The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

A Clean Start: Katherine’s Tale

“Well… shit,” I said aloud. I stared at the dirty dishes festering in the sink and sighed. Raven had let them sit overnight, and had left without doing them this morning, either. Probably slept in too late, as usual. Well, no point in getting mad, at least not yet; she’d get home before I would today, and maybe she’d have done them by then. Maybe. But in all likelihood, not until I said something. Two or three times. I sighed again, grabbed my book-bag and headed for the door. Nowhere in the Girl’s Guide to Dating Girls, I reflected sourly, does it say a lesbian house is a clean house. Particularly if one of those lezzies is Raven.

Unfair of me to think, I guess. Well, some. I’m hardly a neat-freak or anything, but compared to Raven I’m Ms. Clean. Some of it’s her job, I suppose. If I worked at a hip mall boutique I’d have a lot of clothes lying around too. And, true, she works while keeping full-time status at school. Even so, she doesn’t have a lot of things to do around here, you know? I just wish she’d tell me if she’s not going to get around to something, rather than have me find out unpleasantly all the time. You knew she was smart, fun to be with, cute, and attracted to you. Oh, and most importantly at this stage of your life, she gets you hot. You didn’t ask for ‘neat’.

And Raven’s hot, no doubt about that. She has this quiet, sultry air about her that suggests mystery and intrigue, like a femme fatale from some noir film. She fits the ‘look’ of a bi-goth to the point of absurdity: a slender, petite frame that gets as many second looks from girls as boys. Intense exotic brown eyes and arching eyebrows, pale skin and distant ‘bad-girl’ aura to her. As her name suggests, her hair is black as night, manageable enough to do practically anything with, unlike my own blonde frizz. She generally keeps it long and straight, in a ponytail or framing her elfin face. A beautiful sight, that hair swept back to rest on those ivory shoulder blades, her smooth back rising into the most perfect round…

Ahem. Sorry, I’m in love, you know? I’ll try to limit the flights of reminiscence unless it’s relevant. The point is, I started out my Friday in a mood, one I couldn’t shake all morning. I sleep-walked through my classes, my mind dividing its time between brooding on my relationship insecurities and daydreaming about an trouble-free weekend with Raven, intimate and alone. Not that that was likely; I didn’t want to force myself on someone who was already so busy. Too busy for the dishes, a snippy voice reminded me. But even just a night for ourselves, if she wanted, where we could just order takeout and talk and play together…

“You gonna eat that salad, or just stare it to death?”

I jerked back to my senses. I’d gotten to the school cafeteria on autopilot, then zoned out at the salad bar.

“I think the orange bits are carrots,” Jason continued. “Or maybe tomatoes.” He regarded the wilted fare with mock gravity. “Possibly cheese. What do you think?”

I snatched a plastic-wrapped bowl at random and dropped it on my tray. “Jason,” I acknowledged coolly, walking away without another word.

He took the hint and didn’t follow, even going so far as to stand in a different (and longer) line to buy his food. That was what tipped the balance of my indecision, I think. I pushed my food around with a fork for a minute, then picked up my tray and sat down opposite him, feeling a mix of resignation and relief.

I know, I know. One of the rules of dating is to not talk to your ex when you’re mad at your partner. Especially if you’re lonely and vulnerable. Especially if you still have some feelings for said ex, and he you. And super-quadruple especially if, against all logic and reason, you’ve found yourself sleeping with him from time to time even while in the midst of a happy relationship. Jason and I had dated for almost a year before I broke it off, and next to Raven he knew me better than anyone; that was the kind of insight I suspected I needed. Eating lunch with him didn’t mean I was going to sleep with him. Not this time, anyway.

“Hey,” I offered. I thought about a polite smile, and discarded the idea almost immediately. Even if he didn’t see right through it, it would have been fake, negating my purpose in talking to him in the first place.

“Croutons,” he told me. Seeing my dumb look, he waggled a plastic fork at me. “The orangish things. Where could they possibly have found orange bread, I wonder?” He shook his head. “Boggles the imagination.”

“So do you.” I couldn’t help but smile at his usual antics, putting me at ease for the first time today. “What’s up?”

“Certainly not you,” he replied, looking a bit more serious. “Saw you spacing out back there. Didn’t know if it was life, or our alma mater’s idea of fine cuisine.”

Right through me. “Life, I guess,” I temporized. He raised an eyebrow, and I stopped stalling. “Well, Raven and I. My girlfriend.”

“We’ve met,” he said dryly. I’d met Raven a month or two before Jason and I broke up, and we three had hung out before things had gone south. It was one of those weird relationship things no one ever likes to talk about.

“Right. Well, things have been going fine…”

“…but…” Jason supplied as I paused.

“But, there’s like a hundred little things…” And before I knew it I was telling him every little detail, every nuance of my frustration spilling out into a sympathetic ear. Just like old times, I guess. I wound down after a solid half hour of bitching.

“Same old Katie.”

“What?” I blinked.

Jason waved his hand. “It’s not a hundred little things, it’s one big thing: you won’t open up. You don’t tell anyone anything about you, and wonder why they can’t read your mind. You’ve been down this road before,” he added, not too mysteriously.

“What do you mean?” I demanded. I knew, but I wanted him to spell it out for me; my brain felt fuzzy.

“It’s the same as when we were together; I never knew what you thought about anything, from how your day went to kinky sex. And now that you’ve come out—“

“Not come out,” I interrupted. “Just, um… dating a girl. I’m not gay, just… bi.” I hesitated. “I think. Probably.”

Jason waved my clarification away. “As you will. So now you’re with a girl. Once the newness of your forbidden love has worn off a little,” his lips curled in an unreadable smile, and I tamped down an indignant response, “You’re dating like you always have. Your problem isn’t male or female, it’s Kate.”

“That’s absurd.” It wasn’t. “Raven and I—“

Jason interrupted me. “Have you told her how much the mess has been bothering you?”

“Not really,” I admitted. “But—“

“And how much have you told us about us?”

“Plenty! I—” No, that wasn’t true. “Sort of…” I hadn’t told her I’d slept with him a week ago, for reasons that were unclear to me even now. And it hadn’t been the first time I’d done it since I’d been dating Raven. Why not? “Well, not very much, I guess…” I mean, I had told her something, right? Hadn’t I? Was the real answer, not at all?

“Does she know about that not-gay qualifier of yours? Does she think you’re a lesbian, or gay, or experimenting? What would she assume if she saw us together right now?”

“She… ah…” Dammit, he was right. Raven didn’t understand me, because I hadn’t given her anything to understand.

“I’m not trying to be mean,” Jason went on, finishing his drink. “I just don’t want you to make the same mistakes with her. Let her know what you think, what you feel. It’s a new relationship, and a new sexuality, for goodness’s sakes. At least make some new missteps.”

A new relationship… And just like that, it all started coming in to place. Raven might be a slob, sure… but did she know how much it bothered me? How proud I was of her work ethic, her ability to tell anyone to go to hell if she wanted to? Did she know how much those gentle kisses inflamed me, how her caresses excited me to my core, and how much I fought them down to keep some propriety? How I loved it when she whispered in my ear while we made love? That my gender preference waffling came not from confusion, but because I liked both? Did she know how much the thought of being gay terrified me, even as while it thrilled me?

What does she know about you? And whose fault is that really? I looked up at Jason with new respect. He sat there, eyes serene, knowing, and I felt lightheaded.

“She’s… Ravensdark. Oh, Jason…you… you’re…” I stammered.

