Chapter 7: The Employment Agreement
A black Mercedes-Benz panel van with darkly tinted windows was idling in front of the shop as Juliette stepped out onto the sidewalk. She entered the van through a large rear passenger side door, and James began driving toward her estate. The panel van had a luxurious burgundy interior. Juliette smiled and relaxed on a rear-facing Italian leather sofa behind a soundproof glass wall separating the passengers from the driver’s compartment. She took in the view of Dan bound and frightened, still attached to the dolly James used to load him into the vehicle.
Dan’s mind and senses were working overtime. He was physically aware of the stress caused by his predicament, but his thoughts were mostly of Amanda. Juliette made a big production about using a timer to release Amanda, but Dan wondered if that was just a show for his benefit, and he wondered if the brief stop they just made had something to do with her. Not knowing she was safe scared him more than whatever might happen to him.
Juliette regarded him a few moments more before she reached for the remote controller embedded in the arm of the couch.
“As much fun as this is, I’m afraid I need to teach you a little something about being a slave,” she said ominously as she manipulated several controls on the touch-screen of the remote.
Without warning, all of the restraints binding Dan fell to the ground except for the crotch harness and the head harness with attached blindfold and gag. After a few more taps on the screen, the LCD screens of the electronic blindfold became completely transparent, enabling Dan to take in his surroundings. He slowly stood up, stretched his limbs and looked around. Uncertain what to do with his new found freedom of movement, he decided to sit in a leather chair on the driver’s side of the van. He glanced out the window, and he realized that they were traveling north toward the more affluent suburbs.
“The human anatomy can withstand tremendous stress and difficult circumstances, but it isn’t designed to do so for extended periods. That is why I have released your restraints,” explained Juliette. “You will continue to wear the thong and head harness as a safety precaution.”
Juliette reached under the sofa and pulled out a leather briefcase. She set the briefcase on the couch next to her and opened it. Looking through a few documents, she selected one and handed it to Dan.
“Do you recognize this?” she asked.
Dan looked at the document’s title “Leather or Not Employment Agreement.” He nodded his head, wondering where this was headed.
“Turn to the last page. Is that your signature?” continued Juliette, pointing to the page.
Dan examined the signature above Juliette’s index finger and nodded. Then, he noticed the signature to the right of his own. It was Juliette’s signature, and the title under her signature read “Juliette Bouvier, President, Leather or Knot, Inc.” After a moment of initial confusion, he realized that Juliette was the reclusive owner of the boutique. His revelation gave him some solace that Amanda would not be hurt, but he wasn’t too sure he could say the same.
“This employment agreement is one of the documents you signed on your first day of employment with Leather or Knot, Inc. In this document, among other things, you acknowledge that any and all bondage activities related to your employment at Leather or Knot are completely consensual. In fact, to ensure that the activities are consensual, you were provided a safe word which you could use with your co-workers in order to be immediately released. Were you aware that you had such a safe word?” Juliette inquired.
Again, Dan nodded.
“Did you use your safe word at any point this evening?”
Looking down, Dan shook his head.
“Then your bondage must have been consensual, right?”
Dan vigorously shook his head.
“Silly me! I forgot. You’ve been deprived of your voice. Of course you couldn’t use your safe word, isn’t that right?” Juliette said understandingly.
Dan’s head bobbed up and down.
“Were you aware that you had a safe gesture?” she said smiling.
Dan sheepishly nodded.
“You didn’t use that either, though, did you?” Juliette questioned with a knowing smile.
Dan took a moment to think, and then pounded on the floor with his feet once, then twice in rapid succession, then three times in rapid succession. He looked to Juliette with his eyebrows raised.
Juliette let out a hearty laugh. “Is that your safe gesture?” she asked rhetorically. “Please review section 10.3 of your employment agreement,” she said, still chuckling.
Dan read: “Employee’s use of the Safe Word/Gesture is effective when provided to any employee having a position of Store Manager or lower. Employee may use the Ultimate Safe Word/Gesture to be released from any bondage situation applied by any employee, officer, director, owner or agent of Leather or Knot, Inc., including employees having a position superior to Store Manager.”
Dan looked at Juliette quizzically.
“I’m afraid that the safe gesture you just provided won’t work with me. You see, I’m the President of Leather or Knot, Inc.” She paused for effect. “Yes, right about now you’re probably wondering about the “Ultimate Safe Gesture” mentioned in the agreement, aren’t you? Check out Section 1 where all of the safe words and gestures are defined,” she said in a tone a teacher might take with a pupil.
