Chapter 10: A Second Spa Day

The next morning, Nina arrived at work still thinking about the things Scott had said the night before, and feeling like he had given his permission for what she and Gretchen had done the previous week, and might be doing later today. She wasn't sure if she was just 'scratching an itch', or whether there was something deeper that was motivating her. In any event, she knew that there were a number of questions that she needed answers for, and resolved to seek them from Gretchen.

Once she had cleared both her paper and electronic inboxes, and dealt with several phone calls, she decided that it was probably safe to step out of the office for the day. She paused for a moment as she gathered her things, and thought about whether this day would mark a change in her lifestyle. 'Ah, well, what're a few orgasms among friends?' She grabbed her purse and headed for the door. On the way out she told her assistant, "Something personal has just come up, so I'm going to take the rest of the day to deal with it. Send any messages to my cell phone, but try not to, because I will probably have to keep it turned off."

She arrived at Gretchen's gym twenty minutes later, and walked in the front door. Gretchen was at the reception desk, waiting for her. She came around the desk, dressed much like the last time, her face beaming, and her arms held wide. "Nina, it is so good to see you again. Can I hug you?"

Nina raised her arms and drew Gretchen in, the two women tightly clasping each other. After a moment, Gretchen drew back a bit, and asked, "So, does this mean you've made a decision?"

Nina shook her head. "No, I haven't come to any decision yet. What I have done is a lot of thinking, and a lot of research. Some of that has answered some questions, but most of it has just raised more questions. I decided that you were probably the best person I knew to discuss things with, and maybe get answers to the questions I've raised. I feel like you wouldn't lie to me about these things, and what I need are some straight answers to see whether my feelings about things are correct. I know that a lot of what I'm saying sounds confused, and there is a lot that I simply don't understand, but I think as we talk them out that much of where I'm coming from will be clearer, and that I'll understand better about you."

Gretchen looked at her for a moment, then softly said, "This all sounds very serious, but as I said, I will answer any question you may have, and I will never lie to you, little one."

Nina gave her another quick hug, and said, "That's exactly what I was hoping for. Let's get this day underway."

Gretchen laughed, and said, "Just give me a second to make sure we're not disturbed." She broke out of Nina's embrace, then locked the front door and flipped the 'Open/Closed' sign over. "Let's go in the back." She opened the door into the workout area, then closed and locked it behind her, and headed for the door into the rear area. Taking her fob out of her pocket, she buzzed the door lock, and opened the door for Nina to go through.

"You can leave your clothes and purse in the locker room. I'll be right with you."

"My clothes?"

"This is a naked area, remember? Once you come through that door, no clothing allowed."

"Sorry, of course, I'm just rattled."

"Not to worry. I'll be with you in a sec."

In truth, Nina hadn't really expected to be naked with her friend this quickly, but knew that there was no way to avoid it without getting both of them upset. Besides, they had spent their entire last session naked, so there really wasn't much point in worrying about it.

She walked into the locker room and stopped for a moment, remembering what had happened the last time she was in this gym. A flush of arousal went over her as the thoughts came back, and she imagined herself screaming in ecstasy at Gretchen's hands. She put her purse into a locker, and reached behind her to unzip her dress, just as Gretchen came into the room.

"Here, let me help you with that." Gretchen pulled the tab of the zipper all the way down her back, and Nina leaned forward to pull it off her shoulders, then let it slip down her body, and stepped out of it. She was wearing fairly plain underwear under it, and Gretchen looked her up and down, then said, "You know, once we get you back in shape, we need to get you some more exciting underwear."

Nina grinned, but just nodded as she removed her bra and panties, and kicked off her shoes. She turned toward Gretchen, who was still dressed, and raised an eyebrow. Gretchen said, "Oh yeah, my turn." In two movements, Gretchen was naked, since all she wore was a sports bra and her shorts. She kicked off her sneakers and then held her arms out wide.

Looking at Nina, Gretchen asked, "So, how do you want to do this? If you want to talk first, we can go next door, and I can give you a massage while we talk, or we can go in the sauna and have a real discussion. Since you said you had a lot to talk about, the sauna would probably be best. I can turn the heat down a little so we can stay in there longer, or we can come out every now and then and jump in the plunge pool."

"I think the sauna would be best, but turn the heat down a bit. And I am not going in that pool, at least not today."

"Ah, still afraid I see. Very well, the sauna it is." Gretchen laughed as she said this, so Nina knew there were no hurt feelings.

As they reached the sauna, they each grabbed some towels from the stand outside the door, and went in. After spreading the towels out on the benches, they climbed up and settled in for a discussion. Nina breathed deeply in the heat, and did her best to relax before she started to talk. Gretchen looked at her questioningly, so Nina took another breath, and readied herself.

"Well, where to start ... first, please Gretchen, do not take anything I might say as an opinion on how you live, or what you do. As I said earlier, I've been doing a lot of research into different areas. Much of that was triggered by the way things went the last time I was here, and a lot of it is based on things that I think are so, but I don't know for sure. And I know that sounds pretty vague, and rambling, but maybe the best way to get started is just for me to start asking questions, and we can see how the rest of the discussion goes. Is that okay?"

