The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

It’s a Welcome

We walked into the large parlor. We had quite a crowd present, and everyone seemed quite happy. Kathryn approached, holding a tray with filled champagne glasses. I let the ladies take one, then took one myself. I was the only man there.

The room quieted down as Ellen spoke a bit louder.

“Ladies...” she said in a clear voice, then added, “and Gentlemen,” to a chuckle in the room.

“Our Mistress is currently in Toronto; I spoke with her earlier in the day. She regrets not being able to visit us, but she needs to return to Lucerne. She will be out in about six weeks.”

That news seemed to brighten people up.

Then Ellen walked over to me, raising her glass, her smile increasing.

“She has given me the privilege, and the pleasure, of making an announcement for her. It is with great pleasure we welcome Rob Flynn to our Family.”

If I was so happy, why was I on the verge of tears, with that sudden impact feeling again? I raised my glass to toast with her. I couldn’t say a thing.

But I heard the others saying, “Welcome.” Each toasted me, looking me in the eye.

When it was Bernadette’s turn, she took my champagne flute and put it down. Then she hugged me. “Welcome to the family,” she told me.

Now it seemed everyone needed to hug me. I didn’t mind a bit. When I finally got my glass back, it had been refilled. I wiped tears from my eyes. I squeezed Suzanne’s hand, and managed to whisper, “Thank you for making this possible.” I saw Ellen and Linda huddling in one corner of the room.

I was asked when I’d be starting full time, when I’d be moving in. I started to tell them I didn’t know, when Ellen walked up and took my arm.

“Rob, I need to talk to you in my office for a bit, before dinner.”

“Of course,” I said, holding on to my glass as she led me down the hall.

She was all smiles as we went into her office. She went to her desk and picked up a folder of papers.

“Rob, one more surprise to spring on you—an employment contract. If you’d look it over, we can discuss details.”

An ugly but practical thought crossed my mind. “Ellen, I’ll ask straight out—how subject to negotiation is this? Is this a take it or leave it deal?”

She nodded, her smile fading a bit. “Rob, thank you for asking. I don’t really know. If you have questions I can’t answer, we’ll call Her.”

I nodded. “Thank you. Where should I put this?”

“Why don’t we take it over to your office?”

I held out my arm. She actually sighed as she took it.

I mentioned on the walk to the office that I’d met Deb. Ellen filled me in a little more on how the house ran. With a chuckle she told me that while she was nominally in charge, Deb ran the day-to-day show. We had “family” and “staff.” Some times staff got recruited into the family—Suzanne being the latest. After I put the folder on my desk, Ellen gave me a hug, and told me I was quite a catch.

When we walked back to the main house, the parlor was emptying out, people heading to the dining room. I entered with Ellen on my arm. The table was set for just family; that’s the way dinners usually were, I was informed. Staff were present at weekday breakfasts and lunches, and some dinners.

While everyone was still happy, it seemed they kept more distance from me. I sat between Linda and Deb. Deb was all business—we agreed to go over to my place after lunch tomorrow. She’d bring someone along to help pack.

I saw Linda give her a cross look. I gave Linda a questioning look, and Bernadette, who was sitting on the other side of Deb, asked me a question about my prints.

Quite a few were interested in seeing more of them. Deb suggested we could display them along the halls, and in the front parlor.

I was looking forward to photographing the place, especially the grounds. A number of the architectural details intrigued me as well, and I started talking about the Greene and Greene houses I’d visited.

Dinner was superb. I enjoyed it, and the wine, and especially the company. Annette wanted to know if I played Bridge. Nope, never learned it, but I did play cribbage. Someone laughed and said Suzanne would beat my pants off. That got interesting laughter; Suzanne blushed.

After dinner, I was at somewhat of a loss, especially as the table was cleared. When I mentioned I was used to doing my own cooking and cleaning up, someone told me I was welcome to help on Tuesdays, as that was the staff’s usual night off.

Then the crowd dissipated, leaving Linda, Ellen, and I. It was so quiet again.

“I think I’ll go to my office and look over the paperwork,” I told Ellen.

She nodded as she stood up. “That’s fine. Stop by my office when you’re through.”

I stood up, and helped Linda. She started to walk out, but turned.

“What is it, Rob?” she asked.

I could feel the questioning look on my face. I felt so young again, six or seven. “Hug?” I asked.

She gave me a hug. “It’s okay, Rob,” she whispered.

I walked over to the office, looking around. It was dark out. The walkway was covered, and only about twenty feet between buildings. What would it be like in the winter, a few months from now?

I sat in an old, comfortable, leather chair. I thought momentarily of Banister and the chair he had. I wish him well, I thought. I opened the folder and started reading.

I read through the agreements, twice. I slipped off my shoes and leaned the chair back. Could I get a real light table, and a real storage cabinet for negatives? I closed my eyes. Even though I was tired, I had that buzz that comes from a turbulent day.

A knock on the door—“Yes? Come in, please,” I said, swinging my chair around.

Linda and Ellen came in. Linda had three glasses in her hand. Ellen had a bottle.

“Cognac?” Ellen asked.

“Please,” I replied.

She poured. I closed my eyes and stuck my nose in the glass. It was good. I swirled it and warmed it with my hands.

“Have you had a chance to look at things?” Ellen said after a few minutes.

I nodded, swirling and sniffing again.

“Ellen—some times I feel I should call you Mistress—I’ve had the opportunity to review a lot of contracts over the years. Other than the confidentiality provisions, which are tough but I’ve seen far worse, this agreement is entirely, amazingly, fair and equitable.”

Ellen and Linda exchanged smiles. “You’ll sign, then?” Ellen asked.

I nodded. “Would have, but for two reasons,” I said, taking another sip of fine cognac.

“And those are?” Ellen asked.

