will. I promise, but for now, just hang in there with the bidet and the waterfall thing. We’re going to try you out in a car with a stick today. If that doesn’t work out, we may have to put you in a truck. I don’t want to buy you a car until I know you can stand me and Fred.” He came in when he heard his name and rubbed up against her ankles, startling her a bit. She recovered nicely. “Watch out for him. He could accidentally on purpose trip someone if they aren’t careful. In any case, that’s the plan. You need anything in town?”

“Maybe a couple of feminine items, if that’s OK. And, of course, whatever you want for dinner for the next few days. I did offer to cook and clean for you, as much as I can. Part of my bargain, if you will.”

“Sounds good. I’ll have you drive us into town, if you have the coordination to make that work, and we’ll spend the morning shopping.”

“Master Charles, I do declare I can walk and chew gum at the same time. I don’t think the coordination is going to be the problem. The shift pattern and the clutch pedal travel may cause issues, but we’ll just have to see. I may surprise you.”

“I hope so. I don’t know if I trust you in my truck or not. It’s awfully nice and all.” She giggled again. Nice sound, to be sure.

We ate, and I have to say, I was pleased. She’s a pretty good breakfast cook. Let’s see how she does with more than 4 ingredients, like eggs, bacon, toast, and butter. Oh, and coffee. That’s five.

The Barracuda was facing outwards, so she didn’t even have to try to back it out. I showed her the correct button on the controller for the door we were behind, which went up when she pushed it. She just started it, and with the seat all the way forward and a pillow under her cute little rumpus, she pushed the clutch to the floor, put it in first and gently let the clutch out while giving it a couple hundred Rs. Smooth as silk. She’s gotta be a ringer. In any case, this wasn’t her first rodeo.

She drove us to a shopping center strip mall about five miles away, at the edge of town, and we were off and running. We hit the health aisles for her goodies, I grabbed some deodorant, then we traipsed through the grocery area, with her picking my brain about meals and picking the shelves clean to match the food stuffs to the food fantasies. She made some recommendations that sounded really good, so I advised her to follow through with her thought process. I saw no downside for me at all, barring uncontrolled weight gain. It sounded a lot like I was going to be eating better very soon.

At my age, that meant a bit higher activity level, too, so I’d have to keep that in mind. I do have a workout room with lots of neat toys in it, but twice a week may not cut the mustard any more, what with chicken cordon bleu, et al, in the works. I was thinking out loud about most of that, causing my new little slave no end of entertainment. She was laughing at my musings and addition of calories, exaggerating in the millions as she’d pick up brussels sprouts, kale, sweet onions, and other terribly fattening foods. Sam was fun to be around. This was going to be good for my inner self. I could tell that already.

Many years ago I was hurt badly by a woman and have steered away from them since, at least for serious relationships, but now, I might just open up enough to enjoy the presence of this cute, bordering on gorgeous, woman. There are cuties and there are beauties, but rarely does a woman appear possessing both. This one could be said to do that. A change of dress and makeup could make her an elegant lady with shortly coiffed locks, or a cute little elven creature with a pixie cut. Versatile.

She drove us home, doing extremely well with the car. She did admit on the way home to having a Honda Civic when she was in high school. It was her aunt’s and on its last legs, but it got her around, then when it broke down late in her freshman year of college, she sold it for parts and did without. In any case, she had emergency transportation, if she wanted it. Only a couple months. It’s early April, and the cover would be coming off the pool soon. Oh, come to think of it...

“Sam, are you staying the summer? School’s out in a month or two, so I was wondering...”

She was backing into the garage when she answered. “That would be nice, if I could. I can take a couple classes this summer.” A red light flashed brightly into the car, so she stopped. Pretty bright girl. No panic or anything. “My masters path has some that are math drivel that have to be taken, with no labs or anything, and I need to get them out of the way.” She put the car in neutral, shut it off, and put it in first. “If it’s OK with you, it would certainly be OK with me. Do you set the brake in the garage?” I shook my head.

