When She Cries
CHAPTER 2
The First Visit
"You have a date with a dominatrix?"
Catherine's eyes widened as Gil told her about his plans with Lady Heather.
"No date. I'm just going for tea."
"Right," she responded, amused. "No date. Just a cup of tea and a little bondage."
Greg poked his head out of his lab. "Bondage? Where?"
Gil gave Catherine a look that warned her to be quiet.
"Nothing, Greg," said Catherine, and he disappeared back into the lab.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell people about this, Catherine," said Gil.
"You can count on me," she said with a grin.
Sunday came at last. As Gil pulled into the driveway of Lady Heather's mansion, he felt an excitement unlike anything he had ever felt before. He approached the door and rang the doorbell, and he could hear soft footsteps from inside the house. She opened the door for him, and he saw her face for the first time since the investigation. She looked more serene now, with the unpleasant events behind her. She smiled a kind, welcoming smile, and invited him in.
"I thought we'd go out to the garden," she said, leading him through her living room, filled with velvet furniture and gothic decorations, and to the back door. She had already laid out the delicate china cups and teapot. Steam wafted from the spout of the pot, and the aroma of he tea was like a calming incense.
"Have a seat." He obeyed the invitation as though it were a command. Lady Heather remained standing and poured the tea. She looked amazing; her raven hair was glossy in the sunlight, and her sleeveless gown of dark plum panne velvet contrasted with her pale skin. The neck was low-cut, but not immodest, and around her neck she wore a simple black beaded choker.
She slid into her chair. He watched her, unsure of what to say, waiting on her to give him a cue. She locked eyes with him, and he, being accustomed to intense eye contact, did not look away.
"You've been on my mind," she said calmly. "It's one of those things. There are people that we should remember, but forget in an instant, and then there are those who we could just as well forget, but we remember. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly," said Gil, for he was experiencing exactly what Lady Heather was talking about.
"When I called you," she went on, "you recognized my voice. Is just that because you have a way with remembering these things?"
"Not entirely," he confessed. "I do remember little things like that, but that isn't how I knew you."
"Then you've been thinking of me?" she asked, pleased.
"I have," he said.
She smiled, and suddenly she began to laugh. Gil was confused and feared he had done something wrong, but her laughter was so bright that it made him smile along with her.
"I'm sorry," she explained. "But listen to us! We sound like two characters in a second-rate romance novel."
Gil had to agree. "I guess we do," he said with a laugh.
"Let me begin again," said Lady Heather. "I invited you here because we got along so well the last time we saw each other. You treated me in a way that few people have; with completely unbiased respect. That's a rare quality."
"It's my job."
"I know. But my experience with the law has been that most people who supposedly aren't prejudiced are just trying to come off that way. They all seem to think that since I have such a taboo occupation, I must be guilty of something. But not you. You have the ability to regard people without prejudice. That's why I trust you."
"Thank you," he said, for lack of anything more eloquent to say.
"So, let me ask, do you trust me?" He looked into her eyes again, and they were warm and sincere.
"I trust you," he said, though as soon as the words had come out, he became quite worried about where they would lead. He was, after all, dealing with a dominatrix.
For the moment, however, she was content to place her soft hand over his. He remained completely still, allowing it to lay there undisturbed.
"I think we're going to be good friends, don't you Gil?" she asked. He nodded slowly. He believed they would.
Lady Heather slowly pulled her hand away and picked up her tea cup. For another hour they made small talk, as though their brief moment of intimacy had never happened. Gil, however, absorbed little of the conversation. All he could think of was the warmth that he had felt when she had touched him.
END OF CHAPTER
Note: I hope this isn't too melodramatic for y'all… I'm trying to keep it in character. Right after Gil's "I trust you" line, I thought about writing "He was, after all, dealing with a dominatrix, and he had never looked good in latex" but I decided against it. o_O BTW, the story is already written, it's just a matter of typing and uploading.
CHAPTER 2
The First Visit
"You have a date with a dominatrix?"
Catherine's eyes widened as Gil told her about his plans with Lady Heather.
"No date. I'm just going for tea."
"Right," she responded, amused. "No date. Just a cup of tea and a little bondage."
Greg poked his head out of his lab. "Bondage? Where?"
Gil gave Catherine a look that warned her to be quiet.
"Nothing, Greg," said Catherine, and he disappeared back into the lab.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell people about this, Catherine," said Gil.
"You can count on me," she said with a grin.
Sunday came at last. As Gil pulled into the driveway of Lady Heather's mansion, he felt an excitement unlike anything he had ever felt before. He approached the door and rang the doorbell, and he could hear soft footsteps from inside the house. She opened the door for him, and he saw her face for the first time since the investigation. She looked more serene now, with the unpleasant events behind her. She smiled a kind, welcoming smile, and invited him in.
"I thought we'd go out to the garden," she said, leading him through her living room, filled with velvet furniture and gothic decorations, and to the back door. She had already laid out the delicate china cups and teapot. Steam wafted from the spout of the pot, and the aroma of he tea was like a calming incense.
"Have a seat." He obeyed the invitation as though it were a command. Lady Heather remained standing and poured the tea. She looked amazing; her raven hair was glossy in the sunlight, and her sleeveless gown of dark plum panne velvet contrasted with her pale skin. The neck was low-cut, but not immodest, and around her neck she wore a simple black beaded choker.
She slid into her chair. He watched her, unsure of what to say, waiting on her to give him a cue. She locked eyes with him, and he, being accustomed to intense eye contact, did not look away.
"You've been on my mind," she said calmly. "It's one of those things. There are people that we should remember, but forget in an instant, and then there are those who we could just as well forget, but we remember. Do you understand?"
"Perfectly," said Gil, for he was experiencing exactly what Lady Heather was talking about.
"When I called you," she went on, "you recognized my voice. Is just that because you have a way with remembering these things?"
"Not entirely," he confessed. "I do remember little things like that, but that isn't how I knew you."
"Then you've been thinking of me?" she asked, pleased.
"I have," he said.
She smiled, and suddenly she began to laugh. Gil was confused and feared he had done something wrong, but her laughter was so bright that it made him smile along with her.
"I'm sorry," she explained. "But listen to us! We sound like two characters in a second-rate romance novel."
Gil had to agree. "I guess we do," he said with a laugh.
"Let me begin again," said Lady Heather. "I invited you here because we got along so well the last time we saw each other. You treated me in a way that few people have; with completely unbiased respect. That's a rare quality."
"It's my job."
"I know. But my experience with the law has been that most people who supposedly aren't prejudiced are just trying to come off that way. They all seem to think that since I have such a taboo occupation, I must be guilty of something. But not you. You have the ability to regard people without prejudice. That's why I trust you."
"Thank you," he said, for lack of anything more eloquent to say.
"So, let me ask, do you trust me?" He looked into her eyes again, and they were warm and sincere.
"I trust you," he said, though as soon as the words had come out, he became quite worried about where they would lead. He was, after all, dealing with a dominatrix.
For the moment, however, she was content to place her soft hand over his. He remained completely still, allowing it to lay there undisturbed.
"I think we're going to be good friends, don't you Gil?" she asked. He nodded slowly. He believed they would.
Lady Heather slowly pulled her hand away and picked up her tea cup. For another hour they made small talk, as though their brief moment of intimacy had never happened. Gil, however, absorbed little of the conversation. All he could think of was the warmth that he had felt when she had touched him.
END OF CHAPTER
Note: I hope this isn't too melodramatic for y'all… I'm trying to keep it in character. Right after Gil's "I trust you" line, I thought about writing "He was, after all, dealing with a dominatrix, and he had never looked good in latex" but I decided against it. o_O BTW, the story is already written, it's just a matter of typing and uploading.