Chapter 20

Dated this day, the 5^th of May, 2006

For the purpose of providing a framework over which both parties have equal control, this contract informally binds the signatories below to its contents. Either party may 'opt out' of this agreement at any time. 'Opting out' may be defined as ceasing to observe this contract in any way. It is binding only insofar as it is accepted to be.

Gary Paul Duke (known in this contract as 'the Dominant'), hereby offers Elaine Milanovic (known in this contract as 'the Submissive'), his guidance and dominance over her, for the period beginning on Friday the 5th of May 2006, up to and including Sunday, the 7th of May 2006.

By the time she'd finished reading, Elaine was trembling. At the bottom of the contract were two dotted lines where she and Gary would sign. Right under where she was to sign, her name appeared in bold type, and below it, 'Submissive'. The words caught her attention and she was sucked into the vortex of their implications.

She stared at them, unnerved by their physical proximity to each other, stunned by the realisation that this was actually happening. In the most civilised of ways, a legalistic contract, the point of no return had been mapped out before her. She'd be signing her name as 'Elaine Milanovic. Submissive.' The words on the screen swirled and shimmered as thoughts danced through her mind.

Have I forgotten anything? Is there something I haven't done? Something I haven't checked?

When Elaine blinked, welled up tears unexpectedly spilled over her cheeks. Reaching for a tissue, she smiled ruefully and shook her head as she dabbed her eyes.

"Are you finished reading?" Gary asked.

Elaine sighed before responding, "Yes. I'm sorry, I was just thinking."

"That's okay," he typed. "Remove the clamps."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you."

She'd actually completely forgotten about them. From previous experience she expected the worst when she took them off. Gritting her teeth as they came free, she instead gasped aloud as her teased nipples throbbed lewdly. Her eyes fluttered closed and she swayed with the unstoppable sensations, her hands gently holding her breasts through her sweater. The painful heat she experienced last time was quickly forgotten. Suddenly conscious of how long she'd been distracted, Elaine's eyes shot open.

Gary had asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she typed nervously, collecting herself. "I mean, I don't know. It's... It's starting to get very real."

"Do you have a microphone?"

"Sorry?" She wondered if her last message had gone through.

"You know, like a microphone and headphones for the computer? I'll show you 'real'." He sent a wink.

"Oh." Elaine liked listening to CD's while she studied and had a set of headphones. She'd never had need for a microphone. She let Gary know and he told her to fetch the headset and she did. When she returned, he sent a request to begin an 'audio conversation' and Elaine flushed as she clicked 'accept'. For a few moments the program hesitated as it connected. Then it crackled and fell silent. Elaine held her breath.

In his smooth, deep voice Gary asked, "Can you hear me?"

Elaine panted and typed, "Yes!" She had to fix her typing errors twice! On one word! She hastily sent a smile as a shiver of pleasure raced down her spine and wrapped itself around her tailbone.

"Good," he said, the smile apparent in his voice.

Elaine tried to concentrate, but the sound of Gary's voice in her ears was almost overwhelming. Her skin was coming alive, and fast. Goosebumps broke out down her arms and legs and her swollen nipples grappled for her attention. Before she had a chance to type anything, Gary was talking again.

"I'd like you to get a microphone one of these days."

"I'll be so nervous talking to you like this," Elaine typed. Gary sounded so calm. She wished she were more like him sometimes. Besides, Elaine liked being able to type. At least she could think before she opened her big mouth. It would be different when she was kneeling in front of him. She shuddered. Remembering the thin walls of her apartment, she managed to type, "I'd have to whisper."

"Then buy a good one or I won't be able to hear you."

"Okay." She sent a smile. "I will."

"Good girl. Now, about this contract," Gary continued.

"Yes, Sir," Elaine responded, this time more quickly, trying to keep up with him.

"Remember it's symbolic. It's a 'statement of intent' rather than a bona fide contract."

"I understand Sir," Elaine sent. "I mean, thank you. I don't have any issues with it. I like it and I'd be happy to sign it."

"If?" he asked, leaving the word hanging.

"... If I was sure 'the lifestyle' was right for me." Sometimes she felt certain, while at other times she questioned whether she could handle the entire scenario. For Elaine, one core issue remained. 'Was she truly submissive, or had she convinced herself of the 'fact'?' The concern was set to dog Elaine for the next twenty-four hours until she signed the contract. Until that moment, she couldn't really know.

Gary's voice was warm but firm as he spoke deliberately. "It is right for you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you've pursued it vigorously from the day you discovered it," Gary said softly. "It's no longer a curiosity or a whim or a kink. It's a full-blown desire to know the freedom of giving the gift of your submission. It's a longing for a relationship with a level of trust you can find nowhere else."

Gary was on a roll now, and Elaine sat listening, remembering some of his lessons as he reiterated them. "You are very lucky. On the net, most potential submissives that make the mistake of allowing themselves to be raced off by the first guy that comes along with a 'Dom' sign around his neck, end up with someone as inexperienced as they are. They don't read up on what to expect and they rush headlong into something that may bear little resemblance to safe, sane and consensual D/s. Disillusioned, they retreat into erotic literature and daydreaming of what it could be like in a perfect world, never having had the opportunity to discover that it exists. The luck involved in meeting each other in the first place, then living so conveniently close to each other in the second, is substantial. For both of us.

"You see, this isn't a one way street either. I have recognised that you have been busy wrestling with the concepts of submission, D/s, and whether or not I am the right one to introduce you to the lifestyle. But I've been busy too.

"I've made sure you were serious because I'm not about to waste my time with someone who is seeking a thrill or whose heart isn't in it. I've made sure you are 'in the range' of submissive that is most likely to please me. To me, your submissiveness is obvious and I've never questioned your nature. What I have checked is our compatibility and you have jumped over every hurdle and through every hoop I've put in front of you. Enthusiastically. I've found you to be sensitive and sensible. You're intelligent and you've exercised good judgement and self-control."

