Annie and I rounded the entrance to the salon and were greeted by a wall of eerie silence. A few looked toward us as we entered. We’d barely stepped a foot inside before Chantelle’s voice rang like an executioner’s bell. “Close the doors behind you, Roger.”
Once I pulled the heavy salon doors closed, Annie hugged my arm tightly and we took our places in Chantelle’s audience. Looking around I noticed some of the chairs from around the walls had been moved into a semi-circle. Chantelle sat on the edge of an over-stuffed black leather chair, facing us. She was rocking back and forth with her hands clasped together around her knees. Claudio was leaning into her ear, whispering and gesticulating. She was nodding with her head down.
There were quite a few concerned faces amongst those gathered. Sitting on the chairs in a semi-circle were Alex O’Donohue, Emmanuel Hammerstein, Royston Gardner, and their wives. Hammerstein and Gardner were keeping well apart, and the men looked worried, while the women looked annoyed to be missing a perfectly good party. The rest of us stood behind the chairs, waiting for the axe to fall.
Neither Josephine nor Sylvia were anywhere to be seen. Looking around, I noticed Adrian and Jonathan were also missing. I figured they were still at their posts. Finally, Chantelle waved Claudio away, eying those around her. She stood up and put her hands on her hips. Later I would swear she looked six foot tall.
“I am very disappointed,” she began. “Because among those I called my friends are those who would take advantage of the hospitality I have shown them.” Her eyes flickered over us. I wondered for a moment if she meant me. I shook my head at the ridiculous thought as she continued. “Not only have they taken advantage of it, but they have deliberately and callously abused it.” She scanned over those standing to my left as she went on. “Both in business and socially I hold honesty to be an inviolable requirement, and I have been let down today.”
Emmanuel Hammerstein shook his head. “Pfft.”
“Emmanuel?” Chantelle asked. “Am I boring you?”
Hammerstein answered gruffly. “I’m just wondering where this is going, Chantelle. It was just a stupid mistake.” His eyes flicked over to Gardner.
Chantelle’s eyes narrowed. “Emmanuel, you allowed this to happen on my property. You knew. Despite your apparent lack of active participation, you allowed a criminal act to occur on my property. And to an employee of your own company! As one bestowed with the responsibility of upholding the law, you should be ashamed of yourself.” She turned to Gardner. “And as for you… Your desire to play out your disgusting control-freak games sickens me. You are a weak, cowardly, conniving man. I have rarely seen behaviour less befitting of someone I employ. As my lawyers, Gardner and Hammerstein are dismissed. As my guests, you are no longer welcome. You may see yourselves out.”
“This is ridiculous!” Gardner almost shouted as he stood. “That stupid Josephine is behind all this. She tricked us into thinking she was Sylvia. It’s all her fucking fault!”
Chantelle glared at him. “Who was swinging the cane just now? It’s on tape, Royston.”
The wives of both men were on their feet and heading to the door. Hammerstein went to protest and Chantelle held up her hand. He stood and strode across in front of us before stopping. Turning to Chantelle, he muttered, “You’re all sick.”
Chantelle shrugged and replied, “I have the photo, Emmanuel.”
Hammerstein blanched. It looked like he was about to throw up. His wife asked, “What photo?” but she didn’t get an answer. He hustled her out of there as quickly as he could.
Gardner stood and ground his teeth. He opened his mouth as if to say something but decided against it. He turned on his heel and walked out, his wife tugging on his sleeve and three or four of the top lawyers and their partners following him. I smiled when I realised the head of Videomax wasn’t leaving. My boss Mike looked across at me and winked, staying put and looking back to Chantelle. I heard the salon doors open and close heavily, and that was that. There were still about eight of us there. Chantelle turned her attention to Alex O’Donohue.
“I’ve known you for many years, Alex. I knew you sailed your boat close to the wind, but you have been playing a different game tonight, haven’t you.”
Alex cleared his throat before responding. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”
“Did you not try to talk Claudio into convincing me to float this business on the stock exchange?”
“Y… Yes, I thought it was a good idea. I still do.”
“And when it didn’t happen, what did you do?”
