Chapter 56

Breakfast the next morning was only a little late. I had had to rouse the four sleeping beauties and they weren't all that happy about it. We had been sitting for only a few minutes, waiting for the last arrivals. Simone slipped into the chair on my left, a satisfied grin on her face. It resembled a smirk but wasn't quite as insolent. The reason for her satisfaction became evident when Janey entered and moved to the chair on my right. That was the chair that the girl with the exposed breasts sat in. Janey made as if to protest to Simone, then, lowering her eyes, eased into the chair. Her posture looked like she was hovering over the seat, trying not to let her ass touch the fabric of the cushion. I figure Simone had worked her over pretty well the night before.

The real shock, however, came when Sally lifted Janey's short T-shirt up and took it off. Those deliciously creamy tits were emblazoned with angry red stripes, along with her entire stomach.

"Lean forward and turn towards Sally." I spoke in a deadly tone and she obeyed without hesitation.

The pattern of stripes on her back matched those on her front, methodically even and expertly applied, almost the work of an artist. That they had been laid down by my innocent little girl shook me deeply, more than it should have. She had an obvious talent for this, a love of it and I suddenly realized I was not prepared for the competition nor the training of her.

"Stand up and show me your bottom, Janey," I said, knowing even as I said it what we would see. I was right. Flaming red lines, evenly spaced from the small of her back to the tops of her thighs.

"Well, Simone, I hope you remember that you will be on the receiving end next time. And that will be soon, believe me." I emphasized 'soon' and the cocky look she had in her eyes began to wilt. She was proud, and rightly so, of the expert way she had handled the crop but it was a bit excessive. More than a bit. It was exuberant, a celebration of whipping, beautiful in a way, but uncalled for under the circumstances. I wasn't sure how to proceed with this volatile minx without crushing her spirit. Of course, I was a good one to preach moderation with the whip, what with my two women showing very visible bruises on their asses and unable to sit without wincing for a couple of days.

"But, Papa! Does not the Holy Book tell us it is better to give than to receive?" she asked with deceptive innocence.

I wheeled on her and again saw her eyes dancing merrily. She was enjoying this way too much. "Simone, the Good Book says many things, almost all of which have been, at some time or another, taken way out of context, usually to excuse any number of excesses or misdeeds. In this case I think you're stretching that quote just a bit too much. However, to be fair, I would like to continue this little discussion after Janey has had her turn with the crop on your bottom — and front — and then we'll see if you still think that you would like to quote it."

I paused, looking over once again at the multihued skin of Janey. Then, with a deadly serious voice, I said, "I have a feeling that you will but it will be from a more balanced perspective, no?"

Simone blanched as she heard that last line. She understood she was going to have the opportunity to compare firsthand both the giving and the receiving of such an extravagance of pain.

The remainder of the day was quiet, Simone and I being the only mobile ones in the family, and for some reason, she was avoiding me. Go figure!

The rest of that week and on into the next, everything just seemed to come together. Sally was busy with the new house and Nicole was being drafted to assist her more and more. The basic architectural work was done and Sally insisted that Nicole put her own ideas into the finishing touches. It was, as she said, going to be 'our' home. Of course, Sally didn't ask me for my input. Like I always said, she was really smart...

In general, things were going really good for me for once. Perfect, almost. Oh, a blip here and there and that vague sense of aggressiveness wouldn't go away. All four of the women learned to stop asking for 'frivolous' punishments. They quickly found out that I was entirely too willing to lay on the strap or to use my hand on a quivering bare bottom. I had even taken to disciplining Sally and Nicole on a regular basis, seemingly on a whim, for my pleasure. I know my behavior struck them as odd, no pun intended but it was something I couldn't shake. I needed to work off this building aggression and their luscious bare bottoms and backs were my preferred method. That they didn't complain, well, I don't know what I would have done if they had.

But in general, things were going great. I could tell just how great they were by the rapidity with which the whole thing turned to shit. It's a directly proportional relationship, in my experience. The better things are, the faster they go to Hell.

I didn't do anything wrong, really! I swear! I just forgot what my Dad always told me about things and not fixing them if they weren't broken. Really, all I was trying to do was make things better. Honest!

Anyway, Sally announced that our new home would be ready in four weeks. The carpet layers, painters and other craftsmen were under pain of death to have it done by that time. Listening to her describe the hubbub and chaos of the renovation, I reminded myself never to negotiate with that woman unless we were both naked at the time. She was tough and the house would be finished exactly on schedule. Or else.

Her announcement set into motion a long formulated plan of mine and I immediately began making telephone calls to a few select friends. That's not where I screwed up.

That happened the next day, that fateful day, a day that will live in infamy, a day that would... — well, you get the idea.

I approached Nicole when she was coming in from the grocery store. I knelt down in front of her and offered up my collar to her with both hands. Somewhat taken aback, she took the collar before she realized what it was and read the note attached to it. The note said simply, "Sally will help you."

I had bowed down with my head to the floor, so I did not see what she did after that, but apparently Nicole had tried to fit the collar on her own neck, then around her waist before going to Sally. All I heard was the clip-clip of her heels on the tile floor.

