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Simone ordered first. "I'll try the lasagna." And ran her left hand through her beautiful hair. Her long and brown and beautiful hair. "With salad. With French. And a little more coffee."

She folded her menu. She gave it to the waiter. The waiter pivoted. "And what would you like sir."

Brian answered that he would like to have what the woman ordered.

"Simpler." A flicker of a smile on Simone's face. The waiter went away.

Brian gazed at Simone's jacket. He counted shiny darkness and counted shiny steel. This woman programmed ATM switches by day; she also went to dinner in studded leather. And her skin was like snow. Like a logo of innocence. And her eyebrows were poets. Incredibly incredible. In the eloquent terminology of a unenlightened era, Simone was a fox.

So Brian felt all of maybe... eleven years old. As nervous as a boy on his first cop-a-feel. He conspicuously looked over Simone's shoulder and quietly said, "There's a horsewhip behind you."

Simone spun, grinning. "Where?"

"On the wall. By the tube. To the left of the beer ad."

Still smiling, but now a wicked smile, Simone remarked, "If you get out of line later on, now I will know where it is."

"Exactly." Brian carefully avoided any lighthearted expression.

Simone was silent for a very long time.

Brian was silent for a long time too.

Simone spoke first. "So... you want to get whipped?"

"Certianly not. I am not one of those guys who gets off on pain. But... but I am - and please don't spread this around - I am one of those guys who gets off on obeying a woman. Sometimes. And seeing as how I would hate getting beaten... utterly despise it, I would just love submitting to your whip." And a smile.

Simone looked confused. "Your asking me to whip you?"

"Well no. Absolutely no. I am now caught in the submissive's paradox. I can't really tell you what to tell me to do." A pause. "Well I could, but it wouldn't work out. What I'm saying is, if you ask me if you can whip me, the answer will be 'yes'."

"So what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to have fun. I want you to do whatever. Eat lasagna. Eat desert. One of those strawberry doodads you were lusting over earlier. Your skinny enough and I won't tell. Afterwards, if you want to just say goodnight, we will. But, if you want to do something else, we certainly will. If you want to hold hands like a couple of virgins, we'll do that. I'd kinda like holding hands actually." Brian played with his coffee. "If you want to order me to do stuff, you can. And I'll obey you. I'd love that. If you want me to submit to blows from your whip, the only issue will be noise."

"So... "

"Saved by the food. Here it is."

They munched in silence.

"So," Simone said, casually lifting her fork, "Do I always have to tell you what to do?"

Brian swallowed. "No. I read in this magazine about guys who call themselves 'lifestyle submissives'." Brian swallowed again. "And these women who call themselves 'lifestyle dominants'. Its like they're always in character. Always 'on'. I'm not up to doin' that. How's the lasagna?"

"Its OK. No great shakes though." A pause. A decision pause. "Between when I say 'Om' and 'Konx', will you obey me?" Simone held her hand up. "Will you do anything and everything I tell you to do and only the things I have told you to do? I will allow a few exceptions. You can breath. Your heart can beat. You can circulate blood. I'm so generous. And you may get erect. But you may not come unless I authorize it. Also... also, will you submit to anything I do. Anything... anything... anything I do. I won't have to have a plausible reason. I won't have to have a reason at all." Another wicked smile. "Sound OK?"

"Under one condition."

"I'll give you one condition."

"I agree to obey you and submit to you completely during times selected by you, if you agree to stop being in charge if you're not having fun. Also if it hurts you, we stop"

"That's two conditions. But its a deal. Now shake." They shook hands.

"Eat fast", Simone whispered.

They went to Simone's apartment. As they headed for the door, Simone made an announcement. "When my familus is on, he refers to me as 'Mistress'. And we have to be quiet."

"All right."

"Your're fifteen seconds from insubordination," she said with a nasty, friendly grin.

Brian followed Simone up the staircase. After she closed her apartment door she said, "Om". Brian froze.

Simone said, "Walk forward. Eyes down. Eyes down at all times. Unless I say otherwise. And hands at sides." Brian walked into the middle of the room and stared respectfully down at the floor. He held his hands at his sides. From in front of her man, Mistress spoke. "Kneel," she said.

Brian obeyed. Simone stood - loomed - over the man and thought, 'This is neat.' Her slave thought so too.

"Kiss the toe of my left shoe." Her slave obeyed. "Kiss it again. Over and over. Slowly. With care. With humility and care. Kiss 'til I issue a further command."