“No, no reason, and please do plan on that. Unless we come to hate each other rather quickly, I think this will all be very good. I’m comfortable around you. Around a girl, I should admit, for the first time in quite a long time.” As we got out and carried stuff inside, I told her, “I’d like to grill some fish for a late lunch then turn you loose on your path of destruction and devastation of my physique starting tomorrow. Would that be OK? I already had it out to thaw, so if it’s OK...”

“That sound good, Charlie. What kind of fish is it?”

“Tuna. Homemade. Well, self-caught. The Good Lord made it, but I absconded with it from its abode to mine. All in the rules. Now it’s lunch. Tuna steaks with a salad was all I was planning on.”

“Sounds grand. Where and how were you able to catch your own tuna? That generally requires an ocean and some sort of access to a large motorized floating contraption.”

“Ahhh, yes, my dear. Water and a boat. One I own, the other I just use occasionally with the permission of the People’s Republic of California.”

“Interesting. More interesting all the time, actually. Inventor, gentleman, boat owner, purveyor of fine cars.”

“Hey, little girl. Watch your mouth. I didn’t purvey anything. And, I let you drive it. Be nice.” I smiled as she broke out in laughter while I was lemon peppering the fish steaks. “Believe it or not, I bought that car in high school with my own money, and rebuilt it, a bit at a time, then, when I had saved enough, had it painted the original green color and voila, instant collector’s item. To me it’s just my first car. To a collector, I don’t know. I was offered seventy-five for it once, but I didn’t want to part with it.

“Seventy-five hundred dollars?”

“No, doll, seventy-five thousand. I have all the money I’ll ever need. I’ll never have another Barracuda, though, that was my own, and that I fixed from a beater into a dream machine. It’s worth a lot more to me in my garage, and I’ll bet you a dollar I don’t have fifteen grand in it ... Total. Even with the new tires I just put on it last year!”

“Wow! And you let me drive it?”

“Sure. It’s just a car, and it needs to be driven once in a while. This will actually be good for it, just make sure to park in the faculty lot near the engineering building and we’ll be fine.”

“How am I going to do that? I’m a senior, not a TA or anything.”

“It’s all in the stickers, doll. It’s all in the stickers. I’ll let Dr. Reynolds know you have it and you’re parking there, and it’ll be OK.”

“The dean? How do you know her, Master Charles! Yes, I’m kissing up to the boss. I think he knows the dean at the school I’m going to, so I don’t want to miss any opportunities to get my nose brown.”

“School chums. Denise is younger than she looks. High stress jobs will do that to you. She used to be in the corporate world and aged about an extra twenty years climbing that ladder, only to hit a glass ceiling. We needed her here more than they did, so I helped get her back into a sane position where she could shine. She did, and now she’s the boss. We dated once, even. Once. About a million years ago. She’s more like a sister to me now and lets me keep my hand in the education arena so I can have a cool parking sticker on my car. One of the perks of being former military, an educator, an engineer, AND a member of civil society. I sub for her now and again and hold a couple labs in the EE side of the school. Anyway, there’s a faculty parking sticker on your temporary chariot. Just be careful with it. The clutch and the tires are both fairly, at least relatively, new. No burnouts and no racing.” I smiled and got her to do the same.

She hugged me, thanking me for the store trip and kissed my cheek, running off to the room with her new bounty of pads and plugs while I got the fish ready. We had already put all the groceries away while we were talking, me showing her where everything was and getting it all sorted. When she returned, she started on the salad and before I knew it, we were on the back porch eating fish and salad, enjoying a beautiful day.

I remembered to ask her about what she did to John when he moved to attack me, after the card game. “Oh, that? Dad had me in self-defense and martial arts classes since I was little. Ten, I think. He thought it would keep me from turning into one of those ‘snotty teenaged brats’. Maybe that’s what did it. Maybe it was just the love they gave me. Who knows? In any case I had about eight years of instruction, I practice, read, and workout a lot, and if I ever get a decent job, or win the lottery, I’ll start up again. That specific thing was probably Krav Maga, but I’d have to see it on film to know. A lot of what I do is blended.”

“Wow. Stay close. After that, I feel safe with you around.” She chuckled. I was serious.

She cooked, cleaned, vacuumed, and kept Freddie fed and entertained for several weeks, then just the day before her university graduation, she was sitting at the table, looking a touch forlorn. I had to ask.