"Whatever you wish. You're in charge here."

"Don't I wish that was true. It's my emotions that are controlling me, especially where you're concerned."

Gretchen looked at her quizzically, but Nina ploughed ahead. "First question ... you said that you tend to be submissive toward men, but dominant where women are concerned. I've done a lot of research about dominant and submissive relationships. Gretchen, are you the submissive of a master?"

Gretchen didn't react for a moment, then put on a serious expression, and looked at Nina directly. "I said that I would not lie to you, and I will not. I vow to you right now, that from this moment forward, I will never lie to you. I may occasionally choose not to tell you something, but I will never lie.

"No, I do not have a master. Not at the moment."

"Are you a slave, or a submissive? And what's the real difference?"

Gretchen smiled a little, and said, "Well, I am slightly in between the two. I used to be a slave, but not any longer, so you could call me more of a submissive, at least where men are concerned. Where women are concerned, I am a dominant.

"As to the difference: a slave is property. A slave is owned by a master or mistress, and does what the dominant desires, with no questions. In the most extreme form of the relationship, if a slave is ordered to walk off a bridge, the slave simply does it, and likely dies. A slave has no will of its own.

"A submissive, on the other hand, is someone who voluntarily gives up control of themselves to someone else, but who can simply choose to say 'No' at any time. In truth, the submissive doesn't really give up control; that's the wrong way to describe it. The submissive is actually the one in control at all times, because they have the power to say 'No' and walk away, or stop what is being done to them. There is a contract between the submissive and the dominant, so that even if the submissive is restrained, the dominant should stop what they're doing if the submissive says 'No'.

"Typically, submission applies to sexual situations, but not to real life, whereas slaves give up control of everything. Submissives are that way by nature—it's a state of mind, a part of their psyche. Slaves may also be submissive—most are—but many are not. Submissive slaves become slaves by choice, and remain that way, often forever; other slaves may have been forced into it, and may only be enslaved for some period of time, for example to pay off a debt.

"Often a submissive is that way only in certain circumstances. For example, someone may experience heightened sexuality if they are bound, but only during certain acts. I know a submissive who will not willingly give a man a blowjob, but if you tie her wrists and the man holds her head, she gives one of the most enthusiastic blowjobs imaginable. She was always brought up to believe that giving a blowjob was a vile, disgusting act. The act of tying her wrists means that she is no longer in control, and the man holding her head is symbolically forcing her to perform the act, so her beliefs are pushed aside, at least temporarily.

"Whew, this is one of the longest speeches I have ever given, but one more example, one you can appreciate ... as a submissive, but not a slave, we can walk out of this room, and I can tell you to jump in the plunge pool. You can simply look at me and say, 'No, it scares me too much, ' and that's the end of the matter. On the other hand, if you were my slave, you would have no choice; you either jump in the pool, or I punish you. Perhaps I do something like tie your wrists behind your back, then push you in the pool. You either go in, or you suffer, or maybe you suffer and still go in.

"I think the best way to sum up everything I've been saying is this: a submissive still has free will, a slave does not. For the slave, the decision to give up free will is tremendously liberating, as they no longer have any responsibility for their actions; they make no decisions, they simply do as they are told. The responsibility rests totally with their master or mistress. The submissive still has the freedom to choose, but also the responsibility for all of their actions, just like any other person.

"That being said, sometimes a submissive will give up total control to their dominant, but only within certain limits. For example, the submissive may permit the dominant to have total control in sexual situations, but not in other matters. The dominant could then order the submissive to perform any sex act, but could not order the submissive to walk off that bridge ... or jump in a plunge pool. There are many degrees to a dominant/submissive relationship."

Nina took all of this in, raptly. She paused for a moment, then asked, "Okay, next issue. Are you trying to make me your submissive, or your slave?"

"You can't make someone a submissive. Submission is a state of mind, so you are either submissive in nature, or not. No one can change your mind like that. As to becoming a slave ... well, that is kind of up to you. However, I don't want you as my slave, because then you lose free will. Our conversations, such as this one, would end; the only words out of your mouth would be, 'Yes, Mistress, ' or, very rarely, 'No, Mistress.'

"If you want to experience some of the dark side, I can easily put a collar on you, and treat you like a slave for a while, but I don't think you'd like it, and I don't think I'd like to treat you that way. We can easily explore your submissiveness without the need for slavery. I also don't think you're ready for slavery yet.

"For one thing, being a slave would likely be at odds with your husband and your family, but being a submissive doesn't put that relationship in jeopardy. Being a part-time slave is very difficult, but being a full-time submissive is not. For that matter, some people are only submissive to specific people, but not to everyone in general; you might be submissive to me, but not to other women, even very dominant women."

"So you think I'm submissive?"

