‘Well, I guess it’s up to me to get that,’ she said to nobody.
She went and opened the door, and saw a petite, pink-haired woman standing there. She had a septum piercing, big blue eyes, and she was, frankly, stunning.
‘Hey,’ said the woman. ‘I’m Billie. It’s so exciting to meet you, Dr. Southey. My brother and I are so happy to have you here.’
Tammy felt the heat rise to her cheeks, and she didn’t know why. She assumed that ‘the brother’ Billie was talking about was Haze. Tammy wasn’t attracted to Haze, although he was obviously a good-looking guy. He was so outlandish, though. Much too theatrical for Tammy’s tastes. The bright, loud shirt. The hyped-up way of talking, gesticulating wildly as he excitedly spoke.
Unfortunately, Tammy had been too shy to look at anyone in the bar last night when Haze had introduced her to them. It was overwhelming being introduced to that many people at once, so Tammy had just kinda… switched off. She’d mumbled ‘hello’ to the room and then made a swift exit. So she couldn’t say for sure whether Billie had been in the bar last night or not.
‘Um, it’s good to meet you too,’ said Tammy. ‘Please, come into my surgery. Although I apologize in advance for, well… everything.’
Tammy led Billie into a sparse room containing a desk, two chairs, a hospital bed, and a single bag of equipment. Just like the reception area, the walls were bare and the atmosphere was bleak and depressing. Still, at least it was clean.
‘I know it’s not a finished thing yet,’ said Billie as they walked into the surgery, ‘but I promise you that Haze is on the case. He’s just making sure not to rush anything. To get it exactly right. So if you have any thoughts on, like, equipment you need, or decor, make sure you let him know. He’ll sort it all exactly how you like it.’
That idea actually seemed quite attractive to Tammy. A bespoke surgery, created to her specifications. Maybe she could really put her mark on the place…
Billie looked around the drab space. ‘A lick of paint would be a good start, huh?’
Tammy laughed. ‘Yes. Anything to make this place less… nothingy.’
Billy laughed too. ‘I know what you mean. Well, I’ve got some lovely shades of pink paint tucked away in my garage. If you’d like some coral or bubblegum on the walls, give me a shout.’
‘Um, I’m not sure,’ said Tammy with a giggle. ‘I think maybe a more neutral shade might be more appropriate.’
‘Ah, yeah, gotchya,’ said Billie. ‘Sorry, I’m kinda obsessed with pink. But I’m also an artist, and I do have some quite serious watercolor pictures you could hang in the reception, if that’s more your kind of thing?’
Tammy smiled. ‘Thank you. That’s a really nice idea. I’d love to take a look at what you’ve got.’
Carefully does it, Tammy. Don’t agree to anything before you see it. If Billie’s a Little, her paintings might be too childish for a doctor’s surgery…
‘Please,’ said Tammy, remembering what she was meant to be doing right now. ‘Take a seat.’
She motioned to the chair on the other side of her desk, and Billie sat down. Tammy sat too, and suddenly, she started to feel a lot more professional. This was a scenario she felt at home with. Doctor and patient.
‘Now, what can I help you with today?’
Up until this point, Billie had seemed confident, but now, she smiled coyly, her Littleness evident in her coy expression.
‘I was hoping you could take a look at something,’ she said. She placed her arm on the table and rolled up her sleeve. ‘I just wanted to check that Angel, my Daddy, didn’t tie my restraints too hard last night. I asked him to make them tighter than usual, and I got these red marks on my arms last night. They feel fine now, though.’
Tammy smiled. ‘They look just fine.’
Although Tammy was trying her best to act professional, she was a little blown away by how upfront Billie was being about her sexual activity with Angel. And the fact that she so openly called him ‘Daddy’. Tammy wondered whethershewould ever be in that position. With a Daddy to talk about in an offhand manner. With a sex life involving restraints and other scary but definitely very exciting things…
‘I’m no expert,’ Tammy continued, ‘but I think it’s important to have certain safety procedures in place. Like, don’t tie anything so tight it cuts off circulation. Maybe make sure you can always fit a couple fingers under whatever you’re using as a restraint. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a pair of these handy.’ She reached into her tool bag and pulled out a pair of medical shears. ‘These will cut through just about anything. Rope. Leather. Even coins.’
Billie looked at them with wide eyes, genuinely impressed. ‘Wow, I didn’t know things like that even existed. That’s so cool. Also, Ilikethe idea of being tied up with coins.’
Tammy couldn’t help but chuckle. ‘That’s not exactly what I meant, but I think you get the idea.’
Tammy felt proud that she’d been able to impart some useful knowledge when she had zero experience in the BDSM world herself. Maybe she should look into this bondage safety stuff some more? If all the Bigs and Littles were practicing kinky stuff with ropes and hardcore equipment, it was important to make sure everyone was safe. She made a mental note and stored it away for later.
As Tammy was thinking on this, Billie jumped to her feet, as full of energy as a coiled spring. ‘Anyway, thanks, Dr. Southey, you put my mind at rest. Now I’m gonna go find Angel and tell him to buy me a pair of those fancy shears for my birthday. And maybe go look for some coins down the back of the couch!’ She laughed a naughty laugh, almost a cackle, then practically ran out of the surgery.
Tammy watched her go, wondering if Billie hadreallybeen worried about the non-existent marks on her wrists, or if she’d just wanted to be the first to come check out the new doctor. She didn’t blame Billie if that was the case. It was good for her to get to know the locals, too.
She went back into the reception area to check the diary, wondering who she’d be seeing next. When she saw the name written next to 9.30 a.m., she felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle.