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  “Yeah, well,” I said. “Gail is straight except with me. She wouldn’t give up boy bits for me. Nan is never going to come out to her parents. Evie and Joy… they’re friends, but mostly it’s about kinky sex. That’s not a basis for a relationship, not one more complicated than more kinky sex.” I eyed her. “Am I making you jealous?”

  “No, because you’re here with me, and you’ve never put me off when I’ve invited you.”

  “Just the luck of timing.”

  “Still. There isn’t anyone else?” I didn’t say anything. After a moment she said, “Wait! There’s someone else!”

  “One date. It was one date.”

  “One date with someone who isn’t afraid of commitment with you?”

  “One date, Tara.”

  “Anyone I know?” Again, I didn’t respond, and she began laughing. “One of my employees.”

  “Maybe,” I said, somewhat coyly.

  “Tell me.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Natasha. It was Natasha.”

  I laughed. “You’re good. How did you guess.”

  She bumped her shoulder into mine. “Tell me.”

  “I’m not sure that’s the best plan.”

  “You’re really not going to tell me?” She threw a leg over mine and climbed back atop me. She began teasing my nipples while pinning my hands over my head.

  “Seriously?” I asked. “You think…” I gasped. She nipped me a little. “That’s cheating!”

  “I can keep this up all night,” she said. “I know how sensitive you get.” She licked, and I tried to arch my back.

  “You don’t think-” I gasped again. “-that I’m going to do anything to stop you.”

  “You turn very submissive when I do this,” she said, switching sides. “It only takes a few minutes.”

  I closed my eyes, gasping a few times. “Tara,” I whispered.

  “Tell me,” she whispered back.

  “Not like this,” I said. “Tara.”

  She lifted away from me. I opened my eyes. “Not like this, okay?” She paused, then nodded. “Lie with me, Hot Stuff.”

  She snorted. “Hot Stuff, hmm?” But she lowered herself then slid down into place beside me, one leg still over mine.

  “Tara.” I turned to look at her.

  “You’re making a big deal out of one date, Selena.” She tapped my nose. “I want to know you can have a real future. Who is it?”

  “Mary.”

  She settled in. “Mary. It would be hard to do better.”

  “Yeah,” I said.

  “Brilliant. Sexy.”

  “Are you supposed to talk about your employees that way?”

  “Sweet. Has a great job that she’s amazingly good at. Loved by her boss. Why were you being coy?”

  “Because I realized that…”

  “That this conversation is deeply inappropriate?”

  “Something like that, and you were just crying ten minutes ago.”

  “Hormones,” she said. “Biological clocks. Call it what you want. If I were willing to offer you a proper life, I’m confident you’d accept.”

  “I would,” I whispered.

  “I want you to be happy. Until then, though, I’ll take the fabulous sex.”

  I laughed. “It’s pretty good sex.”

  “Only pretty good?”

  “I don’t like being too effusive.”

  “I want us to keep doing this until it gets in the way of better chances,” she said. “Can we do that?”

  “I’d like that. And I was serious when I made that offer.”

  “I think that would be lovely. We’ll talk more about it, but not tonight.”

  “No, not tonight.”

  After that, we cuddled together, and eventually we slept.

  * * * *

  It was an amazing, long weekend, and nowhere near long enough. But at the same time, I could tell Tara was anxious to get back to work. She apologized, but I told her I understood. “This is the longest I’ve been away in six years.”

  “I’m glad you spent it with me, and I can’t believe where you brought me.”

  “It is pretty lovely, isn’t it?”

  “Truly fabulous.”

  But Tuesday arrived. It was a long travel day. Tara brought me home, and I watched her drive away.

  Then I stepped into my house, packed a new overnight bag, and got in my car. She was just pulling into her driveway when I pulled in behind her. She parked and then got out of her car, looking at me. I walked to her, my bag slung over my shoulder.

  “You can send me away,” I said. “But I don’t want to sleep alone tonight.”

  “Neither do I.”

  We didn’t make love, but it felt nice to be held all night.

  Distraction

  I waited until Thursday night before making a call. “Selena. How was your trip?”

  “Nice. I need a distraction. Something… fun.”

  “That’s funny,” Evie replied. “Joy and I were thinking the very same thing. Putting you on speaker.”

  “Hey, Selena,” came Joy’s voice. “How was your trip?”

  “Pretty fabulous. I need a distraction though.” We talked for a while, with Evie and Joy basically saying, “We understand completely.”

  “So…”

  “So,” Evie said. “There’s an event this weekend, but we weren’t going to call you.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly.

  “It’s an own or be owned event.”

  “Okay,” I said again. “The name sounds like fun, but I don’t know what that is.”

  “It varies dramatically,” Evie explained. “Events like this tend to be a combination of different event types. There would be a theme, and the same theme could be used for an entirely different style of event at the same time.”

  “For instance, the theme could come from a fantasy novel,” Joy clarified, “and people look like elves and stuff.”

  “Cool,” I said.

  “Yeah,” she confirmed. “There have been murder mysteries and conspiracy events. All sorts of things.”