Dan flipped back to the second page and found his safe word and safe gesture defined just as he had expected, but the ultimate safe word and gesture were obscured by a black marker. He turned to Juliette angrily.
“Oh, my. This copy seems to have that information redacted,” she said in mock surprise. “Of course, I have the original in my safe with all of my other important papers, and I’m sure you have a copy of this somewhere at your house, right?”
Dan gave a resigned nod.
“Well, there you have it. If you can remember your ultimate safe word or gesture, you will be immediately released. Otherwise, I will assume that you are a man who abides by his employment agreement, and I will consider this little endeavor we are on completely consensual.”
Dan turned away sharply. She knew that there was virtually no chance that he would ever come up with the right word or gesture. She also knew that he hadn’t bothered to read the agreement when he was hired. “Who reads that stuff, anyway?” Dan thought. At the time, he figured that they were just standard employment papers, but he should have known better. After all, his job was certainly not standard employment.
They drove along in luxury and silence for 45 minutes or more, and along the way the roads became progressively more remote. Finally, the van turned off of a 2-lane drive covered by a canopy of trees onto a driveway secured by a large metal gate and flanked by two massive stone columns. Each of the columns supported a large figure carved out of stone, and small dots of red light gave away security cameras perched at the foot of each figure. They drove up the driveway for 300 yards until it intersected with a large circular drive which followed the contour of an enormous reflecting pool. An array of water fountains pulsed and sprayed in a beautiful, rhythmic, and slightly erotic pattern as the van came to a stop under a covered breezeway in front of two oak doors at least 30 feet tall.
Without speaking, Juliette gently ushered Dan, still clutching his redacted Employment Agreement, out of the van. Together, they walked up a set of stone steps and into the opulent three-story manor house. The front hall was like something out of a fairy tale. The floor was silver-gray marble that had been polished to a shine. A sprawling circular staircase emptied into the hall from a railed balcony, and several beautiful hand maidens were available to attend to anything that Juliette may have desired. She motioned for one of them to accompany Dan.
“Cynthia, please show our new guest his accommodations,” Juliette said, as though Dan was a client at a quaint bed and breakfast.
The attendant touched Dan above the elbow and motioned up the staircase. Still unable to speak, Dan followed the woman in numb disbelief.
As they ascended the staircase, Dan tried to take in as much information as possible for a future escape attempt. He noticed that each of the attendants wore a white translucent 2-piece nightie as a type of uniform. Each of them also wore a harness around their waist and crotch, most likely to allow Juliette to maintain control over their actions. Whether it was because of the harnesses, job satisfaction, or some other reason, the staff seemed to operate like a well-oiled machine. Dan figured that escaping from this prison-estate would be an extremely low percentage proposition.
Cynthia led Dan down a long corridor with doors on either side. As they approached a room about three quarters of the way down the hall on the right, Dan heard a door automatically unlock. They entered the room which was to be Dan’s bedroom for the evening. It looked like a five-star luxury hotel suite with a desk and credenza, a computer, and a large HD video monitor in front of a king-size bed.
In a professional voice that was in stark contrast to her appearance, Cynthia began to recount the amenities of the room like a flight attendant providing safety information before a flight. “You will sleep here tonight. For your protection and the protection of those around you, the door will automatically lock once I leave the suite. Another attendant will come to get you in the morning before your breakfast with Mistress Juliette and your friend Amanda. In the meantime, feel free to make yourself at home. You may take a shower, bath or Jacuzzi to relax if that suits you, as all of the equipment that you are wearing is completely waterproof. For your peace of mind, you should further know that each piece of equipment has a variety of safety mechanisms in the event of any malfunction, including a water-induced electrical short. Of course, we will do our best to make sure your stay with us is safe, sane and consensual.”
“Cynthia, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Dan thought. “Clearly, you’re in no position to judge sanity.”
Cynthia continued. “The television receives a variety of movie channels and in certain circumstances may operate as a video conferencing station. There is a workstation with a high-speed Internet connection over on the desk if you prefer on-line entertainment. I hope you have an enjoyable evening.”
Breaking from her professional demeanor, she smiled like a gushing school girl and said “Between you and me, I think it’s so romantic that you are offering yourself to your friend Amanda like this. I actually requested to be part of the breakfast detail, but my request was turned down since I don’t really have any seniority.”
The mere mention of Amanda’s name caused Dan to raise his eyebrows in surprise. How could this woman know about Amanda, and what did breakfast have to do with anything?
Cynthia mistook Dan’s expression for one of disbelief at her lack of seniority, and she elaborated accordingly. “No, really. I just started here. I probably don’t even make as much as you and your friend do tending the Mistress Juliette’s shop.”
Forcing himself back in the moment, Dan suddenly and swiftly flipped to the second page of the contract he almost forgot he was holding. He pointed to the section defining his safe gesture, and he proceeded to stomp on the floor in the sequence described on the page.
Cynthia laughed. “How cute, you want me to know your safe gesture. Very good, now I know,” she said nodding.
Dan shook his head back and forth as he flipped to the section about levels lower than Store Manager.
A concerned look came across Cynthia’s face as she read. “You’re serious,” she said. “You have just given me your safe gesture, and you expect me to free you.”
Dan nodded quickly and tapped the page of the employment agreement.
“Well, I don’t know. Nobody said anything about this. I’m going to have to check with my manager.”
Dan flipped the contact to the last page and pointed at his signature and Juliette’s signature.
“Yes, yes, I see that this is between you and Mistress Juliette. I’ll call her.”
Dan vehemently shook his head and he pointed to the gag preventing him from speaking.
“Are you suggesting that I take the gag off so that you can explain?” she asked, as though they were playing a game of charades.
Dan first gave her a “thumbs up” then held up his thumb and index finger to suggest “just for a little bit.”
“I don’t know…” she said thinking a moment. “Well, alright, but just long enough for you to tell me what you absolutely need to.”
Cynthia reached behind her back and produced a remote controller seemingly out of thin air. “There must be a well disguised pocket in that outfit,” thought Dan “because I thought I could see everything.”
With a few taps of Cynthia’s finger on the touchpad, Dan’s tongue was released, and Dan turned his head allowing the gag to fall harmlessly onto the bed. Dan breathed a deep sigh of relief, and swallowed hard before speaking.
“Cynthia, please don’t contact Juliette or your manager. I don’t trust them. This is my employment agreement with Leather or Knot which requires that I be released from any bondage equipment when I provide my safe signal to an employee at a store manager level or lower. Unfortunately, I don’t know my “Ultimate Safe Word or Gesture” since I didn’t pay attention when I signed the agreement, and Juliette won’t tell me what they are because if she did, she knows that I would use them.”
Surprised, Cynthia said “Wow. That’s a lot to take in. So, how do I know that you didn’t just make all of that up?”
“Well, I guess you really don’t. Not yet,” Dan said considering his situation. “Look, let’s take one thing at a time. Are you at a lower level in the organization than a store manager?”
“I’m really not sure, but I would bet that I am. I just started working here last week, and it is an entry-level position,” she reasoned.
“Is there someone you could ask other than your manager? Maybe a co-worker?”
Cynthia agreed to call her roommate who was also a co-worker. Cynthia used the telephone next to the bed, and after a short conversation she hung up and said “Yes, my friend Vickie said that we are at the same level as a janitor which is far below a store manager.”
Cynthia then tapped her finger on the remote controller a few times, and picked up the gag from the bed. “Okay, time to put the gag back on,” she said nicely.
“Wait a minute. We aren’t done yet. What about my employment agreement? You should be letting me go since you are at a lower level than a store manager,” Dan implored.
“I’m sorry, but we can settle all of that once we get your gag back on. Vickie also warned me not to let you go without proper authorization because unlike your employment agreement, my employment agreement includes my consent to corporal punishment for breaking the house rules. So, even though I want to help you, I’d rather not find out what will happen to me if you’re lying,” Cynthia explained. “Now please, just put the gag back on, and I promise I’ll try to help you.”
Dan knew that he had no choice. Even if he overpowered her and took the remote controller, the minute anyone found out that he was gone, they would send a signal to his helmet or thong that would make him regret his actions. He started to reason with her, but she insisted and threatened to do it “the hard way.”
Just as he was putting the gag back on, a woman in a blue translucent nightie entered the suite.
The woman looked directly at Cynthia and said “I came as soon as I received your signal. What seems to be the prob…” She stopped short, looked at Dan and then looked back to Cynthia. “Who authorized you to remove his gag?” she demanded.
Cynthia searched for the right words. “Well, he gave me what appeared to be a safe gesture, and I needed to be certain that I understood. So, I temporarily removed his gag for him to explain, but we put it right back on. I’m so sorry if I did anything wrong.”
“Of course you’ve done something wrong!” the woman said, raising her voice. “What in the world made you think he would have a safe gesture, and how would you have known what it was, anyway?”
Dan, having reinserted the gag, held up his contract and pointed to the section describing his safe gesture.
“Yes,” Cynthia explained. “He has this employment agreement that identifies his safe gesture, and requires anyone at a store manager level or lower to remove his restraints.”
The woman dismissed the thought. “That’s nonsense! They’re just words on a page. There’s nothing here to suggest that this is a real contract.”
“Actually, there is,” said Cynthia taking the agreement from Dan and turning to the last page. “It appears to be signed by Mistress Juliette. That’s why I called you.”
Cynthia’s manager studied the document. She spent a considerable amount of time reviewing the signature page.
“Well, there’s only one way to settle this. We’ll call Mistress Juliette.”
Dan stared at the ground resigned to his fate.
The women stood in front of the HD monitor, and the manager tapped the remote controller touch screen several times. The monitor displayed “Connecting… please wait” superimposed over a beautiful panoramic shot of the estate grounds. Twenty seconds later, they were on a video conference with Mistress Juliette.
With an air of skepticism, Cynthia’s superior reported the events in a fairly accurate fashion to Juliette. Juliette asked Cynthia “Did he give you the correct safe gesture as described in the agreement?”
“Yes, ma’am. He did. That was what prompted me to call Miss Francis,” Cynthia said, gesturing to her manager.
There was an uncomfortably long pause. Dan expected Juliette to order the women to add more restraints. Cynthia was certain that she was going to be punished for even considering this. Miss Francis was contemplating the appropriate punishment for a first-time offense.
Finally, a smile crept across Juliette’s face. She began to nod. “Nicely played, Daniel. Nicely played. I wondered whether you would use the clues I provided. I wasn’t sure you would be able to identify a staff member at the right level in the organization, but you managed to make quick work of it.”
Dan looked up, eyes wide, stunned that she admitted that he was right.
Juliette continued. “Ladies, I am a woman of my word. Please see to it that you remove all restraints from Mr. Learner, and offer him every amenity that you would offer any of my most honored guests.”
The women were amazed, but they promptly complied. Miss Francis reached down to operate the remote controller, and Dan’s head harness, goggles and gag slid off of his head to the floor. The harness covering his manhood gently opened. Dan gladly removed it and tossed it on the bed. Suddenly naked, Dan felt extremely self-conscious.
“I don’t suppose there are any men’s clothes in the closet?” Dan said sarcastically.
Cynthia immediately walked to the bathroom and held open a luxuriously thick terrycloth robe. Dan put his arms in the sleeves, wrapped it around his body and began to feel human again. Walking over an armoire near the closet, Cynthia said “We have a variety of clothes for you. I believe that they will all be your size.” She opened the armoire and the closet to reveal an immense wardrobe.
Stunned, Dan said “The robe will be fine for now.”
Juliette spoke again from the HD monitor. “Daniel, you are now free to move about in any of the public areas of the estate, but if you don’t mind waiting, I would love to give you a personal tour. Please relax. Settle in for a bit, and I will be down in just under an hour. Agreed?”
“Sure,” replied Dan, not knowing what else to say. This day had been long and eventful, but it wasn’t over yet.
* * * *
After reviewing his clothing options in the armoire and closet, Dan had decided to put on some khakis and a golf shirt. As promised, Juliette arrived at Dan’s door just before midnight, 45 minutes after disconnecting from the video conference. She was dressed in jeans and a long sleeved tee shirt. Initially, he thought that she had removed all of her make-up, but upon closer inspection, he realized that she was just more conventional and subtle about its application. She was a naturally beautiful older woman.
“So, how does it feel to be a free man?” Juliette inquired playfully.
“Wonderful, but I won’t really be free until I’m back with Amanda. She is alright, isn’t she?” He asked, concerned.
“She’s fine. She’s probably home asleep by now. As you know, I’ve invited her for breakfast tomorrow.” She paused to see recognition in Dan’s face. “Of course, she thinks that she is coming here to decide your fate, but you seem to have taken care of that yourself.”
