Well, that was easier said than done since Kimi really was battling with the overwhelming urge to just leave. Scuttle off to the safety of her little apartment in the islands housing complex where she could curl up on her sofa, watch the night sky and pick out the constellations which gleamed so bright from her balcony with the absence of any street lighting, and maybe make a wish on one of the many shooting stars she was lucky enough to observe.
Just like you do every night.
And what would she wish for?
She’d wish for the same thing she always did. To be right here, where she was now. To be spanked, and debased, and adored.
To be pushed outside her comfort zone.
Kimika forced some steel into her spine as she considered that irony.
Well, she was here now, and she was definitely being pushed outside her comfort zone.
And it wasn’t quite the happy place she imagined it to be.
Not yet, anyway.
That voice in her head was the only thing that kept her knees from buckling under the weight of anxiety she was feeling. The only thing that kept her from fleeing.
Kimika didn’t know if it was her conscience, or common sense, or just the devil on her shoulder, but that little voice, as quiet as it was, at least kept her from being the wallflower she really was.
To a certain degree, at least.
She sucked in a breath and turned to Janae. “Okay, so how does this work?” she asked with an assurance she was far from feeling.
It didn’t escape Kimi that Janae’s smile held equal amounts of surprise and relief. Despite her fighting talk, Janae clearly hadn’t taken Kimi’s continued presence for granted.
It sucked a little to know her friend honestly expected her to wimp out. Was she really that predictable?
The uncomfortable thought added a little more starch to her spine. Shecoulddo this.
…Maybe.
“Butt out!” Kimi muttered under her breath to that pathetic part of herself that was trying to undermine her confidence.
“What?” Janae asked, giving her an odd look, even though Kimi was certain she couldn’t have heard her above the escalating noise of music, laughter and chatter that swelled around them.
“Just giving myself a pep talk,” Kimi said lightly as she plastered a bright smile on her face.
“Okay then. Let’s go check things out,” Janae replied, hooking her arm through Kimi’s and leading her deeper into the dungeon with no small amount of determination.
The party was in full swing, and guests had already started playing. Kimika realized once she’d taken her eyes off of the decorations and started looking around properly. But her eyes kept being drawn back to the many sprigs of mistletoe that hung from various pieces of equipment and stations.
“What are all these?” Her curiosity finally got the better of her after they’d passed the fourth or fifth bunch of mistletoe, each with a cheerful Christmas tag tied onto it with a festive ribbon.
Janae pulled up in front of one. “Didn’t I mention these?” she asked, fingering the tag and turning it so Kimi could read it.
“They’re this year’s theme. Each tag has a scene on it, and if it appeals to you, you stand under the mistletoe to show that you’re up for whatever is written on that particular tag. It kind of does the negotiation for you.”
Kimika peered at the neat, cursive writing on the tag Janae was holding. “Heavy whipping?” she read out loud. Unable to suppress the shudder that ran through her slight frame, Kimika took a hurried step backwards. “I don’t think that’s one I want to stand underneath for too long. Wouldn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.”
Janae laughed. “Don’t worry. In true mistletoe tradition, the Dom’s have to request a kiss to seal the deal. No kiss; no scene.”
Kimi frowned. “What about people who don’t like that level of intimacy?”
Her friend just winked at her. “I didn’t say it has to be a kiss on the mouth… or even the face. An old-fashioned kiss on the hand is quite acceptable.”
They wandered a little further and stopped to watch a spanking scene that was underway.