It wasn't supposed to be like this. Not at all.

It was ridiculous, actually. Katherine knelt there passively, with everyone watching, while Jessica poured warm chocolate sauce down the front of her dress. Katherine cursed herself for allowing it all to happen.

It had begun as a silly idea. Leigh-Ann brought it up over a mouthful of dim sum. The trays of food released their spiced steam into the already humid air of Katherine's conservatory. Rare orchids and tropical flowers always seemed to be in bloom for just such occasions as this intimate lunch between friends. The idea was so outlandish that Katherine had laughed out loud.

"You'll be the talk of the evening, " Leigh-Ann told Katherine over the steaming plates. Although being the center of attention was always alluring to Katherine, it had taken a fair bit more convincing for her to finally sign the papers. The younger woman had practically begged her to do it.

"This is my first year in charge of the auction, and I really want it to be a success. Imagine the stir it will cause as the most prominent member of the club appears as an item up for bid. We'll break every record on the books."

The young brunette was so excited, and had such pleading in her eyes, that Katherine had paused just a little. A pause was all the opening Leigh-Ann needed to squeeze in the rest of her sales pitch.

"You would only be a slave for a weekend. Don't worry, our friends are the only ones who could afford to bid on you. You've already ... how shall I say ... you've played with most of these people anyhow. Besides, it might be, " the girl bit her lower lip in mock anticipation, "it might be really exciting. I'd find it a real turn on to be a pampered play-thing for a few days."

A week later, after a fair amount of arm-twisting from her younger friend, she found herself on the auction block.

There was a real atmosphere of excitement in the room. This annual event was always a big draw, but Katherine could hear the excited whispers going around the room as she was led onto stage with the other girls. It was exactly what Leigh-Ann had promised.

Standing in front of these people, some of whom were preparing to bid on her, was a real kick. The gamble seemed to be paying off, and Katherine was pleased that Leigh-Ann had convinced her to do this. Not only was she the center of attention, but Leigh-Ann would owe her ... big. Perfect.

Leigh-Ann cleared her throat. She was the perfect auctioneer. Katherine had sponsored her membership a couple of years before, and the young woman had fit in perfectly. She wore a tight evening dress in wild colors, and a pair of over-sized glasses that would have looked ridiculous on anyone else.

"Let's begin, ladies and gentlemen. Remember, the funds raised tonight go to support our weekly gatherings, so unless you want us to be snacking on soda crackers and ginger ale for the next year, be generous with your bids."

That drew a laugh. Leigh-Ann could be such a ham. She started with one of the younger women.

There was always a new crop of eager young women for the fund-raising auction. The allure of being able to join a club like this one was their motivation. Some of the wealthiest couples and singles in the region met here to participate in the sizzling social scene of the club. For most of the members, it was an opportunity to trade in their sexual partner at the door. For these young girls, there was hope that they would find a wealthy lover, or even a husband.

Of course, they could never afford the hefty membership fees, so they agreed to participate in the auction to pay their way.

"Our first item up for bid is young Jamie, just nineteen years old. Some of you may remember her sister from the auction just last year. If Jamie is anywhere near as ... well ... talented as her sister, she's a real bargain for one lucky bidder tonight."

"Of course, we all know that Celine went on to star in a few naughty movies produced by our own legendary film maker, Tyler Madrid. Who knows? Maybe this is your chance to have a brush with stardom. We'll start the bidding at ten thousand dollars."

If Katherine had been in the audience tonight, she might have considered making a bid on the girl. Not that girls were her main turn on, but it would be fun to be the first to sample this one. And, of course, it was always a thrill to be able to outbid everyone else, just to flex a little financial muscle.

"We have fourteen thousand from Mrs. Greene, do I hear fifteen? Mr. Roebuck bids fifteen, is anyone game for sixteen?"

The girl blushed as Leigh-Ann came up beside her and cupped one of her breasts in an attempt to liven up the room. "Come now, ladies and gentlemen. A pair of tits like these are surely worth twenty. I know a plastic surgeon who would charge twice that. Thank you Mr. Holland, we have twenty..."

