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“Were my directions on dress code unclear earlier, Miss Delgado? You were to wear what was in the garment bag.”
“I am. This dress was the only item in it.”
Dylan cocked her head as she stepped forward and reached into the center of her dress, tugging her out of her underwear. “I said you wouldn’t be needing those anymore.”
“I— Um ...” Ari stammered, then reluctantly removed and handed them to Dylan to stuff in her pants pocket. “Yes, Boss.”
“Good girl. Now, I need to go over a few details. Since I will oversee your training, I need you to put this on.” She handed Ari a black leather collar with a D-hook in the center. “Since you will not be available to the clients, you will be on a leash. This way, they know that you are mine and will have to ask me for permission for your involvement. Trust me, I won't give permission to anyone yet.”
The frightened expression prompted Dylan to take her cheek into her palm. “You’re mine until I know you’re ready. Now turn around.”
“Yes, Boss,” said Ari.
The soft scent of citrus flooded Dylan’s senses as Ari lifted her hair to allow better access to her neck. Once fastened, Dylan grabbed a leash, secured it to the D-hook, and then stepped in front of her. She looked stunning wearing the collar Dylan had purchased that morning with Ari in mind. It was the first time she presented anyone with a collar, and although it was purely symbolic, Ari was too new to know that. For Dylan, it meant Ari was hers.
With her finger under Ari’s chin, she lifted those green eyes to hers. “You already know how I like to be addressed, so now, I need you to not think so much and just do as I say. You will remain at my side the entire night.”
“Yes, Boss.” Ari swallowed hard, giving her full attention to her new employer.
“Good. Come on, I want to show off my new pet,” Dylan said with a wink.
Chapter 11
Cleaning, laundry, and writing consumed Ari’s first day off in over a week. Arriving home around four in the morning was a horrendous change of schedule made worse because it took at least another hour to decompress and process the events of the evening. As her body struggled to adapt to a new schedule, Ari imagined this must be what jet lag felt like. She slept for more than her normal six hours, which she used to do between midnight and six. Going to bed at six a.m. had her sleeping until almost three or four in the afternoon. It gave her no time for any kind of socializing and only allowed her to send a quick text to Billie before falling asleep.
The first week at Adytum was an eye-opening experience. It proved shocking, and Dylan was correct when she said that Adytum went far beyond the activities seen at The Pendulum. After seeing some scenes orchestrated and acted out by the clients with the working girls of Adytum, Ari found it hard to imagine everything was consensual. As she did at the audition, she had signed her body and soul over when she took the job, as did all the other women who work the floor at Adytum. After seeing an intense scene one evening, Ari had to ask her coworker if she enjoyed working there. The answer was a shrug, stating that she liked the paycheck. Ari had to agree because in the past week alone, she had earned more money than Terry fronted her.
All for what? A desirable woman who liked to steal her underwear and paraded her around on a leash? Scrubbing toilets and cleaning up other women’s secretions? In all the craziness of the situation, Ari had to admit she wasn’t hating it. Plus, Dylan kept her word. She had not been let loose on the floor.
The beep of the dryer drew Ari’s attention from Adytum and back to her laundry. She pulled the clean clothes out of the machine in the basement of her apartment building, and after ensuring everything was dry, she hoisted her basket and brought it up the four flights of stairs to her apartment. Using her hip to slam the door behind her, she tossed the basket on the sofa and collapsed next to it with a sigh.
For the first time in over a week, Ari looked around at her living room, reveling in the silence. While the dissonance of screams, groans, and cries of punished submissives had faded from her ears, the visions of lewd depravity replayed like a movie in her mind. In fact, it was like the first time she had watched porn on her mother’s laptop; the shock of the scenes had remained with her, which ruined her perception of what lovemaking meant.
When she picked up a towel to fold, the warmth reminded her of Dylan’s breath against the back of her neck. Dylan’s presence was a pleasant bonus of the job, but Ari couldn’t afford to lose focus. Infiltrate the club. Uncover illegal activities. And author a story that would launch her career as a serious journalist. There was one problem: she had yet to see anything nefarious within the walls of Adytum. The only thing that stood out was an underlying tension between Dylan and Cooper.
Cooper was nice to everyone and always happy to provide a drink or a kind word, but whenever Dylan sent Ari to fetch a drink from the bar, the disdain in Cooper’s eyes made her feel unwelcome. Not that she was outright rude or mean, but there was a clear undercurrent of stress in the surrounding air. She couldn’t shake the notion that something was off.
As Ari folded the last item, a smile appeared on her face when she saw it was a single pair of underwear. The number of panties in her basket had decreased since her last wash day. At the start of every shift, Dylan had confiscated every pair she tried to wear. At first, it was a source of annoyance, but as the week wore on, it grew into a game they shared. She’d be handing that pair over soon enough to her dominating boss.
With the laundry folded and put away, Ari sat at her laptop in the makeshift office she created in the corner of her living room. A folding table and chair sandwiched between the couch and the TV wasn’t a beautiful or even comfortable setup. It was functional, and that’s all Ari needed. An exasperated breath escaped Ari’s lungs as her fingers brushed against the keys. Not having anything to go on yet, she made an outline of ideas–bullet points to guide her along with the investigation. First, to scout out the reason behind the apparent tension between Dylan and Cooper. Second, Lady Katrina’s private lair. There was something within Maxi’s insinuation about “one-on-one-on-one time” that didn’t sit well. The quip seemed to carry a deeper, hidden meaning.
The protection of Dylan’s leash saved Ari from the lascivious floor work, but it hindered exploring the club. Just breathing bleach for hours while cleaning sheets and toilets wasn’t sufficient to create a negative narrative. Dylan’s tight leash, though arousing, didn’t allow Ari the freedom she needed to experience Adytum. She couldn’t do the job under Dylan’s watchful eye. And the idea of someone dominating her had grown stronger with each shift. While she didn’t want an overzealous socialite using her as a whipping post, Dylan as Domme might be worth the risk. The double-edged sword hung over her head as she scoured her mind for a way to find a balance.
A notification flashed across the screen just as Ari was about to close the laptop. Fuck! It was Terry. He wanted an update, and Ari had nothing to give. Tired of saying the same thing every day, she closed the computer and called her best friend.
“Hey, can we meet up?” Ari regretted the decision to lead with a question instead of a greeting.
“Sure. What’s wrong? Everything okay?” Always in tune, Billie knew something was on Ari’s mind.
“Can’t I just want to hang out with my bestie? It’s been a crazy week, and I can use a stiff drink to loosen up.”
“As long as that’s all it is ... sure! Usual place?”
“It is, and yeah. Let’s say around three?”
They ended the call, deciding to meet at their local watering hole, a place near Ari’s apartment. She could walk there. With an hour to be ready, Ari plopped on the sofa, too exhausted to move.
Their local bar had become an unofficial gay pub on the west side of the city. Ari and Billie sat down with their drinks on the patio. More men than women frequented the bar, and the women who showed up were more butch than femme. Until meeting Dylan, Ari had never found a masculine woman attractive. It was a pleasant afternoon, perfect to enjoy the outdoor seating on one of the many wicker sofas and chairs. Wednesday nights were slow, so they had their choice of places to perch before the evening cruising began.