“What do you mean ‘decide my fate?’ Does she think you were going to kill me?” Dan asked incredulously.
“No, silly. After taking you from the shop earlier tonight, I gave her the power to decide what would happen to you. I would have let her decide to do almost anything with you if you hadn’t freed yourself by tomorrow’s breakfast.”
“What would there be to decide?” He asked rhetorically. “She would have told you to let me go, and we’d have gotten out of here.”
“No. I don’t think you’ve thought this through completely. She would have had all night to think about this decision. It’s true that she could have decided to set you free, but there are a number of other possibilities that she might have considered.”
“Oh, really?” Dan said acerbically.
“Sure. For example, she could have told me to keep you both on at Leather or Knot, since it did bring you both together,” she said smiling.
“No way. I’m done with the shop. Using my safe word was my last official act as an employee, thank you very much,” Dan said sarcastically.
“That’s fine. Consider your employment terminated, but you’re missing the point. Amanda could have decided anything. She could even have decided to keep you for herself. You certainly wouldn’t have been in a position to argue about it. Or, maybe I could have convinced her to let me keep you, you never know…”
Dan considered the implications of what might have been.
“So, if I didn’t use my safe signal, she could have decided to keep me as her slave… if she wanted to?”
“That was actually the outcome that I was hoping for,” Juliette said matter-of-factly. “I have seen great things ahead for Amanda ever since I hired her, and you would have been lucky to have her,” she said with a hint of sadness. “But that’s all moot now. Let me give you a quick tour before bed.”
Mindful of the late hour, Juliette decided to limit the tour to the vanilla areas of the estate before retiring. They wandered around the grounds, and she pointed out landscape lighting in the front garden. They toured the ball room, the conservatory, the game room, the exercise facility and the sauna. Juliette pointed out the two pools, the stable and the four tennis courts.
She delighted in explaining that hidden within the lovely vanilla exterior was a wonderfully kinky facility. She and her husband had originally considered having two estates: one vanilla and the other alternative, but they ultimately decided it would be more fun to have them both operating in the same house, but each completely separate from the other. As Juliette and Dan concluded the tour in the dining room, she explained that it gave her a secret thrill to entertain her socially acceptable guests in a house infused with hidden kinkiness.
“Most of my guests have no idea, for example, that there is a hidden staircase right behind that wall that leads from this dining room to a dungeon in the basement,” she said smiling like a school girl.
At that moment, Dan realized that Juliette may have had a truly playful and happy side that he hadn’t seen before.
Juliette escorted Dan to a table for two off to the side of the formal dining table. The table held a variety of late-night snacks that Dan eyed as he sat down.
“Dig in. You must be hungry after the evening you’ve had,” she said, nodding toward the snacks. “We’re pretty much finished with the vanilla aspects of the house. I’ll give you a quick tour of the kinkier side of the house in the light of day.”
“Agreed. I’ve already seen more of that side of the house than I cared to for one night.”
They sat in silence for a moment. Then Dan asked “How did you end up living like this, anyway?”
It came out more judgmental that Dan intended. What he had meant was that he marveled at her ability to compartmentalize her vanilla and alternative sides. For the past few months, his vanilla side and his alternative side had been co-existing without really interacting with each other, and he felt torn.
“That’s a fair question, actually,” Juliette said with a hint of sadness. “It didn’t start off like this. My husband and I built this estate so that we could live out our fantasies without sacrificing all of the ordinary pleasures that we enjoyed.”
“So what happened? Where is he?” Dan asked.
“He passed away about ten years ago. An automobile accident, and ironically, he wasn’t wearing his seat belt, a safety restraint,” she answered with a sad laugh.
“That’s terrible. I’m so sorry,” Dan said sincerely. He was beginning to see Juliette as more than just an S&M caricature.
“Actually, Brent and I were rather similar to you and Amanda when we first started out. We were getting by on what I made working at a resale shop, and Brent had just graduated with a chemical engineering degree when he invented a non-toxic, quick-setting glue that is still used by most dentists to this day,” she said reminiscing.
Dan listened as she continued.
“We had experimented with bondage in the bedroom, and the money we made from his discovery allowed us to take our dark fantasies to another level by building this house. When he died, he left me a fortune in life insurance proceeds, not to mention the royalties that I collect from his patent portfolio, but he left my heart and our house empty.”
