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Subject: {ASSM} Auction by Orestes (ds humil FF)
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Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:10:01 -0400
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Auction

   By Orestes

   bc117@myway.com www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/Orestes

   *** This work is copyright (c) 2008 by Orestes.  You may download and
keep copies for your personal use as long as the author's byline and e-mail
address and this paragraph remain on the copies.  Please do not post this
story to any web site without permission from the author.  All other rights
reserved.  No alteration of the contents is permitted.  ***

   It wasn't supposed to be like this.  Not at all.

   It was ridiculous, actually.  Katherine knelt there passively, with
everyone watching, while Jessica poured warm chocolate sauce down the front
of her dress.  Katherine cursed herself for allowing it all to happen.

   It had begun as a silly idea.  Leigh-Ann brought it up over a mouthful
of dim sum.  The trays of food released their spiced steam into the already
humid air of Katherine's conservatory.  Rare orchids and tropical flowers
always seemed to be in bloom for just such occasions as this intimate lunch
between friends.  The idea was so outlandish that Katherine had laughed out
loud.

   " You'll be the talk of the evening, " Leigh-Ann told Katherine over the
steaming plates.  Although being the center of attention was always
alluring to Katherine, it had taken a fair bit more convincing for her to
finally sign the papers.  The younger woman had practically begged her to
do it.

   " This is my first year in charge of the auction, and I really want it
to be a success.  Imagine the stir it will cause as the most prominent
member of the club appears as an item up for bid.  We'll break every record
on the books.  "

   The young brunette was so excited, and had such pleading in her eyes,
that Katherine had paused just a little.  A pause was all the opening
Leigh-Ann needed to squeeze in the rest of her sales pitch.

   " You would only be a slave for a weekend.  Don't worry, our friends are
the only ones who could afford to bid on you.  You've already...  how shall
I say...  you've *played* with most of these people anyhow.  Besides, it
might be, " the girl bit her lower lip in mock anticipation, "it might be
really exciting.  I'd find it a real turn on to be a pampered play-thing
for a few days.  "

   A week later, after a fair amount of arm-twisting from her younger
friend, she found herself on the auction block.

   There was a real atmosphere of excitement in the room.  This annual
event was always a big draw, but Katherine could hear the excited whispers
going around the room as she was led onto stage with the other girls.  It
was exactly what Leigh-Ann had promised.

   Standing in front of these people, some of whom were preparing to bid on
her, was a real kick.  The gamble seemed to be paying off, and Katherine
was pleased that Leigh-Ann had convinced her to do this.  Not only was she
the center of attention, but Leigh-Ann would owe her...  big.  Perfect.

   Leigh-Ann cleared her throat.  She was the perfect auctioneer. 
Katherine had sponsored her membership a couple of years before, and the
young woman had fit in perfectly.  She wore a tight evening dress in wild
colors, and a pair of over-sized glasses that would have looked ridiculous
on anyone else.

   " Let's begin, ladies and gentlemen.  Remember, the funds raised tonight
go to support our weekly gatherings, so unless you want us to be snacking
on soda crackers and ginger ale for the next year, be generous with your
bids.  "

   That drew a laugh.  Leigh-Ann could be such a ham.  She started with one
of the younger women.

   There was always a new crop of eager young women for the fund-raising
auction.  The allure of being able to join a club like this one was their
motivation.  Some of the wealthiest couples and singles in the region met
here to participate in the sizzling social scene of the club.  For most of
the members, it was an opportunity to trade in their sexual partner at the
door.  For these young girls, there was hope that they would find a wealthy
lover, or even a husband.

   Of course, they could never afford the hefty membership fees, so they
agreed to participate in the auction to pay their way.

   " Our first item up for bid is young Jamie, just nineteen years old. 
Some of you may remember her sister from the auction just last year.  If
Jamie is anywhere near as...  well...  talented as her sister, she's a real
bargain for one lucky bidder tonight.  "

   " Of course, we all know that Celine went on to star in a few naughty
movies produced by our own legendary film maker, Tyler Madrid.  Who knows?
Maybe this is your chance to have a brush with stardom.  We'll start the
bidding at ten thousand dollars.  "

   If Katherine had been in the audience tonight, she might have considered
making a bid on the girl.  Not that girls were her main turn on, but it
would be fun to be the first to sample this one.  And, of course, it was
always a thrill to be able to outbid everyone else, just to flex a little
financial muscle.

   " We have fourteen thousand from Mrs.  Greene, do I hear fifteen?  Mr.
Roebuck bids fifteen, is anyone game for sixteen?"

   The girl blushed as Leigh-Ann came up beside her and cupped one of her
breasts in an attempt to liven up the room.  "Come now, ladies and
gentlemen.  A pair of tits like these are surely worth twenty.  I know a
plastic surgeon who would charge twice that.  Thank you Mr.  Holland, we
have twenty..."

   The bids stalled at twenty thousand.  Once Leigh-Ann announced the
winning bid, the girl went down to the floor to sit at the feet of the
grinning Mr.  Holland.

   With dramatic flare, Leigh-Ann walked back to the other girls on stage,
and took hold of Katherine's leash.  Otherwise, she had dressed like the
guests at the tables, in designer evening wear.  The leash was required. 
It was a little humiliating, but it's all for fund raising, Katherine
reminded herself.

   " Our next item is a very special treat for me.  I present to you my
good friend, long-time member, and a fantastic lay, Katherine Christos. 
Imagine the fun you can have with the wealthiest member of our club,
kneeling at your bedside, and willing to do your bidding.  I have to point
out, Katherine has a bit of a reputation as a demanding lover, as some of
you have learned through experience..."

   There were chuckles of acknowledgment from the crowd.

   " For this weekend, she is setting aside her dominant role, and will be
your humble slave.  Look at this package.  Turn for me Katherine.  "

   Playing the good sport, the wealthy woman turned around to display her
body for the crowd.  Leigh-Ann's hand patted her ass.  " She's thirty ---
um --- twenty nine years old, and still has curves in all the right places.
Isn't this ass the cutest thing you've ever seen?  You could have it for
your very own, along with everything that comes with it.  We'll start the
bidding at twenty thousand.  "

   The bidding was more intense than even Katherine had expected.  The
Millers, Mary Holmes, and Dr.  Dosanjh all fought to bring the bid to over
fifty thousand.  Things slowed a bit, and for a long moment, it seemed like
Jake and Tammy Miller would take the prize for fifty-five.

   That wouldn't be so bad.  Katherine had a brief fling with Jake Miller
the previous year, and wouldn't mind renewing the acquaintance.  Even the
prospect of sharing the bedroom with the slightly overweight Tammy Miller
didn't bother Katherine too much.

   " Sixty thousand, " called a female from near the back.  At first
Katherine didn't recognize the voice.

   " We have sixty thousand from Jessica Holt.  Do I hear sixty one?"

   Jessica Holt?  Katherine stood puzzled as Leigh-Ann scanned the room for
other bids.  Jessica was a new member of the club, a young business
executive who had barely been able to scrape together the membership fee.
How could she possibly afford the extravagance of a sixty thousand dollar
weekend?