The bids stalled at twenty thousand. Once Leigh-Ann announced the winning bid, the girl went down to the floor to sit at the feet of the grinning Mr. Holland.

With dramatic flare, Leigh-Ann walked back to the other girls on stage, and took hold of Katherine's leash. Otherwise, she had dressed like the guests at the tables, in designer evening wear. The leash was required. It was a little humiliating, but it's all for fund raising, Katherine reminded herself.

"Our next item is a very special treat for me. I present to you my good friend, long-time member, and a fantastic lay, Katherine Christos. Imagine the fun you can have with the wealthiest member of our club, kneeling at your bedside, and willing to do your bidding. I have to point out, Katherine has a bit of a reputation as a demanding lover, as some of you have learned through experience..."

There were chuckles of acknowledgment from the crowd.

"For this weekend, she is setting aside her dominant role, and will be your humble slave. Look at this package. Turn for me Katherine."

Playing the good sport, the wealthy woman turned around to display her body for the crowd. Leigh-Ann's hand patted her ass. " She's thirty -- um -- twenty nine years old, and still has curves in all the right places. Isn't this ass the cutest thing you've ever seen? You could have it for your very own, along with everything that comes with it. We'll start the bidding at twenty thousand."

The bidding was more intense than even Katherine had expected. The Millers, Mary Holmes, and Dr. Dosanjh all fought to bring the bid to over fifty thousand. Things slowed a bit, and for a long moment, it seemed like Jake and Tammy Miller would take the prize for fifty-five.

That wouldn't be so bad. Katherine had a brief fling with Jake Miller the previous year, and wouldn't mind renewing the acquaintance. Even the prospect of sharing the bedroom with the slightly overweight Tammy Miller didn't bother Katherine too much.

"Sixty thousand, " called a female from near the back. At first Katherine didn't recognize the voice.

"We have sixty thousand from Jessica Holt. Do I hear sixty one?"

Jessica Holt? Katherine stood puzzled as Leigh-Ann scanned the room for other bids. Jessica was a new member of the club, a young business executive who had barely been able to scrape together the membership fee. How could she possibly afford the extravagance of a sixty thousand dollar weekend?

"Going once ... going twice ... and sold! Our highest selling price ever, ladies and gentlemen."

There was applause from around the room, but Katherine still couldn't believe the last minute bid was legitimate. This wasn't the way it was supposed to turn out. She was supposed to spend a leisurely weekend having sex with some of her wealthy friends, not with Jessica Holt. The woman didn't rate socially. The girl still had to work for a living, for goodness sake.

How the hell did she come up with sixty thousand dollars to throw away?

Nonetheless, moments later, Katherine found herself being led by her leash to the table of the young woman. For the first time this evening, her face went red. Everyone was watching this ridiculous reversal, as the wealthiest woman in the club was delivered into the hands of a junior member.

The look on the girl's face was unbearable. Katherine shot a glance towards Leigh-Ann, who shrugged playfully, as if saying "them's the breaks." Besides, she was already moving on to the next item up for bid.

Katherine's attention was yanked away from the auctioneer, as Jessica Holt tugged on her leash. It only took a few seconds for Katherine to realize that it was impossible to maintain her dignity while dropping to her knees in front of a girl who was years younger, and miles beneath her social circle. She grudgingly responded to the silent command to kneel. Any attempt to back out of the deal now would bring the disapproval of her friends, or worse ... the loss of her membership here. Katherine knew that as superficial as this crowd could be, they took their games very seriously.

No, it was much better to suffer this evening of public degradation in front of her friends. After that, it would be a weekend of sexual service in the privacy of Jessica's bedroom, and the whole thing would be over with.

Katherine's resolution to be a good sport was put to the test almost immediately. While Leigh-Ann continued to take bids on the remaining girls, the waiters of the club began to serve dinner.

"The question is," Jessica asked the table, " how do I get all my money's worth? I was considering having her plate served on the floor ... and I still think it's a cute idea ... but..."