I want you in me, was the first thing I thought of. My loins were already beginning their familiar vote of approval. He’d shown me the way out, if I wanted to take it. A true friend, he’d seen past the bullshit and into my soul and helped when I’d asked him to. Again. I wanted nothing more but to find some out-of-the-way nook, pull him into it, and fuck him silly. “Jason, I…”

“Well, think about it, okay? I gotta go. Time for class.” He smiled apologetically and left, but not before I caught the glimpse of understanding in his eyes. Not now, it seemed to say. Not yet. Not like this. Save it for her.

I understood, too, understand how much he would’ve liked to, what it cost him to deny himself, to deny me. I resolved to make it up to him, somehow.

If you can’t love the one you’re with, be with the one you love. Not quite how it goes, but it doesn’t sound so trite now. I love them both, but Jason can handle himself until I’m ready to deal with him. He’s told me, without ever quite telling me, that he can wait until I know my own heart, my own self. Raven… Raven and I can’t wait. I have to let her know, before it’s too late.

I sat anxiously through the rest of the day’s classes, impatient and legs crossed. Raven had my heart, Jason my mind, and both my lust. Was there any way I could…? Focus, girl. One thing at a time. Fix your love. Tonight, tonight, tonight… I fairly raced home, horny, happy and hopeful.

The dishes were still in the sink.

Ok, fine, I told myself. She probably had to go right to work. She’s usually got a couple of hours on Friday between her last class and work, but she might’ve needed to go in early.

Shit, I didn’t even buy that. I fumed, I raved, I threw some pillows around. I calmed down, threw some workout clothes and a towel in a gym bag and went to the rec center to work off some frustration. A few hours worth of sweating wouldn’t do my fat ass any harm, and I might be civil enough to tell Raven I loved her when I got home without acting like a complete bitch in the process.

I worked out steadily, resting just long enough between activities to catch my breath. No rush; Raven wouldn’t be home ‘till nine at least, longer if she had to close. Warmups, a few laps around the track, crunches. More stretching, then the Nautilus.

I’m told I have a good body, but usually with some kind of qualifier. Jason used to call me his Valkyrie, when he was in a more poetical mood, but in a bad mood I’m more liable to think of myself as a fat girl just waiting to happen. Raven’s slim build makes me feel positively cow-like sometimes, all hips and sloppy udders and… well, you get the point. Body insecurity always rears its head when I’m nervous, and working out like a madwoman seemed like a good way to allay that fear, at least for a time.

An hour gone by. More laps, more crunches, then free weights. Not too many; no need to emphasize all my Amazon tendencies. Stationary bike, even more crunches, and a few laps in the pool to cool down.

Nine-thirty. If I took a shower here, Raven should be home ahead of me. I pulled myself out of the deserted pool and headed for the changing rooms, sweat already beginning to compete with the droplets of chlorinated water beading on my skin.

Raven… I turned the water up as high as I could stand, letting the shower stream over me in hot rivulets. Her warm body curled up beside me, her shoulder blades pressing lightly into my breasts, her firm ass nestled firmly against me. Those long fingers caressing the back of my neck as she drew me in for another breathtaking kiss, making time stop and the world seem to disappear. Those liquid eyes drawing me in, a wicked glint of sexual accord sparking between us. Her tongue dancing unhurried trails down my naked body, tasting me as if wanting me to melt under her tongue…

“Uhhnnn…” I’d seen exactly one person since I walked into the rec center, a late-night powerlifter leaving as I’d been walking in. Friday night on-campus, pretty much everyone had something better to do than to work out. My fingers tugged gently at my nipples, urging them even harder…

…Raven’s lips encompassing my stiff nipples, nipping gently at them with a throaty chuckle… her hands gripping my hips, as if anchoring herself to my form, fingertips kneading my buttocks luxuriantly… her tongue now teasing its way to my awakening sex, gentle tongue-flicks jolting me to gasp, leading me inexorably towards an unhurried, mind-shattering climax...

And I couldn’t come. I tried, believe me, I tried. Whatever inhibitions I had about jilling myself off in the shower faded as my reminisce peaked. Before long I was using both hands, one hand rubbing frantically in front while two fingers plunged inside from behind. I got close, twice, but both times the plateau seemed to extend itself before me, denying me the final prize.

Damn it! I switched off the shower and toweled off furiously, knees trembling from the combination of exertions. No pre-game warmup for me, it seemed; it was Raven or nothing, tonight. I inhaled sharply as my bikini bottoms settled into place a trifle too snugly, and considered trying one more time.

No. It’s too late, and you’re just putting off the inevitable. Go home to Raven and ask – no, tell her to get you off. Maybe even before the Talk. And as for the Talk… I had one way to make her listen. One secret, shameful way, one I’d only used twice on her. She would listen, not judging, just accepting, just hearing… even believing, if I so desired. My desire… what did I want? What would I do to get it? Would I betray her trust again to show her my love? Could I do anything else?

Comforted by such cheery thoughts, I threw on my sweats and headed home, half-jogging most of the way. The dishes were still in the sink.

Bi, Bi, Baby: Raven’s Tale

Six thirty-five. Less than thirty minutes to shower, dress, and get to class. I groaned, slapped the buzzer into quiescence, and slung my legs around to rest on the floor before the vegetable-brained part of me vetoed the whole ‘getting up’ idea and made me miss class again. Scholarships are not kept by sleeping in, however much you may want to.

I’ve gotten to be an old hand at the quick-shower, telling myself I’d have time between classes, or at worst, before work. I grimaced at my hair as I tied it back into a functional-but-boring ponytail and dashed on some makeup. No time for anything fancy at all; a cropped tee and faded overalls would have to do. Total granola, I know, but I didn’t have time to rush around for an outfit. I made a heroic effort to not look at the finished product in the mirror, grabbed my backpack and headed out.

Shit. Kate and I’d had a friend over last night, and stayed up past midnight drinking cheap wine and watching chick movies. I’d crept into Kate’s fairy-princess bed not long after our guest had left, correctly guessing the alcohol would make her more susceptible than usual to a little girlplay. Kate is usually celibate during the week, for reasons I don’t quite understand, so I made sure I gave her nothing to protest about until we’d gone way to far to stop.

I smacked my lips at the memory, while scowling at what had triggered it: a pile of dirty dishes stacked in the sink. One of my many duties, neglected again. Damn it. Oh, well… I’d take care of it when I got back. If a little mess bothered Kate, she’d never said. But then again, she was pretty quiet about voicing her opinion on pretty much anything. I loved the girl, but I had to hold myself down from cheering on the rare occasions she actually spoke her mind to me. It’s no picnic second-guessing your girlfriend, especially when you rarely get to find out if you’re right or not.

I stopped by Kate’s room to kiss her goodbye. She was sprawled diagonally across her bed, sheets bunched up between her legs, entangled with the cotton thong I’d drunkenly half-pulled off of her last night. I watched her for some moments, ticking clock forgotten as I bathed in her radiant beauty. Honey-blonde hair flowing across her pillow like a goddess’s mane; full breasts like firm pillows, enough to satiate the most mother-fixated frat boy that walked the campus; toned golden buttocks like the ripe curve of a fuzzy peach just itching to have a bite taken out. I contented myself with a caress of her cheeks and a peck on her forehead, and headed out into the world.

At best, I’m cute, although I’ve learned to enough attitude and sass to make up for my physical shortcomings. But Kate… even asleep, Kate makes me feel like a boy, all lips and curves and hips where I’m thin and straight and bony. I bit down on my body-envy as I crept out, shaking my head at my foolishness. You’re in love, not in competition. Boys drool over what you get to have every night, be satisfied with that. Although maybe ‘satisfied’ wasn’t quite the right word here; Kate and I didn’t make love nearly as often as…

Stop it! You don’t want to go down that road, not this soon in the day! An old complaint of mine, a familiar ache. But what could I do about it? I was the first girl Kate had ever dated, loved, made love to. As I knew from personal experience, rushing her would only tempt disaster. I took a set in the front row of my first lecture to help stay awake, and tried to put my personal life out of my thoughts for a while.

