Feeling uncomfortable, but knowing that I had better finish what I started. “Marcie said that you, both of you, used to be at the clubs all the time, that you had….” I choke on my words.

“Go on….”

“That the two of you had been through every ‘sub’ for miles….”

“Any more?” His expression is carefully blank.

“And that suddenly, you had stopped a few months ago. That you both vanished and everyone wondered what had happened.”

Michael stares up at the ceiling. My Master looks down, apparently studying the pile of the carpet. After a long hesitation, he speaks.

“You happened, Charlotte. You. You happened to both of us, and a game we had been playing together for years, suddenly wasn’t very…. rewarding, any more.”

He and Michael exchange another, longer look. He continues. “As I told you Charlotte, neither of us believed you would come back to us after that first week. But we had lost our appetite for the games we had been playing, and then…. you did come back. And you kept returning to us.” He takes my hand and kisses it. “Why would we go chasing after something that had become pointless, empty, for us, when we have you?”

Michael finally speaks. “You never talk of a boyfriend or another man. We thought you would, but you don’t….?”

I speak slowly, choosing my words. “No, there’s no boyfriend, no-one else. I did try, went on a couple of dates, but it wasn’t the same. I wanted you, both of you. Whenever some guy got interested, we would go out, have a couple of drinks, see a movie maybe, but I just found myself thinking about when I am here……” I trail off, at a loss as to where I go from here.

Michael leans across, and kisses me, full on the mouth. It is long, and passionate and loving, and says everything that words struggle with. As his arms enfold me, I return the kiss.

“So….” says my Master, watching us from the side. “Where do we go from here?”

*****

I so look forward to my visits and the time I can spend with my Master and Michael.

Stepping into my Master’s apartment. “Hellooo... Anyone around?”, I call out, kicking off my shoes at the door.

“Hi, Charlotte.” It is Michael, all smiles, arms held out in welcome.copy right hot novel pub