Side Affects, Chapter Five

A week after my first move in, I finally got to have my meeting with David and Min. In that time, I worked up my proposal, and when we had our meeting, I tried to have all the answers to any objections they’d have.

When I’d first looked around the barn, I saw that it was very well built. I did some research, and found that there were no local doctors in the little town of Jasper, which was less than a mile from our property. If Min and David would move their practices to the area, it would fill an economic need and still keep them close enough to Chelsea Springs to work at the hospital. Since David was the leading researcher for Fred, working out of the renovated barn would give him good access to his primary research subjects (namely, us).

We discussed the costs of renovation and the economic possibilities. Eventually we decided to get some estimates for the renovation, and then compare that to the cost that Min was paying for the rental of her current office in Chelsea Springs.

We finally finished unpacking everything. We had a bonfire made from the boxes we had emptied, the grass clippings and lawn waste from clearing out a lawn, and some of the wood I had cut while getting used to (okay, playing with) my new chainsaw. It was great, and it marked a big change in our lives. We had cleaned, painted and decorated the bedrooms upstairs, even the unused ones. Renee called them “guest rooms”, but the reality was that there was always a possibility of another accidental exposure, and I had spent too much time in the Boy Scouts. I believe in the “Be Prepared” motto, and I try to use it in everything I do.

Of course, there were more developments in the “Fred” story. David told us that we were all sterile, which bothered Renee a bit, but overall had no effect on our lives. I love kids, but I don’t mind not having any of my own. I like my quiet days in the study, or staying in bed as long as I want. Of course, with our lifestyle, children would be a big complication. Pets were out of the question, too. No one knew whether “Fred” was transferable to animals, and I didn’t want to find out. My Jeep was going to be the closest thing to a pet for me.

Thomas and Min finally had their “date” which went well, she said, until they decided to try a little sex afterward. Min had expected it, and was looking forward to it, as she remembered Thomas as a very good lover. Apparently Thomas enjoyed it, and Min made sure that he believed that she had enjoyed it, too. When she got home though, it was a very different story.

She came in, and immediately rushed to me. She buried her face in my shirt and cried. I hugged her and asked her what was wrong, but she didn’t answer me for some time. I think this was the first time I had seen her cry since Anna’s near death illness, and before that, the only time I saw her cry was at my Mother’s funeral.

Finally she recovered enough composure to talk to us. Renee and Anna had stood by us, stroking Min in sympathy, and trying to find out why she was so distressed.

“I-I’ll be all right” she sobbed. “I just need to feel Rob some more. I need to feel the love in this house.”

Well, we had plenty of that! I kissed her, and Renee and Anna both made sure to get a few pecks in. We crowded Min to us, and she soon was able to sit and have some coffee.

“I wanted to really impress Thomas,” she said, “but when we actually got to the sex, there was nothing there. No matter what he did, it was as if I wasn’t really there! I was afraid that I had lost all of my sexual attraction. I told him that it was wonderful, and that he was still a fantastic lover, but in reality, I could get more stimulation going to the bathroom. I feel like I’ve lost something important, but I don’t know how to explain it!”

So, “Fred” has another side effect. Knowing how much effort Min puts into our loving, I could understand why she was so sad. I wonder, though, if our hypersensitivity for each other had made conventional sex so dull as to almost feel nonexistent. Perhaps we just have it too good. I mentioned this to David later, without providing any embarrassing details. He believed that I might have been right. Perhaps some resonance involving “Fred” made us so keyed into each other that the lack of that resonance left us without the needed stimulus.

Thomas came up in another way. I remembered what David said when he described the aftereffects that the men I touched felt. He had said that all medical illness that those men felt was gone, from a rash to a minor cold. I wondered if Thomas’ cancer could be cured by a handshake with me. The problems I saw were that Thomas might not handle the rejection sickness well, and there was the possibility that he wouldn’t want to be healed.

I brought it up that night as we talked around the dinner table

.

“Thomas has been such a help to us in our hour of need.” I told everyone.”Could we help him? I’d never refuse to do all I could for him, but…”

“But? I don’t even know why you ask!” Renee said, quickly. “Of course you should help him!”

“I wonder if he’d want it, though.” Min suggested. “I think we need to talk to him. It’s entirely possible that he’s looking forward to that greatest of mysteries. I know he is a Christian, and has strong beliefs about the afterlife. He may be looking forward to seeing Diana again, and more importantly, going to Paradise.”