“It calls for witnesses to the signature, and I couldn’t find a damn pen.” I raised my glass in a toast. They chuckled.

“I think we can deal with that,” Ellen said. She stood up. “My office?”

Linda stood up. I slipped my shoes back on. “Give me a minute to get the crowd together,” I muttered as I stood.

“Crowd?” Linda asked, putting a hand on my back as we walked to the main house.

I chuckled a little, shaking my head. “It’s weird. It’s like I’ve got all these pieces, these parts of me—but they’re me, at different ages. Like I just thought about that leather chair again, and when I did, I had this flash of my grandfather’s office and his leather chair. For an instant I could smell the stale cigar smoke, hear the way the chair and the wooden floor squeaked, see the clutter on his desk, all from the perspective of a four or five-year-old. That’s weird.”

She rubbed my back as we walked along, stepping out briefly into the cool night air. “It’s nothing to worry about, Rob. As you said earlier, things have been stirred up. We’re getting your crowd together again.”

After a pause, she said, “And does that four or five-year-old need something? Can you ask him? What does he need?”

I stopped. The pang in my chest was back. “I don’t know. To be held.”

She held me. I closed my eyes and the world wobbled.

We made it to Ellen’s office. I signed, with Ellen and Linda signing as witnesses. After signing, we had more hugs, and a little more cognac.

“This is grand,” I told them, “But I still don’t know what my schedule is.”

Ellen swirled the cognac in her glass. “Don’t worry about that, Rob—at worst, you’re three weeks from working here full time. I take it you’re interested in moving before that?”

“Oh yeah,” I told them. “Even if it’s another three weeks, it’s a five or ten minute commute rather than half an hour or more in stop-and-go traffic—a lot easier on me.”

Ellen nodded. “Do you have a passport?”

I glanced up, trying to recall details. “Yes, but is it still valid?” I looked at her again. “Am I going somewhere soon?”

She smiled. “Our Mistress is interested in meeting the newest member of our Family. And, you said yourself, you need to talk to people about the overall structure.”

I nodded. “When would this be happening?”

“Not for a month or so. We discussed it very briefly. She thought you could go to Her in Lucerne, then fly back here with Her after a week or so.”

Linda said, “He’d be ready by then.”

I gave Linda a questioning look.

She smiled. “It will be an incredible experience for you. I envy you.”

Ellen sighed and rumbled, “Yes... But now...”

Linda smiled. “Yes... It’s been along day.”

I nodded, setting my empty glass on Ellen’s desk. “A long and interesting day. Don’t know how many more like this I could stand,” I muttered.

Linda and I walked out. I headed over to the kitchen. It was a reasonable size, with a regular commercial range, and assortment of ovens, separate huge refrigerator and freezer. I walked over to a bowl of fruit and picked up a banana.

“What’s the flow around here? I don’t have a feel for it,” I asked Linda as I peeled my snack. “I haven’t seen any television sets. Do we get newspapers? What do I do about mail?”

Linda smiled, standing a few feet away. “We have a lounge area upstairs from the offices in the next building. That has TV sets, VCR, the usual. It also has a wall which would be nice for some of your prints. We also have a room in another building for exercise, with treadmills and such. We get the New York Times, the San Jose Mercury, and the Wall Street Journal. If you have your own Journal subscription, we’ll get it moved over here, and you can figure out later if you want your own copy or just go with the one Ellen and Deb look at. Actually, I’d be surprised if Ellen has looked at it more than twice in the last month.”

I seemed to be filled with questions. As they boiled out of me, Linda answered them as best she could.

With a smile, she stepped over to me, putting a hand on my back again, nudging her hip against mine as she leaned back on the counter next to me.

“What’s wrong, Rob?” she asked softly.

“What? Is something wrong?” I replied.

She nodded. “Hold out your hands.”

I held out my hands. They were trembling slightly. I looked them and said, “I... I’m scared...”

Her hand moved on my back, now pressing a little firmer. “Why? Of what?”

“I... I’ve got that feeling in my chest again, and in my legs...” I looked at her, turning to face her. “You’re going to... Do it to me again, aren’t you?”

“Hypnotize you?” she said, facing me, putting both hands on my shoulders, moving her hips closer to mine.

“Y... Yes... I guess that scares me. I don’t understand.”

She nodded and smiled. “It scares you because we’ve seen some things which are very troubling to you. And you know we need to visit them again, and clean them up. Don’t we?”

“Do we?” I said, putting my hands on her waist, more to keep them from trembling than anything else. “I can’t believe how frightened I am. I don’t know what to do. I... I’m feeling young and frightened again...”

She hugged me, tight. “I’ve got you—I’ve got you. Hold me and feel me holding you.”

I held her, my arms around her waist. “I still feel weird, like I should be shorter, my head on your tummy...”

“It’s okay, Rob—hold me, run your hands over me. Stay with me, right here, right now.”

I held her. She felt good. I closed my eyes and ran my hands over her body. She turned us so she was pressing me into the counter. I ran my hands up her back, my arms by her sides, pulling her to me, squeezing her breasts into me. She moaned a little. I tilted my head and found her lips with mine. We kissed as we ran our hands over each other. I had one hand pressing her sacrum, pressing her hips into mine, and the other lost in the hair at the back of her head. I opened my legs a bit and she wiggled in. I held her hips with both hands, sliding them down over her soft but trim rear.

She wiggled, then took my hands and moved them to her breasts as she leaned back. She put her arms around my waist.

She looked so alive, her eyes bright and twinkling, the look of lust on her face, the way her nostrils flared, feeling her chest expand as she breathed.

“How are you feeling now?” she asked.

In response I felt for her nipples, teasing them gently. “Much better.”

She let her head go back. I leaned over to kiss and nibble her neck, sliding my hands and arms around her again.

