Chapter 38

The next morning, when Cindy regained consciousness after her morning lovemaking with Dan, she found herself, as usual, with her head against his shoulder. Reaching up, she pulled her tangled hair back from her face with her fingers and turned her head to give Dan a kiss.

Making a small face she asked, "Dan, should I be worried, do you suppose? I think I've been unconscious at least twice a day every day for weeks. I wonder if it does any lasting damage?" While Dan was thinking of an answer she just shrugged and leaned back against him saying, "It doesn't matter, anyway. I couldn't live without it so I guess I'll just have to live with the risk."

Looking down she saw Cathy kneeling at the foot of the bed. She looked at her and raised an eyebrow saying, "Slave Cathy, are you forgetting your most important duty of the day?" Cindy had noticed that Cathy's cheeks were tear-streaked and her tears were still flowing.

Cathy gave her a weak smile and poured coffee for the three of them. As she did she realized this was her favorite time of the whole day. It was the time when she had wonderful talks with the two people she had quickly come to respect ... and love. Kneeling on the end of the bed with her back up straight and her weight back on her heels, she idly stirred her coffee, then looked at Cindy.

Cindy's face fell as she realized that, for some reason, Cathy was in real pain. She said softly, "Cath, what's wrong? Do you want to tell us about it now?"

Swallowing hard, Cathy knelt up even straighter on the bed. Looking at Cindy she said, "Cin, do you know anything about me?"

"I know you were an honors graduate of Carleton College. I know you're very beautiful and looking even more beautiful every day. I guess that's about all, though. What are you driving at?" she asked.

"Cin, Kathy Cartwright told me about Jim and Kerry Vance. I have never seen a more beautiful girl than she. But she told me how Kerry lived with Jim for years without his ever touching her because her father would not permit them to marry. I've seen some of the portraits he did of her during the period before they were married and I have never seen such wanting in my life."

Cindy saw real anguish in the girl's eyes as she continued, "I heard that she was taking the Commandments very literally: 'Honor thy Father and thy Mother.' Even though she was a legal adult she wouldn't marry Jim without her father's permission.

"Cin, that's my problem. In my case, though, it's not that my mother won't let me marry, it's that she wants me to marry a particular guy. Except what she's talking about isn't a marriage, it's a merger! All she talks about is how financially advantageous it would be. The problem is I can't stand the pompous jerk she wants me to marry!"

Trying to regain control, she tried a small grin and added, "I guess it wouldn't be too bad if it could just be a marriage of convenience and I was free to take a lover while he had a mistress." The grin became more real as she continued, saying, "I guess, as we allowed our social morés to change, we changed the wrong ones."

She looked down at the coffee cup she was holding in her hand and idly stirred her coffee again. Then she looked up and said, "I guess a major part of the problem has been what's happened over the last few weeks."

"Exactly what has happened and why is it a problem?" Cindy asked softly.

"Because I've been exposed to love of a kind and to a degree I didn't think existed outside of fairy tales," she replied. "When I volunteered to work as your slave on Christmas, Cindy, I volunteered only because everyone else was." She grinned and continued, "It was like being in grammar school all over again: Everyone waving her hand, screaming, 'Pick me! Pick me!' Do you remember what it was like?

"Anyway, I was one selected to serve. At first I was delighted! I had been picked. Then I got scared. I realized I never would have thought to ask if it hadn't been for the excitement sweeping through the department. I almost backed out, and it would have been easy because Kelly preempted another girl who was supposed to work. I could have been a fine fellow by giving that girl my place.

"The only reason I didn't was that Kelly was going out to Deerfield, too. Even though I'd only been in her unit for a few weeks, I already had great respect for her. I figured that if she could do it — and she really wanted to — it couldn't be too bad."

As she told her story, Cindy could see that Cathy was visibly relaxing. Being able to talk about it was helping already. "Of course, I knew that slaves wore no clothes, but I guess that didn't really register. When we arrived very early on Christmas and Kelly very casually shed her clothes, I was shocked and scared. But I did it anyway."

Cathy smiled saying, "I'm sure you saw it when I brought egg nog into the library. You heard Ken last night? Cover my crotch and my tits? That's exactly what I wanted to do!" Her smile changed to a grin as she added, "And if I hadn't been carrying that damned tray, I would have, too!"

She knelt up straight on the bed, stiffening her back and forcing her breasts up and out. "Then Ali Clifford spoke to me and I started to relax. Suddenly I became aware of what was going on in the house: I was in a sea of love. Cindy, they all really do love you, and of course I do too.