Elaine loved listening to his voice, even though she wasn't convinced of her self-control at all. "I don't know about that."

Gary chuckled. "Did I mention humble?"

Elaine's lips glistened as she ran her tongue over them, wetting her dry mouth. "No." She sent the blushing face.

"But seriously, it's true. I agree that the odds of us meeting, and finding each other, and being right for each other, are astronomical. But so far, that's what has happened. I also agree that the past two weeks have been crazy and we have done things pretty quickly. But I'd like to think our shared enthusiasm has brought us to the position we are in, and that I haven't rushed you into anything. If I'm not right about that, then I'd like to know."

"You haven't rushed me," Elaine typed.

"Good. We've done everything by the book. We are both driven to dot the 'I's' and cross the 'T's', you know."

"But what if I can't do it? What if I've misread who I am? What if I'm not submissive at all?"

"I'm smiling here."

"Why?" Elaine asked, the heat in her cheeks rising.

"You DO realise that being unsure of yourself is a delightfully submissive characteristic, don't you?"

"I thought submissives knew what they wanted."

"Not at the beginning. At the start most submissives have no idea what they want. All they know is, 'it feels right'. And 'it's so exciting'. Apart from that, not much is actually known. They have lots of ideas though."

"And on that basis they meet someone to dominate them?"

"Sadly, sometimes they do. They don't take the time to know themselves or to know the person they are willing to meet. They make mistakes in their haste."

"I don't want to make mistakes."

"Of course not. And that's what I'm saying."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that you haven't made a mistake about this. The lifestyle IS for you, and you are definitely submissive. And I don't want you to think that you are not a good submissive either. You want to learn and read and you are actively pursuing your self-improvement. You listen and you are conscious of yourself and of what you are doing. You are honest and giving. And you blush so beautifully. Did you know that most submissives blush? Did you know that most submissives are intelligent, thoughtful people? It's not shameful to be submissive at all. NOT finding the lifestyle would have been the real tragedy."

Elaine found herself nodding silently. She swallowed. "I might never have found the way to reach my full potential."

The smile in Gary's voice had returned. "That's my girl."

Elaine squeezed her thighs together as the words rang in her ears. That's my girl. Butterflies took over her stomach.

Gary sounded more relaxed as he continued to explain. "Look, everyone is different and the extent varies, but there are three major things most submissives seem to have in common. The first is a deep and abiding desire 'to be pleasing'. This is true in ninety-nine percent of submissives. The trait is not the exclusive domain of subs though. Lots of people desire the approval of others to validate who they are, so it's by no means a defining characteristic. But it's almost a prerequisite.

"The second thing most subs have in common is a physically pleasurable response to aspects of the lifestyle that appeal to them. If for example you like the idea of being tied up, as a submissive it doesn't just appeal to you on a curiosity level, but on a physical level. In other words, a potential submissive who is interested in bondage gets wet when she thinks about being restrained or helpless."

Elaine bit her lip and wondered if getting wet for no reason also qualified. She had to focus. Gary was talking again.

"And the third thing most subs have in common is a strong desire for any relationship to be simple, clear, consistent and structured. Submissives don't take any shit, and people who don't communicate well, don't impress them. Submissives who have discovered their nature are more careful with whom they share themselves. They know how vulnerable they are and they take steps to protect themselves, not just when they arrive in the lifestyle. Often it begins with family and friends. Sound familiar?"

Elaine couldn't help but smile. "Yes, Sir."

Gary chuckled. "In summary, submissives observe keenly, are sexually responsive, and they don't play games. To me you are quite clearly, and beautifully, a submissive woman. And I wouldn't be as attracted to you if you weren't. If you weren't, and I saw you, I might wish you were a sub though..."

Elaine thought Gary was amazing. Somehow he'd made her feel better, all over again. "I hope I'm good for you," she typed, before she'd given it a second thought.

"You will be."

Elaine breathed. Her cheeks were burning. "I'm just nervous, I guess. I'll be okay."

"But it's exciting."

Gary's comment made Elaine clench. She'd been desperately trying to ignore the heat and wetness below. Breathing heavily, she pondered his argument and her bodily reactions. She couldn't disagree. Gary's words were comforting to her mind, but her pussy was already convinced. "Whispers... Yes. It is."

He seemed to hesitate before replying. "For me too."

Spearing into Elaine's mind came the vision of Gary adjusting his cock in his jeans. Elaine chewed her lip, unsure of what to say. Her fingers trembled as they rested on the keyboard. The desire to masturbate had returned with a vengeance.

Thankfully Gary interrupted her thoughts, but she was still surprised when he said, "Pull up my picture."

Elaine hadn't looked at it since the day before yesterday. "Okay," Elaine typed, opening Paint from the Start menu and opening the file. Gary's manly grin filled the screen and Elaine's scalp prickled. Now I remember why I haven't been looking at his picture, she thought, mesmerised by his eyes. Elaine clicked on their conversation, bringing it to the front, then moved it to the side so she could look at him while they talked. "It's up," she typed.

"Good. Now, concentrate."

"Yes, Sir." She sat up straighter, gazing at him. Short, shallow breaths wracked her chest as she waited for Gary to speak. When he finally did, he emphasised words in a calming, rhythmic tone.

"You have not arrived here by accident... And, as tempting as it is to believe, you are not here because of 'fate'... You are here because you know what you need. And that need is overwhelming. You might hesitate, but you won't change your mind, because you know this is right for you... Here and now, at this time in your life, this is what you have to choose."

Elaine bit her lip and stayed quiet, listening to Gary's hypnotic voice.