“Samantha, hon, what’s wrong? You’ve been doing so well, graduating with honors, accepted into the master’s program, all that. What’s up, young lady?”

“I don’t have anyone to share it with, Charlie. My family is gone, I have no friends, and except for you and Fred, I guess I’ve come to realize, I’m alone. Really, really alone.” A tear fell.

Maybe I shouldn’t have, but I wiped it away with my thumb, and picked her up, carrying her into the family room, setting her in my lap on the couch, and holding her while rocking gently as she continued to cry. We had been on very friendly terms. I thought that’s what she wanted, so I let it happen that way. She rested her hand on my arm and rubbed her thumb on it. Then reached out with the other and with both thumbs, stroked the skin of my wrist and hand. It was intimate. Not sexy. Intimate. Close. Touching. Emotional. She stopped crying, heaving less and less between breaths, the sobs relinquishing to normal breathing.

“Is there something wrong with me, Charlie?”

“No, sweetie, nothing I can think of. Why do you ask?”

“You’ve never tried to kiss me. This is the first time you’ve really held me. You’ve been a perfect gentleman.”

“I didn’t want to hurt our friendship, little one. I cherish the last six weeks, and hope you stay. You are a wonderful person and I feel fortunate that you desire to stay here. My life is better with you in it.”

“If I asked you to kiss me, would you?”

I kissed her, and almost had a heart attack. The connection, the electrical, heated, emotional connection was a bit more than I was prepared for.

“Did you feel that?” she asked.

“I’m afraid so. I’m afraid I’ll want another.” I kissed her again, and she certainly kissed me. “Can I be the one to keep you from being alone, sweetheart? Is it possible that we could...”

“Yes, Master Charles. Yes. I think I may be in love. Funny, though, you’re not a girl.”

“No matter. You are. If you can’t be the lesbian in our relationship, I’ll do it.”

SHE SLAPPED ME. Then kissed me again.

I kissed her goodnight that night, and watched yearningly as she disappeared into her room.

Her graduation was beautiful. She did graduate with honors and was noted with four others as the top five students in the class. Two above and two below her, score and achievement wise. A proud moment for her. And she had someone to share it with. I made sure of that.

Back home that afternoon, and with a couple weeks to blow before her summer classes started, I decided to treat her to a vacation, so told her to pack very little and very quickly. Not really in the mood to question anything, she did as she was told. She did ask about the weather. I told her moderate and sunny, almost always. Then we had the airport talk. She told me this wasn’t the way to Lambert, and I had to agree. She was right. We were headed to a private field where I kept my plane. She hadn’t seen that yet either. The one time I disappeared for a couple days, I just told her I was flying somewhere, and did. I didn’t tell her how or any of that. At the time, we were roommates. Now we were growing together.

We pulled up to the hangar, getting out and opening the door. The little plane inside was a bit more than she was expecting. I had decided on a King Air 350ER for many reasons, none of them speed related. It was only about 6 times faster than highway speed, but it had long range and I had it configured as a flying laboratory with a few seats and a galley on it. Between that, and a lavatory, it was really a technogeek’s flying office. I had a couple more things I needed it for, then I was trading it in on a jet. Total honesty, I wanted to be able to make longer flights, faster. I had my eye on a Cessna Citation Ten Plus. That was my goal. Back in the real world, I showed her around the plane and put our bags on board. Using our little tractor, I pulled it out on the apron, then put the truck inside. The hangar looks pretty big and pretty empty in that configuration.

“Master Charles, I’m feeling quite helpless at this point, not knowing where we’re going or what we’re doing. Are you going to steal me away, into the figurative night, taking my life and my innocence, never for me to be seen as the virtuous maiden again?” She smiled at me.

“Yes.”

“Oh, talkative this morning, aren’t we?”

“No.” I smiled at her.

“I would be frightened, Master, but that kiss day before yesterday, then the following kiss goodnight at bedtime, and subsequent lip and tongue meshing yesterday, both before and after graduation, and this morning, of course, have calmed my nerves. More so it’s that I don’t care if you sully my virtue, as your slave and pet, I offer it to you, in fact. Master Charles, did you hear when I said I thought I was in love with you?”

