Chapter 21

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Jake heard his mother coming in the front door.

“We’re in the kitchen, Mom.”

Ellen rushed in, radiating anticipation at seeing Jake. She pulled Jake up from his seat and gave him a big hug.

Mom, I love you more than anything, but we have guests.

Ellen noticed Carol and Jan sitting there. Jake felt impatience and disappointment from her, and then resignation.

“Hello, Jan. Hello, Carol.” She became anxious. “Jake, it’s a big mail day for you. There’s another letter from that man.”

“Maybe I should read that first.”

She handed him a letter. Like the previous one, there was no return address.

Dear Jake,

I congratulate you on the way you handled your encounter with Colin Masters. I am pleased that you were not badly hurt.

It happens that Colin is my employee, so I trust that you will understand that I cannot let you continue to control him. Although I have undone your conditioning, I promise that he will not trouble you again. Your financial arrangements with him remain in effect. He will mail your fee weekly.

It is a freak coincidence that our paths have crossed. The possibility of such a thing happening yet again is astronomical. I don’t think you need to worry about a conflict between us occurring in the future.

I found your approach to controlling Colin interesting and curiously humane given his intentions toward you and your mother. Linking negative emotions to certain behaviors is a sound approach. Its weakness is that it assumes that Colin’s emotions will always precede his actions and thus will inhibit those actions. I did not choose Colin for his mental health but for his love of violence. I fear that it would only have been a matter of time before he lashed out at you spontaneously. It would not have been a comfort to you when his conditioning kicked in only after the fact.

Please, do not read my critique as fault finding. You used a very competent approach. It was only your lack of exposure to people with Colin’s particular pathology that prevented you from recognizing the limitations of your method.

While we cannot meet, I think that it would not be unprofitable for us to correspond. If you wish to contact me, my email address is 889w488@gmail.com.

Your father

“Carol, I need to speak to my mom about some stuff that I can’t talk about openly,” Jake said. “Do you mind heading home now?”

“No, that’s fine. I should be going anyhow. Whatever Connie is cooking is going to be way better than your meatloaf.”

“I might surprise you. I’ll have to challenge her to a bake-off. Would you say hi to my grandparents when you go home? Tell them that I’ll visit them on Saturday.”

“Sure, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him fervently. Ellen looked on blandly, but Jake felt her jealousy.

When Carol was gone, Jake went to his room and retrieved the letter he had gotten the day before. He handed it to Jan. He gave Ellen the letter he had just received. Ellen gave it to Jan when she was finished with it. Jan spoke first.

“Whatever abilities he may have, I think it’s fair to conclude from the timing of the first letter that he can’t tell the future.”

“Are you going to write to him, Jake?” Ellen asked.

“I’ll have to think it over. It sounds like he knows things I’d like to learn, but it also looks like he has the morals of a jackal. What do you think?”

“I don’t think any good will come of communicating with him. The whole idea scares me,” Ellen said.

“Me, too,” Jake said.

Jake picked up the other pieces of mail addressed to him. One was a $20,000 check from Rod Finch. The other was the title to the Cadillac.

“Do you want to see my new car, Jan?”

“Maybe later. You don’t want to neglect dinner.”

“That about wraps up the excitement from Tuesday night. Except for one thing. Colin Master’s gun is still in your dresser, Mom.”

“No, I put it on the top shelf of my closet.”

“What do we do with it?”

Don’t ask her to make decisions.

“Uh, how do you feel about guns, Mom.”

“I didn’t think I needed one in my house. That is until those people broke in. I don’t feel safe anymore.”

“I like the idea of you being able to protect yourself. I’ll think about it and we’ll talk later.”

Jake returned to the counter. He began cutting up potatoes.

“I think it’s time to talk about Mom’s submissiveness,” Jake said. “What do you think, Jan?”

“I’ve talked to both of you separately,” Jan said. “Jake, I know that you’ve been studying the issue and considering the pros and cons. I’m also sure that you love Ellen deeply and want to do what’s best for her. Ellen, we’ve talked about how you feel about making decisions and being assertive. You know how concerned I am that you will be taken advantage of if you don’t take steps to make yourself less vulnerable.”

Jake, it’s time. Propose to her that she becomes your submissive.

“Mom, I love you. I’ve come to see that you need someone to take control of your life. No one who would care for you, protect you, and cherish you more than me. I offer myself to you as your dominant.”