This was unbearable. The young woman was talking completely above her. Damn it, these were her friends. Jessica was sharing a table with Desmond Hoff and his wife Louise, and with Dr. Lui, and his daughter. But now, they all thought it terribly amusing to see Jessica with the upper hand, considering how to best humiliate her prize over dinner.

" ... I have to admit, I didn't expect to have to pay quite this much money for her, and now I'm thinking that for sixty thousand dollars, I'll have to find more creative ways to entertain myself."

And that was how Katherine found herself eating from the palm of the Jessica Holt's hands, licking her fingers of sweet and sour sauce, and ending the meal with the warm drizzle of chocolate sauce poured onto her extended tongue, and purposely down the front of a very expensive evening dress.

Yes, it reminded her of previous auction banquets, where she had been instrumental in humiliation unsuspecting young women at the dinner table. But this was different, she argued bitterly within her head. It wasn't supposed to be this way for her.

Everyone was looking, but not with the mock sympathy they had always reserved for the other girls who had been mistreated in this room. They were amused by the perversity of it. The queen was being brought down to size. Katherine could feel it in the pit of her stomach. The politics of this place were second nature to her, and right now, she was losing face ... badly.

All she could hope was that Jessica Holt would tire of this public amusement before long, and take her home to be humiliated in relative privacy for the remainder of the weekend. That hope became fainter when Jessica ordered a couple more bottles of wine for the table, and lit a cigarette.

"Oh, don't worry pet, we'll share some with you, " Jessica taunted, ignoring Katherine's clear impatience to leave.

These events could go quite late, and with dinner just over, Katherine knew to expect other prominent members of the club to come visit the table, if for nothing else than to get a close up view of her predicament. Jessica kept her word, and leveled the opening of a wine bottle to Katherine's lips. Katherine tried her best to gulp it down. A little buzz might help her to bear the evening better. Of course, Jessica didn't make it easy, pouring the wine too quickly for Katherine to swallow, and pulling it back in such a way as to have it splash against Katherine's chin, and down the front of her neck.

A slave doesn't merit a glass. A slave doesn't have the luxury of dignity. A slave just drinks what she's given. Jessica was playing it perfectly.

When Jessica rose to go to the washroom, after an hour of drinking, Katherine was thankful for the timing. It did present the spectacle of her being led to the washroom on a leash, but she had consumed close to half a bottle by her own estimation, which made walking a bit of a tricky matter. She also needed to pee quite badly.

In the luxurious washroom of the club, Katherine avoided eye contact with a couple of her friends, but couldn't avoid the spectacle of herself in the full length mirror. Her dress was soiled with chocolate and wine. Her face was flushed from too much to drink, and from the humiliation of the evening. Then there was the leash and collar.

"Wait out here a minute, pet, " said Jessica, hooking her end of the leash to the stall door when she went in. Katherine felt like some sort of lap dog, tied up outside of a store while her owner went inside.

When Jessica emerged from the toilet, she went to the mirror to freshen up.

"I have to look my best, don't I pet?"

The young girl looked amazing. She was fit, well-dressed, young, and in control. Katherine felt otherwise. She stepped towards the toilet stall herself now, but was stunned by a sharp jerk on her leash.

"I'm all done here, pet. Time to go."

"But I ... have to..."

Jessica knew. She smiled wickedly in Katherine's direction.

By the time they got back to the table, panic was setting in a bit for Katherine. She really needed to pee. She knelt by Jessica's side, trying to stay under control, but was soon squirming, trying to find a comfortable position with her full bladder.

Her distress was obvious to everyone at the table, as was Jessica's indifference. She continued to chat on with her friends.

Finally, Katherine knew she couldn't go any longer.

"Jessica... " she interrupted.

"Yes, pet?"

"I need to go to the washroom."

"Sorry, pet ... you're speaking too quietly. I didn't quite hear you."

Katherine's face reddened with anger. This girl was positively torturing her.