   " Going once...  going twice...  and sold!  Our highest selling price
ever, ladies and gentlemen.  "

   There was applause from around the room, but Katherine still couldn't
believe the last minute bid was legitimate.  This wasn't the way it was
supposed to turn out.  She was supposed to spend a leisurely weekend having
sex with some of her wealthy friends, not with Jessica Holt.  The woman
didn't rate socially.  The girl still had to work for a living, for
goodness sake.

   How the hell did she come up with sixty thousand dollars to throw away?

   Nonetheless, moments later, Katherine found herself being led by her
leash to the table of the young woman.  For the first time this evening,
her face went red.  Everyone was watching this ridiculous reversal, as the
wealthiest woman in the club was delivered into the hands of a junior
member.

   The look on the girl's face was unbearable.  Katherine shot a glance
towards Leigh-Ann, who shrugged playfully, as if saying "them's the
breaks." Besides, she was already moving on to the next item up for bid.

   Katherine's attention was yanked away from the auctioneer, as Jessica
Holt tugged on her leash.  It only took a few seconds for Katherine to
realize that it was impossible to maintain her dignity while dropping to
her knees in front of a girl who was years younger, and miles beneath her
social circle.  She grudgingly responded to the silent command to kneel. 
Any attempt to back out of the deal now would bring the disapproval of her
friends, or worse...  the loss of her membership here.  Katherine knew that
as superficial as this crowd could be, they took their games *very*
seriously.

   No, it was much better to suffer this evening of public degradation in
front of her friends.  After that, it would be a weekend of sexual service
in the privacy of Jessica's bedroom, and the whole thing would be over
with.

   Katherine's resolution to be a good sport was put to the test almost
immediately.  While Leigh-Ann continued to take bids on the remaining
girls, the waiters of the club began to serve dinner.

   " The question is," Jessica asked the table, " how do I get all my
money's worth?  I was considering having her plate served on the floor...
and I still think it's a cute idea...  but..."

   This was unbearable.  The young woman was talking completely above her.
Damn it, these were *her* friends.  Jessica was sharing a table with
Desmond Hoff and his wife Louise, and with Dr.  Lui, and his daughter.  But
now, they all thought it terribly amusing to see Jessica with the upper
hand, considering how to best humiliate her prize over dinner.

   " ...  I have to admit, I didn't expect to have to pay quite this much
money for her, and now I'm thinking that for sixty thousand dollars, I'll
have to find more creative ways to entertain myself.  "

   And that was how Katherine found herself eating from the palm of the
Jessica Holt's hands, licking her fingers of sweet and sour sauce, and
ending the meal with the warm drizzle of chocolate sauce poured onto her
extended tongue, and purposely down the front of a very expensive evening
dress.

   Yes, it reminded her of previous auction banquets, where she had been
instrumental in humiliation unsuspecting young women at the dinner table.
But this was different, she argued bitterly within her head.  It wasn't
supposed to be this way for her.

   Everyone was looking, but not with the mock sympathy they had always
reserved for the other girls who had been mistreated in this room.  They
were amused by the perversity of it.  The queen was being brought down to
size.  Katherine could feel it in the pit of her stomach.  The politics of
this place were second nature to her, and right now, she was losing face...
badly.

   All she could hope was that Jessica Holt would tire of this public
amusement before long, and take her home to be humiliated in relative
privacy for the remainder of the weekend.  That hope became fainter when
Jessica ordered a couple more bottles of wine for the table, and lit a
cigarette.

   " Oh, don't worry pet, we'll share some with you, " Jessica taunted,
ignoring Katherine's clear impatience to leave.

   These events could go quite late, and with dinner just over, Katherine
knew to expect other prominent members of the club to come visit the table,
if for nothing else than to get a close up view of her predicament. 
Jessica kept her word, and leveled the opening of a wine bottle to
Katherine's lips.  Katherine tried her best to gulp it down.  A little buzz
might help her to bear the evening better.  Of course, Jessica didn't make
it easy, pouring the wine too quickly for Katherine to swallow, and pulling
it back in such a way as to have it splash against Katherine's chin, and
down the front of her neck.

   A slave doesn't merit a glass.  A slave doesn't have the luxury of
dignity.  A slave just drinks what she's given.  Jessica was playing it
perfectly.

   When Jessica rose to go to the washroom, after an hour of drinking,
Katherine was thankful for the timing.  It did present the spectacle of her
being led to the washroom on a leash, but she had consumed close to half a
bottle by her own estimation, which made walking a bit of a tricky matter.
She also needed to pee quite badly.

   In the luxurious washroom of the club, Katherine avoided eye contact
with a couple of her friends, but couldn't avoid the spectacle of herself
in the full length mirror.  Her dress was soiled with chocolate and wine.
Her face was flushed from too much to drink, and from the humiliation of
the evening.  Then there was the leash and collar.

   " Wait out here a minute, pet, " said Jessica, hooking her end of the
leash to the stall door when she went in.  Katherine felt like some sort of
lap dog, tied up outside of a store while her owner went inside.

   When Jessica emerged from the toilet, she went to the mirror to freshen
up.

   " I have to look my best, don't I pet?"

   The young girl looked amazing.  She was fit, well-dressed, young, and in
control.  Katherine felt otherwise.  She stepped towards the toilet stall
herself now, but was stunned by a sharp jerk on her leash.

   " I'm all done here, pet.  Time to go.  "

   " But I...  have to..."

   Jessica knew.  She smiled wickedly in Katherine's direction.

   By the time they got back to the table, panic was setting in a bit for
Katherine.  She *really* needed to pee.  She knelt by Jessica's side,
trying to stay under control, but was soon squirming, trying to find a
comfortable position with her full bladder.

   Her distress was obvious to everyone at the table, as was Jessica's
indifference.  She continued to chat on with her friends.

   Finally, Katherine knew she couldn't go any longer.

   " Jessica...  " she interrupted.

   " Yes, pet?"

   " I need to go to the washroom.  "

   " Sorry, pet...  you're speaking too quietly.  I didn't quite hear you.
"

   Katherine's face reddened with anger.  This girl was positively
torturing her.

   " I need to go to the washroom, " she repeated, louder, much to the
amusement of the other people at the table.

   " No, pet.  You can wait.  "

   That was enough.  Katherine stood to go to the washroom without
permission.

   Jessica reacted surprisingly quickly, jerking back on the leash to
regain control, and rising to meet Katherine's challenge face to face.

   " Listen, pet, " she hissed, still with a smile on her face " you know
the rules.  You practically invented them.  I know you're much more
comfortable on the other end of the leash, but I've paid my money...  so if
you won't play nice, I'll have your membership card revoked."

   Eyes from around the room focused on the confrontation.

   " Please, " Katherine begged.  " I just have to pee."

   " You can wait, I said.  Now take your place at my feet."

   Katherine did, fully aware that now *everyone* was watching.  She was
also fully aware that unless Jessica walked her to the washroom quickly,
she would soon have a very embarrassing accident on the floor.

   Jessica was in her glory.  Cruelty had always been a tradition of this
evening of the year.

   " Give me your panties, pet, " she ordered.

   Everyone watched as Katherine awkwardly shimmied her underwear out from
her dress, and handed them to Jessica as a trophy.

   " Now spread your knees apart.  Shoulder width should do it.  "

   Kneeing there with her legs spread like that, Katherine knew she
couldn't hold back much longer.

   " One more thing, pet.  Hike up your dress a bit.  A little more. 
Right, just a little higher now.  That's a good girl."

   The hem of her evening dress was pulled up now to the point where
everyone could see every inch of her shapely legs, but not quite anything
else.  That's where Jessica left it.  The rest was just a matter of time.

   When Katherine finally lost control, it was with an audible whimper. 
Warm urine streamed unobstructed to the hardwood floor below, bringing
laughter from all corners of the room.  Once it started, Katherine couldn't
stop.  Finally, when the last of it had dribbled down between her legs,
Katherine felt a tug on her leash.

   " Right.  Now we can go.  "

   Katherine surveyed the room sheepishly was Jessica led her out.  The
members of the club were amused certainly, but also somewhat in awe of how
the younger woman had handled herself.

   Yes, it was going to take some serious time to correct the politics of
this place, Katherine knew.  These people were left with a clear image, and
more importantly, from the scene just displayed in the clubhouse, they
could use their more than ample imaginations to fill out the details of the
rest of Katherine's humiliating weekend as a slave.

   Jessica led her into a waiting limousine, and closed the door.

   ***

   Behind the tinted glass of the car, Jessica's persona faded quickly. 
The smile was still there, but she wasn't putting on a show for everyone
else.  It was just the two of them now.  Both strong, both confident, but
not equals...  not by either woman's reckoning.

   " Let's talk about a deal, " Jessica led the conversation, as the limo
pulled away from the clubhouse.

   " What kind of a deal ?" Katherine found her voice again.

   " One that I almost hope you don't accept, at least not right away.  The
way I figure it, I have you completely at my mercy for the next couple of
days.  Don't think for a second that I won't break you in that time..."

   " Break me?"

   " Yes, break you.  In that time, I'd make you beg to accept my terms,
and I'd enjoy every moment of bringing you to that place.  I'm quite good
at it.  I'm taking your spot, you know, at the top of the social pecking
order, whether you like it or not.  And just out of respect for your
previous position of power, I thought I'd offer you an out."

   Despite her currently disadvantaged position, Katherine was in no mood
to concede so easily.

   " What kind of an 'out'?" she asked, coldly.

   " I'm willing to sell you back your weekend, at a modest mark-up.  Shall
we say ninety?  You won't suffer any more humiliation at my hands this
weekend.  You just lay low until Monday, and we'll agree not to speak of
the details.  Everyone can assume what they want.  We both know that this
kind of money is no issue for you.  It's a win-win situation.  "

   " That's not the way I see it, " answered Katherine.

   " Oh, and how do you see it, pet?  " She invoked this last word as a
not-so-hidden reminder.  Mind your position, she was saying.  You're not in
the driver's seat.

   " I see a little girl who's gambled more than she can afford.  The only
reason you're making an offer is because you're financially in over your
head.  Now, you want me to bail you out, so this whole episode will bear no
cost for you?  No way.  You've done me harm, Miss Holt, there's no doubt of
that.  I'll recover.  I wonder if you'll do the same.  "

   " Come over my knee, would you, pet?" Jessica changed the subject for a
moment.

   Katherine froze.  She was ready to have it out with the younger girl,
but there was this matter of the slave contract holding her back. 
Reluctantly, she obeyed the command, crawling across Jessica's lap.  The
younger girl pulled Katherine's dress to her her waist.

   " Mmmm...  the perfect position for a bare-assed spanking, " Jessica
mused.  "I've wanted to do this to you for a long while now, and since you
seem to be refusing my deal, it looks like I'll have plenty of time to
enjoy it.  "

   The first slap came quick and hard, but was followed by a gentle caress.

   " I'm so pleased you'll make a contest of it, " she continued.  " To
have you fall too easily would be anti-climactic in a way.  I always knew
that I would challenge you eventually.  I've been working my way through
the club, making friends, gathering support.  I've been careful of you...
you're reputation being what it is...  or *was* anyhow.  Now that I've had
this stroke of good fortune, it condenses the time-line substantially, but
I'd hate to have contest over already without the thrill of fully defeating
you.  Thank you for this.  "

   The girl continued alternately slapping and caressing the exposed rear
of the wealthy socialite.

   " You should be careful, " Katherine offered the advice from her
humiliating position over Jessica's lap.

   " How's that?"

   " You're playing with some dangerous people, and you're not exactly
following the rules.  "

   " You're concerned for me, pet.  How cute."

   " I could have your membership stripped for the offer you've already
made.  "

   " You'd have to convince someone that it happened.  It's just the two of
us here, pet.  Yes, I'm playing dirty...  and I'm playing to win.  If you
choose not to obey me this weekend, I'll have my money back anyhow.  So
we're back to a personal contest between us.  I know that I can break you.
I know you'll try to resist.  But from where we are right now, my dear, it
certainly looks like I'm the one in control."

   Katherine was in a fighting mood, but from her position across Jessica's
lap, she couldn't much argue the point.  The younger woman continued
administering a slow rhythmic spanking, pausing every few strikes to
further explore her rival's body and her reactions.  The contest was well
an truly begun.

   Jessica had already made her goals clear.  She was to be dominant, and
would, through any means, try to gain complete control.  For Katherine, it
was a different game.  Although she was already seething from her treatment
at the clubhouse and the brash way the young woman was speaking to her, she
was anticipating the contest with some pleasure.

   So accustomed was she to the dominant role, she knew every intricacy of
the game.  She rarely played this part, but that could be overcome.  She
began with a disadvantage, but was confident, almost overconfident in her
self-discipline.  She could allow herself to enjoy the submission, the
shame, the anger.  She could let it all wash over her, and let it push her
to the brink of surrender, knowing that she could pull the control back at
a moments notice.  She would take pleasure from that.  She could master
herself, and defeat Jessica in the same moment.

   She felt the younger woman exploring her sex now, and she allowed her
body to react naturally.  The game was so much more fun that way.  The girl
had skills, there was no denying it.  She teased Katherine's clitoris for
just a moment, and then followed up with another light slap on the rear. 
Katherine moaned and raised her ass slightly.

   Let the girl feel like she's in control, she strategized.  This weekend
would be a long one, and no winner would be decided on this night.

   ***

   For a girl who had spoken so brashly of "breaking her, Katherine found
Jessica's choice of how to spend their first evening together altogether
puzzling.

   Katherine was driven home, and brought to her own bedroom.  The women
showered together.  Katherine was sure she would receive the command,
spoken or silent, to drop to her knees and service the younger girl.  It
never came.  The shower was pleasant.  Arousing.  Titillating.  Almost
tender.

