They had ran into each other at the bar. Not on purpose, just as a natural occurrence. A handful of companies from the building all hit up the Yellow Lighthouse on somewhat regular basis. Some of her co-workers opted for the Backyard Grille while others headed instead to the hotel bar down the block. Every place had their own regulars. This happened to be theirs.
Vodka on the rocks, with a lemon and a lime. Beer after beer. Shots of Jack, Jose, and Jeremiah. Standing there talking to other people, not acknowledging the time they spend outside of this place fucking each other. As far as anyone was concerned they didn’t even have each other’s cell numbers. Who would have thought they were planning a trip to the adult store three buildings down, on the way back to his place?
Certainly not Annette, yet here she was standing in front of a wall split into sections of vibrators and dildos. It was the textures that got her. Some looked like solidified gelatin squares ranging all the colors of the rainbow, while others looked like they would have the same welcoming, soft texture as a really good book. Battery operated, rechargable, manual, double sided, and complete with suction cups. She wanted to giggle. If there were ever to be an earthquake in the central bowels of New Jersey, Annette wondered if they would dance around the catastrophe of crumbling walls.
Evan came up behind her, towering over her physically, invading her presence like a personal shopper. Annette wondered if any of this was worth it. Fucking him was a continuation of drinking. It brought on artificial feelings, distractions, and usually came with a set of verbal commands. But it could be fun. It also would give her new ways to entertain herself. She needed something to get herself up and out of bed. Maybe something like this would be able to give her an extra jolt of enthusiasm.
Fifty-eight dollars later and a quick stop at a different bar, they stumbled in his front door. Her bag of toys long since forgotten. As they made their way around the front door clutter and onto the couch. The sex itself was rarely aggressive. Instead it was the way Evan told her what to do. How to enjoy what he did to her. What to say, how to sound, everything was laid out for her. All Annette had to do was enjoy it. Sometimes he would pull her on top. “That’s it, good girl, indistinguishable audible sound, slow down, slower, don’t cum yet, cum, off,” Other times, he would be on top. Moving her legs like an adjustable strap on a backpack. “Look at me, close your eyes, louder.”
Tonight was clumsy. Too tall to sit comfortably on the couch. Kneeling, hunched over at the foot of it. She wondered where the arm of the couch went. She couldn’t remember if she had ever seen an arm. Maybe it was a funny couch. “Stop giggling, unbutton your jeans.” Pulling off her pants. Sliding her down to the edge. Meeting her legs, her knees, and her thighs with his lips. Finally entering her with his tongue. His hands pulling her closer, holding her down. Entering her, leaving her. “Get up.” Annette inhaled sharply, she had wanted to finish like that it had–“Get. Up.” Annette got up.
He had gotten naked and sat back down on the fake couch. Pulling her down on top of him, “that’s it, good girl, indistinguishable audible sound, slow down, slower, don’t cum yet, cum, off.” She was exhausted. Evan got up and made two drinks. Bringing them back over to the couch he said she could leave after this one. If that’s what she wanted to do.
Evan had never given her a choice before. She took it as an invitation to leave. After they finished their drinks. He got up to make another one. As she put her pants back on and grabbed her purse he watched her. “Leaving then?”
Annette’s head swayed into a nod.
“Okay,” Evan said as she walked toward the door.
Annette didn’t make decisions anymore. She drank and she followed the lead.
Ben replied almost instantly to Annette’s text, “he’s a fucking scumbag.” He wasn’t wrong. But Annette knew Evan. Obviously in the physical sense, but also on a greater level. It was a saying that outdated her “hurt people hurt people.” This wasn’t an invitation for a threesome, it was a request to hurt her. In a fictional world, she would say yes. Say yes, meet him and his fiancé, blow up his spot and convince her to remove his penis. But as Annette threw a splash of cream in her coffee, she finished off the fantasy. This wasn’t fiction.
This was her life. Her life with Ben, and a new beginning. Evan no longer had any power in her life. Annette was a person, not a pawn waiting to be leashed up and paraded around.
Annette didn’t remember making plans with Evan. But she assumed she must have. Otherwise it would have been strange having him pick her up. The plan, which Evan had just explained to her, was that he was going to run into the store, grab a surprise, and then they would head back to his house to get ready. Annette had just woken up from a nap not too long before Evan had called her. She couldn’t remember if he had specified what they were getting ready for, but it didn’t matter. There was a plan, and so far all she had to do was grab her heels, and be picked up. These were things she could do.
She began nodding off as he ran into the store, but snapped back to attention after he returned. Driving with the windows fully opened smoking cigarette after cigarette helped. It hadn’t taken long to get to his house. Evan took Annette’s purse and threw it over a chair. Handing her the plastic bag with the supplies from the pet store he pointed in the direction of the bathroom. “Go and change. Put on on your heels, and whatever is in the bag. When you’re done. Tap your heels. Wait until the music starts to walk out. There will be a drink waiting for you.”
Annette wasn’t alcohol trained, but she had a feeling that whatever was about to happen might require her to be in a more fluid state. Taking the bag she walked off to the bathroom. Evan had specifically said to go and change. Put on her heels and then whatever was in the bag. Kicking off her flip flops Annette focused on one task at a time. To change, she had to take her clothes off. The jeans, her panties, her t-shirt, her bra all came off. To finishing changing she had to put her new outfit on. Opening up the bag there was a dog collar and a leash – both in black. Already attached to each other. Annette slipped on her heels and then fastened the collar around her neck.
Walking out of the bathroom her heels clicked and clanked on the floor. “Wait.” So she stopped. She could hear Evan fidgeting around in the next room. A chair slid back dragging its feet across the floor. Music started playing. She couldn’t quite remember the name of the band but it was one that everyone hated. Iron Front, Silver Side, something. Apparently not everyone hated them. “Now.”
Annette walked into the dining room. Evan was there, sitting in a chair across the room. Holding a drink. She looked at him. “It’s here,” he said pointing to a drink at the other end of the dining room table. “Get up there.” Annette felt slight uncomfortable. She was afraid of her heels on the glass topper. “Crawl.” Lifting herself off the floor, and sliding her butt onto the table, Annette was able to avoid her heels having come in contact with the glass. “Come here.”
Hand, knee, hand, knee. Annette made her way across the table. “Drink” With her mouth covering the tip of the straw, she looked up into his large dark eyes. This wasn’t going to be quick. He had been waiting for this for a while. “Stop,” he said, “good girl. Lay down.” Annette laid against the cold surface. “Touch yourself, slower, faster, slower, faster.” Evan held onto the leash as he watched. Every so often a tug would jerk Annette’s neck forward as he went to adjust himself. “Cum.”
Annette closed her eyes and focused on herself. When she was done, “off.” She slid to the edge of the table. Hopping down as delicately as she could. “Finish your drink.” As she finished the last sip, Evan walked her on leash through the downstairs. Out of the dining room, into the living room, the kitchen, upstairs. He unclipped her and pointed to the bed. Keeping the collar on her, he told her “lay down, open, put your leg up higher, mind the points of your heels, get ready.” She was ready for another drink. Instead he handed her a warm washcloth and told her to clean herself up.
They went downstairs for more drinks. He had her keep the collar on when they went out with his friends. The leash was in the car. For a moment she wondered if there would be a cookie, or if her reward was her drinks.