So the next day, Min called Thomas, and asked him to come out to the farm and talk to us. He said he would swing by that evening, and, true to his word, he arrived just as we were finishing our dinner.

He came in and we asked him to sit. Renee brought him a drink and we set down to business. I told him about my idea, but I explained that we had some concerns.

“There’s a nasty ‘rejection illness’ that is over quickly, but I think it is something you should talk to your Doctor about,” I said, “And that brings up another question. Should we bring another person into the fold? Assuming it works, we would effectively have proven a possible cure for many diseases. Would he be tempted, knowing about the possibilities? Perhaps Min and David could check you out and advise you without spreading word of our problem. Secondly, knowing about your religious convictions, and fully intending to respect your feelings, we didn’t know if you’d want to try this. We want to leave it up to you, but you are our friend, and we want you to be aware of the possibilities.”

“I want to truly thank you, first for thinking of me, and second, for respecting my beliefs and feelings. I admit, this is something I hadn’t expected, and I’d made my peace with the idea of dying.”

He stood up, and paced for a bit in the living room. “You say there is some illness?”

Min stood up and held his hand. “I think that you’d handle it easily, unless there are some complications I’m not aware of. I know that in my opinion, there’s only one choice, but that’s only the concern of a friend who cares about you. I would respect any decision you make, of course.”

“I care about you all, too. Yes, if David believes that I could go through the rejection well, I’d love to try this. Death doesn’t scare me, but not having to die painfully is a blessing I would gladly accept.”

We arranged to have David see him, and then work out a way to get me to the hospital for a short visit. A week later, Renee took me to Chelsea Springs, where I shook Thomas’ hand, then went home. We left Min with him, and waited until morning, when David called and told us that Thomas had gone through a particularly bad case of rejection sickness, but that he was in fine spirits and recovering quickly. Min came home with a smile that would brighten a coal mine.

“We were concerned for a while, but David feels that the true problem was that his disease was far more extensive than anyone believed. He woke in the morning feeling wonderful. The cancer damaged many parts of his body, but everything seems to be okay, and we think it will all heal now. He says he would have gone through all of the problems just to be rid of the arthritis he had felt.”

She turned to me. “You thought of this. I love you so much, I don’t understand how I could love you more, but I do. I think Thomas wants to nominate you for possible Sainthood.”

“Yeah, like I did anything.” I said. “I’m a Christian, too, even though our current lifestyle might not show it. I’m just a tool of God, nothing more.”

Min came to me and kissed me. “Thank you” she said. “Keep telling yourself you aren’t wonderful, but we all know better. You always think of everyone else, and I hope you’re always like this.”

I know I’m really not all that great, but I didn’t say anything. It was nice to know that I had helped Thomas, but I wish there was a way that I could help more people. It actually felt bad to know that people were dying, while I had the ability to help them. There had to be a way to help more of them.

I talked to David later that day. He told me that it was currently the focus of a great deal of research, which was the reason he came out to get blood samples so often. The indications were positive, and there was progress in synthesizing a form of “Fred”, but that there were a great many tests to be done yet.

“A usable version of ‘Fred’ may be many years in coming, if ever.” David told me. “This addictive property has to be removed, and testing on that alone is going to be a slow and agonizingly careful process. Don’t worry; we want to be able to make use of your abilities, also. I believe it will happen, but I don’t know how long it will take. Are you looking at filling out your harem?”

“No, I’m very happy just as things are, honestly!” I shivered. “I think it could happen, but I don’t want to help it along!”

“I know, I’m only kidding,” David said. “I just like the panicky look you get when the subject comes up!”

“Don’t you have enough work as a Doctor? Do you really have to try Comedy, too?”

He smiled. “I’m just keeping my options open, as my best friend says.”

“Now that is just not fair,” I told him. “I’m not a good role model.”

“So says the guy with three beautiful women, a lovely home and a lawyer who thinks you should have a free pass to heaven. I could do a lot worse!”

ARGGH!

“Y’all think I’m something special, but all I’ve ever tried to be is a nice guy. I’m not some kind of ‘shining light’ for our time! I want my truck back, and I wanna go cruising in my Firebird. I was happy in my old life, when nobody but Renee really paid any attention to me, and I went to Church on Sunday.”

David asked me to sit down, and I did.

“You don’t realize a few things, my friend. I knew about you long before I met you. I’ve worked with Min for many years, and she has always been proud of you. Yes, I know of your company’s charitable work in our Children’s ward, and I know that you were the driving force in that. I know of the Partner’s drivers who are Pen-pals with the elementary school classrooms, and I know you got that started here. I know that Anna worshipped you when you were in school-we’ve talked about you many times. You’ve always tried to help people, and yes, you just might be this county’s ‘shining light’. You’re also almost embarrassingly humble. Matt and I talked a bit about you. He told me that you’re the patience and the spirit behind Partners. I have heard all about how far you have gone to help your employees, and how you do everything you can to keep your customers happy. He admires you as much as I do. I don’t want to give you a big head, Rob, but I truly don’t believe that I could choose a better role model in my life.”

He got up, grabbed his blood samples and smiled as he walked toward his car. “Don’t change, Rob. You’re my hero!”

Wow.

I was out in the swamp, cutting firewood and clearing a path to the “Island”. I had made arrangements to have the swamp dredged out in order to create a large pond. My plan was to stock the pond with some wild fish so that I could spend some time doing a little fishing the next few summers. I’d heard that this area had some very good deer hunting, but I wasn’t interested in that. I might eat meat, but I don’t feel the need to kill it. Some folks love it, and that’s fine. Everybody makes their own choices, I guess. I don’t want any hunting on our property, but that’s just because I might be out there and I want to avoid any accidents. Go hunt to your heart’s content, and I’ll defend your right to do it, just don’t bother me.

Anna came down in her little truck, honking her horn. I went to see what she wanted, and she met me with a big hug and a kiss.

“I was sent to get you. Renee has a big lunch waiting for you. I thought you might want some help loading some wood into my truck instead of your Jeep. It’ll carry a lot more wood, so we can head up to lunch quicker.” She put on some leather gloves and started loading a layer of wood in the bed of her truck. Working together, we soon had all that I’d cut loaded up, and she headed back to the house. I followed her in my Jeep, and as we got close to the house, I realized just how hungry I was. Renee had cooked some pork chops and had some green beans and corn on the cob to go with it. A tall glass of Lemonade, and I was a happy man.

“You might want to put that wood in the big shed and put away your Jeep. We’re supposed to get a cold rain this afternoon, and it may rain until sometime tomorrow.” Renee looked at the darkening sky. “I think you might want to take care of that soon.”

She was right. Anna helped me get the wood out of her truck and into the large shed I had repaired to use as a garage. I parked my Jeep inside, and by the time we were done, the rain was starting. I went in and Anna and I shared a warm bath, then went into the bedroom and got sweaty all over again. We took a quick shower, and then she went up to take a nap. I went out to the sunroom so that I could read and watch the storm come in. It wasn’t a thunderstorm, just a cold soaker that rained most of the rest of the day. Min came out to join me, and we started a fire in the walkthrough fireplace. Eventually Anna, and then Renee came out to enjoy the warmth of the fireplace and relax on the comfortable chairs. We started a game of cards, and spent a pleasant evening listening to music and laughing about one thing or another. We only stopped to help cut some cheese and a couple of summer sausages. Add a couple kinds of crackers and a bottle of wine, and the card games continued.

I never check the schedule, so I don’t know which one I’m going to be sleeping with. It doesn’t matter to me; I love every one of my “wives”. Renee and I went to bed, and she got the fireplace in the bedroom started. When we made love it was unusually soft and relaxed. I enjoyed spending so much time loving her. Afterwards, she cuddled up against me and fell asleep. I was awake a little longer, reflecting on the wonderful life I had.

In the morning it was a bit cold, so I got the big living room fireplace going while Renee started some coffee started. By the time Anna came downstairs, we had hot coffee and bagels and a nice warm fire going. We watched some morning TV, curled up on the very comfortable sofa. Min eventually came down for a relaxed breakfast. Doctor’s hours can be brutal. We all settled in, and I had Renee on one side of me, Anna on the other, and Min curled up on the floor between my legs. It was a little uncomfortable, but I wasn’t dumb enough to complain!

When Thomas arrived, we were all in our bed clothes, but he just came in and sat down in a chair. Min and Renee got him some coffee and a bagel, and Anna turned off the television. He looked great, and he had some good news for us.