   Then they slept together.

   Jessica remained in control, of course.  The leash and collar were
there. But there was no overt sex play.  Jessica caressed her prize a bit,
exploring her body gently through her nightwear while they settled in for
the night.  But the intensity held there, both women drifting gently into
and out of sleep.  A few tender kisses were exchanged during moments of
wakefulness.

   Overall, the feeling wasn't of domination.  More of closeness, Katherine
concluded.  Certainly nothing that could be construed as a play for power.

   Was it all to lull her into a false sense of security, so that she could
be caught unaware when the real games began?  Or maybe it was just a matter
of pacing, to allow the sexual tension to build.  Perhaps this was just
what Jessica Holt enjoyed.  Katherine didn't know.  It didn't matter.  When
Saturday morning dawned, both women knew the game would soon be on.

   They enjoyed it a moment longer.  Jessica stretched her lean body
against Katherine's back, and landed a soft kiss on the back of her rival's
neck.

   "Why don't you call down and have the staff prepare breakfast for us?"
Jessica purred, sending shivers up her bed-mate's spine.  " Oh, and ask
them to assemble for a quick meeting afterward, will you, pet?"

   Game on.  Katherine knew there would be damage inflicted on her this
weekend.  She had hoped it would all be personal.  That, she knew she could
withstand.  But this...  whatever the girl was planning, it would probably
change the way the house staff viewed her.  It would take time to repair
the damage done if they lost respect for her.  She might even have to
replace some of them.

   "Don't fuck around, Jessica.  " she warned.  "These are real people,
with real families to support.  If you force me to replace them..."

   "You forget yourself, pet.  I'm in charge.  I own you.  For the time,
that also means I own the use of your servants.  And you used the word
'force'?  I can't force anything on you, in the most literal sense of the
word.  You could refuse to perform your duties, which would bear
consequences, certainly...  but you *do* have that choice.  You could
simply accept my offer.  I know you'd see it as a loss...  but if these
people mean anything to you, their future employment here might be worth a
mere hundred thousand dollars.  "

   "Hundred?"

   "Why yes, pet.  You didn't think my rates would remain equally
reasonable all weekend, did you?  As I was saying, you also have the choice
to buy back your weekend -or- if you are committed to playing the game
through, we can go down after breakfast, and humiliate the lady of the
house for all of her servants to see.  What you do with them after the
weekend is over is none of my concern.  The way I see it, I haven't
'forced' anything."

   Forced or not, that's how Katherine found herself bent forward over the
grand table in the dining room, being whipped by her younger rival, with
the entire house staff there to watch.

   She had been tempted to give in, of course, but anything other than
defiance would have been a concession that she had been bested.  Was this
defiance, she wondered?  Could she really call it that?

   Jessica used the sort leather lash expertly, and had her pet counting
the blows as she delivered them.

   "...fourteen...  thank you, miss...  fifteen, thank you, miss...  "

   She tried not to cry out from the pain.

   It wasn't about the pain, really.  It was about the degradation.  It was
about the position-shift, first between herself and the young woman
administering the blows, but also now between herself and the house staff.
Jessica had dressed her in a very fashionable summer dress, one that
Katherine had recently purchased in Milan.  It served to heighten the
contrast between her usual position of wealth and power, and her current
role as a mere amusement.

   Jessica had made sure they were all called in, even though many of them
didn't work the weekends.  At any given time at the house, the staff
presence didn't seem large, but with them all gathered together at once,
along with the gardening staff, it seemed a large group indeed.  Katherine
rarely bothered much about the details.  She left that business to Ms. 
Pemberton.

   The expensive dress was bunched up around her waist.  Her pricey
underwear gave her scant coverage.  She tried not to think about the way
the punishment was leaving strap marks on her rear end and upper thighs. 
The marks were to signify her submission to the younger woman for the
entire staff.

   The punishment paused at twenty-five lashes.  Jessica leaned over the
table to speak quietly into her slave's ear.

   " It's quite one thing, " she observed, " for your staff to see you
humiliated.  But you and I both know that it won't be enough to break you.
Now, I need to see if I can convince them to participate in your fall.  You
probably wondered, last night, why I brought you here, to the comforts of
your own home, instead of taking you back to my place.  It's so that I
could do this to you...  to have you know that I can defeat you in any
venue...  that I can turn your own household against you.  Who do you think
will take the lash first?"

   Katherine shivered involuntarily.

   The girl was playing this *very* well.  These kinds of games had always
appealed to Katherine.  She played them often, usually from the other
direction.  Being here, at the mercy of her younger adversary, it was so
much more exciting, exactly because it was so real.  The stakes were so
very much higher.

   " Give them permission, " Jessica cooed in Katherine's ear.

   She paused, not sure what to say.  How exactly *does* one give
permission for her servants to participate in her humiliation?  There's no
set etiquette for the invitation.

   " If anyone wants a...  a turn, " she started, with her head still
pressed against the table, " a turn with the...  strap...  I won't hold it
against you...  if Miss Jessica permits it, you can use it on me..."

   It seemed half hearted, but it was enough to please Jessica.

   " You heard her, " she announced.  " Who will take it first?  Come on...
this is a rare opportunity.  "

   No takers.  Jessica seemed puzzled.

   " Do you think they're just being shy, pet?" she asked, more to herself
than to the woman bent over the table.  " Or maybe we've shocked them with
our game?  No, having worked in your household, I'm sure they've witnessed
and shared stories of worse than a little whipping.  What is it, then? 
Seems to me that in a staff of over twenty, there'd be at least one
adventurous soul who has a score to settle with the mistress of the house."

   She paused.

   " Maybe they know you better than I do, pet.  Maybe they anticipate that
there will be consequences, despite any reassurance you give them now. 
Close your eyes, pet.  See everyone...  I've ordered her to keep her eyes
closed for this punishment session.  She won't know who takes the first
turn, or the last.  "

   A good guess, and maybe partly true, Katherine thought.  But not the
whole answer.  She obeyed the command, but still no one volunteered. 
Jessica waited several minutes.  The entire staff had been ordered here, so
no one would leave, but no one made a move to participate either.

   " A bit tricker than I had planned, but I think I'm begin to see.  Who
is the stern woman, the one they all seem to be deferring to?"

   Damn, thought Katherine.  She has it.

   " It's Ms.  Pemberton, " she answered quietly.

   " Dismiss her from the room.  "

   Katherine did.  And it wasn't long after that one of the servants
volunteered to take the strap from Jessica.  As the blows began, Jessica
leaned over Katherine's ear again, revealing some of her plans, now that
the staff was more willing.

   " Strange how in the power politics of your household, you've allowed
another woman to take the reigns.  Second to you, I suppose, but still very
much in control of *their* day to day lives.  That was a nice little
surprise...  a wrinkle in the game I didn't quite anticipate.  "

   Katherine winced repeatedly as the strap explored virgin patches of
flesh.  The thought that it was a *servant* who was putting her to the
strap was so distracting to Katherine that she had to work hard to
concentrate on Jessica's words.

