Author's note: Sorry for any typos guys. I wanted to get this posted tonight before my play rehearsal, so I didn't have time to edit. I hope you enjoy. As always, please let me know what you think.

Chapter 8

Monday morning found Aubrey and I in my apartment. Aubrey was lounging in bed while I got dressed. It took a lot longer than it usually did, because I couldn't resist taking breaks to move over and run my fingers along her naked skin, or place soft kisses on her lips. Aubrey seemed amused by me, but she didn't comment. Once I had finally finished getting ready, I sat down on the edge of the bed. I knew I needed to leave soon if I wanted to be on time, but I just wasn't ready for the weekend to end. We'd spent all of Friday and Saturday morning in Aubrey's playroom experimenting with the things we saw at the event on Thursday. Saturday afternoon, Aubrey had decided that we needed some girlfriend time, so we migrated to my apartment and spent the rest of the weekend hanging out. I played some of my newer mixes for her, and she coerced me into watching some TV. Overall it was an amazing three days and I wasn't ready for it to end.

I entwined my fingers in Aubrey's and asked, "So what are you going to do today?"

She smiled, knowing that I was stalling. "Well, I've gotta go to the gym this morning. But then I'll probably go home to work."

My eyes flew up to study her. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes widened. "Oh Beca, not like that. I'm sorry I didn't think about how that sounded. I'm working on my second book," She explained in a rush.

I relaxed. "Oh, alright. What's it about?"

She smiled, "It's about the nature of trust in BDSM relationships."

"Oh, that's really cool. What was your first book about?"

"It was about the balance of power between a domme and his/her sub," she said and I could hear the pride in her voice.

I smiled. "That's awesome, Bre. I'm really proud of you."

Her face lit up, "Thanks, Beca. It really means a lot to me to hear you say that."

"I mean it. Bre, you're amazing," I told hear, leaning in to claim her lips. The kiss was soft and passionate and had a happy warmth filling me. I pulled out of the kiss, and smiled at Aubrey. "I've got to go, honey."

She returned the smile. "I know, good luck on your first day."

I climbed off the bed, saying, "thanks." Before I left, I moved over to one of the drawers in the kitchen. I rooted through it for a minute before finding my spare key. I offered it to Aubrey. "Here, will you lock up when you leave?"

She beamed at me, "Sure thing, Becs. I'll give it back next time I see you."

I shifted awkwardly. "Um, not that's ok, Bre. You can keep it."

"Really?" She asked, hope filling her voice.

I nodded, "Yeah. I mean, I'm serious about this relationship."

Aubrey immediately crawled across the bed and pulled me into a tight hug. "Me too, Beca. I love you," She said quietly.

I smiled, and squeezed her more tightly against me. "I love you too, Bre."

After a moment she pulled away and ran across the room to where she had left her purse next to the couch. She fished out her key ring and handed me one of the keys. "Here, you can come over anytime. Even if I'm not there."

I smiled, thinking it unlikely that I would want to be in Aubrey's house without her. "Thanks," I said before kissing her again. After a long moment, I broke the kiss. "I've got to go, I'm going to be late."

Aurbey sighed, looking over at the clock. "I know. Will you call me later? I want to know how your first day goes."

I smiled. "Of course." I leaned in for one last short kiss before heading to the door. I grabbed my laptop bag and with a final, "See you later," I left for work.

By the time I got to the office, I was excited. This was my dream job and I couldn't wait to get started. I had to spend the first hour of my day on new hire paperwork which was tedious, but at least I got it out of the way. The HR person who helped me fill out the paperwork gave me a quick tour of the office, pointing out the various offices, bathrooms, and break room. I knew that the recording studio wasn't located in the building and I had to hide my impatience on the tour. I didn't plan to spend much time in these offices.

Finally, an hour and a half after I arrived, I was led into Marcus' office. He grinned up at me, holding up a finger while he finished the phone conversation he was having. I nodded and took a seat in the chair I'd sat in a week prior. After he ended the call, he turned to me, "Well, Beca you made it."

I smiled, "Yep, got all my paperwork filled out and everything."

"Great, so here's the deal. The artist I want you to work with is Danny Taylor. Are you familiar with his music?"

I thought about it and nodded, "Yeah, he's one of those kids from the Disney Channel right?"

Marcus chuckled, "Yeah, and he was a great investment 5 years ago, when we signed him, but interest in his music is flagging and he and I are eager to chance his sound."

"Ok, I should be able to help with that. Does he write his own music, or does he use song writers?" I asked, thinking through the steps I would need to take.

"A little of both, I've actually got some demo songs that are for his next album, they were recorded under the direction of his last producer, but it's the same crap that stopped selling, so we've been looking for a new producer for him for a few months now."

I smiled, "Alright, that's a great place to start."

"I've set up a meeting with you and Danny for Wednesday afternoon; do you think you will have something to show him by then?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be ready."

"Excellent, would you prefer to work here, at the studio, or at home?" He asked, honestly curious.

"I'd prefer to work either at home or out of the studio," I answered and could hear the eagerness in my voice.

