Chapter 2: Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen, Till We Meet Again

Interlude: 25th Anniversary

Cindy:

There was a lot going on. The big project with Justin and Jason was still wrapping up. Mom had just met Nanny CC, and they were still figuring things out. Frankly, I have never figured that relationship out, but it works for them. When I was five, Nanny CC had JJ, which gave me someone to spend time with. JJ is second year at CCNY. Take a bow.

Whatever Mom and CC had to do, it must not have taken long. Mom calls it the decision. The world may never know what CC calls it.

Sheila:

Christine and I went to the warehouse. The camera crew was dismantling the workspace, which made me rather sad, but not everything was not downbeat. Jason and I took time picking out his personal shot. It was a closeup of me, with one foot on a stool, rolling my stocking. Other than me being dressed in just a bra and panties, there was nothing risqué about it. I was happy to print it and sign it with lipstick. Peter commended Jason on his selection and asked for his own. I complied, but his I signed my real name, with a pen.

In the course of the afternoon, I asked Justin to be our wedding photographer. He agreed, joking that I could retain artistic control. Then he became very serious. He told me to expect inquiries about photo editing. I had, he said, the deftest touch he had ever seen. Peter emphatically echoed his sentiment. It was something to consider, along with everything else.

Sean arrived and we all headed to dinner at Albert's. Unlike Friday evening, where Sean was buying dinner as a sort of wrap party, this dinner was for our engagement. Everyone had heard, naturally, but Sean made a formal announcement, followed by several toasts. Even Christine, bless her, got up and toasted "Mister and Mistress", to which Jason quipped, "The suspense is killing me." Things were pretty loose and that line brought down the house.

Of the toasts, my personal favorite was Peter. "Those that do not know you will find the pairing odd. They will wonder why you came together and whether it will last. Those of us, who have seen you work together, have no such concerns. Here is to a lifetime collaboration."

Dessert was an Albert's specialty, Alaskan Volcano. This is a baked Alaska, filled with strawberry ice cream. At the table, hot fudge is ladled over the top, then a cluster of brandy soaked sugar cubes is lighted at the top. It makes an impressive, and messy, display. Given the good humor at the table, Albert's is lucky a food fight did not break out. In all, it was a memorable party.

When it was over, there were decisions to be made. Sean had as much as said that his house was my house. This presented me with the question of my roommate. This was really two questions: one for Christine and another one for Tess.

Then, there was the question of Jason. During the week, Justin and Peter would be going to Philadelphia, to catch up on business. Jason would be at loose ends. I had no objection to him spending time with Christine, but they did not have a car, and Christine had no license. I made the obvious decision, though not an easy one for me. I loaned Jason my car for the week. Sean, or his people, would get me where I needed to be.

I told Jason to take good care of my car, sleep in his own bed, keep Christine not-pregnant and to leave the bump alone. I told Christine that she was allowed to use her gag as she liked, as well as rope, blindfolds, clothespins and anything Jason was born with, but to stay away from anything heavy. She had the key to my apartment, which was her home til further notice. I also told them I would do a double session for them on Wednesday, time permitting, and that he could pick up Christine in the morning.

Then, I had time to look for Sean.

Sean:

They say the devil is in the details. As soon as I decided to have the wedding on the grounds, a million details sprang to life. No one had entertained since Mother had moved to California. The residential wing currently consisted of my room and a guest room, typically used by Jo. One whole floor of the new house was now occupied by Gerald and his people. Everything else was closed up: the old parlors, the guest and servant quarters, the formal dining room, the ballroom and the associated kitchen. Effectively, the original house had been mothballed. We would bring in an army of people to uncover, sweep, dust, wax and polish, and generally make things presentable. But, there were limits. There was no way the big kitchen would be usable for event cooking.

Outside, there was another set of issues. Where to put seating and how much. How to deal with the slope down to the lake. Putting everyone uphill from the gazebo was a nice concept until you realized that that would cover fifty chairs, at most. Invitations would be limited, but I had a bad feeling about how many would be accepted. Parking space was going to be a nightmare. Overnight guests would be another.

I spent three hours, going around with the brothers Gilbert, making lists of things that had to be done before we could even start the planning. I gave them the name and number of Geoffry Winston, head of Richards Events, and told them to get started. Then I went upstairs and let Gerald tell me, so very politely, that I was an idiot and the whole concept was unthinkable. The dinner party was a welcome relief.

I had planned a wrap party at Albert's for months, clear back when Cox and Hart were the photographers. By the time the day arrived, a wrap party seemed unnecessary, even out of place. Instead, I made it an engagement party. In spite of our sometimes rocky working relationship, Justin, Peter and Jason had become my friends. They were also the only friends Sheila and I had in common. An announcement party was very fitting, and I found myself looking forward to it.

I was not disappointed. The evening was a huge success. Our massive early frustration had mellowed to a sense of deep satisfaction. All of us owed a debt of gratitude to Sheila though she still seemed to be oblivious. Having a night to celibate her engagement was a perfect way to begin repaying. The series of toasts was something to treasure and, of course, we have it on video.

Not everything was perfect. As satisfying as things had turned out, the night marked a clear ending. Justin and Peter would be heading back to their shop in Philadelphia, which Justin had not seen in months. Monday would be business as usual, for a few days at least. Sheila had already pinned them to doing the imagery of the wedding. I reserved their rooms for an extra week, so they would not have to decamp completely.