Lunchtime, finally! I was starving, and the line to the cafeteria had already spilled out into the hallway outside. I only had half an hour to eat on Fridays, and it looked like I would be cutting it close. And today’s special is… I took a half-step out of line to check. When I stepped back into place, I trod heavily on someone’s foot and turned in surprise.

He looked like a benchwarmer for the football team, a full head taller and maybe twice my weight. Hat turned around backwards, muscle shirt and an ostentatious watch encircling his thick wrist. Naturally, when God’s Gift had seen me lean out, he’d decided to edge me out of line so he could eat a whole twenty seconds earlier, probably leering at my ass the whole time. Now he stared back at me in habitual hostility, face preset in defiant arrogance.

“‘Scuse me,” I told him, a little ambiguous as to whether I was referring to his foot or asking him to move. He didn’t reply. We stared at each other for a few seconds, each waiting for the other to back down.

“Uh, Dave, man…” A guy belatedly stepped in, figuratively speaking. He looked a little worried, although probably more for his friend’s disciplinary record than my safety. “‘S probably ok, just fine, you know, all right if…”

“Dyke,” Dave growled, eyes not moving.

I felt my face begin to go hot. “Dick,” I told him levelly, matching him cool for cool. Damned if I was going to let some steroidal homophobe push me around.

Another minute passed, Dave’s friend gobbling soothingly in an attempt to make nice. We both ignored him. “Why don’t you go eat some pussy, ‘stead of stinking this place up.”

“You’re already here, so I doubt I can make it smell worse,” I pointed out helpfully. “And as for lunch…” My nerve was failing; I felt a sudden urge to pee. “…as for lunch, that’s a great idea. I think I saw your sister back there.” I gave him a simpering smile and walked away as quickly as I could, wanting to put space between us before the response registered with him.

Well, I can afford to miss a meal, I thought ruefully. Hope this isn’t an indication of how my day’s gonna go.

My day didn’t get any worse, but it didn’t much improve, either. A pop quiz, a chem lab that fizzled, and a reading assignment from a professor who assumed we had nothing better to do this weekend than read. And all this on an empty and grumbling stomach. Thanks to the lab problems, my partner and I had to stay late to re-run the tests, and I got home at four instead of three. I’d have barely enough time to shower (I needed it, by now), eat, and change for work.

What a life, I thought self-pityingly as I pulled a day-old pizza slice out of the fridge and ate it, undressing on my way to the shower. Hurry, hurry, scurry, scurry… I didn’t have a choice, though, not if I wanted to keep all these balls I was juggling in the air. Unlike my roommate, I didn’t have a nice grant and comfortably middle-class parents to fall back on for my expenses. It was a pain having to work all the time, and the cost to my social life was ferocious, but I was more than three-quarters of the way towards buying my first car. Used, to be sure, but all mine. I didn’t want to tell Katie until the keys were in my hand; the thought of her face lighting up when she realized we weren’t limited to cabs and buses anymore... It had taken a lot of overtime at a place I wouldn’t have been caught dead in two years ago. The sacrifices we make…

I stepped out of the shower feeling a little more human. The hard part of the day was over; now it was just a few hours of paid tedium, and then home to Kate. So with fifteen minutes to make the bus, I faced the momentous decision every girl frets over: what to wear?

I work at the Heat Lamp Designs Outlet Store, the hottest but hottest provider in rave/goth/alternative fashion, if you believe the brochures. The dress code isn’t business-casual, as you might expect from the name, but the trendy image requires the employees to look the part. Luckily, some bright spark at corporate headquarters noticed we’d never be able to dress the way they want us to on the money they pay us, so we get a certain amount of ‘store cash’ to keep our wardrobes up to par, as well as some amazing discounts on almost anything we buy over that.

“Three variants on Wednesday Addams,” I muttered under my breath, using my pet names for the outfits I’d bought so far. “Alice in Nightmareland, Dead Love Slave, Desperately Seeking Siouxsie, Poet on the Prowl… no, no, no.” Everything I’d pulled out made me look like an extra in a Tim Burton movie. No wonder Kate was embarrassed by me; she wanted a girl who could at least look a little bit like a woman. “Dyke,” I whispered. Dave the Pinhead had been a troglodyte, but he’d pegged me right off. The words still stung.

That was when inspiration hit: why not go cutesy? It’d take a little work, but it’d make me feel a lot better. And besides, when Kate saw it… well, she’d have to say something, if not do something. I set out to put together something really special, giggling inanely to myself.

You know the look: artificially faded seventies shirts, teddy-bear backpacks, cloggy heels, and all that crap. It kind of makes me want to gag to see some prepster cheerleader dressing like daddy’s little jailbait just so she can distract herself from her room-temperature I.Q. with spinal-reflex compliments, but I could make it fit my hurry today, with a little personal spin.

Blue lace push-up bra, matching my nail polish and emphasizing what little I had up top. Tight black button-down blouse, narrow at the waist, the top three buttons undone. Blue and black tartan skirt, pleated and fastened with an oversized silver bobby pin. Black knee-length stockings with little kittens on the oversized bows. Black lace glovelets, practically useless for anything, but somehow fitting. Doc Martins, of course, and couple of cats-eye barrettes to keep the hair out of my eyes. Pale base, blue eyeshadow, heavy black eyeliner, and an enchanting (but discontinued) blue-black lipstick called ‘Electric Hussy’. And last but not least, gauzy black panties ringed ‘round the waist and legs with dainty blue frills. Sure, no one’ll see ‘em, but I’ll know, and that makes all the difference, sometimes.

I smirked smugly at the reflection in the mirror, an anti-schoolgirl. The kind you don’t take home to Mother, for fear she’ll seduce her away from Dad. Perfect. Part of me wished I’d thought to assemble this outfit this morning, although it probably would have given old Prof Garibaldi a coronary.

Nearly five o’clock. Gotta move if I’m gonna make the bus to the mall. I hurried out to the bus stop, ignoring the hopeful glances of boys watching the wind tug at my short skirt. Just to be mean, I ‘dropped’ my bus token on the floor of the bus when I got on, stooping low to pick it up. The collective exhalation from behind was gratifyingly sincere. Yeah, I’m a tease. Show me one good-looking girl who knows it and isn’t.

I was halfway to work when I realized I still hadn’t done the dishes. Ah, well, maybe Kate won’t have noticed.

You’d think I’d have recognized him, but I didn’t. From behind, he looked like a young businessman in a nice charcoal suit, perusing some bustiers. “Can I help you, sir?” I asked politely. Men shoppers don’t like to be pushed, but sometimes a little acknowledgement is all you need; more than once I’ve had a man buy the exact outfit I was wearing for his girlfriend. Flattery is just one of the perks of working here, I guess. “We’ve got a special on… oh. Jason.”

“Oh.” He smiled, not unkindly, and withheld comment until I recovered my wits. “Hello, Raven. Or should I call you… Allison?” he asked, leaning over unnecessarily to read the nametag pinned to my shirt pocket.

“Raven to my friends,” I told him warily, deciding to let him figure out what category he wanted to be in. My hackles were up, but that was an automatic ‘seeing her ex’ response, not anything he’d done wrong. Yet.

He seemed satisfied with my non-answer, and turned back to the wall display. “Do people actually wear these?” he asked, bemused. He tugged a strappy black leather one free, holding it delicately. “I mean, out of doors?”

