“I agree,” Master Anderson stated. “Mistress Isa, would you consider demonstrating them on our sub Ms. Taylor right now?”
Brie paused, pretending to ponder his request. She knew Lea didn’t care for needles, and giggled to herself when she saw her friend twitch in her seat. Master Anderson was delightfully evil on so many levels, but she had something even better in mind.
“Come,” she commanded, gesturing to Ms. Clark instead.
From under the hood she watched the trainer’s stunned face. Ms. Clark looked to Master Anderson.
He walked over to her and Brie could hear him whisper in the trainer’s ear, “This is a good sign, Samantha. She approves of you.”
Ms. Clark didn’t hesitate. She stood and walked over to Brie. “Please enlighten us, Mistress Isa.”
Brie nodded. “As you wish…”
She threw back her hood and grinned at everyone.
Ms. Clark stared in stunned silence, as Lea jumped up from her seat and ran with her arms outstretched.
“It’s my Brie!”
Bad Joke
The two girls hugged as Baron slowly clapped his hands. “Well played.”
Lea squeezed Brie tight, smothering her with her large bosom. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe you’re really here!”
Brie giggled, disengaging herself in order to breathe. “Here in the flesh, girlfriend!”
“Miss Bennett.”
“Master Anderson made me do it,” Brie blurted to Ms. Clark, fully expecting to see the Domme’s harsh glare, but she could have sworn she saw a twinkle in those eyes instead. It threw her off and she smiled tentatively at the trainer.
Ms. Clark turned to Master Anderson. “I need to stop trusting you. Naturally I had my doubts when you said Mistress Isa was coming to join the Academy, so I researched her online and found a whole website devoted to the Dominatrix. I had to assume she was an actual person.”
Master Anderson grinned like a naughty boy. “I did have fun setting that little baby up. Gratifying to know you actually visited the site.”
“As did I,” Baron replied. “What else would you expect from your training staff?”
Master Anderson threw back his head and laughed. “God, I love running this Academy!”
“If you weren’t Headmaster, I would lock you in the stockades,” Ms. Clark grumbled, but it was easy to tell she found the prank amusing. She turned her attention back to Brie and Lea. “It appears at least one person is happy to see you, Miss Bennett.”
“Yes, it does.” Brie gave Lea an extra-hard squeeze and smiled at Ms. Clark, shocked she’d gotten off so easily with the trainer. Would she pay later?
Baron stood from the table and walked over to the group. “It is good to see you again, kitten.”
Brie let go of Lea and gave him a hug, resting her head against his broad chest. There’d always been something comforting about the dark Dom—he was her safe place—and she inhaled deeply, taking in his spicy scent.
“How is Sir Davis?”
She broke the embrace and smiled up at him. “He is doing well. Finishing up some business in Japan then joining me here.”
“And Tono Nosaka?”
Brie kept it positive, knowing it was what Tono wanted—needed—from her. “He’s deeply saddened by the loss of his father, but Tono is determined to care for his mother and make the best of a difficult situation.”
“That is good to hear,” he replied in his low, soothing voice. “Tono Nosaka is someone I admire.”
“Me too!” Brie grinned and hugged him again. “It’s just so good to see you again. I’ve missed you, Baron.”
His thick lips curled up in a sexy smirk. “So you miss the old Baron, do you?”
“Of course! Not only did you help me through the first night at the Center, but you saved me from that creep at the Kinky Goat. You hold a special place in my heart, Baron. You always will.” Old habits die hard and she almost went up on her tiptoes to kiss those delicious lips. However, Brie fought the urge, concentrating instead on the reassuring weight of the collar around her neck.
“How long are you here, Brie?” Lea asked, spinning her around to face her.
Oh, how Brie had missed Lea’s infectious enthusiasm. “Only a week, I think. Sir is a busy man and I don’t think he’ll have time to visit for long.”