Her eyes began to water, and Dan offered her a napkin. Juliette accepted it, rose to her feet and started walking Dan back to his suite. As they walked, Juliette collected herself and continued.
“I see that same passion between you and Amanda even though you two probably don’t fully recognize it, yet. Brent used to call me his ‘little pistol,’” she said. “If you had read your employment agreement before signing it, you would realize that I now use that as the ultimate safe word for my employees,” she said smiling sadly.
“So, if I had just said ‘pistol’ you would have let me go earlier tonight?” he asked, trying to gently guide the conversation back to the present.
“Yes, immediately. But there was little chance of that happening since you were well silenced. You would have had to hum or tap out “Take me out to the Ball Game.” While humming, she snapped her fingers in time with the words. “Brent loved baseball.”
Finally, they arrived at Dan’s door, and Juliette looked at her watch.
“Well, it’s off to bed. Over the years, I have discovered that some of my guests like to indulge in any number of activities before bed. If you would like any of my staff to help entertain you before bed, please just let me know,” she said with a wink.
“No, that won’t be necessary,” Dan answered, a bit disgusted at the implication.
Juliette smiled and said in a sing-song voice “It would be just our little secret if you want to. Amanda never has to know.”
“Seriously, no,” Dan reiterated.
“Yes, you two really are reminiscent of Brent and me when we were young,” she said, half to herself.
Dan was tired and his accommodations were superb. Nonetheless, he spent a restless night thinking about Amanda. He had wanted to pick up the phone and call her, but Juliette had asked him not to call, assuring him that Amanda was fine.
The next morning, he awoke at sunrise and decided to take a look around in the daylight. He dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt and strolled down the wide circular staircase. Before he stepped onto the marble flooring below, Cynthia entered the hall from the dining room. Unlike the day before, she was dressed completely in leather: halter top, mini skirt, stilettos and gloves.
“Juliette has asked me to complete your tour from last night. Step this way,” she said professionally.
Surprised, Dan obeyed.
“So, why the leather outfit? Dan asked to make polite conversation.
“Well, we have a limited selection of uniforms, and if you must know, I chose this one because I was punished for the way I handled your situation last night. The mini skirt hides my red bottom,” she answered, clearly a bit irritated.
Dan stopped walking.
“But you didn’t do anything wrong,” he reasoned aloud. “Juliette even said as much when she directed you to let me go.”
“Well, I wasn’t punished for letting you go. I was punished for removing your gag without permission and for calling my roommate from your bedroom phone.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Dan said sympathetically.
“I suppose it was my own fault, really. I should have contacted Miss Francis immediately instead of handling it myself,” Cynthia replied, motioning Dan to continue walking. “My punishment was only two light swats with a cane, but they left marks that will last a few days. So, I’d rather not advertise my disobedience,” she said, pausing a moment. “I won’t be making that mistake again.”
As they talked, Cynthia led Dan out of the residence and to an adjacent four story building. It was the Development and Research of Leather or Knot, Inc. The employees often referred to it by the acronym “DARC LOK,” or “Dark Lock.” They met Juliette in the lobby and spent the next 90 minutes touring the building as Juliette pointed out the highlights of the innovative work being done. Juliette explained that with her inheritance and her husband’s connections, she was able to attract leading university scientists to develop new technology which could be used in a variety of applications, including bondage. Some of the scientists were Brent’s friends who knew of his interests. Others simply couldn’t pass up free a vacation at Juliette’s estate in exchange for their research activities.
On the ground floor, the staff was conducting final tests of an inhaler that was designed to deliver a muscle-relaxer which could temporarily remove a subject’s ability to speak. The tests today were merely a quality control measure to verify the results that supported FDA approval a month earlier. The FDA found that the inhaler was completely safe to use, with no long term side effects. The muscle-relaxer targeted the muscle tissue of the voice box to render the vocal chords so loose that they could generate no sound. The effects of one or two inhalations were estimated to last about 30 minutes.
On the second floor, Dan and Cynthia watched a subject receive a piercing that could be tracked by a handheld GPS device. They witnessed a demonstration of the technology in a lab. A pierced subject moved around a simple maze of office cubicle walls while a lab technician tracked his movements on an LCD screen. The GPS tracking software used a proprietary algorithm that enabled it to be accurate to within two feet.
