Conversation

You play a few hands, and both you and Pet's Master are down a bit when the offer comes. The loud man offers to give you a stake so that you can remain in the game after this hand if you sell me to him. He makes the same offer to Pet's Master, but says that she will have to toughen up if she hopes to make it in his home.

You gently pull my head back away from you by my hair, compose yourself and rise. "There is a time and place for everything," you announce, "and this is neither the time nor the place for an auction. And as far as my slut is concerned, she is mine because we both want her to be mine, not because I had to make some deal with another man for her."

The loud man, red as a beet, folds and mutters some excuse about having to get home to finish some work. I stand and begin to go to the closet to get him his coat, but you stop me, saying "I won't give him a second opportunity to hurt you. He can find his own coat."

We hear the door open, and then SLAM shut. I'm standing next to you, and I still jump. I glance over at Pet, and she looks terrified. You notice as well, and send me to comfort her.

I sit down next to her and put one arm around her. She leans in toward me and I use my other hand to stroke her hair. I glance at you, and you have a strange smile on your face. I wonder what you're up to, but I have something more pressing to take care of... the young lady in my arms is weeping softly so her Master doesn't hear. When I ask her what is wrong and how I can help her, she just wipes her eyes and says, "I don't even know why I'm here. He hasn't looked at me in an hour or more."

I look at you until you turn my way and when you do, I meet your gaze and motion toward her Master with my head, hoping you'll get the hint that Pet needs some attention from him, and that I want you to let him know without suggesting that the information has come from her.

Of course, you immediately know what I want - you read me so well it is sometimes scary. You whisper to him, and I can see the gleam in your eye. He smiles and I can't help wondering what it was you said to him.

You continue speaking with him, and I am able to catch a few words: "contrast, training, desire to please" and I am becoming just a bit uncomfortable sitting there myself.

You motion for me to approach you, and I disengage myself from Pet and go to you. You pull me close and whisper something into my ear, following it with another kiss on the cheek. I take half a step back so I can look into your eyes, and ask, "This will please you? Even if I screw up?"

"Especially if you screw up because then not only will I get to watch you do this for me, I'll get to punish you afterwards. But you really should try to put a smile on her face."

I look at her Master, and he is telling Pet something. She looks at me, and back at him before nodding her assent.

I go to her and remove the wrap. I pull her into my arms on the sofa and whisper to her, "I have no idea what I'm doing so you'll have to let me know if I'm doing something wrong." She just giggles and says, "Just do what you would with Him. It will be exactly what I need."

One more glance at you and the others who have stopped even pretending to be playing poker, and it is time to begin.