Master Anderson put his hand on her shoulder, his confident hold on her making Brie feel warm and tingling all over. “We’ll take however much time we’re given. Right now, however, Ms. Clark, Baron and I have some serious culling to do of the submissive entrants. Why don’t you and Lea spend some time catching up while we make our determinations?”
“How many videos today?” Baron asked.
Master Anderson smiled. “Only seven, but we can only choose two more for this coming session.”
Lea happily led her out of the conference room, but Brie glanced back and shivered involuntarily. To think that all the trainers had evaluated her own entrance video was a sobering thought. It was a good thing she’d only imagined Sir watching it when she filmed her application, or she would have lost her nerve. She looked briefly at Ms. Clark. What had the Domme thought when she’d viewed it? Had there been division among the trainers even then about her being part of the program? Brie wondered if it was a blessing that she was ignorant of the inner workings of a training center. Wise or not, she found herself hungry to know more.
“Have you ever watched an entrance video, Lea?”
“Oh no—they’re very strict about that. Only the trainers see them, then they’re erased once the students have been chosen. They take the applicants’ privacy very seriously.”
“That’s good to know.” As Lea led her down the hall to the Submissive Lounge, Brie asked a question that had been needling her. “Do they ever talk about what happens in those videos?”
“No, silly, I told you—they’re very protective of the entries. It’s serious business, girlfriend. Each applicant is treated with the same respect they give their students.” She bumped Brie on the hip. “Why? Was there something in your submission video you’re worried about? Come on, spill the beans!”
“Nothing too embarrassing, but you have to admit that thin little stick of a dildo was humorous to work with.”
Lea giggled. “I bet they did that just to see if we could suck tiny dicks without laughing.”
“Yeah, probably a requirement for submission to the Center…you know, just in case,” Brie added with an exaggerated wink. “I wonder what other women do to make themselves stand out in their videos.”
Lea answered with a naughty twinkle in her eye. “I cracked a couple of my famous jokes and showed off my gorgeous boobs when I did mine. I’m positive that’s why I was picked. What about you, Brie?”
She blushed. “I…umm…cried out a certain Headmaster’s name. Of course, I didn’t know who he was at the time, but he certainly inspired my performance.”
“OMG, Brie!” Lea put her arm around Brie’s shoulders. “Do tell, girlfriend.”
“Let’s just say that Sir Thane Davis shared that it was one of the finest entries he’s ever seen.”
“I bet!”
Brie confessed to her friend, “I just can’t help wondering what Coen, Marquis and Clark thought when they saw it.”
“If you cried out Sir’s name, I’m sure he had a lot of explaining to do.”
Brie frowned. “You’re probably right, but how can I find out for sure?”
“Hey, here’s a novel thought. Why don’t you ask him?”
“Oh, that’s a great idea! I don’t know why I never thought to ask Sir before.”
“You know what they say, girlfriend. Communication is the cornerstone of a healthy D/s relationship.”
“Yeah, yeah…” Brie conceded.
Lea dragged her to a couch and sat her down. “So tell me what happened in Japan. I was devastated to hear about Tono’s father.”
Brie quickly caught her up, but she purposely left out the confess
ion Tono’s father had made, as well as her disappointment that Tono was staying in Japan to care for his mother.
“So Tono can really sing, huh?”
“Oh yeah, Lea, you wouldn’t believe it. He could sing professionally if he wanted to, he’s that good.”
“Who knew the man was multitalented?”
“I know! Can you just imagine him and his father belting it out in secret?”
Lea shook her head. “No, I can’t. I really can’t.”
“Well, I couldn’t have either until I visited his father this time. I saw a whole new side to him.”
“That’s good…and kind of sad.”
Brie sighed. “Yes, it is. I didn’t come to understand the man until he was dying.”
“I came across a joke recently that had me thinking of Tono.”
Brie knew that was Lea’s way of trying to add some light to a tough situation, so she went ahead and sacrificed for the team. “Let me hear it.”
Lea squealed. “Great! You can share it with Tono too, if you want, the next time you see him.”