He grinned, "Great, I'll have someone meet you over there and they can show you around." He pushed a button on his phone, and said, "Carol, will you come here for a moment?"

"Of course, Marcus," was her reply.

He sat back and studied me for a moment. "Carol will fill you in on the details of your meeting with Danny, but I'd like to hear what you have first. Can you email the files to me as soon as they're done?"

"Yeah, sure," I answered immediately.

Carol came in to the office, smiling at me before turning her attention to Marcus. "What can I do for you?"

"Will you get Beca the demo of Danny Taylor's last recordings with Stanley and the address to the studio?" He asked.

"Yes, sir, is there anything else?"

"Will you also call Steve and ask him to show Beca around and get her settled over there?"

"Of course," She said enthusiastically.

Marcus turned back to me, "Thank you, Beca. Good luck. You can call Carol if you have any questions, or if there is anything you need."

"Thanks, Marcus," I smiled before following Carol out to her desk.

Carol efficiently loaded a flash drive with the demo songs and handed them over. "Do you have a GPS?"

"Yeah, who doesn't these days?" I asked.

Carol laughed, "That's true. Well here is the address, I'll have Steve waiting for you. Are you headed straight over there?" She handed me a post-it note with the address written on it.

"Yeah, I can't wait to get started." I admitted, and she smiled.

"Well, here's my card if you need anything. Good luck." She said offering a small cream business card. I thanked her and left.

An hour later, I was settling into a sound mixing booth with a fresh cup of coffee. I let myself one moment to revel in actually having my dreams come true before I plugged the flash drive into the sound board's computer and got to work. I listened to the demo songs and they were the same generic pop I had expected. I listened to the songs again, before opening iTunes on my laptop and downloading all of Danny's other music. I listened to all of his other music thinking about the best ways to manipulate it to create a new sound for the guy. He had a great voice for pop music, but in a few of his songs, his voice hit a less polished, almost gruff tone that might work really well for punk. I went back to the demos and began to manipulate them. I quickly lost track of the time, as I worked.

My ringing phone finally brought me out of my focus. When I looked down to see who was calling, I was surprised to see it was after 8pm. I answered the phone, "Hey, Bre."

"Hi, Beca. I was just calling to check in with you. You said you'd call and I hadn't heard from you yet," I could hear the slight annoyance in her voice and I winced.

"I'm sorry, Bre. I completely lost track of the time. I'm actually still at work," I said apologizing.

"Really?" She asked and I didn't think she believed me.

"Yeah, I've been completely absorbed all day. I don't know when I would have stopped if you hadn't called," I said with a little laugh.

"Have you eaten?" Aubrey asked, and I could hear her voice softening.

"Nope," I admitted.

She sighed into the phone. "Beca, you need to eat."

"I know, I'm sorry," I apologized.

"Fine, come over, I'll make you some dinner," Aubrey said, and I could hear the irritation in her voice.

"You don't have to do that. I can pick up something," I insisted, knowing that I really wanted nothing more than to curl up in Aubrey's arms, but unable to just give in. We hadn't actually spent a night apart in over a week, and while I didn't relish the idea of sleeping alone, I didn't want Aubrey to think I was too clingy.

Aubrey paused before speaking. "Did you eat lunch?"

"No, I forgot," I answered, my voice coming out softer than intended.

"I see," She said and I could hear the anger in her voice. "Beca, get over here now. You need a better meal than fast food," She snapped out and I knew the order came from my mistress and not my girlfriend.

Heat shot through me, and I immediately responded with, "Yes, Mistress."

I heard a startled gasp through the phone. Aubrey's voice was softer when she spoke again. "I'm sorry, Beca. I know you're at work."

"I know, Bre. It's ok. I just need five minutes here and then I'll come over." I said realizing that I wasn't the least bit upset about her dominating me through the phone.

"Thanks, I'll see you soon," Aubrey said.

I knew she was beating herself up, so I cheerfully said, "See you soon. I love you, nerd."

She let out a startled chuckle and her voice was happier as she replied, "I love you, too."

We hung up and I quickly saved the new tracks, shooting Marcus an email with the first song, which still needed some polishing, but would at least give him an idea of the direction I was headed in. I packed up my laptop and headed out of the building, absently noticing that I wasn't the only one working late. As I got into my car, I realized how tired I was feeling. It had been a long day without enough food and I felt exhausted. I rolled my windows all the way down, hoping that it would help keep me focused on the drive to Aubrey's house. Luckily, the studio was only a few exits up the highway from her house and I pulled into her driveway less than half an hour later.

I stumbled tiredly to the front door and rang the bell. It opened less than a minute later. Aubrey took one look at my tired eyes before pulling me into a hug. I relaxed into her arms and let out a contented sigh. "Thank you, Aubrey," I said softly.

She kissed my temple and let go of me. "You're welcome. Get settled and come into the kitchen when you're ready." When I nodded, she moved down the hallway to the kitchen. I put my laptop case next to the door and pulled out my phone to quickly check my email. I was surprised to see that Marcus had responded. I shot a quick glance in the direction of the kitchen, and decided I had the time to check the email.