 

“I think the judge is preparing to make a ruling, but I could just be optimistic. We need to put a good face on everything, so I’m thinking about a suggestion from one of my colleagues. D’you think you could come into town for an interview? I’d like to have it done at David’s office, partly to keep people away from here, and partly to be able to provide a more ‘clinical’ feel for the interview.”

 

“I’m glad you thought about keeping this place private for a while yet,” I said. “I think David’s office is a great place for an interview. I’ll be glad to do the interview, but how much should I say? I’d want to be truthful, but I know there are things I don’t want the public to know.”

“All you need to mention is that the condition exists, and it’s very contagious, treatable but incurable. For any technical questions, let David and his research handle that. Tell the reporter about the reason you call it Fred, talk about how you saved Anna, and bring up how you’ve put yourself in a voluntary quarantine, but don’t mention where you’re living. That should give them enough material for an article, and should keep us looking nice and cooperative. With the information from David, we should come out of this with a good image, and the judge would feel comfortable with ruling in our favor.”

We agreed to set up the interview for the next afternoon, so I’d go into town tonight and stay there until tomorrow night. Darn, I was getting used to that fireplace in my room, too! Oh, well.

The small hospital bed felt tiny compared to my King sized bed, but I managed to get some sleep. I got up and got dressed, and went to David’s office. A little after noon, the reporter showed up. For some reason, I’d been expecting a male reporter, but instead a very thin but attractive brunette came into the office. She introduced herself as Jessica Cassias. I wore plastic gloves for protection, so I shook her hand, and we had a fairly pleasant discussion. I kept to the short list of subjects that would give us a helpful look, without revealing a great deal of actual information. She laughed pleasantly when I explained Fred’s name, and got appropriately sad when I discussed Anna’s situation before I healed her. Everything went well until the end of the interview, when the stupid bitch surprised me and gave me a kiss! She laughed, and said that she would prove that there was nothing to this “Fred” business, and that this fraud had reached its end.

Min came in at my shouts about her stupidity. When I told her what had happened, she quickly grabbed the girl and asked her what her plans were. She got scared and said that she was supposed to go to a hospital a couple of hundred miles away and prove that she did not have any disease.

“They set this all up in advance?” Min asked.

“Yeah, I’m supposed to go to this hospital near Detroit, where they’ll run a battery of tests on me. I get a nice promotion and my first byline for this job.”

“What you would have actually received was a nice obituary and a great deal of press about how you had died from a dangerous new designer drug. I can’t believe they’d go this far. I want to get that Detective Monfort in here, immediately. Do you have a family doctor here in Chelsea Springs, Jessica?”

“Yes, I see Doctor Wilde at the Rothschild Clinic.”

“I don’t really know him, but I’m sure we can get him here for this. We won’t treat you until he has examined you and you begin to show some of the symptoms. I want the security video for this office, and I’ll want video of this young lady to see how the symptoms progress.”

“Wait, you’re serious? There really is a disease that could kill me, and my boss set me up for it?”

“He probably didn’t think he was setting you up to die. I’d bet he thinks that this is all a big fraud, like a lot of the public does. When Detective Monfort gets here, just tell him the truth, and tell him everything. Your life is about to take an interesting turn, my dear. Are you married? Do you have any children? No? Well, there’s a blessing. I think we’ll just get you away from Robin for a while, although I think you’re really going to want to see him in a very short time…”

I was very angry. I tried to just sit and calm myself down. Someone had tried to use me as a murder weapon! They’d intentionally selected a small, harmless and attractive girl to make me look more evil. It disgusted me beyond belief. Thomas and Detective Monfort arrived at approximately the same time. I have never seen Thomas angry before, and where I want to explode, he’s deadly serious. He was familiar with Detective Monfort, which surprised me. He told him about the reasons for the interview, then I told them what had happened, but I said that they should talk to Jessica and Min about everything after that. I did mention the security video, which made Detective Monfort smile.

Thomas asked if I was okay.

“They wanted me to kill her, Thomas. Look at the tape. She was supposed to go to a hospital in Detroit, where I could’nt have reached her. She would have died just for doing her job, just like poor Jenny. I-I can’t do that again, Thomas.”My eyes began to tear up. “I just can’t do it.”

“I know, Rob. You didn’t kill Jessica. We have to cover all of our bases, and Min did an excellent job of doing just that. I’m quite proud of her. She has a very good head for the law. You’ll see Jessica in a short while, Rob. Try to calm down, I’ll take it from here, don’t worry.”