I was suddenly self-conscious of my outfit. “Some do. I have.” He wasn’t dating anyone, as far as I knew, so what was his game? Was this some kind of dig at me? At Kate?

“Of course.” He put the bustier back carefully. “I suppose someone must be buying these, right? It’s just never happened to me. I must not rate so highly.” He shrugged apologetically.

“Maybe you just haven’t found the right…” I started, then shut up. Trite, meaningless, and kind of thoughtless. He’d dated Kate before me, and I didn’t want to project my own sexual anxieties onto his.

“Um,” he said noncommittally. I was expecting him to ask if Kate dressed up for me, but he didn’t. “Raven… I wanted to talk to you about Kate. I’m a little concerned for her.”

For, not about, I noted. “She’s a big girl,” I told him defensively. “She doesn’t need any help.”

“And she wouldn’t say if she did,” he sighed. It wasn’t phrased as a question, but I nodded anyway, feeling some of the tension pass in that human gesture. “I saw her at lunch today.”

I must have stiffened, because he raised his hands as if to fend me off. “No, no, it wasn’t like that. I’m not trying to break you two up! If I were, wouldn’t I be better off doing it behind your back, instead of coming here and telling you?”

“…Maybe.” Unless you’re trying to put a wedge between us, play one against the other. Where is he going with this?

“We ate and talked, that’s all.”

“You didn’t fuck her?” I half-snarled, hoping to take him by surprise.

“No.” He held my gaze steadily, not denying, not afraid. I was a little nonplussed.

“Well why not? You have before.”

His expression was unreadable. “She has you for that. And I didn’t… she needed me as a friend, someone… not-you, to listen to her.” He straightened up a bit. “I won’t betray that trust.”

He still loves her, I realized. He didn’t say he didn’t want to, he said he didn’t. Wouldn’t. Poor sod. He must really love her. Despite myself, I felt a pang of sympathy. I was pretty sure they’d talked about me, or us.

“Can you tell me what you talked about?” I asked finally. “Without… compromising that trust?”

“I… no.” His hands clenched in frustration. “Not really.”

“But…” An idea was forming in my head. “But, if you and I talk, and we happen to cover the same ground you and Kate did, there’s no problem, right?”

“I think… no problem, right.” He was giving me a familiar look, the one I get from people when I’ve done something unexpectedly clever. Under the circumstances, I forgave him for it. “Aw, hell,” I sighed. “Let’s go talk.”

I hadn’t taken my evening lunch break yet, so Jason and I got some Chinese from the food court and ate outside, sitting in the warm spring breeze. “Was it hard to come and try to talk to me?” I asked, curious.

“I wasn’t scared,” he answered, a little too quickly. Then: “I was pretty nervous, yeah.”

“Why? We’ve got at least one thing in common,” I reminded him, trying to keep it light.

“Yeah...” That half-smile crept across his face again, endearing on him. “That, and you’re… you know, a lesbian…”

Boys get so cute when they tell you they’re threatened. “Oh, don’t worry,” I reassured him. “I’m not in the ‘castrate all men’ faction. I’m in the ‘chicks get me hot’ club.”

“Ah. Me, too,” he laughed, relaxing a bit. “At least two things in common, then.” We sat in silence, finishing dinner and taking in the gorgeous sunset.

Finally, I began. “So… I’m having some issues with this girl I’m dating.”

“Oh?” Jason feigned surprise. “Tell me about it.”

And somewhat to my surprise, I did. I mean, I’d already decided to; he’d convinced me of his sincerity. But I told him all about it, I mean everything. The whole story, from lust at first sight to last night. It came naturally, seemed to flow easily, as if at some point Jason had stopped being my girlfriend’s ex/rival and become my co-lover, or something. Confusing, I know, but that’s how it was.

“…so that’s where we are, everywhere and nowhere. She’s dating a girl, but she sleeps with her ex-boyfriend sometimes. She’s honest enough to tell me she did, but she can’t – or won’t – tell me why. I trust her, and I love her. She loves me, but she won’t trust me. It’s… it’s just so damn frustrating,” I concluded.

“I’ll bet. Sounds… just like someone I know,” he said meaningfully. “Do you think she’s really hetero, and just fooling herself?”

I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. Oh, it happens… happens a lot, from what I hear. But she really does love me, and her body doesn’t lie.” I sighed. “But she’s so shy about it! Unless we’re totally alone, she plays the good girl. Doesn’t hold hands, no kissing in public… she won’t even dance with me when we go out. And the sex…” I hesitated, then said it anyway. “Unless I get her really worked up, or we’ve been drinking, the sex is pretty vanilla. Timid, like she’s afraid someone’s watching us. Is… is that a terrible thing to think?”

“Not at all. That kind of… cautiousness, can be wearying.”

“Right! Sometimes I want to make love, but sometimes I just her to fuck me! And I want to shout at her, but I know she’ll just dig in her heels. I want her to love herself, as much as I love her, flaws and all.” I sipped reflectively on my drink. “Do you think she’s gay?”

“I think… she’s bi, and having some trouble getting used to the idea. Hence her… acting out, with her ex.” We were still carrying on the pretense, neither of us admitting to the other that Kate’s forgiven indiscretion was with Jason. “It was probably hard on her to accept her attraction to you, at first. And now…”

“And now, she’s having to re-re-invent herself, as a bisexual,” I finished for him. It made sense. “So how long before she figures it all out?”

He shrugged and stole one of my uneaten fries. “Some never figure it out. Katie’s smart, though, so probably not forever. She just needs a little kick in the right direction.”

Now that sounded like a hellaciously good idea. “Great. How? She won’t talk to me. Not about stuff like that.”

“Not unless it’s in her own time, you mean,” he said. I nodded impatiently. “So, make it her time. Make her comfortable. Find a way to bring her in, make her know it’s ok. Know, with certainty. Make her see you as a lover and a friend, not just a roommate. Then she can treat you like she should, like she wants to, deep down.” He shrugged again. “It’ll take some courage from you, too. You’ll have to lead her to it, at first, and that’ll be scary. But she sees something in you, Raven. What is it? Show her, and the rest will follow.”

I sat there, mouth hanging open. He was right; once Kate was in a position to feel secure enough, she’d be herself, and that would start the process. I felt dizzy, feeling all the cognitive pieces come together. I even knew how to put her at ease – if I dared to use it. “Oh, my God… Kitty-Kate…” I whispered. “You’re right. She will.”

According to my watch, I had about ten minutes left to my break. Long enough. I stood and gathered the debris from our meal, pitching them into a nearby trash bin over Jason’s half-startled, half-protesting “Hey!”. I turned and cocked my hip, stretching out one hand. “You’re done. C’mere, I want to show you something.”

I love surprising people, especially smart people. “Wha? What?”

“Just come on. Trust me,” I added, with what I hoped was an impish smile. “You won’t be sorry.”

Bemused, he took my hand. I led him by it into the ‘Employees Only’ rear tunnels back into the mall, re-entering the Heat Lamp through the back door. I stopped at the front register just long enough to tell Lisa I might be a little late getting back. “I’ll be in dressing room thirteen,” I told her. She grinned at me and winked at Jason, to his growing befuddlement.

“Thirteen?” he asked as I led him away. “There’s only, what, four?”

“It’s a code,” I half-explained, dragging him into an empty changing room with me and locking the door behind us with a secure click!.

“Code for wha—“

I pressed a manicured fingertip to his lips, silencing him, while my free hand stroked his crotch intimately, unmistakably. “Not a solitary word from you. A single sound, one noise, and I’ll stop. Understand?” He nodded mutely, eyes widening. “Good.”