"That's the problem, you see. Now I've seen what goes on around the extended Clifford family and then I compare it to my own experience. I guess it's the difference between Heaven and hell." She looked at Cindy and again tears started to flow. "I think I'm in love with Ken Bradley. I certainly don't know, of course, but I do know I feel electricity when he kisses me. You do with Dan sometimes, too, don't you?"

"No, Cathy," Cindy replied, "All the time, every time! My God, it's what keeps me going. I know it has to be boring for you to hear it, but for me the sun rises and sets in Daniel Patrick Burke. There is nothing I won't do for him or to him or allow him to do to me. Nothing! The short response is I absolutely adore the man. Does it show?"

"Oh God, Cindy, of course it does!" Cathy exclaimed. "But what should I do?"

Cindy now had some understanding of Cathy's problem. She replied, "Look, Cath, I'm not going to tell you to go against your mother's wishes, but let me ask you a few questions. First, do you receive money from her?"

"I used to," the girl replied, "But not since my junior year. Since then I just keep tearing up the checks and sending back the pieces. Why do you ask?"

"So you're fully self-supporting? You don't get any help from her. What happened to your father, by the way?"

"No, I don't get anything from her. And Dad was killed a few years ago in a plane crash."

"Just out of curiosity, whom does your mother want you to marry?" Cindy asked.

"The son of a very rich guy who's a widower, I think." Suddenly Cathy brightened and clapped her hands in glee. "Of course!" she exclaimed. "That's the answer! If she wants the damned merger so badly, she can marry the dumb father. Cindy, thank you so much!"

Now with a smile on her face she asked, "What about tonight?"

Cindy jerked upright as if she had just thought of something. She had. Looking very cute with her buttocks high in the air, she scrambled for the phone and placed a call. Since Cathy could see that she had used only a two-digit number, it had to be someone Cindy called frequently.

In a few moments the phone was answered and Cindy brightened and said, "Hi, Sis! How's the morning sickness? Are you still green this morning?" Cindy made a cute face, put down the handset and punched the speaker button on the phone. Cathy and Dan both grinned as they could hear the sounds of passionate lovemaking, particularly Jan's involuntary screams of ecstasy as Pete held her in orgasm. Then there was a single scream of ecstatic joy which Cindy instantly recognized as the scream Jan let out when Pete was cuming inside her.

This was followed by a period of silence during which Cindy just shook her head in mock disgust. Then she heard Jan's voice, still filled with passion, say, "I beg your pardon? Morning sickness? The only morning sickness I suffer from is passing out cold every morning. By the way, have you found a cure? I know damned well it's a sickness you suffer from, too." They heard a low chuckle and Jan continued, "Anyway, what's on my sister's mind?"

Cindy quickly filled her in on the events of the last day. Then she said, "I suddenly realized that you're a Yale graduate, too. Did you ever know a football player there named Ken Bradley?"

There was silence for a few moments and when Jan spoke again, her tone of voice had changed dramatically. From being bright and funny, she now sounded guarded. It sounded as if she was thinking out loud when she said, "I know of him. It was in my last semester at Yale when I realized I could support myself on my back. That was when I became a prostitute." They could hear her swallow hard but then, "What the hell! Everyone knows what I was. Yes, Cindy, I know him. What's the question?"

Cindy invited Pete and her for dinner that night and Jan accepted, although with obvious reluctance. Then Cindy hung up the phone, looked at Cathy and said, "Now that's settled. What about you, though? What are you going to do?" Then she interrupted herself and started to laugh, thinking about the way Cathy had inspected Ken the night before. Instead of talking about the dinner she said, "Slave, on your feet. Your master and mistress wish to inspect you."

Cathy's eyes widened but she jumped off the bed and stood up straight. Cindy got off the bed and stood with her chin in her hand appearing to study her. She said, "Dan, I think I need your opinion. What do you think?"

She reached out and cupped one of Cathy's tits in her hand and idly toyed with the nipple bringing it almost instantly to an erection. She said, "The slave's tits are good, don't you think? Of course, being a man, your opinion counts for more."

Dan instantly understood the game Cindy was playing and entered into it. He cupped the other tit and then stroked the underside saying, "It's size is okay. Firmness is all right, too. Skin texture and smoothness is ... adequate." He walked around behind the girl and ran his fingers lightly over her buttocks and then squeezed her hard. Involuntarily, Cathy yelped. "There's a problem, though. Her buns have a rather slippery surface. When she's sweating, what could a guy hold on to? Don't you think she needs to be ... worked on a bit?"

Cindy's eyes gleamed. She winked, kissed him softly and whispered, "Thank you, darling. But are you sure you don't want my scars removed? I don't, but you might. Do you?"

Dan grinned and replied, "Of course not! This way the new stripes that I put on won't even show. You did say you preferred the whip to my ... attentions?"

