The covers were on the floor. Sara was soaked in perspiration, though the room felt cool on her naked skin. Naked.

Her full length cotton night gown was torn and lying on the floor. Sara's heart was racing. It happened again. Lying there in the quiet room, the distant sounds of the empty house teasing her with their normalcy.

Forcing herself to get up, she stripped the bed and made it up fresh, then putting her gown in the trash, she took a long, hot shower that failed to make her feel as clean as she wanted. She looked at herself in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. Dark brown hair in full natural waves that fell to her narrow shoulders.

Face too thin and eyes too wide, she felt, though many felt she was lovely. Or so they said. Full breasts with nipples that seemed even now to strain forward as though reaching for the lips or fingers of another. She blushed at the thought.

Sara was not a virgin. She had had three lovers in her twenty two years.

The first, Carl, when she was still eighteen. They had both been virgins and over the next year they experimented together, but the scope of their experience was limited.

Brad was more of a challenge. He taught her the thrills of oral sex and the adrenalin wrought kick of public sex, but he seemed to feel that she was too weird for him. She never understood that. Her most recent lover, DJ , was into long and slow sex and though Sara generally had her orgasm, she felt that their had to be something more. Then the dreams started.

Dressed in her casual conservative slacks and blouse, Sara forced her mind to concentrate on her work and tried not to think about the dreams. "Phillip is such a beast.

" "What did the pirate do now?" Sara tuned in to the conversation of her co-workers.

She knew that Phillip was Mary's fiancee and that Mary loved to tell of their latest excapades.

"He took me to an SM club." " A what?" "It's a club for people who are into S & M you know, the whips and chains crowd." "Ooooo. Kinky. Is he into that?" "I don't think so. He just likes to watch. I have to say it sure got his motor started." "What kind of things did they do?" "Well, we couldn't get into the private rooms...

I hear that is where the good stuff is...

but the public room had some girls in skimpy latex outfits and a guy in a leather jock strap and an executioners mask who locked them in stock type things and paddled their butts with a wooden paddle. Weird." "They have that kind of thing around here?" "Believe it or not, just a few blocks from here.

" Both women seemed flushed though they both pretended to be shocked. Sara wanted to ask more, but she had always been shy and shewas uncomfortable with letting anyone know about her dreams. "What's the matter, Sara? You look like you're a million miles away." Sara looked up.

Until today, she would have said that Bobbi was her best friend. Bobbi was looking at her with concern, but she was also looking at the other girls as though not certain of her role.

Sara realized she would never feel comfortable telling Bobbi about her dreams. Now, she realized she truly had no close friends. Bobbi was her work friiend. Trish was her neighbor friend.

Sara shook her head.

"Nothing. Just, didn't sleep well last night. Too hot." "Hot? Honey, it was the nicest night for sleeping in weeks." Sara shrugged, not even realizing how this made her breasts move beneath her silky blouse.

That night, Sara went to the club. Melissa...

her club friend....

was working out. She seemed to watch Sara as she went into her routine. Sara was determined to tire herself out. She had to sleep. She had to get past these weird dreams. Melissa nodded to her as they both worked out, the sweat spots growing on their soft tight leotards.

"You okay?" Sara just nodded, counting her slow reps. Melissa nodded.

Melissa was taller than Sara's five six and her blonde hair was short and spiked.

Her half lidded green eyes took in Sara's tight body as she worked and she said nothing. Finally, burning and trembling with the effort, Sara felt she could do no more. She went to shower and then steam. In the steam room, Melissa was sitting naked on her towel. She watched Sara as she re tied her towel around her waist and sat on the wood bench.

"You need to get over that, hon." "Excuse me?" "Just us girls here. No need to hide the goodies." Sara looked at her towel covered lap. She was right. She had often when alone in the room thought of just leaving the towel off but was always afraid that someone might walk in. She looked at Melissa. She did not know the woman well, and other than here at the club, she would not run into her.

Suddenly she found herself asking, "Do you know anything about SampM?" Melissa laughed out loud, and only stopped when she saw the pain and embarrassment on Sara's face.

"Hey. Relax. As a matter of fact.

I do." Sara looked at the other woman.

The swirling mist made the room seem less real. "Like what?" Melissa wiped off her breasts and her tummy.

She smiled as she leaned back.

"You are gonna make me make it a lot steamier in here." "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." "But it is important to you.

Have you met someone?" "Not...

like that. I have been... having these really strong and very realistic dreams.

" "Ahhh...

have you ever been to one of the clubs?" "There's more than one?" "Okay. Never been. Read any of the web sites? Kuffs? White Rose? Castlerealm?" Sara shook her head, her hair damp with the steam hanging to her soft shoulders. "Interesting. So the dreams just came from out of the blue?" "Yes." "Okay. This is touchy.

I .... well...

I am a Domme, okay?" "A what?" "Damn." Melissa laughed , not unkindly." "I prefer to be the one doing the punishing." "Oh.

So, what do you call the ...." "Subbie, Sub. Or slave, of kajira or ...

it depends on a lot of things. Can I make a suggestion?" "Yes." "Let me write out some of the sites for you. Read up on them. If you are still interested, I will be here thursday. Bring a simple white sleeveless shift. After we work out, we will go to one of the clubs.