I sank to my knees, unzipping his dress pants as I descended. “Kate doesn’t have a monopoly on bi-curiosity,” I murmured, caressing his hardening cock through his boxers. “I’ve been wondering what kind of boy could make my Katie stray.” I carefully withdrew him and drew his penis to my face, kissing it gently on the head with a chuckle. “Why, hello there,” I greeted it amicably. “My name’s Raven.” And with that, I leaned forward, wrapping my lips around a man’s cock for the very first time.

I was, frankly, incredible. I played his body like it was a musical instrument, responding to my every movement. I was sublime, ethereal, irresistible. I had the grace of a dancer, the poise of a courtesan, and the mouth of an angel. I was the prurient princess, the salacious seductress, the femme fellatio. I took to my task like I was born to do it, sucking him off as though I’d gotten my master’s degree in cocksucking. In all of human history, no one has ever given a more perfect blow-job.

Well, I wish it was like that, anyway. I don’t pretend to have had any natural expertise, not with men, anyway. Women, now that’s another story altogether, but those of you who remember the first time you blew a guy can probably well imagine what it was really like. And I’d thought, for some reason, that it would be some humiliating: me on my knees, servicing him while he watched me work for his pleasure. But it wasn’t like that at all. He believed my threat and stayed quiet, nearly motionless, and about a minute in I realized that I was the one in control. I acted, and he responded, pretty much whether he wanted to or not. When I tightened up, he jumped; when I withdrew, he sighed. He was a puppet standing in front of me, wholly subject to my will. This is probably why Catholic schoolgirls always look so smug, I remember thinking a little disjointedly. Grinning around his cock, I played with him a while, like a cat with a new toy.

It was bigger than I imagined it would be; more real, somehow, in the flesh. I gagged a little at first at the size, choking him down with as much dignity as I could muster until I got used to it. I’ve seen it done in porn films before, of course, but I wasn’t exactly taking notes at the time. But some auspicious combination of surprise, the odd location, the novelty of the situation, and raw enthusiasm must have worked, because after a few minutes Jason began to tremble like an oak in a storm, and I guessed he was close to the moment.

Which left me faced with an unplanned dilemma: to swallow, or not to swallow? I know, I should have figured that out before I started, but I honestly didn’t think of it until it was almost time. The idea wasn’t too appealing, but I didn’t have any place to spit it out if I wanted to, and I certainly wasn’t going to let him mess up the otherwise clean carpet. And I didn’t want to ask Jason because I kind of liked him suffering in silence, not knowing. I considered, shrugged mentally, and went for the gold, redoubling my efforts and sucking away until he came in my mouth. I milked it spurt by spurt, slowing it down until he was dry, shuddering in little aftershocks of orgasm. I sat back on my haunches and smiled up at him, swallowing visibly. “Not bad,” I told him truthfully, smacking my lips at the taste.

“I…” Jason began, then stopped himself. I sat on the bench and patted the space next to him, and invitation he accepted gratefully. “I guess I can see some of what Kate sees in you.”

It was an absurd thing to say. We both started laughing, trying to keep quiet and mostly succeeding. I was still giggling when he managed to speak again. “So Raven, um… what was that for?”

So our little love triangle can be balanced; now everybody’s slept with everybody. Because I was curious. Because it seemed right at the time. Because you’re kind of sexy. Because I wanted to know what Kate sees in you. Because wisdom turns me on. Because you’re helping Kate, and helping me. So I could see the expression on your face. So I could let Kate know I understand why she did. Because it was a lot of fun.

“You’re interesting,” I told him aloud, licking my lips. “I like that.” I didn’t know which reason was the biggest, or how many more there were; it was an impulse, one I was glad I followed.

We got our clothes and selves back in order and I hustled him out of the store soon afterward, with very little else said on either side. I’d have to think about this some before I told Kate, and I had something more pressing to talk to her about tonight. If I can do that, I can do anything. And I know exactly how I’ll get her to listen to me. My secret weapon.

“Raven… did you just go down on that guy?” Lisa asked me, taking in my flushing grin.

“We don’t talk about what happens in dressing room thirteen,” I told her with mock gravity. “And besides, I’m gay. What kind of lesbian goes around blowing men?” Once I’m sure of the answer, I’ll understand Kate that much better. And myself, now. I grinned at Lisa’s puzzlement and began to reorganize the stockings shelf, humming to myself.

After that, the rest of the evening went smoothly. Since I was already on overtime and we’d had a fairly tranquil day, sales-wise, Lisa was cool with me leaving before we’d entirely closed up shop. I fairly vibrated in place on the ride home, planning my meeting with Kate. I was almost at the front door when I saw her loping toward the apartment, those long gorgeous legs of hers eating up the distance effortlessly. Probably been at the gym, I surmised. I dashed inside and up the stairs, wanting to look casual and settled in when she arrived. I had just enough time to position myself on the couch when the door opened, and the love of my life strode in.

Katherine

The dishes were still in the sink. There she sat, looking relaxed and cheerful, completely unaware of how much frustration she’d caused me. I hadn’t seen her since last night, and yet she’d been the overriding concern, the only thing I’d thought about with any intensity, the only thing I’d spoken to Jason about, the only one I’d been thinking about in the shower when I couldn’t-

“Hey, Katherine. How’s it going?” she asked, that smoky alto making me smile despite my anger. Positive association, I guess. Don’t get distracted.

I walked around to the couch and regarded her sternly. Raven had decided on a punk-schoolgirl ensemble for the day, provocative and, I had little doubt, time-consuming to put together. If she had time to put that on, she had time to clean up. “Not good,” I said. It came out a lot more sharply than I wanted, but it was too late to take it back. This time, I wouldn’t back down. This time, I wouldn’t crumble and let the opportunity slide by. I loved Raven, and I had to let her know, even if it meant arguing with her.

“Why?” she asked, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “Is everything ok?”

“Everything,” I managed, “is not ok.” There, that wasn’t too bad. “The dishes. Are still. In the sink.”

She at least had the decency to look guilty. “Oh. I forgot.”

“Forgot!” I exploded. “All day, Alley!” She hated her name, said it reminded her too much of home. I didn’t mean to use it, but I kept on going. “They’ve been there all day. When you woke, when you got home from class. When you got back from work.”

“But I…” She looked apologetic for a moment, then her face darkened in anger, responding to mine. She stood and faced me, a few inches shorter than I, even in heels. “Damn it, K, I’ve been busy! I just got home!”

“I can see that,” I grated. “That’s why you were lying on the couch.”

“I was on the couch because…” Her face twisted in anger, heartbreaking. “Oh, you—”

“And that’s just one thing. I don’t ask you to do a lot, a lot less than I do. So how come your clothes are always everywhere? Why am I constantly picking up—”

“I work, Kate,” she pointed out, as if telling me for the first time. “I have more hours this semester than you, and I’m working overtime on top of that!”

“You had time to dress up like a vampire hooker,” I said nastily. “You don’t need to, you just want to,” I accused. My anger was spiraling out of control, and I didn’t know how temper it. The only way I knew was to detach entirely, shut down, and I dared not. “You don’t want to be with me, you just want to fuck and leave and—”

“What?” she nearly shrieked. “You bitch! You act all timid and not-right-now every time I want to be intimate, and then you turn around and go fuck your ex-boyfriend, using him just like—”

That was when I slapped her.

Raven

“The dishes. Are still. In the sink.”

Oh, crap.. “Oh. I forgot,” I told her. Shit, I guess it does bother her. What a time to find out.

“Forgot!” she said, her voice rising. “All day, Alley!” I snarled; Kate knows I hate being called that. Too many vile associations from my formative years. “They’ve been there all day. When you woke, when you got home from class. When you got back from work.”