   " With Ms.  Pemberton out of the way, it won't take much to enlist their
help.  You should see them, pet.  Even the ones who aren't into it, they're
watching.  They can't help it.  It's a compelling scene, don't you think?
To see their mistress being bested by someone below her station.  "

   " I'll go further with it, of course, until you give me my way.  I'll
make you *available* to them - for their use and pleasure.  Now that
they've seen you this way, it won't be long before one of the boys decides
to take advantage.  Maybe he'll want it fast and dirty, just a quick
doggy-style fuck in one of your hallways.  Or maybe one of the boys will
enjoy the feel of your mouth, and the excitement of having you one your
knees to please him.  Will the girls partake?  I do hope so, pet.  Those
Filipino women you have working as maids aren't altogether unattractive, I
suppose."

   This kind of talk both aroused both excitement and disgust in Katherine.
She didn't know if any of it would actually happen, but that, and the
familiar feel of the strap cracking against her ass, fueled her sexual
imagination almost beyond control.  Whether Jessica was trying to break her
with pain, pleasure or degradation, Katherine didn't know.  Probably some
combination of them all, and they were combining so seamlessly that
Katherine couldn't much tell the difference in her own mind.  They were all
one thing.  One person.  Jessica.

   ***

   Jessica was right.  The staff did take advantage of her availability. 
Not all of them, of course.  And not all were brave enough to do it to her
face.  One of the yard staff spoke to Jessica privately, and arranged to
have Katherine to himself for a while, in the potting shed, with a recently
emptied manure bag over her head so that she wouldn't see him.

   Jessica didn't give the gardener permission to actually fuck the lady of
the house.  Katherine wondered why Jessica had spared her that.  He did
enjoy himself, masturbating while exploring her tits and ass with his other
hand.  When he groaned his orgasm, Katherine felt his warm cum landing on
the back of her thigh.  The whole thing felt so dirty, she could hardly
stand it.

   Another one of the servants, a young Puerto Rican who had recently
joined the kitchen staff, was brave enough to assault her without
disguising himself.  Maybe he didn't care if he lost the job.  If he had
been in her employment longer, he might have had the good sense to know
just how vindictive the lady of the house could be, and how she had the
means to make his life difficult, whether he kept the job or not.

   As it was, Jessica allowed him to make out with Katherine roughly, in
his own quarters.  Again, she stopped short of giving him permission to
have intercourse.  In other circumstances, Katherine may have enjoyed a bit
of sex play with a young man like this, but his brashness also signaled how
quickly she was losing control of the house.

   Jessica Holt hadn't let loose the dogs entirely, but she was raising the
stakes.  Katherine couldn't help but think about what it would be like if
Jessica stepped back and just let them at her.

   Later in the afternoon, Jessica took tea with Mrs.  Pemberton.  She
began to go over some arrangements for a garden party the following
afternoon.

   " And, of course, we'll need a light meal served..."

   " If you'll pardon the interruption, Miss, it's important to note that
much of the staff is, well, to put it politely, quite *distracted*.  "

   " That's what I have you for, isn't it?"

   " Then you intend to keep me on?"

   " Oh, yes, " Jessica reassured her, " I have no interest in the business
of running a household.  I'm here to enjoy the use of my pet, Katherine,
and all of the things that she owns.  "

   Mrs.  Pemberton hesitated, uncertain, as was everyone else, about the
safety of taking instruction from anyone but Katherine.

   " Do you intend to stay then?"

   " Why, yes.  You have no need to fear *this* one, " she motioned down to
Katherine, who took her usual place at Jessica's feet.  " She's mine now,
so you work for me."

   The meeting wrapped up quickly, once that was settled.  Katherine could
barely choke back her anger at the deception of it all.

   " Well of course it was a lie, my pet, but a necessary one.  Do you
think that the staff will truly participate in your debasement if they
think you'll be back in control on Monday?  No.  They need to think that
I'm running the show now, for good."

   The thought of it crossed her mind...  what would that really be like,
if Jessica were in control for good?  Katherine's 'availability' would soon
be taken for granted, and she would be freely used as a sex toy for even
the lowest of the servants on staff.  Jessica would enjoy every moment of
it.

   She only hoped that the majority of the staff still had the good sense
to wait it out a while.  She hoped that there was still enough fear to keep
them in line over the next two days.

   The rest of the day was spent in relative leisure, at least for Jessica.
Katherine knew that if the situations were reversed, she would be tempted
to test the limits of her rival's willpower quickly, and often.  Jessica
played it much more patiently.  She was almost placid in her
self-assurance. She took a massage, with her pet tethered nearby.  She took
a dip in the pool.  To all appearances, she seemed to be simply settling in
to her lavish new surroundings.

   Despite the calm pace, Katherine could attest to the effectiveness of
the tactics.  The young woman was signaling absolute dominance.  Katherine
could read it in every movement.  An all-out assault would almost be easier
to withstand.  This pace was building tension.

   It gave her time to contemplate her own feelings.  Anger.  Humiliation.
Trepidation.  Arousal.  Each had been building steadily since the previous
evening.  Katherine was so accustomed to being in control of her own games,
that no matter how far they went, she could end them on her own terms. 
This game...  the game the girl was playing...  was intensely arousing.  If
it had been her own game, she would have masturbated long ago, simply to
bring things down to a more reasonable level...  so that she could think
straight.  This was too much.

   Of course, that wouldn't be in Jessica's best interest.  She needed
Katherine on the brink, both of rebellion and complete submission.  Either
one would do.  With each passing hour, the space between those reaction
squeezed tighter around Katherine.

   That evening, they bathed together.

   " You did wonderfully today, pet, " Jessica said, as she welcomed her
slave into her arms.

   Why did her approval feel so good, so real?  It was a game, Katherine
had to remind herself.

   " Rest tonight.  Rest well.  Tomorrow, I will break you.  "

   ***

   On the second morning of Katherine's self-imposed slavery, she awoke to
the caress of the woman who was attempting to destroy her, and she enjoyed
it.  After the auction on Friday night, being publicly humiliated by the
girl, she had expected her treatment to be very different.  She had half
expected Jessica to put her straight into heavy bondage, and to simply
inflict pain until she got what she wanted.

   The rules of the club stated that there should be no permanent harm done
to the slaves.  It was a rule that was sometimes bent, but rarely broken.
There was a lot of territory in between.  Katherine was pleased, but a bit
surprised that her purchaser hadn't decided to go there.

   She definitely had expected a whole lot more sexual contact.  But
Jessica held back.  She could have used Katherine in any way she wanted. 
As humiliating and degrading as she wanted to be, Katherine was bound to
obey.  Instead, Jessica limited her sexual contact to some touching,
holding, and to some punishment to assert her dominance.  Nothing more.

   This morning, she teased Katherine's body without even venturing her
hands beneath her silken pajamas.  It was highly erotic, and was driving
Katherine wild, but she knew it wasn't enough to defeat her.