  “But at an own or be owned event, when you arrive, we’re all equal,” Evie explained. “Well, except if you come with us, as fresh meat, we get points for bringing you, and we get more points if we trick you into giving away points right away.”

  “Oh,” I said.

  “As the evening progresses, there will be some sort of development,” she continued. “Some people will advance more towards owning, and some will advance towards being owned. How that happens can vary. It can be because there are puzzles to solve, and solving puzzles gains you points. Or there can be challenges. Anything. Do you see? Selena, in most of these games, you have some control over the path you end up taking, but so do the people around you.”

  “And I’m fresh meat, as you say.”

  “And cute besides, and accepting of a submissive role, even though that’s not who you are by day, if you know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, I understand,” I said.

  “And maybe that’s okay, but it’s almost a given you’d be owned. While if you’re really good, you can control who owns you, you will likely have very little say.”

  “Sometimes you’re owned by a specific person,” Joy added. “And sometimes you’re just… owned. And you’ll do anything anyone tells you to do.”

  “And some of the women are nice.”

  “And some of them are bitches, and guess which type is more likely to play ruthlessly.”

  “Do you guys know the rules or anything?”

  “Rules are nearly always kept under wraps,” Evie said. “We’re not going in any official capacity.”

  “We are helping to run something fun in three weeks,” Joy added. “And we were going to contact you about it next week, after we’ve finalized a little more information. But I think you wanted a sooner distraction than that.”

  “You could come over,” Evie said. “But we can only keep you until mor
ning. Or make it next week.”

  “So, you aren’t inviting me this weekend?”

  “Selena, if you want to come, we’d love the points,” Joy replied. “But Evie and I already decided we weren’t going to call you about it.”

  “Because you don’t think I’d enjoy it.”

  “Because we can’t in good conscience offer any kinds of guarantees, and we’re not making the sort of offer we did last time. Nor can we protect you.”

  “Do I need protection more than the next woman?”

  “It’s not like you're a victim,” Evie said carefully. “But if we were going to rank the participants on vulnerability, you’d be in the vulnerable half, and perhaps the vulnerable quarter. You’re probably not the first name on the list, especially as we don’t know who all is coming.”

  “I understand.”

  “Selena,” Joy said. “Pack an overnight bag and come over.”

  “All right. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

  * * * *

  I stepped into their house. I received a tight hug and kiss from each of them, and then Joy took my bag and set it aside. The two each grabbed a hand and pulled me to the sofa. We all sat, one on either side, and then Evie said, “Do you want to be busy all weekend?”

  “I have to work tomorrow.”

  “Otherwise, from after work until Sunday?”

  “Will I enjoy it?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then yes.”

  “Good. We’ve made arrangements. Someone will pick you up at work tomorrow. You’ll be changing clothes, so don’t worry about a thing.”

  “Are you going to tell me what you arranged?”

  “Do you want it to be a surprise?”

  “Sure.”

  “Well then, we aren’t going to tell you. Selena-pet obeys her lady.”

  “Until morning.”

  * * * *

  They were sweet, and in the morning, I clung to both of them for a few minutes before we all had to get up.

  At work, about mid-morning, I decided to take a walk. I called Mom. “Hello, Darling,” she said.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I’m at work, but I’m going to take a walk.”

  “Is something wrong, Honey?”

  “No, Mom. Hang on.” I stepped outside and turned right. There wasn’t really anywhere to go, but just being outside was nice. “Mom, I’m currently dating a bunch of different people. They’re all special in their own way, but I’m not about to announce wedding bells, and with most of them, I know that’s not ever going to happen.”

  “Okay,” she said.

  “So if I tell you that someone wants to come visit you with me, I don’t want you getting all excited.”

  “You haven’t introduced me to very many girlfriends.”

  “Two, I think,” I said. “Mary and I have only been on one date, but we’re work friends, and when I told her a few things, she asked to come with. It’s kind of weird.”

  “I’d like to meet your friend, Selena. And I won’t look for an engagement ring.”

  “Or freak out if we share a bed?”

  “No, Honey. I won’t freak out if you share a bed. Tell me: if I were sharing a bed with someone, would you freak out?”

  “Yes.”

  She laughed. “That sounds like a double standard.”

  “It is,” I agreed. “Are you, Mom? I got the impression that wasn’t the case.”

  “I’ve shared beds. I’m not sharing with anyone lately.”

  “I think I’d be freaked out if I found out when you arrived, or if you were loud.”

  “Are you and Mary loud?”

  “Yes.”

  She laughed again. “When are you coming?”

  “Not tonight,” I said, offering a little laugh of my own. “I have to talk to Mary, but would next weekend be too soon?”

  “You’re just coming for a weekend?”

  “Maybe we can stay into the following week.”

  “If you want to stay overnight anywhere on the North Shore, it won’t be over a weekend.”

  “I’ll see what Mary says, and what my boss says.”

  “The boss you’re dating.”

  “Yes, but I’m not about to play the girlfriend card.”

  “No, that wouldn’t be you. Any time, Honey. Just warn me.”

  “I’ll see what I can arrange. I’ll get back to you.”