Detective Monfort came in a little while later. “Jessica is cooperating fully with me. She was working under the directions of her editor at the Chelsea Springs Dispatch News. Officers have been sent to bring him to the station for questioning. I want to know who set this up.”

I also wanted to know who would do something so nasty, which made me think of something else. I had to apologize to someone I had frightened, and who was probably thinking that she was in serious trouble. I had to get myself under control and go talk to Jessica.

She was in a room with her personal physician, and had just begun to show some reddening of her skin. I knew that she was probably starting to feel some of the pain, and I asked Min if I could go in and take care of her when the Doctor left. She nodded, and asked that I use some of my famous charm on her. I smiled as if I knew what she was talking about, and went in.

“Hi, Jessica, I hope you don’t mind if I come in.” I pulled a chair over to her bed. “I wanted to apologize for getting so angry before.”

“No, you had every right to be angry, Mr. Heister. I acted stupidly, and I betrayed your trust. I believed that you were pulling a scam on everyone, and that it was completely safe for me to do that. I did everything I was told, without thinking about what you might have felt. And, umm, besides, you are kinda cute. A mousy little girl like me doesn’t get many opportunities to kiss cute rich guys.”

“Okay, I’ll admit to being cute,” I said, which made her smile. “And if it hadn’t been for this problem I have, I would have been flattered to have been kissed by a very pretty girl.”

“I’m not that pretty,” she said, blushing. “I have a few conditions that keep me from gaining weight. I eat like a horse, but nothing seems to work.”

“Well there’s your problem! I’ve never found grass to be all that fattening!”

She laughed. “No, silly, I mean I eat lots of food. It either doesn’t stay down, or it goes right through me.”

“Not anymore,” I heard from the door, and Min came in. “From now on, you’ll gain weight normally, so we’ll have to be careful about your diet.”

“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.

“The ‘condition’ you now have has a few interesting quirks. One of them is that it balances your system in an unusual way, and nothing else will affect you. So far, it has cured diabetes, cancer, and a whole host of other diseases. A side effect of the ‘condition’-which we call ‘Fred’, by the way, is that you are unfortunately sterile, along with a few other surprising things we will talk about later. No, you can’t spread it, and yes, you need to see Rob on a regular basis.”

“How does that work? Do I need to make an appointment?”

I laughed. “No, you don’t make an appointment. You move in with us.”

“Us? How many others are there?”

Another familiar voice called from the hallway, “You make sister number four!”

Renee stepped in, followed quickly by Anna. They were all smiles, and came up and kissed me.

“Min called us.” Anna said. “Now it’s your turn, bud!”

 

I introduced them to Jessica.”You already know Minnie, and these are Mickey and Goofy. Ow!”

Renee and Anna started hitting me, while Jessica laughed

.

“Okay, I apologize! I couldn’t resist! Jessica, you already know Min, and these two fugitives are Renee and Anna. We have a large farmhouse in Jasper. It’s very comfortable, and there’s a lot of room. We’re more than just friends, and I think you’d like it.”

“Sorry, this is all happening way too fast, and besides, I’m really not feeling very good right now.”

“Oh Crap. I started talking and forgot the treatment! Jessica, could I see your hand, please?”

She held out here hand, and I held it in mine.

“Oh, man, whatever that is, can I have some more? Wow, that’s so…” She stopped talking, closed her eyes and began to moan. Her breathing got quicker and she squirmed as she reached an orgasm. As I let go of her hand, her eyes opened in surprise.

“In-freaking-credible! What was that?”

“That’s what happens when Rob ‘recharges’ you.” Anna told her. “It gets much better.”

“Oh, no way! How often do we do this?”

“It’s quite often, at first, approximately every five to six hours. Eventually you’ll learn how to give yourself some more time between charges, but this is something you’ll do for the rest of your life.”

“That was so cool! All you did was hold on to my hand? What happens if you have sex?”

“Well, that’s how you stretch out the time. The more intimate you get, the more intense the charge gets, and the longer you can go before you need a recharge.” Renee smiled. “We have a schedule, which will have to be changed, by the way.”

“This is for real, isn’t it? I’d hate to think this was some kind of dream, and that when I wake up, I’m going to be back at my desk in the newsroom, editing the classifieds.”

Anna giggled that beautiful giggle of hers. “It’s real, Jessica!”