I couldn't make out the words that were said but I heard Sally's voice, at first patiently explaining, then asking and finally pleading with Nicole. I did hear very plainly Nicole's repeated protestations of "NO!" and "I cannot do such a thing!" and "Absolutely not! I don't need to do this."

That last one, and it was the last one, was particularly hurtful to Sally, having been aimed at what Nicole perceived had been a lack within Sally that had forced me to submit to her that first time. It was about that time that I began to get a glimmer of just how badly I had screwed up this time. I had not only misjudged Nicole, I had managed to get Sally hurt at the same time. A clean sweep.

Still, even after I heard the front door slam forcefully behind Nicole, I stayed in my kneeling position. I don't know how long it was until I heard the clip-clip of another set of heels on the floor. They stopped right in front of me.

There was a long silence before she spoke and I could hear Sally choosing her words with the utmost care. Not a good sign. Not a good sign at all.

"Well," she said softly, "you have really torn it this time, Lar. How could you do such a..."

She stopped herself. She knew why I had offered to submit to Nicole and it hadn't been malicious on my part. But she was right, even if she didn't say it. It had been incredibly stupid. I should have talked to her about it first.

She continued. "Nicole is gone and I don't know if she is coming back."

Her voice was steady, but I could hear her tears as they spattered on the tiles next to my head. I could also sense the turmoil in her, fearing that she had lost a friend, the ache of Nicole's harsh words and most of all, the panic of not knowing how to fix this mess or if it would work out in the end.

Naturally, she blamed me. So did I. Sally dropped my collar next to me on the floor and walked away. There was a sound of finality to the 'thud' as it hit and I knew I was in deep shit, not only with Nicole, but Sally, too.

First things first. I got up and spent the next two days rebuilding my relationship with Sally. Not that she was more important, it was simply that I knew where she was. During that time, in the backs of both our minds, was the notable absence of Nicole. It was amazing how much a part of our relationship she had become. In fact, we both wondered if we could have a relationship without her. We found out in those two days that we could but that it wasn't the same. We both understood it was better with her.

After two days Sally urged me to go find Nicole and patch things between us as best I could, as she put it. I was underwhelmed with her confidence in my abilities but even then she had more confidence in them than I did.

So it was with huge butterflies in my stomach that I drove over to Nicole's apartment and knocked on her door. I hadn't felt this nervous since, well, I think I was 13 and her name was Mary Beth. She had laughed at me when I had attempted a clumsy kiss and I hadn't talked to another girl for 3 weeks, an eternity for a young boy afflicted with raging hormone disease.

Nicole answered the door, looked at me silently and walked back into her apartment, leaving the door open. I took that to be an invitation to go in, so I did.

I had never been in her apartment before and, in the long silence that ensued, I took the opportunity to look around. Like Nicole, the apartment had class. The furnishings were elegant, yet invited one to sit and enjoy the comfort they offered. There were no extraneous articles lying around, still there was the impression that the occupants were active, multi-faceted people.

Simone's room was not what I expected, but it gave me an insight into her that I hadn't seen before. While frilly and feminine, and showing the signs of a girl in transition to womanhood, there was a distinctly masculine thread. Or maybe 'butch', although I tended to shy away from that derogatory label. Whatever, Simone was definitely destined to be a woman in charge, on top.

I stopped outside of Nicole's bedroom, hesitant for some reason to enter into her private sanctuary. I was still standing there, looking in from the door, when I felt Nicole's hand in mind. She urged me into the room with her, then urged me to sit beside her on the bed. It wasn't the place I would have chosen to begin our talk but it looked like that decision was taken from me.

We sat in silence for several moments, holding hands. I was getting more and more nervous until, in my usual tactful manner, I blurted out the first thing that came into my mind. For those seeking guidance, be advised that this is not a good thing to do. Usually.

"Nicole, do you love me?"

By the way she reacted, she apparently wasn't expecting that particular question. Well, if nothing else, at least I could still surprise her.

"Yes, Lawrence. Yes, I do."

"Show me."

I unzipped my pants and hauled out my prick. Urging her to her knees in front of me, I took her head in both my hands and positioned her mouth at the tip. Nicole closed her eyes and opened her mouth when she was ready. I moved her head down so that the mushroomed shaped head of my hardened cock was in her mouth. He eyes flew open in surprise as I continued to move her head down, allowing her to engulf more and more of the shaft in her moist oral cavity. She had expected the Head Time position and a lecture, I guess. Or maybe an apology. Fuck it.

Her lips automatically closed around the stiff bar of flesh and she increased the suction. Her tongue began caressing my cock.

When I hit the back of her mouth, I eased her head back up to the flare. When I moved it back down, I went a little farther, forcing a bit of the swollen head down her throat. Then again, up and a little farther down. I kept a firm grip on her head, letting her know that I was in charge. I moved her a little further down the shaft each time until she indicated that she was at her limits. Still I kept a firm grip on her head and I pushed her just a little further on the next time and she accepted it, giving herself up to my desires. I think it surprised her that she eventually was able to take the entire length. It surprised me.