“But I…” I didn’t even have time to eat lunch! That jock asshole in line… and I just… This wasn’t how I wanted things to go. Kate facing our problems was one thing; Kate pissed at me was quite another. I was getting angry in automatic response, a bad sign. I jumped to my feet and squared off with her. “Damn it, K, I’ve been busy! I just got home!”

“I can see that,” she said coldly, folding her arms. “That’s why you were lying on the couch.”

So much for the casual, relaxed, ‘Honey, you’re home!’ idea. “I was on the couch because… oh, you—”

But she was just getting started. Kate cut me off right there. She has never, ever cut me off, and I blinked in surprise. “And that’s just one thing. I don’t ask you to do a lot, a lot less than I do. So how come your clothes are always everywhere? Why am I constantly picking up—”

“I work, Kate,” I said. Some of us don’t come from money. And I’m trying to buy us a car, you stupid ungrateful... calm, keep calm. “I have more hours this semester than you, and I’m working overtime on top of that!” I retorted.

“You had time to dress up like a vampire hooker,” she sneered. My jaw dropped. “You don’t need to, you just want to. You don’t want to be with me, you just want to fuck me and leave and—”

It was too much. “What?” I yelled. “You bitch! You act all timid and not-right-now every time I want to be intimate, and then you turn around and go fuck your ex-boyfriend, using him just like—” And then she slapped me. Not hard, but that wasn’t the point. For the first time in our relationship, a blow was struck in anger.

Both of us just stood there for a moment, stunned. Kate looked at her hand like it had just gone off by itself, an alien thing attached to her wrist. She was shaking, eyes welling up, and I was about the same. Now or never, I told myself. Do it, before it gets any worse. So it can get better. “‘Kitty-Kate’,” I said aloud.

I gave her a minute, the space of a few breaths. The color slowly faded from her beautiful features as the keyphrase took hold, placing her in the deepest trace I could get her to attain from a post-hypnotic trigger. Her body relaxed, and she smiled a little goofily, eyes staring at nothing in particular.

“Kitty-Kate,” she murmured dreamily, signaling she was all the way under. I hate seeing her like this, seeing that gentle heart and calm mind turned to blankness, but I didn’t have a choice this time. I promised myself I’d never use her trigger again, no matter what. Just like the last time you used it, a subversive inner voice mocked me. I brushed it aside and composed myself.

“Katie. This is Raven. You will believe everything I tell you while you remain in this trance. You will obey everything I tell you while you remain in this trance.”

“…Yes…”

“You will not remember having gone under. You will not remember the trigger that put you into this state, except that it will continue to put you into a trance. The next time you hear it, you will go under again, and you will obey.”

“…Obey…”

There’s a lot of repetition to this trick, but it’s easy for a hypnotized subject to get confused or to focus on the wrong thing. Not to mention that this was Kate; I wanted no mistakes, no problems at all. “Kate, when you wake up, you will feel and think a little differently than when you went under. You will take what I am about to say as if they were your own thoughts. This is what you know I think and feel. You know it and feel it to be true, with absolute certainty.”

“…yes…”

I took a deep breath. I hadn’t rehearsed this, and our fight had taken me off-balance, but I’d been thinking about what I wanted to say since Jason had left my store.

“Kate… I love you. I’m your roommate, your lover, your friend and confidant. Kate…” I was not going to cry, I was not. “Stop being so scared of us, and yourself. You are what you are, we feel how we feel. We love each other, physically, mentally, fully. That’s neither right nor wrong, it just is. If it means you’re gay, then be gay.” I thought about Jason, and went on. “If it means you’re bi, be bi. Don’t be ashamed of yourself or us. Ever.”

“..ever…”

“I want you to assert yourself with me. Don’t be afraid to tell me what you feel, what you think. If it’s bad, if it’s good, I want to share it with you. If the mess bothers you, or my late hours, or how I dress – I want you to tell me, with no fear of how I might take it. We should have no secrets between us unless we absolutely must, Kate. Don’t be scared. I’m not made of glass, and neither are you. We can survive any problem, any fight, if we’re honest and we really try.”

“…honest…”

It was breaking my heart; can you have an honest, open relationship with a kernel of dishonesty at the core? I didn’t know, but I couldn’t think of any other way. “We’re lovers, Kate, beautiful and sweet and uninhibited. I want you to love me with your body as much as you do with your heart, Kate. Any time you want, any way you want, love me.”

I swallowed, hard. “Fuck me, Kate. Take me, ravish me, possess me. Make me your own, fully and wholly. Show me how to satisfy you, every part of you, your every hidden desire and fantasy. I want you to be selfish and use me, fucking command me if you want. Play with me like I’m your sex doll, made to love you and hold you and lick you and fuck you ‘till we can’t move any more. And every time I make you come, it’s just another way for me to tell you I love you. And every time you make me come, you’ll be telling me the same.”

I was trembling before I got even halfway though, but not with fear. I repeated it a few more times, different ways, until I was sure she had it. The temptation to say more, to program her to love me, was awful. But it wouldn’t be real, if I did, and I’d never know. This way, I was giving us every possible chance; if we didn’t work out, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying on either of our parts.

I repositioned myself in front of her and took a calming breath. When she came to, she’d be a lot more calm, but she shouldn’t notice the time lag. “I love you, Kate,” I told her. “‘Katie-Kat’.”

Katherine

We both stood there in shock, neither of us believing what had happened. Ohmygodohmygodohmygodno… I could feel tears coming to my eyes, saw them starting in Raven’s as she brought one hand to where my hand had struck, already reddening on her alabaster skin.

“God, Raven… I’m sorry,” I told her finally, my voice a croak.

She nodded. “S’ok.” She looked at her feet, like a little girl. “So what now?”

What, indeed. I could only think of one thing to do. Probably not the best thing to do, but the alternative was standing in silence while the poison of the moment deepened. “‘Ravensdark’,” I told her.

Raven’s head jerked up in recognizance, and her lips opened to speak, but no sound came out. Four, five seconds, that was all it took before she went under.

Raven, forgive me. Jason had taught me a little about hypnosis, and Raven and I had played around with it, early on. We’d both given up after a few tries, since it didn’t work on either of us. That was half-true.

“Ravensdark,” she whispered after a time, face unnaturally slack, acknowledging her state. That wry smile, the spark of ready wit behind the eyes – all gone in a few moments, thanks to my darkest secret, the one I’d never even dreamed of telling her about. The one I never would. I took a few moments to study her blank face, willing myself to remember, in case I was ever tempted to do this again.

“Raven, this is Kate. I want you to listen very carefully to me. Are you ready?”

“Um-hum…”

“You will obey everything I tell you while you remain in this trance.”

“…Yes…”

“Good. Now, when you come out of this trance, you will not remember having gone under. You will not remember the trigger that put you into this state, except that it will continue to put you into a trance. The next time you hear it, you will go under again, and you will obey.” And I pray I never do this again.

“…Obey…”

I felt terrible, but not as bad as I had before. It seemed easier, now that I was doing it. And I knew that Raven would approve, deep down. The intention, if not the method. She wanted us to be close, to be lovers, and I hadn’t been able to, not under normal circumstances. I had to do it this way, for now, make it safe enough to come out of my shell and love her as much as she deserved, love her like I’d never been able to love anyone. Not even… Don’t think about Jason, it’s not the time for that.

“Now you are taking the words I say as if you were thinking them to yourself. As you hear the words, they become your thoughts.”

“…yes…”

“Raven, when you wake up, you will feel and think differently than when you went under. You will be calmer, more accepting. You will realize that I must deal with my fears on my own terms, or not at all, and that the best way you can help me is to accede to those terms. You will put your own insecurities and worries aside for a while, so as to bring your lover closer to you.”

