Chapter 46

The good news was that Arlene got the whole bound and helpless thing. When Robert bent her over the couch arm, the position was a little uncomfortable, and the tail was also an issue, but that was okay -- she deserved it. She was a little sore from the workout the previous evening, too, but she'd earned that. Robert, usually a gentle and considerate lover, vented his demons in her to a certain extent -- and THAT was okay, too. It was a confirmation that he wasn't fooling around or just talking about it. But the big thing was being bound and unable to do anything but just take it -- which seemed to free her to let go of any control she might have had and enjoy what was being done to her. So she did -- she relaxed and released and the pain and discomfort were just parts of the act, rather than detractors. Arlene surprised them both with the strength of her orgasm, which caused a totally unprecedented screech of joy to erupt from her lips. At the time, Robert broke stride, surprised, but was too busy to think about it; after he released her and disconnected her bindings from each other and dragged her onto a couch for a post-coital cuddle, he had time to think about it. "That's the first time you ever made a lot of noise during sex," he pointed out.

"I surprised myself," Arlene agreed.

"It occurs to me that when you were with your daddy, it might not have been a good idea to scream out your joy..."

"Yeah." Arlene thought about it. "You're right. Momma wouldn't have been happy..."

Robert grunted, rubbing Arlene's back. After a bit, he roused himself. "Time to go home, I think. We'll be back, but not tonight -- maybe on the weekend."

"What are we going to do?"

Robert took this as a question regarding the agenda for the next visit. "I'm going to scratch a certain itch I have for black girls -- and you get to watch, at least. Maybe I'll let you play some more, too."

"I liked being bound," Arlene volunteered.

"Why, do you think?"

"No control..." Arlene mused. "I know it's weird, but being tied up made me feel free. I didn't have to try to do anything but endure it -- and that let me find the good parts. Heck, even the BAD parts were good parts!"

"Interesting," Robert mused. "We need to get that tail out, I guess, and leave the other goodies behind. I imagine that my hand on your ass is enough punishment for the moment, judiciously applied -- don't you?"

Arlene, remembering such a swat at breakfast, agreed solemnly, "Yes, Robert." Then she asked, "What about Daddy?"

"I'll make the call on that at some point," Robert replied. "He can forget abuse and blackmail. I may let him fuck you if he returns you to your status as his sweet little girl -- but I haven't decided yet. I may seek professional advice."

Arlene absorbed this but had no immediate reaction one way or the other. Certainly, her perception of that relationship was in flux... "I don't know if..."

"It's MY call," Robert insisted. "You lost out. I control your holes. Besides, your father isn't the ONLY one who can be manipulative..." Arlene's father was moderately wealthy, but had deliberately made things hard on the couple at various points in their marriage. Robert knew why, now -- the man wanted his sex slave back. Properly orchestrated, though, an assignation between Arlene and her father could lead to significant payback -- and Bobby needed college money. "Let's look at that tail..."

"Ugh! Leave it in!" Arlene whined when Robert tugged on it.

"In the first place, it isn't yours," Robert chided. "I'll see if I can get you one, though. In the second, it will interfere the next time you have to go to the bathroom..."

"All right..." Arlene capitulated; Robert had continued tugging, anyway, so it wasn't as if there had even been a break. "AAAAUUUGHH!!!" The thing popped free -- painfully.

Robert handed it to her. "Go find out how to clean it. Give back the binders and the collar and leash." His eyes flashed. "I like you in a collar, though."

"Yes, Robert." Arlene padded off to find Candace or Abby.

Donna presented the plan as it had been given to her to Mac that morning. "Do you know how the dark room thing works?"

Mac thought about it. "I think so. It's really dark and you put two people in the room and see what happens."

"Yeah, more or less," Donna agreed. "The new clubhouse has special dark rooms set aside -- they're not just using somebody's bedroom. That makes using them a lot easier, I hear. Anyway, the plan is for you to offer your dad some anonymous sex in a dark room -- but it'll be Mom."

"Why would Pop want anonymous sex?" Mac asked.

"How long has he gone without? I understood that he could pretty much get the stuff on demand, but he's not been doing so well," Donna retorted. "Isn't that true?"

"Yeah, now that I think about it..." Mac nodded. "Why anonymous?"