Alex hesitated and looked down at his hands. His wife looked like she had no idea what was going on. He looked back up at Chantelle and his whole demeanour changed. “I spoke with Claudio’s girlfriend.”
“Josephine.”
“Yes, Josephine.”
“Would you like me to tell all these kind people exactly what you proposed to Josephine? Or are you man enough to do it yourself, governor candidate O’Donohue?”
He suddenly stood up and spoke, “I’ve had enough of this. I’m leaving. You’ll be hearing from my lawyers.”
“If I hear from your lawyers, the press hears from me, Alex.” He practically wrenched his dumbfounded wife from her seat and stomped his way to the doors of the salon. He turned around and looked daggers at Chantelle before finally leaving without saying another word. It was all happening so fast I was wondering if I missed the explanation. “Roger, Annie, please sit.”
Annie and I took two of the vacated chairs and Claudio appeared and sat on the armrest of Chantelle’s chair, right beside her. Chantelle sighed before going on. “I suppose you are all wondering what the hell just happened. And I’d like to fill you in enough to satisfy your curiosity, without sounding like I am starting vicious rumours. Let me just say that people I regarded as associates were willing to use my friends and my premises, not only to play their manipulative games, but also to damage my reputation and loosen my hold on the Domina Flagrante.”
She looked around at all of us. “This lifestyle does not compromise on things such as honesty, truth, and openness. Just about everything else is relative. One can come and go from the lifestyle. One can dabble or play now and again. There is no need to commit to a new way of living in order to enjoy some of the physical benefits one can get by playing with some of the tools of our trade. In other words, a person can proudly say they just play occasionally and would be welcomed here.
“But when someone comes along, who manipulates, lies, and cajoles people into doing things as part of a grand plan to bring me down… Well, these are the people I cannot tolerate. I hold in my hand the power to ruin these men. And for what? For a ‘mistake’? For a ‘bit of fun’? One only has one’s reputation to fall back on. And it’s the one thing that always catches up with you. Oh, you can change your name, or move to a new town. One can always start over. But are the broken hearts and broken promises left in your wake worth it?
“Many years ago, I made a mistake when I wasn’t honest. I hurt someone badly and she’s never forgiven me for it. Because of the meddling of others I trusted, it almost cost me everything. If I hadn’t lied to someone all those years ago, all this could have been avoided. So, I blame myself. But I want you to learn something. Everyone starts somewhere. Pretending you are someone you are not keeps others from really knowing you, which in turn keeps you from knowing yourself. Be honest to yourself first. And start now.”
We all gave out a collective sigh. I think most were happy to have their innocence confirmed. That was certainly how I felt. We all sat there, silently mulling over Chantelle’s words. Claudio stood and clapped his hands, grinning. “Okay, that’s it! Let’s go! There’s a party out there, and we’re missing out on it!”
Chantelle’s huge smile was an enormous relief to me. It was amazing how close I felt to her, even though I’d only known her a few days. As she took Claudio’s offered arm and I stood up with Annie on mine, I briefly wondered if she would ever find what she was looking for. Or had she already found it? And was that a twinkle I saw in her eye?
She and Claudio walked past us and Annie and I smiled at her. She nodded, waving us to follow and mouthing the words, “Come on!” as she winked at me. After all that had happened, and despite not knowing exactly what it all meant, seeing her smile made it all okay. I knew everything would be all right. Chantelle was in control again.
We fell in behind her as Claudio threw open the doors of the salon. Instead of that strange sense of déjà vu, again finding myself in an entourage behind Chantelle, this time I was hoping it was the first of many. Annie leaned up and kissed my cheek while we walked. “You seem pleased, Sir,” she said quietly.
“I feel like I belong here,” I said, smiling down on her.
She hugged her body as close as she could without tripping us over. As we exited the salon and turned for the hall, I glanced over at Jonathan, who was again on the phone, chatting and smiling. He nodded and waved to me and I grinned and nodded back. The sound level of the music grew rapidly as we approached the doors of the main hall. I had the bizarre thought that we were about to enter an empty hall and everyone had gone home.
