Chapter 8: What Tomorrow Brings

While Gretchen sobbed on a chair in the gym lobby, Nina poured out her heart in the front seat of her car, just around the corner. Both women felt that some major part of their lives was about to end, that rather than a new door opening, one was firmly slamming shut.

After about fifteen minutes, Nina pulled herself together and looked in the mirror on the back of her car's visor. Her face was devoid of makeup, which was easily explainable to her husband, but her swollen, red eyes would be a different matter. She decided to just go with it, and pulled into traffic, headed for home.

She pulled into her driveway, and walked into the house, dropping her purse on the hall table, and hanging her car keys on the wall hooks. Scott was in the kitchen having a cup of coffee, and looking over the sports section of the newspaper.

He looked up, but paused when he saw her, immediately thinking that something was wrong. His concern showed on his face as he asked, "Babe ... what's wrong? You don't look very good."

Nina tried to make light of things. "Well, of course I don't look beautiful. I've got no makeup on. A sauna and a shower will do that to you, and there didn't seem any point in putting on new makeup."

"No, hon, it's not the makeup. I see you without makeup all the time. It's your eyes ... have you been crying? They're all swollen and red."

"My eyes?" Nina paused for a moment with a puzzled expression on her face, her brain working frantically, and managed to force a laugh out of her mouth as inspiration struck. "Oh that's right. The gym has shampoo dispensers in the shower room, and when I went to use one, I had it pointed in the wrong direction. It sprayed me right in the eyes.

"The woman who runs the place was frantic. She thought I had done permanent damage, and I think she was afraid I was going to sue. I told her it was my own stupid fault, but she spent all kinds of time running cool water in my eyes, and forcing me to keep them open so she could wash them out. I think what you're seeing is probably the after-effects of the shampoo and the chlorine from the water we used to wash them out. They're still a bit itchy, and you say they're pretty red, but I'll probably be fine in the morning. If they're still really bad, I'll go to the clinic on the way to work, and get them rinsed out with some saline."

"So," she continued, "What's new around here?"

"Billy's made a new friend at school, and wants him to stay over Saturday night. I told him we'd have to talk to the boy's parents first. Jeffery got a perfect score on a math test, so he's buzzed. They should both be in bed, asleep, but I haven't gone up to make sure that their computers and flashlights are off, and books put away. I didn't expect you to be this late. Do you want some coffee? There's just enough left for a cup."

"I'll pass on the coffee; I am just really beat, and I don't want anything that will keep me awake. I hadn't planned on being this late, but the woman ... oh, her name's Gretchen, was really nice and friendly. She gave me this fantastic massage that just relaxed me into a pile of goo. Then we went into the sauna and started chattering away like we'd known each other for ever. It was all going just great until I screwed up in the shower and had to be rescued. Of course, that took extra time because I had tears streaming down my face, and I wouldn't have been able to see to drive."

'Well, that was at least partially true, ' Nina though to herself, as she was weaving this tale for Scott. She somehow didn't want to tell him too much about Gretchen, and she especially didn't want to tell him about what she and Gretchen had actually been doing during her hours at the gym.

"So, it sounds like you went to check out a gym, and actually ended up having a girls' day at the spa. Did you actually do any exercise?"

'Oh did I ever. At least as long as you think a bunch of crashing orgasms is exercise, because they do burn calories, ' was the thought that flashed through Nina's mind, but what she said to Scott, somewhat sheepishly, was, "Well, no. I just went to look around, and I didn't have any workout gear with me. I really didn't plan on the spa session, but when she offered it was just such a nice thing to do, and she was so nice about everything..."

Scott held his hands up in defeat, trying to stem the flow of words. He hadn't heard Nina being this gushy in a while, and it at least made him feel like she really was all right, and hadn't been crying for some other reason. He started laughing softly at his wife, and said, "Okay, okay. I yield. Never stand between a woman and a spa session. So, are you going to join this gym, or what?"

"I don't know. Her approach is a little different from what I'm used to, and I'm not sure if it's for me. It's a very nice gym, but it's also very small, so there is the concern about how long it will last. She did say that her business partner doesn't worry too much about the expenses, but I'll have to look at her fee schedule, and run some numbers as to whether I think she could have a decent business model."

"Ah, that's the analytical wife that I know and love. Run all the numbers, do all the research, and then make the decision based on one hundred percent fact, no gut feel, no emotion."

Nina giggled, but in the back of her mind she knew that any decision she made concerning Gretchen would be based solely on emotion and gut feel, regardless of how much research she did. "Yeah, that's me. And that's it for me for tonight. I am going to bed."

She moved to Scott to kiss him good night, and wrapped her arms around him. Hugging him tightly, she said, "Thanks for looking after the boys and things tonight. It was short notice, and I apologize. I love you."

"It was actually zero notice, but no one is counting, and besides, I'm the Dad. It's what I do, and I love you too." He leaned down to kiss Nina tenderly, then whispered into her mouth, "I don't suppose... ?"

"Oh God, Scott. I would love to, but I am so out of it right now that I would fall asleep in the middle of anything we might start. I'll make it up to you, I promise." She winked at him, and as seductively as she could, started to say, "How's a lunch-time blowjob sou..." and then she started yawning before she could even get the rest out.

Scott started laughing as she yawned, and kissed her on the forehead. "Go to bed, get some rest. I'll lock up down here, and join you."

Nina plodded up the stairs, undressed, and dropped her clothes in the hamper in their bedroom. After wandering into the bathroom, she urinated, brushed her teeth, and crawled into bed.

When Scott arrived three minutes later, Nina was flat on her back, uncovered, and lightly snoring. Scott looked at her, smiled lovingly, and gently pulled the covers out from under her, then covered her up. Nina rolled on her side, and settled deeper into sleep.