"He's being picky -- and can't find anything -- because he's looking for a relationship," Donna explained. "If you offer him something that is just sex -- no strings -- the way I hear it, that's about the perfect thing for guys..." She eyed him sidelong.

"Yeah, okay, you got me there," Mac gusted, "and it might work. When?"

"Whenever you can make it happen," Donna replied. "Mom's not doing anything. You make the offer, and when your dad says yes, you call the clubhouse. They'll call Mom, and when your dad gets there, she'll be there."

"Sounds simple enough," Mac grunted. "Do you think it's gonna take?"

"There's only one way to find out..."

The day at school was quiet -- which was just as well for a bunch of people. The girls discussed their new outfits and the guys mostly rolled their eyes. Football practice was lighter than usual -- more tactics than heavy exercise, for once. Martin wanted their heads in the game; he wanted them to come off the field with something to celebrate.

Evening came, and some males made some phone calls -- obligatory, in some cases. Julio called Kelly around five-thirty. "Hello?" What was the heifer's name again? Kelly, or something?

"Julio? Hi, Sweetie. How are you?"

"Oh, fine, fine..." Julio replied, his voice hollow.

"Now, now," Kelly reproved. "Somebody needs a little TLC, I think. Can I come get you?"

"Yes."

"Where should we go? I can't entertain, and I'm assuming that you can't -- and I've promised we won't do anything public. The club?"

"That seems to make sense." Julio was listless.

"I'll be right over. I bet we can order in pizza or something."

"I will be ... out front..." Julio hung up.

The glare Julio gave his sister when she appeared should have turned her to ash, but it didn't. In fact, she was unfazed. Bonita let Julio fume for a moment, then asked, "So what, Dear Brother, is wrong, actually? Why are you so angry with me?"

"You tricked me!"

"You were told what would happen. I didn't talk in that room, and I didn't turn on the lights -- I wasn't even there! Besides, you like Kelly, as long as your eyes are closed."

"But I have to open them sometime!" Julio snarled.

"What do you learn in the process?" Bonita taunted. "Eh? Perhaps that looks aren't everything?"

"Enough! I'll hear no more of your taunts!" Julio howled, and went outside.

Bonita's mother stuck her head around the corner. "What is this?"

Bonita composed herself such that butter would not melt in her mouth. "Julio has a girlfriend."

"Really? Not a paramour?"

"It was somewhat accidental -- the result of a bet. Unfortunately, she is a larger girl than he wishes to admit to having any interest in ... His pride is wounded. Terence and I know, so he vents his anger on us..." Bonita explained.

"And you taunt him..." Lucinda's eyes danced.

"A little, maybe..." Bonita's eyes danced, too.

"I want to see her!"

"She is coming to pick him up," Bonita replied. "All you need do is look out the window..."

"I can do that..." Lucinda waved a finger in admonishment. "Be careful -- Julio remembers injustice for a long time!"

"Yes, Mama!"

Kelly came by a few minutes later, and didn't get out of the car, so Lucinda didn't see a lot -- but she saw the blonde girl caress Julio's cheek...

"What's the matter, Sweetie?" Kelly asked as Julio, fuming, entered the vehicle.

"My sister is enjoying her knowledge of our situation," Julio snarled. "She is taunting me..."

"Sweetie, that's because you give her a handle!" Kelly insisted. "If the whole thing didn't bother you, what fun could she have?" She caressed his cheek. "You let these things get to you. Okay, so I'm not much to look at -- looks aren't everything."

"She said that."

"And it bugged you -- why? Because she's right?"

Julio heaved a sigh. "Perhaps."

"Come give us a kiss. I'm not wearing a bra..." Kelly dangled the bait.

"Tetas. You wave yours at me and expect me to act like a little boy!" But Julio leaned over the center island and offered his lips while sliding his hand under her blouse, thinking, 'And you are right, of course -- I cannot keep my hands off them.'

They kissed for a moment, then Kelly purred, "I'd do more than that, if we weren't in a damned car! Let's go to the club!"

"Very well..." Julio settled back in the seat and Kelly pulled away.

"You have the run of the place," Abigail told the pair on arrival. "There is no one here but those of us on staff that live here. The first floor is clothing optional, and the second and third are nude, by convention. The steam bath and the sauna can only be gotten to via the big bath on the second floor -- just follow the signs. There are several regular bedrooms on the south side of the house. There is TV and there are porn videos and there are a couple of game consoles ... Make yourselves at home."