It read: Sounds great, Beca. I really like the direction you're going. I can't wait to hear more. –Marcus.

I smiled and turning off the sound on my phone, I slipped it back into my bag. Once I had done that, I moved to the side table and lifted my collar into place around my throat. I let out a sigh as the stress and focus of the day melted away. It left me feeling as though my body was heavier and my mind felt a little fuzzy. I shrugged the feeling off and went in search of my mistress. She was just pulling a casserole out of the oven when I walked into the kitchen.

She glanced over at me and smiled. "Go ahead and have a seat at the table. I'll bring you over a plate."

"Thank you, Mistress," I answered, slumping into one of the chairs. I watched as she put together a plate and got a glass of ice water and brought them over to the table, sitting them in front of me. It looked incredible. "Thank you, you really didn't have to do this," I said appreciating her.

"I know, Beca. But I wanted to. Go ahead and eat," she said before moving off to pour herself a glass of wine.

I took a bite and moaned as the flavor exploded across my tongue. The casserole had cheese, potatoes, some veggies and ground beef. It was the perfect comfort food. "This is amazing. Thank you, Mistress," I said when she sat down across from me.

"I'm glad you like it, my pet," she replied with a smile. I had my mouth full of another bite and just nodded at her. She watched me eat for a while before saying, "Beca, I can understand getting lost in your work, but will you try to remember to stop for food occasionally? I don't want you to get sick."

"Yes, Mistress. I'm sorry. I'll set alarms if I have to," I answered.

She smiled, "Alright. What were you working on all day that had you so absorbed?"

I grinned. I felt steadier and had more energy, so I slowed down so I could tell Aubrey about it. "Have you heard of Danny Taylor?"

Aubrey's eyes widened. "Yeah, he's one of those Disney Channel pop stars, right?"

"Yeah," I smiled. "But his popularity has been falling recently, so they are having me try to help him find a new sound for his next album."

"Oh, Beca that's awesome," she said excitedly.

"Yeah, I think so. I have a meeting with him on Wednesday to show him some demos. That's what I was working on today. I just got completely lost in the work," I said apologetically.

She brushed off my apology in her excitement. "I'm so proud of you, this is incredible."

"Thanks," I said, smiling.

After I had finished eating, I washed my dishes while Aubrey stored away the leftovers, claiming she'd have it for lunch the next day. It was a really nice domestic feeling that made my heart flutter. I really liked being with her this way. I only realized I was grinning when Aubrey asked me why.

I blushed, "I—uh—I, um, was just thinking that I like doing this with you." I gestured vaguely around the kitchen.

Aubrey's smile was instantaneous and she crossed the room to wrap me in her arms. "I like it too, Beca. Come on, I wanna cuddle on the couch tonight."

I gave the sink one final wipe from the rag before drying my hands on a towel and following her into the living room. Part of me was disappointed that we wouldn't be going into her playroom, but mostly I was just grateful that my mistress wanted a quiet night. After we were situated on the couch with me laying mostly on top of Aubrey, I let out a contented sigh and whispered, "Thank you, Mistress."

Aubrey kisses my temple and said, "You're welcome, my pet. I thought we both might like a quiet evening."

I smiled. "I think that sounds wonderful." I snuggled closer to her, and as she flipped through the channels on the TV, I felt the energy from my late dinner begin to dissipate. My eyelids drooped and my thoughts slowed. I was warm, well-fed and safe in my mistress' arms, and I let myself drift off into sleep.

Sometime later, Aubrey stirred beneath me and I sat up. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She smiled lovingly at me, "Nothing, Beca. I just want to go to bed."

"Oh, ok," was all I could manage to think to say as she took my hand and led me to her bedroom. I tried to immediately crawl into bed to fall back asleep, but Aubrey insisted on taking off my clothes first. I clumsily helped as best as I could. When I was naked, I crawled onto the soft mattress and curled on my side, watching my mistress undress with eyes that would barely stay open. As soon as Aubrey slipped, under the sheets, I curled into her and dropped back into sleep.

Tuesday progressed much like the day before, with the exception being that I actually remembered to eat. I wasn't ready to call it quits when I stopped for dinner, but I was ready to go home. I called Aubrey as I drove back to my apartment. I couldn't keep the smile from my face when she picked up.

"Beca, hey I was just about to call you." I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Hi. I was actually calling because I'm going to grab dinner before I head home to finish working from there. I didn't want you to worry. I even ate lunch," I said.

Aubrey chuckled, "I'm glad. How much work do you still have to do tonight?"

I did some quick calculations. "Um, probably three or four more hours, give or take. I'm hope to have the first three songs from Danny's demo done before I meet with him tomorrow. But the third one is only about half done."

"Hmm," She murmured and I knew she was planning something. I shivered as the first thrill of anticipation washed over me. After a moment she said, "Would I be too much of a distraction if I brought you some dinner, and then hung out while you're working?"

I grinned, "Probably, but I'd really like it if you would anyway."

"Ok, see you in a bit," she chuckled

"Hey Bre?" I called into the phone before she could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"Will you please bring me pizza?"

She groaned, "Beca, that is so bad for you."

I tried and probably failed to sound completely serious as I said, "I know, Bre, but I was really good and had salad for lunch so I could indulge in pizza for dinner."

She sighed, "Alright. I'll get you pizza. Do you still like pepperoni, green peppers and mushroom?"

I was shocked, "Yeah, how did you know that?"

She chuckled. "The Bella's pizza party after finals."

"And you remembered all these years?" I asked.

"Yeah…well, I'll see you soon, Beca," she said in a rush and she hung up before I could even respond. I didn't know what had just happened, but it seemed that Aubrey had been interested in me for a lot longer than she had let on. I grinned, tonight was going to be fun.

When I got home, I quickly changed into sweat pants and a tank top so I would be more comfortable when I was working. I quickly loaded up my computer and pulling my headphones on, started working. I was so absorbed that I didn't hear Aubrey knock on my apartment door. I didn't notice her come in, or put the pizza down in the kitchen. I jumped about a foot when her soft hand landed on my shoulder.

"Jesus Christ!" I yelled, jerking off the headphones and leaping to me feet.

"I'm sorry, Beca. I thought you noticed when I came in. I didn't mean to scare you." While her voice sounded contrite, I could see her amusement in her eyes.

I scowled. "It's alright." I put a hand to my chest, trying to convince my heart to slow down.

Aubrey wrapped her arms around me, and placed a gentle kiss on my lips before saying, "I really am sorry."

I sighed, relaxing into her arms and leaning my head on her shoulder. "It's fine. I just got absorbed, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. But it's time to eat." She said smiling down at me.

"Ok, I just gotta save this," I said, moving out of her arms to lean over my computer.

"Will you play it for me when we're done eating?" She asked shyly.

I grinned, "Sure, I'd love to get your opinion."

"Thanks," she said, moving into the kitchen to grab a couple of beers from my fridge and the pizza.

We settled down on the couch and began eating. I watched her eat, biding my time. I waited for her to reach for a second slice before asking, "So, why did you remember my favorite kind of pizza after all these years?"

Aubrey blushed, her eyes going wide. She dropped the pizza back into the box and reached for her beer. I waited, and eventually she asked, "You're actually going to make me say it, aren't you?"

I grinned, "Yep."

She sighed, and her blush deepened. "Because I've had a crush on you since Bella's auditions," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

I was surprised. "Seriously?" I asked.

"Yes," she said and took another long swallow from her beer.

I reached out a put a soft hand on her arm. "Bre, I had no idea."

She set her beer on the coffee table and turned to me. "I know. It's one of the reasons I was so hard on you that year. Plus, I was incredibly jealous of Jesse."

"I'm sorry," I said, not knowing what else I could say.

"It's alright, Beca. I have you now," she said with a small smile.

I returned the smile. "Yes, you do. But I still can't believe you remembered my favorite pizza order."

She huffed. "Well, some of us have a good memory for details."

I could tell that I'd offended her, and I wracked my brain for something, anything I could say to ease her hurt feelings. And then the image of her at the activities fair popped into my head and I smiled. "The first time I saw you, you were wearing a pink dress and had on these small strappy three inch heels. And you called me a bitch for saying a capella was lame."

Her eyes widened. "You remember that?"

I smiled, "Yeah, you could say that you made an impression on me."

She smiled in return. "You made an impression on me, too."

"Thanks for the pizza," I said when we had finished eating.

"You're welcome," she said smiling at me. "Can I hear the songs now?"

I chuckled, "Sure. I'll get them set up, would you mind grabbing me another beer?"

"Ok," she said happily and she moved off to the kitchen.

I watched her for a moment, grinning. I was so fucking lucky. She turned around with two fresh beers and raised an eyebrow when she saw me watching. I blushed and quickly turned to my desk.

"What were you looking at?" She asked smugly as she handed me my beer.

I shrugged. "You," I answered simply.

"Really?"

"Yeah. I was thinking about how lucky I am," I said, turning to meet her gaze so she could see the truth in my eyes. Her smug expression immediately melted into a grin. I smiled at her but spoke again before she could say anything. "So, I'm going to play the original first, it's a decent sample of his current sound, so you'll have a better idea of where I'm trying to take him."

Aubrey put an arm around my shoulder in lieu of being about to get sappy with me. She smiled at me and said, "Alright, go ahead." She listened intently to the song. When it ended, she said, "I can see why his sales have gone down. That sounds exactly like every other pop song on the radio."

"I know, right?" I said as I pulled up the altered version. "Ok, so here is my version of the same song." I felt a little nervous as I pressed play. I didn't know if Aubrey would like it. I carefully studied her face as the song started, but she was smiling before the end of the first measure. I let myself take a small sigh of relief.

When the song ended, Aubrey sat grinning at me. I shifted uncomfortably, I really needed her to say something, anything. Then she spoke, "Beca, that's wonderful. That was you singing, right?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I had to sing the vocal part for that one. Obviously, it'll be Danny is he records it, but I needed to be able to change the rhythm of the lyrics, so I couldn't use his original recording. Do you really like it?"

She nodded emphatically. "Yes, Beca I love it. I could imagine listening to that on the radio. It's just awesome."

I grinned, "Thanks, Bre."

She smiled and asked, "Can I hear the second one?"

I laughed. "Sure," I agreed and played the two versions for her.

When the songs ended, she just said, "You're amazing."

I smiled. "I know." She rolled her eyes and gave my arm a light smack. "Ow! Ok, ok, thank you. I'm glad you like the songs."

"I really do. Now get to work," She said with a smile.

I rolled my eyes, "Yes, ma'am."

Aubrey huffed before leaning down to purr in my ear, "The sooner you finish that song, the sooner I can have my way with you." She gently bit my earlobe and I shuddered against her.

I was instantly wet and I gasped out, "No fair, I've still gotta work."

She chuckled, "Work fast, love."

"I will, but then you're gonna be in trouble, Posen. I don't have to be anywhere until my 2PM meeting with Danny," I called after her as she moved over to the couch.

"Good," she called back before turning on the TV.

I had to take several deep breaths to calm my raging libido before I was able to focus back on the music. Hours later, I finally put the last touches on the song and emailed it to Marcus. I groaned, stretching from being bent over the computer for so long. I moved over to the couch and had to smile when I saw that Aubrey had fallen asleep. I leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. She didn't react at all, so I carefully slid my arms under her and carried her over to my bed. Aubrey snuggled into my arms on the short walk and I smiled. I let myself a single moment of victory that I hadn't dropped her, before I carefully removed her jeans and bra. I didn't feel right stripping her when she was asleep, but I didn't want her to be uncomfortable either. My own bra joined hers on the floor and I turned out the lights and crawled into bed, spooning around my girlfriend. I smiled and let myself drift off to join her in sleep.

Aubrey's grumpy voice woke me the next morning. "You didn't wake me."

I opened my eyes to see that she was laying on her side with her head propped on a hand. I reached out to run my fingers along her cheek. "You barely moved when I carried you to the bed and pulled off your jeans. So, I figured you needed the sleep."

"You carried me?" She asked, her eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

I grinned. "Yeah."

She smiled, "I'm sorry I missed that."

I rolled my eyes. "If you'd been awake, I wouldn't have done it." Aubrey pouted and I smirked. I rolled over to grab my phone to see if I had any new emails.

"What's up?" Aubrey asked.

I shrugged. "I just wanted to see if Marcus has emailed me back with any changes he wants in the last song before my meeting later."

"Oh, did he?" Aubrey asked, laying her head on my shoulder. Her fingers began to trail over my hip and heat began spreading slowly through my body.

I kept my voice light as I said, "He did email me, but he likes the song. So you have about three hours to stop doing that."

"Really? Three hours, huh?" Aubrey asked, her voice mocking.

I grinned, reaching up to fist my hand in her blonde hair and pull her down to meet my lips. I moaned into the kiss when Aubrey's hand slid between my legs. Immediately, she pulled back, breaking the lip-lock.

"You're wearing too much clothing," She said, even as her hands were yanking my tank top over my head.

I had to agree with her, pulling her own shirt over her head and trailing kisses down her shoulder as she pulled off my sweatpants. As soon as we were both naked, our bodies crashed together. We hadn't touched each other this way in two days and we were both in a near frenzy as we drove each other towards ecstasy. I felt like an addict in need of a fix. When we both lay panting after the first release, I turned to face Aubrey, chuckling.

"What's so funny?" She asked.

"I think I'm addicted to you, Bre. No matter what I do, I just can't seem to get enough of you."

She grinned, "I know, me too."

"This is crazy right?" I asked, still unable to believe the way I responded to her touch.

"Probably, but less talking now, more moaning," Aubrey said, moving to close her mouth over my nipple. I immediately moaned, in response. She just chuckled against my skin and trailed her fingers between my thighs.

At 1:30pm, I walked into the studio feeling limber and wonderfully satisfied. I moved over to the receptionist and asked, "Is the studio I've been using the last two days available?"

She checked her computer and nodded, "Yeah, are you going to be in there all day again?"

I smiled, "No, but I'd like it for the next few hours."

She returned my smile, "Alright, I can arrange that. Is there anything else you need?" She had a look in her eyes that told me she wasn't talking about anything work related.

I blushed looking away briefly. "Um, actually, I'm supposed to be meeting Danny Taylor in half an hour. Will you let me know when he's here?" I asked, trying to keep things professional.

"Alright, Beca. I can do that." She said triumphantly.

"Thanks," I said and fled to the studio. Once safely alone, I opened the music files on the studio's computer and played through them, making note of any adjustments before Danny arrived. I was just finishing the last tweak when the phone on the wall rang. I saved the file before standing to answer the phone.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Hi, this is Carrie at the reception desk. Danny is here." She said brightly.

"Thanks, be right down," I answered before hanging up the phone. I took a deep breath to settle the sudden nerves that came over me. Feeling slightly steadier, I headed down to the lobby to meet Danny Taylor.

