Chapter 73: Bernice: Wednesday

My meeting with April was productive, even if she was unhappy with all my requirements. At least April has the business sense to know when rules should be bent to accommodate opposing views. I’m sure I’m not the only member unhappy about adopting the new names for the castes. I’ll not be labelling anybody a black, blue or white cat, regardless of what the woke bureaucrats sat in their ivory towers demand. To me, the Mistress, Lady and Slave castes are far more meaningful names for La Chatte Heureuse members’ respective groups. Practical as always, April has agreed to the use of the original caste names while members are on the island. But she insists that official correspondence and off-site reference to the social divisions among members must use the politically sanitised names. It’s a compromise I’m willing to tolerate for the time being.

Which moves me onto my second requirement during my stay. When April negotiated a compensation package for the financial loss suffered by members of the Mistress caste due to the club’s two month closure, I successfully held out for a better deal. Now I’m claiming my privilege to acquire the exclusive services of Melissa as my Chattel slave for the remaining eight days of my stay. While I’m sure April intended her agreement to give me extra ‘hiring’ rights over Melissa to mean an easing of the limits on duration and frequency of the ‘hire’, a full-time multi-day hire is within the terms of the written agreement. April has the good grace to concede that I’m within my rights to place the delectable blond haired Melissa in my thrall for the duration of my stay. Unfortunately, as the senior on-site manager, Chloe’s consent is also required.

Which is where my request hits the brick wall. Chloe refuses my demands, saying the resort is already short staffed and she cannot release Melissa from her regular duties for eight days. I suspect her objection is deeper seated than that, but I don’t push the issue with her. Instead I talk to the more practically minded and flexible April.

Now I’ve received word from Chloe that Melissa will be joining me as my ‘eight-day hire’ this evening. However, Chloe emphasized that Melissa cannot be my Chattel slave as Melissa and I aren’t in an established long term relationship. I could point out that the established relationship requirement was waived when Faye took Tessa as her Chattel slave over a year ago, but I recognise that Monique was in charge at the time, and she and Faye had an ‘understanding’. Chloe seems less flexible about varying her principles. Anyway, I can live with the minor limitations the difference in classification creates.

I’ve a few hours before Melissa arrives, so I take stock of my fellow residents in building E3. Nine of the twelve luxury suites in E3 are currently occupied. I’m in suite E3F, which comes complete with a small alcove housing a narrow bed for a Chattel slave to sleep, rather than having to use a dormitory bed in the Slave caste accommodation building, E4. Next door to me, in E3G is Melody and her Chattel slave, Drippy. I’ve met them before and I don’t anticipate any challenges from Melody to my plans.