“I’ll hold you responsible for every mess this causes,” I say as I press send.
“I can deal with that,” she says. “But I know it will be epic.”
“Yeah, epic mess will.”
“Nah,” Bella says and pulls me close. “You’ll see. Growth and all.”
“How about you grow some responsibility?” I ask, making a face.
Bella laughs. “Nah, way too much fun,” she says. At that moment, the door opens, and Bella’s mother enters with an angry look on her face.
Well, that’ll be fun. I am just so glad that this is not my mother.
6
VICTORIA
PLAYLIST: AKA’S WHITE WOLF – AMÉLIE FARREN
Henry’s retelling of the delivery amuses me all day. How I would have loved to see her myself. She seems so chaotic in her mind, yet utterly controlled—a living contradiction that makes me sure there is much more to her than the image she has created for the outside world.
While I would like nothing more than to dwell on my thoughts, I have shifted my focus to tonight's event.
La Cage Noir is the name for this month's event. A night to break chains, give up control and find liberation. The cage is seen as a representation of the social norms humans have designed for everyone to live in, wealthy or not—we are all part of a cage named humanity, some less, some more.
Tonight is about removing the cage.
Carnal desire.
Loss of the self.
Becoming the truth.
And I will be their guidance, as always. I am what others call a Lady of Ceremonies—I guide and secure, tense and release, animate and calm down. I call myself The Mistress.
Therefore, I have to prepare.
I have known most of the club's members for many years now, so there is a trusting relationship, and yet every month is a new chapter for me to reinventmyself.
The members come because of me, and only afterwards for their play—I am the person who delivers the experience and the thrill they cannot simply buy somewhere.
We arrive at the venue, and all the black lilies have been delivered and decorated appropriately. We have a full setup with cages, St. Andrew's crosses, benches and tables, hooks and pulls, all arranged in different scenes. The balcony is set for the audience. And while the events offer all sorts of sexually liberating activities, it is meant to be an experience first.
“The glasses need to be set straight,” I tell the bartenders. Everything is black tonight, from glasses to flowers to outfits—everything. Even the condoms and dams are black. While I enjoy colour very much, a night in black looks temptingly mysterious.
I check all the instruments and furniture. Everything has to be perfect. Meaning: clean, stable, organised. Play is as much about planning as it is about letting go; it needs structure, safety and the knowledge of play, including rules that will always be followed.
The rules of play allow the body and mind to be free—they are not a cage, they are liberation.
“Alright, everyone, quick talk-through,” I call after inspecting the last of the equipment and rearranging some of it.
“First of all, thank you all for your work,” I say. “I know a wonderful night lies ahead. As always, eyes down unless requested otherwise, words only when absolutely necessary,” I say. “Awareness-Team, please have in mind we have a new member, she is very high profile and requires a mask, she will be arriving with her wife, who is an experienced dominant, but please keep an eye on them.”
Lilian is a dear friend of mine, one I’d never, ever believed would become a member of my club, but since she and Kat are a thing, she has changed in many ways—for the better.
“Also, I decided on a change of the ceremony. We’ll extend the welcoming period to an hour; I felt it was too short otherwise. That’s it on my end. Any questions or topics on yours?” I ask and glance around.
“Will Mr Anderson be there?” asks a member of the Awareness-Team.