He was leaning on the reception desk, flirting with Carrie when I walked in. I rolled my eyes and moved over to him. "Hi, I'm Beca."

He turned blue eyes on me and smiled. It was the smile that he was most known for. It lit up his entire face with boyish enthusiasm and made you feel that he was thrilled to be speaking with you. He was a handsome 22 year old, but something about him reminded me a lot of Jesse and I found myself smiling. "Hi, I'm Danny. Marcus said you're going to help me." He offered his hand and I shook it.

"Yeah, that's the plan," I said. "Come on, I've got a studio set up." I waved for him to follow me.

Once we were back in the studio, I offered him a drink, which he declined, before getting down to business. "Ok, so I took a few of the demos that you recorded with Stanley and reworked them. It's a completely different style for you, but I think it'll really work with your voice."

He grinned, "Cool, go ahead a play it."

I nodded, "Ok, on this first one, I'm doing the vocal track. I just couldn't use the original with the new rhythm, sorry."

He chuckled, "No worries. I won't judge."

I rolled my eyes, "Thanks." He just grinned and I started the track.

Danny's face lit up when the first notes played, and I felt a rush of relief that he liked it. His eyebrows lifted when he heard my voice add in the vocals, but he didn't comment. By the time the song ended, he was practically vibrating with excitement. The second the music ended, he burst out, "I love it! I've always wanted to get away from pop music, but I never really had a way to do it. Thank you, this is just what I've been looking for."

I grinned, "I'm glad you like it, Danny."

"Oh, I do. And you know, you killed those vocals. I bet Marcus would want you to record something if he heard you." He said enthusiastically.

I blushed, "Thanks, but I seriously just want to produce music."

His tone softened slightly. "Just think about it, Beca. You could do both."

"Thanks, Danny." I said appreciating the honesty in his voice. "Now do you want to hear the other songs I have ready?"

His boyish grin was back as he said, "Hell, yeah!"

I laughed and played the other songs. He loved them and while I was setting up the studio to record the new tracks with him, Danny called Marcus. He had gone out into the hallway, so I have no idea what he told my boss. It made me slightly nervous, but since Danny was staying to record with me, I really wasn't too worried.

When he came back in the room, I said, "Alright, I'm ready for you."

He grinned, "Great. Marcus said he'd stop by in a bit. Apparently he wants to see you in action."

Instantly butterflies filled my stomach, but I rolled my eyes to cover. "Yeah, alright, here you go," I said offering him headphones. He took them and slipped one cup over his ear as he got situated behind the mic. I retreated back behind the sound board and we got started.

Danny had no difficulties picking up the new style, and I knew that I'd made a good choice in moving him towards the punk genre. We were about halfway through the second song when Marcus slipped quietly into the room. I stiffened slightly when he came in, but I kept my focus on Danny. He faltered on the bridge and I stopped him.

"Hey, Danny give me a second here. I have an idea to make that easier for you." I said into the microphone that allowed communication between the two areas of the studio.

"Sure thing, Bec. I'll just grab some water," He agreed readily.

"Alright, cool." I replied, before playing back the song. I could feel Marcus' eyes on me, but I didn't acknowledge him yet. I didn't want to lose my train of thought. I quickly found the spot that was causing problems for Danny. I listened to it twice and then adjusted the chords in the background track. I listen to is once more and smiled. I thought that would work. I saved the track and finally turned to meet my boss' eyes.

"Hey, sorry about that. I didn't wanna lose the idea," I said apologetically.

He held up a hand, "It's quite alright. I was enjoying watching you work."

"Thanks," I said, blushing.

"It's remarkable. I've never seen that boy so relaxed in the studio," Marcus said.

I looked back over at Danny, he was drinking water and relaxing on the sofa in his portion of the studio. I smiled and explained, "I don't think pop music was ever his thing."

"I think you may be right, Beca. You're doing great work." He said smiling at me.

"Thanks, if you want to stay, we should be able to get this second song done soon, and then I'd like for you to hear them both." I offered nervously.

"Sure, I'll just get some coffee and I'll be back in a minute." He said smiling kindly down at me.

"Thanks," I replied. He nodded and headed out of the room. I flicked the mic back on and said, "Alright Danny, I think I got the bridge fixed. Listen and let me know what you think."

"Ok, go ahead," he called out and I played it. He nodded, "Yeah, that'll work. Let's try it."

Instead of replying, I started the track as soon as he was behind his microphone. It worked and we were able to finish recording the song quickly. "Nice, Danny. You wanna come back here and listen to what we got today with Marcus?"

"Sure, Bec. Be right there," he said flashing me a grin as he grabbed his water.

When he and Marcus had joined me, I played the songs. They were both grinning by the time the music faded in the room. Danny was bouncing on the balls of his feet in excitement, but he waited for Marcus' verdict before saying anything. Marcus sucked in a deep breath and said, "This is wonderful. Beca, you're a genius." He grinned at me for a moment before turning to Danny. "I think this is exactly what you were looking for Danny. Do you agree?"