  * * * *

  I headed back in. Tara was in her office. “If I wanted to take a Friday through Wednesday off, maybe next weekend or the weekend after, is that okay? I have a ton of PTO banked.”

  “Of course. Duluth?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Of course,” she repeated.

  “Thanks. I’ll let you know.”

  I headed to Mary’s cube and sat down. She lifted a finger, clicked away at her computer for another minute, then turned to me and smiled.

  “So,” I said. “I’ve got something going on this weekend, but I want to ask you on two dates.”

  “Oh, two dates. I like it already.”

  “Monday or Tuesday.”

  “Yes.”

  “And then Thursday night until the following Wednesday.”

  She began smiling broadly. “Yes.”

  “The second part is tentative based on airline prices. When I’m just going for a short weekend, I sometimes fly to Minneapolis and drive, because sometimes it’s a lot cheaper. But if we have to rent a car that long, it eats up any savings. Flights will be cheaper if we had booked sooner or wait a few weeks. It might be as much as 600 dollars.”

  “That’s fine,” she said. “Book what you book and I’ll PayPal you. I’m open any of the next several weekends, so whatever you want to do.”

  “Okay.”

  “Monday or Tuesday?”

  “Let’s make it Monday.”

  “Monday it is.”

  “I’ll pick you up at home. 5:30.”

  “I’ll be ready. Will you be staying the night?”

  “Yes.”

  She smiled broadly. “Good.”

  * * * *

  I returned to my desk. Yes, I could save money if I booked the tickets out further. But it wasn’t a huge amount, and I went ahead and did it. Then I forwarded the details to everyone. Mary emailed back right away, and five minutes later, PayPal also emailed me that she’d paid me for her share. I called Mom and spoke briefly, and by the time we hung up, I had confirmation from HR for my vacation request.

  There. That was settled.

  I got back to work.

  * * * *

  I stepped outside. There was a car at the curb, and I walked to the driver. She smiled. “Ms. Stark?”

  “I’m Selena Stark,” I confirmed.

  “Very good.”

  The driver opened the door, and I climbed in. Once we were going I asked, “Where are you taking me?”

  “My directions are that this is a surprise.”

  “True.”

  “And my directions are to give you this.” She reached back, handing me a simple blindfold. “I wouldn’t force you to wear it, so it is entirely your choice if this remains a surprise to you.”

  “Put it on now?” I asked.

  “It isn’t a long drive.”

  I settled the blindfold in place, making sure I could see nothing. “Do you do this often?”

  “I have to admit: this is the first time I have had a single passenger who was blindfolded.” She paused. “You look cute.”

  I laughed. “I’m glad you think so. Do you work for wherever we’re going?”

  “I’m a Lyft driver, but in this case, I received a phone call.”

  “Ah.”

  We talked easily during the drive, and then we pulled off the main road. There were a few gentle turns, taken slowly, and then we came to a stop. She put the car in park and then said, “I feel a little weird about this.”

  “Was it Evie and Joy who called you?”

/>   “Evie,” she said.

  “I trust Evie. I think you’ve brought me somewhere that does altered-reality events. I called and asked Evie and Joy for a distraction. Or maybe you’re my distraction.”

  “I’m only your driver,” she said. “So, this is okay. I’m not doing anything…”

  “I don’t know why they don’t want me to know where we are, but yes, this is okay. Should I get out?”

  “I’ll help you inside,” she said. I heard her car door, and the car rocking, and then a moment later, my door opened. She helped me out then checked inside to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. She took my arm and led me inside.

  “Before you say anything,” she said, raising her voice. “This is Selena Stark. I’m not sure you should say Welcome To… somewhere.”

  A woman laughed. “Thank you for stopping me. Good afternoon, Ms. Stark.” I heard heels on a tile floor, and then the same woman from beside me. “May I touch you?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  There were fresh hands on my arm. “Have you been paid?”

  “Yes,” said my driver. “Evie took care of everything.”

  “Thank you. Hug?”

  She laughed. “Sure.” She pulled me into her arms and then said, “I feel like I’ve delivered you for something.”

  “You have,” I said. “For a distraction. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. I hope it goes well.”

  “It will.”

  She released me, and then the other woman said, “If you’ll come with me, Ms. Stark.”

  * * * *

  I zoned out, and the world changed.

  * * * *

  I waved. “There’s my mom. See you guys Monday.” I ran to the curb, and from inside the car, Mom popped open the passenger door. I climbed inside, tossing my stuff onto the back seat, and smiled at her.

  “Good day at school?”

  “Not bad, but it’s Friday!”

  “I thought we’d spend the weekend together. How does that sound?”

  “It sounds fabulous.”

  * * * *

  We had a lovely weekend. We did a little shopping, cooked a lot, and had a picnic at the park. It was absolutely lovely. We shared Sunday dinner, and then Mom said, “Let’s go sit.”

  “Dishes…”

  “Later,” she said. She stood and actually took my arm. I wondered if I were in trouble, but I let her lead me to the living room. We sat down together, and she took my hands. “I had a wonderful weekend.”