Loren walked around the counter. “Sweetie, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to go home alone yet.”
Tilly faltered, then regained her smile. She pointed to Loren’s leather collar. “I meant to tell you, I think that one’s pretty. I like it.”
“Tilly, it’s okay,” Ross assured her. “You can talk to us.”
She took a deep breath and vigorously shook her head. “I’m done talking. I spent the past, what, six years talking? Look where the hell it’s got me. Nope, talked out.”
“What are you going to do?” Loren asked.
“I told you. I’m going to get my shit together. I’m not looking back. He can walk away from me like that without a second thought? Fuck him.” She flipped the pancakes. “Fuck. Him. He’s dead to me.
Right? Just as good as dead, walks out without explaining why or a chance to say good-bye.” Without thinking about it, her hand stroked her fluorite pendant. “It’s a whole new world out there.”
Tilly managed to maintain her façade until after they’d eaten. That’s when she collapsed on the kitchen floor and cried while her friends held her. This time, she pulled herself together ten minutes later and stood. After washing her face she forced another smile. “See? I can do anything I put my mind to, just like…”
Tilly couldn’t finish the sentence aloud.
Just like Cris always told me I could.
Ross held her in his arms as she started crying again. “Til,” he softly said, “we love you. You know that. You’re scaring me.”
“What am I going to do without him?” she softly cried. “He’s my life.”
He tipped her face to his. “Make me a promise.”
She sniffled and nodded.
“You love us, right?”
She nodded.
“It would kill us to lose you. All I’m asking for is you to wear my collar. Not for play, not to Top you, just so I can take care of you and know you’ll listen to me. You and Loren are like sisters anyway. And all you have to do is promise me you won’t take it off until you can swear to me you won’t hurt yourself, that you can take care of yourself. When you reach that day, I’ll gladly take it back.
Wear it as long as you need to. Until then, I want to know that I won’t have to worry about you hurting yourself, and that you know you can always come to us, no matter what, and we’re here.”
Tears spilled down her face as she laid her head against his shoulder. “Okay,” she whispered.
She closed her eyes and heard Ross whisper something to Loren, sensed her friend leave the room. Loren returned a moment later with something in her hand and handed it to Ross. He gently buckled the collar around her neck before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “You’re free to stay with us if you want, honey. You know that.”
She sat up and wiped at her face, sniffling. “No. I need to go home.” She looked at Ross, then Loren. “Thank you. Both of you. I couldn’t do this without you. But I need to start somewhere. I have to go home sometime.”
“I’ll drive you,” Loren softly said. “If you’re sure.”
“I’m sure.”
In the bathroom before they left, Tilly looked at herself in the mirror, her long hair.
An image flashed through her mind, of before Cris left, him fisting his hand in her hair and pulling her to him, kissing her and going through their usual ritual, telling her…
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to will the memory away.
Tried to forget the sound of his voice as he said, “I love you, Redbird. Always and forever.”
Chapter Two
Mistress Cardinal.
The man, naked except for his custom-tooled leather collar, knelt on the floor in the breakfast nook, his forehead touching the cool tile that he’d finished hand scrubbing and towel drying minutes earlier. He didn’t speak, simply waited on her. She let him kneel there for ten minutes while she read her Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
“Are you finished?” she eventually asked without looking up from her newspaper.
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Baseboards?”
“Yes, Mistress. As you instructed.”
“Very good.” She finally looked down at him. “I’m in the mood to play.” She glanced at the time. “Our session ends in ten minutes. I haven’t selected a partner for tonight. If you’d like, you may go with me.”
He nodded without looking up. “Yes, Mistress. I’d be honored to go with you.”
“This is outside of our business arrangement. I’ll be harsh.”
“Yes, Mistress. I understand.”
“Very good. You may get dressed. Come back here tonight at eight to pick me up.”
“Thank you, Mistress!” He crawled over to her, kissed her feet, then backed away before standing and leaving the breakfast nook. He was one of only two clients she let touch her at all, even though it was only to kiss her hands and feet.
She examined her nails. She had them done earlier that morning, a deep metallic blood red.
Perfect for playing.
Standing and stretching, she went to examine his handiwork. The kitchen appeared utterly spotless. He’d left his “tribute” on the counter, one hundred dollars. Cash.
Smiling, she took the money and tucked it into her jeans. He was a good client. He also never asked to fuck her. She’d quit counting the number of clients she’d dropped because they became too emotionally attached to her or started pressuring her for sexual acts. That wasn’t part of her services.
She was a pro Domme.
They wanted sex, they could hire a prostitute. She gave them more.
She gave them what they needed, not what they wanted.
He returned a moment later, dressed in jeans and a light blue button-up shirt. Head bowed, he walked over to her. His collar was still locked around his neck. He was one of the few clients she’d specially ordered a collar for. Most of them got one of the pet store generic play collars that made them feel submissive. Bob had been using her services for over three years now, one of her oldest clients.
Every two weeks at least, sometimes more often as his schedule allowed. In fact, she gave him every fourth visit for half price, and every tenth one free.
She fingered the collar. “Do you have anywhere else to go today?”
He shook his head. “No, Mistress. Straight home, then back here to meet you.”
She smiled. “Keep the collar on then.” With an elegantly lacquered finger, she tipped his chin so she could look into his blue eyes. Even with her stiletto heels he stood taller than her. He had nice eyes.
Nice body, too. Nicer than average. “Tonight is special. Social. Not business. Understand?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“You’ve been an exceptionally good boy for me. I like to reward good behavior. You want to bear my marks with pride?”
“Yes, Mistress. Please.”
“No tribute from you tonight, but I will expect you to pay our cover charge. It’s twenty per person. You can pay that?”
“Yes, Mistress! Gladly.”
She smiled. “I’ll see you tonight then.” She offered her hand and he kissed it before hurrying out the door.
Would her neighbors notice his collar? Probably not. She watched through the living room windows as he scurried out to his Mercedes parked in her driveway. Five years old, but he kept it detailed.
Nice guy. Divorced, no kids. He ran a mortgage firm and had no time for a girlfriend. He wasn’t into humiliation, but he craved strict service, obedience, and discipline. While not a pain slut, because of his need to obey he would take a lot of heavy impact play.