“How do you do that? That is so weird, but cool!”Jessica looked at her in awe.

“Doesn’t she have the cutest giggle?” I said. “I just love that. I try to make her giggle all the time. My secret is that she’s very ticklish…Shhh, don’t tell!”

Everybody laughed except Anna, who put up a phony pout that was incredibly cute, too, and just made us laugh more. Anna is so beautiful; it’s hard for her not to be cute.

“You all seem to be so much in love, I just can’t believe it. When can we go to the farmhouse? Can I keep my job? Should I keep my apartment? I have so many questions!”

“Jessica, like it or not, you’re a part of our family now.” I answered her.” I hope that you feel the love we all feel very soon, but take your time. We don’t want to force anything on you, and we want you to feel welcome with us. You won’t need an apartment anymore, but if you want to keep it for some reason, you can. You can keep your job, if you like, and I think you’ll see a lot of changes there because of what has happened. Think about it, and if you have questions, I’ll be next door. If you want, we’ll have some dinner in a while over at my room. It’s hard to say who will be there, or what we’ll have. We’ll make sure we come get you, if you like. You’re probably a little tired now, and I want you to be awake when you run with this crazy bunch, so we’ll leave you alone for now.”

“Do you have to? Can I come over there? I don’t really like to be alone.”

I reached out and picked her up in my arms. “Don’t worry; we won’t leave you alone-unless you want us to. Okay?”

She smiled and put her arms around my neck. “Yes, Okay!”

I carried her easily to my room and she suddenly gasped. “Are you all right?” I asked.

“I just realized what you are doing! You’re carrying me over the threshold!”

“Yeah, it’s just part of our special welcoming service. Welcome to our family!”

She cried, and hugged me. Why is it every time I do something like this, they get all weepy? Quietly, I heard Jessica whisper in my ear “I think I love you, Rob!”

I heard Min tell somebody, “I told him to use some of his charm. Finally he listens to me!”

The party got a little crazy. Renee pulled Jessica’s bed over to my room and put them together. We ended up having some Chinese food delivered and David eventually stopped by with a phlebotomist for some blood samples and to introduce himself to Jessica. She asked us to call her Jessie, and Anna asked her if she was going to really join the family. I explained that Anna and Min had legally changed their last names to Heister, and that we had created a special ceremony to make them officially part of my family. The girls all showed her their rings, which appeared to be wedding rings until you noticed the HFE logo woven into a pattern in white gold.

“You mean like a wedding?”She asked. I told her that since we couldn’t get married, we had formed a legal partnership, and the ceremony had been small and had only included the four of us, plus Thomas and David.

She squealed “Oh! That sounds so cool!” I laughed, and told Renee that she had a reason for a party again.

“Give me a little time, okay?” She laughed.” I just finished cleaning the last of the mess from the last one, and I want a break!”

Eventually, everybody but Jessie and I had left the room. Jessie went over and closed the door, as we had explained our tradition to her. She took off her clothing and told me she needed to show me something. She turned around and bent over. In the crack of her ass, on the right cheek, it read “SLAVE” in small red letters.

She had it done it for a former boyfriend who she later learned didn’t appreciate her commitment to him. She didn’t want to offend me, but to have it removed was expensive and painful. I think she wanted to be honest with me, but maybe she was testing me in some subtle way, too. I asked her if being a slave girl excited her, and she blushed.

She told me that she’d read all of the Gor books by John Norman, and she loved to fantasize about being a slave to a powerful Master. I surprised her when I told that I’d also read all of them, and that we had them in the study, along a few other works. My particular favorite has always been Assassin of Gor, and I’d also fantasized about owning a beautiful slave girl.

`”Master, do you think, perhaps, I might qualify?” She asked quietly, her blue eyes almost pleading with me.

“I don’t know; let’s take a look at you.” Taking a cue from what I had read, I did as thorough an examination as I could. I didn’t have a whip or even a belt, so there were a few things I had to work around. She submitted easily to my touch, and when I “examined” her private area, she was wet and responsive. All in all, I was fairly sure that if we had been in a real Gorean Slave Market, I would never have been able to afford her. Naked, she looked exquisite rather than thin, and I knew that she would challenge me if I got too soft, so I resolved that I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

“Yes, I’ll take you as my kitchen slave, wench. I think you might be able to scrub a pot rather prettily.”

