Serial Saturday NORTHWEST HUNTERS Book Two, Chapter Five

Northwest Hunters:  Finding Happiness

Chapter 5:  A New Friend

Junie was pulled from a deep sleep by a strangled shriek from the next room.  She stretched and rubbed at her eyes and lay for a minute listening.  She could hear Bob’s voice speaking softly, but she could not make out the words.  Again she heard a cry of pain, a muffled pleading squall of distress. 

Slipping from the bed, Junie silently tiptoed to the door and opened it a crack and peeked out into the play room.  It was only dimly lit with candles in the fireplace, on the mantle and the candle held in Bob’s hand. 

Junie could see the flickering light reflecting off Bob as he stood nude leaning over Donna.  She was stretched in a painful arch backwards over the padded sawhorse her arms and legs bound to the legs, her head dangling down, her cunt offered up at the peak of the tense curve of her body.  Bob leaned over Donna and Junie heard her voice swell in another soft garbled cry.

This time Junie could understand Bob’s words, “Not yet.  Not fucking yet.”

Like a moth drawn to a flame Junie found her feet taking tiny steps toward this candlelit scene, her neck craning to see more.  There was the pungent sent of Donna’s arousal filling the room, its familiar sweetness overlaying the smell of the candle wax. 

Bob’s eye caught her standing there and he frowned and then gestured for her to come closer.  His voice was admonishing, “Donna, you have woken Junie.  You know what that means.” 

Donna’s whole body convulsed and twisted against the ropes holding her, a long low howl of panic shook her, “OOOOOHHHH!”  Junie could see her now.  She was wearing a blindfold and the ball gag.  Her whole body was coated in wax, even the weights dangling from her nipples had small stalactites of wax hanging down from them.

Junie heard a soft clinking sound and her eyes turned to Bob.  He had put down the candle and was reaching into a small dish and held up an ice cube for her to see and then pressed it to the wax coated surface of Donna’s cunt.  Donna jerked and lunged against her restraints and a grunt of pain was wrenched from her lips.  When he spoke he had that frightening kind of conversational tone that Junie was beginning to recognize as Bob when he was at his most detached and analytically cruel state.  “She can’t tell the difference between cold and hot now.”  A tiny thought occurred to her, that he must have to set aside a lot of his emotions to do these things; and that he had to be in absolute control of himself as well as of the woman under his hands. 

Bob reached down and began to pick away the hardened wax that coated Donna’s thighs and labia.  The white wax came away in big pieces revealing the red flesh below.  Again he ran the ice cube over Donna’s skin and then pressed it directly against her clitoris.  Donna grunted again surging weakly against bindings.  Bob reached for the candle and lifted it up over her exposed tissues and began to drip the wax down.  Each drop forced a pleading squeal from behind the gag in Donna’s mouth.

Almost without being aware of her steps, Junie continued to creep closer, unable to fight the pull of curiosity.  Her eyes were mesmerized by each sparkling drop of the melted wax as it spilled down and splashed down onto Donna’s quivering flesh.  She moved closer and closer until Bob looked up at her sharply and made a soft growling sound deep in his throat.  “Junie, go back to bed.”

She froze and looked up at him for the briefest of moments, the urge to obey struggling against her fascinated attraction, before she turned and fled back to her room.  But she did not go back to bed.  She knelt silent inside her door, peeking out the crack at the dimly lit tableau.  She could not see much and Bob’s voice was just a muted growl, but each whimper and grunt of pain he wrung from Donna echoed and seemed to fill Junie’s ears.  It seemed like an eternity of subtle movements, soft strangled groans and garbled pleading muffled by the gag before the sounds coming from Donna became almost continual.  Only then did Junie hear Bob’s words clearly as he barked out his final permission, “Now, my goddess, now.”

Donna’s cry of joy rose and rose, it built to a crescendo of ecstasy, and then fell to a long series of soft low moans of satisfaction.  Junie watched as Bob quickly untied Donna’s bonds and lifted her into his arms holding her close, murmuring softly.  Junie felt a tear slip down her cheek and silently crept to her bed.

Junie was kneading a large lump of bread dough, looking across the kitchen counter at Donna as she sat at her favorite place at the kitchen table her fingers flying over the keyboard of her laptop when Bob came in with the mail.  He dropped a large envelope on the table.  He looked up at Junie and his eyes were serious.  “This is for you, Junie.  It is from FBI Agent Durant.” 

Junie’s hands froze and then clenched, she looked down at the sight of her fists buried in the soft yeasty dough, watching it squeeze between her fingers.  She shook off the wave of fear and went back to vigorously kneading the bread, picking it up and slamming it down and punching with sudden violence at it.  Bob watched her with a smile beginning to turn up the corners of his mouth.  He caught Donna’s eye, “Our girl is going to knead that bread to death.”

Donna laughed and commented, “Well I always thought that Junie’s cooking was so good because she put so much love into it.  I wonder what this bread will be like?” 

Junie took a deep breath and put the mass of dough to one side to rise and washed her hands.  She walked over to the table and looked at the fat envelope.  It was large; almost 11X14, filled almost to bursting and the corners looked battered.  Junie stared at it like it was a bomb or contained a snake.  She cautiously pushed it across the table to Donna.  “I think I would like my lawyer to look at this before me.”

Donna shrugged and opened the fat envelope and pulled out a stack of papers and about a half dozen envelopes.  Donna quickly scanned a cover letter and began to sort out the papers and envelopes.  “Agent Durant has sent you copies of some of the crime reports from your break-in and the transcript from your interview with him and Agent Gold.  These envelopes are letters from an author who wants to interview you for a book he is writing about Sam Card and a couple of news organizations that want to interview you for news articles.”  Junie made a face and violently shook her head. 

Donna looked up at Junie and then at Bob, she held two small envelopes in her hand.  “Junie, these are from the woman who was attacked in Oregon.”

Junie felt her fingers flex in a sudden wave of curiosity, but also a curious reluctance, fearful of what she might find inside those little squares of paper.  “Ma’am, could you read them?” 

Donna looked at the envelopes, “These are dated about a week apart.  I will read the oldest one first.”  She carefully opened the envelope and pulled out the single piece of lined notebook paper.  Donna’s eyes quickly scanned the letter and smiled.  “Junie, you can read this yourself.  She is just saying thank you for your kind words.  I guess Agent Durant stopped by and gave her your message on his way to Texas.”  She handed Junie the letter.

Junie looked at the lined school paper and the rounded childish handwriting in pencil. 

Hello,

My name is Monica.

I am sorry, but I don’t even know your name.  Agent Durant would not tell me your name.  He said it is private.  He said he would give you a letter if I wrote you.

Agent Durant said that Sam Card was stalking you, but that he was captured by the police before he could hurt you.  I am so happy he did not hurt you.  Agent Durant told me you said you were sorry.  He said you said thank you for me being so brave.

I do not feel very brave.  But thank you.  It was nice for you to say that.  I am so afraid of the trial, but Agent Durant tells me it won’t be happening for at least another six months or so.  He tells me to not worry about it and focus on getting well.

I hope you are doing okay.

Thank you for your kind words,

Monica

Junie looked up from the letter.  “She sounds so young and lonely.  It sounds like the only person in the world she has is Agent Durant.”  Junie shuddered, “That is a scary thought.  I wish I could write her back.”

Donna looked up from the other letter and smiled, “I think this second letter may answer that wish.”  She held out two pages of the same rounded hand writing on the same lined notebook paper.  “She gives you a mailing address in this letter.”

Junie took the letter and began to read.

Hello again,

After writing the last letter, I started to wish I knew how you felt when you read my words.  I found myself wondering more and more about you, wondering who you are, where you are.

I tried to ask Agent Durant, but he says he is not allowed to tell me.  He suggested I write you again and tell you about myself and give you my mailing address.  He said he thought that if I was honest you would write me back.

My name is Monica Bond.  I am 24 years old.  I am currently living at home with my mother, in Salem.  I was going to college in Portland, Oregon studying psychology.  I had a boyfriend that attended another college in another state.  We played at a lot of kinky games over the internet.  Some of these games were bondage games and rape role playing games, but not all of them.  He was a lot more interested in that kind of stuff than I was, but I played along because he wanted me to.  He would tell me to call him Master and began to talk group sex things.  I have to admit I liked the idea of swinging and went along with it.

He said he was going to make arrangements for me to meet this guy here who had a girlfriend at the college he went to.  It was supposed to be a kind of long distance swap thing.  I was scared, but kind of excited by the idea too.  It turns out that there was never another girl, it was just a lie to get me alone and vulnerable. 

The only reason I am alive is because I told a friend about what was going on.  When I did not call her and tell her things were okay, she came to check on me and scared the man away.  I was in the hospital a long time.  I still need at least one more surgery.

I moved back home with my mother after I got out of the hospital.  My boyfriend broke up with me.  I can’t work right now and am broke.  Oregon has a victim’s fund that is helping pay for most of my hospital bills and there are some news organizations that have offered to pay me for interviews that I am talking with.  Agent Durant says I cannot give them any information until after the trial, but that I can sign a contract with them with an advance now if I choose.  He says he thinks it’s a bad idea, but it’s up to me.

I would like to get to know you.  Agent Durant says you are nice person and that he liked you, but he did say you were a little shy.  I hope you will write me back.

I really need a friend,

Monica

There was a neatly printed address under her name.  Junie looked up and took a deep breath.  “She is just a baby.”  Then she giggled, “Agent Durant said he liked me?  I wonder what he would be like if he did not like me?”  Then she paused and squealed in laughter, “Oh my god, I bet he did not like Sir James!” 

Donna nodded, “Are you going to write her back?”

Junie looked up surprised, “Of course.”  Then she stopped and looked thoughtful, “…if it is permitted, Ma’am.”

Donna smiled, “Good, I am glad you remembered that we will want to monitor your friendships.  Now is a good time to discuss how you should behave in your social relationships.”

Junie nodded and looked over at Bob.  He was standing in the kitchen looking at the crime reports.  He did not look up, “Listen to your Mistress in this, Junie.” 

“Yes, Sir.”

“I think it would be a nice gesture to write this girl back.”  Donna continued, “I probably don’t need to tell you this, but never talk to anyone about the nature of our relationship.  All anyone needs to know is that you are our friend and are employed by us as a housekeeper.”

“Before you socialize with anyone away from our supervision, you must get our permission first.  In fact, if you meet someone and are thinking you might like to become friends, you should discuss this with your Master and me.”

Bob looked up from the papers in his hand, “It would be okay for you to talk to Monica about your being submissive.  In fact, I want you to tell her that you are owned.  Just don’t tell her any details about us at this time.  You should show us any letters you want to send to Monica for our approval before you send them and share any letters she sends back to you.”

“Then it is okay for me to give her our address?”

Bob nodded, “Yes, go ahead and do that.  If Durant encouraged her to write Junie, he probably trusts her.” 

Donna frowned, “Do you really think that is a good idea?”

Bob shrugged, “With Monica’s only friend being Durant, I am sure she is getting some pretty shitty information about the lifestyle.  If she ends up talking with the media about her story I would like for her to have another perspective.  I think Junie will be just the right person for the job.”

Donna looked thoughtful and then nodded, “I guess, as long as we can monitor their communication.  We really do not know about this girl though.  She may not be a good influence on our Junie.”

Bob laughed, “We will monitor the relationship, just like we would monitor any relationship Junie has, and anyway I really trust Junie’s good instincts.  She would never knowingly let anything destructive into our circle.”

Junie sat at the table watching the conversation going back and forth between Bob and Donna and for the first time felt a little flush of irritation at this pattern of being talked about in front of her like she was not there, or perhaps, could not comprehend the words that passed over her head.  The idea that she may not be in charge of this part of her life, in charge of who she could socialize with, had seemed acceptable when she had first come to live with Bob and Donna.  But now, in practice, it grated a little.  She resisted the urge to interrupt, to protest.  Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself of something Bob had said on her first weekend at her new home. ‘There is no way you are going to like everything you are going to experience here.’ 

At her sigh, Bob gave her a sharp look, his eyes clear and evaluating.  Junie felt a shiver go through her.  He always seemed to know what she was thinking.  She knew that she had a terrible poker face and he could see her feelings on her face.  She met his eye and shrugged and smiled.  She pushed back her chair and went to the bread dough and punched it again a few times, knocking it down, and at the same time letting some of her frustrations loose on it. 

She turned and walked to the office and got some paper and a pen.

Dear Monica,

To begin with my name is June Thomas, but everyone calls me Junie.  I want you to call me Junie too.  I am 45 years old.  I live in a small town not too far from Seattle, WA.

I was surprised and touched to get your letters.  I never expected to hear from you.  It was a revelation to me that Agent Durant thought well of me.  His manner when he was interviewing me was rather harsh and angry seeming.  He frightened me and then he made me angry.  I have to confess I did not much like him.

I too was in an online relationship.  I am a submissive woman and was looking for a man to control me, to be my Master, but at the same time I am very shy (Agent Durant is right about that).  So it was easier to strike up conversations in online forums and chat rooms.  In one of those places I met a man who wanted to be my Master, but he lived far away and was married so we just played online.  This man became entangled with this Sam Card man and was tricked into putting me at risk as well.  Luckily for me, I ended my relationship with my online Master before his plans could be put into motion. 

Sam Card did break into my apartment when I was not there, and was so enraged that I had escaped him, he destroyed almost all my personal belongings.  It was a small thing compared to all the other women he hurt. 

Currently I am living with my new Master and his wife.  I gave myself to them only a few weeks ago and they are training me to be their girl.  This is a dream come true for me.  They have given their permission to write you, but I must share all the letters I send, and receive from you, with them.  I am telling you this so you will know that anything you tell me will have to be shared with them as well.  They are very understanding and discreet and would not betray your privacy.

It sounds like you are very alone and I know how that feels.  Until I found my Master and his wife, I felt lonely all the time.  My new life with them has been wonderful.  They have done so much for me.  I feel so much happier and more comfortable with myself, and with their support I am making some progress with my self-confidence.  They take care of me and I love them very, very much. 

I live in their house with them and love doing the little things that show how much I love them, like cooking, cleaning, and taking care of their things.  Nothing in the world feels as perfect as snuggling up at night with the two of them.

I hope we can be friends.  If there is anything you are curious about me go ahead and ask.  I would love to hear how things are going for you personally and regarding the trial.  If there is anything that I can do to help you through this, (that is permitted by my owners) I would love to help.

Junie Thomas

Junie looked over the letter and brought it to show Bob.  “You said you wanted to read this before I mailed it.”  She did her best to keep her voice and face neutral. 

Bob nodded, “Yes, leave it here.  I am sure Donna will want to look it over too.” 

Junie felt that little flare of frustration again.  “What is it that you are afraid I am going to do?”

Bob stopped and looked at her.  “What do you mean?’

“Why don’t you trust me?  What do you think I am going to do?”

Bob’s voice was dry.  “You are having difficulty with our rules regarding your social relationships.”  It was not a question.

Junie made a little exasperated sound.  “I am going to do what you say.  I just don’t understand why.  It makes me feel like you think I am stupid or something.”  She looked up and blanched to see that Bob was frowning, and she added, “Sir.”

“Sometimes obedience means doing something even when you don’t understand why.  Sometimes, Junie, obedience means accepting authority without question.  And no, I do not think you are stupid, but I must say that I think your words and tone did not show much forethought or respect.”

Junie gulped and blinked back tears. “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to sound that way.”

Bob nodded and spoke again, “I know.  I could hear the thoughtlessness in your words.  Now, Junie, I want you to go to your room and sit on the foot of your bed and think about your words and why you said them.  Think about obedience and what it means to you.  I will come down and speak with you after you have had a chance to think.”

Junie’s feet dragged as she made her way to her room and sat on the foot of her bed.  The bed was high up off the floor and her little feet dangled down inches off the floor.  It made her feel even younger and impulsively she swung her feet like she had in chairs all her life until she finally was tall enough to touch the floor with her toes. 

At first she mulled over in her head why it felt so unfair to be treated with such distrust.  What did they think she was going to say in her letter that would hurt them and this precious circle they talked about all the time?  She swung her feet again, kicking angrily at the bed, her heels thumping.  She was not a little kid, she was a grown up woman.  They weren’t being fair. 

Then she took a look at herself and began to giggle.  Pulling her feet up under her she sat cross legged and put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands.  Okay, if she was this grown up woman, she would have to think about this like an adult.  Again she reminded herself that there were going to be things she did not like.  That there were sacrifices she was going to have to make in order to have this life she craved.  There was no question in Junie’s mind that this was what she wanted, but now, for the first and probably not the last time, she realized she was going to find herself struggling with losing her independence. 

The thought amused her.  She had always hated being alone, loathed having to make all those decisions without guidance, craved to be told what to do.  And now that she had to do it, it wasn’t so easy. 

She sat for almost all afternoon.  Her head was nodding and she was fighting sleep when Donna come to her door, “Bob says get your ass upstairs and into the kitchen and do something about that bread dough. It has crawled out of that bowl you put it in and seems determined to take over the kitchen.”

Junie crowed with laughter, “Oh my, I had forgotten all about that.”

The bread dough had indeed swelled so much that it had tipped the bowl over and then oozed out over the counter.  The kitchen smelled richly of yeast.  Junie quickly kneaded it back into a manageable ball and then quickly separated it into four evenly sized loaves and put it back to rise the last time.  “It won’t take very long to rise this time.  That yeast is going like gangbusters.”

She looked around for Bob and when she did not see him, she asked Donna, “Ma’am, our Master was displeased with a statement I made to him.  He directed me to go to my room and think about that.  Should I go back down?”

“Actually, he said for you to come out and find him when you get done dealing with that dough monster.  I think he is in the garden.”

Junie gulped and wondered what else Bob had in mind for her.  Memories of garden spades and other hard labor were fresh in her mind.  She found Bob on his hands and knees working his way down a row, carefully weeding.  She knelt down on the opposite side of the row and began to weed with him, ignoring the dirt stains that were quickly turning her knees brown.  “Mistress Donna said I should come out and talk with you.”

“Yes.”

Junie continued to weed, but she was feeling filled with tension.  Finally she could not keep the words pent up inside her.  “Sometimes it’s just not as easy as I thought it would be.  I hated being alone so much; I thought I hated everything about it.  I guess I am realizing that there is a lot I am giving up.” 

Bob continued to weed and did not look up.

Junie continued, “I think I said what I said, without thinking, because I hadn’t really thought about what it all meant.  I was so happy about everything I was getting; I forgot to remember what I was losing.  It’s worth it.  I would not wish for it to be different.  I am happier now than I have ever been.  But I need to be aware of the things I am sacrificing so I will be ready for the regrets that are inevitable.  If I am thoughtful of these facts, I will be able to be thoughtful of my words.”

Bob nodded and spoke softly, “And the other thing I told you to think about?”

“Obedience?  Oh Sir, that is the easiest of all.  Obeying you is like breathing, I could not live without it.  Obedience to me is safety and love.  Yes, I know I need to learn the ‘without question’ thing a little better; hell, I need to learn the ‘without question’ thing a lot better, but it does not stem from a wish to disobey so much as it comes from a wish to understand.  I will need your guidance to remind me to stop the wondering and get my ass in gear.”

Bob laughed and then cautioned, “Junie, there will be times you won’t want to do what I tell you to do.”

Junie laughed with him, “I am trusting that you will make sure I obey.  Don’t let me down.”

Bob reached out and touched Junie’s face with a dirty hand, “I promise.”

That night they ate slice after slice of the fresh baked bread, dipping it in rich olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs.  Donna commented.  “I think this bread is the best I have ever tasted.” 

Bob had been spending a lot of time in the workshop the last few days.  When Donna had asked him what he was working on he raised a brow and mysteriously commented, “A surprise.”

After that Donna had been on a major spy campaign.  She found any excuse to go by the garage, her eyes curiously peeking at the pile of carefully measured lumber.  But it did not look like anything she had seen.  Bob refused to tell her anything and then told her to stop snooping around.  She even went so far as to try to enlist Junie to go out and offer to help.  Eventually Bob had officially declared the whole garage off limits to both of them.

It was a cool overcast day and the surrounding forest was dim with the light misty rain that had started to fall, when Junie found Donna looking out one of that back windows with a pair of binoculars.  “Ma’am, why is this bothering you so much?”

“Oh, it is a game that Bob and I have played for years.  He gets a big idea and then starts acting all mysterious and won’t tell me what he is doing.  He knows I hate surprises and I swear he does this to just bug me.”

“He will show us, whatever it is, when he is ready to.”

“Of course, but that is not the point.”  Donna kept looking out toward the garage.

In an effort to keep Donna occupied, Junie spoke up.  “Ma’am, you mentioned the sewing shop.  It would be a great time for you to introduce me to the lady that runs it.  We could look at fabrics for making you a corset and I want to look for something for curtains in my bedroom.”  The last thing Junie ever wanted to do was go anywhere and this was a desperate move.  “Come on, you can drive Aurora.”

As Donna drove to town Junie asked her, “Ma’am, you color your hair don’t you?”

“I guess it shows.  It’s vain I guess, but I just always loved the color of my hair and I just did not want to give that up.”

“Oh, Ma’am, it isn’t that obvious.  I just didn’t think you could have been that lucky to have no white hairs at all.  Heck, my hair is half white.  I was just asking because my roots are starting to show and I wanted to know if you go to a beauty parlor in town or do it yourself.”

“Oh, I go to local woman who works out of her house.”

“Do you think she would have time to do mine sometime soon?”

“We can call her and make an appointment for both of us.  She is quite good.  I usually let her give me the whole treatment; facial, manicure and pedicure.  She also has a friend who does massages out of her house as well.  They are talking about maybe opening a shop someday.”

Junie nodded and pushed past the little spasm of dread about meeting someone new.  “Let’s do that.”

The little fabric store was just that, little.  Junie looked around at the small selection and tried not to frown.  There was a pretty nice selection of designer and natural yarns but the fabrics seemed to be limited to the basics and a strange selection of fleeces with patterns of the local animals and trees.  Donna joyfully greeted a younger woman who came out from the back carrying a curious toddler, with big brown eyes and a wild tangle of thick curly hair.  “Mary, I just was coming by to introduce a friend who has come to stay with us.  Mary, this is Junie.”

Junie forced a smile and then caught the baby’s curious stare and felt the smile grow genuine.  “Hello, nice to meet you.  And who is this little cutie?”

Mary turned to look at her little girl.  “This is Miranda.”  Her voice was just a little exasperated.  “Her babysitter did not show up and I had to bring her in today.  It wasn’t so hard to have her here when she was littler but now she is in to everything.  I can’t put her down for a second.”

Junie laughed, “How old is she?”

“She just turned two.”

Junie felt all her shyness evaporate at the young woman’s predicament.  “You must have your hands full with her.  We were just stopping by to say hi.  I like to sew a lot and Donna mentioned your store.  I am sure I will be stopping by all the time to pick up the little things I run out of.”

Mary looked around.  “Well I haven’t been able to have the variety of stock that a really good store should have.  I just don’t have enough business to support a large overhead.  I end up running into Seattle at least once a week to get half the stuff I need.”

Junie nodded, “Yes, it must be hard.  How do you manage to keep this going?”

Mary laughed, “Well it sure as hell is not from the profits from the front.  I spin specialty organic yarns and weave.  I sell on the internet to pay the bills.  That is, I spin and weave when this little one will let me put her down.”  Mary was looking at Junie carefully.  “You made your clothes didn’t you?”

Junie looked down at her new gray slacks and the carefully tailored white blouse with embroidered ferns on the collar.  “Yes, I make all my clothes.  I have always had trouble getting stuff I like that fits, so I taught myself to sew when I was just a youngster.”

“You are good.”

Junie blushed and shrugged, “Thank you.”

“It’s not just the craft but I can see how you have altered the pattern to compliment your figure.  Most large sized women hide behind tents, those slacks fit you perfectly.” 

Junie gulped and giggled.  She put her hand up over her mouth and gasped.  “I am sorry.  I am just not very accustomed to compliments.  Thank you.”  She stifled another giggle and blurted out, “I am sorry, I giggle sometimes.”

Donna cracked up.  “She giggles all the time.”

Junie turned to Donna and made a face, “Only when I am nervous.”

“And you are nervous most of the time.”

Mary laughed too.  “It is all right.  Come on into the back.  I want to show you what I am working on now and we can talk about sewing.”

Donna nodded at Junie, “You go ahead.  Bob gave me a list when I told him we were going to town, a whole bunch of stuff from the hardware store.  I will come back for you after I get done there.”  She dug a piece of paper out of her pocket and was looking it over as she walked out.  “I wonder what this stuff is all for…”

When Donna came back to the little fabric shop, Junie had Miranda on her lap busily braiding her hair in neat rows.  Both women were talking a mile a minute about plans to go to Seattle to pick up some sewing materials from a wholesale dealer.  Junie looked up and smiled happily, “Did you get everything?” 

“I still can’t figure out what he is making.”

Junie shook her head in wonder at Donna’s persistence.  “You will find out soon enough.  Mary and I want to go to Seattle on Monday if you don’t have anything planned for me to do that day.  I told her I would drive.”

Mary looked at them a little curiously. 

Donna looked surprised and then shrugged, “I think that is a good idea.”

Junie gave Mary a hug and handed back the little girl.  “Do like I suggested, make her a place that is hers, put some toys in it and keep putting her back there.  Sit close, work on your work and when she tries to touch something off limits, just hand her one of her toys.  She will learn soon what she can and can’t do.  That’s what I did with mine and they learned fast enough.”

Mary nodded and hugged the baby, “Thanks for the advice, and thank you for braiding her hair.  She won’t let me even comb it half the time.”

Junie laughed.  “The only reason she let me, was the candy I gave her to suck on, and the fact I was new enough that she did not know how to fight with me.”

As they drove home, Junie spoke up.  “Mary is such a sweet girl.  I am glad we came out today.  Her husband is in Iraq.  She doesn’t have any family nearby and she has been really lonely.”

Donna nodded, “I knew you two would be good friends.  Though, I must admit that I was surprised you are planning to go out to the dreaded big city.”

Junie froze and her eyes got big.  “Oh my god, I didn’t even think about that.”

“Well now you have to do it and I am sure Mary is not going to tell you stories or hold your head while you vomit.”

Junie gulped and strangled down a convulsive giggle.  “Ma’am, I am not sure if it wasn’t the story that made me sick.  Or at least the… um… demonstrations that went along with it.”

Donna gave Junie a sharp look and then burst into laughter.  “You know that was a hell of a lot of fun, doing that to you.  I liked the look of absolute terror on your face.”

Junie made a rueful face, “I’m glad you liked it.  I can’t really say I did.”  She looked at Donna a little shocked at her own words.  “I am sorry, Ma’am, don’t get me wrong.  I know it was for my own good and it did really help.  I don’t think I could have made it clear into town without your help, but it was awful.”

Donna glanced over from the driver’s seat.  “You didn’t find that erotic at all, being exposed, afraid that someone might see you?”

Junie shuddered and shook her head violently.  “No, Ma’am, not at all.  I know other people really do like the idea and it is erotic for them, but it just terrifies me and it is not a sexy terrified at all.”

Donna looked over at Junie and asked, “And if I told you to unbutton your blouse right now, would you?”

Junie gasped and whimpered, when she finally could answer her voice quivered, “Yes, Ma’am.”  Her shaking fingers went to the top button of her blouse.  Her face was scarlet and her eyes were clenched closed.

Donna laughed, “Good lord, Junie, I did not say to do that.  I just asked you a question.  Hell, we are in town, what are you thinking about?”  Her tone was teasing.

Junie’s eyes flashed open and she looked over at Donna.  Her eyes were huge with shock and then a tiny bit of temper.  Her voice was soft.  “I was thinking that I must obey and trust you no matter what.  I was thinking you are my Mistress and the hand of my Master and if you told me to do something I must do it.  I was saying over and over inside my head that I had to do this because I loved you.”

It was Donna’s turn to flinch and flush red.  She pulled the little yellow sports car over and lowered her head for a moment and then looked over at Junie.  Her eyes were large and filled with tears.  “I am sorry, Junie.  I am such a bitch sometimes.  I don’t know what gets into me.  It’s just sometimes you are so soft, so vulnerable and it somehow tempts me to be mean, to just hurt you because I can.  You give me your trust and look at what I do with it.  I play with it carelessly like a baby.”

Junie reached across the car and touched Donna’s face.  “It’s okay.  I understand.  It is part of who you are and it is another thing I love about you.  Don’t worry about breaking me, baby, I am tough as nails.  I am baby proof.” 

Donna laughed through her tears, “And that is the most tempting of all.  I know you can take it.  In many ways you are much, much stronger than me, certainly more understanding, patient and loving than me.”

Junie wiped the tears from Donna’s face and countered, “Mistress, you are full of love.  I feel it whenever I am with you.  Even when you tease and torment me, I feel your love.  That is how I can be understanding and patient.  I just let myself feel the love coming from you and give it back.”

Donna turned to Junie and took a deep breath and blurted out.  “Junie, I have to confess something to you.  I… I… have been jealous as hell lately.  I watch Bob with you and I get so fucking jealous.  It isn’t the sex, it’s the way you can be so good and I can’t.  You have filled a place in our circle that I could never have.  You anticipate his every need before I can even think about it.  It seems like you are always there ahead of me and I can’t keep up.” 

Junie sat looking at Donna in shock, and then a look of horror began to grow on her face.  Her voice was grief stricken, “I… I didn’t mean to.  I don’t want to compete with you.  I never wanted to come between you and Bob.  He loves you completely.”  Her voice caught and she fought back a sob.  “I will go away if you want me to.”

Donna was suddenly angry, “No, no that is not why I said that.  You can’t go.  You are our girl.  I fucking won’t let you go.  I would keep you chained in the goddamned kitchen first.  The only reason I told you that is so you could understand where some of the bitch is coming from.  Sometimes I just wish you could back off on being such a fucking paragon of virtue.”  She paused, looking at Junie, her eyes fierce and then a tiny giggle broke through, “You can’t go.”

Junie found herself laughing and crying at the same time.  “Yes, Ma’am.”  She took a deep breath.  “I will try to be not so good,” her eyes twinkled, “but it won’t be easy you know.”

“Maybe you could give me some pointers on this paragon thing now and then.  Instead of rushing to do something yourself you could give me a hint.” 

Junie looked at Donna, “I could try, but you don’t need to be any different, Ma’am.  Our Master loves you for exactly who and what you are now.  Why don’t you tell him how you feel?”  Junie paused and then smiled with a sudden idea.  “In fact, on Monday you will have him all to yourself.  You should plan to do something special together.”