Chapter 25: Difficult Decisions

Am I becoming more assertive, or is my foray into being a dominatrix a momentary blip in my submissive nature? I’ve always considered my sexual preferences to veer towards submissiveness. The pleasure I feel while I’m under Mistress Penelope’s thrall leaves me begging for more of the same. But I cannot deny the thrill I feel when Freya bends to my will. Nor the secret pleasure I get from the behaviour of Mistress Penelope’s clients when I tease or torment them. Accepting that I like being both a submissive and a dominatrix seems wrong, but I cannot help how I feel. I confess my confusion to Mistress Penelope after our session with N.

“Don’t over-think the issue, Sally. There’s no correct way to feel. Some say that the best dominatrices have learned their skills from serving time as a submissive slave.”

“Did you learn your skills in that fashion, Mistress?” I query.

“No. Not in my case. But my upbringing was uncommon. My siblings have been competitive since early childhood, and I needed to develop dominant traits in early childhood simply to survive.”

“Is your father’s situation going to be a problem for us, Mistress?” I ask, risking a rebuke for sticking my nose into private family business.

“Hopefully not, but I need to be wary of any unusual activity. My father is involved in a high profile legal cases, and muckraking isn’t uncommon in such cases when those opposing his client are desperately clutching at straws.”

“Is there anything I can do to help, Mistress?”

“Not specifically. Just let me know if you see any strangers paying undue attention to the workshop or the apartment. But don’t confront them on your own.”

“Yes, Mistress,” I reply.

After the funk of the last day, I’m relieved that Mistress Penelope has reverted to her usual self. As if to prove that she has overcome whatever distressed her from Michael’s and Rose’s visit, I’m subjected to one of our more vigorous dominant-submissive sessions. I must have impressed Mistress Penelope with my ability to bring myself to an orgasm with my arms bound and only a cushion to use as a prop. This time, however, it’s her foot that I’m expected to hump. Fortunately she has trimmed her toenails but even so, she doesn’t intend to make it easy for me. However, I enjoy the challenge and even though I don’t succeed in achieving an orgasm, I come close several times.

The next morning we have our first session with Agatha. Mistress Penelope has conducted a background check on our new client. I suspect that some prospective clients will use false names and addresses, and Mistress Penelope is careful to check the client’s real identity. Once the client signs the usual contract, their identity is hidden by use of a single letter name. Agatha will henceforth be known as T.

We’ve yet to establish T’s fetishes. She seemed uncertain about those when Mistress Penelope spoke to her on the phone. Apparently that isn’t unusual for a first-timer. We spend much of our first session asking questions and letting her sample various restraints and equipment. To be honest, I’m not convinced that T is as submissive as she claims. I can tell that Mistress Penelope is of a like mind.

“What line of work are you in?” asks Mistress Penelope of T.

“I told you,” says T, forgetting to use the ‘Mistress’ honorific. “I’m a writer.”