“My wonderful Master, I could do far more than that for you.”

“You think so? You seem a bit scrawny to me,” I lied. The more I looked, the more I wanted her. She had delicate features and beautiful skin. She stood on her toes, and I could see that she had taken at least some dance training. Her muscle definition was beautiful, and she was as graceful as anyone I had ever seen.

“Master, I’ve tried to train myself to be the best slave that I can be. I’m familiar with several kinds of dance, I’ve been told I sing fairly well, and I’ve studied several different texts on sexual positions and behaviors. I desire to be the best slave I can possibly be for my Master, and I’ll do anything I can to the best of my ability to please my Master.”

“Well, perhaps we could try it for awhile. I don’t seem to have a need for a kitchen slave at the present moment, so show me what you can do, girl.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Do you have an emergency ‘release’ word that you prefer?

“No, Master. Do with me as you will.”

Oh, I did. She was as talented as she claimed, in every way I could think of. She performed unfailingly and without complaint in any task I gave her. It was a dream come true, and I found out later that she had felt the same. I told her it was time to get some sleep, and we got into bed. I was exhausted, but very satisfied, and I fell asleep quickly. I’m a morning person, and I wake up easily. When I checked the bed, she was gone. Looking around, I saw her, kneeling on the floor at the end of the bed, completely naked and in perfect “Position”

.

“That’s going to get very uncomfortable, my lovely slave.”

She tried not to show it, but I saw her shiver with delight at the compliment. “This is the proper position for a slave, Master. I’ve practiced this for years in my efforts to train myself to be the perfect slave girl.”

And you’ve pretty much succeeded, I thought, but I didn’t say it. I was awed, but I refused to show her any weakness. I got up and went to the restroom, then got dressed.

“Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

“Yes, Master.”

I knew she’d remain there until told otherwise, so I went to David’s office and called Renee. I told her about Jessie’s incredible gift to me, and she whistled in amazement. “This might change the ceremony a bit.” She said.

“That’s my thought, exactly. Do you have any suggestions, sweetheart? I’ve got to be very careful here, but I really do want her to be happy.”

I made a few quick suggestions, and she countered with a few very good ideas of her own.

“I like it, but could we get it done today?”“I’ll make some calls and talk to the others about it. What’s the name of those books again?”

“The ‘Gor’ series, G-O-R, by John Norman. I’ve got the series in paperback, on the top shelf of the bookshelf on the West wall.”

“Okay. We’ll see what we can do, you lucky bastard. Love you!”

“Love you too. Bye!”

I went back to my room, but not before seeing David. He said that Thomas had called, after speaking with Detective Monfort. The Editor at Jessie’s paper had been of little assistance, and he said he’d acted on a telephone conversation. The Managing Editor, a friend of Thomas’, had been disgusted at the man’s actions, and had fired him immediately. They wanted to know what I wanted done with Jessica, to which I replied that I had it fully under control. I told him about my evening, and that we’d be leaving that day, when Min finished up. I asked him to see that no one bothered us-not that my slave girl would care, but I wanted her to myself for a while yet. To say the least, David was amazed, and he just shook his head slowly from side to side as he walked away.

Min’s shift ended in an hour or so, and Jessie did her best to please me in any way that she could in the meantime. She’d worn slacks, with a turtleneck sweater over a long tunic. I had her pack everything but the tunic into a bag-I didn’t even allow her any underwear for the trip home. It would be a cold trip for her, but we didn’t have far to go, and I knew it would make the fireplace feel that much more comfortable. She even went barefoot, and she walked out on her toes, as usual. She felt it was the only way for a slave to walk, as it made the legs look so much sexier. Well, I had no argument for that!

Min had already received a call from Renee, so she wasn’t noticeably surprised by Jessie’s metamorphosis. She and I discussed her evening, and we had a fairly pleasant ride talking about a little boy who’d come into the emergency room with a large bruise on his belly and a sore back. It seemed that the wanna-be superhero had attempted to make a flying leap from his dresser to his bed.

Unfortunately, his super powers were not working that night, and he’d almost missed the bed. He hit the edge of his mattress with his belly and bounced back to the floor where he landed on his back. His mother had been sure that poor Billy might have had internal injuries, and she’d rushed him to the hospital. Min said that he’d be a little sore this morning, but would otherwise be fine.

Jessie smiled, but otherwise said nothing. When we got to the house, I helped her out and we went into the dining room. Renee greeted her with a hug.