I will try to answer any questions you have." "And if I am not interested?" "You will be. But, if not. No harm.

" Sara thought about it for a while. then nodded.

She followed Melissa out to the showers and waited until she was done in the shower to get her own. When she came out, again covered, Melissa was dressed in slacks and a sweater. Sara didn't know what she thought the woman would be wearing but she seemed to be almost disappointed.

"Here. Try these sites. I included the shibari site. Even if you are not into knots, it can be very pretty.

" "Thank you." "No. You say, Thank You, Mistress.

" Sara looked at Melissa to see if she were joking, but the woman's strong, and confident face showed nothing. "Thank You, Mistress." She heard herself whisper. Melissa nodded and walked away. Sara felt dismissed. Thursday night. Sara worked out, if anything, even harder than before. Then, in the steam room, she looked at the lovely Melissa. She didn't know what to say. As she opened her mouth, Melissa held up her hand.

"If you wish to speak to me, you will do the honor." Sara didn't understand at first. Then she thought back to the other night. There was no one else in the room. Furiously blushing and heart racing, Sara stood and removed the towel from around her waist, then folding it she laid it on the bench below where Melissa sat.

Sara sat on the towel, her head down, waiting. "Very well done. Now. Speak." "I ... have read and looked at the pictures. I am frightened but intrigued. I do not want to be branded or scarred.

Ipm afraid of the pain, but I want to learn." "That is very good.

You must trust me that I will not let anyone hurt you, but you must be respectful and you must be honest. Agreed?" "Yes...

Mistress.

" "Tonight, you may call me Teacher, or Ma'am. I am not your Mistress and that may or may not be the path you take.

" Sara nodded to herself.

"Now. Come. Do not even dare to cover that cute soft place with that towel. You will shower with me, tonight. I do not like to be kept waiting." "Yes, Ma'am.

" The other women in the locker room barely glanced their way, but Sara felt they all knew and she felt her face redden as she followed Melissa into the shower and quickly cleaned up. In the locker room, she put on the white lace bra and panties and the white shift. She sat to pull on her panty hose, but Melissa took them from her and threw them into the trash. Sara put on the pumps she had worn. Donning her skirt and top, Melissa pulled a garment bag from the locker and walked out. Sara hurried after her. Leaving Sara's bag in her car, they took Melissa's car.

Melissa, of course, drove a stick shift and drove with the same confident ease with which she seemed to do everything. Sara watched her friend, even as she realized that they were crossing a line she had not crossed in a very long time.

She had no idea what Melissa's last name was. She did not know if she were married or where she lived. Now, she was giving herself to her in a way she had never given herself to anyone before. The thought was as liberating as it was frightening. Melissa had a key to the back room of the club. Sara followed her into the hallway. The small and nicely appointed lounge had a few other women in it. There was also one man. Sara was shocked, but remembering the promise she had made, she said nothing. Melissa smiled. Sara watched as Melissa casually stripped off her clothes and reached into the garment bag. Sara watched as the lovely lass sprinkled some kind of powder on her legs then slid her lovely legs into a pair of bright red, skin tight vinyl pants and a matching top that was barely more than a bikini top. The red leather boots that came to just below her knees were laced. Melissa placed her booted foot on the chair beside the one Sara had sank into. Sara looked up at her, then with trembling fingers, she tightened the laces and pulling them tight she tied the leather laces. When the second was done, Melissa raised Sara's chin and looked into her eyes. Then she went to put her make up on.

"You may hang my things." Sara hung up the skirt and top and put the shoes that Melissa had worn into the bag. Melissa's make up was not overdone, but it was decidedly more dramatic than Sara had ever seen her. Yet, it seemed to fit her so well. "You did not tell me about your dreams. I don't want you to now. But if you see something that ....

appeals to you, I give you permission to tell me." With that, Melissa walked from the room. Sara followed close behind her. They did not return to the public room but went up a stair at the end of the hall.

It was still early but the room was half full. Melissa looked about the room like a queen surveying her realm. Sara looked, but tried to remember to keep her head down and her hands crossed. The costumes ranged from full capes, and robes to harem outfits and skimpy lace, silk or leather. Not all of the subs were female and their were at least two who Sara could not decide whether they were male or female.

Staying near, but behind Melissa, Sara wandered about the room. When Melissa ordered a wine, she did not ask Sara what she wanted, and not certain if she were allowed, Sara did not ask. Melissa sipped her wine and looked about.

A few men and women nodded or waved casually to the lovely blond.

Moving to a table, Melissa sat on a small couch. Sara hesitated, not sure what she should do. With a dismissing wave, Melissa threw a pillow on the floor by her knee. Sara sat. There were a couple of areas that had small spot lights that seemed to highlight different settings. The first was merely a couch not unlike the one on which Melissa sat.

The other two had wooden structures that Sara had a feeling she had read about on the sites, but she wasn't sure.

Melissa's touch on her shoulder made her look, as the woman nodded toward the first of these. The man was tall and slim, with long hair and a recalcitrant manner. The woman was older and seemed almost matronly. She sat upon the couch and with quick deft moves lowered the young man's pants and shorts and drew him acro