“…love…”

I took a deep breath. Almost done. “To this end, you will obey all my commands until you wake up tomorrow morning. You will be entirely subservient, following any request I ask to the letter, and anticipating my demands when you can.” I can’t believe I’m doing this. “You are a zealous, compliant slave, totally responsive and devoted to attending my pleasures. You will be completely submissive to my will, voluntarily serving and servicing me like a tamed and trained lesbian concubine. You will do me in any way that I wish, under any circumstances, at any place or time. You will believe this idea is yours, and will never question that belief, even after the weekend is up.”

It occurred to me that I’d left her no out at all to refuse for any reason, and I quailed. If anything goes wrong… I chewed my lip, thinking, then added, “If at any time you find one of my commands to be… too much, or wrong, or hazardous to either of us for some reason, you will fall back into this state as soon as you can and tell me why. Do you understand?”

“…yes…”

And there it was. All I had to do was to speak the counter-trigger, and Raven would become my unabashed girl-toy for the next two days, thinking it was her idea, thinking it was to help me open up to her. I resolved to make at least the latter part true. I love you, Raven. “Ravenslight”.

Raven

We both stood there, blinking at each other. I waited nervously, wondering what she’d do. I’d done enough, and now the rest was up to Kate. I’d removed as many obstacles to our relationship as I could; all that was left was to see whether or not Kate wanted to be with me. Your move, Katie. Make it a good one, either way.

“I’ll tell you what now,” Kate said. She drew herself up to her full height, imposing as a goddess, and looked sternly at me. “If we’re going to be together, we both have some catching up to do. You have to learn to empathize a little more, put yourself in someone else’s shoes and understand them. And I have to learn to express myself to you as freely as I do my self.”

I nodded, jerkily. I didn’t like the criticism, but it was justified. “I’m willing if you are,” I said quietly. Oh, please…

“Then let’s start right now,” she intoned.

Yes… thank you… The tension oozed out of me, as I realized Kate had made her choice… for us. I shivered at the sound of her voice, majestic and firm. Commanding. I would do anything that voice asked of me, for her sake and mine. “Yes, Kate,” I said meekly.

She nodded in satisfaction, growing into her role as the dominant partner. At least for now. I doubted either one of us could stand this extreme a division of authority for long, but it was a nice change of pace, as well as being therapeutic. I could do this a while. For as long as it took.

“Hold still,” she told me. “Arms at your sides. Don’t move, don’t speak.” I complied instantly, coming to a rigid attention, fingertips at the edge of my short skirt.

Kate stepped to my side and ran her hands across my body, exploring it with a possessive familiarity I’d never seen from her. I shivered as I felt my nipples hardening in the confining bra, a response to her hand slowly unbuttoning my blouse. “Don’t move,” she purred in my ear. I whimpered mutely, unable to ignore her other hand sliding its way up my inner thigh, raising the pleats of my skirt with her wrist like a theater curtain rising for the next act…

“O-ohhhh… ohhhhh…” I moaned quietly, feeling her fingertips stroke my sex lightly through my insubstantial underwear. A good choice after all, I decided.

“Shhhh…” Kate hissed, a wicked smile on her face. “Too loud, baby. We don’t want the neighbors to complain about the noisy girlsex.” I inhaled sharply; she’d tweaked an erect nipple on the word sex.

“This is just the warm-up,” she told me soothingly, her other hand making tantalizing strokes through my increasingly-damp panties. Twenty seconds of this, and it was already all I could do not to move. But I wouldn’t. This weekend, I was giving Kate complete control, to do with as she wanted. And we both loved it.

She rested her head on my shoulder and nibbled on an ear lobe. “Responsive, docile… and very, very wet,” she murmured, bringing her hand up to our faces. I sighed as her hand returned to my nest, pressing more insistently into my quim. “Let’s see how well that self-control you’re so proud of hold up under pressure, sweetie.” Her fingers were under my panties now, one digit lazily circling my niche while two more flicked lightly across my clitoris, gentle as a newborn breeze. I began to tremble.

“Shhhh…” she whispered. “There’s a girl… like that… like what I’m doing to you…” Her hand was growing more active, more insistent, palm circling, fingers probing… “Close your eyes… that’s it… feel me… feel my hands… getting you off… so anxious… so helpless… so aroused…”

My knees were giving out, but Kate supported my weight effortlessly with her free hand, holding me up. My support. My love.

“Like an untamed filly, all spunk and spirit… umm… so ready for me, so eager and frisky and so very very hot… Do you like it when I get you all lathered up? Do you like it when I do this… or this… and this?”

A melodic purr had begun forming at the back of my throat, nurtured by her ministrations, my lust. I’d never been so turned on in my life. My form was suspended in her strong arms, holding me to her as she stroked me towards the edge…

“Are you getting close, my beautiful girl? All that heat, boiling over… gathering… surging… coming…”

She held me close, cooing, until the last spasm of my climax drifted away, taking my frustrations and worries with it.

Katherine

I reluctantly released Raven, who’d clung to me like a lost kitten since I’d begun stroking her. She brushed the damp hair from her forehead and smiled fiercely. “Wow,” she said breathlessly. “Kate, I—”

“Shh,” I told her gently. I had forward momentum now, uninhibited, unafraid. I could love as I would, as I wanted. I kissed her gently, once, twice, then pulled her onto the couch with me. “I can’t talk when I’m this worked up…” Raven’s hands found the drawstrings to my sweats and unknotted them, tugging them down my thighs. “Let’s find another use for that tongue... mmmm…”

It was two in the morning before we finally fell asleep, nestled in each other’s arms and dreaming of what the future would hold.

Two for the Show: Jason’s Tale

“Jason? It’s Katie.”

I’d been expecting her to call eventually, but it was early Sunday afternoon, several weeks early by my estimation. I tried to keep my voice casual. “Oh, hey. What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing, just…” There was a long pause, as if some heavy mental editing was taking place. I thought I heard a giggle on the other end, faintly, then, “Um, anyway. Raven and I were talking. About lots of stuff. Including, um, you.”

“Oh.” Dumb, but I didn’t have anything to say yet.

“Um, yeah. So, we were wondering if you were free to come over and talk. ‘Cause there’s some things we need to work out between the three of us.”

“O-okay,” I told her, fighting my rising excitement. “Say, fifteen minutes be okay?”

“Great! See you,” she said, and hung up, although not before I heard them giggle fiendishly to each other. I changed shirts and started walking, hands in my pockets.

So it all comes together. And so quickly, too. Unless… did something go wrong? They can’t know, can they? …No. I was careful. I’d hypnotized Kate dozens of times while we were going out, and she’d never suspected a thing. I’d had her ‘prove’ her mesmeric obedience to me almost every time, from minor things like spouting numeric sequences, to major-league, like stripping off a piece of clothing for every white car we passed and not noticing. That had been a memorable road-trip.

So Kate was solid. What about Allison, AKA Raven? She was the wildcard, no doubt. Kate had been instructed to condition her girlfriend every bit as thoroughly as I’d conditioned her, but something might have gone wrong. Had she resisted, or worse, found out? But no, she’d gone under when I gave her the trigger phrase at the mall, without hesitation. Too quick to fake it, too good to be an incomplete take. But she was still unpredictable; that impromptu blow job had been completely unsolicited, hypnotically or otherwise. What kind of a woman blows her girlfriend’s ex just because he helped her out? Was that free-spiritedness, sexual hedonism, or something else entirely? I had no way of knowing until I asked her, preferably when she was a lot more pliant. I’d ask as soon as…

…maybe as soon as today. That was it. It wasn’t the success of my project that was bothering me; I’d done everything I could to see that it did. It was the speed; this part should be days, weeks away. What had happened?