“I will, but only if it’s funny.”
“Okay, here it goes. Do you know why I didn’t enjoy my time at the bondage club?”
“No, Lea. Why didn’t you enjoy your time at the bondage club?”
“All I wanted was sex with no strings attached.”
Brie groaned. “Boo!”
“Ooh, ooh, I’ve got another one!”
“I’m not sure I can handle another one.”
“Bondage is brilliant!” Lea exclaimed, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. “Truss me.”
Brie groaned. “Those were both terrible.”
“But they made you smile,” Lea insisted.
“Only because they were so bad.”
“Exactly! That’s the beauty of a good bad joke—you can’t help but love them.”
“The only thing I love is you. The jokes? Not so much.”
“Aww, aren’t you just the sweetest stinky cheese? Wait! I’ve got one more.”
“No more, Lea. No more, please.”
“But this one’s for you,” she said, pouting.
Lea was hard to resist, so Brie relented. “Fine, but I’m only letting you because I love you.”
“I love you too, Brie,” she cooed, giving her a tight squeeze. “So…did you hear about the French cheese factory that exploded?”
“Nope.”
“All that was left was de Brie.”
This time Brie actually laughed.
“De Brie! Isn’t that great?”
“It’s stupid, but I love it,” Brie admitted. “Thanks, Lea.”
“Any time, girlfriend. So what are your plans while you’re here?”
“Well, I’m hoping to film a few scenes at the Academy. But mostly I just want to spend every minute I can hanging out with you.”
“Me too! But…not tonight.”
Brie was crushed. “Why not?”
“I already made plans with another friend.”
“Can’t I join you?”
Lea hesitated. “She’s extremely shy, Brie. It’s taken me weeks just to get her to agree to go out with me tonight.”
Brie thought she understood and asked in a hushed tone, “Is she a new girlfriend by chance?”
Lea rolled her eyes. “No. She’s just a really cool person I want to know better, but if I ask you to join us, I know she’ll bail on me.”
“But Lea,” Brie whimpered, “I haven’t seen you in, like, forever and I’m only here for a week. Please don’t leave me hanging tonight.”
In answer, Lea gave Brie another hug. “I know this stinks, but if things go well tonight I’ll ask if she’d like to meet you. I make no promises and you can’t be offended if she says no.”
Now it was Brie’s turn to roll her eyes. “What, is this girl a mountain hermit or something?”
Lea hemmed and hawed before answering, “You could say that, I guess.”
Her best friend was being so weird and secretive that it turned Brie off. Even if this mystery person agreed to meet, Brie wasn’t sure she would like the girl. “I only have a week here,” she reminded Lea.
“I know, I know! But remember I didn’t even know you were coming until you threw off your hood today.”
Brie giggled. “Oh my goodness, wasn’t that nuts?”
“Master Anderson is so bad!” Lea agreed. “It’s another reason I love it here.”
“Do you think Ms. Clark is okay with it? I was really surprised she handled it so well.”
Lea suddenly became serious. “Although Mistress Clark still maintains her strict demeanor, around the staff she’s been much more open and fun.” Lea mused out loud, “It seems she’s less tortured than before and I don’t know if it’s moving to Denver, Master Anderson’s crazy antics or what, but it’s nice that others are getting to see the person I fell in love with.”
Brie wondered whether letting go of Rytsar had been the biggest reason for her change. “Are the two of you finally an item now?”
Lea shrugged. “She’s still trying to find her way. I don’t think even she knows what she wants, but I’m willing to wait. In the meantime I’m having tons of fun getting to know the other Dominants and submissives in Denver. They’re a friendly bunch, let me tell you.”
Brie clasped her hand. “I’m happy to hear it. So it sounds as if I’ll have to be content with seeing you tomorrow, then.” She stuck out her bottom lip and cried, “I don’t know how I’ll survive.”
Lea held out her little finger and grinned. “I promise to make it up to you—pinky swear.” Brie wrapped her pinky around it and they shook to seal the deal.