Danny nodded enthusiastically, "Absolutely. Thanks so much Marcus."

"You're welcome. So I think we are all in agreement that you two will continue to work together, correct?"

Danny nodded and I smiled, and agreed, "Yeah."

"Great, then I will let you guys get back to work. Do you think you can have a full album ready by the end of the month?" He asked.

I thought about it, that'd give us three weeks. I thought we could do it, but it would depend on whether or not Danny had enough songs to fill the album. I turned to him, "The demo I got had 6 songs on it, do you have other songs in mind?"

Danny laughed, "Yeah, actually I've got a ton of stuff that I wrote, but Stanley wouldn't produce because it wasn't 'Pop' enough."

I grinned and turned back to Marcus, "Yeah, we're good."

He smiled back, "Excellent, then I will leave you to it. Keep up the good work."

We thanked him and after he left, we decided to break for the day, with Danny coming back the following day with the songs he'd written. I felt really good about everything and I really looked forward to working with Danny. I checked the time as I packed up my laptop. It was after seven and I groaned. I had hoped to be finished early enough that I could make dinner for Aubrey. She had been so great about making me food the last few days that I had wanted to take care of her tonight. I sank back in my chair and called Aubrey.

"Hey, Bre, you busy?" I asked when she picked up.

"Not at all. How'd today go?" I could hear the smile in her voice and I grinned.

"It went really well, Danny was great to work with and Marcus decided that he wants us to have an album ready by the end of the month." I exclaimed, still not quite able to believe how quickly everything had changed in my life.

"Congrats, Beca. That's awesome," She said enthusiastically.

"Thanks," I said smiling. "Hey, I was wondering if you'd had dinner yet."

"Not yet, I was actually hoping you'd be calling," Aubrey said shyly.

"Great, I'll be there in about 20 minutes. I wanna take you out to celebrate." I said, jumping up and heading towards my car.

She chuckled, "Alright, sounds good. I'll see you in a few."

"See you, Bre."

That was the start of a pattern that Aubrey and I fell into over the course of the next few weeks. I'd call Aubrey when I finished at the studio and we'd meet, have dinner, and end up in bed together. Who's house we ended up at depended on what kind of mood we were in at the end of the day. The weekends were entirely different. We went to a few dancing clubs and a couple leather clubs, and we spent a lot of time in Aubrey's playroom, but we also spent time as a couple, enjoying each other's company. It was a perfect few weeks, with the exception of one night.

It was the Tuesday night before my Friday deadline. I was feeling incredibly stressed trying to get everything finished for the album and it was after 11pm when I pulled into Aubrey's driveway. I craved the submission that would let me forget about my worries for awhile, but when Aubrey let me in, my collar wasn't waiting for me on the table. I froze, staring at the table while Aubrey locked the door behind me.

She noticed my reaction and said, "I need to talk to you for a minute first." Her voice was hushed, but I could still hear the anxiety in it.

"Ok," I said, trying desperately not to let panic overtake me. I walked stiffly into the living room, trying not to let myself think that she was going to break up with me. I sat on the couch and waited for her to speak.

Aubrey paced the room, not meeting my eyes. After a long time she spoke, staring out the window and keeping her back to me. "I got a phone call today. I've been asked to fill in for another domme on Friday."

"Alright," I said carefully, still not sure where this was going. I had already told her several times that I wanted to perform with her.

She sighed. "Beca, I don't want you to go with me."

"What!?" I yelled, jumping to my feet. "Why?"

Her voice hardened and her eyes were cold as she finally looked at me. "I have my reasons."

I was too furious to back down. "What are they, Aubrey? Do you want to break up with me? Is that what this is?"

Her eyes filled with horror and she reached out to lay a hand on my arm. "No, Beca. I swear it's not that."

I shook her hand off my arm and stepped back from her, needing a little distance to maintain my anger. "Then what the Hell, Aubrey?"

Her hand dropped to her side and she looked away from me. "I'm not ready to share you," she said in a voice so quiet that I had to strain to hear her.

"What?" I gaped, not expecting this to be her reason.

She met my eyes and in a stronger voice said, "I'm not ready to share you with the community."

I exploded, my temper raging through me. "But it's fucking ok for me to have to share you?"

Aubrey's temper rose to meet mine, "That's entirely different, Beca."

"How? How is it any different?" I demanded.

"You knew what my job was when you asked me out," she spat.

I looked away, feeling the anger begin to drain out of me, only to be replaced by such a profound feeling of betrayal that tears began filling me eyes. "Yeah, I know. But the thought of your hands on someone else…I can't, Bre." I rushed out of the room, briefly considering leaving the house altogether, before rejecting that and swinging to the left to head into the bathroom. I knew I wouldn't leave until Aubrey ordered me to go. Even now, when I felt like I was being crushed by the weight of betrayal, I couldn't stand to leave the safety of Aubrey's house. I sunk to my knees on the floor of the bathroom and felt the first sob choke out.