After about fifteen minutes, Gretchen finally calmed down, and decided that she couldn't spend the rest of the evening sitting on a chair in her lobby. As she moved toward the reception desk, the telephone rang. When she saw the caller's number, she gave a wry smile, then pulled up the receptionist's chair, and answered the telephone, knowing that the call would take a few minutes, at least.

"Hello Master," she said. "You've been observing, I presume?"

"Quite the display of emotion, little one. I am a little surprised, and more than a little concerned."

"Should I come over, and submit myself for punishment, Master?"

"No, little one, but I think you need to guard your emotions better. My surprise stems from the fact that I do not recall ever seeing you react that way with any other potential recruit. Remember that she is a possible pet, nothing more."

"Oh Master, I think she is much, much more than a recruit, or even a pet. I think she has the potential to be something even greater."

"Are you saying that you think she has the potential to be a Mistress?"

"Master, honestly, I don't know what I'm saying right now. In some ways, you are right—my emotions have clouded my judgement. I don't know that she has a dominant personality, but neither do I think that she will ever be a true slave. I think she is too smart, and potentially too strong-willed for that.

"I think that even when she seems to submit, sexually, she is doing it because of the pleasure it brings her. For the moment, she is accepting of things like being tied down, but I think if you ever were to put her in a truly non-consensual situation, especially one in which she thought she might be hurt, that she would simply get up and walk away."

"What you say seems a little at odds with the manner in which she behaved. She has very strong orgasms, especially at the hands of someone who is controlling her. Her reactions in the massage room, and again in the shower room were quite, uh ... entertaining."

Gretchen smiled slightly, and said, "Should I report to you in order to help relieve your... 'stress'?"

The Master could detect the smile in her voice. "Uppity bottom. I wonder sometimes why I don't have you flogged on a more regular basis. But no, Rhonda is here, under punishment. I can use her for stress relief.

"I must say, though, that this one is very cute, and seems to have a quick mind to go with her nice little body. Her libido also seems interesting, but based on her comments, she almost seems repressed."

"You haven't had me flogged because you much prefer to do it yourself, at least where I'm concerned. And perhaps I should punish Rhonda. The stupid bitch never seems to learn. As for Nina, I don't think it's a case of being repressed; I think it's simply lack of knowledge and exposure. I think that growing up she was simply too much of a bookworm and workaholic.

"Her reactions today to me, as I practically raped her, showed that she enjoyed it, but had just never experienced anything like that before. If she ever comes back, I think the first steps will be to show her what's she's been missing all these years, before we get into anything really serious."

"Really serious, such as bringing her for a session with me?"

"Yes, Master. I think you will ultimately be able to play with her, but it will be a while. And, I will hedge my bets as to whether or not you will ever own her. Remember too that she is married, seemingly quite happily. I won't participate in anything that will break up a bond like that. Inserting you into the relationship is one thing, but having you replace her husband is quite something else."

"Be careful, little one. You are overstepping your bounds," he said in a threatening voice.

"Yes, Master. Are you reconsidering my offer to submit for punishment?"

After a moment, there was a long sigh, as the Master collected himself, and relaxed. "What am I ever going to do with you? It seems that nothing ever works. Maybe you should come for punishment ... no, forget that. You enjoy it too much.

"Maybe I'll strap you into the frame and use every tickler I have on your poor little pussy for a couple of days without letting you come ... maybe that will finally teach you a lesson. Ah yes, and then as the perfect ending, I will assign Rhonda to finish you off. She'll probably find some way to mess it up and ruin your chance to finally have an orgasm. You know, I think I might just try that, at least before I decide that Rhonda is simply not worth the effort, and I release her from her contract."

"It's that bad?"

"Yes, unfortunately. I know that you originally recruited her, but I was in full agreement, and neither one of us saw how much of a problem she would turn out to be. It's both our faults, I'm afraid, so maybe we should flog each other."

"Gretchen, reporting as ordered, sir, flogger in hand." She couldn't keep the lilt out of her voice, and started to giggle.

Wryly, the Master said, "Well, if nothing else, the thought of flogging me has at least lightened your mood."

"Yes, Master, you have made me feel better. Does this mean I should put the flogger away, sir?"

"Smartass ... and don't you stick your tongue out at me, because I can see you and I will flog you. Or, I'll send Rhonda over there to flog you, and that will really make you feel bad."

"Yes, Master. I am sorry, Master. Please do not send Rhonda over here, unless it's for me to try to straighten her out."

"Let Rhonda be my problem, at least for now. And speaking of seeing you, there appears to be a problem with both the audio and video in the sauna. I was unable to see or hear the two of you in there this afternoon."

"Ah, then you missed my birching. I am so sorry. It was one of the highlights of my day."

Incredulously, the Master asked, "She birched you? That little thing actually birched you, and I didn't get to see it? All the damn money I spent on the video and audio system in that spa of yours, and I missed you getting birched. That would have almost been worth what I spent on the damn place. How did you convince her to birch you?"

"Actually, it was very easy. I told her about the concept, and then did just her back and cute little rear, not very hard of course. I just sensitized her a bit. Amazingly enough, when I was done, she just asked if I wanted her to do me. I would never pass up an opportunity like that, so I just handed the bundle of twigs to her, and said 'Do both sides, and don't worry about hitting too hard'. I had to tell to hit harder a few times, but in the end she did a really good job on me, and I felt great. I am sorry you missed it.

"I will see to the audio and video problems in the sauna first thing tomorrow. It's probably the heat. We may need to upgrade the unit or find some way to cool it to avoid the problem in the future. I am assuming that the massage room and shower feeds were fine?"