“Yes.”

We closed and locked up the hangar, then I had her follow me around on the preflight. I had an idea, and if dreams come true, and goals are realized, my life may become easier. I’d know soon. Very soon.

We boarded the plane and after a quick check inside, I put her in the copilot’s seat, took mine, showed her how to buckle in, and proceeded to get us going. Once the engines were started and we were ready to leave, I looked at her, seriously.

“I think I’ve fallen for you, too, Samantha. I have ulterior motives, and at this time I need to ask a very serious, life changing question.” She nodded. “This is not a proposal, yet, but would you, for the next few hours, consider not leaving my home, my life, or my heart.” Her eyes brightened. “Again, this is a purely selfish position I am in. I need you more than you need me, at this point.” A tear fell. “Let me get this baby in the air, and we’ll talk some more over Kansas, OK?” She nodded again, wiping her eyes with a paper towel from the cubby by the seat.

I taxied to the end of the runway, checked with the local municipal controllers, who watched our airspace, then eased the throttles forward, taking off to the southwest, and not altering that course much.

“West. We’re heading toward the land of fruits and nuts. Are we stopping when our hats float, or before that, dear sir?”

“Prior.”

“Wow, got a five-letter word out of him that time. Progress.”

“Stop teasing me. You are not too old to spank, and this thing has a very capable auto pilot.”

“No, Otto, don’t let him spank me!” We both cracked up at her antics. She’s a cute and funny girl. Fun to be around.

Once I got us to flight level two six zero and leveled out, I continued. “Set your feet on those pedals down there and hold the yoke. The wheel.” She nodded and did as I asked then I moved the plane around a little. “Feel the movements as I turned and went up and down?” She nodded. “You ever thought about flying, Sam? Ever wanted to ‘break the surly bonds’?”

She got a grin on her face that was hard to decipher. It was something between a six-year-old getting the newest Barbie for Christmas, and a Publisher’s Clearinghouse grand prize winner. I couldn’t tell which, but...

“OH. MY. GOD. Master, are you asking me to fly with you?”

“Yes, and more, if this conversation ends the way I want it to.”

She squealed. Thank god for the headsets. The sound system cut the squeal’s decibel level to a point where it wouldn’t physically damage my ear drums.

“I’m going to take that as a tentative yes. Hold my hand.” She took my hand but was shaking. Visibly shaking. Tremors. Fear? Excitement? Both? We’d see. “Samantha Burgess, would you be my copilot?” Her smile almost faded. “In life? Sam, will you marry me?” She pulled my hand up and to her lips, kissing it all over my knuckles and the back, then opened it and started kissing my palm, thumb, and my wrist.

“Yes, Charles Baxter, I will. I will absolutely marry you. Thank you. I have, truly fallen in love with the wonderful man who took me as a slave.”

“Good. Now that you have agreed to become my full-time thrall, complete slave, and doer of my will, I will tell you, we’re going fishing. We’re going to San Diego, where I keep my boat.”

“Full-time thrall? Complete slave? Doer of your will? That sounds nice. Charlie, will you teach me how to make love to you? Please? I’ve never been with a man before. Not really.”

“Yes, and don’t expound on ‘not really’. I don’t need, or want, to know. I do know, however, that I have fallen deeply in love with the beautiful, smart, kind, caring, generous, loving person you are. I’ve known I wanted to be closer to you for weeks, but was afraid, like I said the other day, to hurt our friendship. That is most important to me. I want to always be friends first. Always.”

“Agreed. I’ve consented to be your thrall. You’ve told me you were taking me fishing. What is your ulterior motive or are slave girls not to know of their master’s devious plans?”

“Not all that devious, sweet slave of mine. Certainly not in a negative way. I want a new plane and I need a copilot. It’s a little bigger than this, and it takes two to tango in it, so to speak. Legally, it requires a crew of two. It can be flown singularly, but I don’t want the hassle. I just want to go high and fast. Higher and Faster, I guess I should say. Four and a half hours to Hawaii, instead of eight. That kind of faster.”

“And in return for this, your copilot in life gets what? Exactly?”