“Ellen, it’s up to you,” Jan said. “Jake is an exceptional young man. I believe he is offering you what you need to lead a happy and satisfying life. Although he is ready now to assume this responsibility, I also see that in time he will become even more the man you need. If you accept his dominance over you and agree to submit to him, you and Jake can establish the kind of relationship that I think you require. It is not necessarily permanent. If there comes a time when it no longer meets your needs, you can end it.”

Ellen radiated happiness.

“I know Jake loves me, and I trust him. The truth is that I already defer to him.” She turned to Jake. “Jake, will you accept me as your submissive?”

Jake held out his arms to her, and she ran to him.

“Mom, I accept your submission, and I vow to care for you to the best of my ability.”

“I think you have both chosen wisely,” Jan said smiling. “Many things will change in your life, starting right now. The first, Jake, is that Ellen no longer has the authority of a mother over you. You are the leader. When you are alone you should no longer call her mom. That old relationship is now just an empty formality. You will still have to behave like mother and son when you are around people who do not know about your new relationship, but it has no other place in your lives.

“The next thing you must do is establish the ground rules. Jake, you should be explicit about what you expect from Ellen. Think about the rules carefully. Draft them precisely. I recommend that you write them down. They should be designed to foster an atmosphere of loyalty and obedience.”

And the first rule should be that she will obey nobody but you.

“Ellen, sit,” Jake said. “Here is the first and most important rule that you will follow. I am your master. You will obey the orders I give you, and you will accept orders from no one else. I expect complete loyalty from you. I won’t tolerate you following the orders of others. If someone else tells you to do something, you will refuse to obey until you have talked to me.

“The second rule is that you will have sex with no one but me unless I give you permission.

“Third, be the best employee that you can be. You will follow the orders of your superiors but only so far as they relate to work. You will refuse to follow any order involving your personal life, and that especially includes any demands or requests for sex. You will do every ethical thing you can to advance the interests of the company. I want you to make me proud by the way you do your job.

“I will decide on other orders later,” Jake said. “Ellen, my beautiful sub, why don’t you give me a kiss and then go put on something more casual while I prepare the salad.”

Ellen jumped up and crossed the room to him. She held his face between her hands and kissed him tenderly.

“I love you, my master.”

She left to change her clothes. Jake smiled after her. Then he looked over at Jan with his eyebrows raised.

Jake felt embarrassment from her.

Yes, Jake, I find the idea of being in control like that very arousing.

Would it undermine my position with her?

No, by permitting it to happen, you maintain control. You can revoke the permission at any time.

Jake turned back to the counter and began cutting carrots. He felt Ellen walking in their direction.

“And would you accept the gift if I gave it?” Jake asked when Ellen was in earshot.

“I think Ellen is the sexiest and sweetest woman I’ve ever met.”

“My sub is something special, isn’t she.”

Jake looked up to see Ellen standing in the doorway, listening to them. She was beaming.

Jake pulled the meatloaf out of the oven and put rolls in.

“I have two other rules for you, Ellen. Rule number four is that in public you will treat me like I were your son. The fifth rule is that you will tell me when you find yourself sexually attracted to someone, man or woman.”

“Yes, Jake.”

“I am going to share you with Jan. When it comes to sex, you will obey her as you would obey me.”

He began to set the table. He felt pleasure from both women.

“Jan, would you like to go shopping with my sub and me after dinner? She has always dressed conservatively. I plan to get her clothes that are more fitting to her beauty. I want to show her off.”

Damn, Jake. You really are good at this, Jan sent.

“I know some good places to get the kind of clothes that you have in mind. This is going to be so much fun.”

Jake felt himself tearing up. He stepped behind Jan, leaned down, and kissed her on the neck.

I love you, Jan. Thank you for being such a good friend.

The timer went off. Jake pulled the rolls out and put them on the table.

“Ellen needs a wardrobe for work,” Jake said as they served themselves and began eating. “Something that’s sexy and shows everyone that this smart, capable analyst is also the most beautiful woman they will see this decade. She also needs something for when we’re out in public, like when we go shopping or out for a meal, I want every man to be envious of me. Finally, she needs casual clothes to wear around home, so I can enjoy watching her.”

“Well, that gives us lots of things to look at,” Jan said. “It’s going to cost you plenty, young man.”

“I have plenty, but I only have about $300 on me. I’m still waiting on an ATM card for my new checking account. I do have some temporary checks.”