My fears were soon dispelled as we crossed the threshold and found ourselves back in the thick of things. There were people everywhere and the place looked more crowded than ever! The dance floor was packed and it looked like the second shift of dominant and submissive exhibitions had begun. Annie and I found ourselves next to Chantelle and Claudio, and Chantelle leaned up and kissed my cheek. “Thanks for trying to look out for me, Roger,” she said.
“I should have come to you sooner,” I replied. “There never seemed to be a good time.”
“It wouldn’t have changed a thing.”
“Perhaps you’re right.”
“Honestly, Roger. It all happened so fast…”
“I still don’t know what actually happened.”
“Perhaps one day I’ll tell you.”
“When you are ready,” I said, completely content. Chantelle turned to Claudio and asked him to dance with her and they were off, swallowed up by the crowd on the dance floor. I turned to Annie and smiled. She’d held my hand quietly during the whole exchange.
She looked concerned as she asked, “Do you think I’m still in trouble?”
I pulled her into me and I slipped my arms around her. We swayed to the beat of the music and I kissed her warm mouth softly. “I don’t think you were ever in trouble, little one,” I said quietly.
She grinned and showed off her perfect teeth. Hugging me tightly, she kissed me with fervour. “I could do with that drink now.”
“What would you like?” I asked.
She blushed instantly. It immediately dawned on me what kind of drink she desired. I looked around to see if anyone was standing close enough to overhear what I was about to say. When I realised the coast was clear, I leaned into her ear and asked, “Do you want to suck my cock, Annie?”
The blush in her cheeks intensified and she whispered, “Right now, Sir, there is nothing I would rather do.”
“But you can’t do it right here, Annie.”
“I… I know a place.”
“Not the stairwell.”
She giggled. “No, not there. Come with me.” She took my hand and we headed toward the left side of the stage. Flush to the wall was a door that Annie opened and we slipped inside, closing it behind us. “This is the room where we get ready before going on stage.”
“On stage?”
“Yes, the stage is just up those steps and around to your right,” she said, pointing. “The light coming through there is from the dance floor.”
I looked around the room. There was nothing particularly unusual about it. A couple of chairs gathered around a small kitchen-type table. Coffee maker switched off. A lounge over to one side. A black box up on the wall. A black box up on the wall? “Hmmmm…” I wondered.
“Sir?”
“Never mind. Come here.” Annie approached with a wicked grin on her lips. I reached out and took her wavy blonde hair in my fist and twisted. “I am so looking forward to this,” I whispered, guiding her to her knees on the carpeted floor. Eagerly she reached for my fly and drew it down, searching inside to grasp my cock through my boxers. I was undoing my belt and unbuttoning the catch at the top when she looked up at me.
“Hurry please, Sir. I… I want this so bad.”
I was hard already as I pushed my pants down over my hips. They fell to the floor as Annie drew my boxers down and took my vibrating cock in her hot little hand. She stroked quickly, then spat on it, not once, but twice. “Nasty,” I said, smiling down on her.
“Yes Sir,” she said, grinning up at me. In moments I was slick and her hand was stroking smoothly.
God, I looked so huge in her small hand. “Can you take it all?” I asked.
She bit her lip and regarded my cock intently, stroking it slowly. Looking down at her, I wondered what was going through her mind. With heavy-lidded eyes, she reached out with her tongue to gather the pre-cum that had bubbled to the tip. “Mmmmm…” she moaned softly. After eying the length and the width, and sweeping her tongue up the side, she looked back up into my eyes. “I think so, Sir. But um, if I can’t, you could always just… force me.” She blushed fiercely and leaned forward a little, gently taking just the head into her mouth. With her eyes on mine, she suckled for pre-cum, and I groaned.
“I’m not going to last long,” I warned.
She smacked her lips before responding. “Just use me, Sir. I want your cum… your pleasure. I want to see it in your eyes. I want it so badly.” Her hands went to my ass, and without warning, she pushed her mouth down the length of my cock.
“Oh, fuckkk. Look at that,” I said out loud, completely taken aback. I couldn’t get my jacket and tie off quickly enough! I tossed them on the couch and slipped the fingers of both hands into her hair. I rocked back and forth and the tight bumpy sensation of sliding in and out of her throat had me on edge in seconds. Jesus, fuck! Her hands tightened around my ass and she wasn’t stopping. I’d never been down a girl’s throat before and I threw back my head, clenching my teeth and trying to hold off, just for a few seconds more.