Baron peeked his head into the room. “Ms. Taylor, Master Anderson has requested that you return to the staff room.”
Lea got up reluctantly. “I’m sorry I have to leave you, Brie.”
“Don’t concern yourself about that,” Baron replied. “I’m taking Miss Bennett to the Denver Brewery while you attend the meeting.”
Brie loved the idea of getting to spend time alone with Baron, and waved goodbye to her friend. “I’ll be fine. Go have fun with all that behind-the-scenes stuff you do.”
“Later, ’gator,” Lea called, throwing her a kiss before traipsing out of the room.
“So, kitten, which do you prefer—dark or light beer?”
“I like it dark,” she answered with a cheeky grin.
“Indeed.”
He took her to the local brewery within walking distance of the training facility. It was lovely to stroll beside the handsome Dom under the blue skies of Denver. “Do you like it here, Baron?”
“It’s different from LA. I’d say it’s more laid back and more outdoorsy, but the people seem genuine. Yeah, I like it well enough.”
“But your heart’s still in Los Angeles?” Brie asked, detecting a hint of sadness in his voice.
“I miss the places and things that remind me of Adrianna.”
It hurt Brie’s heart to know that Baron was missing his submissive. She could only imagine how she would feel if she ever lost Sir. “Do you mind me asking how she died?”
“No, kitten, but let’s get a beer and sit down first.”
When they entered the Denver Brewery he ordered two of their darkest brew at the bar, then settled beside her at a booth near the window, sliding her glass over to her.
Baron took a long drink and licked off the foam that rested on his upper lip. It was casually sexy, an unintended effect that made it all that much more charming.
“You were saying?” Brie started.
“Adrianna…” He said her name in a wistful, anguished tone. “She was my dream made flesh. Sir Davis invited me to her graduation party and introduced us personally. I knew then that she was the one. Our courtship was quick, her submission unconditional.” He looked up from his beer. “I knew the love of a good woman, and it is because of that I survived the aftermath of her death.”
Brie was gutted to see the love
and pain expressed in his hazel eyes. “What happened?”
“We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Adrianna and I had gone to a late-night movie at our neighborhood theater. It was raining, so I went to get the car. Three hoodlums walked past Adrianna, saw an opportunity and attempted to mug her, but when she wouldn’t give up her purse, they beat my baby unconscious. I got there to find her on the pavement, bloody and unresponsive. I rushed her to the hospital but…” He paused, then said gruffly, “My baby never woke up.”
Brie grasped his hand. “I’m so sorry, Baron.”
He smiled sadly at her. “As penance for not being there when she needed me, I’ve dedicated my life to protecting other women from the scum of the Earth.”
“So that’s why you were at the Kinky Goat…”
“Yes, but the last thing I wanted to see was you there, kitten.”
Brie hung her head in shame. “It was a terrible mistake.”
“You did nothing wrong, other than meet with your friends at a place you weren’t familiar with. In some ways it was similar to what happened to my Adrianna—wrong place, wrong time.”
“She must be so proud of you now. Proud of your strength to carry on, proud of the many women you’ve helped.”
He furrowed his brow, his eyes dull with unresolved pain. “I hope she has forgiven me for not being there.” He shook his head and looked away. “Every time I think of that night, I hear her crying out my name, trusting I would save her…but I never came.”
Brie swallowed the lump in her throat. “Adrianna wouldn’t have blamed you. I only have to put myself in that situation to know how she felt. Although she would have been praying you’d come in time, she died knowing she’d see you again, and that would have brought her peace.”
He blinked away the tears that welled up in his eyes, and took another draught of beer. “Thank you, kitten,” he said hoarsely.
Brie nodded, picking up her glass. “Do you think you’ll end up going back to LA, then?”
He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’m uncertain at this point. Mentally I understand the benefits of moving on, but my heart does not. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
“Do you like being a trainer at the Academy?”