We kissed again, with more of our bodies now.

“Oops!” a voice said from the doorway.

We paused for air. She leaned back and we both laughed.

“Feel like going upstairs with me now?”

I held her hips closer. “Yes.”

“Rob, those first sessions—out by the tree, in the porch swing, on the couch with Bernadette—did you like those?”

I sighed. “God, yes...”

She nodded. “We’re going upstairs, and I’m going to hypnotize you again. Yes, we’ve done some things that are unsettling. But I’m going to show you again how sensual and pleasurable it can be—I’m going to hypnotize you and we’re going to make passionate love. How does that sound?”

I held her to me again. “Hold me afterwards...”

“Oh I will... You’ll go to sleep in my arms...”

“Let’s go.”

We snuck peeks out into the hallway like a pair of teenagers, then ran across to the stairwell. She held a finger to her lips, and we were quiet going up the stairs.

I looked into “my” room. On the bed was a terrycloth bathrobe, and a first-class airline kit. “Lufthansa—never flew ‘em,” I muttered.

The hand on my back again, feeling her body behind mine leaning into me. “Oh, you’ll get to; they have great service. Would you rather be in here?”

I turned to her again, picking up the robe. “Not tonight.”

“Good answer,” she said, forehead against mine.

I chuckled. “What’s bathroom protocol? Knock? Open the door and listen for the shriek?”

She sighed. “Let’s see if one is open.”

We went out into the hall again, closing “my” door.

“Dark in there—looks good,” she said, pointing to the nearby bathroom. She knocked lightly, then opened the door. Empty. She smiled to me. “Go ahead, then come to my room—right next to yours.”

I turned on the light as she closed the door. I sat on the can, then stripped off my dress shirt. The travel kit had a toothbrush and toothpaste. Hmmm—I’m used to an electric shaver. Haven’t used a blade in many years. Let it ride for tonight, I think, and shave in the morning.

I sat on the can once more. I gathered my goodies and headed to “her” room. I knocked lightly on the door.

She opened it. She was wearing a smile and a dark silky robe.

Her room—feminine, a desk in one corner with papers on it. Telephone and clock radio on one nightstand, another large, old, high four-poster bed. Some clothes strewn about, semi-heaped.

“Not expecting company?” I asked her.

She swirled over to me, standing on tiptoes, an astonished look on her face. I laughed and hugged her. She laughed and hugged me. “Just you wait...” she growled in my ear.

I slid down her, catching the opening in her robe with my face, nuzzling towards a breast.

“I’ll be right back—why don’t you get into bed?”

I raised my head a bit and kissed her throat. “Be glad to...”

She turned on the small lamp on her nightstand, and turned out the room light as she left.

The sheets, the pillows smelled like her. While the bed frame may have been old, the mattress felt pretty good, even if I was on the “wrong” side.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out all at once. God, what a day! It was so quiet here—I could feel the buzzing in my head again. How noisy are the floors, the bedsprings? I wasn’t quite sure what room we were over. One of the parlors?

I was relaxed, drifting, until I heard the door open again—suddenly I was alert, eyes wide open. I could feel my heart and breath accelerating.

I looked over to see her approaching. She took off her robe. She was naked and beautiful, yet I was still frightened. She slid into bed next to me. Her touch was electric.

She sighed as she moved closer. “Rob, it’s okay. Hold me for a while. Just hold me.”

I felt a tension in my throat, strange apprehension in my arms and legs, and that hunger in my chest. I moved closer to her, holding her.

“You’re so warm,” she purred, putting an arm around me.

I slid down a little further, my lips on the side of a breast. I put my arms around her, and a leg over her, holding her close.

“Oh, please hold me—I need to be held too,” she whispered.

We held each other like that for I don’t know how long. Slowly I seemed to unwind. For a while I anticipated the delirious shock of her hand squeezing the back of my head, but her hand stayed on my shoulder.

I was more relaxed. I pulled her to her near side a bit more, and without opening my eyes, took a nipple in my mouth. I sighed and held her, relaxing in the sensation. I sucked gently, relaxing more and more, barely feeling her hand move to the back of my head.

We made love gently. I begged her to use me for her pleasure; she used us both. I was on top of her when I came, my hands under her shoulders, gripping her, pulling us closer together. Her eyes were closed and her head back, moaning through a smile as I pumped my gift into her. I kissed her neck and she held me.

She turned out the light and held me again a little later as I curled up to her side once more. My lips found the firm yet soft flesh of a breast, my arms found their way around her waist. She sighed and held me.

I woke early, on my side and facing the window. It felt like it should be getting light out. I turned over carefully. There was just enough light so I could see a clock on the dresser—quarter after six, or three thirty. Felt more like a quarter after six.

She was beside me, on her side. I leaned over to her, taking a breath near her hair and kissing her shoulder. I slid out of bed, grabbed my robe and the travel kit, and tried to be as quiet as possible as I went across the hall to the bathroom.

As I sat on the toilet, I had more silly protocol questions. Should I have turned on the light to let someone know I was in here? To flush or not to flush? I chuckled and flushed as I stood up.

I froze halfway up as the door opened. Linda stepped in, naked. She grabbed me and pulled me into a kiss, feeling me.

After a dizzying kiss, she took her turn on the toilet.

“Thanks for leaving the seat down,” she told me.

“Thanks for leaving the lid up,” I replied. We both laughed. I rinsed my mouth with about half of the little bottle of mouthwash from the travel kit; Linda used the rest.

We hurried back to bed. We kissed for a bit, then I started to slide down her. She pulled me to her left breast as I got my arms around her.

“Oh, I hope you like that as much as I do,” she growled.

I sighed and squeezed her in reply.

The more I sucked, the more relaxed I became, and the harder it was to hold on to her.

She rolled me to my back with ease, then moved to straddle me. I sighed as we slid together, my eyes closing and my head arching back.

We rocked together, gently at first. She started sliding her hands over my chest, exciting me. She felt so good on top of me. I started moaning as I got closer. Her hands moved to my neck, her forearms on my shoulders.

She did something and my eyes popped open and locked on hers. I couldn’t look away from her. I saw her lips moving—I wanted them. I was so close, so close, but I couldn’t...

She squeezed me and I was hit by a lightning bolt, coming deep inside her. Still I couldn’t look away, even though it was so hard to keep my eyes open. She let go of my neck and my eyes dropped closed. I eagerly took the nipple she offered me, and dropped into that dreamworld again.

We were together there. We visited some scary places—I was young, I was old, I was scared and hurt, but she was there with me. She wanted to go to one more place, but as we started walking down a long corridor towards it, I got really scared again. Even though it was so hard to move, it felt like we were getting closer to that door so quickly. I tried to turn and go the other way—not yet, please...

We stopped and she held me. We moved away from that door; we moved very quickly, as if flying away from that murky dark place. We were in front of another door, one that was somehow familiar. We went into a bedroom and crawled into bed. She held me again, and I latched on to her, filling my soul.

I was on my back. Linda was next to me, propped up on an elbow, a hand on my chest.

She gave me a wistful smile. “Good morning...”

I held her hand, bringing it to my lips and kissing it. “That was intense...”

She nodded. “We’re through the worst—it’s easy from here.”

I sighed in relief at that. A pang of doubt hit, though—was she telling me that because she wanted me to believe it, or because she believed it?

“Really?” I whispered.

She nodded, then pulled my head between her breasts. “Yes, really. We’re through the worst, but it’s still going to take you a while to heal. It’s like setting a broken bone.”

I tightened up at those words, that sudden impact feeling rushing at me again. But she squeezed me, rolling over on top of me, and the feeling went away.

“Breakfast?”

I sighed. “That means I’d have to open my eyes, let go of you, and get up,” I told her.

She laughed. “I’m afraid so. But I’ll hold you later; don’t worry.”

I kissed her. “Okay.”

We got up and dressed. I helped her make the bed.

“This isn’t a hotel—you’re expected to make your own bed in the morning. Your sheets will be changed, and the room vacuumed once a week.”

“Yes, dear,” I told her with a smile. She gave me a smirk.

We dressed and made our way downstairs to the kitchen. We got coffee, and one of the staff helped us to scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast. As we were eating, Suzanne came down and joined us.

“Walk the grounds with me?” she asked.

Linda shook her head. “He’s busy this morning.”

I sighed. “I’m busy...”

Suzanne nodded. “Okay...”

I wasn’t sure whether it was okay or not.

We finished breakfast. I helped clear plates, but the staff wouldn’t let me do anything more than putting them on the counter.

“Let’s take the tour,” Linda said, taking my arm in hers.

We walked through the main building again, bottom floor and top. There was also a full basement, mostly used for storage. We did a quick tour of the next building, the one with my office, Bernadette’s, Suzanne’s, and some others. Upstairs had four bedrooms, and a lounge area with TV, stereo system, couches, chairs, card table, magazines and that kind of thing.

“This next building used to be the carriage house,” Linda said, taking my arm once more. This one was a slightly longer walk. “Since it was rebuilt in the 1940’s after a fire, we weren’t under any preservation restrictions, at least as far as the interior is concerned.”

“Suzanne has another building for her staff, with its own showers. We’ve renovated the interior of this one...”

I’ll say—the large room we entered looked like a health club. The large central area had a padded floor. Around two outer edges were exercise bikes and treadmills, with mirrors and a bar along the interior wall. Ellen waved to us from a treadmill. We waved and walked over to her.

“Good morning you two,” Ellen said, panting a bit as she ran.

“Good morning,” I said.

“We’re doing the extended tour,” Linda told her.

Ellen nodded. “Don’t let me keep you!”

Linda pulled me off to the door at the back of the room. “We have exercise classes for family on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. You’re expected to attend.”

“Oh? What kind of thing?” That explained why everyone was in such good shape.

“Pilates, yoga, some aerobics,” she said. With a grin she added. “You’ll enjoy it...”

She pushed the door open. We looked in. “We’ve a shower area here as well.”

“Just one?” I asked with more than a slight frown.

She laughed. “Oh just one—you’ll do fine.”

I shook my head. She led me out of the building, down another gravel path. We were in a portion of the estate I’d never seen before. We walked by a fairly modern building, half garage, half offices.

“This is Suzanne’s domain,” Linda mentioned as we walked along the path to a gate in an old fence.

She opened the gate and we stepped inside.

I gasped. We were standing at the edge of a very formal, meticulously maintained Japanese garden.

“This is gorgeous,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb the peace of the place.

“Yes... Family only, and one of the reasons Mistress bought the property.”

We walked along another path, past a small pond and a rock garden, toward a small ceremonial building.

“Suzanne does this as well?” I asked. My respect for her had increased a hundredfold.

Linda chuckled. “Yes, with help from descendents of the people who designed and built this garden originally.”

As we walked up the wooden steps to one sliding door of the building, Linda slipped off her shoes. I took the hint and did the same. She slid a door open, and we stepped inside.

The room was small, but beautiful. A traditional low table was off to one side. A futon had been pulled out. I could hear running water coming from the other side of the room, past the closed shoji-style doors. Linda walked to them and slid them open, revealing another pond, complete with waterfall and koi swimming about.

I walked over to have a better look. “Beautiful,” I said softly.

Linda looked at me with a smile. “You can spend the night out here if you like.”

I smiled, almost laughing, but then a cold feeling hit the pit of my stomach. It must have been apparent.