“Don’t you worry about that,” Jan said. “You can owe me. And trust me, you will. Big.”

“I’ve only got $35,000 at the moment. I hope you won’t go above that.”

“I can work within a budget, even a restrictive one like that,” Jan said, smiling wickedly.

The easy way Jan said that made Jake nervous. He decided to change the subject.

“Jan, I’m always talking about my problems, and you’re always helping. We never talk about you. Are you doing okay?”

“Fine, thanks. My life isn’t anywhere near as exciting as yours. I plan lectures and grade papers. I spend time with Mark and Christine. That’s about it.”

“What will you be doing during the summer?”

“We’ll try to get away for some short family vacations. Builders work hard during the summer. They need to take advantage of the good weather. Mark can’t take a long vacation.”

“Will Mark’s kids be staying with you?”

“Shannon just graduated. She’s home until she gets a job. Kyle’s going to intern this summer at an engineering job in California. He’s leaving this weekend. Christine has the summer off before she leaves for college. She’ll be around.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“I love them all. Having Christine and Shannon around is like having little sisters.”

Jake could tell that that was not the whole story. There was some tension at home because of Mark’s children, but Jan was keeping her mind focused on other things.

You’ve learned how to keep secrets from me, haven’t you?

Jan just smiled at him.

You have a strong mind. Most folks wouldn’t be able to maintain such good control. I want to respect your privacy. We’ll have to figure out if there is a way to put stuff off-limits. Whatever the problem, you know that I would be glad to help, don’t you?

Yes, Jake, thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.

But Jake could not help but wonder what Jan was hiding or why she would be hiding anything. He was very open with her. He had assumed that she was, too. Did she not trust him to keep her affairs secret? Jake did not think that was it.

Perhaps she was worried that he would interfere. That would not be so surprising. He had taken a pretty big chance telling Mark about Jan and him. And the way he had bullied Mark could not have inspired confidence in his judgment. Maybe there was something that she was ashamed to admit. Everybody had stuff like that. It might also just be that she did not want to air her family’s private affairs.

I live my life by the credo that a woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets, Jake thought to her.

Jan giggled aloud. That’s just a cheesy line from Titanic, you big lummox!

Jake laughed. “I am not. I’m very graceful. You take it back!”

Ellen looked up from her plate.

“Holding a private conversation?” she asked.

“She called me a bad name!”

“He was going all Yoda on me!”

“It’s too bad that my new status means I can’t give you the adult supervision that you both need.”

I’m glad that your new status hasn’t stunted your sense of humor Jake thought, sending his amusement to Ellen.

He turned to Jan.

“Guess what! I got a summer job.”

Jake went on to tell her about his association with Jerry Amos’ law office.

“That’s an unconventional approach to earning a living, but I can’t see anything really wrong with it. What are you going to do if you find that your gifts are being used to produce unjust results?”

“I’ll deal with that if it happens. But I would think that anything that injects more truth into the process is a good thing.”

“I wonder. Beware of the mischief that can be done if one side learns the truth but keeps it to itself.”

“That’s something I hadn’t thought of. I’ll keep it in mind. Do you want to hear about my new project?”

“You’re going to have a lot to do this summer,” Jan said. “A new job, a new girlfriend, a new sub, and working with Carol. So what’s this new project? Something to do with that swingers club?”

“I forgot about that. You’re right. I need to check up on Tanya White and Stevie Washington. It’s a good thing I have a car.”

“If it doesn’t end up costing you time by getting you in trouble. Even with a car, that’s still a big load on your plate. You may find yourself overwhelmed. So what’s your new project.”

“This is confidential for another day or two. Julie’s mother has decided to divorce her husband. I’ll be helping.”

“How can you help her get a divorce?” Ellen asked.

“I’ll let the lawyers do that part. My part is getting Mr. DeRizzo out of the house without violence and making sure he gives her decent terms in the divorce.”

“Why would she need your help, Jake?” she asked.

“Mr. DeRizzo uses violence and abuse to keep his family in line. He also uses his control of the family finances to keep Leanne under his thumb. I’m going to be the equalizer. I’ll make sure he leaves the house without making trouble. I’ll also motivate him to give Leanne a settlement that takes care of her and their children.”

Jan looked at him closely.

“How did you get Julie’s mother to open up to you about her marital problems?”

