Marsha met Andy at the door. “Are you going to go to Mistress?”

“Still thinking about it.”

“What is there to think about?”

“It’s a shot in the dark. I have no way of knowing if it’s right for me. If I was going to a conference or signing on for a course, there would be a program, a curriculum, I’d know what I was getting. With Mistress, I have no idea. I’ll learn something, that’s for sure, and I’m guessing, or hoping, that I can extract something useful, but there are risks.”

“Like what?”

“What if I like it? What if her idea is to use me as a slave so I can figure out how to be a master, but what if I enjoy being a slave? It could wreck the whole thing.”

“Not totally.”

“I’ve just spent the afternoon telling Candy that I can dominate her, take control of her and use her when she needs it. That will be tough if I’m feeling like I’m standing on my head.”

Marsha laughed. “You’ll be fine. Anyone who can come up with that kind of analysis is never going to be a slave. Yeah maybe you might have fun with some sub tendencies but I can’t see you sinking into it. When I was her slave, I knew I didn’t have to worry about a thing. There was a weird kind of freedom in letting everything go... Everything — I let the world go. I can’t see you doing that.”

“Is that why you got on with Candy? Seeing something in her you identified with?”

“I’m not an intellectual Andy; how the fuck would I know? It could be what you say, or maybe I recognised a randy slut, or maybe it was seeing her shamelessly naked that day.”

Andy laughed. “Yeah, I get it, I think too much, I know I do, but that’s how I survive.  What she got up to would have destroyed a lot of men. Other guys would have kicked her out the first time. It hurt me when she sprang it on me, more than she realised, more than I let her see. It did make me think, and thinking got me through.”

“It’s part of why she loves you.”

“What was it you said a minute ago? Shamelessly naked? What did you mean?”

“I told you we met in a store changing room. When she stripped she wasn’t discreet, like a lot of women would have been. She was out front with it, more than showing off, being brazen. Like she didn’t give a damn about who saw; know what I mean?”

“I think I know what you mean, but she doesn’t do that with me. I’ve had a glimpse once or twice, like the first few times we went clubbing.”

“She loves you, she’s desperate to stay with you, so she tones it down to fit what she thinks you expect. She needs your approval. With other guys she doesn’t care, it’s take-it-or-leave-it. If they disapprove they can fuck off.”

“I had an idea, something to kick off changing things when she comes home. Something you said triggered an idea.”

“What did I say?”

“I think you said you were naked all the time when you were with Mistress.”

“Not all the time, but yeah, often, like sometimes a week or two at a time. So what was this thought of yours?”

“When she comes home, I thought I might lock up her clothes.”

“All of them?”

“Well yeah, it would have to be all of them and we’d have to make sure she couldn’t borrow yours or order some new ones. It’s not as if she’ll need clothes. She’ll be convalescing, in bed half the time doing a bit of exercise in the garden and stuff like that. It would keep her here, so she wouldn’t rush off and do something daft.”

“Oh wow.” Marsha looked at him for a few seconds. “What did you think of the slave that Mistress made to blow you?”

“Watching her being punished got to me. I struggled to keep it together. That wasn’t fair. No one said there was a time limit.”

“There wasn’t, Mistress was playing you. She has a load of these little mind-fucks. What did you think of her outfit?”

“Playing me?”

“Did the spikes in the cupboard freak you out?”

“Yeah.”

“They’re rubber. I know, I’ve been in that display box. So, about the outfit?”

Andy grinned, Mistress might have played him, but Marsha was doing a good job too.

“The belt and collar? You call that an outfit?”

“Cuffs too.”

“It was very sexy.”

“Candy would look good in that wouldn’t she.”

“You’re wicked.”

“No, I’m not. I’ll tell you what, I’ll wear something like that at home, at least until she gets home. I think I should wear that when she gets home, that’ll wind her up no end.” Marsha collapsed into a fit of giggles.

“Does that mean we have to go shopping?”

“No, it means you have to wait here a minute.”

Andy sat down, trying to collect his thoughts, unsure what the hell was going on. This was getting away from him. He had to decide whether to take up Mistress’s offer. At least he had another day to decide.

Marsha returned covered in a bedsheet.

“Oh I like it,” Andy said. “Simple, easy to wash, good for all occasions. Sit there and enjoy.”

Marsha stood in front of him and spun around, throwing the sheet off as she turned. She was naked with a collar, wrist and ankle cuffs and the four-inch belt cinching her waist.

“Not identical,” she said, “but you get the style.”

“Do another twirl.”

She turned, almost in slow motion, dragging it out, lifting one leg, twisting it behind her and then switching her weight to that leg to complete the turn.

“How come you packed that? Do you carry those things everywhere you stay?”

“It doesn’t take up much space,” she giggled, “and you never know…”

“Is that a butt plug I see?”

“Mmmm, it helps get me in the mood.”

“We should get some Ben Wa balls.”

“We already have.”

“Oh. Right. You’re ahead of me.”

“You like?”

“Awesome and as good as Mistress’s slave. There’s one thing missing. Stay there.”

Andy reappeared a minute late with a length of chain and a small padlock. He attached the chain to the loop on the collar and led Marsha out into the garden.

“Does that feel good?” Marsha said. “Can you imagine doing this to Candy?”

“Mmmm, yes. Thanks.”

“Have you made up your mind about Mistress?”

“I’m dithering. I get crazy thoughts, what if Candy has a setback, what if she’s in hospital for ages.”

“Mistress is letting you out every day. If it gets too much, then you don’t go back.”

Marsha watched Andy’s face. “You’d find that hard to do, huh?”

“If I say I’ll do something...”

“So tell her it’s only for two weeks or whatever.”

“That’s hard to do... she’s so intimidating.”

“You’re training to be a dom.”

“Yeah, I know. I’ll sleep on it. I’ll know in the morning”

“You might not get much sleep.”

“Because I have a naked slave to entertain? Is that how the slave thing works?”

“No. Not at all. The master decides what he wants to do with the slave and the slave does what they’re told. That’s what you must do with Candy.”

“But not with you?”

“I didn’t say that. What you have to get your head around is that you become responsible for everything. You decide when to feed me, where I sleep, what I wear, everything. My guess is that could be hard work for you.  You have a lot to learn.”

“I still don’t get why that will make me exhausted.”

“If you go to Mistress, then this may be your last night with me before Candy comes home; depending on when that happens and how long Mistress wants to keep you. It won’t be quite the same after Candy gets home.”

Andy smiled, looking for a second into what would have been the middle distance if they’d been standing on some romantic hillside.

“No,” he said, “though maybe not in the way you’re thinking.”

“Go on.”

“There’s an idea that keeps coming into my head. I keep seeing you and me having sex, fucking every which way, and Candy has to watch. Sometimes it’s just to turn her on, sometimes it’s punishment...”

“For all the cocks that weren’t yours, all the hours she kept you waiting...”

“And all the times she was —”

“Fucking me when it should have been you?”

“Could rather than should I think. More to the point, she didn’t tell me. Not when she met you, which would have been fun and I’d have loved it, and not any time after.”

“So you want to fuck me in front of her?”

“And have her clean up both of us when we’re done, and then she should get me hard and we’d go at it again.”

“Do I get a choice? What if I said no?”

“I was hoping you would say yes. It wouldn’t do my reputation as a master much good if you turned me down.”

“So you are going to Mistress?”

Andy sighed. “I guess, I can’t think of a reason not to, apart from being scared shitless and missing some nights with you.”

“Andy that’s not the way to go into this. Think of it as a unique adventure.  She’s good. You’re bound to learn a lot.”

“Are you up for an adventure?”

“I’m a slave, you decide.”

“How much nerve have you got?”

“I’m a slave so I have to do whatever you say but you have to look after me and keep me safe.”

Andy led Marsha back into the house and picked up her nurse's cloak from the hall. He wrapped her in it, fastened the clasp, opened the front door and led her out to the car.

“Are we going for a drive?”

“This ticks one fantasy off my bucket list and get something to eat.”

Andy helped Marsha into the car, strolled round to the driver’s side and let himself in. Five minutes later they were on the edge of the park. Andy pulled over into a convenient space. He strolled around to the passenger side and opened the door for Marsha. Outside the car, he pressed Marsha against the closed door reached inside her cloak to lock her hands together behind her back and then led her away from the car.

Each step Marsha took the cloak moved a little, threatening with every step to fly open and reveal the naked body inside. After two minutes of walking, Marsha stepped ahead of Andy, making use of the slack in the chain and walked backwards in front of Andy.

“I thought you ought to have the benefit of the view.”

Andy laughed and stopped walking. He reached forward and fixed the two of the clasps on the cloak, holding it a little more closed.

“I suppose you think this is me I’m looking after you like I’m supposed to,” he said.

“It looks like that.”

“It’s because there’s a street food place a little way from here and I want to walk a little faster. You walking that way is too slow and I’m hungry.”

Marsha erupted in a guttural chuckle, somehow making laughter sound dirty. She fell into step beside Andy.

“Where is this classy restaurant?”

“It’s a food truck, they do pizza and kebabs and such like.”

“What are we going to have?”

“Pizza.”

“Because it takes the longest to cook?”

“Am I that transparent?”

Marsha laughed and said nothing until they rounded a turn in the path and the truck came into view. There were three people near the truck, waiting for food. Andy reached to undo the lower clasps on the cloak, watching Marsha’s face as he did. She kept smiling, but he noticed her gaze flick past his shoulder twice, a frisson of anxiety visible for a split second each time as she tried to size up the strangers.

Andy pulled her close and kissed her, his hands reaching behind her back to release the cuffs.

“You didn’t have to,” she said.

“Some anxiety makes it fun, too much spoils it — I may want to do this again.”

That brought another chuckle. “Keep hold of that chain,” she said.

No one looked at them until they arrived at the truck and ordered.

“Five minutes,” said the guy taking the money.

When they turned away to wait one guy saw the chain and nudged his girlfriend. Andy watched them whispering. Marsha nuzzled close to him and nibbled his ear.

“You realise you will have to feed me. I can’t put my arms out of this cape.”

This time Andy chuckled.

The girl separated herself from her companions, pushing one away in a playful gesture before strolling in their direction

“That chain? is that —”

“We’re on our way to a fancy dress party,” Andy said.

Marsha cuddled closer to Andy’s other ear.

“Chicken,” she whispered and turned to the girl.

“Fancy it?”

“Depends on what’s under that cape. Are you a real nurse?”

“I am, but that’s not what’s under the  cape.” Marsha pulled the girl towards her, took the girl’s hands and pulled them inside the cloak. She kissed the girl as soon as her eyes lit up.

“Just be dead sure about the bloke before you try it.” The girl pulled back, giggled and turned to go back to the two guys who were collecting their food.

“It’s just the way she wears it,” she said. “She’s a nurse.”

“She looks sexy though.”

“If you like that.”

The three strangers headed for their car, the girl looking back over her shoulder as they got to the car.

“Did she wink?”

Andy laughed. “You’re wicked.”

“Will I be punished?”
 
The truck guy called out that the food was ready.

“Get me a hot coffee as well please,” Marsha said.

Andy grabbed the pizza, a can of coke and a coffee, balancing the drinks on top of the pizza box.

“Can we go back into the woods,” Marsha said.

“Why?”

“Andy stop being disingenuous. You want a blow job from a naked slave. Don’t deny it... when that gets started you’ll forget about anything else, hence the need for some cover.”

“What about the food?”

“You want me to eat double pepperoni with the extra jalapeño and then wrap my mouth around your cock? Are you that brave?”

Andy collapsed laughing. “Damn, I’m useless, I can’t even get my own fantasy right.”

Marsha dragged him towards the woods, pushed him against a tree, threw off her cloak so she could kneel on it and had his cock in her hand seconds later.

“Coffee,” she said.

“What?”

“Don’t argue.” She grabbed the cup, took a big swig, swirled it around in her mouth while she worked his cock with her hand.

“Play with my tits, come on Andy, get into it.” She took another swig of coffee, chuckled and took his cock in her mouth, taking him as deep as she could and then held still, waiting for the heat in her mouth to take effect.

She waited, getting the full effect of the heat, pulled back, and took another swig of coffee.

“Imagine what those jalapeños might have been like.”

After that, her little joke over, Marsha settled into a rhythm, working on Andy’s cock, feeling it getting harder and beginning to thrust. Her anxiety about the possibility of discovery spurred her on and maybe the excitement of the situation impacted Andy too.

He came in a few minutes, Marsha tipping her head back at the first spurt, laughing and throwing herself flat on her back. Andy had no choice but to splatter her naked body.

In a second she slapped her hand over her mouth, forcing herself to be quiet. Andy pulled the cloak from under her knees and spread it over her. He sat beside her, opened the pizza box and ripped out one slice. He ran a finger over her cheek picking up a small splurge of cum, wiped it on to the pizza and began to feed her the slice. Marsha let him feed her but sat up after the first slice. She pulled a tissue from a pocket inside her cloak, wiped herself and reached for the coffee.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“How did that match up to what was in your head?”

“You were better, I was worse.”

“Go on.”

“I wasn’t masterful was I? It was a great blowjob and the trick with the hot coffee was awesome, but you dreamed that up, not me. If I try to do the business for Candy I need to up my game.”

“So go see Mistress, find out what she can teach you.”

“Yeah,” Andy said, his voice dropping, flat and sinking.

“Eat. It sounds like you need the calories.” Marsha pulled him towards her and kissed him.

“Don’t imagine that those hulks who fuck Candy are going in with some master plan, they just want to get their rocks off and they don’t care a shit about Candy. They’re selfish, that’s the part you find hard. You care too much. Try now and then to be mad at her. Try to be mad that she left you out of it and almost killed herself doing it. Practice being pissed off.”

“Yeah but...”

“No. No buts. You have to do this. She has to understand that she can’t do crazy again. If she needs to be used like a whore, then you need to find some bull who’ll do the work or you need to do it.”

Andy took a deep breath and almost said ‘yes ma’am’ but caught himself just in time.

“That’s enough from you,” he said, trying to look stern. “Eat the pizza and start behaving or you’re walking back to the car without the cloak.”

“Yes… master.”

Andy noticed a smirk as she spoke.

“What?”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

When they got home Marsha insisted on staying naked with the collar and cuffs the whole evening.

“Why are you keeping the outfit?”

“So you get used to them.”

“So I’m turned on all the time?”

“Sort of. The big thing is that they keep me in my place, remind me all the time about what I am.”

She paused for a second, a serious, almost sober, smile lingering.

“I thought if I kept wearing them then you could get used to it, relax a bit, get past the first urges and think about being a master. You have to do this. Put Candy in her place. Make her feel subservient, helpless even, out of control. Keep her guessing. If you get too turned on by how she looks you give the power back to her. Do you get that?”

“In theory... I guess.”

“Now you take the Viagra.”

“What?”

“It takes a while to work, so you have an hour to get used to the naked slave. Do some cooking or maybe a workout. Go jogging. Leave me here chained up — on a long chain.”

Andy stood looking a little dumb.

“Go on. Get the chain and your tracksuit.”

“No, you get them.”

Marsha grinned. ”Yes, sir.”

Five minutes later Andy was jogging down the street trying to make sense of what was happening to him.

Marsha was in the garden on a long chain enjoying the cool evening air. There was an old stone block in the garden, used to tie up horses years ago; Andy had kept it because the rustic look had charm. Right now thirty feet of chain was bolted to the ring with the other end padlocked to Marsha’s collar. It should have been a rough rustic chain, Andy had added that to his list of things to get done before Candy came home. Marsha had enough chain to make it to the fridge but no further into the house.

She opened a bottle of Prosecco chucked some ice in a glass and sat in a deck chair; one way or another the evening should be fun.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

Andy jogged, distracted, not sure which way he was going. He had to stop to think which way to go. He stopped running, took his pulse and walked. Counting helped, it was calming, and he had to concentrate but the number was less reassuring. 120, not crazy but how much was running and how much the stress of thinking about what he had to do?

Did he have to be the master that Marsha described? Could he get someone else to do it instead? As he started jogging again, trying to take easy relaxed strides he tried to imagine recruiting a dominant man who would do what Candy needed. For a few seconds it was a good idea, must until he imagined how this character would treat the husband who didn’t have what it took.

When Candy played away before it was never an issue, not in any direct sense — he didn’t have to meet the bulls and like as not most of them didn’t know he existed. If he had met them he’d probably have hated them — yes he’d learned karate and he could handle himself, but like as not there would have been too many of them.

By the time he got to the end of the road, the bulls were out of the picture. He had to do it himself... or... what about Mistress? Maybe the trick would be to send Candy to Mistress from time to time. By the time he got home he had a plan, he’d have a go at it but maybe he could work out a deal with Mistress as a backup. Being a master must be stressful, at least until he got the hang of it, so he might need to send Candy to Mistress when he needed a rest.

He headed for home and turned his mind towards Marsha — more specifically what to do with Marsha. I ought to think about what to do to Marsha, not with her. She’s supposed to have no choice, but can I be that kind of guy?

How do I make myself take charge? That is the question. That’s what she wants... and there’s the tricky part. As Andy jogged home, there was an imaginary conversation running in his mind.

I’m a collaborative guy, working with someone — someone like Candy or Marsha. I like give-and-take... to-and-fro... interaction.

After a hundred yards more jogging another piece of the jigsaw fell into place in Andy’s head. The master-slave stuff involves give and take, the same as everything else, but the timing is different. Instead of to-and-fro — continuous interaction — it’s all one way and then maybe all the other. She gives everything in one go and then I take until we’re done. What do I have to give back?

His feet kept hitting the pavement, each heel strike creating a little shock that sent ripples up his legs and spine, forcing his body forward but somehow nudging his thoughts along.

There would always be communication even if I gagged her... I’d know if she was unhappy, even if she didn’t say. Things change; her face, her voice, her skin, the way she moves. Even if she had a hood on, I’d know if she was good with it or not.

By the time he could see the house he knew it was down to him. He had to open up his senses, pay attention, real attention, and do more of what got the right responses and dial back on what didn’t.

It might just be brilliant... He had to make it brilliant.