   Katherine almost hungered for the all-out assault on her body, on her
sexuality.  In the same way Jessica had talked about defeating her, she was
anxious to win the contest.  It would be all the more satisfying if she
knew the girl had tried everything, and had failed.

   What was holding her back?

   Respect?  No.  The girl certainly pulled no punches when it came to the
power games of the club or with the staff.

   What was it, then?  Was this her tactic?  To defeat Katherine by sexual
frustration?

   Katherine's body responded strongly to the girl's touch.  She didn't
hide it.  She kissed back, hard and real, trying to incite the girl to lose
control, to really open up the game.  Maybe that was it.  Maybe it was
about control, for Jessica to demonstrate what total control she could
exercise, without relying on the crude tools of torture and sexual
depravity.

   Whatever the reasons, Katherine was growing impatient for the game to go
to the next level.

   She needn't have worried.  The was the matter of the garden party, and
as the day's preparations began, Katherine anticipated it would be quite an
event.  Whether or not the other elements of her tactics were effective,
she had already observed first hand that Jessica Holt's greatest strength
was her social game.

   The question remained: who would attend?  Katherine almost didn't want
to know.

   As the morning preparations got underway, one thing became very clear:
this was to be Jessica's final offer.  Everything seemed to be leading up
to this.  The household was running at full speed.  The yard staff was busy
manicuring the grounds, and setting out the furniture.  The kitchen staff
had been working since early in the morning preparing the hors d'oeuvres.

   " I've always fancied hosting a garden party, " Jessica explained, " but
I've never had the means.  You solve that problem, pet, and you'll be
useful in providing the entertainment as well.  You'll make for a lovely
centerpiece.  "

   Despite the busy morning, Jessica found time to paddle her slave before
giving her over to the servants to be prepared.  She chose to do it again
in the dining room.  No staff was assembled to watch this time, but with
all of the activity, it was hardly private either.  Jessica used a wooden
paddle this time, which stung less, but made an incredible sound when it
struck her ass and thighs.

   Jessica loved to taunt her slave during this kind session, to build
anticipation.  She could test the impact it was having on Katherine,
feeling the moisture between her legs.

   " Today, as the centerpiece of my garden party, you'll know that I've
defeated you.  You can try to resist.  I expect it.  But trust me, it will
only delay the inevitable.  It'll only add to your suffering.  To this
point, my pet, I've actually been pretty protective of you.  But if you
refuse me this time, I'm make sure you spend every moment until tomorrow
morning regretting it.  I'll give you over to my guests first, and later,
I'll let the servants have you...  without restriction.  They're rape and
sodomize the 'lady of the house' well into the night."

   The dirty talk was pushing Katherine to the limits of her arousal.  She
wanted to beg for relief, but was too proud.

   When she was finished, Jessica stepped away.  Katherine was shaking with
sexual excitement.  It took her a couple of minutes to realize that she
wasn't alone.  There was a stranger in the room.

   " Hello.  I'm Char, " the girl introduced herself quietly.  She was
stylish.  Not classy, but stylish in a dark sort of way.  Katherine
disliked her immediately.

   " I'm here to get you ready for the party.  Jessica has quite the... 
um...  vision for you, and it'll take a while to do it, so we'd better get
started.  "

   A couple of the housekeepers had been enlisted to help.  It felt strange
to be handed out of Jessica's control.  Katherine actually found herself
searching the room as she was led away, but Jessica was gone.  She'd
probably gone to make sure the other preparations were coming along,
Katherine guessed.

   Katherine wondered what Char was.  A friend of Jessica's?

   Her girlfriend?  No.

   It was a gut reaction.  No.  She wasn't Jessica's girlfriend.  But why
did that possibility make Katherine jealous?

   She guessed the girl's occupation from the way Char handled her.  Not as
a slave, or even as a person.  Just material.  Media.  This girl was an
artist.

   She didn't care that she was working with a person.  Either that, or she
hid it damned well.  She was focused on the aesthetic.

   Shower.  Shave.  Enema.

   A trim between her legs, then a very close shave.

   Corset.  Very tight.

   Hairstyle and make-up.  Elaborate.  Ornate.

   The dress was old fashioned but suggestive.  It hinted at the lavish
kind of garden party from years gone by that Jessica was trying to emulate,
except that the skirt was much shorter than anything that would have been
acceptable.

   Then came the finishing touches.

   " This will be uncomfortable, " Char told her, without any genuine
concern.

   They bound her arms tightly behind her in a leather sleeve, lacing them
from top to bottom.  Katherine winced as Char made the final adjustments.
He shoulders were spread back, further accentuating her chest.

   The servants worked on lacing Katherine's legs into needlessly long
white leather boots.  The heels were several inches, making it hard to
balance, but fortunately, Char didn't expect her to stand for long.

   " It's time to get you ready for service.  "

   Char dismissed the servants and led Katherine outside, to where the
final preparations were being finished.  She directed her subject up onto a
serving table, where she could be presented with the rest of the
appetizers. It was difficult to climb up, even given a stepping stool.  The
boots kept Katherine off balance.  Once up, Char directed her down onto her
knees.  It was a posture Katherine was all too familiar with.

   There, Char posed her, putting the final touches on the hair and
make-up, and finally locking her into place.  She used a hook bolted
through the tabletop, and bound Katherine with an elaborate compliment of
thin silver chains, at her wrists, ankles, and somehow through a clip they
had woven into her outrageous hairstyle.  The effect was to render her
immobile.  It was uncomfortable, but not overly so.  More just tense.

   Not more than a few minutes later, she could hear Jessica beginning to
greet some of her guests.  The servants were loading the table around
Katherine with silver trays of food, completing the scene.  Katherine was
simply an attractive centerpiece to the table, there for the visual
pleasure of Jessica Holt's guests.

   The pose was not lewd, only suggestive.  It had certainly been carefully
staged.  It spoke of her full compliance to the younger woman's control.

   " Oh, how cute..."

   Katherine recognized the voice.  It was her friend, Leigh-Ann.

   What on earth could have convinced her to take part in this?  Unless...

   The feeling sank in Katherine's stomach.  Could this whole thing have
been a set-up?  Did Leigh-Ann do all of the work of begging Katherine to
agree to the auction on Jessica's behalf?

   No, she argued to herself unconvincingly.  Leigh-Ann was her friend. 
Her protege even.  It couldn't be true.

   Then, the sight of someone else she recognized.  It was Dr.  Hammond. 
He was a successful plastic surgeon, and a prominent member of the club. 
If Jessica had gotten to this man, it was possible she had more influence
than Katherine had calculated.

   This sinking feeling was by design, she knew.  Jessica wanted it.  She
was bringing these people here specifically to demoralize Katherine, to
make her feel that complete submission was inevitable.

   It was working.

   " You know Dr.  Hammond, " Jessica taunted her slave.  " I asked him to
arrive early, as I'm in need of his professional services.  Before I take
care of that, pet, I wonder if I can't convince you to give me my way.  "

   Katherine tried to shake her head, but the restraints were too tight. 
She had to say it out loud.  "No."

   " Good.  Now open your mouth.  "

   Surprised, Katherine did what she was told.