“All I had to do was establish a deep enough level of intimacy with her that she was willing to share important issues that she had kept hidden.”

“And how, pray tell, did you establish such a level of intimacy?”

“Leanne is very lonely. She needed a friend. That led to sex.”

Ellen’s jealousy spiked.

“You took Leanne DeRizzo to bed?” she said, her voice getting shrill.

Jake looked at her sternly.

“Ellen, stop that! Leanne DeRizzo is an exceptional woman. She has selflessly endured a brutal marriage to protect her children. I’ve come to love her, and I don’t regret for a second what we’ve done. I will make her life better. She has already made mine richer.

“I have also had sex with Julie and Carol. And I expect that I will be having sex with other women, too. None of that affects my relationship with you. You have the prime place in my heart. You were my mother and now you are my sub. That is a relationship that no one else can challenge. There is nothing that can change the way I feel for you or lessen my commitment to you.

“I see we need another rule. From now on, I expect you to accept my relationships with other women without complaint. I also expect you to remember that your place in my heart is safe. You will know it is so because every day I will demonstrate it by the way I am involved in your life.”

Ellen bowed her head submissively. She couldn’t just stifle her jealousy on demand, but she was relieved by Jake’s reassurances.

“Yes, Jake, I’ll remember my place.”

“I had no idea about the problems in Julie’s family,” Jan said.

“Yes,” Jake said, sighing. “I’ve only this week learned the damage it’s done to Julie. I got involved with Leanne when I went to talk to her about how emotionally distant Julie is.”

“You couldn’t tell that by reading her mind?”

“It seems I couldn’t. I didn’t know enough to recognize what I was seeing. She has always been eager to have a relationship with me. I mistook that for affection. And she’s so vibrant otherwise. I’ve only just come to see that the coldness and tension in Julie’s family life have made her distrustful and unwilling to establish emotional connections. In fact, she doesn’t know that such bonds are possible or even desirable.”

“That’s amazingly like Carol,” Jan said.

“It’s a big coincidence, isn’t it,” Jake said, “that two girls like that happened to meet and bond.”

“Maybe not so surprising. They were probably comfortable around each other because they had similar ideas about what a friendship should be like.”

“You know, I think you’re right. That’s the way it is with them. It’s based on mutual self-interest rather than affection. That would explain how they have such a vigorous sex-life but are otherwise uninvolved with each other.”

“Does this change the way you feel about Julie?” Jan asked.

“No question. It’s an obstacle to the relationship that I want. I don’t think we have a long-term future unless we can establish a better emotional connection. But maybe I can help her.”

“You certainly changed Carol.”

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t do that to Julie any more than I would do it to you or Ellen or Leanne. I was never interested in Carol. For that matter, she didn’t particularly like me. I only agreed to help for Julie’s sake. It was only as I got involved with her that she began to grow on me.”

“I’m not sure that I see the problem, Jake. You made a change in her, but you didn’t change her basic makeup. You took an injured girl and healed her. This is the person she could have been if she had been brought up in a loving home.”

“There are two things about all this that trouble me,” Jake said. “The first problem is that I didn’t give her a choice. I treated her like an object to be manipulated. The second is how it all went crazy this afternoon. I went far beyond what I meant to do. She is the unwitting victim of an experiment run amok.”

Jan smiled at him fondly.

“We should all be such victims, my young padawan. She is happier than she has ever been. Those two things don’t have to stop you from helping Julie. Just be sure to learn from them. The first issue is a question of ethics. You need to establish ahead of time when it is right and when it is wrong for you to tinker in someone’s mind.

“People in health care confront this problem all the time. The law has a very practical way of looking at it. It says that except in an emergency, anything you do to the patient is considered an assault unless the patient gives permission first. In your case, that may or may not be a useful approach. Exactly how you choose to solve the ethical questions is up to you. Use this experience with Carol to inform your personal ethic.

“Your second problem came from the fact that you are doing things no one has done before. Until you become more experienced, everything you do is experimental. That goes back to the issue of permission. For instance, I know that you are still developing your abilities. If you asked me for permission to make a change to my mind, I would realize that there are risks because you don’t yet have mastery of your skills.

“Another aspect of the second problem is one of technical proficiency. Now that you know what happened to Carol, you will be able to calibrate the next treatment better. With Julie, you can give her more moderate doses. You might also think about seeing if you can cultivate her affection for a broader range of people, not just you. That would better mirror typical childhood emotional development.”