On the third floor, a team of technicians was working on an electronic blindfold which delivered energy pulses to a subject’s temples temporarily interfering with the subject’s vision. The technology was at an early stage and could not even be tested on animals yet. Juliette, Cynthia and Dan briefly sat in on a brainstorming session at which various scientists sketched out ideas on a whiteboard.
On the top floor, the tour group looked in on a team of software engineers developing applications for realitime monitoring of vital signs using specially designed cuffs, collars, cock rings and chest harnesses. The customized restraints included embedded sensors for monitoring heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, perspiration and nerve sensitivity. Juliette joked that they should write an application that would use the monitored parameters to simulate a lie detector. When the technicians told her that the parameters would always suggest a lie since the biological levels of a restrained and aroused subject would continually be elevated, she said “Exactly! That way, I can punish my slave for dishonesty every time.”
After the tour, Juliette led the group to the dining room where Miss Francis was waiting with a variety of breakfast pastries arrayed along the main dining room table.
“Please, feel free to sit down for a bite to eat,” she said to Cynthia and Dan. She smiled a knowing smile at Cynthia.
Cynthia remained standing and took a sliver of cheese Danish, but Dan declined to eat due to the anticipation of reuniting with Amanda. Then Dan, Juliette and Miss Francis sat down, and Juliette began to review the morning schedule with Miss Francis.
“Amanda will be arriving in twenty minutes, and I would like the staff to be on their best behavior,” Juliette said with authority. “I trust that you have seen to it that we have no vanilla visitors on the grounds today. So, the staff can wear their alternative uniforms.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Miss Francis replied obediently.
“When Amanda arrives, please escort her to the back porch overlooking the stable where we can have drinks and talk girl-talk for ten minutes, or so,” Juliette continued. “We will then move here, to the dining room.”
“Of course,” replied Miss Francis. “I will see to it that the executive continental breakfast will be served promptly.”
After a short break in the conversation, Cynthia asked “Should I bring Mr. Learner in after breakfast?”
Raising her eyebrows, Juliette turned toward Cynthia. Miss Francis slowly shook her head with a frown.
“Excellent question, Cynthia. A bit presumptuous to jump into a conversation between your superiors, but an excellent question nonetheless,” Juliette said haughtily. “I suppose that depends on whether Mr. Learner would want to know what Amanda’s decision would have been had he not used his safe gesture last night,” she continued, turning toward Dan.
“I’m sure I already know,” Dan replied confidently. “She would want an equal partnership, and she would have let me go to make my own decisions.”
Letting his answer hang in the air, Juliette paused before replying “Did it ever occur to you that an equal partnership could include her making the decisions for both of you? It worked fine for husband and me.”
“Well, of course you thought it was an equal partnership. You made all of the decisions,” Dan replied smiling.
Juliette raised one eyebrow. “No,” she said. “I only made one. To surrender myself completely to his will.”
The others looked at Juliette in stunned disbelief.
Dan broke the silence. “You mean you were the submissive? But your personality is so strong.”
“Strength comes from having the conviction to follow your dreams and live by your decisions. Of course, it helps to find someone who loves you completely,” Juliette sagely replied. “So, the decision is yours. You are certainly welcome to attend the breakfast with Amanda. We can all drink Mimosas and have a delightfully vanilla time. But if you decide to have breakfast with us, you’ll never really know what Amanda’s decision would have been. Your presence will undoubtedly influence her.”
She paused to let Dan consider the option.
“As an alternative, you could surrender yourself to Cynthia and allow her to prepare you as she would have if you hadn’t used your safe gesture last night. You would have just enough time to get ready if you start now. By the time breakfast is over, Cynthia would be ready to present you to Amanda just before I ask for her decision.”
“But what if Amanda decides to keep me?” Dan asked uncertainly.
“Well, that might be the best thing that ever happened to you,” Juliette answered tersely.
“But what if I get cold feet?” Dan asked with a bit more urgency.
Juliette calmly answered his question with a question. “Are they cold now?”
“Well, no.”
“Then what would possibly change between now and then? Besides, if you were to completely change your mind, you now know the ultimate safe word and gesture, right?” She said, smiling at him as though they were both in on a juicy secret.
“You’re right. I’ll do it,” he said decisively.
“I thought you might,” Juliette said with a nod. “You won’t regret it. I never have.”
05.12.09
story continues in Leather or Knot Chapter 8: Dan’s Preparation & Amanda’s Decision
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