"I need to go to the washroom, " she repeated, louder, much to the amusement of the other people at the table.

"No, pet. You can wait."

That was enough. Katherine stood to go to the washroom without permission.

Jessica reacted surprisingly quickly, jerking back on the leash to regain control, and rising to meet Katherine's challenge face to face.

"Listen, pet, " she hissed, still with a smile on her face " you know the rules. You practically invented them. I know you're much more comfortable on the other end of the leash, but I've paid my money ... so if you won't play nice, I'll have your membership card revoked."

Eyes from around the room focused on the confrontation.

"Please, " Katherine begged. " I just have to pee."

"You can wait, I said. Now take your place at my feet."

Katherine did, fully aware that now everyone was watching. She was also fully aware that unless Jessica walked her to the washroom quickly, she would soon have a very embarrassing accident on the floor.

Jessica was in her glory. Cruelty had always been a tradition of this evening of the year.

"Give me your panties, pet, " she ordered.

Everyone watched as Katherine awkwardly shimmied her underwear out from her dress, and handed them to Jessica as a trophy.

"Now spread your knees apart. Shoulder width should do it."

Kneeing there with her legs spread like that, Katherine knew she couldn't hold back much longer.

"One more thing, pet. Hike up your dress a bit. A little more. Right, just a little higher now. That's a good girl."

The hem of her evening dress was pulled up now to the point where everyone could see every inch of her shapely legs, but not quite anything else. That's where Jessica left it. The rest was just a matter of time.

When Katherine finally lost control, it was with an audible whimper. Warm urine streamed unobstructed to the hardwood floor below, bringing laughter from all corners of the room. Once it started, Katherine couldn't stop. Finally, when the last of it had dribbled down between her legs, Katherine felt a tug on her leash.

"Right. Now we can go."

Katherine surveyed the room sheepishly was Jessica led her out. The members of the club were amused certainly, but also somewhat in awe of how the younger woman had handled herself.

Yes, it was going to take some serious time to correct the politics of this place, Katherine knew. These people were left with a clear image, and more importantly, from the scene just displayed in the clubhouse, they could use their more than ample imaginations to fill out the details of the rest of Katherine's humiliating weekend as a slave.

Jessica led her into a waiting limousine, and closed the door.

Behind the tinted glass of the car, Jessica's persona faded quickly. The smile was still there, but she wasn't putting on a show for everyone else. It was just the two of them now. Both strong, both confident, but not equals ... not by either woman's reckoning.

"Let's talk about a deal, " Jessica led the conversation, as the limo pulled away from the clubhouse.

"What kind of a deal?" Katherine found her voice again.

"One that I almost hope you don't accept, at least not right away. The way I figure it, I have you completely at my mercy for the next couple of days. Don't think for a second that I won't break you in that time..."

"Break me?"

"Yes, break you. In that time, I'd make you beg to accept my terms, and I'd enjoy every moment of bringing you to that place. I'm quite good at it. I'm taking your spot, you know, at the top of the social pecking order, whether you like it or not. And just out of respect for your previous position of power, I thought I'd offer you an out."

Despite her currently disadvantaged position, Katherine was in no mood to concede so easily.

"What kind of an 'out'?" she asked, coldly.

"I'm willing to sell you back your weekend, at a modest mark-up. Shall we say ninety? You won't suffer any more humiliation at my hands this weekend. You just lay low until Monday, and we'll agree not to speak of the details. Everyone can assume what they want. We both know that this kind of money is no issue for you. It's a win-win situation."

"That's not the way I see it, " answered Katherine.

"Oh, and how do you see it, pet? " She invoked this last word as a not-so-hidden reminder. Mind your position, she was saying. You're not in the driver's seat.

"I see a little girl who's gambled more than she can afford. The only reason you're making an offer is because you're financially in over your head. Now, you want me to bail you out, so this whole episode will bear no cost for you? No way. You've done me harm, Miss Holt, there's no doubt of that. I'll recover. I wonder if you'll do the same."