   " Bite down.  "

   It was a wooden block, wrapped in leather.  It had straps on either end.
Jessica tied it in place around the back of Katherine's neck, so that it
wouldn't slip.

   " I have a final touch I wanted to add to the display.  Performance art,
if you will.  The reason I needed Dr.  Hammond was so that I could skirt
the rule about 'permanent damage'.  He's here to assure you, and any other
club members in attendance, that he can indeed reverse what I'm about to do
to you.  I'm told he's a bit of an enthusiast for body modification, so
this is right up his alley.  "

   This was unlike anything Jessica had done previously.  Now, in addition
to the shame of being displayed like this, and the arousal that Jessica had
built over the past days, Katherine felt genuine apprehension.  Maybe the
girl was for real.  Maybe she could pull it off.

   Katherine heard a low hiss of gas, and then a loud click as Jessica lit
the propane torch.

   " You're probably wishing now, pet, that you would have a chance to
reconsider after you know what I'm doing to you.  Would it make a
difference?  Maybe you'd surrender if you knew that the next price you'll
pay is to have me brand you, like livestock.  I doubt it."

   The girl began heating a shaped metal wire.  She did it purposely within
Katherine's range of view, directly in front of her face.

   " No Katherine, you've passed the point where you can make a choice. 
Every step along the way, you've taken your choices and calculated your
costs.  To get where I want to go...  to break you...  you need this.  You
need to have the feeling of being out of control.  You need to have your
neat little world shaken up.  So I'll put my mark on you.  "

   The shape was simple.  A triangle.

   " Look around you.  Oh, sorry...  you can't...  well, you know your
surroundings well enough.  Everything is controlled.  Even in your garden,
where nature should have some say...  every bed is filled with neatly
trimmed bedding roses, blooming on command, uniform in height.  You should
let go a little, pet.  Even amongst roses, there are wild ones.  I fancy a
great old climbing rose in your garden, pet.  Something that doesn't obey
the rules.  A rose that just 'is'.  'Complicata' would be my choice.  But
you have your plans, and your perfect little beds, so I doubt I'll ever see
my rose here."

   " That's why I need to do this to break you.  I'm not giving you a
chance to 'justify' your participation.  I need to do this *to* you.  "

   The wire was glowing orange now.

   Katherine knew Jessica was right.  This was so much worse simply because
she was being denied the choice.  In her stubborn desire to win, she
probably would have endured even the absolute dehumanizing act of being
branded as Jessica's livestock.  It probably would have deepened her
resolve.  The fact that no choice was now offered was beyond her tolerance.

   Jessica disappeared from view.  She was behind Katherine, lifting the
skirt of her dress.  The anticipation was more than she could bear. 
Jessica bunched her underwear away from her right buttock.  That's where
her slave would wear the mark.

   Katherine caught Leigh-Ann's eye.  Her young friend was watching the
branding with interest, even awe.  It must have been quite a sight, to see
a woman she had previously idolized being so completely humbled.

   When Jessica applied the heated wire to her ass, it was much quicker
than Katherine had expected.  Less painful even.  She had half anticipated
some prolonged torturous burning, while she struggled against her bondage.
It was done without any of that fuss, in the routine manner that she
imagined livestock was branded every day.

   " There.  Now you wear my mark.  It's a letter of the Greek alphabet, if
you care to know." Jessica spoke softly now, into Katherine's ear.  She
wouldn't dare sound apologetic, although for some reason, the thought was
in Katherine's mind.  " You need to know that I'm serious.  You need to
know that, more than anything now, pet.  Because the next time I give you a
chance to surrender, if you refuse me, you'll pay dearly.  "

   " Even now, more guests are arriving.  You'll hear them around you. 
You'll recognize some of their voices.  They used to be your peers.  Now
you're a decoration, something to provide amusement while they enjoy the
food and each other's company.  They'll never look at you the same way
again.  If you refuse me again, I'll let them have you, any way they see
fit.  "

   Katherine's younger rival was laying it on the line.  Everything had
been leading to this moment.  She caressed Katherine's ass lightly, and
teased her for a moment through the fabric of her panties, just to make
sure Katherine was still fully aroused.

   She was.

   She had never been more aroused.  She wasn't sure why she was so horny.
Was it the way that Jessica had denied her relief the entire weekend?  Or
maybe something to do with an imagined closeness to the girl, fostered in
the nights sleeping together?  Was it the erotic thrill of playing the
submissive?  Of being branded?  Or did she take some odd thrill out of
finally meeting someone who could match her skills...  of being this close
to being defeated?

   More than anything, she wanted Jessica to finger her to an orgasm.  It
wasn't about to happen, she suspected.

   Jessica wanted something first.  She was just putting the final touches
onto her sales pitch before the ultimatum; take it or leave it.

   " You've seen what I can do.  It surprises you a bit that I've been able
to siphon away some of your closest friends and allies, from completely
beneath your radar.  As far as you were concerned, I didn't even merit
consideration.  Yet I was able to lure Leigh-Ann away from you.  It must
hurt your pride - what there is left of it - to know that she fooled you. "

   Anger.  God, she was pressing all of the buttons.  Anger brought
defiance.  If Katherine were honest with herself, she truly wasn't able to
say what she would do at that moment if Jessica asked for her surrender.

   But Jessica wasn't finished yet.  Something else was coming.  Katherine
could feel it.

   " You've been betrayed, Katherine.  I know it makes you angry.  I can
feel you shaking...  or is it just that you need an orgasm, pet?  Have I
neglected to bring you off?  Maybe I'll have you beg for it, in front of
all of your friends.  Would that please you?  But now, I need to reveal
another betrayal.  My hope is that it will finally transform your anger and
defiance to another feeling...  hopelessness."

   Jessica beckoned one of the guests forward, into Katherine's view. 
Jessica watched her pet for a reaction.  The man was Durham Baker,
Katherine's own lawyer.

   " He's prepared the papers for me, Katherine.  Yes.  Your own lawyer. 
That'll remove any doubt about the legality of our contract.  In fact, Mr.
Baker tells me that he could probably manage the financial transaction
without your consent, if it comes to that.  It'll all be structured as a
lucrative contract for the services of my marketing firm.  "

   " You've been defeated, Katherine.  How many more betrayals do you need?
Even your own body seems to be ready to betray you.  I've posed you,
humiliated you, and now I've branded you as my property.  But you're still
responding to my touch, pet.  I have you exactly where I want you."

   " So now comes your choice.  In a moment, I'll remove the block from
your mouth.  If you still want to resist, you can say no to my offer.  You
can say no, and give yourself the moral victory, but I'll still get what I
want one way or the other.  Or you can say yes, and I'll give you the
release you crave...  both sexually, and of course, your freedom from the
depravities I'd let loose on you.  "

   Jessica gently unstrapped the leather that was holding the block in her
slave's mouth.  She didn't rush the moment.  Everything she needed to say
was said.  The party guests were around her, but they kept their distance.
Only Jessica was here, one hand toying idly with the hem of Katherine's
panties, waiting for the answer.