Aubrey joined me in the bathroom and pulled me into her lap so she could wrap comforting arms around me. "I'm sorry, Beca. I'm so sorry," She whispered, kissing the top of my head. I curled into her, sobbing into her shoulder. She rubbed my back as I cried and I began to calm down.

I wiped my face on my sleeve and couldn't meet her eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered, feeling ashamed for my tears.

"Oh, honey, you have nothing to be ashamed about. I'm sorry. I didn't think this through." She said, brushing my hair behind my ear.

"Why?" I asked, shifting to put some distance between us.

She sighed. "I—I wanted your first time to be special. There is a party next month that I wanted to use as your debut."

"What's so special about this party?" I asked.

"Well, for one thing, it's in a private residence, so scenes can be more sexual in nature. I thought it would be easier to take you deep into the trance if I were able to touch you in more intimate ways. It was completely selfish, but I wanted to show you off." She said, looking anywhere but at me.

"That's why you want to use another sub on Friday?" I asked, surprised.

Her shoulders slumped, "Yes, I'm sorry."

I thought about the eagerness of the dommes to see the trance at the fundraiser, and wondered how much Aubrey's reputation would be affected if I wasn't able to trance on stage. "If you were to use me on Friday, would you be able to get me to fall into the trance?"

"I don't know. You've only done it a few times, and that was under some serious punishment. I doubt things will be that hardcore on Friday," she answered honestly.

I thought about it, hating the fact that I understood her reasoning, even though the idea of her touching someone else felt like a betrayal. I let out a heavy sigh. "I need you to promise me three things before I can be ok with this."

Her eyes flew to mine in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"No, but if you agree, I won't voice another objection." I answered, my voice harder than I intended.

She swallowed hard and nodded. "Alright, what are your conditions?"

I licked my lips and voiced the easiest of my demands. "I want you to use a guy on Friday."

She looked confused, "Why?"

I smirked, "Because unless you've been lying to me, you're a lesbian. It's harder to be jealous of a guy."

She offered a soft smile, "Ok. I promise I will use a male submissive. What else?"

I took a deep breath to gather my courage. "On Friday, I need you to tie me up in such a way that I can't do anything but watch your scene, but am obviously being punished by not being 'allowed' to participate. I don't care what lie you tell about why I'm being punished."

Aubrey looked startled. "Why?"

I scowled, "Because you're mine, Aubrey. I don't want any of those bitches you've been with before thinking that you're available for their pleasure."

Understanding rushed into her eyes, "Alright, love. I'll do it. But you might not like it."

I shrugged, "It's not about what I like, it's about what I need."

She nodded, "I know. What is your third demand?"

I swallowed as nerves suddenly danced over my skin. I found myself studying my hands as I said, "I'd like for you to push me into the trance tonight."

Aubrey didn't say anything for a long time and I had to fight the urge to squirm. Eventually, she used one finger to gently tip up my chin, forcing me to meet eyes that had gone dark with desire. "Are you sure?" She asked, each word sounding like both a warning and a promise.

A shiver ran through me and I grew instantly wet for her. "Yes," was the only answer I could give.

The second the word left my lips, Aubrey's fingers fisted in my hair, yanking me to her. I groaned when her lips crashed into mine. She pushed her tongue past my teeth and I opened for her, relaxing in her grip. As soon as she felt the tension leave me, Aubrey pulled away, quickly standing to look down on me, sprawled on her bathroom floor. Her eyes were hard and unyielding as they studied me. "You may regret that you asked me to do this, Beca."

"No, I won't, Bre. I need this," I said, a hint of challenge in my voice.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Will you use your safe word if I get too close to causing actual harm?"

Her question made my breath hitch. "Y-yes," I managed to get out.

"Then get your ass into the playroom, get undressed and wait for me," she barked out before turning on her heel and walking away.

I scrambled to my feet and rushed down the hall to obey. Kneeling naked in her playroom without my collar on made me feel incredibly self-conscious. Before tonight, I hadn't been more than three steps inside Aubrey's house without the collar on and I felt strangely exposed as I waited for her. I forced myself to stay still and not fidget, but it was difficult as Aubrey kept me waiting for nearly half an hour. It wasn't until she moved to stand directly in front of me that I knew the reason for the wait. Aubrey had changed into skirt, corset and boots made entirely of shiny latex. Heat raced to my center, my breath grew short, and my eyes rose to drink in the perfect sight of her in this outfit. When I met her eyes, Aubrey was smirking and I knew she loved my reaction to her appearance.

She dropped my collar in front of me. "Put it on," she barked.

I immediately grabbed it and buckled it into place. "Thank you, Mistress," I said, feeling the familiar shift settle over me.

She grinned, "You're welcome, my pet. Do you enjoy the sight of me in this outfit?"

"Yes, Mistress," I said honestly.

"Good, take a long look, because it will be the last thing you see before dawn." She said as she moved over to the cabinet. She returned with a blindfold and restraints. She paused, giving me one last look at her perfect figure being hugged by the latex, before tying the blindfold into place.

Author's note: Sorry about the cliffhanger guys. You'll get the rest of this scene in the next chapter. ;)