That’s the thing about playing in my world.
In the dungeon, nobody cares if you’re wealthy or poor or somewhere in-between, and there’s generally not a way to tell, anyway. Everyone dresses pretty similarly except for the submissives. We don’t really wear anything at all.
I take a deep breath and ask myself one last time if this is where I want to be.
Is this what I want to be doing tonight?
Not really.
I’ve got a Netflix special with my name on it and a pint of Ben and Jerry’s in the freezer, but money is money, and I also have bills to pay. Graduate teaching assistants don’t make nearly as much as we ought to. This is going to help take a chunk out of my student loans and credit card payments.
Here goes nothing.
I knock on the door and wait anxiously for Peter to appear. I look around, but there’s no one outside to notice me. Not that he has any neighbors who can see the doorway, of course. Peter’s house is surrounded by huge stone walls and this ominous-looking gate that was open when I arrived. I heard it shut a few minutes ago, so I know it’s controlled by somewhere in the house. He’s probably peering out of his house pushing buttons or something. I don’t know.
I knock again and this time, I hear footsteps inside.
Then the door opens and I look up at the man who has done more than just ordered me to come to his house tonight. I look up at the man who has purchased me: body, mind, and soul.
At least until tomorrow morning.
“Good evening, Heather. You’re right on time.” He smiles at me and I meet his gaze. The evening hasn’t started yet. I don’t need to avert my eyes or show him respect as a Dominant. Not just yet. Once I’m inside. Once the doors have closed, then I’ll show him just how fucking submissive I can be. Not until then, though.
Not a moment sooner.
He cocks his head thoughtfully and points to the ground.
“On second thought,” he says. “Why don’t you crawl to the living room? It’s the second door on the right.” He steps aside and waits, watching me. So that’s how it’s going to be. So much for a reprieve or reviewing the terms of our agreement or a Q&A where I get to find out exactly what he’s going to do to me.
I know better than to disobey Peter right off the bat. I’ve known him long enough to know that he’s got a strong hand and he’s not afraid to use it. Fuck, I saw Olivia’s backside after they played last weekend. I should have known better than to agree to this, but money is money, and I’m a sucker for easy pay.
Something tells me that I’ve got my work cut out for me tonight.
Something tells me this isn’t going to be as easy as I thought it was going to be.
I glance around one more time. There’s no one here. Even if there was someone looking in the shadows, Peter would expect me to obey him anyway. So far, I’m not making the best first impression, which is unfortunate because I do actually want to get paid.
I drop to my hands and knees and look up at Peter.
He waits, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, Sir,” I murmur, and I start to crawl forward. Peter puts his foot out and blocks me, though, keeping me from entering.
“Oh, Heather,” he says. “Did you really not read our contract?”
Then I remember.
Apparently, he’s going to start enforcing the terms of our agreement from moment number one.
Fuck.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I read it. I just forgot.”
“How are you supposed to address me tonight, Heather?”
I gulp.
Somehow, the word is embarrassing on my lips and hard to say. It shouldn’t be. It’s just a word and it’s the one that puts me in my place. It reminds me that I’m a bad girl and that I’m not here for a date or a fun weekend to hang out with a buddy or a friend.