   " Yes.  "

   ***

   The decision had not been nearly as difficult as anyone would have
imagined.  Although every desire of her body and mind longed for freedom,
Katherine was ready to deny it of herself.  She had always been prepared to
play along, and then pull back at the last moment.  It would have been a
sweet moment to defeat the girl, no matter how extreme the consequences.

   Then, at the last moment, something had changed her mind.

   It was the money.  The contract.

   A perfect clarity had come to Katherine at the moment she saw her lawyer
there, ready to close the deal.  Durham was good.  Very good.  It was too
good to be true.

   Katherine had no idea, to this day, what had convinced Durham to join in
on the fun.  Had she paid him off?  Maybe Jessica had offered him sex in
return for his cooperation.  Katherine liked to think that, but she
wouldn't ask the question.  It was all water under the bridge now.

   Durham always took care of his clients, particularly his most wealthy
clients.  It was a miscalculation on Jessica's part, one that had cost her
dearly.

   At first, it seemed like Jessica had scored a complete victory.  To her
credit, she didn't much gloat.  She removed her pet from bondage to allow
her to sign the contract, and then she sent away most of the guests. 
Katherine still wasn't sure about who all was on the guest list.  Many had
not chosen to look her in the eye.  They had cautiously, wisely, kept their
distance, awaiting the outcome of the contests between the two women.

   Jessica was more than gracious, affording her pet both a quick release
from sexual tension, and helping her back into the privacy of her suite,
where Dr.  Hammond checked her branded flesh to make sure there would be no
complications.

   Leigh-Ann was nowhere to be seen, Katherine noted.  Fine.  She was just
a follower anyhow.  The real contest was between Katherine and Jessica. 
But now it was nearly over.  With the contract in place, the younger woman
was spared the financial costs of the weekend, and she was assured a
significant shift in power at the club.

   Maybe she didn't expect Katherine to take it laying down, but she was
justified in feeling like she had the upper hand.  Which made her lack of
gloating somewhat vexing to Katherine.  Jessica gave her a quick kiss
goodbye before unhooking her collar, thus symbolically carrying out her
part of the deal.  The kiss seemed strangely genuine.  She got what she
wanted, but was she really pleased that it was over?

   Which, of course, it wasn't.

   It wasn't apparent until weeks later that Katherine was holding more
cards than she let on.  Katherine enjoyed that feeling.  She was careful
not to let on.  Katherine did exactly the things people expected her to do.
She tried to save face.  She put her spin on the gossip.  She took careful
note of who was returning her calls, and who wasn't.

   The damage was real, but not complete.  Even without her secret,
Katherine had the skills, the influence, and the money to keep the contest
interesting, despite what everyone had seen.

   She considered, briefly, pulling the punch.  But Jessica had given her
the respect of playing the game to the fullest, so the least she could do
was return the favor.

   So, on the instructions of her attorney, she waited.  Durham had covered
all his options, but there was really no debate about what he would do. 
Katherine was worth more to him as a client than any payoff Jessica could
afford.

   When the penalty clause was activated, it caught Jessica completely by
surprise.  The lucrative contract for over a hundred thousand dollars
suddenly became a liability, as the phantom services she was contracted to
provide one by one went past due.  She had made the mistake of trusting
Durham where money was concerned, thinking that he had written a contract
with so many clauses simply to escape any scrutiny.  Jessica had signed it
thoughtlessly, putting all of her focus into forcing Katherine to do the
same.

   The power shift had been delicious.

   All of the socialites who had been avoiding Katherine were suddenly more
'available' as word spread of Jessica Holt's distress.  The world was
righting itself.  Eventually, the time that Katherine Christos had been
publicly bested would be a story told only privately, more myth than
reality.

   Of course, some people needed to bear consequences.  Those who had
defected too easily found a suddenly lower place in the social pecking
order.  Leigh-Ann was beside herself.  She knew exactly how vindictive
Katherine could be.  As far as Katherine was concerned, she got off easy.
Katherine had 'suggested' that Leigh-Ann begin dating Dr.  Hammond.

   Dr.  Hammond, as Jessica had mentioned, was well known for his appetite
for body modification.  As a plastic surgeon, he often partook in the more
mundane sort of operations...  breast enlargements, nose jobs, that sort of
thing.  In his leisure time, his tastes went more towards extreme
piercings, branding, genital modification and tattoos.  Leigh-Ann had
always gone for a somewhat flamboyant look but never to those extremes. 
These days, Katherine took great pleasure in inviting her over for tea, and
seeing how much hardware her face had accumulated.  She shuddered to think
of what the doctor had in store for Leigh-Ann's more private areas. 
Perhaps Katherine would let her off the hook eventually.  She hadn't
decided.

   As for Jessica, she was more puzzling.  Maybe the better word would be
'complicated'.

   Once the penalties began to accumulate, it would have been much easier
for the girl to simply admit defeat and walk away.  She could have closed
down the marketing firm, escaping personal liability almost completely.  As
for her personal debts, say, for an extravagant weekend she had
purchased... well, there was always personal bankruptcy.

   Her absence would have been missed at the club, but it would be
understandable, given the circumstances.

   That isn't the course Jessica Holt took.

   She decided to keep her life, and accept the costs.

   Katherine was delighted, of course.  She forgave some of the debt in
return for personal services.  Money was never really the point for
Katherine anyhow.  There would always be more money.  What she gained was
priceless.

   Jessica was hers, until the debt was fully forgiven.  The way Durham had
structured it, that would be a *long* time.

   Jessica stayed in control of her business.  She worked hard to keep it
afloat.  She kept her apartment...  for what little Jessica ever went
there, it seemed a waste to Katherine, but it was no concern of hers.  She
even continued on at the club.  That was amusing.  There was no leash or
collar, but it was nonetheless clear who she belonged to.

   It was hard to know why she chose to stay in the game.  Did she really
think that there was any way she could turn the tables again?

   At home, Katherine took a page from the younger girl's treatment of her.
The house servants - a whole new staff now, of course - were sometimes
treated a somewhat public exhibition of Jessica's new role in life. 
Katherine was taking it slowly for now.  There was plenty of time to break
the girl.  And Katherine would do it.  Again and again.

   Those were the new realities of Jessica Holt's life, displayed publicly
for anyone who could observe it.  Yes, some of it was just for show.

   In private, Katherine had to admit that she had made a couple of quite
modest concessions to the woman who had once been a worth adversary.  One
was in the garden.  She had planted that rose for Jessica.  Complicata.  It
would grow in a favored position, against the wall of the garden shed.

   The other little concession was more private yet.  She only thought of
it at night, when she climbed into bed, and into Jessica's arms.  She gave
Jessica more freedom in these matters.  It was better that way.  Katherine
waited for it all day, that moment when she felt that first touch, and
surrendered her control for the night.  It was a gentle caress at first,
against her bottom.  Jessica touched the symbol that bound them together.

   Delta.

   Doulos.

   Slave.

   ***

   Comments can be forwarded to: bc117@myway.com





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