"What about dinner?" Kelly asked.

"I'll be making something for the girls around seven. I'll just lay out a couple more plates. Grilled chicken, I think."

Julio wasn't a big chicken fan, but it was free. Kelly seemed pleased. As she led him away, he asked, "Chicken?"

"It's lean protein. If I take it easy and then get a nice workout..."

Julio eyed her. "You are serious about the diet, then..."

"Diets don't work," Kelly sighed, "I'm just trying to eat right. I do seem to be losing, though. Don't kid yourself, Sweetie -- I'll always be a porker. But maybe I'll be a little bit smaller porker." She tugged his hand. "Come on, let's go somewhere and neck and watch TV until dinner." Julio shrugged and let himself be led away.

Phyllis got the call from Luis, "I will come for seven. I will bring cerveza."

"Cerveza?" Phyllis asked blankly.

"Beer. I should not make you support my bad habits." Neither of them saw fit to mention the bad habit that Phyllis WAS supporting...

"I'll set a plate," Phyllis promised.

"I will see you then." Luis, never a sparkling conversationalist, hung up.

Phyllis put the phone down and went off to the kitchen, humming.

Lillian was the first to get the word. "Put out an additional plate," her mother directed, "Luis is coming."

Lillian smiled. "Do you like Luis?"

Phyllis shrugged. "It doesn't matter. He comes whether I want him to or not."

"That isn't what I asked, Momma."

"Okay, yes. Are you satisfied?"

"Are YOU?" Lillian pushed back.

Phyllis didn't answer. What she DID do was go into her bedroom and find a halter top and a blouse she could wear open over it. That way MAYBE she could cover the activity of Luis' wandering hands...

Trish took one look and got it. "Luis is coming."

"Yes."

"Okay. Can Bobby come over?"

Phyllis eyed her eldest daughter, knowing she didn't have a leg to stand on if she said no. "I guess."

Trish wrinkled her nose and sighed. "Not tonight. Football tomorrow, and then the dance. We might stay all night at the club."

Phyllis pulled in a breath. The horse was long gone -- closing the barn door now was a waste of time. "Please keep me informed -- I worry."

Trish smiled. "Yes, Ma'am."

The boys thought nothing of having Luis around. Luis arrived about six forty-five with a twenty-four pack of Corona in one hand and a gym bag in the other. He was covered in sawdust and sheet rock dust. "I came from work. I will shower..." Phyllis nodded and showed him the bathroom, taking the beer in the process. The situation was weirdly domestic, but without the usual terms of endearment. For Phyllis, there was something clean about it -- it was all very simple. He had a right to be there, however odd the circumstances might be, and she was obligated to give him basically whatever he wanted -- but they weren't freighting the whole thing with any emotion. It was good -- and it wasn't.

Luis fostered this by being very formal, especially in conversation. Phyllis didn't realize that the big reason for this was the fact that Luis had almost no experience dealing with women -- she just assumed that he was keeping things on a certain level in order to avoid any confusion as to his role. Her perspective on things was more or less, 'At least he isn't lying to me, telling me what I want to hear... '

Luis more or less assumed that despite protestations to the contrary, Phyllis was only doing as she was told. From his perspective, she had no reason to welcome him and every reason to resent his advances -- but since she wasn't allowed to stop him, she was making the best of things. That being the case, he spent a lot of time wondering what he could get away with before it all came crashing down. His remark that he was considering moving in was more of a test than anything serious -- he doubted seriously that the situation would be stable for any length of time.

Phyllis, on the other hand, would have been happy to accept any of the trappings of a normal relationship. Luis was growing on her regularly. He was even growing on her family, from what she could tell; apparently, the trick was to support them, rather than imposing himself upon them -- something he did instinctively, under the impression that he had no right to be there.

When Luis came out of the bathroom, he was in clean clothing -- clearly the outfit he had planned to wear the next day. He said nothing, though, but Phyllis brought it up. "Do you want me to wash your things?"

"No," Luis replied, "There are limits."

"If you live here?"

"What? Why would you want that?"

"You were joking?" Phyllis became visibly upset.

"As I said, there are limits." Luis cocked his head, eyeing her. "Are my visits not an imposition?"