Linda nodded. “Yes, I want to do some more work with you. There’s a bathroom through that door,” she pointed to the side, another sliding screen. “Then we’ll get to work.”

I sighed and nodded. I used the bathroom; compact but adequate, with a very small stall shower—couldn’t fit two in there, even if you were good friends. I washed my hands—they were feeling clammy again.

I returned to the other room. Linda was sitting on the futon. I sat next to her, sighing mightily.

She shook her head. “Rob, it’s not that bad! You are incredibly resilient. We’re going to start out easy today. Rob, do you trust me?”

I looked at her. “Yes, I trust you. I... I don’t know how to explain it. I know this is good for me, and it is helping, yet it’s as if there’s a part that is very frightened.”

She smiled and nodded. “That’s a very good summary. We want to go to those frightened parts, and help them.”

I nodded with her. Then I sighed, yet again. “I don’t know when I’ve sighed so much. What now?”

She patted a small pillow on the futon the futon. “Relax on your back.”

As I lowered myself I saw her unbuttoning her blouse. She smiled and said, “I told you we’d start out easy.”

I held her and she held me, my head between her breasts. She talked to me about the tranquil place we were in, how peaceful and safe it was, how she would hold me, promising not to let go. After some time I moved to a nipple. She held me, a hand going to the back of my head, and I was filled with that delicious scent once more.

We may have started out easy, but things got tough. It was hard work. She let me pull back a couple of times, but I realized that the only way out was through. I held her hand, squeezing it so hard, feeling so small again, as we walked to that murky, dark place, my heart beating fast, my legs wanting so much to turn and run.

It wasn’t bright sunshine on the other side, but it was clearer, and she held me.

When I opened my eyes, I felt sweaty, sticky. I’d been crying. As I looked up at Linda, sitting up and arranging her blouse, I could tell she had been crying as well.

I pushed myself to sitting. “I hope this is worth it for you,” I told her, putting my hands on her shoulders.

She turned and hugged me. “Oh it is, don’t worry about that. How do you feel now?”

I looked out on the pond again, seeing the koi swimming. “Like I’ve survived another car wreck. I’m alive, but battered and bruised.” I moved a little, feeling my sticky clothes. “I also need another shower, and a change of clothes. I need to go over to the apartment—Deb was going to go as well.”

“I know,” Linda said, standing and helping me get up. “We’ll have lunch, and then go.”

I glanced at my watch—it was lunch time! And, I was hungry. “Wow—I worked up an appetite!”

She put a hand on my back again. “Yes, it’s hard work, for both of us. Early to bed tonight, that’s for sure.”

“I’m looking forward to that,” I told her, giving her another hug.

She chuckled and pulled me to the door. We retrieved our shoes and walked back.

“I’d like to spend the night there,” I told her.

She put an arm around my waist. “It’s especially nice when we have a light rain, the way it sounds, the way it smells.”

I took a breath. “I’d like to hear the rain on that roof, mixed in with your moans...”

She hugged my waist. “You would, would you?”

I stopped and hugged her. “Yes, I would. The question is,” I kissed her on the neck, “would you?”

She ran her hands over my back. “Very much,” she whispered hotly in my ear.

After a brief kiss we resumed our walk back to the main house.

Lunch was set out more-or-less buffet style in the kitchen. I filled a plate, and followed Linda into the dining room. A few of the ladies were there. They wanted to know how I was doing. I gave Linda a questioning look. She laughed and told everyone I was making very good progress. One of them mentioned something about a bicycle, and Linda gave them a very nasty look.

Deb joined us. We agreed to head to the apartment after we finished lunch.

I visited the plumbing after eating. When I stepped out on to the front porch, I saw Linda sitting in the porch swing. I sat beside her.

“What is it?” she asked, holding my hand, rocking us gently.

“This swing—rocking with you. I don’t know why, but I can’t think of anything better than being held, rocking...”

“Mmm... I’ll keep that in mind. It is nice. Deb and Suzanne should be around any moment now with one of the vans. I’ll take us in my car.”

“I can drive,” I told her.

“I’d rather do it,” she said, patting me on the leg.

I frowned. “Not good enough,” I told her. “I’ll drive.”

She raised an eyebrow, then smiled. “Okay...”

“I’m not checking my brains at the door,” I told her.

She smiled more, and hugged me. “We certainly hope not!”

I heard a car on gravel, and turned a bit. “Suzanne and Deb are here...”

She kissed me on the neck. “Let’s go, then.”

I stood up and helped her. We walked over to the van. Suzanne was driving. I gave her directions, then walked Linda over to my car, opening the passenger door for her.

We didn’t talk much on the way over. When we parked, I helped carry up some empty boxes. As I showed Deb the things in the office that needed special care, prints, negatives, the small refrigerator with film, Suzanne and Linda were madly packing my clothes. I watched a pair of boxes walk past as we were going over the camera stuff in the closet.

I helped pack bathroom stuff. It was surprising how quickly all my clothes and all the bathroom stuff got packed.

Deb asked if I had anything down where I parked my car.

“Nothing stored down there, and I don’t have a bicycle—I don’t know why you seemed to think I did.”

Suzanne turned beet red, and Linda cleared her throat. I looked at them—bunch of sphinxes. I shook my head.

We were soon on our way again.

“Tell me,” Linda said as we headed back to the freeway.

“Oh, Tina again—realizing how much of the closet, the dresser, the bathroom, was filled with her things. Oh, she had a bicycle, but she took it with her.”

She smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. Not much else you could say.

Things were quickly unloaded at the house, with one of the staff gals taking a couple of boxes to my office. We took clothes and stuff upstairs.

“Wait!” I said as Deb started putting things into drawers.