"Yes, I'm fairly certain of it. The last time, you allowed me to do things to you that most women would not have permitted. You didn't really have any choice when I strapped you down, but in the shower room, you could have easily pushed me away. You also said that your orgasms that day were the strongest you had ever had. I would bet that the primary reason was not because it was a woman doing it to you for the first time; it was because that woman simply took control, and you gave up the control over your body. Giving up control like that is a sign of submissiveness.

"Personally, I'd like to explore your submissiveness, to see what sorts of things make you tick. Do you only come strongly when I simply take over and ignore your objections? Do you come any harder when you're restrained? Does a little pain increase or decrease your desire? At the moment, you don't know these things, and neither do I. I know how to explore your limits, and judge the results, because I have a lot of experience training slaves and submissives.

"It sounds a little trite, but we could go on the journey together. There is also another big difference between a slave and a submissive, especially where you're concerned. As a slave, you would have no say over things like orgasms, especially your own, or even if you are allowed to have one. As a slave, you exist for the pleasure of your master or mistress, and your pleasure is meaningless; you would spend a lot of time on your knees pleasuring me, but you would seldom, if ever, be allowed to come yourself.

"Now, as a submissive exploring your depths, we would be much more equal in status. You would still be expected to pleasure me, because that is part of the dominant/submissive role. However, I would be giving you just as much pleasure, because it would be part of determining what your limits are, and what things make you more or less submissive, or more or less responsive. Whew, another long speech. You make me talk more than anyone I know."

Nina giggled a little at Gretchen's final comment. "As part of my research, I put together a list of reasons why I should or shouldn't come back, and join your gym. On that list, one of the points in favour of coming back was that I would get to see you again, and how good the sex had been. One of the points against coming back was that I would have to deal with you, and that sex with you was scary.

"I think that I now know why it would have been scary, and also why it was so wonderful; it's the whole issue of giving up control. I had never given anyone control over me like that, but then you didn't use that control to do anything except give me wonderful orgasms. You found ways to turn me on that I really didn't expect; no one ever made me come by rubbing me over their thigh, but you did it as if it was just totally normal. By the same token, you just did it; you didn't ask me if you could, you just went ahead and did it, then even told me you were going to make me come, as if I had no choice. Yes, I could have pushed you away, but by then I was in the middle of this flash of arousal, and I was thinking with my clit, not my brain.

"Yes, sex with you was scary, but it was also wonderful, so I guess that means it was wonderfully scary. It was also my first time with a woman, and that on its own was scary, but it also didn't scare me as much as I thought it might. I guess in addition to being submissive, I'm also bi-sexual."

"Well, we can definitely explore around all the edges, and I will love doing it. Making you come is a lot of fun, and I look forward to more opportunities to do it. Having you make me come was a real bonus, and I'll take all of that I can get; as I said, I'm very hedonistic. Helping you explore your feelings about sex with women excites the hell out of me." Under her breath, Gretchen said, "If you were my slave I'd have you on your knees right now with your tongue in my pussy." She didn't think she had spoken loudly enough for Nina to hear, but a moment later, Nina climbed off her bench, and moved in front of Gretchen, then dropped to her knees.

Gretchen looked own at her, startled, and felt a pulse go through her groin. "What are you doing, little one?"

Nina looked up at her adoringly, and said, "I am yours to command, and instruct. Please show me how to pleasure you."

"Do you realize what you are doing? This is the ultimate act of submission to a woman, and the ultimate act of lesbian sex."

"I am doing this of my own free will. It is one of the edges that need to be found. I am voluntarily offering you my mouth, my lips, my tongue, to bring you pleasure. I do this freely; the other day I was nearly forced to do this, and it scared me. The thought of doing it to you fills me with happiness."

Gretchen's face darkened, and her eyes narrowed alarmingly. The sudden change in her expression started to scare Nina. "What do you mean, you were nearly forced to go down on a woman? When did this happen?"

Nina lifted her hands to Gretchen's knees, and looked up at her. "It's a long story, and I can tell you later. Let's not spoil the mood. You're horny, and I'm horny. Let's do something about it."

Gretchen said, "You will definitely tell me later, that is certain." In the back of her mind, a spark of concern for Nina flared to life. She was beginning to be concerned that Nina might just be too submissive for her own good, but she relaxed slightly, and allowed Nina to spread her knees.

Nina looked up at her again, and said, "You know that I've never done this, and I don't know what to do."

"It's easy. Do to me what you like to have done to you; we have the same equipment. And don't worry, I'll give you all the direction you'll need. Just watch the hardware."

As Gretchen opened her knees in response to the pressure from Nina's hands, Nina finally looked at Gretchen's pussy, and the glint of metal immediately caught her eye. Today, Gretchen was wearing her piercings, and Nina paused for a moment to look at them.

She could see a short chain attached to one of her inner labia. At the end of it was a small gold medallion. As Nina looked closely at it, she could see that it was in the shape of a kneeling woman, with her hands bound behind her back. Nina realized that it was a mark of Gretchen's former slavery, since this was a symbol she had seen during her research.