"Oh, darling," she exclaimed with measured sarcasm in her voice, "You're so good to me! Thank you." Turning back to Cathy who was grinning at their exchange, she said, "Slave, what are you grinning at?"

Then to Dan she said, "What do you think of her muscle tone? Do you think she's ... durable enough? And what should we use her for? Field work? House work? How about for breeding purposes?"

Dan appeared to look skeptical and said, "Isn't she a bit ... scrawny ... for breeding? And I don't know about her muscles for field work."

"Slave, show your master your arm and shoulder development!" Cindy ordered.

Cathy had entered into the spirit of the little play. She bulged her biceps and let Dan squeeze it, then demonstrated the muscle development in her shoulders. Then she said, "Master, like Slave Kelly, although I don't have broad hips, I've been assured that I have a large pelvic opening. I believe I can carry and deliver babies easily." Then she brightened and added, "My tits are well developed, master. Even if you don't want the baby, I could serve as a wet nurse for my mistress if she'll allow it."

Cindy's eyes gleamed and she said, "Slave, soften your ass cheeks. I wish to spank them and don't wish to hurt my hand."

Cathy crossed her eyes causing Cindy to giggle, but did soften her buttocks. Cindy gave her a light spank and stuck out her tongue saying, "It serves you right for not taking this seriously!"

Then she looked at the clock and said, "Good grief, Dan, do you realize what time it is?" She yelped and dashed for the bathroom, their little game forgotten. When she came out to the kitchen wearing her uniform, Cathy was folding an omelette out on a plate for her. Dan joined them a few moments later. The omelettes were superb and Cindy said so. Then she murmured, "Maybe a house slave..."

They agreed on the menu and agreed that Cathy would not wear a maid's uniform since Ken was coming. Cindy found one of her dresses that looked beautiful on Cathy particularly when worn with the slave collar she refused to take off. She also refused to take any time off from work to do the shopping saying she would take care of it on her lunch hour and did. Cindy had helped her work out a spectacular menu and she swallowed hard thinking of the responsibility, knowing that Cindy and Janice Stewart were among the best cooks in Chicago.

At six-thirty the door bell rang and Cathy greeted Jan and Pete. Jan held her by the arms and looked at her saying, "Cathy, I wouldn't believe it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes! My God, woman, you're beautiful!" Then she grinned and asked, "How is the slave business these days, anyway? I think I'll have to mention to Cindy that the quality of available slaves has dramatically improved since I was forced to settle for her."

Cathy took the drink orders and had just served them when the door bell rang again. Cathy went to the door and found Ken there. She said formally, "Good evening, Mr. Bradley. Welcome! May I take your coat?" Ken raised an eyebrow, but played along. He gave her his coat and was ushered into the living room where he was greeted by Dan and Cindy.

Cindy then took him over to where Jan was standing with Pete. She said, "Ken, I don't know if you ever met Janice Stewart when you were at Yale. She was Janice Carson then. I don't know your graduation year, but I'm sure you overlapped."

Ken looked at Jan and his jaw dropped. "I remember you, Janice. We were in the same class. I was in awe of you." He frowned and added, "I heard something about you shortly after graduation, but I can't remember what."

Jan smiled and said, "You probably heard that I was a prostitute in New York. If you did, it was true. I'm sorry, Ken. I do remember you. You're looking very good." Then she grinned wryly and said, "The result of my prostitution was I was forced to settle for a refugee from Cambridge. I would like to introduce you to the love of my life, my salvation, and the father of the child I'm now carrying, Peter Stewart."

Ken shook hands and whistled softly. He said, "Janice, things are coming back to me now. I remember you were five feet nine. I'm six feet three, and I was afraid ever to ask you out because I didn't think I was tall enough for you. Looking at Pete I realize I was neither tall enough nor big enough. Are you sure he's a refugee from Widener?"

Jan, beginning to relax a little, said, "It's worse than that, Ken. He went on to get his doctorate from MIT in — would you believe — computer science? I ask you: can you imagine a bigger nerd than a computer scientist from MIT? Doesn't that define an all-galaxy nerd?" She smiled at Ken and added, "Please call me Jan. Everyone does."

Ken shook his head and said, "Jan, I refuse to respond on the grounds that Pete might take my head off. Is he really as big across the shoulders as he looks?"

Jan looked at Pete and raised her arms. He easily lifted her off the floor and held her in his arms, then he squeezed her close to him. Again he heard the wonderful loving sounds she made deep in her body. Pete said, "Ken, I think every man needs a wife who is small, cute, cuddly, warm, wet ... A nice armful, but nothing big you understand." Grinning, he added, "Don't you think Jan is cute?"