“I’m not sure how I want things just yet. Suzanne, if you’re hanging things in the closet, I like shirts hanging so the fronts are to the right.”

Linda chuckled. Deb sighed and shook her head.

I looked at the contents of the boxes of clothes, and the dresser. It was a fine old piece of furniture, much older than I was. “Let’s do it this way,” I said, putting a pair of socks, underwear, t-shirts, and a sweater in representative drawers. I gave Deb a look. She shrugged her shoulders and started putting stuff in drawers. “Let’s save these drawers for bathroom stuff—they’re close to the door.”

“No—suits, coats, pants, then shirts,” I told Suzanne as she put things in the closet. She gave me a surprised look. “I’m sorry, just a little picky, that’s all,” I said, offering her a hug. She hung up the shirt she was holding, then hugged me.

We made quick work of the unpacking. My pillow went on the bed.

It started to sink in. This was going to be home. This room, this house—I could feel the age of the cool plaster in the walls and ceiling, the age of the furniture in the room.

I felt an arm on mine—Linda. I hugged her. “Thank you,” I told her. I turned to Suzanne, and hugged her again, then Deb.

Linda asked, “What now?”

I looked at the ladies. “I’m taking a shower, shaving, and changing clothes. After that, who knows—probably walk around a bit.”

Suzanne had an interesting look on her face.

“Anyone want to scrub my back?” I asked, looking at her.

She blushed as the others laughed. “I’ll wait downstairs. I’d like to walk with you.”

I nodded. “I’d like that too. Oh—I need a clue—dirty clothes?”

Deb nodded. “I’ll get two hampers for you—one for whites, one for everything else. Need something dry-cleaned, set it on the bed.” She gave me a quick hug and headed out the door. Linda and Suzanne followed.

The shower was nice, more spacious than the one at the apartment. It felt good to be clean, and shaved. I decided on a pair of Dockers and a sweatshirt. I spent a while rearranging things. Gee, in a few weeks, I’d be able to walk to work! What a concept!

I headed down the back stairs. As I was rounding a corner, I almost bumped into Deb.

“Ooh!” she cried.

I stepped to the side to let her pass.

She moved closer in front of me, held out her hand and asked, “Apartment key?”

“Upstairs,” I told her. “Want me to get it now?”

She gave me a smirk and growled, “Any time before you leave in the morning...”

“Oh?” said Linda, walking around the corner.

Deb squeaked, “Oops!” and headed off.

Linda shook her head. She smiled at me and asked, “Feeling better?”

“Much, thanks.”

“Good—Suzanne is pining for you in the parlor.”

“Thanks—see you later.”

Suzanne was in the small parlor, sitting on the couch. I sat down beside her. She looked at me and smiled.

“Hi there. Someone told me you were pining in the parlor...”

She laughed. “I guess I was...”

“Walk?” I asked.

She stood up. “Sure.”

We walked out the door. I took her hand in mine. “The tree?”

“Okay,” she said.

We walked back to the tree. We sat down, and I held both her hands. “Tell me,” I said.

She sighed. “She... She took you to the tea house.”

I nodded. “It’s beautiful. I’m even more impressed by your talents and skills.”

“But I wanted to be the first...”

“You’ll be the first ... to spend the night there with me...”

She brightened up. “Really?”

I nodded. “I promise. Please.”

She sighed and put her arms around me. I hugged her tight.

“What else haven’t I seen of the grounds?” I whispered to her, kissing her neck.

She sighed, kissing my head. We sat back.

“The Japanese garden is my favorite. Well, so is this spot—with you, at least.”

“Thank you. Sit with me in the rock garden?”

She nodded. She took me a different way through the grounds, in a different gate.

“What an incredible world you have here,” I whispered.

We sat together on a bench, looking out over the rock garden, the sounds of running water in the background, mingling with wind going through the trees. Holding hands, touching, sitting close. Words would have gotten in the way.

The wind chilled and got damper. I started feeling drops hit me.

She sighed, squeezing my hand. I stood up, pulled her to me, and hugged.

“Time to head back,” I whispered.

We didn’t talk until we we’d closed the gate behind us.

“What now?” I asked.

“I need to shower and change. You should change, too—a better shirt at least.”

“Oh?”

“I’m sorry—we often have live music on Sunday afternoons. We do today, and she’s very good. Dress comfy but nice.”

“Sounds like fun. Need anyone to scrub your back?”

She laughed out loud. That made me feel better.

“Not tonight, thanks...”

“Okay. The offer stands, though...”

“Oh, I’ll keep it in mind.”

We came to the junction between the old house and her wing.

“See you later,” she said, giving me a peck on the cheek.

I watched her walk into the building, then turned to mine.

Mine—well, no possessory interest, but this is where I live now. I walked along the hall. The walls were nice and clear, but the lighting was the shits—not good for displaying photographs. The piano had been pulled out in the large parlor—guess that’s for our musician.

I ascended the front staircase, enjoying the look and the feel of the dark wood.

Walking back to “my” room, I noticed something hanging on Deb’s door. As I got closer, I could see it was a hotel “Privacy Please” sign. Okay, that’s the protocol. As I walked past, though, I was startled to hear a woman’s moaning cry come from her room—and it didn’t sound like Deb! Ah well, two happy people...

I put on a dress shirt, cashmere vest, and dress shoes; I’d been wearing an old comfortable pair of running shoes. It was a little after four—might as well see what’s happening in the kitchen.

I stuck my head in, and was immediately shooed away. As I backed up, I bumped into someone in the narrow hall.

“Hi there!” I said.

“Hi Rob—I don’t think we’ve been introduced, other than last night. I’m Kendra.”

I started holding out a hand to shake, but we hugged instead. “Glad to meet you.”

“Do you have time to talk?” she asked.