"Come over my knee, would you, pet?" Jessica changed the subject for a moment.

Katherine froze. She was ready to have it out with the younger girl, but there was this matter of the slave contract holding her back. Reluctantly, she obeyed the command, crawling across Jessica's lap. The younger girl pulled Katherine's dress to her her waist.

"Mmmm ... the perfect position for a bare-assed spanking, " Jessica mused. "I've wanted to do this to you for a long while now, and since you seem to be refusing my deal, it looks like I'll have plenty of time to enjoy it."

The first slap came quick and hard, but was followed by a gentle caress.

"I'm so pleased you'll make a contest of it, " she continued. " To have you fall too easily would be anti-climactic in a way. I always knew that I would challenge you eventually. I've been working my way through the club, making friends, gathering support. I've been careful of you ... you're reputation being what it is ... or was anyhow. Now that I've had this stroke of good fortune, it condenses the time-line substantially, but I'd hate to have contest over already without the thrill of fully defeating you. Thank you for this."

The girl continued alternately slapping and caressing the exposed rear of the wealthy socialite.

"You should be careful, " Katherine offered the advice from her humiliating position over Jessica's lap.

"How's that?"

"You're playing with some dangerous people, and you're not exactly following the rules."

"You're concerned for me, pet. How cute."

"I could have your membership stripped for the offer you've already made."

"You'd have to convince someone that it happened. It's just the two of us here, pet. Yes, I'm playing dirty ... and I'm playing to win. If you choose not to obey me this weekend, I'll have my money back anyhow. So we're back to a personal contest between us. I know that I can break you. I know you'll try to resist. But from where we are right now, my dear, it certainly looks like I'm the one in control."

Katherine was in a fighting mood, but from her position across Jessica's lap, she couldn't much argue the point. The younger woman continued administering a slow rhythmic spanking, pausing every few strikes to further explore her rival's body and her reactions. The contest was well an truly begun.

Jessica had already made her goals clear. She was to be dominant, and would, through any means, try to gain complete control. For Katherine, it was a different game. Although she was already seething from her treatment at the clubhouse and the brash way the young woman was speaking to her, she was anticipating the contest with some pleasure.

So accustomed was she to the dominant role, she knew every intricacy of the game. She rarely played this part, but that could be overcome. She began with a disadvantage, but was confident, almost overconfident in her self-discipline. She could allow herself to enjoy the submission, the shame, the anger. She could let it all wash over her, and let it push her to the brink of surrender, knowing that she could pull the control back at a moments notice. She would take pleasure from that. She could master herself, and defeat Jessica in the same moment.

She felt the younger woman exploring her sex now, and she allowed her body to react naturally. The game was so much more fun that way. The girl had skills, there was no denying it. She teased Katherine's clitoris for just a moment, and then followed up with another light slap on the rear. Katherine moaned and raised her ass slightly.

Let the girl feel like she's in control, she strategized. This weekend would be a long one, and no winner would be decided on this night.

For a girl who had spoken so brashly of "breaking her, Katherine found Jessica's choice of how to spend their first evening together altogether puzzling.

Katherine was driven home, and brought to her own bedroom. The women showered together. Katherine was sure she would receive the command, spoken or silent, to drop to her knees and service the younger girl. It never came. The shower was pleasant. Arousing. Titillating. Almost tender.

Then they slept together.

Jessica remained in control, of course. The leash and collar were there. But there was no overt sex play. Jessica caressed her prize a bit, exploring her body gently through her nightwear while they settled in for the night. But the intensity held there, both women drifting gently into and out of sleep. A few tender kisses were exchanged during moments of wakefulness.

Overall, the feeling wasn't of domination. More of closeness, Katherine concluded. Certainly nothing that could be construed as a play for power.

Was it all to lull her into a false sense of security, so that she could be caught unaware when the real games began? Or maybe it was just a matter of pacing, to allow the sexual tension to build. Perhaps this was just what Jessica Holt enjoyed. Katherine didn't know. It didn't matter. When Saturday morning dawned, both women knew the game would soon be on.

