Chapter 44 Thirteen
Thirteen
Shay’s praise and the successful scene should’ve made Emma feel more secure at the club, but as things progressed, she struggled with herself more rather than less.
The day after the pirate scene, she’d been overwhelmed with self-consciousness.
It had been hard to concentrate at school, and she couldn’t eat lunch, which gave her a headache by the end of the day.
She wished she’d had someone to talk to, like Kate.
Or Shay. He’d given her his cell phone number, but she hadn’t wanted to bug him outside the Marquis.
He shared some information about himself when they talked, but he clearly wanted to restrict their closeness to the club.
She, of course, wanted more, but was careful not to say so.
She understood the arrangement. In the club, she was his, and he was completely focused on her.
But outside, they each had their own lives.
Unfortunately, even inside the Marquis Club, she found it hard to relax around other members.
Everyone seemed so sure of their bodies, their roles, their lives.
She felt like she couldn’t relate. Some people had told her they’d enjoyed watching her first scenes and looked forward to more, which made her uneasy.
How much more could she possibly show them?
She’d already shown more than she was ready to.
The club, she decided, really catered to members’ voyeuristic tendencies.
Did she have those? She enjoyed watching other people play, but she cringed when she thought about people watching her.
Not in the heat of the moment when Shay distracted her, but afterward.
Emma made excuses and avoided long visits to the club.
She would arrive late and say she couldn’t stay because she had so much work to do for school.
He’d been understanding, allowing her to stay mostly in his office with him or sitting by his feet on a cushion in one of the club’s many lounge areas.
She had the chance to watch others in their scenes, which she found arousing, and to be near Shay, which she also found arousing.
He’d told her twice she would need to get appropriate club-wear that fit her. So far she’d been wearing Coral’s oversized sheer robes over her lacy bra and pantie sets. The robes were large and billowy enough to shield her from the intent gazes of other members.
When she arrived on Thursday night, she removed her clothing except her butter yellow lace bra and panties and put on an emerald robe of Coral’s. She stopped at the desk where Nikki was stationed.
“Does he know I’m here?” Emma asked, sitting on the cushioned bench.
“Yes. He said you should go in.”
“By myself?” she asked, surprised. “Onto the club floor?”
Shay always came to fetch her at the door and took her to his office or the lounge to talk before they ventured into the club.
“That’s what he said. He and Master J are installing some new equipment on the Alley.”
“Oh. Well, if he’s busy, I’ll just wait for him.”
Nikki raised a brow. “Are you sure you want to do that?”
Emma blinked. “Why not?”
“Because his instructions were for you to go in.”
Emma nibbled on her lip. She’d never walked through the club alone, and while she’d met many people, she would’ve still felt more comfortable accompanying Shay.
She reasoned that it was better for her training, too.
When he was with her, she could walk slightly behind him, albeit shielded a bit from view, and remain quiet unless he instructed her to answer a question.
Wasn’t that more submissive? And wasn’t he trying to help her create a new mindset for herself while in the club?
“I’m not sure I remember the way to the Alley. The club’s sort of a maze.”
“Do you want me to walk you?” Nikki asked, her turquoise and silver earrings jangling as she tilted her head.
Nikki wore a latex minidress that hugged her slim body like second skin.
She had china blue eye shadow with dark mascara and block wrist cuffs that could be secured to each other or any of the hooks around the club.
Half glam, half fetish, all gorgeous. Emma envied her.
Not an ounce of fat. Not an inch of cellulite. So lucky.
“I don’t want to take you from your post,” Emma said in response to Nikki’s offer. She waved a hand. “I’m good here.”
Nikki studied her for a moment then shrugged.
After about fifteen minutes, the phone rang. Nikki answered, and Emma listened to her part of the conversation.
“Yes, Sir. She’s waiting for you.” A pause. “Yes.” Another pause. “Okay.” Nikki set the phone down.
“Was that Shay?”
“Yes, that was Master Shay,” Nikki said.
Emma nodded. “Master Shay,” she murmured. “Thanks for the reminder. I sometimes forget to call him that.”
“I noticed,” Nikki said. “He’ll have noticed, too.
You shouldn’t get too comfortable. Some of the Doms will correct a new sub every times she makes a mistake.
They’ll frown and speak sternly, and put her through a small punishment.
As long as she’s sincerely contrite and trying to improve, they won’t be too rough. But Master Shay is a steel trap.”
“What do you mean?” Emma asked, adrenaline spiking her blood.
“He seems easygoing for a Dom at first, but he’s really not.
He watches. He keeps score. You think when he lets you get away with something, it’s because he’s not paying attention, but actually, he’s letting the offenses build to four or five, so he can make the punishment bigger.
Haven’t you noticed he’s a showman? A lot of Doms aren’t great for elaborate role-playing, but he is.
He’s a good actor, and his scenes with you are the best ever.
“So I’m sure he’s been acting like it’s fine that you’re slipping in and out of here without doing a scene.
Don’t believe it. The first night you said you had too much schoolwork to stay long, he might have believed you or might not have, but it doesn’t matter to him one way or the other.
You’ve got all day and night when you’re away from here to manage your time.
In the club, you belong to him. Expecting him to talk to you about school and have a pretend date night in his office or the lounge, eating and having a glass of wine while avoiding club activities, it’s not appropriate.
He knows you’re trying to take advantage of your trainee status.
He hasn’t punished you for it yet, but he will. He’s a trap.”
“Maybe I should go inside,” Emma said, shooting to her feet, heart pounding, but before she rounded the screen, Shay appeared.
“Hello, Emma,” he said.
“Hi, Sh—Master Shay. I heard you were busy and wasn’t sure I’d be able to find my way through the club, so I waited here.”
Shay’s gaze started at her head and moved down, taking in her face, chest, hips, legs, and finally feet.
“Nikki, did you give Emma that list of shops with Marquis Club accounts where she could go for club-wear?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“I’ve been really busy with school,” Emma blurted. “I’ll go tomorrow.”
Shay shook his head. “Master Randall told me that you don’t like to shop. You’ve got an aversion to it?”
“Yes, Sir,” Emma said.
“Interesting that you felt comfortable telling him and not me.”
Emma blushed. “I wouldn’t have mentioned it to him or anyone, but it was the night I drank the mimosas, and I—”
“Well, I’m glad you felt comfortable confiding in him about that. Master Randall really wants you for a scene—”
Oh God! “No, Sir, please. I want my next scene to be with you and—”
“Emma,” Shay said in a hard voice. “You interrupted me. You’re been corrected for that several times. We don’t seem to be making an impression on you. We’ll work on that tonight.”
Emma realized that, just as Nikki had warned, Master Shay was springing his trap.
She went to her knees in front of him. “Please forgive me, Sir.”
“I appreciate the sweet apology, pet, but it’ll take more than words to satisfy me.”
She trembled. He stared down at her, looking predatory.
“As I was saying, Master Randall, wants you for a scene. And he’s far from the only one.
By your disobedience in following my instructions to get appropriate clothes for the club, you’ve been depriving everyone of even looking at your lovely body.
So tomorrow, you’ll make time to go shopping with Master Randall, and he’ll give you emotional support throughout the process.
He’s got excellent taste, and there’s nothing he enjoys more than outfitting voluptuous women in ways that show off their assets. ”
She winced. “Sir, may I have permission to speak?” She was still on her knees and really wanted to stand. People were passing and slowing to listen.
“Yes, go ahead.”
“I’m afraid Master Randall and I might not have the same taste in club wear.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
“So if I could go alone, it would be better. I promise to go tomorrow.”
“When Master Randall was married, he spent a quarter of a million dollars a year on clothes for his wife. From designer gowns to anal beads, the man’s an expert.
He’s also been a Dom for over twenty years.
He knows how to dress a woman for this or any sex club.
Left to your own devices, even with encouragement from me, you’ve chosen to continue to wear tents of dark fabric that were bought to fit a woman who is five sizes larger than you.
Explain to me why it would be better for me to let you shop without Master Randall, because I can’t see it. ”
“If you don’t trust me to go alone, maybe Nikki can come. She has great style,” Emma said, darting a gaze at Nikki.
The other girl smiled warmly at her but didn’t speak.
“What’s your objection to Master Randall?”
“He’s a man and a Dom, so he probably won’t listen to anything I say. And also, aren’t you worried he might… take advantage of the situation?” she blurted.
Shay smiled. “As much as Master Randall would love to seduce you into having sex with him in a dressing room, he won’t. You’re club property, and he knows the rules. Also, your punishments tonight will take away some of the temptation.”
“My punishments—I don’t have time to stay long.”
“After three nights of rushing in and out, you still haven’t caught up on your schoolwork?” he asked.
Her heart thudded. Be careful! It could be a trap.
“Well, I’m almost caught up.”
“You told me you were on track to graduate in the top three percent, so I’d assumed this week was some sort of fluke where you’d mismanaged your time.
I figured you’d have it under control in a couple of days, so it wouldn’t interfere with your training.
Things must be worse than I expected. Tomorrow, you’ll bring your syllabi and your calendar, and I’ll go over them and tell you what you’re to study and when. ”
“Shay, no! I can take care of my own study schedule.”
“Apparently, you can’t. And you interrupted me. Again.”
She winced. “I’m sorry.”
“Not sorry enough to suit me,” he said. His voice was dead calm, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She was digging herself into a deeper hole.
“When I was in college, I didn’t let school interfere with my sex life, nor did I let my sex life interfere with school. Part of your training is to figure out how to balance an active club life with your life in the outside world. Can you manage your time without my guidance?”
“Yes,” she said emphatically.
“Then why haven’t you on the other days this week?”
She dropped her eyes. “I haven’t tried hard enough.”
“Why not?”
She shrugged.
“Don’t imply you don’t know.”
She swallowed. “I’ve been nervous about my next scenes at the club. I was avoiding them.”
“You have a real problem communicating, Emma. And in this case, you didn’t just withhold information, you decided to try to deceive me. Did it work?”
“No.”
“Think I’m going to punish you for lying?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“Do you deserve to be punished?”
She nodded and clasped her hands, trying to keep them from shaking. She stared at the floor.
“Look up at me, and say the words.”
She bit her lip and looked up at him towering over her. “I behaved badly. I deserve to be punished.”
“So in the end, lying to me, not a great strategy, was it?”
She shook her head.
“Remember that next time.” He leaned forward and put a hand under her chin, pulling her up. She rose. “You can build walls to try to hold me at bay, but it’s a waste of your time. I won’t be kept out. My solution to your walls will be to swing a wrecking ball. Understand?”
She nodded, her breath a little short with panic. She really wanted a kiss and hug from him for reassurance. Instead, he turned and walked away, snapping his finger in a ‘come to heel, pet’ motion.
She tamped down her surge of rebellion and followed him.