“Essentially, they are your 'pet'.” He Paused, probably noting the confusion spreading across my face. “Somewhat of an adoption agency, mixed in with a brothel.”

“So, these are…. Prostitutes?” I asked, a little rudely.

“Well, no. It’s a licensed brothel so it’s completely legal. Everything is confidential. The girls are carefully screened and have their regular check-ups. You can view them online or go down to the place yourself. They each get their own room, there are webcams set up in their rooms and showers. However, you pay extra to view those. And even extra for one-on-one video sessions!” He added, getting more enthusiastic as I was getting less.

“And they act like animals. Like… a dog.” I slightly scoff.

“A PET,” he said, assertively. “They can adapt to personas of bunnies, kittens. Or pups. If you prefer.” He gave me a look.

Sigh.

“So, the infant version of animals. Right. But, why? And how is this… sexy?” I ask.

“Well, it’s more than just the kinky part of them dressing as a cute little kitten and lapping at your asshole. You are also their caregiver. You won’t be their ‘master’ as you would be in a BDSM relationship. Although, they aren’t impartial to the lifestyle.” He grins, “But you are so much more than that.”

“How so?”

“Well, with a slave, there can be degradation. Discipline. Humility. Belittling. And in Dominant/Sub relations, there is obedience, and completely submitting to one with trust and pleasure. That can work in and outside of the bedroom. But a caregiver… Much like the owner of an animal… there are many more aspects to it. As much as a pet relies on you, for protection, food, shelter… you also depend on the pet for affection and friendship. Make more sense?”

I slowly nodded before taking the last drink of scotch from my glass and firmly set it back on the table between Larry and me.

Getting dates was not a problem for myself. If all I wanted was the physical connection then that was an easy fix. However, I never seemed to connect with anyone on an emotional level. Something was definitely missing.

One evening, after another disappointing date, I found myself frustrated and not just sexually. Giving up on the idea of dating, I hopped into bed and grabbed my laptop and thought I would get some work done before the sandman calls. The card from Larry had slid out from where the laptop sat on my bedside and fell to the floor. Curiosity struck my fancy on this particularly lonely night and I typed in the website, www.smol.com. “Submissive. Master. Obedient. Little.” read across my screen as the site loaded. It was an eighteen and over site and required you to comply with your real birthdate to proceed.

June 18, 1985. Enter.

A new page had loaded, previewing scantily clad girls of all backgrounds and body types. Some were collared and had kitty or bunny ears. Some were bound with cuffs and others with rope. The menu to the left of the page had “Live Cams”, where you could view into the bedrooms of these girls. You could pay for each session or subscribe to a package. The cameras were placed in different areas to have aerial and other views into their rooms. Another option available is to request one-on-sessions, just as Larry had said. While in these sessions, you are able to “tip” them or buy them treats such as something to eat or drink, served by waitstaff at the agency or by purchasing them an outfit and/or toy. All of these rooms were held in the adoption agency where most of these girls resided.

A link reading “Apply for a pet” was near the bottom of the page. I clicked on it and the application process loaded in another window. The process covered the basics and assured absolute discretion. Once your application has been selected, you would be taken to the next level: the screening. This is where you would provide medical records showing you are free from disease and bring forth any other health concerns, i.e. diabetic, seizures, etc. For liable reasons, of course. When you’re in the clear, you then request a “meeting” with your pet. You can have the agency pick one for you, or you can filter through the ones online and it is all in the individual’s hands, if they decide to date you or not.

“SMOL’s first priority is the safety and wellbeing of all of our pets! Each pet will be escorted to and from dates and will at all times be wearing a waterproof collar provided by the agency that will track their locations. If these collars are tampered with or removed, the agency will be promptly notified, and security measures will be taken to ensure that they are safe and happy.”

The agency was so thorough, that all date locations had to be preauthorized. They wouldn’t allow the girls to go to some shady domiciles. Hotels were also a big no-no. They looked into your work, income, address, health all before even letting the pets have a say in who they wanted to date.

Prices ranged from a single date to overnight visits. And the last option for you and your pet? Adoption. Larry had no intentions of ever adopting so this is information he had not disclosed with me. I didn’t dwell on the thought of it too long. Were they asking people to purchase a human being? That didn’t sound very appealing to me at all to be basically buying yourself a live-in girlfriend.

The idea seemed absurd to me and I lightly laughed at myself for having even landed on this page. I have always been proud of my appearance and thought of myself as the entire package. Smart, educated, cultured, athletic, good-looking, an excellent lover and very successful. Me, paying for the company of a woman was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard of.

And then, I saw her. Katy.