Chapter 20

It was an interesting thing to watch as, in three steps, she tried to decide on a persona to present. Except for that brief, nervous time when she'd first arrived on his doorstep, he hadn't seen anything but the real Pandora. Now, as panic led her to fall back on instinct, she flipped through personalities like the most expert actress, and each showed on her face. First shy, coy, then brazen -- her green eyes a flashing dare -- then that was abandoned for the cool, distant gaze of born nobility. It didn't fit with the clothing, though, and the worry that seeped into her expression showed that she didn't think she could pull it off, so finally she settled on a combination of shyness and innocent excitement as she stepped around the corner to where she would be visible to the boys and could also examine herself in the full-length mirror.

She gasped, her hand going to her throat to self-consciously tug the transparent sides of the shirt together ... for all the good it would do. Her eyes were wide as she turned, gazing over her shoulder to look at the little skirt from behind, where it barely covered the round curve of her ass. The blond clerk sat down abruptly in a chair behind the counter, a fine sweat breaking out on his brow, and even the dark-haired boy smiled at the sight.

Pandora turned to look at Gabriel, bending around the corner enough to make the skirt rise just slightly. "You're sure this is legal?"

Gabriel nodded, smiling. "As long as you don't bend too much right now, since you aren't wearing underwear."

The blond groaned and slid off the chair into the floor, hiding behind the counter. Pandora blushed and nodded. "I have some in the truck, though," she whispered, failing to notice the boy's plight.

"You'll want to wear them tonight, then." He raised an eyebrow. "Shame you didn't bring them in here..."

"I don't know ... with this on, it feels ... um, really dirty to not be wearing them," she admitted quietly.

"I can see. It turns you on to know that if you bent over they could see everything?" he asked.

She shivered and looked at the floor as she nodded jerkily.

Gabriel looked thoughtful. "Close your eyes."

Pandora bit her lip and glanced nervously towards the counter, then relaxed when she found the blond nowhere in sight. She nodded and obediently closed her eyes.

Gabriel motioned to the dark-haired boy, indicating that he should get the blond off the floor. When the blond stood, somewhat unsteadily, Gabriel said, quietly, "I want you to turn so that you're facing them, and bend over. They might be able to see your reflection in the mirror, and they might not. You won't have any way to know."

She went pale and her eyes flew open as she looked up at him. "please..."

He raised an eyebrow. "Please make me, or please don't make me?"

Her lips trembled. "I ... I don't know!"

"Then do it." He smiled at you. "They aren't going to complain. Especially not after you ask the brunette for his phone number ... and tell him why."

"I ... I don't know why, Gabriel," she protested. "I don't know what you want."

"Oh, I thought I'd made it clear. So that I can fulfill that fantasy for you."

Her knees went weak and she reached for him to keep from falling. "Ohhh god ... Gabriel no, no! I wouldn't ever ask you to do that!"

Gabriel grabbed her arm, supporting her. "I wouldn't do it if I didn't want to."

She looked up at him searchingly. "Are you sure? I ... I would for you. I don't think I could stop myself. If it affects you the same way ... I never want to hurt you."

"I've never been interested in trying before, but the idea doesn't bother me, love." He shrugged. "I don't know if I'll like it, but I'm definitely willing to try." He gave her a look. "Not that you won't be ... earning ... your little treat, pet." He smiled.

She shivered again, and he ended up supporting most of her weight. "yessir."

"Good girl. Now, do what I told you," he said.

She nodded shakily and turned, facing the counter, as she bent and fiddled for a long moment with the strap of her sandal. The shirt gaped when she bent over, falling away from her breasts and revealing the lacy black bra completely.

The blond closed his eyes, muttering a silent prayer, then opened them again, unable to look away, hands white-knuckled on the counter. The brunette looked amused. She stayed like that for a while, pretending to adjust the little strap, and Gabriel could feel the arousal radiating from her, her aura actually hot against his skin, bright and throbbing. Finally, she straightened up and gave him a look of naked, lustful pleading.

"Come here," he said quietly.

She took the one step needed to go to him, no longer caring who watched.

"Do you need to come, pet?" he asked.

She whimpered quietly. "please..."

"I'll give you a choice, then. You can step back into the dressing room, leave the door open, and make yourself come, knowing that if they come over to see if we need help they'll see you ... or ... you can wait. You can wait until we get home from the club tonight, and I'll give you a reward," he said.

"Wh-what reward?" she asked faintly.

Gabriel just smiled. "You don't know that until you get it."

She whimpered, the flush creeping down to turn her breasts a warm pink. "ooooh please, please ... I need you so much..."

"Which one?" he asked. "Now, under the rules I just gave you, or later?"

"L-later. I want you n-not me."

Gabriel smiled. "Okay. Then go get that phone number for me."

She looked up at him, eyes panicked. "How? I mean, I've never done anything like that? I don't know how!"

"Just ask. Tell him I told you to get his phone number for me, in case I decide I want to ... experiment," he said.

She bit her lip, looking worried, and said hesitantly, "But ... wouldn't that be ... mean? If you changed your mind?"

Gabriel shook his head. "I'm not going to."

She was actually shaking. "I ... I can't. I really can't. I d-don't know why it's harder, but I don't think I can make myself try without being really sick."

"Pet, look at me," he said, firmly.

She looked up at him, her eyes begging and full of shame.