Tingles rushed up my legs and my toes curled in my shoes.
“Oohhhhhhh fucckkkkkkkk!!!!”
She held tight to my ass and in my ecstasy my hands fell from her hair. Somehow she stayed down there breathing loudly through her nose, sucking and swallowing, sucking and swallowing. Then after an age, she slowly drew her mouth back. Her cheeks hollowed and I felt like my eyes were bulging in their sockets as she sucked every last bit of cum from my balls. Her mouth popped when my cock came free and she tipped her head, swallowing my cum with glee. She giggled and smiled up at me. “Thank you for your cum, Sir,” she said, stroking my cock gently as I trembled. She was going to spend a lot of time on her knees, I decided.
I took a deep breath and shook my head, smiling down on her. “You’re welcome, Annie. I think having a crowd behind that door inspired you.”
“It was very exciting, Sir,” she said, gazing up at me. I loved how her eyes sparkled.
“Come on. Time to put me away, little one.”
“Awww, do I have to?” she complained, first pouting then winking. She grinned and kissed the tip one more time, then promptly pulled up my boxers and pants. She was deft and had the belt buckled and zipper zipped in moments.
“Kiss me, naughty girl,” I said, in awe of her talent. She jumped up into my arms and wrapped hers around my neck, kissing me deeply. I kissed her back passionately, enjoying the way her body felt against mine.
“Should we be getting back?” she whispered when we broke the kiss and stared into each other’s eyes.
“I wanted to take a quick look around first,” I replied. I left her standing in the middle of the room, wondering what I was up to, while I went over to the wall and felt around the edge of the box and flipped the catch, opening it. Sure enough there was a flogger and a crop in there, along with a few other things. I wondered if there were cleaning items nearby. “Annie?”
“Y… Yes, Sir?”
“Is there a bathroom or kitchen back here?”
“Um… Yes, Sir. There is a bathroom at the top of the steps on your left.”
I took down the crop and flogger and headed for the bathroom, taking the four steps two at a time. At the top I stopped and turned around. “Stay here, Annie.”
“O… Okay, Sir. I will.”
“And Annie?”
“Yes, Sir?”
“Play with your nipples until I get back.”
She grinned. “Yes, Sir!” Her hands came up to her breasts and she stood there looking gorgeous in her little red silk dress with the black lace trim, pinching her hard nipples right through it. I could barely tear my eyes from her but I finally did, turning for the bathroom and finding it in moments.
Rummaging under the sink, I found some rubbing alcohol and a hand towel and quickly set about cleaning the flogger. My heart was beating fast as images ran through my head. Patting each of the tails dry, I took it in my hand swung it through the air. I cleaned off the end of the crop in the same manner, making a mental note to lightly oil them both later. Or have someone else do it, I thought, chuckling. With the crop and flogger in my hand, I returned to the top of the steps and bounded down them, giving Annie a start.
“You can move fast when you want, can’t you, Sir,” she said, grinning and plucking at her nipples.
“Let’s take a look at the stage.”
“What are you planning, Sir?” she asked with a wicked grin.
“Don’t ask questions. And stop playing with your nipples, you hussy.”
She gulped as I took her hand. “Y… Yes, Sir.” The stage itself was made of wooden floorboards and there was a large black cloth covering an unused St. Andrew’s cross in centre stage. Looking out into the gyrating crowd, I noted that no one was looking our way. It was as if we were invisible.
“It’s too bright under the dance floor lights, Sir!” Annie shouted over the music. “They can’t see us without shielding their eyes!”
“Where are the stage lights?!”
She pointed and began walking toward a smaller version of the panel of switches and knobs in Adrian’s control room. “Over here on this table by the wall!”
At my prompting, Annie proceeded to explain the simple functions of the stage lighting including how to fade in, fade out, and the switches for the various lights. She also explained how Adrian could override the manual controls from the control room. I put down the crop and flogger while I studied the lighting panel and made sure I understood what was what.