She was a little shorter than me, dusty brown hair pulled back in a ponytail, freckles, and an athletic build under a simple but fashionable dress.

“Sure. I don’t know what time things start.”

“Oh, not for an hour or so. If we sit in the small parlor, someone might come around offering us wine, though.”

“Sounds good to me!”

We moved to the small parlor. I figured it was about underneath my room. I listened for noises from upstairs, but the only thing I could hear was the sound of light rain pelting the windows.

“What’s your role here?” I asked as we sat down.

She glanced out at the rain. “I’m in charge of security, and also fitness. Have you heard about the morning classes?”

I shook my head. “Just that they exist. Everyone here seems in such good shape; I’m learning why. I was told I’m expected to attend.”

She smiled. “You’re expected to keep in good physical condition. Attending the morning sessions two or three times a week really helps. Do you still run?”

I sat back a bit. I’d done cross-country track in high school and college. I didn’t think I’d mentioned it to anyone here. Shouldn’t surprise me though, I guess. “In good weather, yes. I walk a lot year-round. Working for Scrooge helps me control my diet.”

She laughed a bit. “Well, we’ll help here. Bernadette gave you a glowing report. Monday—Wednesday—Friday mornings we do aerobics, Pilates, yoga. Tuesday and Thursday mornings are more laid back, Pilates and yoga. Do you know when you’ll be starting?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “All depends on when I get thrown out. Monday next is the most likely. Could be earlier, longest would be three weeks.”

She nodded. “If we don’t get a chance earlier, I need to spend some time with you next Saturday, then, evaluating you in terms of strength and flexibility.”

“Let’s not forget endurance,” said Bernadette, walking into the room with Linda.

I laughed along with the rest of them.

“Seriously though, when was the last time you took a vacation—as in time off to rest?” Linda asked.

I took a breath, shaking my head. “Not for years.”

Linda and Bernadette exchanged glances.

“You’re going to be taking some vacations. You need a break,” Bernadette told me.

“I’m not going to argue,” I said, leaning back. “What is it about bicycles I keep hearing? I don’t have one, and haven’t seen any around here.”

Linda and Bernadette exchanged poker faces. Kendra got up, saying, “I’ll see if I can get us something to drink.”

“When was your last vacation?” Bernadette asked.

“Took off a week last year,” I said.

“And?” Linda asked.

“Took a class of photography students to Yosemite.”

“I thought so. Not sure if that’s a vacation or not.”

I chuckled. “It was a lot of work, but also a lot of fun.” Then I frowned. “And Banister gave me shit for it when I got back.”

Kendra stuck her head in the room. “I think it’s time to move.”

I stood up, helped the ladies, and followed them into the large parlor.

I took a seat off the low end of the piano, looking along the keyboard. I glanced up to see Bernadette step in front of Linda and sit down next to me. I glanced up to see Suzanne coming into the room. She shook her head, smiling.

Deb came in, looking, well, refreshed. She sat down with a very contented sigh.

A minute or so later, Ellen came in with a young woman on her arm. Ellen stepped to the side, and took a seat. The young woman walked to the piano bench.

She was about five foot four or so, thin. Her thin face bore wire-rimmed spectacles, and was framed by shoulder-length black curly hair.

The expression on her face—I recognized her expression. I knew how it felt; I’d had that expression. She was still partially in that blissful cloud.

She sat down at the piano. She took a breath, deep and slow, letting her head go back, a smile forming as a flush spread over her face. I had a vision of her, her head arched back, eyes closed, moaning...

She exhaled, lifting her head. She poised her fingers over the keyboard, an image that burned itself into my mind.

She played. No, she didn’t play, she made love to the piano. At times she caressed it, her fingers enticing, coaxing. Other times she pummeled it in a near sexual frenzy, her face flushed, her nostrils flaring, taut nipples visible through the top of her dress, and the piano cried out under her in response.

Much of what she played I didn’t recognize. She played a series of short pieces, lyric and hauntingly beautiful. I recognized Chopin Preludes, and Mendelssohn.

One piece, a short one, touched me. It was light, full of hope, yet with a touch of sadness. At the end, as I sighed, she turned her head and looked at me. I saw her face, framed in those black curls, a slightly lopsided smile.

She ended softly, with Debussy, bringing tears to us all. At the end of one piece, she let her head rest forward, her hands in her lap. We applauded softly but enthusiastically.

She stood up and bowed, then walked to Deb, the two embracing.

I sighed at the sight, and felt Bernadette put an arm around me.

After a few minutes, and after glasses of champagne were distributed, I was introduced to our artist, Miriam. I’d already heard her voice, and with the first sounds out of her, I knew it was she I’d heard upstairs with Deb.

What an amazing creature! Her hands looked so small and dainty, yet she’d performed Mendelssohn’s Rondo Capriccioso with ease and flair.

As I stepped up to her, Bernadette to my side, Miriam gave me a quirky lopsided smile.

“Ah, you’re the artist, the photographer,” she said, holding out her hand.

I took her hand gently, raised it, and kissed it.

“A photographer, yes, but not an artist—you are the artist here.”

She laughed, looking over her shoulder to Deb.

I hadn’t let go of her hand. “The images of you ... will burn in my mind until I’ve photographed you at the piano. When will you return here?”

Her smile grew. “Oh, in another few weeks. You enjoyed?”

“God yes—such passion—you were making love with the piano...”

She nodded, her eyes twinkling. “I’ve seen some of your pictures. I’d like to work with you.”

“I’d be honored,” I told her, kissing her hand once more.

I looked forward to speaking with her during dinner, but it was not to be; the dining room was set with a smaller table for four off to one side. Miriam sat there, with Deb, Ellen, and Kendra.

Linda whispered in my ear, “You’ll live,” and squeezed my waist as we sat down together.