Months ago, it’d seemed a lot more clear-cut, if just as devious. Most of her internal conflicts had been related to her confidence in some way; not surprising in retrospect, but at the time I’d been aghast. And so I’d molded Kate gradually, altering elements of her personality as an artist sculpts in clay, steadily changing her from a prudish, painfully shy girl into a poised, confident, sexually liberated woman. Early on, even kissing a boy had filled her pretty head with uneasy shame. But with a lot of time and patience we’d challenged every barrier, filling her out into a Katie she could be proud of and, not incidentally, a girl I couldn’t get enough of. Turning her into a monogamous-but-sexually-charged fuck-bunny wasn’t the only solution, but it had an obvious appeal to me, both then and now. And once I got over my initial reluctance to change her, the progress was nothing short of amazing.

Foreplay, no problem. We went from light to heavy petting in a single tutorial, with her first mutual masturbatory experience thrown in as a bonus. Oral sex took more time, moreso receiving than giving, for some reason. Sex went from difficult to dramatic in about two weeks. Anal sex wasn’t a big thrill for either of us, but neither was it particularly taxing. Posing nude took some doing, but by the end Katie had taken some very positive associations from it. Voyeurism and exhibitionism, in small doses. Then came bondage, and a lot of abbreviations like D&S and S&M. We’d just started up on costumes and role-playing – my personal favorites – when we hit an unexpected wall – other women.

I casually mentioned a three-way one night, more jokingly than anything, and Kate just froze up, back to her old closed-off self. It took a lot of persuading and prying, but I eventually found out what was bothering her so much: a homophobic streak twenty miles wide. It took a lot of careful planning and memory alteration, but eventually Kate found herself breaking up with me for no reason she could articulate, and a growing tendency to notice girls in an entirely new way. A couple of months later, she’d found Raven and embarked on her first full-fledged lesbian relationship.

As I’d conceived it, Kate would go gay for a while, and then return after a suitable period of experimentation, horizons broadened. I never thought she’d fall in love.

But she did. Thinking we were broken up, Kate pursued her implanted agenda with a vengeance that surprised me as much as it did her. Lacking a strong, stable relationship, she set out to make another one as soon as she could, never mind why. Occasional deliberate ‘accidental’ meetings with Kate let me trance her and find out what was going on, and before I could do anything about it, Kate had two lovers, only one of which she consciously remembered.

Kate and I still screwed sometimes, but it wasn’t ok anymore, for either of us. I couldn’t… wouldn’t compel her to cheat on her girlfriend, however much I wanted her. I wanted my errant girlfriend back, and Kate… Kate wasn’t sure, even under hypnosis, whom she wanted to be with more, anymore. Raven, of course, wanted to keep her; I could well understand that. So what should I do?

I’d thought about it a long time. At first I was pissed, and almost brought her to heel that instant. But it was hardly fair of me to get angry just because Katie had gone and done what I told her to, better than I’d expected. Then I got depressed for a while: she didn’t want me anymore, she’d left me, True Lesbian Conspiracy strikes again, angst, angst, angst. Finally acceptance more or less set in, and I resolved to be a friend, hopefully with privileges, until Kate worked out for herself what she wanted. It was an honest, if belated, solution, one that would hold until everything worked itself out over time.

I guessed it would take months, maybe more than a year. Instead, here I was walking up the steps to greet my girlfriend/ex-girlfriend/love puppet/love of my life and her significant other, just a couple of weeks later. It didn’t help that I knew both girl’s trigger phrases; after all, each woman knew the other’s, and neither had told the other anything about it. To call the situation interesting would be oversimplistic. I took a deep breath, mentally shaking away my exposition, and knocked on the door.

I couldn’t get much of a read on the situation by looking. Raven was wearing a threadbare set of boxers with a t-shirt, probably what she’d slept in, although I didn’t know if the belled collar was standard for her or not. Kate was just as distractingly dishabille in a loose-fitting terrycloth robe that kept coming open at the most distracting moments. I swallowed and tried to keep myself focused.

I was just in time for brunch, it seemed; a largish stack of pancakes was steaming to itself on the kitchen table, and Raven was contentedly munching on a slice of honeydew melon. I took Katie up on the offered cup of coffee and sat down, concealing my anxiety by blowing on the fresh brew.

“So, Raven and I had a talk on Friday. A real heart-to-heart, you might say,” Kate began.

“And other parts,” Raven added sotto voce. Katie pretended not to hear.

“The problem, as we see it, is this. Raven loves me. I love Raven. And I love you.” She looked at me a moment, waiting, then went on. “And Raven’s decided she’s got a little thing for you, too.”

What? I managed to confine my reaction to a raised eyebrow; Raven shrugged across the table from me and gave a little smile.

She picked up where Kate had left off. “Katie in the middle, loved by you and me. I generally prefer women, but I might make an exception in your case. And you liked me well enough Friday night to come in my mouth, so that’s not a problem, either.”

Kate snickered as I blushed; I didn’t think Raven would tell Kate about that so soon, if ever. Raven went on, unperturbed. “Love triangles can get really ugly really fast. Especially if people aren’t honest. So Kate and I worked out our end of things. Which leaves only you. What do we do with the poor hypnotist ménage a moi Jason.”

Oh, shit! They know! I was so off-guard I sat in shock for a moment, mouth open. “Ravensda—” I started, half-shouting her trigger.

“Argonaut Override. Freeze.” Kate’s voice was clear and commanding, and I stopped. I mean, completely stopped: stopped talking, stopped moving, everything. The only thing moving was my stomach, dropping like a brick down a well as I finally realized what was really going on.

“Argonaut… Override…” I said, and lapsed into silence. My trigger. I have a trigger, too. When did that happen?

“Three people, three triggers,” Kate told me in my left ear, brushing my hair with the back of her hand. “That’s fair, right?” She smiled at Raven, who was standing to walk around to my right. “My poor greedy Jason. Had one girl all to himself, but then he decided he wanted two.”

“Selfish,” Raven agreed, licking my earlobe. “Even if it did mean I got to meet you, that was mean of him, sweetness. Let’s punish him,” she urged, mock-petulant.

“Punish him?” Katie acted as if it were a novel idea, one they hadn’t planned long before I got here. “What an intriguing idea, Rave-babe.” Walking around behind me, she pulled my chair back a few feet from the table and embraced the dark-haired girl. “But what? What could two mere women possibly do to punish him?” She plucked Raven up by the waist and set her on the table in front of me easily, kissing her deeply. “I mean, just because now he’s helpless and watching us…”

“Hmm. I wonder…” Raven mused. She kissed Kate again, biting her lip playfully when they finally parted again. “But I’m starting to feel all… warm, inside. Maybe we should play a while and see if something doesn’t come up.”

“Oh, good idea, baby. Let’s.” Kate drew Raven in for another kiss, and hands began to drift, casually, teasingly. Not mine, of course; with one exception, my body wasn’t responding at all.

They made out for a while, unhurried, making sure I got a good view. Kate waited until Raven was pulling off her shirt before she spoke to me again. Twenty-one minutes later, according to the microwave’s clock. Ye gods.

“Once you’ve been… punished, to our mutual satisfaction, Raven and I would like to discuss terms. We’re willing to give the three of us a try if you are, but there’s going to have to be some changes, love. Rules.”

“Everyone knows everyone else’s trigger, for one,” Raven added, sighing as Kate gently bit down on a pierced nipple. “No permanent mind-fucking, either. But on a short term basis…” She stroked Kate’s hair languorously, eyes closing in pleasure. “Well, mind control’s pretty fucking hot, isn’t it?” I sat mutely, unable to reply.

We all called in sick Monday.