Catching my eye at the back of the stage were four or five different furniture items also covered in the same black cloth as the St. Andrew’s cross. It was clear Chantelle had not intended to use the stage this evening. I went to investigate, lifting the black coverings on each item and checking them out. Finding nothing of particular interest I looked back towards the dance floor and noticed two long chains anchored somewhere over centre stage, high up in the rafters. They hung down at a severe angle and following them with my eyes, I noticed they ended with wrist cuffs, and were tied loosely to the wall.
Interesting, I thought. But I’ll have to move the cross. I investigated and was pleased to discover the cross was fixed to a small platform on lockable wheels and I quickly pushed it soundlessly to the back of the stage. Then I walked back over to Annie, who was still standing nervously by the lighting panel. “The cuffs will be too low. How do I raise them?” I asked.
“The levers on the wall next to where they were tied, Sir. Do them both at the same time and um, both hands will be raised.”
“I see them,” I replied. “Disrobe to your thong, naughty girl.”
“Sir?”
“Would you rather be naked, little one?”
“Oh, no, Sir!” she said, crossing her arms and reaching for the hem of her dress. She drew it up and over her head, quickly tossing it behind her. I watched her looking nervously out into the crowd with her hands clasped in front of her nylon-covered pussy, pushing her breasts together. I walked over to the wall, released the cuffs and began pumping the levers, concerned not to make noise. I raised the cuffs to shoulder height then stopped.
I walked back to Annie and gently guided her to the mark on the floor indicating centre stage. “Just concentrate on me, pet.” Nodding her head, she faced forward while I lifted her wrist into the first padded cuff and buckled it closed. The two chains only hung about three feet apart. I closed the other cuff around her wrist and stood back. I was unhappy with the result. “It doesn’t look how I was imagining it.”
“Once you raise them higher, they um, look much b… better, Sir.”
“Thank you, Annie. I will go easy on you because of your cooperation.” I winked at her and she smiled hopefully up at me.
“I’m so n… nervous, Sir. Please may I ask something?”
“You have a few seconds, Annie. What is it?”
“P… please play with m… my nipples, Sir. They ache so much. Crush them. Please, Sir. Make them hurt.”
My back was to the dance floor as I stepped in close to her and took her face in my hands. I kissed her softly on the lips, lingering and whispering, “As you wish.” My hands trailed down the sides of her body to her hips, caressing her skin, then back up to weigh her heavy breasts. My fingers and thumbs closed around her hard nipples and I leaned back, watching as she closed her eyes and moaned. Rolling them for a moment, I was content to tease her. As another moan issued from her throat, I tightened and lifted her breasts by the nipples. “Is this what you wanted, dirty girl?”
“Ooohhh, Godddd!” she moaned. “M… more… please… j… just a little…”
I clenched my teeth as I gripped them tighter, twisting them and raising them even higher.
“Ooohhhhh, yesss…” she cried. Once I released her nipples, I turned to look over my shoulder down at the crowded dance floor and to my amazement we had still escaped attention. I quickly walked over to the lighting panel and switched to ‘fade’ and waited for the current song to end. I wanted good timing as well. In moments my waiting was justified as the last dance number finished and a hard-hitting rock number started. I flicked the spotlight on and reached up to the levers in the wall and started pumping them up and down, smiling as I watched the chains separating as they rose. The spotlight over Annie grew in intensity until suddenly cheering began on the dance floor.
I kept pumping the levers with a big grin on my face as people on the dance floor started clapping and turning towards the stage and pointing, open-mouthed. Annie’s hands were lifted higher and higher as I pumped, until they were stretched overhead and a little outwards. With my chest heaving, I stopped pumping the levers. She looked fantastic from the rear.
I imagined most in the crowd recognised Annie as one of Sylvia’s ‘henchwomen’ at work, and quite a few began baying for blood in a good-natured way. Chantelle was dancing front and centre and she was the first to notice I was the one levering up Annie’s hands. She blew me a kiss and kept dancing away while turning her eyes back to join the rest of the crowd watching Annie. Picking up the crop from the lighting panel, I decided to return later for the flogger.