“Jessie, honey, is this really all right with you? Do you truly want to be a slave girl?”

Jessie looked at me for permission, and Anna gave her an astonished look, as I nodded.

“You have to get permission to speak?”

Jessie smiled, happily. “I ask him permission for everything! Yes, I’m deliriously happy to be his slave. I’ve dreamed about this for years. I’ve practiced sitting in position for hours on end, and I’ve taken lessons in several different types of dancing so that I would be a pleasing slave. I’m most happy when I obey his commands. He’s my perfect Master. He knows that if he was to be weak, I wouldn’t be happy. More importantly, I know that he’s aware of all of me-my body, my thoughts and my feelings. Can you understand how wonderful it is to know that I’m that important to him? He can make me wet with a word. This morning, I had an orgasm just from his praise, because I know that he won’t give it lightly. I know that this must seem strange to you, but please understand, nothing in the world can make me happier than serving him!”

“Well, the best way we can express our feelings would be to present you with these.” Anna said, as she gave her a present. I told her to go ahead, and watched as her beautiful smile lit up the room.

“It’s a slave collar! Dancing bells, silks, restraints, even a whip! Oh, thank you!” She cried happy tears as Renee had her kneel down and gave me the collar to put on her neck. There was a tag on the collar, and Anna said that they had voted for a new name for Jessie. With my permission, it had been engraved on a special tag, with the HFE logo on either side of her new name. As I put the collar on her, I recited the short vow that was on a piece of paper in the box.

“We welcome you into this house, and into our lives. I promise to always love you, and to always be strong for you. With this collar, be reborn as a slave from this time on. I now give you the name you will have from this day forth. I name you Joy!”

I locked the collar on, and placed the key on my key ring.Tearfully, Joy touched the collar and kissed my hands. Each of the girls came up and gave her a hug and a kiss. There were many tears, and I’ll admit, I thought things might have been a little bit overdone, but Min just shook her head at me.

“Can’t you see? The ritual was so extremely important to her. It gives meaning to her life, and fulfills her fondest dreams. You were right-she’s so dainty and exquisite. She’s far more beautiful than I’d have believed, and a large part of that is the happiness she feels right now. You may find it silly, but the important thing is that she doesn’t. “

I let the celebration go on for a while, but when I sat down, Joy immediately kneeled by my side, smiling and erect. Her new name was perfect.

Joy quickly became everyone’s favorite. She decided not to return to her job at the newspaper. It was just too uncomfortable. We terminated the lease on her apartment, and moved her few personal belongings to our house. I allowed her some limited freedom, when there were other girls around. Part of the “personal belongings” she’d brought was a French Maid’s uniform, very short and very revealing, and also of very high quality. Her eyes lit up, and she had to show me how it looked on her. I loved it. From the high heeled shoes to the cap on her head, it was beautiful and very sexy, and we decided then and there that it would make a perfect uniform for her. I loved it when she was nude, but it just wasn’t acceptable when she answered the door!

She loved to help Renee in the kitchen, and she and Anna quickly became fast friends when it was discovered that they both had a near obsessive love of alternative rock music. Min thought that Joy might be a perfect receptionist for the new clinic, and she launched a campaign to get my support. Joy enjoyed the work, she was friendly and outgoing, and she learned fast. Since I was typically busy during those hours, I agreed to let Joy work with Min. There were also many days where Joy simply kneeled happily next to my desk, awaiting my commands to please me. I was busy building up a list of ways to help out at Partners. Matt and I’d worked out a system to optimize my time and resources, while allowing me an “open” time frame to work on my schedule.

Joy’s dancing had become a frequent evening treat. She was even helping Anna to learn some steps. I frequently found it to be too erotic, and I would quickly steal her away for a quick bit of sex. I think Anna may have become a little jealous about that-hence the dance lessons. I said nothing, but Anna really had nothing to worry about.

Each of my girls was completely different. Min was skillful and sensual. I call her a “sex ninja”. Renee was my rock, and I relied on her for everything. Our sex could be soft and easy, slow and intense, or just crazy, as the feeling led. Joy fulfilled my need to dominate, to totally control her life. Anna was like a wild mare, beautiful and exciting. Where Joy would obey me, perfectly, and got her pleasure from that, Anna was enthusiastic and fun. My life would be incomplete if I would have had to go without any of them.