"If you really can't, I won't make you. But I think you can do it. I'm right here, and I won't let you get hurt, I promise. I promise," he said, quietly. "I won't ever make you do anything that I think will harm you. Ever. If you really can't do this, just say so, and I won't make you. But if you can, I think you'll be glad you did."

She looked down, eyes glassy. "I'm sorry," she whispered miserably. "It sh-should be so simple. But I just can't. I can't even tell you why. I'm sorry."

"Love, do you not actually want to see me with him? Is that it? Or are you afraid of getting hurt?" he asked.

"No! I mean ... it ... it would be really hot," she said, blushing. "And ... and not threatening. I don't know why, but it wouldn't be, wouldn't bother me. B-but I just can't ask. I can't. I don't know why."

"You can't ask. If I told you what to say, word for word, so that you didn't have to think about it ... could you do that?" he asked.

She shook her head rapidly. "I d-don't think I could speak."

"Could you hand him a note?"

She nodded, relieved. "Yessir, I could do that. Just not talk."

"Do you think you could ask them for a pen and paper for me?" Gabriel asked.

She hesitated a long time, then nodded slowly. "yessir."

"Do that for me, then, pet."

She nodded again, trembling just slightly, and walked slowly up to the counter. When she spoke, it was so quietly that Gabriel couldn't hear her, but the blond handed her a pen and a piece of scrap paper with shaking hands and she smiled sweetly in thanks. She hurried back to him, bouncing from relief.

Gabriel couldn't quite suppress a smile. "Was that intentional, pet? Or did you not mean to give him whiplash?"

She looked up at him, puzzled. "Huh? What?"

"You were bouncing." He chuckled. "I think he was praying your skirt would bounce just a little higher."

She blushed again. "Oh. I didn't realize."

Gabriel nodded. "If you want to bounce just a little harder on your way back again, it'd be okay." He took the pen and paper, writing a quick note. "If you can ask, I want you to. But if you can't, that's okay. Just give him the note."

"I ... I'll try. But ... my throat will just lock up, I know it!" she said.

"If it does, that's okay. I just want you to try," he said.

"Yessir," she said quietly, and turned to do as he asked. She approached the counter shyly, standing for a moment, mute, before shaking her head and sliding the note to the boy. The blond looked like he might cry, staring at his friend with shock, as she turned and went back to Gabriel, smiling. "Do you want me to try on the other things?"

Gabriel nodded. "Yeah. I most definitely want to see you in that corset." He looked thoughtful. "I ... pet, I need you to answer a question for me honestly. Would it bother you to have the blond help you put the corset on?"

"Yes ... no ... I don't know. I ... it would scare me. I don't want to get grabbed. I don't want to cause a scene," she said.

"If you knew he wouldn't grab you? I can stop him. He'd end up with a massive headache, probably, but if he tried to grab you, he'd deserve it. Would it turn you on to have him helping you into it?"

"Y-yes, but w-wouldn't it bother you? And ... and isn't it mean?" she stammered.

Gabriel shook his head. "No. This is ... sort of claiming you as mine. And ... I don't think so. I was kind of thinking of it as a treat. I wouldn't let him grab you, but... 'accidental' touches I think would be okay, don't you? It'd make his day, trust me."

"It ... it wouldn't be teasing?"

"Technically, I guess, but trust me, he wouldn't expect you to ... um ... relieve it. And if he did expect that, then he deserves not to get it," Gabriel said.

"I ... I just don't want to be someone who, you know, deserves it," she whispered.

"Pandora," Gabriel said tightly, "No one ever deserves it. Ever. And besides, if I tell you to do it, it'd be my responsibility."

She looked guiltily, uncertainly, at her feet. "yessir."

"So no, you wouldn't be someone who deserved it. If this is something that would bother you, or you wouldn't like, tell me. But if you would like it, then ... tell me that, too." He looked at her. "I need to know these things to be your master."

She shivered, her eyes holding more than a trace of fear as she answered him. "Yessir. I ... this is so ... I never imagined things like this. It scares me so much. I trust you, but I'm afraid I'll go too far and lose you."

Gabriel shook his head. "You won't. I promise you, you'll never lose me. Ever."

She took a deep breath. "Th-then ... what do you want me to do?"

"If I have him go in to help you get the corset on, let him help. Let him see your tits, let him touch as long as it's 'accidental'. He's helping you get the corset on, that's all. That's your story, and you stick to it. Do you understand what I mean?" he asked.

Pandora swallowed hard. "y-yessir," she whispered.

"Does the idea turn you on?" Gabriel looked in her eyes as he asked her the question. "Do you want me to make you do it? Is this one of those things you could never do on your own that you want to be made to do?"

She nodded slowly, but was unable to hide the shame the idea made her feel.

Gabriel smiled at her. "There's nothing wrong with that, love. Absolutely nothing wrong. Don't be ashamed of it."

She bit her lip, looking at the floor. "It ... it makes me feel like ... like I'm..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head.

"Like you're a slut?" He shook his head. "You aren't. And you can't be as long as you're doing what I tell you. Assuming the word slut has any actual semantic content beyond 'someone who has more sex than I think is appropriate', and I'm not convinced of that."

"I ... don't know. I never thought I would ever do anything like this. Even if it turned me on, the idea of someone who ... who'd be okay with that ... it'd just be impossible," she said.