Striding toward the spotlight, I noticed many in the main hall had moved forward. Some were standing on stools or sitting on the tables for a better vantage point. The crowd around the stage had to be twenty deep. I felt like a mute magician as I stepped into the spotlight and bowed. The crowd cheered and clapped in time with the music. I presented the crop like a wand and some in the writhing mass squealed while many yelled encouragement over the thumping, driving beat.
At this point Adrian must have cottoned on to what was happening. He turned the music down a few notches so the sounds Annie and I were about to make could be heard. Two more spotlights struck Annie and she was lit up like a candle and the sounds of the crowd died away. Smiling, I looked out into the sea of rapt faces. This is fucking great, I thought.
Turning to Annie, I reached out and brought the tip of the crop slowly up the front of her left thigh. At her hip I tapped softly and she trembled. I continued up, negotiating the inward curve of her waist then up over her ribs. After caressing the underside of her left breast, I tapped her nipple lightly three times.
With her mouth open, Annie dropped her head, no doubt to hide her blushing pleasure, but I raised it with the tip of the crop gently under her chin. Then I reached down and began the same route up her right side, ending with three taps on her right nipple.
By this time Adrian was bathing the stage in reds and yellows and the music sounded louder, but I might have been imagining it. I tapped the inside of Annie’s right thigh, encouraging her to move her feet apart and she hesitated. I immediately popped the same spot and she jumped into position. Then I slowly caressed down her inner thigh, down past her knee and the curve of her calf, then slowly back up again. I walked across in front of her and took my stance on her other side. I caressed the length of her left leg and back up almost to her pussy from behind.
Annie’s eyes were closed and her chest heaved. The combination of adrenaline and exposure had her pressing her body toward the crop and the crowd recognised her excitement. I returned the crop to the front of her body, caressing her stomach and tapping her nipples again, this time harder. She shuddered before I stroked her sides, and moved behind her again, drawing back the crop and cracking her on the ass. Moaning, she swung forward at the end of the chains, then pressed her ass back, searching for more.
I repositioned her, pressing the crop between the cheeks of her ass and forcing her to arch toward the crowd. Then I cracked her other cheek even harder. Again she shuddered and pressed her ass backwards. This time I reached down with my left hand and rested it in the small of her back, keeping her body bowed toward the audience as I rained medium blows all over her ass. Annie was transported and was moaning loudly, now oblivious to her surroundings. Abruptly stopping, I removed my hand and her head fell forward, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breathing. She moaned in desperation and I smiled.
Up on the stage it was warm and getting hotter. A sweat had broken out on my brow and I could feel a trickle of perspiration making its way down the middle of my chest. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself and smiled down on Annie, then out into the crowd. Every face in the place had their eyes on us. Mouths were open everywhere, and still they danced. I recognised the end of the song approaching and stepped back out of the spotlight, leaving Annie breathless and teetering on her tiptoes, with a sheen of perspiration over her body. I turned and went for the flogger, tearing off my shirt in the process.
At the lighting panel I tossed away my shirt and swapped toys. Loosening my shoulder with a few whips through the air, I then turned back to the crowd. The song playing had begun to merge into a newer, even faster number. Suddenly a heady mix of punk and dance pounded into everyone’s ears and the lighting on Annie went out. After a second of hesitation, a bright white strobe light lit up the stage hammering ten to the beat. The crowd cheered as I strode toward Annie.
Bathed in the manic lighting, I walked past her to the front of the stage, holding up the flogger for the crowd’s approval. They roared and I turned, striding the few steps to Annie. Stopping in front of her with the flogger by my side, I took her chin in my free hand and raised her eyes to mine.
They shone.
I leaned down and kissed her, taking her mouth as mine, possessing it, wanting it and needing it. She moaned into my mouth, trying to press forward, desperate to feel my skin. Gently breaking the kiss, her eyes never left mine and all I saw was love as I said, “Let me prove myself to you.”
“You already have!” she gasped.
I smiled and kissed her again, then turned back to the crowd. I sought out Chantelle and realised she was there watching over me, the lone person standing still in a sea of chaos. I took the tails in my left hand, snapping them taut and the crowd went wild. Chantelle nodded and I nodded back. I turned to face Annie and raised the flogger.
Then, I let fly.