Jason was up in the air. Justin would be happy to keep him on, but it was obvious that Jason had outgrown his position. CC was another issue. She had moved in with Sheila, and Sheila would soon be moving in with me. Details. Details.

After dinner, I shook hands with Justin and Peter. I promised not to ever hire them again, which caused a bit of a shock, til I glanced at Sheila. They were more than willing to work through her. After that, Sheila said her goodbyes and they headed out. It would only be three or four days, but it felt like a lifetime. I suppose, in a way, that it was.

Sheila talked to Jason and CC. I tried not to intrude, but I saw Sheila fish out some keys and hand them to Jason. That meant she would be at the mercy of my staff. Ha. They needed to get used to having a wildcat in residence. Then, I noticed Jason was leaving, but CC was not. It looked like I would sleep alone, at least, one more time.

Oh well. It was not like I did not have work to do, starting with taking them home.

Sheila:

The decision to keep Christine, for the night, was necessary. It would mean not sleeping with Sean, but I had obligations. One look at Sean told me that he could read the dynamic of the situation as well as I could. He was someone who understood loyalty and obligation, so he accepted my decision without comment. Instead, he opened the door and led us to his car.

That was a bit awkward since I had an errand to run, which could not be put off. Worse, it was well out of the way home. Still, there was nothing that could be done, so I asked Sean to take us to Petsmart. Christine blushed, but I could also see her relax slightly. She knew what I had said, but she did n to yet allow herself to trust my promise. Actions speak louder than words.

When we arrived at the store, Sean begged off coming in with us. He claimed he had calls to return and messages to check. I could tell that he was trying to give me as much space as possible. He may growl, but Sean is such a teddy bear.

Once inside, Christine made a beeline for the canine department. She never picked up anything, but her hands ran over the collars with a certain reverence. It was appropriate in a way. In the D/s community, a collar is almost like a wedding ring. We may have been hurried, but neither of us was taking it lightly. Accordingly, I chose a working dog's collar. It was of stout black leather, unadorned, and suitable for a Collie or Retriever. There were fancy collars and girlish collars, but those would not have reflected what Christine was on me.

Once I had the collar, I waved my hand at the leashes. Christine immediately picked up a braided leather leash, well mated to the collar. I nodded approval. Then I took her to the toys section. Pull toys are a great asset to my business. They are simply two rings with a rope between. The rings will easily slide over legs, or arms, providing quick restraint. They can be openly carried without raising eyebrows. I grabbed all they had, then added up a round bed and a small pillow.

When we had a tag made, the attendant asked what kind of dog I had. I told him she was a bitch, of a working breed, who needed training, but showed some promise. Christine turned new shades of red. The attendant gave her a wink and Christine turned completely white. His name tag said, Richard. I considered a moment, then asked Richard if he would consider another line of work. He gave the question the respect it deserved and said, "Yes." I gave him my card and told him to call on Monday.

When we returned to the car, Sean noticed that something was up. He said nothing but raised an inquisitive eyebrow. I said, "I am trying to borrow a page from your recruiting manual. We will see how it turns out." Sean showed a touch of surprise, but no more than that. I wish I had that much faith in my judgment.

When we arrived at my apartment, Christine and I got out. The packages were a bit bulky, but not heavy. Once I had helped her arrange everything to carry, I told Christine to go up, make some tea and draw a bath. I had some things to say to Sean, which would take a while. I closed the back door and slid into the front seat of Sean's Mercedes. Deja vu.

There was no use beating around the bush. "I will not be coming home with you tonight. Christine and I have things to settle, about sleeping arrangements, among other things. Also, I am loaning Christine to Jason for much of the week. I want time with you and there is much work to be done if we are going to have a wedding in seven days. But, Christine needs to be settled, first.

"About Petsmart, there was a young man tending the register that picked up on my relationship with Christine. I gave him my card and told him to call Monday. I will let him do a session with Tess and see how things go."

Sean asked, "Tess?"

"Christine and I chose a special name for when she is in a scene. She suggested Truly Scrumptious, but it was too long. I shortened it to TS and made Tess. Unless I miss my guess, she has told Jason her special name. I plan to do both of them, together, this week.

"Speaking of things at the studio, you indicated that you had real estate plans in the neighborhood. How extensive and how soon?"

Sean paused, started to speak, then shook his head. "That is too big an issue to discuss right now. I will give you a bone to chew on. I would like to form a partnership. You already own the principal building and the most significant franchise. I can bring cash and a recognizable name. We can talk tomorrow.

"Til then, take care, Kitten." Again, with the Kitten.

"Night, Teddy Bear." I would say tit for tat, but I had a feeling this would be a thing between us. OK by me.

I went to my apartment wondering what, exactly, I would find. Christine would be naked, there would be water running in the tub and water heating on the stove. That much was given. The question was how much more would I find. A gag perhaps? Would the bindings and flogger be laid out? In short, would I find Christine or Tess.

As soon as I opened the door, I had my answer. Christine, naked, was kneeling in Second Position, facing the door. However, it was just her. None of the things we had purchased, my usual store of toys and instruments, nor the tag and collar were laid out. Christine had done what I had asked but no more. I set my purse down, by the door, which I left open so that she was in full view of any passersby.

I said, "Stay there while I check your work." Christine flushed as she recognized I was leaving her on display, but did nothing else. I went to the bathroom and turned off the water. The initiation might take a while, so I did not want the tub running over.

Sean: