Chapter 23
That next morning started in a daze for Helena… as if her mind couldn’t quite process what Caitlin had just done to her, no, she corrected herself, for her, in the darkest hours of the night.
She skipped her usual Monday morning trip to the gym in favour of half an hour’s extra sleep, warm, pressed up against her Gatinha’s naked body under the covers, and it wasn’t until she’d stood for a good few minutes under the hot water of her shower that her mind started to clear.
Did that happen? Did that actually happen?
she asked herself. It all seemed so surreal, so dreamlike, that it could have actually been a dream save for the slight soreness in her wrists and ankles where she’d pulled against the restraints, not to mention that deep, deep glow of satisfaction where she knew that, yes, she’d climaxed three times in quick succession.
What is my Gatinha doing to me? she wondered. Nobody, no one, had ever had anything like the effect on Helena that Caitlin was having. She’s even more wonderful than I’d remembered. And she’s willing to be mine… to be my Gatinha, even with what she did to me last night.
It was then that Helena noticed it, leaning against the wall of her shower, head bowed, letting the hot water soothe her aching muscles. Around her ankle, delicate, was a thin chain with a pendant.
She squinted to see better, and nearly lost her balance as she lifted her ankle up to look at it.
What she saw made her grin. Caitlin must have put it on her ankle while she was untying Helena in the dark earlier, entirely plausible as at that point Helena had been in no fit state to notice anything although, now she thought about it, Caitlin had seemed to take longer than was necessary.
Helena was grinning because the pendant was a small, green gem held by three thin strands of metal… identical to Caitlin’s necklace, the gift from Helena that she’d worn ever since Houston.
She shook her head in wonder at how Caitlin must have planned this, the thought and care and consideration that had gone into that chain appearing on her ankle, very obviously with the intention of Helena discovering it for herself.
Grinning again, Helena started to wash her hair…
the daze was gone, and Helena felt nothing but excitement for the day and week ahead.
That, and she knew with certainty now that a plan she’d been toying with for Caitlin that night could work.
Caitlin could surprise her, yes, but two could play at that game.
***
Monday was hard.
Helena had been distracted at work before, of course…
personal problems, difficult clients, the usual.
She’d never been distracted at work like this though.
Her concentration had been completely and utterly sabotaged by the knowledge that her Gatinha was in her apartment, in her city, waiting for her.
And, of course, the way her mind kept unhelpfully flashing back to the last twenty-four hours didn’t help matters in the slightest.
She just about managed to keep herself present in her meetings that morning, taking in maybe fifty percent of what she normally would.
She nodded in the right places, added a few pertinent comments, and spent the rest of the time thinking about the way that Caitlin had looked when she’d left that morning: naked, covers down around her waist, asleep, beautiful.
When she got back to her desk she tried to work, but after ten minutes of staring blankly at her spreadsheet she reached for her phone instead to message Caitlin.
How’s the apartment without me? xx
Caitlin replied quickly:
Quiet. I’m on the balcony on my second coffee admiring the ridiculous view. I could get used to this xx
Helena smiled to herself and typed out a reply:
Don’t get too comfortable. I’ve got a treat for my perfect Gatinha today. Go to the room at the end of the hall, there is a box on the bed with your costume for when I get home later and some instructions for the day xx
Caitlin replied quickly:
There’s another room? xx
Helena’s smile broadened. She looked around quickly to check that nobody could see her smiling to herself like an idiot.
There is. I told you it was a cupboard when I showed you around. It isn’t. Go there, look in the box, read your instructions, then message me back xx
There was a long pause, and Helena found herself picturing Caitlin standing, walking inside confidently, heading towards the door then maybe pausing for a moment, taking a few seconds to ready herself.
And then… the door opening and, Helena hoped, a moment where even this magnificent force of nature was lost for words…
Because tonight, Helena had decided, was the night to introduce Caitlin to her other bedroom, her playroom.
Tonight would be the first time that she could truly test the extent of Caitlin’s surrender, with her equipment and her toys.
It promised to be intense, and Helena knew she would have to be careful.
She still couldn’t quite read the fallout for Caitlin from her relationship with Zoe, and she knew that she needed to be careful in that area.
It had obviously been an intense period for Caitlin and it had obviously been real.
There was probably a parallel universe out there where Caitlin had doubled down on what she had with Zoe and was living an entirely submissive double life, so Helena knew she needed to respect what Caitlin had had, not simply treat it as an experience to heal her from.
But, if she’d read it right, it promised to be an evening that neither of them would forget.
You’re full of surprises, Minha Dona xx
Helena stifled a laugh… good, she thought, she hasn’t run away scared. She typed a quick reply.
Are the instructions clear? xx
Inside the leather-bound box, sat on the large double bed, she’d left a handwritten note, setting some instructions for the day and the evening: a specific dress to wear for the day with no underwear or jewellery save for the necklace allowed, a specific restaurant for lunch, one of Helena’s favourites with a suggestion of what to order, a specific time to be home, and a specific instruction for what Helena expected to find when she walked through the door at seven, including the other contents of the box.
Caitlin: Crystal xx
Helena: Colour? xx
Caitlin: Very, very verde Minha Dona xx
Helena typed out another message:
It is good to see you’re still obedient, Gatinha, after last night’s disobedience xx
She saw the dots appear and disappear as Caitlin took her time typing out her reply. It finally came:
Always obedient, Minha Dona. Nobody will ever know that you purred for me like I was your Dona and you were my tame Gatinha xx
Helena felt herself blushing, because she truly did like that Caitlin had that side to her, but she also appreciated her discretion. She knew with certainty that what they’d done last night would stay between them.
Good, my perfect Gatinha. I found something on my ankle this morning… I love it, thank you xx
Caitlin replied straight away:
I’m so glad Minha Dona. I wanted to give you something special, for you to wear privately while I wear my necklace from you in public xx
Helena considered for a moment quite how brilliantly symbolic her gift was.
Caitlin wore her necklace in plain sight, as a symbol of her submission to Helena even if nobody else knew what it was.
It was her declaration that she belonged to Helena, and it was wonderful.
The ankle chain, on the other hand, was for Helena to privately show her own devotion and, yes, a form of surrender to Caitlin…
Helena’s whole philosophy that the submissive was the true dominant made physical.
Today it was hidden under the fabric of her suit trousers, but it was there, a constant reminder, and she knew already that she would wear it always just as Caitlin always wore her necklace.
It’s perfect, Gatinha, absolutely perfect. I am yours as you are mine. Feel free to explore my playroom ahead of tonight xx
There was a pause, and then a photo popped up from Caitlin that made Helena nearly melt on the spot…
down one side of the play room was a long floor-to-ceiling mirror and the photo was of an unmistakably naked Caitlin, kneeling on the bed, dark hair pushed to one side, reflected in the mirror with her phone obscuring her face but not a stitch of clothing on her body, her modesty only partially preserved by her hand holding a riding crop between her legs.
Helena didn’t quite manage to stifle a groan and tried to disguise it as a cough.
Her colleague glanced over from the adjoining desk at the noise before going back to his work.
It was possibly the hottest selfie she’d ever been sent, and she’d been sent some amazing selfies over the years. Caitlin looked absolutely incredible.
Caitlin: I couldn’t wait xx
Helena: Hmmm… so I see. You might need to be punished for that, Gatinha xx
Caitlin: I’m counting on it Minha Dona xx
Helena forced herself to stand and go to the washroom. She needed to do something, anything to calm the raging desire inside her. She sent one more message.
If you knew what you do to me, Gatinha xx
There was a moment as she saw Caitlin preparing her reply:
The feeling is entirely mutual, Minha Dona. Entirely mutual. I cannot wait to be entirely yours tonight. I want you to do anything and everything to me that you want xx
It took all of Helena’s willpower not to flee her desk and rush home to claim her Gatinha, work be damned.
***
Throughout the rest of the day, texts arrived as Caitlin documented her own discoveries in S?o Paulo… Helena had, after all, given her a lot of latitude in her instructions. And thankfully none of them had the heat of that earlier exchange.
Found a bookshop that sells English novels. Bought three. The woman at the register tried to speak English to me and I tried to speak Portuguese back. We both failed but it worked out somehow xx
Your neighbourhood has a bakery that makes p?o de queijo fresh every hour (did I spell it right?). I’ve eaten four. You might need to send help xx
A man on the street tried to give me directions somewhere. I have no idea where. I smiled and nodded and now I might be committed to attending a neighbourhood meeting on Thursday xx
Helena ended up putting her phone on do not disturb mode, because if she hadn’t she’d have got no work done…
each message was a reminder that Caitlin was here, she was actually here, and when work finished for the day she would be Helena’s again, willingly, to do with as she pleased.
When she thought that Helena almost struggled to breathe, so intoxicating was the reality after all of those months longing for Caitlin.
When she did reply she did so sparingly. She knew she had to be so careful to maintain the dynamic without losing respect for Caitlin’s strength as a person. Caitlin was an adult in a city, not a submissive on a leash.
At two she sent: How was the restaurant? xx
Caitlin replied quickly:
Amazing. I had the feijoada as you suggested. The waiter was both charming and deeply confused by a woman dining alone who couldn’t read the menu. I don’t think they get many tourists there, but I pointed at things and hoped for the best xx
There were a few minutes where Helena could see that Caitlin was typing something else, a few minutes where any prospect of work was hopeless, then:
I hope it isn’t a problem as I know you’re a regular there, but when he asked if I was meeting someone I said my girlfriend who booked it was at work. I’m sorry if I outed you in some way xx
Helena read that message several times. Girlfriend.
The thrill that came with that word was on a different level…
she glanced around the open plan office to check that nobody had seen her blushing.
Girlfriend. Caitlin thought of her as her girlfriend…
even though it was so fast to start using words like that, it felt right, completely right.
You told him I was your girlfriend? xx
Caitlin’s reply was instant:
Was that ok? He asked if I was waiting for someone and it just came out xx
Helena thought for a moment about how to reply:
It was more than ok, Gatinha. It was perfect xx
She put her phone down and stared at her spreadsheet again, but she wasn’t seeing numbers.
Girlfriend. Helena was seeing a future… Caitlin referring to her as her girlfriend, the two of them with all the weeks and months and years ahead of them to give themselves the chance to be whatever they could be.
Helena put her phone back on do not disturb and tried, mostly in vain, to focus back on her work.