Switch

need more.

My mom said she'd be back Thursday, a week from

today. I had Eric's schedule for the month. He worked that

night, as wel as the folowing Friday and Saturday.

Sunday, then. A little more than a week. That would give

me plenty of time to prepare.

You will reserve a room at the Harrisburg Hilton for

Sunday night. When you check in, you'll leave

instructions for the second key to be left for me, under

the name Rose Thorn. You will be in the room and

ready for me no later than three-thirty. You will bring

with you a bottle of your favorite lube, a box of

condoms and a copy of your medical records

guaranteeing your clean bill of health. Once inside the

room, you will shower and shave and smooth your skin

with lotion. I want you clean and smelling of lavender

and mint. You will wait for me wearing only the

bracelet I gave you. Kneel by the bed. When I come in,

bracelet I gave you. Kneel by the bed. When I come in,

you may address me at once and show your

appreciation of my presence by kneeling at my feet.

It didn't sound quite right. My words lacked a certain

rhythm and delicacy, but they were al I had. Eric liked

flirting with public displays of his submission, and he'd have

to give up some of that to the clerk to whom he gave my

name. But he'd be outing me, too, and I wasn't sure how I

felt about walking up to a perfect stranger and caling

myself Mistress anything. Stil, I guessed it was time to try

to find out if I could play this role for real.

'You gonna try for that new position?' Brenda had snuck

up on me, not difficult to do since I was lost in swirling,

deep-purple thoughts of fucking and sucking. I didn't think

that was the new position she meant.

'I don't think so.' When in doubt, stal. It took me a minute to figure out what she did mean, but then when she cast a

pointed look at the buletin board on the wal behind me, I

turned. I scanned the papers tacked there and nodded.

'Oh. The marketing position? No. I already said I wasn't

interested.'

This gave her pause. 'They just put this up about ten

This gave her pause. 'They just put this up about ten

minutes ago, Paige.'

Okay, so Brenda hadn't been one of their preapproved

applicants. I pretended to look more closely. 'Oh, that

new position. No. I don't think so. I'm happy where I am.'

She made one of those noises people make when they

don't believe you but don't want to come right out and say

so. 'I think I might go for it. The salary is a lot better, for one thing. I bet the benefits are good, too.'

'It's a lot of responsibility, Brenda.' Together we left the buletin board to head down the hal toward our respective