Chapter 1

Monday mornings are not as difficult with my new assignment for work. I have to do research for an established author that is branching out into a new direction with her writing. As an Editor at Seattle Independent Press or as most know it as just SIP, I have to stay on top of the topics that my authors bring to the table and I know nothing about the BDSM world. I first started with Google and I could not even read the description without blushing. I know that my boss, Jack Hyde must be laughing around the water cooler with the other Senior Editors. I on the other hand am getting a little turned on by the images I am seeing, so I decided to save the added research for when I can be at home alone and not be embarrassed by what I am looking at.

Looking at the pile of manuscripts that were just laid upon my desk, I get the reprieve that I so desperately needed. As they are new submissions and speaking of submissive, Ana get your mind back on the task at hand and not over what you just saw and read, but it really did make me a little wet. This new area has me out of sorts, so I decide to go make myself a cup of tea; it always calms me down and clears my train of thinking. When I dip the tea bag into the steaming hot water, my mind drifts to the images that I had looked at not ten minutes ago and I get aroused again. Stop this! I shake my head a few times and I discard the tea bag into the trash in the Break Room. I take a larger than normal sip and I burn my tongue, which brings me back to the here and now in a Nano second. With the pain I also have the lingering pleasure. This is going to be a long day!

Today is one mishap after another and you can unquestionably tell I am not on my A game. The one thing that I have not messed up on is the scheduling of appointments. I double a triple check them each and every time I schedule one for Jack or myself. One of my appointments ran a little over, but the next author was running late, so that worked out for the best for us both. Jack is notorious for not showing up on time and his meetings are not ever on time. I guess it is the OCD in me that makes me go crazy when I am running late. It is quite the site to see though; you would think I was a crazy person! Kate has had to witness it a few times when the power had gone out during the night and my alarm did not go off. I am the one who arrives thirty minutes early for an appointment, just so I won't be late and Kate will arrive on the dot. Our personalities are so different, but yet we balance each other out. I call Kate and we are going to meet for lunch down the street in about an hour. This will help get my day back on track; I just know it will.

I try to read the first chapter of the top novel in the pile, but come on people; I should not get the first draft of your work! I have my red pencil out and it has not stopped circling all of the grammatical errors. I knock on Jack's door lightly and he motions for me to come in.

I can tell he sees the disparity on my face when he asks me, "Is it that bad Ana?'

I flop down in the chair and place the first page on his desk. All Jack can do is laugh and I do not see a damn thing funny about it! He has got to be joking. I wanted to cry, but I held my composure and laid into him with both feet.

"I did not submit papers like this in grade school, let alone turn it into a publishing house to be considered for publishing. I know that I am good Jack, but I am not writing their book for them!"

Jack just looks at me with his mouth open.

After a few deep breaths I suggest "It would be better if you contacted this potential author and advised him that his first draft is not what should be sent in and that he should take advantage of the Spell Check and sentence structure help under the Tools bar in Word. Just saying." I leave the rest of the novel with Jack and retreat back to my desk to leave for lunch.

Kate and I do not meet that often for lunch, usually when one of us is having a bad day at work or when we have heard about a new little café' or coffee house that has opened up and today fits under two of those categories; bad day and a new Bistro opened up on Saturday. I arrive a few minutes before Kate does, but she had to drive in lunch hour traffic and I walked two blocks. The aroma draws you to them and once you get inside your taste buds are working overtime. I see a handsome man in a tailored business suit reading his paper and my mind starts to wander, until Kate enters the Bistro and starts making noises,

"Mm what smells so delicious?'

I look away from him and answer Kate, "I was wondering the same thing myself. Lets see what they have to offer."

They have an assortment of deli sandwiches, but the Keto Lasagna is what we smell. We both order it along with a small salad with Blue Cheese dressing and two waters. With tax it was $7.49 each and that is unheard of cheap. We sit down a few tables away from the handsome businessman and enjoy our lunch.

While we are eating lunch I start to tell Kate about my new assignment.

"What do you know about BDSM?"

Kate was flabbergasted by my question and I was worried that she was going to spit her food across the room. I did get a glance and a smile from the businessman and I am sure I turned every shade of pink and red at that point. I thought that I was talking soft enough, so that no one else would overhear our conversation. Apparently I was wrong. I approached the topic quieter, when I regained the courage.

"I have an established author who is taking her writing in a new direction and I have to do the research on all the topics, so that I am sure they are writing properly about it."

Kate giggles before she even tries to answer me. "Oh Ana, I know what your sweet little mind must be thinking and I wish I had been there when you Goggled it! It is not something that I am in to, but there are clubs around town where you can find a Dominant or a Submissive. I suggest that you go to one of them and see what it is all about. They are active participants and they could tell you more about it than the pictures that you will find on the Internet."

I absorb the information and I am shocked that they have clubs for such purposes, but why should that shock me, there are Country bars, Biker bars, Sports bars and Gay bars; so why should a BDSM one be any different?

I sheepishly ask, "How do I know which ones they are? I am pretty sure that they will not be listed in the Yellow Pages under BDSM!"

Kate laughs hard at me and we finish our lunch. I needed her playfulness and company to help bring my day back on track. What would I do if I had not had her to talk to? I could not ask my mother these questions and I would not dare ask my dad. Kate smiles and we say our goodbyes.

After I say goodbye to Kate and as I am walking past the sexy businessman, he hands me a card with a name and address on it. I look at him puzzled and he says in a voice that melted my butter, "The BEST club for you to do your research at." With that I turned every possible shade on the color wheel from Alabaster to Hooker Red! I quietly tell him thank you and hurry out the door. My mind has got to stay on track as I head back to work.

I was able to get back to work with a few minutes to spare. I went into the Break Room and made myself a cup of hot tea and returned to my desk. The rest of the day I spent working on another manuscript. This one was polished and had very few errors, so few that with my edits it will be ready to submit to the Senior Editors for publishing. My lunch with Kate had indeed turned my day around and with the information the businessman gave me, well we will have to see where that takes me. With my workday at the office done, it is time to go home and pick back up on my research.

This is my 1st story, so be nice ladies!