The Collaring of Chloe

Chapter 26: A Change of Collar

A nervous jitter ran down Chloe's hands, born from a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. Clasping them together, she tried to settle them into her lap, breathing in a deep inhalation and focusing on the sounds of the car, the warm purr of the motor mixing well with the low music on the radio. Outside her window, a reel of houses spun by, mostly generic-seeming suburban affairs that blended together. Every so often, one with some remarkable detail, a unique design quality or eye-catching ornament adorning the yard, punctuated the ongoing series.

The car radio was tuned to a station that was playing soft strains of some classical piece, a mellow arrangement of piano and woodwinds that drifted in the air like incense, seasoning the mood to an almost dream-like feel. There was a strange sensation to the moment, as though she were caught on the threshold to some grand adventure, an experience that she was full of expectation for, but knew she could make little guess as to what may come.

"You know, I can still get an extra ticket to Montreal." Master said, sounding like he was more talking to himself, considering the idea. "I know Mittens wouldn't mind giving up her alone time with me, the convention itself is a good gift."

"The convention itself is from you, Master." Chloe said gently, looking out the window. "Having time with you, alone, is my gift to her. I wouldn't dream of taking that back." Despite her words, she felt a desire to suddenly shout that she did want to go with them, to share Canada with them and see all the wonders of the convention. Even if only to simply not be apart from the two people she loved for nine days.

Looking towards Master, she fixed him with a smile of certainty and assurance. "This is what I want. I want this experience for myself." She reached over and put a hand on his arm tenderly. "I want my Master to remind me that I am simply property."

"You will never be SIMPLY property to me, slave." Master said, his eyes shifting to her, a look of deep love in his eyes. "You will always be your Master's treasure and greatest possession." He put a hand on hers where it rested on his arm. "Still, I understand. I'm just going to miss my slave."

"I know, Master." Chloe replied, returning his look with one of adoration just as deep. "I'm going to miss you too."

For yet another moment, Chloe reconsidered changing her mind, begging her Master to turn around and take her with them. She knew him well enough that he'd do it, do it out of love for her and out of a desire to keep her from regret. Ironically, what she'd really want would be for him to deny her, make it all the more real for her. She thought she'd love that just as much as getting to see Montreal.

Ever since the evening when she'd invaded his office, needing to feel like a real slave to him, the two of them had begun meeting together there for a half-hour on most evenings, discussing ways to help her receive that need. Most evenings they kept it very informal, speaking together as James and Chloe, not as Master and slave, though more than few times collapsed into little moments of informal play.

It had allowed him to gain a better feel for not only what she wanted from him, but to be able to better gauge what he could do with her without fear of doing harm. The notion of him 'lending her' to someone, the way one might lend a favorite book, repeatedly came up during these talks. For Chloe, it had nothing to do with wanting to be used by someone else, but to be made to feel more like a real possession, handed out without a say. Despite their polyamorous lifestyle, the idea hadn't seemed immediately comfortable to Master, though he'd begun to find his own ways of feeling more comfortable with it.

Thus, when the idea of Chloe giving Mittens this time with Master alone came to her, it had been Master who had brought up the idea of leaving her with someone to 'take care of' while they were gone. Chloe would have been lying if she'd said that she hadn't already intended to suggest it herself, but it had made her feel good to have him be the one to bring it to the table. Thus, they were now winding their way to the house of Mistress Victoria, who would have possession of her for the next nine days.