I laughed and returned her squeeze.

I did learn more about Miriam; Deb and Ellen were providing sponsorship to her career as a professional pianist. She’d performed in Seattle Friday and Saturday, and would be performing in Los Angeles Monday, Phoenix Tuesday. This was a rest stop for her.

I watched intimate games out of the corner of my eye. At one point Miriam leaned over and whispered something in Deb’s ear. Deb chuckled. I watched as Deb’s hand moved up Miriam’s back, sliding under her curly mane. I could almost feel her hand at the back of my head as I saw Miriam’s head drop back. I thought I heard her moaning sigh.

A hand squeezed the back of my head and neck. I sighed as my eyes closed, falling into the void. After some time, a tap on my forehead brought me back all too quickly.

To gentle laughter around our table, I turned to Linda at my side. I leaned over to her and whispered, “Thank you—who’s going to be noisier tonight, them, or us?”

She smiled and nodded, patting me on the leg.

We had the usual milling around after dinner. Our artist friend seemed to have disappeared, as had Deb. I checked the large parlor; the piano had been moved back to its more customary position, and the furniture reset. No encores, at least piano ones...

“Looking for someone?” Linda asked, coming into the room.

I put my arms around her. “Found someone is more like it.”

She sighed. “I like that answer.”

I sat down; she sat next to me.

“If you’re looking for Miriam, she and Deb headed to the tea house early...”

I nodded, almost sighing. “Then I guess it won’t be much of a competition tonight...”

“Oh?”

“When I went up to change after dropping you off this afternoon, I heard very interesting sounds coming from Deb’s room—and not from Deb.”

Linda nodded and smiled. “I saw you watching them during dinner. Oh, I wanted to pounce on you! I still do!”

“I know...”

“What will happen at your office tomorrow?”

I shook my head. “Don’t know. Not sure how I’m going to hold myself together. Dave, one of my buddies, is interviewing. If he doesn’t give notice by the end of the week, I’ll do it on Friday. Banister will almost certainly throw me out immediately; that’s what he’s done to everyone else who has left the firm.”

“Sounds like a fun place? What’s kept you there?”

“Oh, the work is challenging, interesting, on some levels at least. And it’s better than being in a big firm. We’re paid well.”

“Not well enough to work for such a repressed individual,” Linda said, putting a hand on my back.

“As I said, the business attracts such types.” I heard rain pelting the windows again. “Hope they made it to the tea house...”

“Oh, I think they’re doing fine,” Linda said softly. She pulled her hand away.

“Are you jealous? Envious?” Linda asked.

“Some, yes,” I answered softly. “The way she looked when she walked into the room with Ellen... The way she sounded in Deb’s room...”

Linda raised an eyebrow. “You heard them?”

“Couldn’t help it! I was going up to change—you could hear her out in the hall.”

Linda smiled, moving closer.

“And that’s what you’re going to sound like, tonight,” I told her, sliding my hands to her waist.

“Then we should get an early start—you’ve had quite the day.”

I laughed.

“What?” she asked.

“I’ve run out of sighs, at least for today.”

“Oh, I think I can coax a few out of you... One good one as you snuggle in my arms before you drift off to sleep...”

“I’m looking forward to that...”

“Let’s go, then—beat the bathroom rush.”

“Do you mind if I take a quick shower?” she asked as we headed upstairs.

“Not at all. Would you like the bathroom to yourself?”

“Not at all!” she replied quickly.

We hugged a bit in the bathroom, especially as she slipped out of her robe.

“I’ll be waiting,” I told her as she got into the shower.

Back in her room, I checked the alarm clock. I needed to get up in the morning. I smiled as I set the alarm a bit earlier—let’s be optimistic, I thought...

I turned down the bed on her side, but rather than get in, I sat in the chair and waited.

It had been one hell of a day. I felt more relaxed now, not as battered, but still bruised.

“I expected you’d be in bed already,” Linda said as she closed the door behind her.

I got up and went to her side. When she started to speak, I put a finger to her lips. “Shhh...” I told her, then took her to the bed, easing her on to her back, her legs hanging over the side. I took off my terry robe and folded it up, putting it on the floor as a cushion, kneeling on it.

The bed was just the right height. I kissed the inside of a smooth thigh.

“Oh my...” she said.

“Move closer to the edge, please,” I asked.

She scooted her bottom closer to the edge. I helped put her legs over my shoulders as I kissed up closer. She helped by crossing her legs on my back.

She was so delicious, fresh from the shower. After warming her up, I did one of the things Tina liked so much, teasing and pulling back, then sliding a finger deep into her, hooking it back and pleasing her from the inside and the outside at the same time.

That seemed to work much better than it had with Tina—I was rewarded with strong thighs gripping me, only partially muffling her cries.

Another few minutes and she started pushing me away. I kissed my way back down the inside of her thigh. As I stood, meaning to help her into bed, she sat up.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t that good,” I whispered to her as she slipped out of her robe.

She grabbed me and pulled me on top of her. “What makes you think you weren’t fantastic?”

“You can still move,” I told her, kissing her neck.

She laughed. “Barely... Oh thank you! Now hold me, please...”

I held her as we turned on the bed. She started moving me lower as she slid up. I moved to her side, as if to take a breast, but moved a bit further down, sliding a leg between hers, lifting her leg closest to me. She was on her back, and I was on my side. I slid into her, both of us moaning. She rolled to her stomach as I rode her. I tried to push her hair aside with my nose so I could kiss and bite the back of her neck. She pulled her knees up a bit, rocking her hips. I held on, and soon was coming, pushing against her, trying to push in deeper as I filled her. We collapsed to one side. I held on to her, kissing her back, feeling and smelling her hair in my face. She held my arms around her. I did have one sigh left before I went to sleep.