They enjoyed it a moment longer. Jessica stretched her lean body against Katherine's back, and landed a soft kiss on the back of her rival's neck.

"Why don't you call down and have the staff prepare breakfast for us?" Jessica purred, sending shivers up her bed-mate's spine. " Oh, and ask them to assemble for a quick meeting afterward, will you, pet?"

Game on. Katherine knew there would be damage inflicted on her this weekend. She had hoped it would all be personal. That, she knew she could withstand. But this ... whatever the girl was planning, it would probably change the way the house staff viewed her. It would take time to repair the damage done if they lost respect for her. She might even have to replace some of them.

"Don't fuck around, Jessica. " she warned. "These are real people, with real families to support. If you force me to replace them..."

"You forget yourself, pet. I'm in charge. I own you. For the time, that also means I own the use of your servants. And you used the word 'force'? I can't force anything on you, in the most literal sense of the word. You could refuse to perform your duties, which would bear consequences, certainly ... but you do have that choice. You could simply accept my offer. I know you'd see it as a loss ... but if these people mean anything to you, their future employment here might be worth a mere hundred thousand dollars."

"Hundred?"

"Why yes, pet. You didn't think my rates would remain equally reasonable all weekend, did you? As I was saying, you also have the choice to buy back your weekend -or- if you are committed to playing the game through, we can go down after breakfast, and humiliate the lady of the house for all of her servants to see. What you do with them after the weekend is over is none of my concern. The way I see it, I haven't 'forced' anything."

Forced or not, that's how Katherine found herself bent forward over the grand table in the dining room, being whipped by her younger rival, with the entire house staff there to watch.

She had been tempted to give in, of course, but anything other than defiance would have been a concession that she had been bested. Was this defiance, she wondered? Could she really call it that?

Jessica used the sort leather lash expertly, and had her pet counting the blows as she delivered them.

" ... fourteen ... thank you, miss ... fifteen, thank you, miss..."

She tried not to cry out from the pain.

It wasn't about the pain, really. It was about the degradation. It was about the position-shift, first between herself and the young woman administering the blows, but also now between herself and the house staff. Jessica had dressed her in a very fashionable summer dress, one that Katherine had recently purchased in Milan. It served to heighten the contrast between her usual position of wealth and power, and her current role as a mere amusement.

Jessica had made sure they were all called in, even though many of them didn't work the weekends. At any given time at the house, the staff presence didn't seem large, but with them all gathered together at once, along with the gardening staff, it seemed a large group indeed. Katherine rarely bothered much about the details. She left that business to Ms. Pemberton.

The expensive dress was bunched up around her waist. Her pricey underwear gave her scant coverage. She tried not to think about the way the punishment was leaving strap marks on her rear end and upper thighs. The marks were to signify her submission to the younger woman for the entire staff.

The punishment paused at twenty-five lashes. Jessica leaned over the table to speak quietly into her slave's ear.

"It's quite one thing, " she observed, " for your staff to see you humiliated. But you and I both know that it won't be enough to break you. Now, I need to see if I can convince them to participate in your fall. You probably wondered, last night, why I brought you here, to the comforts of your own home, instead of taking you back to my place. It's so that I could do this to you ... to have you know that I can defeat you in any venue ... that I can turn your own household against you. Who do you think will take the lash first?"

Katherine shivered involuntarily.

The girl was playing this very well. These kinds of games had always appealed to Katherine. She played them often, usually from the other direction. Being here, at the mercy of her younger adversary, it was so much more exciting, exactly because it was so real. The stakes were so very much higher.

"Give them permission, " Jessica cooed in Katherine's ear.

She paused, not sure what to say. How exactly does one give permission for her servants to participate in her humiliation? There's no set etiquette for the invitation.

"If anyone wants a ... a turn, " she started, with her head still pressed against the table, " a turn with the ... strap ... I won't hold it against you ... if Miss Jessica permits it, you can use it on me..."

It seemed half hearted, but it was enough to please Jessica.